A great time to own a Nintendo DS

...especially if you are musically inclined.

Via Make:blog today, a Nintendo DS synth/sequencer, from Korg:

You may have read about it in our recent Made in Japan post - but now Korg's DS-10 Synthesizer/sequencer/drum machine is headed for an international release! From the DS10blog [via] -

For those of you out there wondering the release of DS-10 other than Japan, well, here's a good news. YES, we will release DS-10 worlwide and currently we're making an adjustment with each territory. So please be patient. Your support means a lot to us and we'll keep you all with the latest update of the international release as soon as possible.

Also, coming out this summer, Guitar Grip, for Guitar Hero on Tour! Linked from engadget:

As you can see [on the left], it is limited to just four buttons, but nevertheless, it allows users to hold the DS upright and tap the buttons of the peripheral -- which is suitably fitted into the GBA slot -- and strum the touchscreen to take care of the pickin'.

Check out the youtube video.

Oooh, pretty Bloxes!!!

My kind of building blocks! At $59.95 for a case of 20, it seems quite reasonable for a sturdy, modular structure with so many possibilties.

Here's the description from bloxes.com:

What are Bloxes?
Bloxes are building blocks made of interlocking pieces of corrugated cardboard, folded together. Their unique shape and structure make them exceptionally strong and lightweight — you could build yourself a platform to stand on, and then pick it up and move it wherever you need to.

What can you do with them?
Bloxes can connect with each other on all six sides, so you can use them to build walls, benches, tables, tunnels — whatever you can think of. And because the varied surface and complex internal structure helps dampen sound, they're great for managing acoustics in offices, studios and other places.

How do you build with them?
To build a structure with bloxes, simply line up the pegs of two bloxes and push them together. Repeat as necessary. Plus, they're multi-faceted, so you can build in any direction.

How big are they?
Bloxes measure 9½ inches square when assembled; a pack of 20 will create a 4-by-5 blox wall of approximately 36 inches by 45 inches. Sold in quantities of 20, the unassembled bloxes fit in a 15-inch square box for easy shipping.

How can I get them?
You can buy them exclusively from our website. We make limited runs, so order early! If you want to see more uses of Bloxes, check out the pics page.

Found from Make:blog

Arthur C. Clarke has died at 90, in Sri Lanka

Photo from the Arthur C. Clarke foundation.

From wikipedia:

Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, CBE (16 December 1917 - 19 March 2008) was a British science fiction author, inventor, and futurist, most famous for his novel 2001: A Space Odyssey, and for collaborating with director Stanley Kubrick on the film of the same name.

His bibliography is quite renowned, including novels such as Childhood's End (depressing, but entertaining), the Space Odyssey series (2001, 2010, 2061, 3001), numerous short stories, and nonfiction too.

In remembrance, I'll leave you with his 3 laws of prediction to ponder:

1. When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.


2. The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.


3. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

Gas station comparison shopping

Prices at the gas pump are skyrocketing. In the United States, California is only second to Hawaii in the price paid per gallon of gas today.

For those who want to find the cheapest local gas, there is http://www.gasbuddy.com/

They also have lots of other gasoline related information, as well as historical data.
Happy Hunting!