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Apple decal sellers saw a tremendous spike in sales following 'Stickers' ad
Your worst fear, confirmed: Engadget's staff laptop of choice is the MacBook Air. Other than the massive checks we each personally receive from Apple (har har), it's our go-to laptop because it's light, fast, and great for the kind of work we do. It doesn't hurt that it looks sweet with stickers as well, of course. And after Apple highlighted users' proclivity for decking out their MBAs in a recent video (seen below), the world of laptop decal sellers was suddenly cast in the spotlight. That spotlight resulted in a lot of new buyers, according to a report on MacStories. Quite a few more, actually. One of the vendors MacStories spoke with saw orders increase by 400 percent since the ad aired, and page views jumped from a typical 500 per day all the way up to a peak of some 4,500 last week. If you dug any of those stickers, well, our sister site TUAW searched out links for where to buy those 74 decals. And while a majority of those depicted are easily found online, for those that aren't, the site scoured Etsy and other places for suitable stand-ins. Now for the hard part: picking out the perfect decal. Ben Gilbert contributed to this report
Please don't really turn your TV into an iPad
We've posted a lot of wacky Apple-related products here on the site, but I think this is the wackiest I've ever seen. A Russian firm is reportedly selling a series of plastic decals that will make any flatscreen television of a certain size into something that looks like an iPad. Oh, you say, that's cute. What does it do -- maybe adds a little bit of chrome around the edges? No, this goes further -- it literally makes your television look like an iPad, complete with a Home button & black bar around the outside, and iTunes controls in the middle of the screen. That's right, the same controls that actually fade out of sight on the iPad because they're in the way can be on your TV screen for a small price. We don't know what that price is, but honestly just the fact that these exist is strange enough. I like the iPad and all, but the screen size and onscreen controls are limits of the device, not features that you want to artificially impose on other screens. Update: According to text on the website, this was an April Fool's joke done by Russian design group DarkDesignGroup. Consider us fooled. At least our faith in Russian designers is restored! [via Gearfuse]
APB releases final box art, more E3 images
Realtime Worlds' All Points Bulletin is releasing in a few short days, and to help get your creative juices flowing, we've collected several galleries worth of new screenshots from the urban crime MMOFPS. Included below you'll find everything from custom automotive paint jobs, to gang insignias, to radical avatar customization (including facial features, body builds, and outfits). Finally, don't forget to check out the final North American box art after the jump. %Gallery-96317%%Gallery-96318%%Gallery-96319%%Gallery-96320%
Cool iPad decals from Etsy
We've spotlighted vinyl decals for MacBooks before, but comic art blog Super Punch has spotted a few fun iPad decals on sale over at the homemade crafts site. This Joker iPad one is probably my favorite, but there are plenty more, including a Kirby version, one for Lego fans, and a nice Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy reference (which you could maybe even pair up with some "nice friendly letters" on a wallpaper). I've got a much more rugged case on my iPhone, just because I bring it everywhere with me, but an iPad seems a little more ideal for something artistic -- stick it in a case while traveling, and you can be a little more careful with it while actually using it. And there's a lot of empty space back there, too -- just the thing to fill with a little artistic flair.
Pimp your MacBook (Pro) with custom vinyl decals
If you're feeling like your MacBook or MacBook Pro is cool, but could be cooler, maybe it's time for a trip to Etsy to check out the selection of custom vinyl decals. For as little as US$10, you can make your MacBook a one-of-a-kind at the coffeehouse, and maybe even pick up a date for New Year's Eve (although the latter depends greatly on your personal abilities to do so). There's a pretty wide selection of decals at Etsy, but one artist in particular has caught my fancy. Ivy Boersma, a.k.a. IvyBee, has some designs destined to be classics. I'm especially fond of the William Tell and Newton images, but it's obviously subjective. There's enough variety that you can find something that really fits you, and carry it as a classy and subtle expression of your personality. Ivy also offers custom designs upon request, so if you don't see what you want in her online shop, contact her through Etsy (just sign up for a free account) and let her know what you're looking for.
Yoshi and Kirby decals eat your laptop logo
Let's all just agree that the above laptop decal is awesome. Created by LapTatt and available on Etsy for a paltry $14, it's just about the greatest Nintendo-themed laptop decal we've ever seen (not that there have been too many). Admittedly, it seems designed with the Apple logo in mind -- especially considering Yoshi's taste for brightly colored fruit -- but we imagine it would work just as well with almost any laptop logo. And, if Yoshi and baby Mario don't do it for you, you could always pick up a Kirby decal (in black or white) for only $8. See it after the break.
Dodge barrels in the comfort of your own room
Well, okay, you can do that by just playing Donkey Kong, but there's also another way. You can take these Nintendo wall decals from Blik and create a Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros. or New Super Mario Bros. mural right on your wall. We won't tell you how we're getting some for our office, as you should have already figured that out by now. What's really cool about these, though, is that the user has some level of creativity. It's not just one standard piece you slap on the wall. It comes in many pieces, meaning you can create a design all your own. Want it to look like an exact level from the game? Want it to be completely unrealistic? It's all up to you. Of course, there is a catch. Each set costs $75, which means you'll need to spend a bunch of Mario's coins if you expect to send your walls back to the 8-bit era. [Via Game Set Watch]
DS Daily: Who's got their skin on?
GelaSkins' awesome range of DS skins got us thinking about decorating our handhelds all over again, but who out there has already skinned their DS, and which design did you opt for? Better still, have any of you customized your own DS skin? If so, now is your chance to show it off (pictures are a must for this DS Daily, obviously), and perhaps even earn yourself some internet fame!** Amongst the people who read DS Fanboy comment threads.%Gallery-20794%
All that glitters is gold decal
We've showed you some nice DS sticker skins from South Korea before, but we think these decals are a little bit nicer. Why? Because they're 24-karat gold, of course. The SGP Metal pack, which makes the DS shiny and delicious, is being sold in South Korea for 26,200 KRW (approximately $29 USD).Adding metal trim to the DS is apparently all the rage in South Korea, which is fine by us. If we ever make it over there, we'll have to keep an eye out for all the pimped out handhelds.Hit the jump to see what this DS looks like on the inside.
Sticker shocking designs from Korea
Gariz's stickers won't upstage mods like yesterday's Zelda-themed DS Lite, but they're an easy way to personalize your handheld with an attractive design. The metal decals emphasize the embossed logo on the system' s lid, surrounding it with either a deco pattern or a miniaturized DS. Both styles come in silver and gold.Selling for approximately $29 at its Korean shop, the're no doubt that the Gariz skins are overpriced, especially when you consider that the rest of the included stickers -- matching borders for your screens, three alphabet sets, and accents for your D-pad/buttons -- are nothing to write home about. We're sure that there'll be people who won't mind paying the premium price though, as there aren't many other options for subtle customizations like these. Jump past the break for more photos.See also: Just about the awesomest skins EVAR
DS Daily: Get your skin on
We were looking wistfully at this phantom Phoenix Wright decal set, as we are prone to do in unguarded moments, and we realized that despite the fact that this particular set was too beautiful for this world, we still have a desire to skin our DS.But we thought we'd check with you before we did anything hasty. What's your opinion on skinning? Is it universally tacky (er, in the style sense-- we'd kind of hope they were a little sticky) or a way to make your system unique? And if you're all for it, what do you go for? Bling? Anime tie-in? Or something from one of the online stores like Decalgirl that specializes in skins?
New Doraemon DS Lite accessories
Are you a fan of earless cartoon robot cats from the future? What are we saying-- of course you are. Hori is releasing a new suite of DS Lite accessories in a blue checkerboard theme with Doraemon adornments. 980 yen ($8.42) gets you a pack containing decals for the inside and outside of the DSL, an extending stylus, and screen covers. A soft cloth carrying case with pockets for DS and GBA cartridges goes for another 980 yen.Those are surprisingly reasonable prices for DS accessories! Hopefully NCSX or someone will pick these up for sale in the US. That case looks exceptionally handy to us, with all the pockets.
