Want to buy a specific camera for someone for the holidays, but can’t find it in your budget range? A new website called Greentoe is bringing price negotiation to the consumer electronics world — think Priceline for gadgets. The website, which launched in October, allows shoppers to name their price on anything from brand name TVs to camera lenses. Here’s how it works: After finding a product, users can submit an offer for what they would pay. Greentoe then notifies its network of retail partners to see if a merchant will accept. If a deal is made, the item ships to consumers directly from the retailer, which can be anything from a small to big-box company. “When you walk into a Best Buy, you can’t haggle with employees for the price you want,” Joe Marrapodi, CEO and co-founder Greentoe, told Mashable. “There wasn’t a way to ask for a lower price, so we wanted to develop a way to do it digitally.” One example highlighted on the e-commerce site is that a shopper recently shaved $50 off a Fujifilm camera, bringing the price from $263 to $213. Not a bad deal. So could this be the new Priceline for the tech world? Maybe. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below. Image via SevenWafflz Gamer Gifts 1. Triforce Lamp Know a Zelda fan in need of some power, wisdom and courage? This beautiful wood and acrylic lamp can be hung or shelved. The pixelated carvings on each side warm the room with dappled light. Price: $95.00 2. Portal 2 Graphic Poster The best part of this stylish turret-themed poster is the tiny print at the bottom: “hello.” It’s impossible not to hear that depressive little robot voice. Price: $32.82 3. NES Moleskine This hand-stamped stocking stuffer is great for students or journos with retro roots. Price: $10.00 4. Skyrim iPhone Stats Case Elder Scrolls fans will enjoy adding this clever case to their inventories. The iPhone obviously has magical properties. Using it will add +10 to your speechcraft skill. Price: $37.20 5. Xbox 360 Bullet Buttons Hardened shooter fans (think Call of Duty) might enjoy this Xbox controller hack. Etsy seller DiselLaceDesign provides bullets that fit perfectly, but you’ll need a special screwdriver to put it all together. Price: $11.98 6. Chrono Trigger Zeal Mousepad SNES time travelers will recall the floating kingdom of Zeal and the abuses that lead to its downfall. Memorialize the mysterious realm with this snazzy mouse pad. Price: $14.00 7. Goomba Cufflinks Perfect for that Nintendo-themed wedding you have coming up. Or something. Price: $28.00 8. Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Punchout! This pixelated print packs a one-two punch in terms of geeky cultural references. The Internet’s favorite astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson was memeified last year as a “reaction face,” used to mock Internet arrogance. Mix that with a reference to the 1987 Nintendo game Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!, and you’ve got one hell of an Internet inside joke. Price: $11.00 9. The Reterners (Final […]
Rob Lopez is a huge Star Wars fan. So, naturally, his son Sebastian is, as well. (And he loves Darth Vader.) One of the joys parents get to experience is having fun with their children. That’s why Rob and his wife (but mainly Rob) decided to see how their son would react if Darth Vader woke him up in the morning. Likelihood of traumatizing their son: ~15% YouTube But, I don’t know what’s better…this dad’s costume, or how his son reacted! Thankfully, their son proved that the Force is indeed with him (and Darth Vader is whipped). Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/darth-vader-wakeup/
In the age of Photoshop, it’s almost impossible to say with absolute certainty whether any given image is real, but one former Photoshop employee hopes to change that. Fourandsix Technologies, a startup founded by a former Adobe Photoshop executive and a digital forensics expert, unveiled its first piece of software this week, which promises to help law enforcement determine whether a photo is authentic or not. The software, called FourMatch, analyzes the meta data in picture files to quickly determine if a photo has been modified. FourMatch relies on a comprehensive database of more than 70,000 “signatures” that are left on a file from each piece of hardware and software that goes into creating it. As the company explains in a description of the product, “Once an image has been edited and resaved from a software product, this signature is changed to match the software rather than the original capture device.” FourMatch is primarily intended for police and lawyers who need to determine whether a photograph has been tampered with in any way between the time it was first captured and submitted as evidence. However, the software won’t tell you exactly how the image has been altered — if it has been at all — because it only analyzes the file data rather than the image itself. For this reason, it can just tell you if a file has been touched by another application. “This first product we’ve put out is not a magic bullet that will tell you everything you need to know about an image,” Kevin Connor, the company’s president and co-founder who worked at Adobe for 15 years, told Mashable. “This is sort of a first step and there are certain scenarios when it will be very valuable, particularly in the law enforcement space.” Indeed, the software currently retails for $890 so it’s clearly not intended for the average consumer. In the future, though, the startup plans to release other tools to determine the authenticity of pictures that should have broader use. In particular, Connor sees a growing need for technology that can detect photo fraud in medical research, help media companies assess whether their photographers have been too liberal editing their photos and sift through pictures going viral on social media to figure out whether they’re real. Likewise, he thinks tools like this could help banks verify the authenticity of pictures of checks and other payments taken by customers. “People are using images more and more to communicate and facilitate transactions,” Connor said. “There will be more situations when you might want to be able to verify that it’s true.” Image courtesy of Fourandsix Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/09/21/fourandsix-fourmatc/
An armed man looks at charred debris at the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 near the village of Hrabove, eastern Ukraine, Sunday, July 20, 2014. Image: Vadim Ghirda/Associated Press As fighting continues in eastern Ukraine, the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 remains in jeopardy as pro-Russian rebels are still in control of the area. The U.N. Security Council will vote Monday on a resolution demanding international access to the Ukraine plane crash site and a cease-fire around the area. Russia, however, is reluctant to approve it. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said his country, which proposed the resolution, would view a Russian veto of the resolution “very badly,” adding that “no reasonable person” could object to its wording. “This is still an absolutely shambolic situation. It does look more like a garden clean-up than a forensic investigation,” he told reporters. “Given the almost certain culpability of the Russian-backed rebels in the downing of the aircraft, having these people in control of the site is a little like leaving criminals in control of a crime scene,” Abbott added. The resolution calls for pro-Russia separatists to allow access to the site of the downed Malaysia Airlines passenger jet carrying 298 people, including 37 Australian citizens and residents. It asks for the full cooperation of all countries in the region, including Russia. Despite international pressure for a cease-fire in Donetsk, the clashes continued between the separatists and Ukrainian forces on Monday with echoes of rocket fire and burning throughout the area. Factory burning in #Donetsk. Echoes of Grad rocket fire all around. Residents leaving en masse from area. pic.twitter.com/GVYvz56GSe — Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) July 21, 2014 Video footage below shows army tanks rolling through the city streets as Ukrainian forces launched an assault against the rebels. The United States has presented what it called “powerful” evidence that the rebels, who have been in control of the areas for months, shot down the plane with a Russian surface-to-air missile and training. Other governments have stopped short of accusing Russia of actually causing the crash. However, Russian officials have blamed Ukraine’s government for creating the situation and atmosphere in which the plane was downed. Security Council diplomats held consultations late Sunday until past midnight to work out key differences between Australia and Russia. The diplomats emerged cautiously optimistic that a resolution would be approved, but Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin would not guarantee it, saying the draft “does not accurately reflect the need for an impartial, international investigation.” The resolution also demands that armed groups who control the crash site do not disturb debris, belongings or victims’ remains — a particularly big concern after cleanup activities this weekend. The rebels on Sunday loaded an unknown number of decaying bodies from the crash site onto three train cars in Torez, Ukraine, a mining town 10 miles south of where the jetliner is believed to have been shot down. A day earlier, Ukraine’s emergency service workers said they had removed 196 bodies of the […]
Archaeologists believe these are the remains of the temple of Ramses II, the Pharaoh who ruled over Egypt during the 13th century BC. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/3000-year-old-pharaoh-statue-discovered-in-the-slums-of-cairo/
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To prove that size doesn’t matter, this adorable chihuahua named McFly loves to box. He’s always ready to throw down. After being born with a defect in his right leg, this cutie was surrendered to The Mia Foundation, so he really knows how to roll with the punches. You can even watch him practice with his trainer! You’ll instantly fall in love with this scrappy little guy. McFly is one tough cookie. Make sure he has all the care he’ll ever need by donating to The Mia Foundation today! Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/fighting-chihuahua/
Our resident drive-thru prankster has struck again, and this time he’s using everyone’s worst nightmare — Chuckie the doll — as his sidekick. Magic of Rafat hit viral fame in January when he stumped fast food workers by camouflaging himself as a car seat and watching the employees freak out over a self-driving car. This time around, the jokester put Chuckie in the driver seat and watched as the employees screamed in terror at a possessed child’s toy that now has a set of wheels. The reactions are pretty priceless — especially those who just threw the food at the doll hoping to scare it away with saturated fats. Video and image courtesy of YouTube, MagicofRahat BONUS: 10 Epic Office Pranks Caught on YouTube 10 Epic Office Pranks Caught on YouTube 1. Office Prank Air Horn Chair It’s an oldie, but a goodie. 2. Office Prank – Making an Office Disappear As the white board says — owned! 3. NFS Office Prank Who knew you could have so much fun with a simple remote? 4. Office Prank – Operation Bald Eagle Apparently, this is part of an “ongoing vendetta of office pranks.” 5. Head in a Box Prank Keep watching — the second guy’s reaction is the best. 6. Best Office Prank Ever These funsters walled off 11 senior offices. 7. Funny Office Prank – 100+ Ping Pong Balls Zappos team + 100 ping pong balls = practical joke. 8. Funny Practical Joke From the Office You’ll always get a laugh out of slapstick. 9. Practical Joke at the Office This chap takes his styrofoam shower with good grace. 10. Funny Office Prank – Cell Phone in Ceiling Finally, where is that darn phone? Read more: http://mashable.com/2013/03/06/drive-thru-chuckie-doll-prank/
Justin has made real Bielebers of the Twitterverse. On Thursday, the movers and shakers of social media couldn’t resist, well, moving and shaking to the Bieber’s hit song “Baby.” Twitter employees flashmobbed their crowded cafeteria, showcasing a popping and locking male lead and a female employee who could rap the entire Ludacris section (we didn’t even think those were real words). Twitter has said it was to celebrate #hackweek, but it was great timing — Bieber is poised to hit the 25 million Twitter followers milestone today. It would make him the second most followed person on Twitter, trailing only Lady Gaga’s more than 27 million followers. Hackweek is a good excuse, but maybe all of Twitter-land just couldn’t contain their Bieber-fever any longer. What’s your favorite flashmob YouTube video? Share with us in the comments. BONUS: Check out our top 5 viral videos of the week: This Week’s Hot Viral Videos ‘Simon’s Cat’ Partakes in the Animal Olympics A new “Simon’s Cat” video hit the web Saturday, and this one gets into the competitive spirit of the Olympics … with a snail race. Will Ferrell Lashes Out at Kristen ‘Trampire’ Stewart Someone give Will Ferrell a box of tissues and pint of Ben & Jerry’s because the funnyman needs help healing his broken heart. Ferrell sat down with Conan O’Brien and let his emotions spill out as he discussed the recent breakup of Twilight stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson (or “Patterson,” as Ferrell referred to him). A Real Dad Won’t Save You if You’re ‘Taken’ The 2008 thriller Taken, about an American girl kidnapped by human traffickers in Paris, raised anxiety levels for many worrywort parents. The film isn’t based on a true story, but that didn’t stop moms and dads from wondering what they would do in a similar situation. 90-Year-Old Pole Vaulter Will Make You Feel Lazy Meet Dr. William Bell, a 90-year-old fitness nut who holds a pole vault world record for his age group. Pfft, as if a bunch of buff 20-something Olympic swimmers prancing their six-packs around the pool didn’t already make us all feel like a bunch of unaccomplished cubicle potatoes this week. Envy aside, Dr. Bell could provide a helpful dose of pick-me-up to any of us feeling a bit lapsed in the physical fitness department Choo-Choo-Choose to Watch Excited Train Guy Maybe it’s the rumble of the engine or the sound of the horn, but something has this train enthusiast yelling with excitement. The railfan — yes, that’s a real thing — squeals behind the camera as a rare 1953 EA Heritage Train engine rolls through a New York station. As one YouTuber put it, “Double Trainbow!” Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/07/13/bieber-twitter-flash-mob/
