I remember a time when I could live on a dollar a day.  3 (four if you buy in bulk) Cup Noodles a day provide enough sodium, carbs, and soy protein to fool your collegiate body into a sense of  nourishment, and justifying the rest of your meager funds for more important things: booze and ping pong balls.

Over at DVICE, Sci-Fi Channel’s half-assed tech/culture blog, they post about an official Cup Noodle machine that is so easy to use, “allowing you to get a hot cup of sodium-enriched noodles with the push of a button. Small enough to fit on your countertop, it’s the perfect kitchen accessory for the cripplingly lazy and seriously unhealthy.”

Um, Ok. I watched the video, and here are the steps involved..

1. Stock the noodle machine (holds 3-4 in the hopper)
2. Fill the reservoir with water.
3. Turn on, let the water heat.
4. Insert coinage into the damn thing (great to charge roomates, sucks for you if you used all your quarters for laundry).
5. After the hopper gracefully rolls out a cup, unwrap it and peel the lid back halfway.
6. Place the cup in the water dispensing slot, pull the yellow slide back and press the red button, then press it again to stop the water.
7. Tape the lid shut and place it in the top bin to sit for 3 minutes, and press the timer start button.
8. 3 minutes later, enjoy!

Clearly not easy as the press of a button. If you really want one of these, and can read Japanese, then head over the the website and figure it out.

So Treeson is a camera whore today… I ordered me a pair of the Motorola MotoROKR S9 StereoBluetooth Headset from Amazon.com yesterday. Normally, they sell fro $129.00, but amazon had them for a near half off 68 bucks.. I decided to take the discount and get next day shipping, because I live for instant gratification… I had debated ordering these before, simply because when I first got the shadow, I was like.. sweet! i can play music on it, now all I need are some dope headphones… then I realized.. wait.. I have an iPod with dope headhones already, stop your madness Nate… Now, one of the dynamics that John and I posses that keeps our dar away relationship alive is our love of tech. We love discussing the latest gadget or tech issue, but out method of consumption is slightly different. John almost primarily listens to CNET podcasts, with the occasional blog being mine, Kotaku, and Destructiod, whereas I get all of my media from Google Reader and my 100+ RSS subs. To help harmonize, I’ve taken to listening to podcast, and I’m using a WinMo freeware app called BeyondPod to download and manage my podcasts. That once again puts me in the position to be listening to audio on my phone and I simply won’t stand to be wired to that damned Shadow. Nuff said, I welcome the S9′s into my tech arsenal. The MOTOROKR’s are low profile, wrap behind the ears with the base resting on the back of my neck. I kinda like this style, seeing as in the summer, I’m a prissy bitch and my hair is always in shape. I hear reviews that the sound is swell and they stay on, though not as tightly as hoped during running, but I prefer the iPod for workout gear anyways… Check back in a week to see how much I hate or love these things, and how quick the A2DP kills the Shadow. Speaking of, I plan on picking up a spare battery for it… anyone know of a DIY spare battery charger tute?

Even Google seems to think its all offishal, as I was looking for some graphics to mash up for this post….

• Is today the day that we’ll finally get a decision on the merger? Last week The Eck and the 1221 (not to mention the internets) were abuzz with rumors that approval from the Justice Department was imminent… …Many believe that the DOJ will issue its announcement before the bell on Monday, mostly based on Bear Stearns’ word that the deal will be approved as soon as last Friday or today. Of course, no one knows for sure except for the DOJ itself… but what do you think? Is today the day? {orbitcast}
  

Grumpybear has XM, its great. I’m always logged into the online radio page at work, the other office, etc. Sirius? eh, one friend has it, got it for Stern, and I’m not sure if he still uses it now he has an iPhone as his Lord and saviour. The big deal here isn’t so much the merger. Satellite radio is so cheap and affordable, there isn’t any fear of jacked up service and costs for the consumer. In fact, this is great… dual services with one device, merged services, whatever. Total win for the consumer. Finally, Sirius customer could possibly one day get their money’s worth the day they hear Opie and Anthony (yes, Fuck Stern).

The outcry is really from terrestrial broadcasters, who may not be able to cope with the gravitational influence of such a super radio giant. I say this is signs of change. Terrestrial anything is going the way of the CD: great as a backup, but not really the easiest way to consume.

Let’s see what happens. Perhaps hands will shake by the closing bell.

Orbitcast via Engadget

It’s really all about the Mimobots when it comes to cutesy custom flash drives. Essentially the Dunny of portable storage, The Star Wars collection has been the most popular series ever. What better way to triumph a triumph than to add on to the series? Genius move.

$49.95 gets you 1GB of decapitable storage. The only hitch is this is a preorder; shipping is expected “January/February,” which means the beginning of February. This would be, like uh, the perfect gift for, like,  your favorite buffalo geeky blogger, who ever that may be (*bats meal ticket eyes).

• 1GB: 49.95, 2GB: $69.95, 4GB:109.95
• Preorder: Princess Leia, Han Solo, Boba Fett, Luke Skywalker
• Available: Darth Vader, Chewbacca, R2-D2, Stormtrooper
• Mimoco via Gizmodo

With Thanksgiving only a week away, Camp Chef brings you yet another new-fangled turkey cooking device for you to get into an argument over with your mother-in-law. The $25 Turkey Cannon will not turn Thanksgiving into fast food (horrible pun, but works everytime). No, its a roasting stand with a speculum curved cylinder attached that you slide the poor bird over and stick in the oven. Oh, yea, you can fill the cylinder with beer, wine, booze, rubbing alcohol, ethyl alcohol, Aqua Dots, or anything else sufficient enough to help ease the pain of having your whole family in your house. I guess spices would work too, like Salvia, or oregeno. Once in the oven, little arrows surround the turkey and turn it beige… this has something to do with the liquid in the cylinder boiling and releasing flavored steam.

This is essentially a beefier version of the hick tested, Martha approved, Beer Butt Chicken.

p.s. – catch my enthusiasm for Thanksgiving?

• Buy it – Camp Chef
  
• Via – The hardware Aisle

Zink is coming just in time for Christmas, neatly packaged in the form of the first Digital Instant Mobile Photo Printer from Polaroid. The title is appropriate because thats what it does: snap a picture with your camera phone or digicam, and send it over to the printer to get a quick but high quality borderless 2×3 inch photo printout. Developed by Polaroid, Zink (Zero-Ink), works with no ink and no toner. Instead, the paper holds tiny micro pigment crystals, that release their colors when heat is applied. This makes for a quick printout and the only refill is the paper.

Here’s a closer look at how Zink works:

No official word yet on a release, but clues point to an of 2007 drop (read: christmas). Zink mentions the printer could also come with an embedded camera, too, thus reestablishing Polaroid as the instant photo kings they one were.

• Via – Engadet
• Zink

Google’s being officially “no” at the moment about an actual Gphone, instead insisting that all the hubbub is really about Android, the open source mobile platform that the’ve put together.

Today was the release of an early look of the SDK, which when released in full in 2008, will allow anyone to develop complete full functioning programs for the Android platform. Along with this, google dropped a few more videos, highlighting a first look at the software in the works.

Those Android guys are really smart cookies, however video presenters they aren’t. No matter, because a few coders were seen wearing Android T-shirts, which forgave them any faults. That shirt is going to be the ultimate geek gift for Christmas (besides the XO, of course) if anyone can get their hands on this.

• Android @Google Code
• Open handset Alliance

I was all for this umbrella in the beginning. Its super clever and innovative: water collects from a funnel in the top and drains down into a reservoir to provide steady ammo for the water pistol handle. Sounds like a great way to engage in a little sidewalk mischief during an afternoon shower. You stay dry, your victim gets it.

One flaw: I don’t know anyone in Buffalo who enjoys walking in a rainshower. Here, I swear it pours sideways. Umbrellas are kinda useless, and to top off your mood from being caught in a shower, some playful fellow goes “bang!” “bang!” with his cute little water pistol umbrella. I’ll let you guess what happens to Mr. playful with the pistol umbrella.

I guess in a more passive city (like Laredo, TX?), it might work. Either way, this is a cool design, and t should be made with the quickness.. just maybe not for sale in Buffalo, eh?

• Alex Wooley Design – via Gizmodo

With the long awaited, price bumped, revolutionary XO laptop finally in production by manufacturer Quanta, now’s the time to start thinking with a big heart about your Christmas shopping.

In 2002, the idea was launched by Nicholas Negroponte to create a low cost ($100) computer that could be distributed across the world and aid in the education of children across the globe. Cause believe it or not, not everyone is on Myspace because not everyone has a computer.

After a few setbacks in hardware and design and costs, they settled in November 2006 with the designed they called the XO (“xo” looks like a poor kid who needs a laptop when you look at it sideways, doesn’t it?). Dustproof, sustainable, and solar-powerable, the XO can withstand the elements and less than technologically blessed areas around the world where the will be distributed. Distributed, yea… that part. lets get to that.

Countries are required to purchase these laptops in the thousands, with Uruguay being the first official orderer for 10,000. and thought the goal was and will eventually be to sell the XO for $100, the price is currently at around $200 (US). Geeks all over were thinking of ways to pose as a little third world kid to get one, so OLPC decided to leverage the power of a geek’s wallet: enter Give 1 Get 1.

On November 12, you can purchase one XO to go into your grubby little ungrateful hands, and one to the grubby little GRATEFUL hands of someone who needs it. Total cost: $399. T-Mobile has stepped in to sweeten the deal will offer a year’s worth of T-Mobile Hot Spot wifi service (get it in: Starbucks, Kinko’s, Hotels,) to all G1G1 buyers for a limited time.

I’m going to G1G1 this year for christmas. will you?

• via – news.bbc.co.uk
• OLPC and Laptop Giving
• T-Mobile Offer
• David Pogue Reviews the XO w/video

I’ve learned one thing now.. If you are trying not to make a very tempting technology purchase, and you seek out someone for empathy and support, make sure that person is not a geek… he will only send you over the edge.

I’ve been eying woot.com for a while now, waiting for that perfect item wooted just for me, at the price just for me. For those lucky enough to be unawares, woot.com is a site that focuses on selling one product per day (or in a woot-off, one at a time for 24-48 hours) until that item is sold out or time expires. The price on this item is insanely cheap, sometimes over 50% off.

Today’s woot was the Roomba Discovery SE. One of the higher end models, the SE sells for $299; woot had it at $149.99. The deal was great, and I always wanted one… To be honest, there is not reason for me not to buy it. Of course, and extra 150 in my pocket would be nice, but now I’ll be extra pimp with my robot maid-slave….

cross-posted for sympathy at WNYM