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The final days of 2008 weren't exactly pretty. Wall Street is wounded. The auto industry is out of gas. And corporate America is laying off employees faster than Angelina Jolie can get pregnant. Maybe it's time for some corporate logo makeovers?

PICTS: New Logos for a Bad Economy



methodshop

Labels: pics

Buying iTunes season passes to a handful of shows like South Park, The Daily Show, Angel, Fringe, Battlestar Galactica, Friends and SNL will set you back hundreds of dollars. That's a hard wad of cash to swallow especially since you can watch all these shows for free streaming video websites like Hulu, WB and Comedy Central. The only problem is who wants to spend hours hunched over a computer for hours? It makes my back hurt just thinking about it. Wouldn't you rather sit on your couch and watch a full length movie on your big-ass HDTV?

Luckily for us, where Apple falls flat on its face with the Apple TV, Boxee comes to the rescue. Boxee is a free open source cross-platform media center and entertainment hub that can play movies, TV shows, music and photos, as well as streaming content from websites like Hulu, Netflix, CBS, Comedy Central, Last.fm, and flickr. Hell, the damn thing can even download free public torrents (Refer Madness anyone?!).


All you need to hack your Apple TV so it can use Boxee is a USB stick. If you own an Apple TV, then you need Boxee. Install Boxee and set your Apple TV free.

Labels: gadgets, tutorial, video

Looking for something to do with the R2-D2 robot you got for Christmas? What about making a Chorus Line like these guys on YouTube?

Hopefully all of your friends are Star Wars Fanboys because you'll need quite a few R2-D2 Astromech Droids for this.


methodshop

Labels: gadgets, video

Did you get a HD flatscreen TV for Christmas? Need to return it? Please do the exact OPPOSITE of what you see here. The person who packed up and shipped this HDTV must have been a professional... idiot. They might as well have shipped this HDTV using bricks and bowling balls for padding. For future reference, here's a photo tutorial on how NOT to ship a Plasma or LCD HDTV.

PICTS: How NOT to Ship a HDTV

Labels: holiday, offbeat, pics, tutorial

Here's a fun little Christmas day treat for the whole family. MethodShop has a series of Yeti themed games to keep the in laws busy while you make Christmas dinner.

If you aren't yet familiar with Yeti Sports, then prepare yourself for one of the most humorous and addictive games on the Internet. Below you will find several variations of the Yeti game Pingu-Throw as well as some newer Yeti offerings. One of the more violent variants of Pingu-Throw, named "Bloody," features decapitation, spikes, a big spiky club and mines.


If Yeti isn't your thing, there are plenty of other games in the MethodShop.com Arcade including Pac-Man, N, Duck Hunt, Donkey Kong, and many more...

Good luck and Merry Christmas!

Yeti Games

• Yeti Pingu-Throw
• Yeti Pingu-Throw (Bloody)
• Yeti Pingu-Throw (Long Shot)
• Yeti Orca Slap
• Yeti Seal Bounce

methodshop

Labels: games, holiday

Flash games are extremely popular and even the most novice Internet user has probably wasted countless hours playing online. Consider yourself warned. The list of Flash games below are basically the online equivalent of Crystal Meth. They aren't just great games, they are evil addictive time wasters that will make hours feel like minutes.

But sometimes that's a good thing - especially if you're stuck at grandma's house all weekend. Happy holidays!

---

Game #1

Onslaught 2 Tower Defense
Addiction Factor: []

The award winning tower defense game that just keeps on coming. Pit your wits against a never ending stream of bad guys. Area 51 is under attack and it's up to you to build defenses and stop them dead in their tracks! There's a cash bounty on the head of each attacker, and each wave is tougher than the last. Spend your winnings on upgrades to your defenses to keep the attackers at bay.

---

Game #2

Yeti Sports: Flamingo Drive
Addiction Factor: []

Using a flamingo to smack penguins around in a game of golf may sound disturbing, but it's actually a ton of fun. You only have 5 shots so use them wisely. Your goal is to drive your penguins as far as possible. Snakes will help you by bouncing your penguin up like a spring. Giraffes will also help and throw your penguin if you hit it near their mouth. But watch out for the tress and elephants.

---

Game #3

Bubble Shooter
Addiction Factor: []

Bubble Shooter is pretty mindless and easy enough to play while your still a little hungover. The goal Bubble Shooter is very easy: you have to clean off the field by matching three or more bubbles of the same color. But hurry. More bubbles will appear on the field in timed increments. In order advance to the next level you must detonate every ball on the board.

---

Game #4

Castle Defense
Addiction Factor: []

Defend the castle by buying cannons to shoot the enemy caravans. Pay attention to the range and power of your weapons as well as your budget!

---

Game #5

The Bloody Penguin Toss
Addiction Factor: []

If you aren't yet familiar with Yeti Sports, then prepare yourself for one of the most humorous and addictive games on the Internet.

There are several variations of the Yeti game Pingu-Throw as well as some newer Yeti offerings. One of the more violent variants of Pingu-Throw, named "Bloody", features decapitation, spikes, a big spiky club and mines.






methodshop

Labels: games

Crystal Meth Makeover - Sometimes you get hotter?!

More Funny Photos:

• Smoking Santa
  
• Bad Days
• The Biggest Bugs on Earth
• A Bigger Crane
• Chindogu: Bad Japanese Inventions

methodshop

Labels: offbeat, pics

They didn't call the 1930's the "Terrible Thirties" for nothing. Back then, "truth in advertising" was a joke and for the most part, companies just said whatever they wanted in their advertisements.

From the silly and male chauvinistic to the deceptive lies, here are some of the most ridiculous ads from the 1930's.


There's something so wrong about a smoking Santa. Maybe Santa will put an ashtray in your stocking this Christmas.


methodshop

Labels: holiday, pics

Is a weak arm or physical stamina keeping you from taking your Nintendo Wii gaming experience to the next level? Perhaps you should look into getting the Nintendo Wii Nunchuck Controller. This accessory adds even more innovation to the next generation of gaming and does it all with less physical movement.

Contoured to perfectly fit a players hand, the Nunchuck controller builds on the simplicity of the Wii Remote.

The Nunchuck contains the same motion-sensing technology enabled in the Wii Remote but also includes an analog stick to help assist in character movement. This analog stick can be a godsend if you feel like physical motion is keeping you from your optimum gaming performance (see video called Crazy Girl on Wii).


Review: Nintendo Wii Nunchuck Controller


The Nintendo Wii Nunchuck Controller is part of the MethodShop.com Gadget Gift Guide. We've rounded up the best gadget gifts money can buy. There's something for everyone. From tiny stocking stuffers to a personal mini tank. We've hand-selected some of the most popular gadgets this holiday season and organized them into a little interactive shopping list.



methodshop

Labels: gadgets, games, review

BoingBoing put together a complication of classic computer print ads from the 1970s and 1980s. If you've ever owned a classic computer or gaming system like a Commodore 64 or Atari, then you'll probably get a kick out of it.

PICS: Classic Computer Ads



methodshop

Labels: games, offbeat, pics

Making a looping DVD is a common request for any multimedia designer. Looping DVD's can be found in stores, theme parks, building lobbies, clubs and even in boardrooms for corporate presentations.

Some applications like Roxio Toast will make a quick and dirty DVD loop for you, but they lack features and video compressor quality. If you are just making a DVD loop for your grandmother's retirement party, use Roxio Toast to make your loop. But if you are making a DVD loop for a real client without cataracts and glaucoma, then use DVD Studio Pro. It's the difference between amateur hour and primetime.

Tutorial: How to Make a Looping DVD Using DVD Studio Pro



methodshop

Labels: tutorial

As your iTunes Library grows, you will probably lose track of exactly what media you have already imported. Eventually you will end up with duplicate songs and videos in your iTunes Library. For example, you might accidentally import a CD twice or add files from Limewire or BitTorrent. Or maybe a friend with a big Terabyte hard drive loaded you up with a lot of music recently.

Here are a few tips and techniques on how to get rid of duplicate media in your iTunes Library as well as some precautions you should take before deleting duplicate tracks.

Tutorial: How to Remove Duplicates From Your iTunes Library


methodshop

Labels: itunes, tutorial

Don't want all your Pownce messages to disappear when they shutdown on December 15, 2008? Don't worry! Soup.io is here to save the day.

Soup.io built a handy little Pownce migration tool that will import all your Pownce messages, media and friends all in one shot. Just type in your Pownce username, password and email. Then the migration tool takes it from there.

Pownce gave users access to special export tool... but what are you going to do with your exported Pownce archive? The Soup.io Pownce migration tool was quick, painless and will keep your Pownces alive online. Overall, definitely worth checking out.

But hurry. You only have a few more days to migrate your Pownce account to Soup.io before Monday, December 15th.

You can find methodshop on Soup.io here: http://methodshop.soup.io/


methodshop

Labels: social networking, tech news

So why did Plaxico Burress carry a loaded handgun into a nightclub a few weeks ago? The embattled Giants wide receiver reportedly said; he did it because was wearing expensive jewelry and carrying a lot of cash.

Whatever his reasons were, do yourself a favor and stay away from Burress. Based on the Gun Safety PSA video below, Burress attracts bullets faster than Visanthe Shiancoe's tight end equipment attracts the lenses of FOX cameramen.

Here's the Plaxico Burress Gun Safety PSA video. Enjoy :)

Funny Videos | Funny Cartoons | More Video Clips

And while you're wasting time online watching videos, you might want to check out this clip from SNL: Plaxico Burress' Tips for Gun Ownership



methodshop

Labels: offbeat, video

BOOM!!! Do you feel like your iPhone or iPod needs more bass? Is your favorite Equalizer setting "Bass Boost?" Wish your headphones sounded as good as your home or car stereo system? Then maybe it's time you invested in an "atomic" pair of bass enhancing earphones.

Radius has really taken great pains in the physical design and internal engineering to make their Atomic Bass earbuds great. They've even included a gold plated stereo mini-plug... something not usually found in earphones priced under $50.

Bass aficionados who are looking for a great pair of earbuds for under $50 will fall in love with the Atomic Bass earphones.

Full Review: Atomic Bass Earphones for iPod/Zune
Full Review: Atomic Bass Earphones for iPhone (with mic)

The Atomic Bass Earphones are part of the MethodShop.com Gadget Gift Guide. We've rounded up the best gadget gifts money can buy. There's something for everyone. From tiny stocking stuffers to a personal mini tank. We've hand-selected some of the most popular gadgets this holiday season and organized them into a little interactive shopping list.


methodshop

Labels: gadgets, music, review

Twitter is a great service. But their lack of features is mind-boggling. Thank God 3rd parties have stepped in and made Twitter what it is today.

If you are tweeting anyway, you might as well get the most out of it. Here are....


5 Tools to Make Twitter More Productive:

1. Twitter Groups - Got a lot of Twitter followers? Want to easily customize your messaging to them? Twitter Groups allows you to tag/organize your followers into groups. Then you can send a custom messages to your Twitter Groups all at once. The days of sending messages to your Twitter followers one by one are over.
   
   
2. TweetVolume - Want to do a little marketing research and find out what people are talking about on Twitter? TweetVolume is a frequency search tool to see how often a unique name (person, brand, etc) is mentioned on Twitter.
   
   
3. TweetStats - While you are doing some research, take a look at yourself. TweetStats tells you fun stuff about your Twitter account like your tweets per hour, tweets per month, tweet timeline and even Reply statistics.
   
   
   
   
4. TwitterMail - With TwitterMail you can setup a secret email address for your Twitter accounts and tweet via email. The body of the message will be published in your Twitter Profile. The subject field in your emails can be used to type in a time and schedule your tweets to post automatically.
   
   
   
   
5. TwitPic - TwitPic lets you share photos on Twitter. Just like with TwitterMail, you create a secret email address for your account and email your photos directly to your Twitter account. Snap away with your mobile phone. Now you can capture your moments and share them with your Twitter friends as they happen. Just be sure to use the Subject line of your email to type your message. It's the opposite of TwitterMail so pay attention... especially when you're wasted. A drunken tweet could get you fired.
   

Have no idea what Twitter is all about? Here's a 101 primer on Twitter and tips on how to explain it to someone like... your Grandma.








Feeling wild? You can follow @methodshop on Twitter here.


methodshop

Labels: advertising, social networking

The timeless holiday film, A Christmas Story, is full of plenty of classic scenes like the Chinese turkey, Ralphie's Black Bart fantasies, the schoolyard flag pole and last but not least... the infamous Leg Lamp.

It took about 20 years, but now you too can own the coveted Leg Lamp. And you don't even have to win a contest like the Old Man to get one. They sell the damn things on Amazon.com, and they even come in multiple sizes!

Regardless of the size of your Leg Lamp, it's sure to draw smiling comments from friends and family. Just don't take it to work. Otherwise HR might want to have a "talk" with you.

The Leg Lamp makes a great gift. It's fun, affordable (at least the smaller versions are), and adds a touch of class/fun to any room. If only Amazon.com would mark the outside of the package FRAGILE so you too could experience a nostalgic moment and slowly say "Fra-gee-lay" to everyone within earshot.

Review: Leg Lamp








The Leg Lamp is part of the MethodShop.com Gadget Gift Guide. We've rounded up the best gadget gifts money can buy. There's something for everyone. From tiny stocking stuffers to a personal mini tank. We've hand-selected some of the most popular gadgets this holiday season and organized them into a little interactive shopping list.


methodshop

Labels: holiday, review

If you want a new Blu-ray DVD player and are a Netflix subscriber, then the LG BD300 Network Blu-Ray Disc Player is exactly what you are looking for.

LG's new BD300 Network Blu-ray Disc player is a full-featured DVD player that also gives you unlimited instant access to 12,000+ Netflix movies and TV episodes. All you need is a broadband internet connection and Netflix subscription.

With Full HD 1080p resolution and 1080p upscaling, this Blu-ray Disc player is the ultimate source for home entertainment.

Full Review: LG BD300 Network Blu-Ray Disc Player





The LG BD300 is part of the MethodShop.com Gadget Gift Guide. We've rounded up the best gadget gifts money can buy. There's something for everyone. From tiny stocking stuffers to $300 flashlights that can light a cigarette and a personal tank. We've hand-selected some of the most popular gadgets this holiday season and organized them into a little interactive shopping list.


methodshop

Labels: gadgets, review, video

It's official. Pownce is dead. The micro-blogging service is shutting down in 2 weeks.

In case you were unfamiliar with Pownce.com, it was a free social networking and micro-blogging site started by Internet entrepreneurs Kevin Rose (Digg.com), Leah Culver, and Daniel Burka.

Pownce was centered around sharing messages, files, events, and links with already-established friends.

The site launched on June 27, 2007, and was opened to the public on January 22, 2008.

Recently Six Apart, the makers of the blogging software Movable Type, purchased Pownce but then decided to shut it down. We're not sure if Six Apart plans to integrate Pownce-like features into a future version of Movable Type or if they purchased Pownce but then lacked the resources to do anything with it.

This letter was sent to Pownce users this evening:

We are sad to announce that Pownce is shutting down on December 15, 2008. As of today, Pownce will no longer be accepting new users or new pro accounts.

Pro Pownce users should visit http://www.sixapart.com/pownce/pro.html for additional information.

To help with your transition to another service, we have built an export tool so you can save your content. You can find the export tool at Settings > Export. Please export your content by December 15, 2008, as the site will not be accessible after this date.

Our thanks go out to everyone who contributed to the Pownce community,

The Pownce Crew

Unfortunately, despite having an abundance of features compared to competing services like Twitter, Pownce failed to really catch on.



If you were following MethodShop.com on Pownce, please switch over to our Twitter account.


methodshop

Labels: internet, social networking, tech news