Microsoft Vine

Microsoft is inventing a new social networking tool, devised for emergencies. Currently in beta in Seattle, it’s a location-aware social networking application focused on being a robust means of local communication that’ll work even in times of emergency.

It’s a desktop client (available for Windows only), and you can also post to it via e-mail or SMS. It gathers local news from 20,000 sources and displays it on a map. It lets you post alerts (short messages) and reports (longer posts). Finally, it integrates with Facebookwhile Twitter integration will be added at a later date.

Supah cool holographic DVDs!

General Electric is inventing "holographic storage", a process in which chemical changes in the form of patterns will be stored onto disk and unlocked through the use of lasers, will allow up to 500GB to be stored onto a single disk.

Brian Lawrence who manages General Electric's holographic project says that "these holographic disks could offer 20 times the capacity of a single layer Blu Ray disk".

Orchestra for Vegitarians

The Vienna Vegetable Orchestra performs music solely on instruments made of vegetables. Using carrot flutes, pumpkin basses, leek violins, leek-zucchini-vibrators, cucumberophones and celery bongos, the orchestra creates its own extraordinary and vegetabile sound universe.

Steve Jobs Triumphant Return

Apple CEO Steve Jobs is returning after a long medical absence. His return after his pancreatic cancer operation heralds a new era of mock turtlenecks.

G1 hits a million!

Tmobile has now sold more than one million G1 Google android phones!

Apple tax of massive proportions

The new shuffle costs Apple $22 to make, which means the markup is like 300%!!

WoW's new dungeon

Releasing soon, patch 3.1.0 introduces Ulduar, the third Titan dungeon and is a 10 or 25-man raid for players level 80 players with tons of new loot and achievements to be earned. The biggest change, however, is the ability to specialize two sets of talents and freely switch between them. Well, after you hit level 40 and drop 1000 gold to a vendor.

FCC Says Broadband for All!

The FCC, that thing that keeps naughty language off your TV, has decided to invest an interest in affordable broadband. This is likely a move to keep up with the rest of the world, seeing as broadband speeds in China are 60kbps and the Aussies are launching 100kbps services.

DSi Shop Lined Up

The titles lined up include:

• WarioWare: Snapped! – This game stars Nintendo contract player Wario. It's a collection of mini-games that employs the DSi's camera. According to Nintendo, Snapped will allow players to "get a peek at Wario's photo album." That's a little frightening.
• Bird & Beans – Using an elastic tongue, players must scramble to collect falling beans. That's a little frightening too.
• Brain Age Express: Math – In this math-focused edition of the popular Brain Age series, players can make their brains smarter with numbers. And training. According to Nintendo, the "Themes" mode lets Nintendo DSi users experiment with images and voice recordings in "fun, unusual ways."
  • Master of Illusion Express: Funny Face – This game uses your Nintendo DSi as a prop in a card trick. Draw a face on the touch screen and astound your audience as the face tells them which playing card they picked. Who could have guess the DSi had magical powers?
  • Art Style: AQUIA – The newest addition to Art Style series, AQUIA is an underwater puzzle game where a scuba diver tried to reach the ocean floor by matching a series of colored blocks.

Nintendo Un-Greenest Game Developer

While Nintendo is leading the console races with its Wii and DS systems, it's dead last in environmental friendliness. According to Greenpeace's "Guide to Greener Electronics", Nintendo is the worst consumer electronics company when it comes to being green. Earning a pitiful 0.8 points out of ten, but to be fair, Microsoft isn't much better, with a score of 2.7. Sony achieved a middling score of 5.5.