MethodShop

Vote For The Best Super Bowl XLIV Commercials‎ [video]

2010-02-08T08:21:00.003-05:00

The game is over, so let's talk about the commercials. YouTube uploaded every ad that aired during the Super Bowl last night. You can watch and vote for each ad here.

There were definitely some memorable standouts this year like Motorola's ad with Megan Fox in a bathtub and Monster.com's "Fiddling Beaver." We're kind of done with GoDaddy's "Too Hot for TV" schtick. Boost Mobile's remake of the "Chicago Bears Super Bowl Shuffle" was definitely entertaining but our favorite ad by far was Google's "Parisian Love." What about you? Tweet was your favorite.

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Coyote Found Frozen Dead In His Tracks... Literally [pic]

2010-02-06T08:09:00.002-05:00

Have you ever asked yourself how cold it would have to get to freeze an animal dead in its tracks? Well if so, the answer is -28 degrees F. That’s how cold it was in Silt, Colorado when this coyote froze solid right in it’s tracks. There are more frozen coyote picts over at Knuckles United.

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40 Wild Birds Play A Gibson Les Paul Guitar [video]

2010-02-04T11:33:00.003-05:00

Ever see 40 wild birds play a Gibson Les Paul guitar before? Us either until we found this
clip on the BBC. The video is of an installation by a contemporary French artist Celeste Boursier-Mougenot. The birds are in a glass walled room with grass, a little drinking pond, and a Les Paul guitar hooked up to an amplifier. The guitar is a frequent landing position
for the birds and each time one of them touches the strings, the guitar makes noise.

If you have a few mins then check it out [video]. Our favorite part is when one bird almost does a guitar solo using a twig.

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Australian Banker Caught Surfing Porn on Live TV [video]

2010-02-03T07:55:00.001-05:00

Oops! David Kiely, an employee of Macquarie Bank, just became an Internet celebrity... for all the wrong reasons. The Australian banker was caught "analyzing" more than just interest rates on national TV while his colleague Martin Lakos was live on the air. Fast forward to 1:00 in the embedded clip above and you'll see Mr. Kiely to the left browsing something a little more sexy than spreadsheets. To make things worse, towards the end of the clip he realizes his blunder and looks right at the camera.

In all fairness, the picts appear to just be supermodel Miranda Kerr's GQ Magazine shoot. Not X-rated, but still definitely embarrassing. Macquarie Bank is currently reviewing the situation and Mr. Kiely's fate is unclear. After the clip became a YouTube sensation, Macquarie’s human resources department emailed the bank’s entire 11,500 employees worldwide and asked them to "familiarize themselves with" the company's internet policy.

Want to save this YouTube video on to your computer? Here's a step-by-step methodshop.com tutorial on how to rip video files off YouTube.com and convert them for any iTunes compatible device like an iPod, iPhone or Apple TV.

methodshop

Hacking Facebook Status Updates Into RSS Feeds

2010-02-01T19:25:00.003-05:00

Want to get Facebook status updates as a RSS feed? Facebook doesn't make it easy AT ALL. But all you need to know are your 3 Facebook numbers: facebook_id, your_internal_key and your_friend_key. Once you have these 3 numbers, you can copy and paste them into a custom RSS feed for your status, the status of your friends, all notifications or links from you or your friends. You can then take this custom RSS feed and do things like put it into widgets, schedule updates in other social media accounts using Hootsuite or just feed it into your Twitter account.

Making your custom Facebook RSS feed is easy. Just follow the steps below.

Step #01: Go to your Facebook Notifications Page:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/notifications.php

Step #02: Click on the “Your Notifications” link on the page.

You should now see a RSS feed of all your notifications being displayed in your web browser.

The structure of the link is as follows:

http://www.new.facebook.com/feeds/notifications.php?id=YOUR_FACEBOOK_ID&viewer=YOUR_FACEBOOK_ID&key= YOUR_INTERNAL_KEY&format=rss20

There are 3 numbers in this URL. The number that follows “id” is your Facebook ID number. This number appears twice. The last number is your Facebook Internal Key. Copy these numbers and set them aside.

Step #03: Go to your Facebook Friends Page:
http://www.facebook.com/friends/?ref=tn

Step #04: Click on the “Friends Status’ Feed” link on the page.

You should now see a RSS feed of your friends’ activities. The URL will look like this:
http://www.new.facebook.com/feeds/friends_status.php?id=your_facebook_id&key=your_friends_key&format=rss20

The second number is your Facebook Friends Key. Copy this number and put it aside.

Step # 05: Create the RSS URLs

Once you have your 3 Facebook numbers (facebook_id, your_internal_key and your_friend_key), you’re ready to make your custom RSS feeds. All you have to do to is copy and paste them into the link structures below.

Status Feed
http://www.new.facebook.com/feeds/status.php?id=your_facebook_id&viewer=your_facebook_id&key=your_internal_key&format=rss20

Notifications Feed
http://www.new.facebook.com/feeds/notifications.php?id=your_facebook_id&viewer=your_facebook_id&key=your_internal_key&format=rss20

Friends Status Feed
http://www.new.facebook.com/feeds/friends_status.php?id=your_facebook_id&key=your_friends_key&format=rss20

Friends Links Feed
http://www.new.facebook.com/feeds/share_friends_posts.php?id=your_facebook_id&key=your_friend_key&format=rss20

Friends List Feed
http://www.new.facebook.com/feeds/friends_status.php?id=your_facebook_id&key=your_friend_key&format=rss20

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MADtv - iPad Spoof [video]

2010-01-28T09:23:00.001-05:00

The iPad. Not exactly Apple's greatest product name. We were really hoping for iSlate or maybe even the Apple Newton II. Most people connect pads to menstruation... including the writers from Fox's defunct sketch comedy show, MADtv. They actually did an iPod spoof called iPad years ago. We found the clip still up on YouTube.

Want to save this YouTube video on to your computer? Here's a step-by-step methodshop.com tutorial on how to rip video files off YouTube.com and convert them for any iTunes compatible device like an iPod, iPhone or Apple TV.

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Conan O'Brien Immortalized in Cheetos [video]

2010-01-27T22:16:00.003-05:00

Using approximately 2,000 Cheetos sorted from over 50 bags, one artist has painstakingly created a portrait of former Tonight Show host Conan O'Brien. It's not exactly edible, but it might help satisfy your hunger for Coco until his show [hopefully] returns to late night this fall.

The artist responsible for this cheesy masterpiece is Jason Baalman. Don't worry, he doesn't have a weird obsession with Cheetos. Baalman was actually hired by Cheetos to create the portrait. It's made entirely out 3 different flavors of Cheetos for shading and a little glue. The final product took 3 weeks to complete and Baalman posted a time lapse recording of the entire process on YouTube.

Very clever viral video idea right? There's even a contest to win this 5 feet by 4 feet Cheeto O'Brien portrait. Just head over to JustJared for details.

Want to save this YouTube video on to your computer? Here's a step-by-step methodshop.com tutorial on how to rip video files off YouTube.com and convert them for any iTunes compatible device like an iPod, iPhone or Apple TV.

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Apple Introduces the iPad for Only $499

2010-01-27T13:39:00.006-05:00

For the past few months, the rumors swirling around a potential Apple tablet device has been dizzying. But Steve Jobs, Apple founder and CEO, just put all the predictions to rest and revealed Apple's new tablet. The name? iPad. The cost? Way less than everyone thought!

What exactly is an iPad and how does it differ from your laptop or smartphone? Apple is calling the iPad more intimidate than a laptop and more powerful than a smartphone. You can use the iPad to do everything from browse the web, watch movies, listen to music, play games and even read books.

Here's a list of the iPad's features:

Storage: 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB flash drive
Size: 9.5 x 7.5 inches; 0.5 inch thick
Weight: 1.5 pounds Wi-Fi model; 1.6 pounds Wi-Fi + 3G model
Battery: Built-in 25Whr rechargeable lithium-polymer 10 hour battery
Processor: 1GHz Apple A4 custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip
Network: Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology
3G: UMTS/HSDPA; GSM/EDGE
External Monitor: Support for 1024 x 768 with Dock Connector to VGA adapter; 576p and 480p with Apple Composite A/V Cable, 576i and 480i with Apple Composite A/V Cable
Audio: supported formats include AAC (up 320 Kbps), Protected AAC, MP3 (up to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV
Processor: 1GHz Apple A4 high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip
Input and Output: Dock connector, 3.5-mm stereo headphone jack, Built-in speakers, Microphone, SIM card tray (Wi-Fi + 3G model only)

Our only disappointment? The iPad doesn't have Flash capabilities - which will leave many developers and programmers upset. However the iPad does have a powerful mobile version of the Safari web browser. The lack of Flash is most likely intentional and meant to protect Apple's lucrative App Store.

Let's talk price. $499?! Yep. Apple is being unusually aggressive with price. Most people were predicting that the iPad would cost at least $1,000. Not so my friends. The iPad starts at the extremely attractive $499 for 16GB with just WiFi. There's also a 32GB WiFi only model for $599, and $699 for 64GB. Adding 3G costs a $130 per model, so the most expensive model iPad is the 64GB WiFi + 3G at $829. Not bad at all! Right?

You can't pre-order the iPad just yet. But you can sign up on Apple.com to be notified when they are ready for pre-order. Apple usually has products ready to buy or at least pre-order the day of its announcement. We wonder what happened with the iPad. The wait obviously won't be that long. The WiFi-only model ships in 60 days, and the 3G models in 90.

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Twitter Has 75M Users, But Many Inactive

2010-01-27T10:27:00.002-05:00

Are you on Twitter yet? Yes? Have you updated lately? No? Apparently you're not alone.

According to a study by RJMetrics Inc., many Twitter users aren't tweeting on a regular basis. The study found that Twitter only has 10 to 15 million active users and only 17% of the 75M registered Twitter accounts were updated this month.

"When you look at new account registrations, no one can deny that Twitter is still growing like a rocket ship. That's good," wrote Robert J. Moore, CEO and founder of RJMetrics. "However, upon closer inspection, the rate of new user sign-ups has dropped meaningfully from its peak and many new users never do anything with their accounts. That's bad. Furthermore, the percentage of accounts sending out tweets has steadily declined over the past six months. That's worse."

The inactive accounts are especially troubling for Twitter. They not only create bloat in Twitter's systems, but serve as a reminder of how Twitter failed to engage these initially interested n00b users. According to the RJMetrics report, the average Twitter user has 27 followers (down from 42 followers in August), about 25% of users have no followers at all (up from 20% last August) and upward of 40% of users only have 1 to 5 followers. The study also noted that about 80% of all Twitter users have tweeted less than 10 times.

Related Articles:

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Crazy Kid Jumps Bus [video]

2010-01-26T08:01:00.001-05:00

Despite being on the internet for over a year, Police are now looking for the kid in this bus jumping video. In the clip, the kid jumps off a raised walkway, onto the top of a bus and then off the bus and into oncoming traffic.

Ironically, all the Police attention has now made the clip more popular than ever. We wonder if the kid is even still alive. Who knows what other stunts he's done this past year.

Want to save this YouTube video on to your computer? Here's a step-by-step methodshop.com tutorial on how to rip video files off YouTube.com and convert them for any iTunes compatible device like an iPod, iPhone or Apple TV.

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@Astro_TJ Writes The 1st Tweet from Space

2010-01-22T16:32:00.005-05:00

It's official, the Internet now spans beyond our puny planet Earth.

For the past month, Astronaut TJ Creamer has been working with NASA flight control to get Internet access in the International Space
Station. NASA's IT wizards were finally able to connect the space station to the Internet by giving a laptop in orbit remote access to a desktop computer in Mission Control. It isn't fast, but at least now Astronauts can get occasional access to the Internet... including email and Twitter.

TJ took advantage of his Internet connection yesterday to send the first ever tweet from space.

His tweet read:

"Hello Twitterverse! We r now LIVE tweeting from the International Space Station -- the 1st live tweet from Space! :) More soon, send your ?s"

What's next? Maybe @Astro_TJ will check-in on FourSquare from The International Space Station. We wonder if there's a badge for that yet? :)

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Masturbating Bear Returns to Conan [video]

2010-01-22T11:32:00.001-05:00

This week, Conan O'Brien brought out the infamous Masturbating Bear character from his old NBC 12:35 show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien. The self-pleasuring bear wasn't deemed appropriate for the 11:35 pm show, The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. But with only days left at NBC, and Coco not allowed to bring any gags from his NBC shows to a new network, the Bear made a quick cameo [video].

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Apple wants iPad trademark from Fujitsu

2010-01-21T11:15:00.004-05:00

After years of speculation, it finally looks like we might have a name for the mythical Apple tablet. iSlate? iTablet? Nope... iPad! At least we think. BTW - what a crappy name. Reminds us of that old MADtv skit. We're really hoping for iSlate.

The latest news surrounding the rumored Apple tablet has to deal with the trademark for the name "iPad." Fujitsu is the current owner of the iPad trademark. According to the screen grab above (larger size here), Apple filed requests with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) several times late last year to extend the time given to oppose the trademark with the USPTO. The USPTO granted the request and extended the time to oppose to 2/28/2010 "on behalf of potential opposer Apple Inc."

What do you think about the name iPad? Is it too close to iPod? Could it cause confusion with consumers? The Japanese can't pronounce "a" and the Irish already say iPad when trying to say iPod.

The big Apple announcement is next week. Steve Jobs, please don't use the name iPad!

methodshop

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars for iPhone [review]

2010-01-20T20:07:00.001-05:00

Get ready to cause massive mayhem with your iPhone! Guess what showed up in the Apple App Store this week? Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars.

The main character in the game is Huang Lee, a smart-ass kid who wants to avenge the murder of his mafia boss father and keep control of his father's Hong Kong Triad empire. Just like most GTA games, you start our small doing seedy missions and build your way up to the big time. And yes, you can expect plenty of colorful characters throughout the game.

At $9.99, it's one of the more expensive games in the Apple App Store, but keep in mind, this is a very deep game. It's also one of the most sophisticated iPhone apps we've ever seen. There are plenty of missions to keep the average gamer busy for months.

The controls were a little difficult for us, especially while driving. The game left us wanting some sort of directional-pad or gaming controller add-on for the iPhone. We've seen iPhone gaming grips, but none yet with D-pads.

If you're a big GTA fan, then the eagle-eye perspective in Chinatown Wars will probably remind you of some of the original GTA games from the late '90s. Just like in Grand Theft Auto 2 (now a free PC download), the vehicles all look like Matchbox cars.

If you have a long plane ride in your future or a boring commute, then you'll no doubt enjoy this game. And we're sure it will sell like hotcakes GTA fans with iPhones.

You can download GTA: Chinatown Wars for iPhone and iPod Touch from the Apple App Store here.

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Strange Nerd Uprising Over IKEA's Decision to Change Fonts

2010-01-19T09:03:00.001-05:00

For the past 60 years, the global home products retailer IKEA, has used the same Futura font typeface in all their catalogs and advertising. Futura has been an integral part of the IKEA brand for over half a century. But does anyone really care about a font change? Apparently yes.

IKEA's recent decision to switch to a different font called Verdana, has IKEA fanatics and font nerds everwhere fuming.

Twitter is full of annoyed tweets like...

"Ikea decided to use Verdana for their print work. I hate that font almost as much as I hate Comic Sans."
"Ikea, stop the Verdana madness!"
"I can't help but be annoyed over Ikea's choice to use Verdana as their typeface in PRINT."
"Dear Ikea, I miss your Futura ways."
"Went to IKEA last night and truely missed Futura. I mean Verdana looks good. But.... Futura just "fit". Nothing stays the same. #ikea"
"I do believe that Futura is my new favorite typeface! Damn IKEA for abandoning it!"

So why did IKEA make the switch? Verdana is included in both the Mac and Windows operating systems and allows IKEA to use the same font all over the world. Also, it's free... duh!

methodshop

Did Apple Register iSlate.com

2010-01-15T11:40:00.001-05:00

As the Internets buzz with Apple tablet rumors, bloggers everywhere are trying to dig up evidence to finally put these rumors to rest. Afterall, we've all been down this tablet rumor road before... several times.

Apple "tablet" rumors usually start with a clever Photoshop mockup or an anonymous quote from an Apple supplier in Taiwan who claims to be producing tablet technology for Apple. But after the latest batch of rumors attached the name iSlate, not MacBook Touch to the rumors. So who owns iSlate.com? We did a little digging in the WHOIS registries. Take a look at the image below to see what we found:

Did Apple quietly register iSlate.com through a third party? It wouldn't be the first time the Cupertino based company discretely grabbed a domain in advance of a new product announcement. Apple frequently uses a consulting firm called Mark Monitor to secure their domains. Mark Monitor's specialty is "enterprise brand protection." Mark Monitor handles domain name registrations and brand protection for many companies, including Apple. Apple.com, iPod.com, iPhone.com and iSlate.com are all registered under Mark Monitor.

The blogosphere has been speculating and following rumors of an Apple tablet for years. Here's a brief headline roundup that goes back to February 2006:

2006-02: What is Apple's Big Surprise? A Tablet?
2008-07: Rumor: "MacBook Touch" Coming in October 2008
2008-10: Apple Plans MacBook Event as $800 Laptop Rumors Clog the Blogosphere
2009-07: Rumor: $800 Apple Tablet Due in October
2009-07: iTunes Digital Album Covers and MacBook Tablet Rumors
2009-08: Apple Tablet Rumors Intensify
2010-01: iSlate Rumor Roundup [video]

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iSlate Rumor Roundup [video]

2010-01-14T07:26:00.011-05:00

For years, Apple Fanboys having been speculating, dreaming and even praying for a tablet. Rumors of a tablet-shaped-iPod or a "MacBook Touch" have been swirling around the Internet for years. However these rumors always prove to be just that... rumors and no tablet product ever comes to market. But lately, news around an Apple tablet are really looking good. Not only are bloggers and tech sites predicting that Apple will release a tablet computer this month, but also major news organizations like the Wall Street Journal are adding to the tablet rumor frenzy.

A recent article on WSJ Online is predicting the following:

Apple Inc. will unveil a new multimedia tablet device later this month (Jan 2010)
the new product will come with a 10 to 11-inch touch screen
the announced product won't ship until March
estimated price of around $1,000

What will Apple call this new tablet product? If the current rumors are right, it's going to be called an iSlate. For the past couple, any product name attached to an Apple tablet rumor usually attached the name rumors were calling it a "MacBook Touch."

The blogosphere has been speculating and following rumors of an Apple tablet for years. Here's a brief headline roundup that goes back to February 2006:

2006-02: What is Apple's Big Surprise? A Tablet?
2008-07: Rumor: "MacBook Touch" Coming in October 2008
2008-10: Apple Plans MacBook Event as $800 Laptop Rumors Clog the Blogosphere
2009-07: Rumor: $800 Apple Tablet Due in October
2009-07: iTunes Digital Album Covers and MacBook Tablet Rumors
2009-08: Apple Tablet Rumors Intensify

Is the market even ripe for a tablet? Earlier this month eReaders were all the rage at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show. Pair that with the rise of netbooks the past couple years, and the time feels right for tablets to finally make a big splash with consumers.

So will Steve Jobs finally grant Apple Fanboys their tablet wish? Guess we'll know soon.

methodshop

Coca-Cola Happiness Machine [video]

2010-01-13T14:52:00.005-05:00

What do pizza, balloon animals, sandwiches and disco glasses all have in common with Coca-Cola? Happiness. Put it all together and post it on YouTube and what do you have? The Coca-Cola Happiness Machine. It's one of the best viral videos we've ever seen. In fact, we're still smiling.

VIDEO: Coca-Cola "Happiness Machine"

Want to save this YouTube video on to your computer? Here's a step-by-step methodshop.com tutorial on how to rip video files off YouTube.com and convert them for any iTunes compatible device like an iPod, iPhone or Apple TV.

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Hands-On with the Boxee Box and Remote

2010-01-09T16:49:00.002-05:00

One of the hottest products at CES 2010 was hands down the new Boxee Box from D-Link. The funky almost cube-shaped box is a media player that can play just about every media file you have saved on your hard drive as well as a tons of streaming online content.

Andrew Kippen from Boxee let Kelly Sutton and Chris Lesinski from Hack College borrow the prototype for a few minutes.

Here's a hands on look at the Boxee Box from CES 2010.

Compatible media files include:

Video: Adobe Flash 10.1, H.264 (MKV, MOV), VC-1, WMV, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, AVI, Xvid, Divx, PCM/LPCM, VOB

Audio: MP3, WMA, WAV, AIFF, FLAC, AAC, DTS, Dolby Digital, Ogg Vorbis

PHOTO: JPEG, TIFF, BMP, PNG

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Extreme Pool Entry [video]

2010-01-05T07:19:00.001-05:00

Here's a pretty sweet BMX pool jump we found on YouTube. You've got a pool. You've got a bicycle. What the hell else are you supposed to do? Heads (rafts) up.... looks like his back wheel hit the edge.

Want to save this YouTube video on to your computer? Here's a step-by-step methodshop.com tutorial on how to rip video files off YouTube.com and convert them for any iTunes compatible device like an iPod, iPhone or Apple TV.

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GM Looking at Apple's Tim Cook to Fill CEO Slot

2010-01-02T17:05:00.006-05:00

Is Apple COO, Tim Cook, ready to leave Cupertino for Detroit? According to The Business Insider, Cook is General Motors top candidate to take the CEO role at the struggling car manufacturer. Tim Cook was instrumental in Apple's transformation from a dying computer company to an industry trendsetter during the late '90s. GM is looking for someone to make similar changes in the auto industry and Cook is an obvious choice.

But Tim Cook's significance at Apple goes well beyond his COO duties. Cook has been trusted with filling in for Steve Jobs during his absences for cancer surgery in 2004 and a liver transplant in 2009. Last year, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster claimed that Tim Cook may be as crucial as Steve Jobs to the future of Apple.

So will Tim Cook leave Apple? It's hard to say. GM would certainly benefit from Cook's presence, but the loss to Apple would be very difficult to recover from. But don't worry too much Apple Fanboys. Cook has been well taken care of by Jobs. According to Cult of Mac, Cook made $14M last year. Cook has also turned down job offers from both Motorola and Dell the past couple years. His departure from Apple seems unlikely but.... what do you think?

methodshop

A Mindless Game of "Hexxagon" on New Year's Day

2010-01-01T11:32:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year!!! Shhhh. That was loud. Too hungover to even tweet today? Then play some games. Hexxagon is pretty mindless and easy enough to play while your still a little mushy this morning.

The goal of Hexxagon is very easy: two players take turns placing pieces on the board. In the starting position, each player has pieces of his/her color around opposite corners of the board. Players take turns moving any one of their pieces to any square up to two steps away, including diagonally. If the piece is moved to a neighboring (in any direction, including diagonal) square, an additional piece is left on the starting square of the move, so the player has one more piece on the board after the move than before. If the piece is moved to a square two steps away, no new piece is added. After the move, all enemy pieces adjacent to the piece moved change to its color. The game ends when one or both of the players can't move.

The player with the most pieces wins!

PLAY NOW: Hexxagon

methodshop

Crappy New Year Baby [pic]

2009-12-31T00:03:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year from methodshop.com. Hopefully this baby won't make an appearance at your party tonight. If he does, watch your step.

Thanks for a great decade! Believe it or not, this site turns 14 years old this coming March.

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David Blaine Street Magic [video]

2009-12-30T10:06:00.004-05:00

The OFFICIAL third installment in the "David Blaine Street Magic" series. Blaine sets his sights on the same two effeminate idiots from the last two videos. And unfortunately for them, the third time's the charm.

After watching this, you'll probably want to watch parts one and two.

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Why it's better to lose your iPhone in the UK vs. the US

2009-12-29T15:03:00.001-05:00

Did you get a gadget gift like an iPhone, Kindle or GPS this holiday season? Make sure you keep your eye on it. Thousands and thousands of gadgets are stolen every year. 12,000 laptops alone are lost or stolen from US airports every week.

So what do you do when your precious gadget is stolen? Unfortunately devices like GPS units and Amazon Kindles can't be easily tracked. Special software, like the application Undercover, can help you track your laptop or iPhone, but you have to pay for this software and install it in advance.

So what happens if your phone gets stolen and you haven't already signed up for a software tracking application like Undercover? Unfortunately US residents are kinda screwed. In the United States, all a thief has to do to take over your phone is replace your SIM card. But if you live in the UK, a stolen cell phone becomes useless as soon as it's reported to the authorities. The UK has a national stolen phone database that prevents thieves from activating stolen phones even when the SIM card is swapped out [video].

Let's hope something like the UK system makes its way over the pond soon. In the meantime, keep a close eye on your gadgets kids.

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