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  • Black Metal cupcakes
    The Black Oven, a blog devoted to gloomy baking ("Immaculate confections succumbed to northern darkness") presents us with this fabulous recipe for Black Metal Cupcakes: Le Petit Gateau du Les Legions Noire - Traditional cupcakes inspired by untraditional black metal In a perfect world everything would be as stark and void of color as these cupcakes. They are baneful in their absolute disdain for your tastelessness, and are true misanthropes as far as baked goods go. Link (Thanks, Marilyn!)...


  • Emergency Exit USB hub
    Donya has shipped this four-port USB hub in the shape of the Emergency Exit ped -- I'm charmed by the little USB icon on his little briefcase (Hey! I thought you weren't supposed to try to take anything with you when you evacuated!). Looks like you'll have to go to Japan to buy one (for now). Link...


  • Microsoft tries to put a ceiling on ultra-low-cost PC power
    Microsoft is aggressively pushing a new low-cost version of its operating system intended for use with "ultra low cost PCs," competing with Linux on machines like the Eee and the One Laptop Per Child XO. However, Microsoft isn't willing to sell the low-cost license to any ULPC -- rather, the company has set out onerous conditions governing the maximum spec of these machines: 10.2" screens and no more than 80GB of storage, and no touch screens allowed. Microsoft is trying to distort the market for cheap, tiny laptops by setting up artificial incentives to manufacturers to limit the power and capability of their lowest-cost units -- even if a vendor can figure out how to put more storage, a bigger screen, or a touchscreen into its machines, Microsoft doesn't want it there, and they'll punish any vendor that tries by refusing to license XP Home Edition on the same preferential terms that lower-spec machines get. The key term here ls "Ultra Low Cost" -- note that this is not the same as "Ultra Low Spec. The primary market for these super-cheap machines are kids and poor people, and they'll be the collateral damage in Microsoft's crusade. If Microsoft wants to set up a licensing program for low cost machines, then cost should be the limiting factor, not power. But this isn't entirely bad news: at least this latest move provides incentive to vendors to continue to bundle GNU/Linux, not Windows, on their machines. After all, Linux isn't just cheap, it's free, and no one's going to slap you around for figuring out how to deliver more power and a better machine. Link...


  • Patchwork kitchen floor made from Marmoleum ends
    The Vermont Eco Builder blog documents its project to make a kitchen floor from a patchwork of Marmoleum ends, rescuing them from a landfill. The effect is just lovely. Link (via Neatorama)...


  • Floating staircase
    This "floating staircase" was designed by Jordi Vayreda of Jordivayreda Projectteam (Spain). It may look dangerous, but that's only because the guard-rails are made of the same invisible material as the risers. Link (via Neatorama)...



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