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[1.Local]: Of Baby Spice and free stuff from guys
Reader comments – ahh, yes, the juicy goodness following a meaty post. [1.Local] ducks past the swinging doors to see what readers have been chatting about in the back room over the past week. (Baby) Spice, spice, babyReaders seem to have cooked up a satisfying solution to the problem of thoughtless creeps who park their mounts atop summoning stones, flight masters and other necessities, blocking them from use. "LOL, whenever I see a giant Tauren on his Humongous Impressive War Mammoth parked on the Dalaran flight master, it's Baby Spice to the rescue," giggles Euphronius. "Nothing more hilarious than seeing him reduced to the size of a Great Dane." Woof.
Wooden MacBook case for would-be Amish road warriors
Cut down a tree to save a Mac? Sure, it's better than using your face. These unpriced (hey, if you gotta ask...) wooden slip cases with leather lining and magnetic enclosures are designed and custom crafted by Rainer Spehl to fit 13-inch MacBooks or 15-inch MacBook Pros. While that's clearly a last-gen MacBook Pro pictured, we'll bet that Rainer will build the case to whatever dimensions you'd like just as long as you've got the cash to back up that pretty smile. Else, why not roll your own. [Via SlipperyBrick and Notcot]
Eazo's Z70 wooden PC looks uncommonly natural, expensive
If Eazo's ultra-dark X70 was just too rich for your blood, we have all ideas the Z70 will really be out of reach. This luxurious tower -- coated in some sort of exotic rosewood and presumably sourced from the same jungle as Odeon's Sex Panther cologne -- includes a Core 2 Extreme QX9775 processor and lots of other components that we simply aren't privy too. The good news is that the internal water cooling system should prevent said CPU from lighting the wood on fire; the bad news is that a spill could eventually cause severe decomposition. You can't win for losin', can ya?[Via BornRich]
Chiaroscuro case mod riffs on Beijing Olympics building
Arboreal case modder Nick "Greensabbath" Falzone's latest creation is an Ebony and Maple Frankenstein inspired by the Beijing Digital Building. Dubbed Chiaroscuro -- meaning a contrast between light and dark -- the tower sports an AMD Phenom X4 9350e quad core, 4GB of RAM and a Radeon HD 4850. Hit up the read link for a full breakdown of the creation, with pictures galore (not pictured: the requisite wooden mouse and keyboard). Your move, Suissa.
DIYer gets crafty with plywood laptop case
We thought the AirMail was our most favorite niche case of all time, but the homegrown Ply Laptop Case is really making a case (ahem) for top honors. After hours upon hours of masterful plywood bending, sanding and carving, the wooden case you see above was created. Internally, the case is lined with cork to "provide additional heat resistance and protection," and best of all, those with the requisite skills can make one to hold any size machine you can dream of. Now, if only there was a TSA-approved version...[Via MAKE]
Wooden Nokia concept phone goes beyond the drawing board, gets built
Oh sure, LG has teased us with a faux wood cellphone, and Hulger has actually produced one that four people in existence can afford, but this... this is something else. According to the captions in textlad's Flickr pool, Nokia's own eco-team designed and created the object of desire that you see above: an 8-megapixel "handset" that appears to function just fine. We can already tell you this thing isn't coming to market, but we would absolutely love to be proven wrong.[Via TreeHugger, thanks shellshock]
Daewoo DID-FS packs LCDs into folding screen
In a parting note from IFA, Daewoo unveiled this odd folding screen, featuring four integrated LCDs. Fully integrated into each of the wood panels, apparently the displays can show video from up to four sources, although there was otherwise little information from the booth staff about the DID-FS. Of course, where some might ask why would they build such a contraption, we see the perfect tool for a The Golden Child reenactment waiting to happen.[Via BornRich]
SimpleTech hops on eco-friendly bandwagon with [re]drive HDD
Not that we haven't seen bamboo-based gizmos before, but there's something about SimpleTech's [re]drive that just screams upscale. This elegant, smooth looking external HDD was crafted to be easy on the eyes and Mother Earth alike, with the outfit utilizing "renewable, naturally grown bamboo and recyclable aluminum" along with an Energy Star power adapter and eco-friendly packaging. You'll also find a USB 2.0 jack, automatic power up / down and 500GB of internal storage space. Not too shabby for an estimated $150.[Via Wired]
World of WarCrafts: Cataclysm's Edge
Every Thursday, Shelbi Roach of The Bronze Kettle guides you in creating WoW-inspired crafts using real world mats with World of WarCrafts.Ever wanted to wield an epic weapon from the game in real life or at least put one up on display to promote your geekdom? With a few simple supplies from your neighborhood hobby merchant and a bit of elbow grease you could be the proud new owner of your very own Cataclysm's Edge... replica. Or you could just spend close to 4 Benjamins and order this fine piece of weaponry. Here is what you will need: Balsa Wood x2 Wood Shapes (squares) Spray Paint (black, red, silver, orange/yellow) Acrylic Paint (black, brown, silver) Paintbrush Xacto Knife (with new blades) Ruler Wood Glue Click on the images below to view a gallery of step-by-step instructions. %Gallery-27921%
Mobiado Professional 105 EM / GCB handsets: too luxurious for our fingers
Heads up, affluent sect. The immensely pricey Professional 105 line is expanding, as two new members slip in to tempt your stuffed wallet. Mobiado's Professional 105 EM is available in Cocobolo and Ebony, and the frame is even constructed from anodized aluminum; you'll also notice sapphire crystal buttons and a black finish. As for the Professional 105 GCB, it's layered with a 5-micron thick 24-karat gold plating and jazzed up with a fancy logo 'round back. Both candybars feature quad-band GSM support, a measly 1GB of internal storage space and a ho hum 2-megapixel camera, but fret not, as it'll (very likely) be the most expensive lackluster cellphone you'll ever pay for.[Via UnwiredView]
Wilkerson Furniture tests the waters with its m21 plasma console
If your idea of hipster style leans in a decidedly retro direction, feast your eyes on Wilkerson Furniture's m21 flat panel console. Yeah, that's right -- console. This little beast is a true smashup of old and new tech. The something old is the walnut cabinet and integrated center channel speaker grill finished off with a Fender amp screen. The something new the 42-inch plasma display; and yes, it is a color display. With its squarish proportions, it kind of reminds us of a wooden Beovision 9, to be honest. The m21 is a test balloon that was floated by Wilkerson at the Dwell on Design conference -- if it's a hit with the crowds, they may bring this model to production. Better yet, a lower, wider model with component-hiding doors could appear as well. Sadly, there's no word on pricing or a model with a top-mounted Garrard turntable.
Suissa carves out Enlighten desktop PC
Suissa already has a decent range of custom-made wooden PCs for you to choose from, but if you've yet to be satisfied with one of its luxurious offerings, you may want to consider the company's new Enlighten model, which pushes the company's unconventional designs to even greater heights. In addition to your choice of materials used for the exterior, this one comes based around a micro ATX motherboard, which accommodates either a quad-core Intel or AMD Athlon 64 X2 6400+ processor, an NVIDIA 8800GTX or ATI Radeon HD2900XT graphics card, 4GB of RAM, 1TB of hard drive space, a DVD burner and an ample 620W power supply. No word on a price, but each one does need to be commissioned, which is rarely an encouraging sign.[Thanks, Martynas]
Wooden mousepad works great with wooden mice
What better to complement a wooden mouse (and wooden keyboard, for that matter) than a wooden mousepad? Nothing, that's what. This masterfully constructed jewel not only brings the tree to your workspace, but it's slightly angled for ergonomic pleasure and can likely be used upside-down in a pinch. Yeah, the $60.31 sticker makes this thing absurdly overpriced, but your wooden PC just wouldn't be complete without it.[Via CrunchGear]
Cowon's N3 slips into a smoking jacket and Burl Walnut finish
Better get used to it 'cause wood emblazoned consumer electronics is a trend that's apparently here to stay. This time, it's Burl Walnut (not bamboo) on this N3 which Cowon puts up for sale in Korea on April 28th. We're not sure when deforestation become synonymous with ecological so we'll assume that Cowon's going for recyclability here and involved in some form of sustainable forest management program. Surely this isn't just some marketing ploy. The 2GB DMB with GPS device will cost you ???419,000 (about $437) -- a $20 premium over the standard 2GB N3. [Via Akihabara News]
Fujitsu's WoodShell laptop: go ahead hippie, hug it
That's Fujitsu's WoodShell concept PC. It joins an increasingly common trend of so called "natural" products already demonstrated by MSI, ASUS, Olympus, LG and others. No specs are provided on this feel-good piece. However, we presume it's powered by the blood and tears wrung from the baby Gore's heartbreak.
DS Daily: Would you gut a NES to create this?
This isn't the first time we've featured a wooden gaming system. Instead of a SNES, this time modders have turned a NES into a portable system, encasing the screen and hardware in a nice wooden frame. And to prove this modder means business, the portable NES is shown playing none other than badass title Contra. What we would like to know is if you tried anything like this before and was it successful? Did you turn your NES into something much better? Share your experience(s) with us![Via Engadget]
Ryou PC collection crafted from Japanese Judas tree
Another day, another round of PCs exquisitely built from woods farmed halfway across the globe. On the docket today, however, are a number of particularly drool-worthy rigs from Universal Roaming. The Ryou collection consists of a half dozen models constructed from Japanese Judas trees and accented with lacquer, silver / gold powders and other culturally-inspired designs. Each diminutive unit houses a 1.66GHz Core 2 Duo T5500 CPU, up to 2GB of RAM, an 80GB HDD, dual-layer DVD burner, WiFi adapter, 3-in-1 multicard reader and Windows Vista, but there's no telling how much you'll be asked to lay down in exchange for such elegance.
MSI shows off bevy of new laptops at CeBIT
We already knew the GX600 would be showing itself at CeBIT this year, but apparently, quite a few siblings made the trek to Germany as well -- including the aforementioned unit's 14.1-inch sister, the GX400. Moving on, we've got the 15.4-inch GX620 and 17-inch GX720, and while the former looks to arrive in a wood, leather or carbon fiber finish, the latter supposedly arrives with a black lacquer coat and a built-in subwoofer (among other goodies). The GT-730 gaming lappie was also mentioned, but unfortunately, all we know is that it gets its graphics prowess from some form of ATI Mobility Radeon. The AMD-powered EX610 (15.4-inches) also turned heads with its integrated Blu-ray player and HDMI output, while the 17-inch EX700 sported the same along with a GeForce 8400M GPU. Hit up the links below for a couple more snapshots, won'tcha?Read - MSI laptops at CeBITRead - More MSI laptops at CeBIT
A real life Heavenly Sword, made of wood
What does a real PS3 fan do to show his love of Heavenly Sword? He makes one. "Linkin Park Fan" from Game Grep created his own wooden replica of the titular sword in wood shop. "Instead of making some stupid cabinet or a DVD shelf like the rest of the class, I decided to make something a little more original ... The sword is about 3 feet long and about 1 and a half feet high. To my surprise and others, the sword barely weighs anything. Light as a feather, Feather that can kill." We love it. Check out more pictures here. And yes, it does it cut. [Thanks, Jamie T.!]
JVC gives HP-FX500 earbuds the classy wooden touch
So you like wooden headphones, and you're down with JVC's offerings, but you don't have a thousand bucks to spend on the company's swanky HP-DX1000 over-the-ear cans. Before, you might have had a problem. However thanks to the new HP-FX500s earbuds, you can proudly sport the dead tree look and have your Victor sound for only ¥15,000 ($131). These buds tout a sensitivity of 100dB/1mW and frequency response of 8Hz to 25kHz and , which is not quite as good as their bulkier big brother, but what can you expect for around ten percent of the price, right?
