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Looney Tunes and other classic cartoons get a streaming service
Your favorite Saturday morning cartoons are going digital. Turner and Warner Bros. are teaming up for a new standalone video subscription service called Boomerang. It'll offer over 5,000 titles from the Hanna-Barbera, Looney Tunes and MGM animation libraries when it launches this spring.
ICYMI: Get your makeup done in minutes
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Panasonic is channeling a wonderful Jetson's future by first using a mirror to determine your skin's flaws, then printing out foundation and concealer within minutes, that can be smoothed onto the skin. It is a prototype system so far, which they just displayed at a Japanese tech show. Also at CEATEC, Honda unveiled its concept micro-commuter car that is 3D printed and can be customized depending on the owners' needs, like requiring a hatchback or lower doors than standard models.
Gibson takes a whimsical approach to the podcast microphone
When it comes to USB microphones, you're pretty much limited to a collection of black, silver and gold devices. There really isn't a ton or personality in the color schemes or look of those accessories, save for a few exceptions. Gibson's Neat Microphones line is a welcome exception, though, and its latest delivers a combination of whimsical hues and futuristic aesthetics George Jetson would fancy. The trio pictured above are Widgets, and more specifically go by A, B, and C. All three pack custom capsules, built-in pop filters, shock mounts and adjustable stands. Like a lot of USB mics, the Widgets are very much a plug-and-play add-on, as they won't require you to install drivers or software to get started. When you're ready to record, the company says you can use the gear for anything from podcasting to Skype calls and tracking instruments and vocals in 96kHz/24 bit audio. At $99, the Widgets are pricier than the popular Blue Microphones Snowball and cost the same as its newer Nessie USB mic. If the looks are too much for you to pass up with Gibson's latest, you'll be able to nab them starting November 15th.
A steampunk USB drive that could clean H. G. Wells' house
Site ChipChick nailed it when noting the similarity between this 8GB steampunk USB drive and Rosie the Robot of Jetsons yore. The drive's creator, however, says it was inspired by a "narrow bridge" sign seen on a old country road. Really? Just look at that barrel-shaped cap staring down at you from atop a frilly gear collar; hands on hips in a tempestuous pose that makes us feel like we've somehow wronged her. Regardless, for $300 she'll make a fine addition to your alternate-history abode.
Study: middle-aged people unimpressed with modern technology
The Olds -- they're never happy, are they? Just look at this study conducted by the feared and respected Zogby International. According to a poll, those aged 35-54 are most disappointed by how far technology has come by 2010, having grown up with the concept of that Jetsons robot that automatically brushes your teeth and the promise of Sleeper's Orgasmatron. Still, 21 percent of Emperor Zogby's subjects said tech was more advanced than they would have imagined, while another 37 percent claimed we were right on track with our technological achievements. But what about the super old people, you ask? Well go figure, a third of those queried 70 years of age and over said our current tech was basically blowing their collective minds (or, was more advanced than they expected). Said one respondent, "I never know where the next robot attack is coming from."
ChauhanStudio's Jetsons-esque HAL LCD TV gets real
Alright, so we're not really any closer to determining whether or not ChauhanStudio's HAL LCD TV is headed for commercial production, but we do know this: at least one of these bad boys are real. Yep, the mockup we saw a few months back has somehow made it into reality, though we can't say for sure that there is anything more than rarefied air packed within the glossy white enclosure. Regrettably, specifications are still unknown, but you can peek a shot of the back in the read link below should you be so inclined.[Via Unplggd]
Humax LCD TV concept: The Jetsons called, they want their stuff back
When you're not heading to work in your space car or programming your robot maid to make dinner for the family, you'll probably want to catch American Idol 3017 on this Humax LCD TV concept. Designed by London's Tej Chauhan, the future-retro model manages to look old while seeming completely fresh, recalling the "World of Tomorrow" depicted in Cold War-era renderings of the "future." There's no word on whether this is going to get turned into an honest-to-goodness consumer product (please?), but you can check it out if you live in Italy at the Zona Tortona design show, running April 16th to the 21st.[Via Tech Digest]
Eidos set to bring more classic cartoons to your DS
We can no longer ignore the signs: classic cartoons are clearly the hottest thing going for DS developers and publishers lately, and Eidos has announced that they are jumping on the bandwagon. And by "jumping on," we mean "attempting to seriously dominate the new market," as they're planning ten -- yes, ten! -- different titles based on classic Hanna-Barbera 'toons like Yogi Bear, the Flintstones, and the Jetsons. Let's just hope that they all end up looking as good as WayForward's Duck Amuck appears to be.
