The Daily Picture

New Crop Circles For Summer 2009 - June and July 2009

DailyPicture.net — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 09:17:00 PDT

ALL CROP CIRCLES BELOW WERE REPORTED IN JUNE 2009
vist Crop Circle Connector for more information and photographs...

ALL CROP CIRCLES BELOW WERE REPORTED IN JULY 2009
vist Crop Circle Connector for more information and photographs...

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Michael Jackson Videos - His Greatest Hits - In Memorial

DailyPicture.net — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:56:00 PDT

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....More Videos XXXXXXXXXX THRILLER

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.....More Videos XXXXXXXXXX BEAT IT ..
.....More Videos XXXXXXXXXX Billie Jean - ..
.....More Videos XXXXXXXXXX Leave Me Alone - ..
.....More Videos XXXXXXXXXX Scream ..
.....More Videos XXXXXXXXXX Will You Be There - ..
.....More Videos XXXXXXXXXX You Rock My World - ..
.....More Videos XXXXXXXXXX Remember The Time - ..
.....More Videos XXXXXXXXXX Smooth Criminal - ..
.....More Videos XXXXXXXXXX CRY ..
.....More Videos XXXXXXXXXX GHOST - ..
.....More Videos XXXXXXXXXX They Don't Care About Us ..
.....More Videos XXXXXXXXXX You Are Not Alone - ..
.....More Videos XXXXXXXXXX Gone To Soon - ..
.....More Videos XXXXXXXXXX Stranger In Moscow - ..
.....More Videos XXXXXXXXXX Heal The World - ..
.....More Videos XXXXXXXXXX Liberian Girl ..
.....More Videos XXXXXXXXXX Jam ..
.....More Videos XXXXXXXXXX Don't Stop Til' You Get Enough ..
.....More Videos XXXXXXXXXX Blood On The Dance Floor ..
.....More Videos XXXXXXXXXX Black On White ..
.....More Videos XXXXXXXXXX Dirty Diana ..
.....More Videos XXXXXXXXXX The Way You Make Me Feel ..
.....More Videos XXXXXXXXXX BAD

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The Summer Solstice of 2009

DailyPicture.net — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 09:33:00 PDT

Rite of Passage - The Solstice of June 2009
a message from Kate Spreckley

The Solstice of June 2009 will create a doorway through which we may enter into a full state of conscious living. The activation of this doorway shall awaken a new awareness of self and will support us in revealing our true nature thus healing the illusion of separation that we have created.

As we approach this doorway we are asked to move beyond the limitations of our past and to actively engage with the abilities and attributes that we have achieved in the course of our journey thus far.

As the doorway is revealed, Divine love and radiant light will pour into our hearts creating a gateway within each one of us, reconnecting us to our Spiritual foundations and merging our inner being with the familiar infinite power of love and wisdom. Our sacred power, the power of our hearts, will be activated, aligned and utilized as the primary source of encouragement for the journey forward. All that is required of us is dedication and commitment to the tasks that lie ahead. As we open to the coming changes, our true nature shall be refined and we are asked to embrace the essence of love within ourselves and to avoid the temptation to seek it elsewhere. This shall be a true test of how we will utilize the gift of our sacred power.

The heart of humanity must open to aid us in accessing this doorway into the higher realms of self awareness. We are entering the point of perfect balance and the extremes of polarity and as such this signifies a time of deep transformation. If we choose to cross the threshold we will welcome in our wholeness, radiate our beauty and emanate the truth of who we are.

This time offers us the blessings of deep peace as we birth new ways being that in the past have been difficult for the human soul to comprehend. As we open to the possibility of right relationship with our world, our nature shall be cleansed and we will be reconnected to our Spiritual resources.

Numerous ideas and intentions are ready to be fulfilled which will make it possible for us to strengthen the bridge uniting our inner and outer selves. As we allow for our energies to be reconnected, our understanding and acceptance of ourselves and others will increase and improve, allowing us to share our higher energy and activating the potential for bliss within the heart of humanity.

As this new energy moves through our lives, those creations which no longer work for us shall be uprooted allowing for new experiences and creations to take root. We will find ourselves placed in very new and unexpected places filled opportunities for growth, learning and renewal. This is a crucial time for us to gain new levels of understanding and growth and we are encouraged to express that which is held within our hearts. Our ways of expression need to be revised and reexamined and new, more balanced ways of interaction need to be found.

As this doorway approaches it is essential that we learn that our sacred power, the voice of our heart, must be used for the highest good of all and if we open our hearts and speak our words in prayer to our Divine Creator, the Great Spirit, we are able to create a powerful reverberation throughout the Universe which will cause change and attract that which we are praying for.

The ways in which we exercise our sacred power is a direct reflection of our inner state of being. Our abilities and gifts are tools given to us by our Creator, the Great Spirit, for creation, to be used to create joy and harmony or to create pain and discord. Through the choices and decisions we make each day, we have the ability to create a loving, abundant and balanced world; or to create a scarcity filled, imbalanced and unpleasant world. As we approach the entrance into conscious living we are being aided in aligning our sacred power with the voice of our heart and thus creating only that which is harmonious and joyful.

We are being prepared for an initiation into new ways of thinking and living that will be revealed to us as we cross the threshold of this gateway. Many of the ancient cultures of our world held initiation ceremonies to provide their people with definite rites of passage, creating an opportunity for them to eradicate obsolete aspects of themselves and their lives, enabling them to begin anew. It was through these rites of passage that the people were given the opportunity to explore the spiritual meaning of the different phases of their lives.

The rite of passage we face ahead is an opportunity for deep growth which will have an enlightening and transformative effect upon our energy fields. Our sacred power is aligning with our Divine Creator, the Great Spirit, allowing us to ground cosmic power and spirituality of the highest order into our world. We will be tested and we will be asked to sacrifice those things that are keeping us from moving forward. It is a time of awakening where we can no longer claim ignorance when answering for our creations. We are to take responsibility for all that we have experienced thereby acknowledging our own power to create the lives we are destined for.

As we move forward towards our future we build upon our past with the wisdom that we have gained through the different stages of our journey. As we apply our wisdom we create a better world and allow for the awakening of unity, compassion and grace. Once the decision is made to cross the threshold our long journey reaches its destination and our knowledge and truth evolve within our consciousness birthing new wisdom and restructuring our foundations with our intuitive nature. We are ready now for new responsibilities which will allow for us to be set free to explore the infinite circle of life, reconnecting our lives to humanity and to the Earth's evolution through the cosmos.

Kate Spreckley Copyright © 2007 - http://www.spiritpathways.co.za

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Elvis Presley... Still Alive and Well in the US Witness Protection Program?

DailyPicture.net — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:51:00 PDT

Was Elvis Presley's death a carefully staged hoax? Is he still alive and living as part of a government sponsored witness protection program? You decide after viewing this shocking TV documentary evidence!
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Isis & Osiris -- An Intro To Mystery Babylon

DailyPicture.net — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 06:11:00 PDT

William Cooper continues with the Mystery Babylon series with Isis & Osiris and the Osirian cycle is applied to the mystery schools. six ten min segments.
http://www.hourofthetime.com
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CG Jung - Our Modern Wizard - A lecture by Lance Owens

DailyPicture.net — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:41:00 PDT

Carl Gustav Jung as the modern wizard archetype - a lecture by Lance Owens.
8 - 10 minute segments
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The Golden Dawn of Man - an Introduction to Mystery Babylon by William Cooper

DailyPicture.net — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:50:00 PDT

William Cooper gives an introduction to his series Mystery Babylon. He discuses the teaching of the Mystery schools and how ancient man developed a new way of thinking.
http://www.hourofthetime.com
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Egyptian Magic - Mystery Babylon Series from William Cooper

DailyPicture.net — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:29:00 PDT

William Coopers continues the Mystery Babylon series with explanations of Egypt role in the mystery schools and how Ancient Egyptian technology is very unique.
http://www.hourofthetime.com
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Shinyribs Russell Showcase

DailyPicture.net — Wed, 27 May 2009 06:57:00 PDT

Shinyribs Russell and his all-star band play Sam's Town Point just outside the South Austin city line. The song is "Me and Jesus" with a burst into the song "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" before returning to complete the song.

Shinyribs Russell and his all-star band play at Sam's Town Point just outside the south city line where living is easy. The song is Bolshevik Sugarcane.

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Zweistil Shape-Shifting Bike Is Born to Be Wild [Bikes]

DailyPicture.net — Sun, 24 May 2009 02:47:00 PDT

I'm looking to buy a bicycle to enjoy NYC's spring, and would love to get the Zweistil—it transforms from speed bike to chopper on the fly, as their prototype shows on this video.

Created by German industrial designer Stefan Wallmann, the Zweistil provides with two riding positions. One to travel in the city, when you need to be more agile and aware of the traffic around you. The other is to travel long distances and for leisure, when you can lay back and enjoy the views.

As you can see in the video, it works rather well. Sadly, it's only a prototype now, but I would happily pay for one. [Stefan Wallmann via The Design Blog]

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Just What I've Always Wanted! A Transformer/USB Hub/Fake Netbook/Cassette Player! [Toys]

DailyPicture.net — Sun, 24 May 2009 02:47:00 PDT

All we can say is, Michael Bay had better really step up his game for the sequel.

There are Transformers and there are Transformers. And while a 10-story Optimus Prime is OK, this $42 import features a cassette deck (which, in a manner similar to Soundwave, ALSO features a Transformer), plus it can transform into a netbook. And while this "Qosimo" netbook doesn't necessarily work, the body serves as a charming guise for the 4-port USB hub that lies beneath.

Now, I don't want to blow everyone's minds too hard before a holiday weekend, but imagine, if you will, connecting this USB hub Transformer to more USB hub Transformers. Devastator, stand back. [Product via CraziestGadgets]

UPDATE: OK OK, while both the Autobots' Blaster and the Decepticons' Soundwave both had cassette deck capabilities, the robot does more closely resemble Blaster. I am SO SORRY. Stop emailing me, fellow geeks!

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Windows Mobile's App Sharing Feature Isn't Really Sharing At All [Windows Mobile]

DailyPicture.net — Sun, 24 May 2009 02:47:00 PDT

Remember how the Windows Mobile App Marketplace was going to let you share apps with up to five phones at no additional cost? Well, Microsoft has a very liberal definition of the word "sharing."

Turns out it's just a feature to let you transfer apps to a new phone when you replace your last. That's a nice little feature, don't get us wrong, but it's definitely not the same thing as allowing customers to share apps with friends and family. To quoth Microsoft:

As outlined in the terms of use for Windows Marketplace for Mobile, this ability is limited to phones owned by the person who purchased the application. Application sharing is not permitted. We believe people will find a high value in mobile applications they purchase through the Windows Marketplace, and we will also be offering a refund policy that will make it easier to shop for applications with confidence.

This is quite a bit of backpedaling from the original statement, in which Microsoft senior planner Daniel Bouie said, "We feel comfortable that using our LiveID system to help connect products to five devices is a great balance of the needs of both developers and end users." Sucks for us, but Microsoft has to avoid pissing off developers to get their Marketplace going. [Boy Genius Report]

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USAF Boeing C17 Globemaster Is One Heck of a Machine [Airplanes]

DailyPicture.net — Sun, 24 May 2009 02:47:00 PDT

We take these huge military airplanes for granted, but listening to an expert describing the technology—like titanium heat dissipators and thrust reverters mounted on top—is quite enlightening. Best thing, however: Furry pilot seats.

[The Dew Line]

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Gadget Deals of the Day: Memorial Day Weekend Edition [Dealzmodo]

DailyPicture.net — Sun, 24 May 2009 02:47:00 PDT

We've got about 60 deals for you today, including discounted laptops and games, a bunch of mid-sized HDTVs (for those of you who complained), cheap movies, a free boobie rub, and a list of where you can catch some awesome deals for the Memorial Day weekend.

Computers and Peripherals:
• Dell Vostro 1520 15.4" Core 2 Duo Laptop with 3GB RAM for $549 (normally $821).
• Dell Inspiron 15 15.6" Laptop w/ 2.0GHz Dual Core for $479 (normally $723).
• ASUS Eee PC 9" Netbook with 1GB RAM, XP Home (refurbished) for $199.99 plus free shipping (normally $320).
• Asus Eee PC 9" Netbook with 1GB RAM, Ubuntu Linux (refurbished) for $164.99 (normally $189).
• Apple Mac Mini Miniature Desktops (1st Generation) with 1-year warranty (refurbished) starting from $419 (normally $499).
• Dell E2209W 22" LCD Monitor for $152.10 plus free shipping (normally $209 - use coupon code VBGH?K188CBWMC).

Gaming:
• Xbox 360 Elite System with Halo 3 and Fable II Bundle for $339.99 (normally $400).
• PlayStation 2 Slim Console (Silver) Plus 3 FREE Games $99 (normally $127).
• Armored Cored: For Answer on PS3 for $32.99 plus free shipping (normally $39.99).
• Gangs of London on PSP for $13.40 (normally $29.99).
• Halo 3 on Xbox 360 for $39.99 plus free shipping (normally $59.99 - valid today only).
• Final Fantasy XI: Wings of the Goddess on Xbox 360 for $9.99 plus free shipping (normally $19.99).
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on Xbox 360 for $15.99 plus free shipping (normally $29.99).
• Universe at War: Earth Assault on Xbox 360 for $13.99 plus free shipping (normally $19.99).
• Kane and Lynch: Dead Men on Xbox 360 for $14.99 plus free shipping (normally $29.99).
• Warhammer: Battle March on Xbox 360 for $14.99 plus free shipping (normally $29.99).
• GunPey on DS for $8.79 (normally $19.99).
• Monster Jam on Wii for $21.09 (normally $49.99).
• Maelstrom on PC for $1.90 (normally $9.99).
• Fantastic 4 on PC for $7.90 (normally $19.99).
• Everquest: The Planes of Power on PC for $3.90 (normally $8.99).

Home Entertainment:
• 46'' Sharp Aquos LC46SE94U 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV for $1,188.00 plus free shipping (normally $1,326 - use coupon code AFLSHP1188).
• 42'' Vizio XVT SV420 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV for $764.15 plus free shipping (normally $1,028 - use coupon code 65G7RQ11J?M2LH ).
• 42'' Philips 42PFL5704D/F7 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV for $899 plus free shipping (normally $1,033).
• 42'' RCA L42FHD37 LCD HDTV for $698 (normally $999.99).
• 32'' Sceptre 1080p LCD HDTV for $449.99 plus free shipping and wall mount (normally $605).
• 32'' Samsung LN32B460 720p LCD HDTV for $552.49 plus free shipping (normally $649.99).
• Sharp BD-HP20U Blu-ray Player (refurbished) for $139.99 (normally $199).

Movies:
• Stargate SG-1: The Complete Series Collection on DVD for $189.99 plus free shipping (normally $329.99).
• Two and a Half Men: The Complete Seasons 1-5 on DVD for $99.99 plus free shipping (normally $114.99 - valid today only).
• Seinfeld: The Complete Series on DVD for $139.49 plus free shipping (normally $250.95).
• Superhero Movie: Extended Edition on Blu-ray for $11.99 (normally $29.95).
• 100 HD DVD Movies for $374.97 (exclusive).

Personal Portables and Peripherals:
• TomTom One XL 4.3" GPS (refurbished) for $89.99 plus free shipping (normally $129.99).
• Pharos Drive 200 GPS for $58 plus free shipping (normally $75 - use coupon code VBGH?K188CBWMC).
• Unlocked Nokia N79 Smartphone for $211 plus free shipping (normally $300 - use coupon code VBGH?K188CBWMC and this rebate form. Valid through 5/28).
• Unlocked HTC Touch Diamond Smartphone with TouchFLO 3D GUI for $370 plus free shipping (normally $499).
• Aliph Jawbone Bluetooth Headset for $39.99 plus free shipping (normally $59.99).
• Klipsch Custom-1 Earphones for $49.99 (normally $70.24).
• iPod/iPhone Charging Cable for $.91 plus free shipping (normally $19).

Memorial Day Weekend Sales:
• Big Lots Huge Memorial Day Sale (includes camcorders, phones, mp3 players, vacuums, video games and more).
• Office Depot Memorial Day Sales (includes 1TB Seagate FreeAgent External HDD for $99.99, 23'' Samsung 1080p LCD HDTV for $279.99 and more.
• Eastern Mountain Sports has up to 30% off Select Items.
• 15% off at NFLShop.com (no minimum purchase amount necessary).
• Home Depot has 10% off for Military Personnel.
• Pottery Barn Memorial Day Sales has up to 50% off on select items (includes an outdoor thermometer for $59).
• Fanny May Candies has 30$ off in-store purchases.
• DisneyShopping sale includes up to 60% off plus coupons.
• Amazon's Kitchen and Home Memorial Day Sale has up to 60% off on select items.

Hobomodo:
• Microfiber Automotive Cloth and Super Grip Latex Coated Gloves for $0.
• Down Home Healthy Cooking: Recipes and Tips for Healthy Cooking for $0.
• 1-year Subscription to Business Week Magazine for $0.
• 1-year Subscription to Horse Illustrated Magazine for $0.
• 1-year Subscription to Town & Country Magazine for $0.
• Feel Your Boobies Car Magnet for $0.
• Mercedes Benz MP3 Music Download for $0.
• Alive Records 2009 Samples by Various Artists MP3 Album Download for $0.
• "Pins and Needles" by Project Jenny, Project Jan, Fujiya and Miyagi MP3 Download for $0.

[Thanks TechDealDigger, Fat Wallet, DealNews, GamerHotline, SlickDeals, Cheap College Gamers and CheapStingyBargains.]

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Work at Best Buy or Sprint? What's the Palm Pre Forecast? [Palm Pre]

DailyPicture.net — Sun, 24 May 2009 02:47:00 PDT

Hello, if you work in Sprint retail or Best Buy and know what your Palm Pre situation is—how many your store or region or company is getting—drop us line.

We love tips of all kinds though, and we'll keep it as anonymous as you want, so don't be shy. You can use AIM or Twitter too, if email freaks you out, just check our handy masthead to your left.

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Toddler Buys Industrial Excavator Online, "Doesn't Even Like Tractors" [Ecommerce]

DailyPicture.net — Sun, 24 May 2009 02:47:00 PDT

A 3-year-old New Zealand girl, bored in the early hours of the morning, hopped on her parents' computer and, via auto-logins, managed to buy a used mechanical excavation machine for around $15,000.

The funny thing is, this is not some tomboy girl who pushes Tonka trucks around going "vroom vroom." No, Pipi (her real name) is described by her mom as "girlie." "Even when she goes fishing she wears frilly dresses," the mother said, according to the Times UK. "I think she was just clicking on the computer to see what happened."

If nothing else this demonstrates the sheer unbridled power of the internet, not to mention its impersonality, its lack of intelligent failsafes, and our insane reliance on auto-logins as a way around the security we all demanded in the first place. Also: Apparently you can buy pretty much anything in New Zealand.

As you can assume, the seller on the auction site took back their Kobelco digger and sold it to someone else, and the girl's parents no longer use their auto logins. [Times UK via Pocket-Lint]

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First TV Image of Mars Ever Was Made With Crayons [Space]

DailyPicture.net — Sun, 24 May 2009 02:47:00 PDT

What you are looking at here is the very first image ever taken of the surface of Mars. It was acquired by NASA's Mariner 4 using a television camera, and rendered using crayons. Look closer:

After Mariner 3 failed to take images because of a hardware problem, Mariner 4 became NASA's next big hope to get images of the Red Planet. There were going to be ten Mariner missions, but they wanted these badly.

The spacecraft did its first flyby on July 15, 1965, at 00:18:36 UT. It took 21 pictures alternating green and red filters, which were saved to tape. Then, the probe went behind the planet and the signal was lost. Scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, waited impatiently, listening to static as Mariner 4 travelled fearless across the dark side of Mars.

At 03:13:04 UT signal was reacquired. All systems were nominal, cruise mode was re-established, and transmission of the images started 8.5 hours later. It lasted until August 3.

The people at the JPL were so excited to receive the images that they couldn't wait for them to be processed by the lab's imager. As the first picture was beamed down as a stream of 8-bit numbers—each point indicating a brightness point—they thought of a quick way to get an image straight away: Print the numbers indicating brightness in paper strips, put them together, and color them with pastel crayons.

I don't know about you, but I like the crayon version better than the actual image. [Images from the Data+Art exhibit at the Pasadena Museum of California Art, co-curated by Dan Goods]

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This Week In iPhone Apps: Deer Carcasses and Browser Tabs [IPhone Apps]

DailyPicture.net — Sun, 24 May 2009 02:47:00 PDT

This week, we revisit some classics from your (and your grandfather's) childhood, iPhone browsing gets upgraded, and I play what it probably the best 3D multi-animal hunting game available for the iPhone.

Boulder Dash!: Whether you're just leaving college or having your third kid, there's a pretty good chance that you played Boulder Dash as a kid. The official 25th anniversary iPhone edition is as faithful as you want it to be: you can choose either classic, spritey graphics or a modern, cartoonish look, and opt for either an overlaid d-pad control scheme or a new swipe-based system. The game looks great and both control system work a treat, so collecting jewels on the iPhone feels about as natural as it did on the Commodore. $4.99.

Deer Hunter 3D: A hunting video game! What kind of bizarre nerd bumpki—oh, wait, this is actually pretty fun. Deer Hunter 3D for iPhone, licensed from the Walmart-famous Deer Hunter PC franchise, takes you on hunting trips to various locations to shoot various animals with various types of guns. It looks great, and the aiming system—the core of the game—is executed well. The walk-aim-shoot routine seems repetitive at first, but the game has enough unlockable content to keep it interesting for a while. $5.99.

Nightglow: This browser brings proper tabs, more gestures and a few other little odds and ends to your iPhone. Its tab switcher is definitely faster than Safari's, though the app as a whole can be a bit sluggish, and the screen grab feature, which lets you explore the page while still maintaining focus on a text field, is sometimes useful. It kinda reminds me of one of those old Internet Explorer tabbed shells from 2003: it's mildly attractive for power users, but wouldn't be necessary at all if Safari was just a little bit better. $0.99.

Pickin' Stix: A vintage vintage game, this app asks you to do precisely one thing. Doing that one thing is easy, and strangely gratifying. It feels like it ought to be free, but $0.99 isn't so bad.

HDR Camera: No, you can't take DSLR-grade, hyper-realistic dynamic range photos with your iPhone. You just can't. That said, HDR Camera does do a convincing fake. The app coaxes some decent pseudo-HDR imagery out of the iPhone's sad little camera, albeit with filters and effects you could easily just apply in Photoshop. Its $1.99 pricetag is too high.

UpNext 3D NYC: If your life revolves around NYC, there really isn't a better way—wait, let me rephrase that: a prettier way—to navigate the city on your iPhone. If it doesn't, UpNext 3D's exquisitely detailed view of the city is still great eye candy. It does everything you could want from a mapping app: subway schedules, local listings and basic mapping functions and restaurant reviews. Tapping buildings even tells you what's inside (but only sometimes). Sorry, Brooklynites, it's Manhattan only for now. $2.99.

This Week's App News on Giz:

• Card Master Pro iPhone App Exposes Brian Lam's Poor Gambling Skills

• 8Bitone Chiptunes Synthesizer App Lets You Mix It Like Mario

• Kindle 1.1 for iPhone Now Available

• New Slacker iPhone App Works Harder to Smack Pandora

• iPrivus Brings Reverse Call Lookup App To The iPhone

This list is in no way definitive. If you've spotted a great app that hit the store this week, give us a heads up or, better yet, your firsthand impressions in the comments. And for even more apps: see our previous weekly roundups here, and check out our Favorite iPhone Apps Directory and our original iPhone App Review Marathon. Have a good weekend everybody.

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Spam Headlines, Reimagined [Comics]

DailyPicture.net — Sun, 24 May 2009 02:47:00 PDT

What if all those spam emails you received every day weren't meant to be read as perverted? What then? Artist Elliot Burford shows us in his collection of 24 hilarious one-frame comics. [ElliottBurford via jesspiration via Unplggd]

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Windows 7: The Complete Guide (Now With RC1!) [Windows 7]

DailyPicture.net — Sun, 24 May 2009 02:47:00 PDT

We've covered Windows 7 from rumor to release candidate, which you can currently download and install for free. Now, it's enchilada time: Here's everything of value that we learned about Win 7, packed in a complete, easy-to-read guide.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

BONUS CHAPTER: All the Release Candidate 1 Details You Can Eat
• Where to get it for free (For general installation instructions, see Chapter 1, below)
• Special assistance for installing RC1 on older netbooks
• The best surprise new features, including over-the-net music sharing, and XP mode
• 10 things you MUST know, including required system specs, known glitches, upgrade options and how to get those trippy wallpapers
• The first benchmarks: Windows RC1 vs Windows Vista

Chapter 1: Installing Windows 7 Beta, and Getting It Ready to Use
Now that the Beta download period has ended, it's time to put bits to metal, if you haven't already. And if you are looking for alternative installations—from netbooks to emulators—better read up first.

Chapter 2: How To Use Windows 7, or Why The New UI Is So Great
Windows 7 is Microsoft's biggest user-interface overhaul since Windows 95. It's no surprise, then, that even Windows veterans could use a crash course on how to use it.

Chapter 3: Device Stage Hardware Fun, Plus More Productivity Tips
Device Stage, the instant recognition of cameras, printers and other peripherals, is candy for the gadget-addicted, but knowing what works and what doesn't definitely matters.

Chapter 4: Windows Media Player and Media File Compatibility
Music and movies—not only are they more important than they were when Vista came out, but they also come from more sources in more formats. Windows 7 attempts to master them all.

Chapter 5: Couch Tricks: New Features for Windows Media Center
Our favorite "10-foot" media software shows up in Windows 7 with loads of new features—if you haven't yet seen why Media Center makes even TiVo look dated, you better pay attention.

Chapter 6: Important Changes to Networking and Security
When it comes to life online, there's no way to underestimate advances in networking and security. Windows 7 is full of them, and it pays to know what they are and how to use them.

Chapter 7: Natural Interfaces: Pen, Touch and Multitouch
Windows 7 comes of age at a time when the keyboard and mouse are giving way to newer more instinctive controls—luckily, it's got many of those controls built right in.

Chapter 8: Got Troubles? Here's How To Shoot 'Em Down
Even a good operating system can be bad once in a while. During the Beta test, we've had our share of issues. Here's a discussion of many of the problems that can be solved, and a few that can't.

Is there something missing, a discussion you were hoping to have but aren't seeing here? We want to be thorough, so let's have it. Go ahead and hit us up, either in direct emails or to our tips line, with the subject "Windows 7 Guide."

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Portable French Log Cabin Would Not Have Pleased Honest Abe [Architecture]

DailyPicture.net — Sun, 24 May 2009 02:47:00 PDT

When you say "log cabin," I think of maple syrup or Abraham Lincoln chopping wood in Illinois. I don't think avant-garde French architecture. I love many French things, but this spin on a very old (American) theme ain't one of them.

It's no wonder the design team, OLGGA, calls this the Flake House—it's pretty damn flaky. First of all, it's not really made out of logs, it's made out of wood with log "cladding." Next, it's intentionally broken in two "establishing a radical spatial boundary while materializing an unexpected entry sequence." And third, the windows are only on the ends. To top it off, there's no fireplace or chimney for those long cold Illinois winter nights.

Though unorthodox, I don't totally object to fact that Flake House is portable: If you want a log cabin, it's nice to be able to call and order one up, rather than fell your own trees and stick them together yourself with mud, pray for the best.

Besides, when it's on a truck, it's hiding in plain site: It just looks like a pile of logs, like the truck is on the way from the forest to the lumber mill, not to some rich French dude's house for a garden party.

The only thing Abe Lincoln would have liked about it is that there's still no bathroom, so he'd still have to go outside to do his business, just like back in the day. [Dezeen]

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...And Then The Robots Will Learn Compassion [Man Vs Machine]

DailyPicture.net — Sun, 24 May 2009 02:47:00 PDT

In the robot wars, much blood and oil will be shed because of our differences, and lack of understanding. But one day, perhaps amid the fighting, a robot will learn the human value of compassion, and humans will respond—well, like humans. [Broken Robot Nozomi via JapanProbe]

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Energizer Hard Case Tactical Flashlight Shoots R, G, B and Infrared [Led]

DailyPicture.net — Sun, 24 May 2009 02:47:00 PDT

Energizer's latest industrial-grade flashlight will take LEDs to war...or just your next backyard camping trip.

The Energizer Hard Case Tactical Flashlight 2AA features a 70-lumen white LED, along with four additional LEDs including red, blue, green and infrared—a selection of fine lighting choices for incognito map reading or simply an impromptu infiltration disco.

Droppable from 15 feet and including a swiveling head with a range of motion of nearly 180 degrees, it's pretty neat for a flashlight, but it'll set you back $125. And you can call me cheap, but I just don't assassinate world leaders in the dead of night often enough to justify the purchase. [Popular Mechanics via Newlaunches]

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Microsoft's "Maximum" Windows 7 Netbook Specs Kinda Suck [Rumor]

DailyPicture.net — Sun, 24 May 2009 02:47:00 PDT

Hoping that netbooks will get dramatically better as technology marches on? Not if Microsoft has anything to say about it. TechARP has apparently dug up their "maximum specs" for netbooks, and they ain't pretty.

They look a lot like the current specs you see in netbooks, actually, except that the screen size is limited to 10.2 inches (which has to annoy Acer and Dell, who have 11 and 12 inch "netbooks") and single-core processors can't exceed 2GHz. RAM is capped at 1GB like before, though storage is bumped to 250GB HDD or 64GB SSD and there's no limitation on graphics or touch capabilities.

The purpose of the dinky spec list is to delimit which machines can get away with running cheaper versions of Windows. Right now, computer makers pay about $15 for an XP license for a netbook, but more like $45 for a copy of Windows on a real computer. Since Windows 7 Home Premium works just fine on netbooks, there's no real way for them to sell it for $15 on some computers and $45 on others—it's the same bits, after all.

So they've got Windows Starter for this spec list, with its lousy 3 program cap—but Anytime Upgrade that'll make it easy for you to shell out money to bump up your OS when you get tired of Starter. I will say, though, I kind of agree that anything bigger than 10 inches is totally not a netbook. [TechARP via ZDnet]

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Is It Possible? Role Playing Dice Just Got Nerdier [Hacks]

DailyPicture.net — Sun, 24 May 2009 02:47:00 PDT

If you assumed nobody could top a classic D20 for sheer nerd equity, you assumed wrong. Builder Itay—who confesses he is new to Dungeons & Dragons—thought he'd improve the sport by cobbling a variable-number die out of two 5×7 led displays, a Freescale accelerometer and love.

[Itay's Showcase via Hack A Day]

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