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Thursday, April 3, 2008
7 Video Game Currencies Stronger Than the US Dollar on Maxim.com : Hot Girls, Sex, Photos, Hot Videos, Sports, Movies and Music
RUPEE (The Legend of Zelda)
Worth: $3 (U.S.)
Methodology: 100 rupees = magical shield. Crappy shield on eBay = $300
What It Means: U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke could learn a couple of things from Hyrule's math whizzes, who have kept the region's inflation rate at an astounding 0.00 percent for over 20 years. 
GTA DOLLAR (Grand Theft Auto III)
Worth: $25 (U.S.)
Methodology: 100 GTA dollars = Colt .45 Pistol (M1911 A1). Custom model 1911 A1 pistol made by the Springfield Armory = $2,500
What It Means: If you do find a handgun for a hundred bucks in the real world, you'll probably have to call Nerf for more ammo.
COIN (Super Mario Bros.)
Worth: $37,000 (U.S.)
Methodology: 100 coins = 1 life. Human life = $3.7 million, according to the Environmental Protection Agency
What It Means: What can we say? Girls dig guys with large coin boxes. 
GOLD RING (Sonic the Hedgehog)
Worth: $103,000 (U.S.)
Methodology: 50 gold rings = A bonus-level shot at a chaos emerald as big as your head. The largest emerald ever found was 86,136 carats, valued at over $5.2 million. In today's market, 50 real gold rings, or about $10,000 worth of gold, will net you a 3.9-carat emerald.
What It Means: On a side note, give one gold ring to your girlfriend and you unlock the bonus stage where everything you do leads to your life being over. 
SIM DOLLAR (SimCity)
Worth: $611,000 (U.S.)
Methodology: 1,000 Sim dollars = baseball stadium. The new Washington Nationals stadium = $611 million
What It Means: Think the government is the only waste in D.C.? Each Nationals win in 2007 cost $13.70 in SimCity money, $8.4 million in today's economy. 
MINERAL (StarCraft)
Worth: $25 million (U.S.)
Methodology: 100 minerals = Terran Vespene gas refinery. A gas refinery in Arizona = $2.5 billion
What It Means: At this point, you might as well make a three-button suit out of your worthless money and light yourself on fire. 
ADAM (BioShock)
Worth: Infinity
Methodology: 1 murdered Little Sister = 160 ADAM. 1 real murdered little sister = life in prison. You'll probably meet about 160 Adams there, too. Some may make you call them "Big Daddy."
What It Means: They use cigs as currency in the joint, so you're better off with smokes than you are with C-notes anyway.
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Pacific Coast Highway Roadtrip
The approach to Crescent Beach in Olympic National Park.
The spectacular coastline at Cannon Beach in northern Oregon.
The pounding surf at the north end of Cannon Beach state park.
Distinctive Haystack Rock on the Cannon Beach shoreline.
The Oregon coastline stretches as far as the eye can see.
Looking toward the sandy lowlands of Oregon’s Sand Dune National Monument, one of the best places for dirt biking, sandboarding and ATVing in the United States.
The Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco.
The Rocky Creek bridge landmark on the Big Sur coastline.
The open road near the town of San Simeon.
The palm trees of Southern California in Santa Barbara, definitely one of the most charming and laid back cities in the United States.
The sunset at Huntington Beach, the self-proclaimed surfing capital of the United States.
The palm tree gardens along the Laguna Beach coastline.
The view of San Diego’s Mission Bay from La Jolla Mountain.
Mr. Slinky goes for a ride on a giraffe’s neck at the San Diego Zoo.
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The World's Healtiest Drink: 20 Benefits Of Green Tea
Currently, tea in the form of green or black tea, next to water, is the most widely consumed beverage in the world. According to Chinese legends, tea was discovered by the Emperor Shen Nong in about 2700 BC, when a gust of wind blew tea leaves into a kettle of boiling water.
Teas contain polyphenols which act as antioxidants and exhibit numerous biochemical activities. Tea polyphenols consist mostly of catechins, the most powerful of which is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) which is found only in green tea. Since ancient times green tea has been considered a health-promoting beverage and currently researchers find more convincing proof of healing qualities of green tea.
Based on the growing range of studies that research health properties of green tea, I made this list of clear benefits you can get with regular green tea drinking.
1 Longevity
Green tea may protect against death from all causes, especially cardiovascular disease. Japanese researchers[1] analyzed data from a National Cohort Study that began in 1994 and had over 40,000 participants, age 40 to 79, who began the study free of stroke, heart disease and cancer. People were followed for up to 11 years.
Compared with participants who consumed less than 1 cup of green tea per day, those drinking 5 or more cups a day had a significantly lower risk of death from all causes, especially lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and stroke. The findings might explain in part the reason why the Japanese live longer than people in any other country. However, this study found no cancer prevention benefit of green tea.
2 Improved memory and learning ability
One of the important health benefits of regular green tea drinking is improved memory and learning ability. Population-based study[2] in Japan revealed that high green tea drinking maintains cognitive function. Also, according to the results from animal studies[3-4], green tea consumption may enhance learning and memory ability.
The main components of green tea that are thought to work on improving brain function are polyphenols, epigalochatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a very strong antioxidant. The high use of oxygen during the metabolic processes leads to the generation of a large number of free radicals (a highly reactive molecules). EGCG can penetrate the brain's blood barrier and is able to enact its antioxidative affects on the free radicals that cause damage in the brain.
3 Weight control
There is strong evidence that green tea has fat-burning properties and promotes weight loss, especially when combined with increased physical activity and a healthy diet. Green tea polyphenols are known to promote weight loss by increasing the metabolism of fats by the liver (thermogenic effect), inhibiting lipase (fat absorption enzyme) in the digestive tract, and providing a feeling of satiety and fullness[5]. Recent high-quality study[6] demonstrated that green tea can reduce body weight in obese persons by increasing energy expenditure and fat oxidation. The results of new Japanese study[7] also confirm fat-burning properties of green tea. Researches found that continuous ingestion of a green tea extract high in catechins led to a reduction in body fat, systolic blood pressure, and LDL cholesterol, that in its turn contributes to a decrease in obesity and cardiovascular disease risks.
4 Skin protection from Ultraviolet
Green tea polyphenols protect the skin against the adverse effects of ultraviolet radiation such as UV-induced sunburn, UV-induced immunosuppression and photoaging of the skin. They exert their photoprotective effects by various cellular, molecular and biochemical mechanisms[8-9]. Also, green tea polyphenols protect the skin by improving the elastic tissues[10].
5 Cholesterol-lowering effect
Green tea lowers total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels and improves the ratio of HDL cholesterol to LDL cholesterol. Studies[11-13] have shown that people who drink green tea as a daily part of their diet have lower cholesterol levels than those who do not drink any green tea.
Researchers believe that one of the underlying mechanisms by which green tea lowers blood cholesterol levels is by reducing lipids absorption in the digestive tract and promoting their excretion from the body[14].
6 Protection against dabetes and regulation of blood glucose levels
Green tea has been traditionally used to control blood sugar. Recent evidence also suggests green tea may help regulate the blood sugar and reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes. People who are frequent drinkers of green tea (>6 cups per day) are less likely to develop diabetes than those who drink less than 1 cup of the beverage per week[15]. Green tea antidiabetic effect may be partly explained by its caffeine content.
New Japanese study[16] demonstrated that daily intake of green tea extract lowered the hemoglobin A1c level in people with borderline diabetes, that indicates the increased body's ability to utilize blood sugar. Hemoglobin A1c is a test that measures the amount of glycosylated hemoglobin in blood. Glycosylated hemoglobin is a molecule in red blood cells that attaches to glucose, a blood sugar. People have more glycosylated hemoglobin if they have more glucose in the blood.
7 Heart protective effects: Asian paradox
Green tea may protect against heart disease. Researchers say green tea might explain the "Asian paradox" - when people living in Asian countries smoke cigarettes heavily, but have relatively low incidence of heart disease. Japanese studies[17-19] confirm that regular green tea consumption provides protection against coronary artery disease. The more green tea people consume the less likely they are to have coronary artery disease. Underlying mechanisms for the heart beneficial effects of tea include vasculoprotective, antioxidative, antithrombogenic, anti-inflammatory, and cholesterol-lowering properties of tea flavonoids.
There is a clear evidence that consumption of green tea can promote cardioprotection and reduce heart muscle cells death after a heart attack (myocardial infarction)[20]. The primary catechin in green tea, EGCG, prevents heart muscle damage by blocking the activation of inflammation-related compounds that promote the oxidative damage that kills heart cells in heart attack. EGCG also appears to speed up the recovery of heart cells.
8 Anti-hypertensive effect
Green tea lowers blood pressure and helps prevent hypertension. Tea increases body's production of nitric oxide, which dilates arteries and thereby reduces blood pressure[21-22]. A study[23] published in the July 2004 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine found that among persons consuming tea regularly for at least one year, the risk of developing high blood pressure was 46% lower among those who drank 1/2 cup to 2 1/2 cups per day, and 65% less among those consuming more than 2 1/2 cups per day.
9 Stroke prevention
Green tea shows promise in the prevention of stroke[1, 24]. Furthermore, the green tea polyphenols, particularly EGCG, have been shown to protect brain cells from destructive processes following stroke[25-26].
10 Prevention of cognitive impairment and neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases)
Green tea is neuroprotective, and may reduce the risk of degenerative disorders of the central nervous system, such as cognitive decline, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Green tea catechin polyphenols produce several neuroprotective activities like iron chelation, scavenging of radicals, activation of survival genes and cell signaling pathways, anti-inflammatory activities, and inhibitory action on Abeta fibrils/oligomers formation[27, 29]. All of these biological effects result in a lessening of damage to brain cells.
Recently, Japan scientists have discovered that people who consumed more than 2 cups of green tea a day had a 50% lower chance of having cognitive impairment, in comparison to those who drank fewer than 2 cups a day, or who consumed other tested beverages[28].
11 Atherosclerosis prevention
Regular green tea drinking may be beneficial for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis, a disease in which plaque builds up on the insides of the arteries[30]. Green tea has been shown to effectively lower the risk of atherosclerosis by lowering LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, lipid peroxides (free radicals that damage LDL cholesterol and other lipids) and fibrinogen (a protein in the blood involved in the formation of blood clots). Green tea is a powerful antioxidant and protects LDL cholesterol from oxidation[31-32]. Oxidized cholesterol gets sticky and tends to cling to the walls of he arteries, leading to the development of atherosclerosis.
12 Anticlotting effect
Green tea also appears to prevent the formation of blood clots (thrombosis). Green tea catechins produce potent antithrombotic effect by inhibition of platelet aggregation (blood clot formation)[33].
13 Increased exercise endurance
Animal studies indicate that green tea increases exercise endurance. Green tea catechins increase metabolic capacity and utilization of fatty acid as a source of energy in skeletal muscle during exercise[34].
14 Protection from negative effects of smoking
According to the creditable study[35] regular green tea drinking may protect smokers from oxidative damages and reduce cancer risk or other diseases caused by free radicals associated with smoking. Green tea consumption may be effective to prevent future cardiovascular disorders in chronic smokers[36-37].
15 Bone mineral density increase
Green tea drinking may prevent osteoporosis and bone loss. Researchers at the University of Tokyo[38] have shown that drinking green tea may increase bone mineral density. Australian researchers[39] report that bone mineral density is 2.8% greater in tea drinkers than non-drinkers. In a 5-year prospective trial not only was tea drinkers' total BMD 2.8% higher than non-tea drinkers, but over the course of 4 years, tea drinkers lost an average of 1.6% of their total hip bone mineral density , while non-tea drinkers lost more than twice as much (4%).
16 Tooth decay (dental caries) prevention
Green tea is effective and proven remedy to prevent tooth decay. It kills the bacteria that cause dental plaques and halitosis (bad breath) and increases the acid resistance of tooth enamel [40-42].
17 Arthritis
Green tea may help people with arthritis by reducing inflammation and slowing cartilage breakdown[43].
18 Antimicrobal activity
Green tea catechins have anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal activity[44]. These include some types of salmonella, influenza virus and herpes simplex. Its bacteria-destroying abilities can help prevent food poisoning. A US study[45] suggests a component of green tea may be useful in treating severe sepsis, an abnormal immune system response to a bacterial infection.
19 Liver protection
Green tea appears to support healthy liver. Population-based study[46] has shown that men who drink more than 10 cups of green tea per day are less likely to develop disorders of the liver. Animal studies[47] demonstrated that green tea helps to protect liver from the damaging effects of toxic substances such as alcohol.
20 Gastrointestinal tract effects
In the gastrointestinal tract, green tea was found to activate intracellular antioxidants and reduce inflammation. High green tea consumption (more than 10 cups per day) may prevent chronic atrophic gastritis[48]. Also, green tea may help reduce inflammation associated with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, the two types of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).
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Researchers Develop Stretchable Silicon Integrated Circuits | DoSci - Science Blog
The silicon has proven once again its capabilities and now it can be coiled around spheres and other shapes without losing its electric performance. This new silicon integrated circuit was developed by a team of researchers from the Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois.
According to John Rogers, Founder Professor of MSE at the UI, their silicone integrated circuit can stretch, fold, bend and compress without any problem and as we said before, it doesn’t lose its electrical performances. This new silicon technology can provide devices that will monitor your health or it can be wrapped around aircraft wings.
This new study is a sequel of a project made by Prof. Rogers and his team that was finished in December 2005 consisting of a one-dimensional single-crystal silicon and now the extension of the silicon can go in two dimensions.
The researchers wanted to develop integrated circuits that can be applied to complex systems and they were helped by the wavy concept as Prof. Rogers says: “The wavy concept now incorporates optimized mechanical designs and diverse sets of materials, all integrated together in systems that involve spatially varying thicknesses and material types”.
These new silicon integrated circuits are high-performance and the developers claim that this technology “goes well beyond what planar configurations on semiconductor wafers can offer”.
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I Will Teach You To Be Rich » Guest Post: Just got married? Here’s what you need to know.
The Newly Married Game Plan
Here are practical steps and habits you should start TODAY.
- Boost your marriage - Build a written budget together, every month. Build a realistic budget that includes setting money aside for those annoying expenses like car maintenance and repairs, house repairs, car insurance bills, etc – these items usually don’t occur each month and generally are the ones that bust your first budget. Note that how you spend money as a couple reflects your values and priorities as a family. Communicating each month and working through differences may be difficult at times, but it will build your “oneness”. Learn about each other’s money personalities. Open a joint checking account together – this has a “magical” way of getting you to communicate with each other. By the way, once you get in a routine, your monthly budget meeting should only take an hour per month (give it 3 or 4 months).
- Rapidly pay off all consumer debt and stop borrowing. How much are your car, credit card, and student loan payments really costing you in your wealth building plan? Total up your debt payments and calculate what they could do for your future. Get motivated!
- Build a 3 to 6 month emergency fund. Want to have some breathing room and margin in life and be able to deal with job uncertainty, car breakdowns, and medical expenses? The emergency fund is the answer. How would it feel if you had $10,000 to $20,000 in a savings account right now? (No, not for the trip to Hawaii.) For most couples, I recommend this goal after you have eliminated all consumer debt. It’s a good idea to have a small emergency fund as soon as possible, but hold off on building a larger one until you are consumer debt-free.
- Rent a modest apartment or home for a few years. Don’t dial up the financial pressure on your young marriage by renting a luxury palace. Save that money for your future home.
- Build fun, travel, and experiences into your budget. Save each month so that you take at least one vacation each year. Life is too short to not enjoy it. Just don’t put it on the credit card!
- Save for a house down payment. This is important: Do NOT buy a house until you have eliminated your consumer debt, have a nice emergency fund, and have saved a down-payment of at least 10% to 20%.
- Drive used cars. This step along may really speed up your wealth building. Not having a $400 per month car payment is HUGE. Here’s an idea for the really motivated: If you both work near each other, share one car for a couple of years and use the extra to pay down debt.
- Simplify and setup autopilot on all savings. Life is busy and we can all get lazy. Setup automatic drafts from your checking account or paycheck when building up your emergency fund, house down-payment, and investments.
- Buy level term life insurance, especially if you plan to have children. This step is not for you, it’s for the ones that you could leave behind. This is a priority. Generally you are healthier in your 20’s, so qualify now for the best rates. Buy 20 to 30 year level term (not through your employer). The general rule of thumb is to buy 10 times your income in coverage ($50,000 salary would mean approximately $500,000 of term coverage). Shop around for the best rates.
- Let the IRS Help your Wealth Building.
- 401k’s, Traditional IRA’s, Roth IRA’s. Since you are now sharing living expenses, you may have some additional money to invest each month. However, you should hold off on aggressive retirement savings until you have paid off your consumer debt and have built a nice emergency fund.
- Begin itemizing deductions if it makes sense. Really dig into Schedule A and make sure you are getting the maximum amount.
- Deduct interest on student loan payments. There is good news if you are paying down your student loans. You may be able to deduct that pesky interest you are paying.
- Small business opportunities. There are tons of great tax-saving ideas for small businesses. If you and your spouse have the entrepreneur bug, don’t overlook these opportunities. The “Medical Expense Reimbursement Plan” can be very helpful if you can “hire” your spouse. Check with your personal tax accountant on this strategy.
- Deduct job-related moving expenses. You may be able to deduct moving expenses if you move for a new job.
- Deduct tuition and fees for job related training. You may be able to deduct the cost of additional education related to your job.
- Claim the Child Tax Credit on your children. If you qualify, you get up to a $1000 tax credit per child.
- Finally, become a cheerful giver. Giving to others who are in need is a blessing to them, to your family, and to your community. When we learn to give on a regular basis, we develop character and contentment by keeping life’s real priorities in sight each month. My wife and I have seen God bless our family and others through giving. Find an organization in your area and learn about how you can be a part of their mission.
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SAVAGE SACRIFICE - Confliction | PHAT Mommy
Confliction
Posted on 3.28.08 at 11:02 am
(This post is a ramble. It doesn’t flow and it’s full of sentence fragments. But it’s my blog and I needed to get my feelings out, so deal with it.)
I’m an idea person. A risk-taker. An entrepreneur. And for me, these qualities are in direct competition with being a homeschooling parent.
For 8 years I’ve been struggling with this conflict between wanting a career and wanting to raise my kids. I can’t find a balance.
I don’t want to get a job. I want to create a project. Like I’ve done in the past. Something that’s mine, something I’m passionate about. And I am so very fortunate that I have the luxury of doing that. I don’t need to work.
I have ideas. I have passion. I have money. I have skills. What do I lack? Time.
I have lots of ideas and one by one I see them being implemented by other people. My husband always tells me, “It doesn’t matter if someone else is already doing it. You just need to do it better.” Problem is, I don’t have the time to do it better.
Some days I just feel like throwing my hands in the air and resigning myself to motherhood. Forget about writing, blogging, designing, creating. Just play. Spend more time exploring the world and learning with the kids. Getting home improvement projects done. Being more disciplined about shopping and food. Giving more to my husband. It sounds like a nice, relaxing life.
But it’s not enough for me. In fact, it’s boring me to tears and completely stressing me out. And I feel bad saying that. I feel guilty that I’ve been given this wonderful life and I simply complain about it constantly. But the truth is it’s just. not. enough.
I don’t know where to go from here. Giving more attention to one thing necessarily means sacrificing something else because there are only 24 hours in a day. How do I decide what to sacrifice? Will I be sorry in the future if I sacrifice the “wrong” thing?
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The Sly Sweetener: High-Fructose Corn Syrup -
The Sly Sweetener: High-Fructose Corn Syrup
Date updated: May 17, 2007Content provided by Revolution Health Group
High-fructose corn syrup. If you've looked at a nutrition label at some point in the past 20 years, you've surely seen those words. And the sugar-sweet, processed mix of glucose and fructose is in more places than you think. Because of that, our consumption of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is alarming: Thirty years ago, it barely registered in our diet; today, the average American consumes 42 pounds of it annually.
Why should that matter? Check out the average American waistline. While HFCS may not be the root cause of obesity, it certainly isn't helping — everything from gigantic soft-drink sizes to the proliferation of sugary snack foods can be traced to the growing use of HFCS.
Below, you'll find everything you need to know about HFCS: where it is, why it's so popular &mbdash; and why you need to be aware of it.
Where It's Used
HFCS is highly concentrated in fast food, soda and sugary processed snacks. But check the labels in your pantry, because you may be surprised to learn it's also in...
- Breads, including Wonder and some Pepperidge Farm brands
- Yogurt and ice cream, including Dannon and Ben & Jerry's
- Cereals, including Kellogg's Raisin Bran
- Crackers, including Wheat Thins and Cheese Nips
- Ketchup and Miracle Whip, as well as many salad dressings
Why It's Used
That's simple: cost and convenience. HFCS is cheaper than sugar, by 20 percent or more. It's easier for food makers to transport and blend. It also stays fresh longer, helps cooked foods brown better and retains moisture longer. Today, HFCS makes up 55 percent, or about $4.5 billion, of the U.S. sweetener market.
Reasons to Beware
Some experts say that HFCS doesn't trigger "fullness" signals as much as other sugars and foods. Yet it could be that HFCS won't hurt you any more than refined sugar or any other non-nutritive source of calories.
Regardless, the sweetener is at least partly responsible for manufacturers' ability to produce inexpensive, larger sizes of sweetened drinks and processed foods, a trend that coincides with the ballooning of America. "The size of those drinks and those kinds of food seem to preclude the consumption of better foods," says Cathy Nonas, R.D., a registered dietitian in New York City. "Our portions are off in general, and we've come to like sweet, convenient food and drink. But too much of those foods makes for a bad diet."
Making Better Choices
The USDA recommends no more than 40 grams, or about 10 teaspoons, of added sugars for a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet. That can be tough to stick with unless you're careful, because the average American consumes 20.5 teaspoons of added sugars each day. Some advice:
- Seek out fresh fruits, 100-percent juices and natural snacks.
- Read labels, and be aware of how many foods include HFCS &mbdash; and how much. Example: A tablespoon of ketchup has a teaspoon of HFCS.
- Watch your portion sizes. A 20-ounce bottle of Pepsi contains about 17 teaspoons of added sugar. Limit yourself to 8 ounces of soda, sports drink or juice drinks per day.
- Limit your children's intake. "Kids get used to that really sweet taste, and that's what they want," Nonas says. "And they're less likely to like fresh fruits and other things they should eat."
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Worlds Strangest Clocks - MMOABC.com | MMORPG Community | MMORPG Portals | MMORPG Guild Hosting
Lexon's On-Off Alarm Clock. Available in a wide variety of different colors, the Lexon On-Off alarm clock is more than just a cool looking gadget -- featuring a tilting mechanism that can be used to set the alarm or for turning it off. It measures a compact 5.3" x 3.1" x 1.4".
Blowfly Flying Alarm Clock. Many sleepers experience that after they turn off the alarm clock they go on sleeping. One thing that sometimes wakes you up at night and prevents you from sleeping is the mosquito or blowfly when flying around your room. The Blowfly alarm clock works like a Blowfly. At the desired time it flies off from it's cage and starts flying and making an irritating buzzing sound around you. The only way to stop it is to wake up catch it and put it back in the cage.
Spy Camcorder Clock. This gadget combines a motion-activated video camcorder with a fully functional LCD clock. It comes with 64MB of built-in memory -- good for 12 minutes of video (no audio) -- and can be further expanded via SD/MMC cards. To play the recorded video, just use the included USB cable and connect it to your computer for easy viewing.
The Water Powered Clock. At first glance this clock looks no different from any other, but upon closer inspection you'll notice there isn't a battery slot. That's because it's water (or any other electrolytic fluid like beer) powered. The clock comes to life - displaying the time and date - after the liquid reservoirs located in the back are filled. An internal converter extracts electrons from any liquid and acts as a power generating fuel cell for the clock.
Digital Clock T-Shirt. Powered by 4 x AAA batteries, this "Digital Clock T-Shirt" utilizes an electro-luminescent panel in front to display the time. The batteries -- hidden inside a compartment -- will last between 12 - 36 hours depending on the flashing mode selected.
Clocky. Clocky is an alarm clock for people who have trouble getting out of bed. If you hit the snooze button clocky will fire it's engines and roll of the nightstand, fall on the floor and run around the room, searching for a place to hide where you cannot shut it up. So when it rings again you have no choice but to get up and find it. It hides in a new place everytime so you are guranteed to get up.
Drill Sergeant Alarm Clock. This alarm clock doesn't come with a built-in MP3 player nor computer but its the first one we've seen that wakes you with a morning bugle call followed by an "inspiring round of orders" from a drill sergeant. It also features an LCD display, AM/FM radio, and even a special button (runs through the whole drill routine) that motiviates you when pressed.
Nintendo Famicom Alarm Clocks. Put simply, these Nintendo Famicon-styled alarm clocks by Banpresto are the coolest we've seen. They come in "Excite Bike, Dr. Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Ice Climber or Super Mario Bros" models. No word yet on pricing and availability.
Rumbling Alarm Clock. The Anemone clock challenges a person when awakening. The twist to this clock is that when the alarm goes off the clock rumbles intensely, therefore making it a little harder to find the off switch. The clock also bounces away from the origin, due to the rumbling, thus creating another challenge of getting out of bed and chasing the clock around the room, kind of like a pet. After capturing the clock, one must hold on to the clock while the clock rumbles the person awake.
Puzzle Alarm Clock. At the top of the alarm clock is a puzzle made up of four pieces. It wakes up with the alarm and by firing the four puzzle pieces in the air. Until you put them back in order the alarm wont go off. So now you have to get up, search and put them back in order. Any kid can also solve a four piece puzzle set but at 6 in the morning it is taxing even on a MIT professor. So by the time you solve the puzzle you are wide awake.
Rat Race Clock. Amusing yourself at work just got a bit easier with this "Rat Race Clock". Watch the mechanical rat run on the treadmill moving the "gears that advance the hour and minute hands". Powered by one 4D and two AA batteries, this clock can be had for just $24.99 from ComputerGear.
Cathode Ray Tube Clock. As the name implies, this interesting clock -- developed by David Forbes -- consists of a 3-inch cathode-ray oscilloscope that bends the CRT beam to form bright and crisp numbers.
The Sfera Alarm Clock, hangs easily above your bed. When the alarm clocks you can easily up and touch it to activate the snooze function. But after this the clock retracts towards the ceiling. So the next time you have to reach a little higher to activate snooze again and get 10 minutes of sleep. To turn off the alarm you have to reach for it and drag it back to your bed, which will turn off the alarm and forcing you to get up.
AXbo Alarm Clock. For an alarm clock that monitors your sleep patterns and wakes you at the best possible time, look no furthur than aXbo's Sleep Phase Alarm Clock. With support for up to two people, the Sleep Phase includes a sweatband with built-in sensor that wirelessly transmits your sleep pattern info to the clock. Ensuring that you don't oversleep, the alarm will sound within a 30 minute window before your desired wake time.
Giovannani Timesphere. Priced at $150, the Giovannoni Timesphere is a nifty alarm clock that is capable of projecting the time onto any surface via a wireless orb.
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