Entertainment

Advertising space is scarce. No wonder advertisers are innovative when it comes to taking advantage of underutilized real estate--such as the human skin.

Handvertising USA is an Orange County-based company that connects advertisers with customers willing to display ads on their hands.

"Almost everyone has been to a county fair, swap meet, bar or club and had had their hand stamped for proof of entry. We have found a better use for this space that could make everyone happy," says CEO Mike Brown. "We find venues also use the stamps to increase business. For example, venues are … Read more

It's long been an open secret that many major telecommunications companies, including Internet service providers (ISPs) and cellular data providers, impose specific limits on the volume and type of bandwidth consumed by their customers.

"Open" in the sense that these companies almost universally reserve the right to impose such limits, and occasionally make public statements defending their right to do so. "Secret" because the companies rarely reveal their specific limits, and because it seems like these limits are constantly being rediscovered by people who ought to know better.

It reminds me of people who claim … Read more

Got some gardening to do but don't want to miss Oprah while you're out weeding?

Oregon-based Planar Systems is joining the burgeoning outdoor-display market with a 42-inch high-definition monitor designed specifically for outdoor viewing.

The weatherproof WP-42HD, manufactured under Planar's luxury video brand, Runco, utilizes LCD technology and glass with element-proof bonding to deliver a wide-screen flat-panel monitor that's supposed to withstand temperature shifts, exposure to moisture, dust and oils, and intermittent direct water spray--way more wear, in other words, than the TV in your living room.

Planar says you're free to leave the display … Read more

Migo Software has announced a new, beefier version of its PC-to-device syncing software slated to unveil in beta form in January 2008. I got to preview the Windows app, code named SlingShot, at the CTIA Wireless conference.

The slick new interface will bring together back-end tools of smart device and format detection that will operate at every stage of the media transfer experience. It will include, for example, a smart setup wizard that helps configure your cell phone or external hard drive to play your music and video, and on-the-fly format conversion for your cell phone or external hard drive.… Read more

While waiting for the doors to open at the Tokyo auto show this week, senior editor Wayne Cunningham hit the legendary gadget district of Akihabara in search of weird and wonderful electronics. He wasn't disappointed, finding a trove of tech toys from the Sony Roly to lipstick-shaped MP3 players. Check out his photo gallery here.

The shaky relationship between NBC Universal and YouTube has collapsed once again, as an NBC representative confirmed on Monday that the network has decided to stop posting promotional clips on the video-sharing site.

According to the representative, NBC Universal pulled out of the deal on Friday to support the upcoming launch of Hulu.com, the Internet video service founded by NBC and News Corp. that could compete for eyeballs with Google's YouTube. A test version of Hulu, which will stream full-length TV shows, is expected to make its debut within the next two weeks.

The breakup is important because … Read more

Congratulations to Honda's Asimo, world champion of Crave's 2007 nonviolent robot tournament. In the final battle of the tournament, the smooth and sophisticated bipedal robot ousted Star Trek: The Next Generation's Data by a 78-22 percentage score.

Oh, and get your Asimo souvenir pennant here.

The total vote count was even more impressive. Asimo boasted 2,873 votes to Data's 861. Either total would have won any other game in the tournament, a testament to the feverish excitement created by the tourney across the world.

The odds-on favorite to win the competition, Asimo beat out 32 … Read more

Now that he's pled guilty to lewd conduct in a men's bathroom in the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, some people have asserted that Idaho senator Larry Craig probably wants to wear a bag on his head for the rest of his human existence. Which is why this downloadable Halloween costume quick-fix is even better.

Just print out what they tell you to, and glue it on a paper bag. Don't forget the U.S. Senate seal for the back--"to let others know who you are, and that you are here to stay." Then chuck … Read more

MySpace.com is testing out the director's chair with a new Web-based series, Roommates, which debuts Monday at 1 p.m. PDT. Through December 21, a new three-minute episode of the show will be available each weekday on the MySpaceTV portal and through the Roommates profile page.

The series, co-created by MySpace and new-media production studio Iron Sink Productions, marks the first time that the News Corp.-owned social-networking site has been behind the development of a scripted Web show. Roommates is a show within a show, as four recent college graduates move to Los Angeles and enlist in … Read more