You never really know what you're going to get when peering through entries in Microsoft's Next-Gen PC Design Competition, and the above pictured device is definitely evidence of that. The AlphaGrip Handheld Computer (or AlphaGrip HC, for short), boasts full-size rocker keys on the front along with a flip-up display and a keypad made specifically for thumb-typing. There's also a trackball for mousing about and a slew of buttons to handle "sophisticated PC games" while standing on a crowded subway. Still, we can't help but notice just how much this thing reminds us of our days tinkering with the defunct-from-birth Atari Jaguar, and we also can't imagine anyone with a shred of dignity ever pulling this abomination out in public. Kudos for imagination, though.

[Via OhGizmo]

Make no mistake, we've seen some fairly boneheaded moves (even someone rocking this very same gaffe!) made by technologically-illiterate bank robbers, but the latest case involves a fellow who was quite the opposite of that. Yes, the 20 to 25 year male who decided to hold up an Alabama bank the day before his taxes were due actually did the deed without hanging up his cellphone. And there's surveillance footage to prove it. Quite honestly, we can't imagine what the conversation here would've been like, but at least he made the most of whatever minutes he had remaining as a free man, right?

[Via textually]

Given the multitude of ways Tetris has been tweaked already, we were beginning to wonder if the spectacular mods involving the famed title were dwindling down. Apparently not. Tresling is a brilliant creation involving a sophisticated arm wrestling board which converts tussling into block movements within the game. For each flinch, yank and pull, one's block turns -- if you can't maintain your position, chances are that your figure will end up all out of place. Believe it or not, it actually looks even more fun on video, so check out the heated competition in the read link below.

[Thanks, Tom]

If you thought sending a SMS in order to gain entry into a public bathroom was on the weird side, get a load of this. An outlandish campaign sparked up in the UK has been sending out weekly text messages to parents in order to remind them of the need to check for head lice on their youngsters. Cleverly coined Beat the Bugs, the program led to the discovery of six cases of lice, and when polling participants at the end of the term, the majority stated that they felt more aware about treatment / prevention and that they were now checking their kids' heads at least once per week. We can hear it now: "C'mon Jimmy, time for me to look through your locks for any critters!" "Ah, bugger."

[Via Switched, image courtesy of Interior Health]

It's one thing to exemplify laziness; it's another to buck the habit just long enough to invent something to keep you idler, longer. Enter Enrico Berruti, an everyday fellow who has created something that almost anyone with a bed could see as useful. His Selfy bed, quite simply, uses a variety of moving parts, bars and linens to make itself at the push of a button. To be fair, Mr. Berruti was thinking of disabled individuals who would have a difficult time making their own traditional bed when conjuring this thing up, but he didn't hesitate to mention his own indolence as motivation. Hopefully there's some kind of safety feature to prevent users from accidentally activating the thing while they're still snoozing -- can't imagine that being any fun.

[Via Physorg, image courtesy of AFP / Getty Images]

For the diehards out there (oh please, we know you're out there) who've already snapped up a PS3 Grill along with a lifetime supply of SIXAXIS BBQ sauce, there's hardly a better way to accent your PlayStation-themed home than with Jean Nouvel's chrome faucet. We'll be honest -- the glaring lack of a square button leads us to believe that this thing wasn't actually created with Sony's famed controller in mind, but hey, a boy can dream, can't he?

[Via PS3Fanboy]

Oh sure, we've seen alleged criminals wriggle out from under the strong arm of the law, but this one takes things to an entirely different platform. Reportedly, a truck driver in Germany was pulled over for yapping on his cellphone while cruising, but apparently, said trucker actually wasn't talking when the boys in blue saw his handset upside his melon. As the story goes, the 43-year old was actually using the freshly recharged mobile to "warm his ear" in an attempt to alleviate an earache. Astonishingly enough, he was even able to provide "an itemized telephone bill proving he had not been using the phone at the time he was stopped," thus, a court in Hamm accepted the excuse and let him go sans penalty. Something tells us this guy's got friends in low places.

[Via Switched]

Considering that some digicams are emerging with built-in smile detection, we'd say whipping that grin of yours into shape might not be a half bad idea. Granted, Patakara's latest certainly isn't the first, but rather than just shaping your smile, this thing actually exercises the muscles around your mouth -- presumably to help you cheese more intensely for even longer periods of time (you superstar, you). Heck, there's even three models with different resistance levels for those totally committed. But let's be honest, you won't even give those fancy Body Trainer headphones a second glance -- are you really going to dedicate time each day for this? You are? Well, then by all means, hand over your ¥5,250 ($52) and get to chompin'.

[Via popgadget]

We'll be honest, we can't exactly recall what the going rate on rare Betamax tapes was soon after VHS took over, but it seems that one HD DVD fanatic was willing to shell out quite a bundle in order to take home a presumably canceled version of Bee Movie. In a war that saw some 23 bids fly in, one particularly fortunate eBay seller was able to move a copy of Seinfeld's latest on the now-deceased format for $400 -- we think. Curiously enough, the seller didn't specifically mention that it was the HD version in a publicly answered question, and even more suspicious was the fact that he / she chose to end the auction early despite the chance of it soaring even higher. Here's to hoping the winning bidder both reads this and gets the film they purchased, but let's see some actual pictures as soon as it arrives, cool?

[Thanks, Mack S.]

This one's been swirling around for a tick, but Leviathan Energy's brilliant new turbine is just too good to pass up. Showcased at the Cleantech Forum in California, this contraption would reportedly generate power from the downward movement of water through pipes in a municipal system. In other words, there's potential to conjure up energy from simply flushing one's toilet. Of course, there's nothing revolutionary about yet another hydroelectric generator, but using such a device to grab power from such a dirty place takes things to a whole 'nother level.

[Via Inhabitat]

You know how rough it is -- trying to procure a couple of those Duke Xbox controllers for your man-sized paws. Thankfully, for folks such as yourself, GAMETECH's busting out the Sound Shell, which takes the apparently dangerously small DS Lite and gives it plenty of fat. Besides adding on a pair of sure-to-be-booming speakers to the rear, this thing also provides a nifty storage nook for your earbuds and a totally necessary kickstand. You could blow ¥3,200 ($30) on this, or you could look a whole lot more hip by just picking up a similarly beefy Game Boy and kickin' it old school.

[Via DSFanboy, image courtesy of Technabob]

We've no idea what's up with Europe and its admittedly zany fascination with canine research, but not even two months after a team of Austrians claimed to have trained a litter to use computers, a crew from Hungary is now trumpeting its dog translation software. More specifically, Csaba Molnár (and colleagues) from Eötvös Loránd University have reportedly been able to create an application that can "identify and differentiate the acoustic features of dog barks, and classify them according to different contexts and individual dogs." The gurus began by feeding some 6,000 barks from 14 Hungarian sheepdogs in a half dozen situations to a computer, and during analysis, it was able to correctly classify the barks between 40 and 50-percent of the time. Granted, that's a heck of a lot better than any of us could do, so we suppose we can't yelp about the results too much.

[Via TGDaily, image courtesy of CalgaryAgility]

Rest assured, we've seen some brainless criminals in our day, but this one ranks pretty high on the list. Reportedly, a (potentially inebriated) individual waltzed into a police station and frantically announced that his phone had been stolen at gunpoint. When the detective called the number of the phone reportedly stolen, however, a ring was heard from the "victim's" pocket. After pondering what the criminal hoped to gain from the situation, we here at Engadget HQ came up empty, and apparently, the police involved in the situation were equally stumped -- so stumped, in fact, that they issued a statement entitled "Dumbest criminal?" with details of the event in a local newspaper. We'd say that sums it up fairly accurately.

[Image courtesy of FOTW, thanks LordFarkward]

We know what you're thinking, and trust us, we're right there with you. We've no idea how a speaker constructed from a foam plate could sound anything close to decent, but judging by the comments from folks that have made their own, it may actually be worth your while to do the same over your holiday break. Reportedly, all you'll need is a standard foam plate, a couple of paper strips, two business cards, some wire, a bit of glue / tape, a neodymium magnet and an audio plug; once you've gathered your materials, you can hit the read link for the how-to guide of putting together the relatively simple device. Of course, we aren't responsible for any strange looks you get should you choose to pimp your new sound system to members of your extended family.

Need to blow off some serious steam? Got an extra USB port that you just can't seem to fill? If you managed to answer "yes" to both of said questions, you're in luck. Coming in March, the USB Punch Head enables users to beat and batter a USB-connected head and receive all sorts of instant gratification as the on-screen face gets disfigured and a variety of expected "oohs" and "arghs" are emitted from your speakers. Best of all, the actual head that you maul is interchangeable, and users can even upload photos of their favorite enemies for maximum satisfaction. Hit the read for a couple of demonstrative videos.