toaster
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You can now buy the Xbox Series S toaster for $40
It's available alongside the Xbox Series X mini fridge.
Japanese toaster-maker Balmuda launches its first smartphone
Balmuda, known for the steam-powered $329 toaster in the US, has released its first phone.
Bungie begins selling its official Destiny toaster
Bungie has made an official Destiny toaster that you can pre-order right now.
Balmuda's $329 steam-based toaster finally arrives in the US
Balmuda has brought its legendary steam-based toaster to the US for the first time.
ICYMI: Studying the 1700's clouds for pollution clues
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Scientists at CERN constructed a large chamber to replicate the cloud environment before the world's Industrial Revolution got its start after 1750. The thought had been that there were far fewer clouds on Earth then, but already results are pointing to a different reality that could help guide present day modeling of global climate change. If you want to take a peek at the continent colonizing study showing we were taught lies in history class, that's here. The toaster of your five-year-old's dreams? That's here. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
This superheated knife toasts bread as you cut it
Tired of having to slice up your fresh bread before you drop it in the toaster? Colin Furze feels your pain. The homebrew inventor just built a toasting knife that -- you guessed it -- toasts whatever you're cutting. It ultimately amounts to a modified microwave transformer sending loads of heat to a blade, but it singes your soon-to-be meal about as well as you'd hope. You can even use it to melt butter as you spread it, like a kind of culinary steamroller. Is this practical for your kitchen? Probably not, but there's no denying that it'd be convenient for those hectic mornings when every second of breakfast-making counts.
Hands-on with Toyota's Prius plug-in hybrid (video)
Yesterday we attended Toyota's Green Drive Expo where we were given the opportunity to take the production version of the Prius plug-in hybrid (PHV) -- and its smorgasbord of technology -- for a spin. We spent a couple hours driving interfacing with the computers aboard the Advanced model, which besides being outlet-friendly, includes some unique features within the Prius lineup. Explore our gallery below, and hit the break for our impressions and hands-on videos with the latest incarnation of Toyota's iconic vehicle.%Gallery-134091%
Disabled man uses Evony to call for help during house fire
If a toaster caught on fire in your kitchen, it would be a small matter for most of us to put it out. Not so much for Bob Chambers, a 51-year-old Indiana man suffering from Muscular Dystrophy. While playing Evony, a Facebook MMO, in his living room, Chambers noticed the smoke but was powerless to put it out, get to the phone or flee the house. So instead, Chambers asked his fellow Evony players for help, who in turn called the police and fire department to save the man. Initially, the 911 dispatcher wasn't sure whether the call was a joke or not, but he contacted the proper authorities anyway. The fire was quickly put out and Chambers kept from harm. Chambers' wife used to dislike Evony, but now she has a different perspective on her husband's hobby: "I hated this game because he doesn't pay attention to me or anything else in the house. Now I've got to bite my tongue because it saved his life quite possibly." [Via Kotaku]
The XToaster360 can be yours, for enough bread
We were tempted to make a joke about avoiding the unnecessary risk of overheating your Xbox 360 when we saw this video for Nick Carouso's "XToaster360" -- a toaster gutted and turned into a custom console -- but that's a little stale. The case mod is currently up for auction on eBay with a starting bid of $150 ... so we're assuming there's no Valhalla inside. (There's also no hard drive -- just the ability to use USB thumb drives.) While the XToaster is still pretty neat, what with its blue LEDs and novelty factor, there are a couple of other issues with the design: For one, it doesn't actually make toast. Also, Carouso kept the disc drive horizontal, missing the opportunity to insert a game through one of the toaster's bagel-accommodating slots. Maybe he was worried about it ejecting early -- or worse: jamming?
Toast/E/R Defibrillator concept toasts, will inevitably lead to fun toast-shaped skin burns
Seriously, humanity, we're disappointed it took you so long to come up with this. Now, who here has the funds to convert this from concept to commercial product? We're waiting...
If Microsoft made a toaster...
We don't know where, and we don't know why, but we sure like the idea of this Microsoft toaster that etches little Redmond flags into delicately baked slices of Wonder. Of course, if Microsoft really did make a toaster it would likely require an upgrade to your bread. And if Apple made a toaster, the bread would be non-removable. Oh!And if... go ahead, add your own in the comments below.[Thanks abrahamvir, images courtesy of mazw220]
Domestic visionary Dyson's totally square kitchen
James Dyson, the man who single-handedly transformed the vacuum cleaner from a symbol of domestic oppression to an object of techno-lust, is back on the scene with not one, but a whole coterie of kitchen appliances designed to save space -- by sticking 'em in a box. No longer must Americans stand for tea kettles shaped like tea kettles, toasters shaped like toasters, or for juicers... you get the idea. What's more, these guys are all designed to work together: controls are uniformly placed on the top or front panels, with devices sharing common power supplies. As it stands, this is all currently little more than a story dreamt up on the basis of a patent, fodder for a slow news day, and something which neither Dyson nor his colleagues commit to actually making a real reality -- even if patent US 2009/0095729 tells us a different story. But what the hell? A guy can dream, right?[Via Core77]
Super Nintoaster plays SNES games, doesn't make toast
If you prefer video game consoles that look like common kitchen appliances (here's looking at you, PS3), have we got a treat for you -- BenHeck.com contributor Vomitsaw recently put the final loving touches on his Super Nintoaster project, which, as the portmanteau-sensitive among you have probably already discerned, is a Super Nintendo. Inside of a toaster. It's safer than it sounds (we think).It's actually Vomitsaw's second toaster-based console mod -- he crafted a regular ol' Nintoaster last fall. Sadly, neither model has been able to fulfill its kitchen appliance destiny, and won't do much to conflagrate your bread. It's probably for the best -- all it takes is one mistaken slot, and you've got a golden brown, formerly priceless copy of Chrono Trigger, which we hear is actually pretty delicious with raspberry preserves.[Via Engadget]
Super Nintoaster gets us all ready for the N64toaster
We could ask if this trend will even end, but considering that we're hoping with all our might that the answer is "no," we'll just skip the inquiry altogether. The same modder who delivered the highly popular, heart-healthy Nintoaster has taken the time to concoct a fitting followup: the Super Nintoaster. It's one part toaster, one part Super Nintendo, and the resulting gaming appliance would sit just perfectly in any dorm kitchen. Head on past the break if you're interested in a demonstration vid. [Via technabob]
Toasting Charger: for batteries, not bagels
Don't get too excited: the Toasting Charger is merely a concept, at least for now. Still, it always brightens our day to see products that call to mind this most beloved human food. Simply pop in the battery, push the lever on the side and well, that's the beauty of it... you already know how to use this little guy. There's also a helpful LED on the front to indicate the progress of the charge for the hopelessly impatient. "Toasting" your lithium-ion batteries is, at first glance, a little weird, right? Nope. Pass the jam, please.[Thanks, Tony]
Toaster Computer is fine for email, useless for Pop Tarts
After discovering the Scan Toaster a few days ago (and who can forget the Nintoaster?) we had really high hopes for Gordon Johnson's Toaster Computer Project. Unfortunately, though it sounds exotic (like some sort of WiFi, dual-core, programmable toaster oven), the Toaster Computer turns out to be little more than a PC housed in the classic Black & Decker Toast-It-All 4-Slice Toaster enclosure. There are a plethora of photos -- and a YouTube video -- to take you through the process (complete with a stomach churning trance techno version of "The Final Countdown" on the soundtrack). According to Johnson, the next step will be to replace the machine's "regular cooling method" (also known as a "fan") with a thermoelectric cooling process he calls the "Passive Laxative Copper Cooler Concept." We look forward to seeing how that turns out. Video after the break.[Via Hack A Day]
Scan Toaster puts the power of 'miracle toast' into the hands of mere mortals
Industrial designer Sung Bae Chang has finally given us mortals the ability to do that which was once considered a bona-fide miracle. Using the "Scan Toaster," anyone with a PC and a USB cable can burn the likeness of the Blessed Virgin Mary (or any image or text that you wish) onto a slice of bread. The toaster utilizes a network of toasting "modules" -- hot wires that rotate within a 30 degree radius -- that burn the image or text you have selected onto the delicious slice of your choice. The peripheral is a finalist in a design competition run by the appliance manufacturer Electrolux, so as-of-yet there aren't any plans to manufacture it on a mass scale. We're guessing that Mr. Sun Bae Chang probably wants to keep the awesome power of the Scan Toaster for himself anyway.
Nintoaster mod makes NES games tastier than ever
This toaster may only have one setting, but that setting is NES, and that's good enough for us. Created by the same console modder behind the monstrous Super Genintari, this project is certainly a good deal less ambitious than that endeavor, but it hits all the right marks nonetheless, including a functional front lever that acts as a power switch, and some red LEDs that light up your cart but probably won't do much for your toast. Be sure to hit up the link below for plenty more pics and a look at the complete build process.
News from the Wider MMO World: August 26, 2008
The MMO genre is more than World of Warcraft, Age of Conan, and Warhammer Online. Here's what's going on in the rest of the world.Mabinogi welcomes Generation 3The MMO that bills itself as "your fantasy life" has gotten its next upgrade with Generation 3. Now Mabinogi players will have the ability to marry each other, complete with license and wedding attire for both genders. An overarching quest will require warriors to recover dungeon seals to prevent the Fomor from entering the world. And finally, the pet system gets an overhaul, with new interactions, behaviors, and controls. The removal of the combat cap, increased UI options, and new items all await players in Generation 3.Neocron 2 developer declares insolvency10Tacle Studios AG, parent company of Reakktor Media GmbH, developers of Neocron 2, declared insolvency on August 6th. They are awaiting an insolvency administrator to determine what will happen with the game servers. In a later update to the original forum post, Kirk Lenke, CEO of Reakktor Media announced that the insolvency will not affect business operation of Neocron 2, and that they are still in development for upcoming title Black Prophecy.
Trapdoor Toaster releases bread on the bottom, removes trademark "pop"
For whatever reason, toasters are redesigned entirely more often than most any other kitchen gadget, but the Trapdoor Toaster may actually be an alternative worth checking out. First off, the item you see above is no concept -- as a matter of fact, it's available for purchase right now at Hammacher Schlemmer. Essentially, this thing inhales bread, bagels and frozen waffles, toasts 'em to your preferred level of brown / black and then shoots them out below onto a serving tray. Sadly, this removes that iconic eject function that makes traditional toasters so fun to watch, but it does prevent you from scalding your fingertips as you try to dig out slices from the fiery slots. Novel? You bet. Worth the $79.95 asking price? Not on your life.[Via Coolest-Gadgets]
