YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    Unplugged
    • Vienna researchers unveil world’s smallest racing car

      (Credit: Vienna University of Technology)Rising gas prices got you down? You might start thinking about downsizing your vehicle.

      But we're pretty sure that this particular car is going to be impractical for most families. At just 0.011" (0.285mm) long, it's about the size of a grain of sand -- and the only place it's breaking speed limits is in construction time.

      Under four minutes, to be exact. When you consider that creating complex nano-scale structures is usually a painstaking process taking hours or even days, that's a serious breakthrough.

      Read More »from Vienna researchers unveil world’s smallest racing car
    • Disney World’s newest attraction is…a video game?

      WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT — There's a brand new attraction at the Magic Kingdom. But it's not a ride.

      'Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom' is a new card-based role-playing game designed by one of the creators of several beloved LucasArts adventure games, including Sam & Max Hit the Road, Day of the Tentacle, Full Throttle and The Curse of Monkey Island.

      But rather than sitting in a dark room and interacting with a screen, this game is spread throughout Orlando's Disney World theme park with over 20 hidden areas.

      Read More »from Disney World’s newest attraction is…a video game?
    • Barbie going bald for charity

      Ever since Barbie made her debut in 1959, we've come to expect a particular style of hairdo from the iconic doll: unfeasibly long, flowing, usually golden locks.

      But an upcoming addition to the famous toy line is set to change all that. A new doll, which maker Mattel says will be introduced as a friend of Barbie's, is completely bald -- and intended to help children coping with hair loss from medical treatments like chemotherapy.

      Read More »from Barbie going bald for charity
    • Yahoo! Games interviews sidewalk illusionist Kurt Wenner

      Kurt Wenner's 'Armchair Traveler'Legendary sidewalk artist Kurt Wenner has been creating sophisticated perspective illusions on public streets for the past thirty years, and is credited with sparking the artform's current wave of popularity.  We asked him a few questions about his influences and his process.

      [ Related: See a slideshow of Kurt Wenner's art ]

      What drew you to anamorphic art?  Who are some artists who have influenced you?

      Anamorphism is a term that describes a diverse set of pictorial geometries, which sometimes have little in common. Artists that have utilized it include Hans Holbein, Andrea Pozzo, and Samuel van Hoogstraten. Pozzo was the most influential for me, especially because I was able to study his

      Read More »from Yahoo! Games interviews sidewalk illusionist Kurt Wenner
    • Darth Malgnificent: Seven-foot Star Wars figure is awesome, expensive

      Darth Malgus (Sideshow Collectibles)

      Remember all those Star Wars action figures you collected as a kid?

      This is what they grew up into.

      Meet Darth Malgus, Sith Lord, lightsaber master, and all-round bad egg. He stands a towering seven feet, four inches tall, weighs almost 160 pounds…and can be yours for just six grand.

      Read More »from Darth Malgnificent: Seven-foot Star Wars figure is awesome, expensive
    • Stay sharp with these darts tips

      Played well, darts is a graceful, fluid, effortless-looking sport. Put a dart in the hands of a good player and it looks like the easiest thing in the world.

      Try it for yourself, however, and you'll find out that it takes a great deal of skill to nail bullseyes — or the board itself, for that matter. Darts wobble, hit the wires, and bounce off the board for no clear reason. If you're playing in public - the local pub, for instance --  getting the basics down can be an embarrassing process. Save yourself some frustration: follow these pointers and you'll be be, well not nailing bullseyes, but doing a fair share better than the amateurs around you.

      Read More »from Stay sharp with these darts tips
    • 5 must-play miniature golf courses

      Bored with your local mini-golf course? We don't blame you. Much as we love the date-night (or family-night) escape, too many mini-golf courses feature the same handful of holes. A windmill! One of those metal ramps that winds back on itself! Bumpers! Snore.

      But it doesn't have to be like that. Here are five courses that throw away the mini-golf textbook, and put a different spin on this time-honored family activity.

      Read More »from 5 must-play miniature golf courses
    • The event includes memorizing 99 names, a shuffled deck of cards, a poem, and a list of 500 words. We'll find our keys.

      Memory competitor Mike Mirski (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

      We forget. Every day, we forget. We forget names, numbers, dates, where we left our keys, even what we were thinking a few seconds before. Sometimes it's a nuisance, sometimes it's embarrassing, and sometimes it's frightening. Imagine how great life would be if we could just remember better.

      These people can help.

      They are athletes of a sort. Competitors. Except the muscle they tone and exercise is their brain. They are entrants in the USA Memory Championships, held this weekend in New York City. Their events include memorizing 99 names, a shuffled deck of cards, a poem, and a list of 500 words. Now, none of this helps you or me get through daily life. But the tricks of their trade certainly will.

      Read More »from USA Memory Championships competitors provide tips for remembering the stuff we always forget
    • Disney image displayed for first time in 40 years

      By Derrick J. Lang, Associated Press

      LOS ANGELES (AP) — One of Walt Disney's oldest drawings is seeing the light of day after being locked away for nearly 40 years.

      Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (Disney/AP)A rough 1928 image of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, the wacky predecessor to Mickey Mouse, was brought out of the The Walt Disney Co. archive this week and showcased at an event unveiling "Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two," an upcoming action-adventure game for Nintendo's Wii, Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 that allows players to control both Mickey and Oswald.

      The mischievous Oswald was co-created by Disney before Mickey, but he was lost in a 1928 contract dispute with Universal Studios. Oswald hopped back to Disney in 2006 when CEO Bob Iger brokered a deal that sent sportscaster Al Michaels to Universal-NBC. Oswald's first appearance since his return came in 2010's "Epic Mickey" as the ruler of a forgotten realm.

      Read More »from Disney image displayed for first time in 40 years
    • (Credit: Pima Air & Space Museum)

      By Daniel Terdiman, CNET

      Everyone likes a good paper airplane. But how much do you love a 45-foot paper airplane?

      The answer is clear: A lot.

      And your love doesn't have to be unrequited because the good folks at the Pima Air & Space in Museum in Tucson, Ariz. have not only built, but flown (see video below), a 45-footer, achieving the feat earlier this week.

      Read More »from OMG! That’s a 45-foot paper airplane soaring over the desert

    Pagination

    (119 Stories)
    POLL

    What worries you the most about next-gen consoles?

    Loading...
    Poll Choice Options