Strawberries ‘n Cream Stuffed French Toast

Strawberries 'n Cream Stuffed French Toast
Prep Time
Cook Time Servings 1 Difficulty Easy

Ingredients
¼ cups Fat-free Liquid Egg Substitute
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
⅛ teaspoons Salt
2 slices Light Bread
1 wedge The Laughing Cow Smooth Sensations Cream Cheese Spread Strawberries & Cream 1/3 Less Fat
½ cups Sliced Strawberries
2 teaspoons Light Whipped Butter Or Light Buttery Spread
1 teaspoon Powdered Sugar
Preparation Instructions
In a wide bowl, mix egg substitute, vanilla extract, and salt.
Lay bread slices flat and spread with cheese. Top one slice with half of the strawberries followed by the other bread slice, cheese side down. Press lightly to seal.
Bring a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Add butter and let it coat the bottom.
Meanwhile, coat sandwich on all sides with egg mixture. Cook in the skillet until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Serve topped with powdered sugar and remaining strawberries!

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Apple Empanadas

Wake Up the Big Apple 

Empanadas

Prep Time 

Cook Time Servings 6 Difficulty Easy

Ingredients

1-½ Tablespoon Granulated Sugar (or Granulated No-calorie Sweetener)

½ Tablespoons Cornstarch

⅓ cups Cold Water

1-½ cup Peeled And Chopped Fuji Apples (1-2 Apples)

3 wedges The Laughing Cow Smooth Sensations Cream Cheese Spread Cinnamon Cream 1/3 Less Fat

1 package Refrigerated Seamless Dough Sheet (or Reduced-fat Crescent Roll Dough)

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

In a medium nonstick pot on the stove, combine sugar, cornstarch, and 1/3 cup cold water. Add apples and stir well. Bring to medium-high heat and, stirring frequently, cook until sauce has thickened and apples have partially softened, about 6 minutes.

Remove pot from heat and let cool slightly. Thoroughly mix in cheese, until melted. Allow to cool completely.

Roll out dough into a large rectangle of even thickness. Cut lengthwise into two even pieces. Cut each piece widthwise into thirds, leaving you with 6 rectangular pieces of dough. Stretch or roll out each rectangle a bit. Evenly distribute apple mixture among the centers of dough.

Arrange one of the pieces of dough so that the shorter sides are on the right and left. Fold and stretch the lower left corner to meet the upper right corner. Press edges firmly to enclose the mixture. Press edges with fork to crimp and seal. Transfer to the baking sheet and repeat with remaining ingredients.

Bake until dough is golden brown, about 12 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and enjoy!

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Tired

September 12 Today's Readings: Proverbs 13-15; 2 Corinthians 5 Today's Thoughts: A Slow Day He who is slowto wrath has great understanding, But he who is impulsive exalts folly. Proverbs 14:29 Have you ever had one of those days where you started out groggy, as if in slow motion? I woke up tired this morning. As I sat in my chair and began to read my online Bible, I was even more tired. Coffee did not help. I felt like I was swimming against the current. My insides were trying but my reflexes were not responding. I was having a hard time comprehending and focusing on what I was reading. Even my prayers were challenging, as my mind kept wandering. The day seemed to flow with the same kind of beat. Traffic seemed extra slow and congested. Red lights were longer than normal. And my computer…the little hour glass icon next to the cursor became a great nuisance as I tried to double click through files and pages. My irritation and frustration grew at top speed while everything else around me crawled at a snail's pace. As my day is fast coming to a close, I am still tired and still in slow motion. What does the Lord want me to learn from this kind of day? Several verses in the Bible include the word "slow," but are often followed by the words "to anger."  Why? Because we tend to get angry very quickly. Also, when we act on impulse, we usually act foolishly. The more anxious we get at times, the more likely we are to behave rashly. The end result is not good, not to mention who gets hurt in the middle. We must learn the self-control to be "slow to wrath" and slow to anger. We must learn to recognize the triggers in our environment and circumstances that tempt us to lose control and react in the heat of the moment. For me and my day, the Lord reminded me of these lessons. Since I woke up in slow motion, He meant for me to go with His flow, not mine. Today, God wanted me to slow down, sit longer at lights, and even wait on my computer to respond. Instead of impulsively getting upset, He wanted me to think about Him during those moments, talk to Him and let Him talk back. Instead of talking to the Lord, I was wondering just when that red light was going to turn green. Today, and any day, when you are sitting in traffic, at a long light or waiting for service somewhere, stop and talk to the Lord. God has set your day in motion for His purposes. It is okay to go slow, especially when circumstances pull at our emotions. If you go with His flow and follow His tempo, you will end your day with peace and joy, instead of regrets and fatigue.

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Daily verse 9/12

Health Hazard "Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you… forgive him." —Luke 17:3 (NKJV) Forgiveness isn't optional in the Christian life. Regardless of what's done to us, our responsibility is always to forgive. Even as we read this, there's something deep within our soul that wants to resist."I understand God wants me to forgive people, and for the most part I do. But surely He doesn't expect me to forgive so-and-so." If we're completely honest, some things just seem too far over the line to be forgiven. And yet, God consistently calls us to forgive, no matter what. Why is that? Why doesn't God categorize certain things as being unforgivable, the way we tend to? Part of the reason is because He understands we do a lot of damage to ourselves when we don't forgive. When we adopt an unforgiving attitude, it inevitably turns into bitterness and resentment. Someone once remarked, "Bitterness in the believer is like a bullet in the body." There's a lot of truth to that. It becomes poisonous to our spiritual system, and forgiveness is the only way to flush it out and be free from it. The Lord's command to forgive is also a warning against not forgiving. He loves us dearly, and wants only what's best for us. And what's best for us is a heart that's free and clear of the bitterness that corrodes our soul. So if you haven't forgiven someone for something he or she has done to you, forgive the person today. Regardless of the circumstances. Remember, if you fail to forgive, you're hurting yourself. Anything short of forgiveness is hazardous to your spiritual health. Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. Colossians 3:13 (NKJV)

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Ebooks

From Kim Komodo:

E-book prices could fall!

Several major publishers admitted to illegally fixing e-book prices and will bring prices back down.

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Day of Remembrance 9/11

What is truly sad is that there is hardly a mention at my kids schools. I was a basket case that day. Guido was 3 months old and I was a freakin zombie because he had colic during that time. I had finally got him to sleep after being up with him for hours. I was having construction done in my house and didn't even hear them start working, that is how zonked out I was. My sister and husband kept calling and calling me. I finally woke up and answered the stupid phone. My husband relayed the horrible news. I turned on the TV and saw the 2nd tower get hit. I didn't know what to do. I saw the bottom scroll later that parents could not pick up their kids from school due to there may be chaos, so I waited all day for my babies to get home.  I met each one at the bus stop and just hugged and hugged them. I found  out later that the school district was releasing the kids, and that I could have gone to get them. I wish I had followed my heart to do that. I just sat and cried with them. I will never forget it. 

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Tuesday Mayhem

So.....went to pick my son up today for his dental appt and they couldn't locate him. I can not tell you how freakin scared I was. My heart dropped and I wanted to fall to my knees. Needless to say all I did was put a smile on my face and prayed and prayed. They found him after 15 excruciating minutes. He had just started tutorials in math today and that is why he wasn't where he needed to be. ACK! He is fine and I am ever so grateful. Thank you so much Lord for calming my heart during the search. I really really had to hold myself back before I unleashed mad momma on them.

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Careful/Assertive mother

From the Smockity Frocks blog:

Careful Mother vs. Assertive Mother

Posted: 08 Sep 2012 03:17 PM PDT

When I taught 4th grade in public school, back in the 1900′s, I had a student who was absent from school at least once a week. He had a hard time keeping up with assignments, so I scheduled a meeting with him and his mother. She revealed to me in the meeting that he was absent so often because there were days she just couldn't convince him to get up and get in the car to get to school, so she really had no choice except to let him stay home.

I was shocked. She couldn't convince him to get up? We're talking about a 10 year old here. I silently wondered what she had in store when he became a teenager.

I turned to "Jared" in the meeting. "Do you want to pass 4th grade this year? Or do you want to repeat it next year while all your friends go on to 5th grade? You are a smart boy, but you can not continue to miss school each week and get all of your work done."

He assured me that he wanted to pass, so I felt like we had reached an understanding and hopefully an end to the problem.

Surprisingly, though, he was not at school bright and early the next morning. Around 9:30 his mother knocked at my classroom door and this conversation followed:

Mother: "I was able to talk Jared into getting up and dressed and in the car, but when we got to the parking lot he refused to get out."

Me: (astounded)

Mother: "I don't know how to convince him to get out of the car. What should I do?"

Me: "Class, everyone write your spelling words 3 times each. I will be right back." (walks out to parking lot with a confident stride.)

Mom: (opens car door timidly) "Jared? Do you remember that Mother has to go to work today? Do you want Mother to be late for work again? Don't you want to go to school? Won't you please get out of the car, Jared?"

Jared: (arms crossed, unmoved)

Me: (eyebrows raised, leaning in, assertively) "Jared, get out of this car. Now. You still have time to practice your spelling words before the test. Now, get going and quit wasting our time!"

Jared: (gets out of car and goes to school)

Since that interaction 18 or so years ago, I have noticed that it is quite fashionable for mothers to persuade, cajole, beg, and ask their children very politely if they won't pretty please obey them.

Sometimes this is called "picking your battles" or "modeling good choices".

Mothers, I am giving you permission today and from hence forth to tell, not beg, your children what to do, without apology.

You do not need to be Careful Mother, in order to preserve your child's delicate feelings or self esteem. You can be Assertive Mother, created by God to be in charge of your child's safety and well being, and still be a warm, sensitive, loving mother with a confident, secure child.

I have seen similar scenarios played out time after time, and I wonder if the mother knows that she is making her life more difficult than it has to be and that she is not doing her child any great favors by bestowing upon him power that he isn't ready to wield.

Here is another true story of a conversation I witnessed while standing in the crowded aisle of a movie theater waiting for a Careful Mother to convince her 3 year old to move from the aisle seat so she could sit by the baby in the infant carrier. I have included the dialogue an Assertive Mother would have used.

Now, I can already envision the emails I will receive from those of you thinking, "That Smockity is so insensitive! She doesn't understand that my child has OCD/ADD/ODD/ADHD/INSERTLETTERSHERE!"

What you may or may not know, and I'm sure that most of you don't, is that I have some of my very own children with some of their very own letters. I still manage to state what I want them to do and have them obey it in as few words as necessary.

I also tuck them in at night, read stories to them, smother them with kisses, hold them in my lap, hold their hands while taking walks, laugh with them, and hug them 27 times each day.

Being Assertive Mother doesn't have to mean you are less loving than Careful Mother. It means you are confident in your role of authority and you are not afraid to tell your child what to do.

Mothers, do yourselves and your children a favor. Stop being Careful Mother. Be Assertive Mother and show your children what confident leadership looks like.

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Adorable cats

From Technabob blog:

Artist Turns Geeky Characters into Fat Cats

Posted: 08 Sep 2012 11:45 AM PDT

Etsy is a great place to find wonderful handmade crafts, and every once in a while I come across something I can honestly say I've not seen before. What we have here is some of our favorite sci-fi, movie and video game characters – all transformed into fat cats by Kathleen over at Fat Cat Crafts.

Oh, and these aren't just any overweight felines, no. The cats of Fat Cat Crafts all function as pincushions, so if you're into sewing, you can keep your spare needles and pins in them. (Or if you just want to put a voodoo curse on your cat.) My favorite has to be the highly-detailed Boba Fett fat cat (Boba Fatt?), complete with jet pack, though I do like the sound of  "Shat Fat Cat" rolling off of my tongue too…

Among Kathleen's other handmade creations are Han Solo, Darth Vader, Princess Leia, Mario, Luigi, Doctor Who, Obi Wan Kenobi and Indiana Jones (complete with pipe-cleaner whip) – all in fat cat form.

        

Prices range from $17 to $23 (USD) for the geeky fat cat pincushions over at Fat Cat Crafts's Etsy shop

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Yep

2012

Chocobo drink

From a blog:

Chocobo (Final Fantasy cocktail)

Ingredients:

1/2 part Rose's Lime Juice Cordial

1/2 part Pineapple liqueur

1 Lemon wheel

Directions: Shake liquid ingredients and pour into a small glass. Float a lemon wheel on top.

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R2D2 suitcase

From the Technabob blog:

R2-D2 Suitcase Carries More Than Holograms

Posted: 07 Sep 2012 10:00 AM PDT

Is there any better way to carry around your clothes than by using an astromech droid? Let a droid carry all of your stuff the next time you go on vacation with this awesome R2-D2 suitcase.

It's probably not an officially licensed piece of Star Warsmerchandise since it's simply called a "Robot Trolley," but who cares? It features four polycarbonate wheels so it should be quiet as it is rolling along and if you really want to get into the whole theme, you can always dress up as C-3PO when going through airport security with this thing.

Sure, it's not exactly shaped like our beloved droid friend, but it's close enough. Just pretend that R2 was in an accident with a trash compactor.

The R2-D2 suitcase Robot Trolley is available from Salvador Bachiller for €76 (~$96 USD

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Apple rival to Pandora

From the Technabob blog:

Rumor Claims Apple is in Talks to Create a Pandora Rival

Posted: 07 Sep 2012 02:30 PM PDT

A rumor is making its rounds today from sources claiming to be familiar with the matter about plans Apple has for new music service. According to the sources, Apple is in talks to license music for a custom radio service similar to Pandora. The streaming music service would offer custom stations to users to allow them to automatically play music similar to a specific song or artist.

According to the sources, the Apple service would work on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac computers. The sources also claim that the service could possibly be available for computers using Windows. The source did add that the service would not be available for Android devices, which is no surprise.

As is typical with rumors, Apple is offering no comment. This could be a very popular service for a lot of people. A lot of users of Apple devices have been clamoring for a subscription music service for years, this could be as close as you get. I wonder if we will hear more on this on the 12th, along with Apple's likely iPhone 5 announcement

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Pool Toys

From the Technabob blog:

Inflatable Star Wars Pool Toys Perfect for Floating in the Dagobah Swamp

Posted: 07 Sep 2012 04:00 PM PDT

Summer is nearly over, but that doesn't mean you can't still hit the pool or swim in the ocean for the next few months. These Star Wars inflatable pool toys are inspiration enough for me to hop back in the waters, even with Fall approaching.

As you can see, the series includes awesome Millennium Falcon and X-Wing Fighter floating loungers, as well as the world's best beachball – made to look like the Death Star. But I think the floating R2-D2 drink server is my favorite, as the little droid was built to serve after all. And if your favorite body of water happens to be a swamp, you can pretend to be on Dagobah.

Apparently, these things were made by Jakks Pacific a couple of years ago and distributed through Target stores in the US and Walmart stores in Canada. I never saw them in stores, and I'm not sure if they're still making them, but you might want to keep an eye out on eBay for them to turn up there. In the mean time, I found a Jar Jar Binks inflatable pool if you'd like to fill it with water and then throw Jarts at Jar Jar's face

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Infant Abductions

Infant Abductions

A Violent Trend Emerges

09/07/12

It is relatively rare for infants to be abducted by strangers. But it does happen. And recent analysis of abduction cases by the FBI suggests there are new and troubling trends for expectant parents to be aware of, including women kidnappers using violence to commit their crimes and social media to target their victims.

In April, for example, a 30-year-old Texas woman shot and killed a 28-year-old mother while kidnapping her three-day-old son from a pediatric center. The infant was recovered six hours later.

	Exercising Good Sense Online and at Home Mothers and fathers are understandably absorbed with their new babies, but they should still exercise caution and common sense when using social networking sites online: - Make sure your online privacy settings do not allow strangers—and possible offenders—to gain access to personal information such as where you plan to be with your baby at a certain time or on a certain day. Inadequate privacy settings also allow others to track your movements using embedded information in pictures posted online. - Our Crimes Against Children Unit suggests that new parents may not want to display the traditional pink or blue balloons outside their homes announcing a baby shower or a new arrival. "Doing so will advise random strangers that you have a new baby in the house or will soon," said Intelligence Analyst Ashli-Jade Douglas. - People in general and especially new and expectant mothers should be aware of their surroundings whenever they are out in public. "Is someone too interested in your pregnancy or your newborn, asking too many questions or sounding odd?" Douglas asked. "Those may be red flags." - Lastly, any type of incident or odd behavior should be reported to local authorities. "You may not think it's important," Douglas explained, "but that type of information allows us to track incidents and it could help prevent future abductions."

"For the most part, women are no longer going into hospitals and dressing in nurse's uniforms and walking out with children," said Ashli-Jade Douglas, an FBI intelligence analyst who works in our Crimes Against Children Unit and specializes in child abduction matters. That's because hospital security has greatly improved over the years.

A recent case illustrates the point: Last month, a woman entered a California hospital dressed in medical scrubs and abducted a newborn girl, hiding the baby in a bag. But when she attempted to walk out of the hospital, the baby's security bracelet triggered an alarm and the woman was caught.

Because of heightened hospital security, Douglas said, "now women who desperately want a child—and are willing to go to extreme lengths to get one—have to gain direct contact with their victims, and that's when things can turn violent."

The women who commit these crimes are usually between the ages of 17 and 33," said Douglas, who provides analytical support to our Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Team. "Usually they are unable to get pregnant. Often, they will fake a pregnancy in the hopes of keeping a boyfriend or husband." In most cases, she added, the women intend no harm to the infants—and maybe not even the mother. "They just want a child to raise as their own and will do anything to get one."

	Podcast: FBI intelligence analyst discusses issue.

Another emerging trend, Douglas said, is that women desperate for a child are turning to social networking websites to locate victims. "We have seen several recent cases involving social networking sites," she explained, "and we see how easy it is to use these websites to gain access to targets."

In January, for example, a 32-year-old Florida woman developed a friendship with a younger new mother through a social networking site. The woman lied about having her own newborn and claimed the child was sick and in the hospital. The victim invited the woman to spend the night at her house, and the next morning, when the victim was in the shower, the woman abducted her two-week-old infant. She then deleted her contact information from the victim's social networking site, thinking she would not be found. The baby was recovered and the woman was arrested.

"Parents should check their privacy settings on social networking sites," Douglas said, and they should always use caution on the Internet (see sidebar). Without the proper settings, pictures posted online can contain embedded information that allows others to track your movements.

"This information is important to share with parents," Douglas said. "They should be aware of their physical surroundings and how they use the Internet. This can help protect mothers and their babies."

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Final Fantasy

Thinking of my baby girl. 

From Technabob blog:

Final Fantasy Ultimate Box Gives You All 13 Games for $450

Posted: 06 Sep 2012 07:00 AM PDT

Do you love the Final Fantasy games? I don't just mean love. I mean, are you obsessed with the franchise? Do you collect all of the merchandise? Well, here's the ultimate package to feed your obsession. To celebrate 25 years, Square-Enix(JP) has packaged together all of its core Final Fantasy titles into a single box set.


You'll not only get discs for Final Fantasy I through Final Fantasy XIII, but you also get a numbered presentation plaque with new artwork from character artist Yoshitaka Amano, a two-disc soundtrack and a commemorative DVD. It will cost you 35,000 yen, (~$450USD). To play all of the games, you'll need a PlayStation, a PlayStation 2, a PlayStation 3 and a PSP.

It will arrive in Japan on December 18th, but sadly it probably won't go on sale internationally any time soon, so the rest of us will just have to deal and whine about it.

[via Joystiq via Engadget]

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7 Side Effects of Drinking Diet Soda

Is Diet Soda Bad For You?
7 Side Effects of Drinking Diet Soda
Why you need a diet drink detox—stat!
By Mandy Oaklander

Deceivingly "Diet"
Pop quiz! What's the single biggest source of calories for Americans? White bread? Big Macs? Actually, try soda. The average American drinks about two cans of the stuff every day. "But I drink diet soda," you say. "With no calories or sugar, it's the perfect alternative for weight watchers…. Right?"

Not so fast. Before you pop the top off the caramel-colored bubbly, know this: guzzling diet soda comes with its own set of side effects that may harm your health—from kickstarting kidney problems to adding inches to your waistline.

Unfortunately, diet soda is more in vogue than ever. Kids consume the stuff at more than double the rate of last decade, according to research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Among adults, consumption has grown almost 25%.

But knowing these 7 side effects of drinking diet soda may help you kick the can for good.

Kidney Problems
Here's something you didn't know about your diet soda: It might be bad for your kidneys. In an 11-year-long Harvard Medical School study of more than 3,000 women, researchers found that diet cola is associated with a two-fold increased risk for kidney decline. Kidney function started declining when women drank more than two sodas a day. Even more interesting: Since kidney decline was not associated with sugar-sweetened sodas, researchers suspect that the diet sweeteners are responsible.
The Skinny on Artificial Sweeteners

Messed-Up Metabolism
According to a 2008 University of Minnesota study of almost 10,000 adults, even just one diet soda a day is linked to a 34% higher risk of metabolic syndrome, the group of symptoms including belly fat and high cholesterol that puts you at risk for heart disease. Whether that link is attributed to an ingredient in diet soda or the drinkers' eating habits is unclear. But is that one can really worth it?

Obesity
You read that right: Diet soda doesn't help you lose weight after all. A University of Texas Health Science Center study found that the more diet sodas a person drank, the greater their risk of becoming overweight. Downing just two or more cans a day increased waistlines by 500%. Why? Artificial sweeteners can disrupt the body's natural ability to regulate calorie intake based on the sweetness of foods, suggested an animal study from Purdue University. That means people who consume diet foods might be more likely to overeat, because your body is being tricked into thinking it's eating sugar, and you crave more.

A Terrible Hangover
Your first bad decision was ordering that Vodka Diet—and you may make the next one sooner than you thought. Cocktails made with diet soda get you drunker, faster, according to a study out of the Royal Adelaide Hospital in Australia. That's because sugar-free mixers allow liquor to enter your bloodstream much quicker than those with sugar, leaving you with a bigger buzz.

Cell Damage
Diet sodas contain something many regular sodas don't: mold inhibitors. They go by the names sodium benzoate or potassium benzoate, and they're in nearly all diet sodas. But many regular sodas, such as Coke and Pepsi, don't contain this preservative.
That's bad news for diet drinkers. "These chemicals have the ability to cause severe damage to DNA in the mitochondria to the point that they totally inactivate it - they knock it out altogether," Peter Piper, a professor of molecular biology and biotechnology at the University of Sheffield in the U.K., told a British newspaper in 1999. The preservative has also been linked to hives, asthma, and other allergic conditions, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
Since then, some companies have phased out sodium benzoate. Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi have replaced it with another preservative, potassium benzoate. Both sodium and potassium benzoate were classified by the Food Commission in the UK as mild irritants to the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes.

Rotting Teeth
With a pH of 3.2, diet soda is very acidic. (As a point of reference, the pH of battery acid is 1. Water is 7.) The acid is what readily dissolves enamel, and just because a soda is diet doesn't make it acid-light. Adults who drink three or more sodas a day have worse dental health, says a University of Michigan analysis of dental checkup data. Soda drinkers had far greater decay, more missing teeth, and more fillings.

Reproductive Issues
Sometimes, the vessel for your beverage is just as harmful. Diet or not, soft drink cans are coated with the endocrine disruptor bisphenol A (BPA), which has been linked to everything from heart disease to obesity to reproductive problems. That's a lot of risktaking for one can of pop.
Best BPA-Free Bottles for Your Workout
Published August 2012, Prevention | Updated August 2012
http://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-eating-tips/diet-soda-bad-you


Read more: http://www.prevention.com/print/31447#ixzz25msW7Kph

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Mario Guitar and cool misc.

From the Technabob blog:

 

 

Custom Mario Guitar: Its-a Me, Guitario!

Posted: 03 Sep 2012 02:45 PM PDT

If I could play the guitar and play it well, then I'd definitely go out and try to score myself one of these awesome customized Mario Bros. guitars. I mean, just look at it.

Of course, the first thing I'd actually play is a rocked-out version of the Super Mario Bros. theme. How about you?

This custom guitar was made by 'geekd out', who hails from Australia. He describes it as:

24 Fret, Full size, amazing quality. Full floating tremolo, Locking neck, Easy access to the top of the neck, Mushroom inlays, amazing sound, and looks fantastic.

Here's a clip of him playing his awesome guitar:

Looks like the Super Mario guitar is for sale up on G33KeD for $489 Australian Dollars (~$500 USD), and you'd better move quick if you want one. You never know if Nintendo's lawyers will swoop in and try and stop to this wonderful (but likely unofficial) guitar.

[via Obvious Winner]

 

Freddie Mercury + Angry Birds = Freddie Birdcury

Posted: 03 Sep 2012 09:45 AM PDT

If you're a fan of rock 'n roll, odds are you're familiar with the band Queen, and you know the late vocal talent of Freddie Mercury was the frontman for the group. To celebrate his birthday, Rovio made Freddie Mercury an honorary member of the Angry Birds family.

Rovio has released a new animation featuring Freddie the Angry Bird riding his bicycle to a famous Queen song called "Bicycle Race." The video is live as of right now and you can view below. The video shows a birdified Mercury cruising on his bicycle wearing his Queen crown.

The mustachioed avian animation was created in support of the Mercury Phoenix Trust and Freddie for a Day, an event planned for September 5th to help raise funds for the fight against AIDS.

 

Now You Can Leave Tips Using Your Credit Card with DipJar Posted: 03 Sep 2012 07:00 AM PDT While most sit-down restaurants offer a way to add on a tip when you sign the credit card slip, It's a bit of a hassle to have to fish for some loose change or bills in your wallet after paying for a cup of coffee or snacks using your credit card. But if DipJar gets traction, then you might soon be able to leave tips simply by 'dipping' your card into the jar. DipJar is an electronic jar of sorts that has been programmed to charge you $1 every time you dip your card into it. So if you want to leave a $5 tip, you're going have to swipe your card five times, so that might sound taxing. But really, how tiring is it to have to dip your card five times into the slot? I'd imagine not very much – though it might wear out the stripe on your card faster. The DipJar is currently being tested for use in coffee shops, restaurants, cafes, and every other establishment out there that accepts tips. You can contact the crew behind it if you want to get a DipJar for your own establishment. All you have to do is tell them a bit about your store and location and sign up on their site. If they like you, they'll send you a DipJar so you can start collecting tips electronically. [via DipJar via Eater]

iPhone 5 Images Leaked (We Think) Posted: 03 Sep 2012 06:45 AM PDT It seems like Apple's getting pretty bad at keeping its secrets. Either that, or people are just getting better at uncovering them. While they don't have a complete, working phone, the folks over at China's iColorOS somehow managed to get their hands on various parts of the iPhone 5 to assemble their very own version of the device. By parts, we mean the exterior stuff like the case and metal plates because I'm sure no one would be able to leave Apple HQ with the actual insides of an iPhone 5 and live to tell the world about it. (I'm kidding. I think.) Here's what the leaked images prove: The iPhone 5 has a bigger screen compared to its predecessor – around 0.5 inches larger, providing a true 16×9 aspect ratio for video content. It's going to come with a smaller dock port, so say goodbye to the 30-pin dock. The FaceTime camera has been re-positioned to somewhere on top of the ear receiver. The earphone jack has been moved to the bottom of the device, by the speakers. Of course, the exterior of the iPhone 5 tells us nothing about what's going on under the hood, like whether or not it's running a new A6 chip or the same A5 from the current iPad, nor does it tell us about the display's resolution, or any other hardware improvements, like the hotly-anticipated 4G connectivity. Guess we'll just have to wait until Apple's September 12 event for the full reveal. [via Nowhereelse.fr via Dvice]