We'll freely admit how smitten we are with Dell's concept, the Inspiron Duo. While it's supposedly coming to retail by the end of the year, it's so special that every time we spy new photos or video footage of it, we watch joyfully. Of course, Intel doesn't need to watch from afar, as demonstrated in a new video -- they simply asked Dell's Inspiron Product Marketer, Dave Zavelson to show it off on film. The Duo, in case you've been hiding under a rock since before IDF, is a 10-inch netbook with a swivel screen which enables you to use it as a sort of tablet... you know, those things that everybody's cranking out these days. It also boasts a dual-core Atom N550 CPU and Windows 7 Home Premium. Regardless, we still haven't heard any pricing or definite availability info yet.

Someone named Shelby got a totally awesome Macbook birthday cake. I wonder if a real one popped up out of the middle, like one of those bachelor party strippers. Oh no, they messed up the QWERTY keyboard lettering.

I bet there is a brand new Macbook hiding inside of there. Tell them to cut that cake carefully, Shelby!

Crestron is a name synonymous with two things in the world home automation: cost and quality. So it's always good to the see the company shed its proprietary nature and embrace an off-the-shelf consumer product. Take its new iPanel for example. Instead of dropping a few thousand dollars on a Crestron touch-panel that does just one thing, you can purchase this $500ish snap-on case with thirteen dedicated buttons for home, lights, guide, and info functions. In other words, for the half the price of a typical touchscreen Crestron touchscreen controller you also get a WiFi-connected iPad. Sounds like a winning combination to us. Look for the iPanel to get official at CEDIA next week.

It ain't the first, but it's Kingston's first, regardless. The DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 is the company's first foray into the wild and blossoming world of high(er)-speed thumb drives (following the likes of A-DATA with its own N005), with this guy in particular pulling down read speeds of up to 80MB/sec and write speeds of 60MB/sec. It's available in a trio of sizes (16GB, 32GB and 64GB), with a five-year warranty affixed to each. Regrettably, such speed and capaciousness won't run ya cheap, as these fellows are priced at $89, $138 and $270 in order of mention. Nothing the corporate card can't handle, though.

The problem with YouTube is that you can only share stuff you happened to be recording. The Looxcie, a $200 video camera that you wear on your ear, proposes a simple solution: record everything, all the time.

Here's the idea: You wear the Looxcie on your ear and it records everything you see, roughly as you see it. The camera can hold up to four hours of video (in crummy 480×320 at 15fps); when it runs out of space, it starts dumping the oldest footage—it's not made for collecting clips, it's for capturing them in the moment.

When that shareable moment arrives—your cat gets stuck in a vase!—you press a button that instantly makes a clip out of the last 30 seconds and it gets beamed via Bluetooth to an app on your Android phone (other OSes coming by the end of the year). There, you can edit the clip and share it through all the usual services. The app also lets you access all the other footage stored on your Looxcie, allowing you to create longer clips and tweak settings.

Desperate to charge your iPad quickly and willing to shell out $100 for it? Then the Morphie Juice Pack might be for you. It's an external battery that's compatible with most gadgets, but advertised particularly for the iPad.

Microsoft will officially launch Internet Explorer 9 later today, and it looks to be the most significant update the browser has seen since the jump from IE6 to IE7. Users will immediately notice the cosmetic changes that takes the trendy "less is more" design ethos to almost fundamentalist extremes. IE9 trims even more fat from the interface than its quite spartan competitor Google Chrome. The OneBox (Microsoft's combination search box and address bar), the tab bar and the navigation buttons have all been condensed to a single row, and the status bar is long gone, making IE as unobtrusive as possible, which leaves plenty of space to display the contents of a website.

Users can also drag favicons from the OneBox to the taskbar in order to create pinned site shortcuts. These glorified bookmarks display the page icon in your taskbar (instead of the standard IE icon), and some sites even offer app-style pages that can support Windows 7 jumplists. Treating sites more like apps is an integral part of IE's modernization strategy, but, unlike Chrome (which can also create single-site shortcuts), IE doesn't further strip away interface elements in "app" mode. The eBay "app" will still display in the admittedly minimal, standard IE9 interface, whereas creating an "app" in Chrome removes all trace of the browser except the title bar.

Internet Explorer 9

Most importantly, though, is the improved speed, support for technologies like HTML5 and the more standards-compliant rendering engine. What was the slowest beast in the browser market is now a serious competitor in terms of raw speed. In fact, at least by some measures, it's faster than the current king Chrome. The addition of hardware-accelerated rendering will also lead to improved video playback, and will enable rich 3-D graphics in the browser.

Once it launches, we'll be giving IE9 a serious hands-on, and come back with a final judgement, but, for the first time since the days of Netscape vs. IE, we're actually kind of excited by what Microsoft is bringing to the browser market.

Update: Internet Explorer 9 is up and out for download! Get it here.

Oh yes, that up there is Logitech's newest Wireless Trackball M570, which apparently caters to an "overwhelming demand of dedicated trackball users." Well, we'll be damned! At this point, we'd figured that trackballers would have switched over to an MX or something by now, but we do have to say the new sculpted shape is mighty comfortable, and if spinning a big blue ball to navigate the desktop is your thing it doesn't seem like a bad deal. The $59.99 peripheral will be available immediately, and packs 2.4GHz wireless and a small USB Unifying receiver that tucks into the bottom of the mouse for safe keeping. Logitech sent us one to play around with, and though we're not exactly the most nimble at using the trackball to jump from window to window, the scroll wheel felt calming enough and there are two back / forward buttons to get you from tab A to tab B. Guess we really have to hand it to 'em for sticking with what works. Hit the gallery below for some more eye candy, and hop on past the break for the full press release.

Come on tough guy, step right up. $20 says a roundhouse kick to the casing won't even scratch the bad boy you're peering at above. Well, unless you're rockin' a pair of Kenny Powers' K-Swiss Tubes. Asides aside, Sweden's own Handheld Group has just introduced its latest rugged offering, the 10.1-inch Algiz XRW, which is powered by Intel's 2GHz Atom Z550 and Windows 7 Ultimate. Other specs include a 64GB SSD, 2GB of DDR2 memory, a pair of USB 2.0 sockets, inbuilt Bluetooth / WiFi, GPS, 2 megapixel webcam and an optional (but totally necessary) Gobi 2000 WWAN module. The whole thing tips the scales at just 3.3 pounds, and that's including the IP65 / MIL-STD-810F rated enclosure, which is fully capable of rejecting dust, water, debris and mythical powers of persuasion. We're told that the internal battery can keep things humming for eight solid hours, and in case you're wondering, that 1366 x 768 resolution panel is of the daylight viewable variety. Mum's the word on pricing, but the first shipments should head out in December for those with a brutal winter ahead.

HTC has just announced the Desire Z, an Android-friendly QWERTY slider. Like the T-Mobile G2, the Desire Z features a "pop-out" (don't call it a slider) QWERTY keyboard with user assigned keys and system-wide shortcuts that let you quickly launch your favorite apps. Around back you've got a 5 megapixel camera with flash that's HD video capable while an 800MHz Qualcomm MSM7230 processor pumps away efficiently inside with HSPA+ and 802.11n radios providing the data. Unlike the US G2, however, the Deisre Z comes loaded with HTC's enhanced Sense UI and new HTCSense.com services. Look for it to land in major European and Asian markets in October.

If you don't want to hate your current camera, look away now. Nikon's 16 megapixel D7000 has landed into the world of officialdom with a bang, bringing with it an almighty 39-point autofocus system, 100 percent viewfinder coverage, 1080/24p and 720/30p video options, dual SD card slots, 6fps burst mode for up to 100 shots, and magnesium alloy top and back covers for that extra bit of metalized durability. The continuous video autofocus that debuted in the D3100 is here too, though bear in mind there's a 20 minute cap on uninterrupted recordings. Video nuts might not like that, but at least there's a stereo mic input and an added control dial for adjusting shooting modes. It's looking like a thorough upgrade from the D90, but remember that Canon's direct competitor -- the 60D -- costs a Benjamin less than the D7000's $1,200 body-only asking price (or $1,500 with an 18-105 kit lens) , so take the time until this becomes available in mid-October to weigh up your options well. Oh, and the outfit's also throwing out two new pieces of high-end glass alongside a new flash: an AF-S 200mm f/2G ED VR II for $5,999.95, an AF-S 35mm f/1.4G for $1,799.95, and an SB-700 Speedlight for $329.95.

Nikon D7000 press images

EVOLUTION OF THE REVOLUTIONARY: THE NIKON D7000 D‐SLR IS THE PREEMMINENT DIGITAL CAMERA FOR DEMANDING PHOTO ENTHUSIASTS

The D7000 Offers Creative Freedom with Advanced Features Such as a New 16.2 Megapixel DX‐Format CMOS Sensor, Six FPS Shooting, 39‐Point AF System and 1080p HD Movie with Full Time Autofocus

MELVILLE, N.Y. (September 15, 2010) – Nikon Inc. today introduced the new D7000 digital SLR camera designed to fulfill the needs of passionate photographers who demand exceptional performance, reliability, and unprecedented levels of control and versatility in a compact form factor. Engineered as an ideal balance of durability and functionality, the D7000 D‐SLR features a multitude of new enhancements and updated Nikon technologies, which results in stunning photos and amazing full HD (High Definition) movies.

Continuing the tradition of innovative technology that began with the revolutionary D90, the first D‐SLR to capture HD movies, the D7000 features a new 16.2 megapixel CMOS sensor with low‐light ability never before seen in a DX‐format (APS‐C) camera. The new EXPEED 2 TM image‐processing engine fuels the enhanced performance of the D7000 along with a new 39‐point AF system and groundbreaking new 2,016 pixel RGB 3D Matrix Metering System to deliver amazing image quality in a variety of shooting conditions. Additionally, the D7000 D‐SLR provides full 1080p HD movie capability with full time auto focus (AF), enabling users to capture their world with both striking still and moving images.

"The D7000 D‐SLR creates a new class of Nikon camera by delivering exceptional quality, control and an innovative feature set; this is a camera that enables D‐SLR users to achieve a true expression of their creative vision, while concentrating primarily on image quality above all else," said Lisa Osorio, general manager of marketing at Nikon Inc. "When you combine the innovation of the agile D7000 with the exceptional and robust line of NIKKOR lenses and accessories, the potential for D‐SLR photographers and filmmakers is limitless."

Unparalleled Performance From Unrivaled Technologies
With its new 16.2‐megapixel CMOS image sensor and Nikon's new EXPEED 2 image processing system, the D7000 D‐SLR delivers superior image quality with low noise. The EXPEED 2 image‐processing engine combined with a 14‐bit Analog / Digital conversion brings a new level of even tonal gradations while managing color, contrast, exposure, and noise resulting in brilliant image quality. EXPEED 2 also manages the D7000's speedy 50‐millisecond shutter response, blazing AF speed and rapid six frame‐per-second (fps) burst speed for up to 100 images.

The D7000 D‐SLR features an all‐new 39‐point AF System, which includes nine center cross‐type sensors that operate with more than 60 NIKKOR lenses. The 39 points in the new Multi‐CAM 4800DX AF module work together to provide superior subject acquisition and fast tracking capabilities, allowing photographers to confidently capture a player stealing third from the sideline to fast‐moving wildlife. Additionally, photographers can activate dynamic or single point AF, configurable in combinations of 9, 21 or 39 or a 21‐point ring to match a variety of shooting styles and situations. Photographers can activate 3D tracking, which continuously follows moving subjects within the 39 AF points, highlighting the activated AF point in the viewfinder.

Utilizing Nikon's exclusive Scene Recognition System, the camera analyzes subject information from a database containing more than 30,000 images to optimize focus, exposure and white balance. To assist in creating amazing imagery, the Scene Recognition System reads data from a groundbreaking 2,016‐pixel 3D Color Matrix Meter RGB sensor that examines the scene's brightness and color data then optimizes the camera's performance prior to the actual exposure. Another revolutionary Nikon first, this system interprets scene data for improved control of light metering and i‐TTL flash output. Additionally this new sensor allows for a new "Ambient" white balance setting which can be activated to allow warm rendering in Automatic White Balance.

Nikon Continues the Low‐Light Fight
The D7000 D‐SLR continues Nikon's tradition of providing photographers the confidence to shoot in low‐light, knowing they will capture high quality low‐noise images. The camera's native ISO range of 100‐6400 affords the versatility to photograph in challenging lighting conditions, such as when indoors or in the evening. The ISO range can be expanded to a Hi‐2 setting of 25,600, which was previously found only in Nikon FX‐format territory. The resolution of the camera renders a pixel size of 4.78 µm, which allows more light to be gathered, resulting in a correctly exposed image that has less noise and finer grain.

Full 1080p HD Movies with Advanced Video Features
Building upon the popular D90 D‐SLR, the Nikon D7000 captures breathtaking full 1080p HD movies with full‐time autofocus and manual exposure control. To keep critical HD focus, users can choose to engage a variety of AF functions, including face priority to track up to 35 human faces, subject‐tracking and normal or wide‐area autofocus.

Advanced movie features also allow exposure adjustment on the fly while recording. The D7000 D‐SLR offers variable frame rates and resolutions, and can record 1080p at a cinema‐like 24 fps, or a web‐friendly 720p at either 24 or 30 fps for up to 20 minutes per clip. Once recorded, users are able to edit and trim video clips in the camera to save time in post production. Whether utilizing a wireless or hot shoe mounted microphone, sound can be recorded via the stereo microphone input for professional audio results.

To further simplify movie shooting, Live View is activated by a single dedicated switch, and HD video recording is achieved by pressing a single button. The D7000 D‐SLR also incorporates a built‐in HDMI output CEC compliant (Consumer Electronic Control) that allows users to connect it to a HDTV and playback with most HDTV remote controls.

By adding versatile NIKKOR lenses to the equation, photographers can create a variety of photo perspective to video such as isolating subjects with a shallow depth of field, and recording in low‐light conditions. Combining the D7000 D‐SLR with NIKKOR lenses also delivers the sharpness essential for HD video, and Nikon's innovative Vibration Reduction (VR) II technology helps to eliminate the effects of camera shake.

No Compromise: Enhanced Build Quality, Durability and Usability
The compact design is lightweight enough for a full days use, but has a reassuring heft that hints at Nikon's reputation for reliability. The durable camera body consists of a magnesium‐alloy top and rear covers and a 150,000 cycle‐rated shutter system. Additionally, the D7000 D‐SLR is dust and moisture sealed and features Nikon's dust reduction system to remove image‐degrading particles from the image sensor. Among the well laid out ergonomics, users will immediately notice a new Mode Dial that eschews traditional Scene Mode icons for more advanced manual functions and two user‐defined settings (U1, U2) to adapt to a users shooting style on the fly. Placed under the control wheel is a Release Mode dial, which allows access the burst modes, timer, or the Quiet Shutter, to soften the cameras operation when shooting in sensitive environments such as a ceremonies or nature.

When framing lush landscapes or tight telephoto shots from afar, users will appreciate the large, bright glass pentaprism optical viewfinder has approximately 100% frame coverage and approximately 0.94x magnification. The three‐inch, 921,000‐dot super‐density LCD monitor with 170‐degree viewing delivers bright, crisp image playback and precise Live View and movie shooting. The D7000 D‐SLR features twin SD card slots with SD, SDHC, SDXC memory card compatibility that offers a several recording options including designating separate NEF (RAW) JPEG and movie files. The built‐in i‐TTL Speedlight flash offers coverage for lenses as wide as 16mm and has Wireless Commander support so users can choose how to light their subjects. The D7000 was designed to provide maximum performance with minimized power usage and also employs a new EN‐EL15 battery which enables up to 1050 shots when fully charged.

Nikon Technologies That Empower and Inspire
The D7000 D‐SLR contains many features aimed at empowering the user with creative freedom including the ability to process RAW images directly in the camera, and add in special effects using the retouch menu. Among the many editing options are color filters, distortion control for a fisheye effect, perspective control for a miniature effect, or a new color sketch filter that creates a sketch‐styled image. As always, manipulated images are saved as copies while the original is retained. The Picture Control system also allows the choice for Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait, or Landscape settings to apply a personal look and feel to their pictures, and it's versatile Scene Modes let them choose from Portrait, Landscape, Child, Sports, Close‐up or Night Portrait for stunning results even in challenging conditions.

Price and Availability
The D7000 D‐SLR camera will be available throughout the United States beginning mid‐October 2010 at an MSRP of $1199.95 for body only and $1499.95 for body and lens outfit that includes the AF‐S DX Zoom NIKKOR 18‐105mm f/3.5‐5.6G ED VR lens. For more information, please visit www.nikonusa.com.

Nikon (1), (2), (3)

In-car DVD players are useful for placating a kid or two in the backseat, but how do you keep a bus full of adults preoccupied? Try this fully restored vintage movie theater on wheels.

The Vintage Mobile Cinema is one of seven such vans that were commissioned by the UK's Ministry of Technology in the late 1960s. After sitting in disrepair for over a decade, this one has been painstakingly restored and outfitted with an all new theater system:

Onkyo TX-NR807 receiver
Pioneer BDP-320 Blu-ray player
Mordaunt Short Aviano 6 floorstander speakers
Mordaunt Short Alumni 9 subwoofer speaker
Mordaunt Short Alumni 5 center speaker
Mordaunt Short Alumni 3 surround speakers (x4)
Epson EH-TW3500 LCD projector

Patrons watch the screenings—which include lesser known films from back in the day and archival footage from the different cities to which the bus travels—from one of 22 upholstered seats which themselves date back to the 1930s, and independent filmmakers are being encouraged to screen their work in the Movie Bus, too.
There are plenty more interesting photos of the bus—some of it in its swanky new state, some from its not-so-swanky pre-refurbished days—over at Bldg Blog. It certainly seems like a fun place to watch a movie, unless that movie is Speed.

Sectional View, Canon 5D Mark II

This is how the Canon 5D Mark II looks inside after eating your cereal with chocolate milk and LSD. At least that's what I think Mads Peitersen does to create his stupendously freaky gadget anatomy illustrations.

Those are the guts of the classic Technics 1210 turntable.

 

If you've ever heard of Chattanooga in Tennessee, chances are you're either a resident or you remember this remarkable UFO house constructed in the '70s. From today, it'll be known for offering the fastest internet connection in the US—1Gbps.

Of course, the 1Gbps speed from EPB won't be a patch on the 40Gbps that this Swedish granny was drying her laundry on two years ago, but 1Gbps is actually 200 times faster than the average speed the rest of the US receives.

Any Chattanooga citizens dreaming of lightning-fast downloads will have to fork out $350 a month, though the CEO of EPB admitted that they "don't know how to price a gig...we're experimenting. We'll learn."

In a quote reminiscent of George Mallory's infamous answer to the question of why he chose to climb Mt Everest, the EPB CEO Harold DePriest told the NY Times the reason they're launching a 1Gbps service is "because we can."

Non-Chattanoogaians after similarly-fast speeds will have to look to Google to provide the answer. Bad luck if you weren't one of the 500,000 lucky individuals chosen for their fiber network experiment. [NY Times]

It was just that easy. Step 3: Profit.

[Photo of Zuckerberg at an August 10, 2010 press conference at Facebook via Getty Images]

Mark Zuckerberg admits in a New Yorker  profile that he mocked early Facebook users for trusting him with their personal information. A youthful indiscretion, the Facebook founder says he's much more mature now, at the ripe age of 26.

"They trust me — dumb fucks," says Zuckerberg in one of the instant messages, first published by former Valleywag Nicholas Carlson at Silicon Alley Insider, and now confirmed by Zuckerberg himself in Jose Antonio Vargas's New Yorker piece. Zuckerberg now tells Vargas, "I think I've grown and learned a lot" since those instant messages.

And yet the old quote resounds precisely because Facebook continues to stir up privacy controversies at regular intervals. Zuckerberg justifies his privacy rollbacks by saying the social norms have changed in favor of transparency, but, as tech executive Anil Dash tells the New Yorker, that sort of change is much more appealing for a privileged, Ivy Leaguer golden boy of Silicon Valley like Zuckerberg than for his half a billion users, many of whom work for less tolerant bosses and socialize in more judgmental circles.

The dichotomy between Zuckerberg's philosophy and the lives of his users makes revelations about the Facebook CEO's own private life all the more interesting. It seems natural to figure that this forceful advocate for transparency is ready to test his own informational boundaries a bit.

And Zuckerberg does open up a little to the New Yorker, admitting that he's red-green colorblind, and explaining the Mandarin lessons he's been taking: They're for a scheduled vacation with girlfriend to Priscilla Chan to China. And Chan, it turns out, is finally moving in with Zuck.

Then there's Zuckerberg's defacto unfriending of Aaron Sorkin, the screenwriter behind Zuckerberg's least favorite Facebook movie The Social Network. The CEO had listed Sorkin's TV show The West Wing as a "favorite" on his Facebook profile, only to remove it under questioning from Vargas. Now Zuckerberg's re-favorited the West Wing. Curious. Apparently living under the new social norms can lead to old school regret. Even if you're Mark Zuckerberg.

Intel promises to bring wireless display technology to other mobile devices

 

Details are unfortunately light on this one, but Intel has closed out the week with one interesting tidbit of news -- it's apparently planning to bring its wireless display technology (a.k.a. WiDi) to netbooks, tablets and other mobile devices. That word comes straight from Intel wireless display product manager Kerry Forrell, who says that "we fully expect to take the technology there," but that he can't yet provide a specific time frame. Those plans are further backed up by Intel CEO Paul Otellini himself, who told investors this week that "what we'll be doing over the next few years is take the Wi-Di capability that's in the laptop today and extend that into all the Intel platforms." Intel doesn't even seem to be stopping there, however, with Forrell further adding that the company even sees the technology being built into to TVs "over time."

Remember when Nintendo said it'd release its release date for the 3DS autostereoscopic portable game system on the 29th of this month? We may already have the magic number -- depending on how you interpret a few Japanese words. You see, a supposed video game accessory designer by the handle "nocchisan" recently tweeted that eleven Nintendo 3DS accessories will be released on November 11th, and asked his or her followers to kindly buy them up... while purportedly remarking that the 3DS itself will arrive at the same time. While the tweets in question can certainly be read that way, and it makes a certain amount of sense for accessories to appear at launch, our admittedly limited grasp of Japanese suggests an alternative translation: that it's the accessories themselves (and not the 3DS) that will all arrive at the same time. There's also the little matter of nocchisan himself, whose Twitter account has already disappeared -- we have nothing actually connecting him to the accessory company except a link in his tweet.

Sony's decided to litter its Asian portal with a smattering of blood-red "coming soon" signs, signifying an unannounced but seemingly very real wave of laptop refreshes. The F Series gets to play with NVIDIA's new 425M mobile GPU, but the real hotness is to be found in the Z Series, which get access to 2.8GHz Core i7-640M and 2.66GHz Core i5-580M CPU options from Intel. You'll recognize both as mostly roadmap fodder until now, and they're joined by the i5-560M, which makes its debut on a couple of Sony's midrange consumer lines. Basically, it's a whole lot of new silicon in what look like the same old enclosures, but that's not going to stop us from speccing out a Quad SSD-equipped VAIO Z just for the fun of it. We can probably expect these upgrades to journey westward soon as well, so why not hit the source link for a little bit of advance reconnaissance?

Sony Asia Pacific

Actual PSMove Unit

PlayStation Move's BannerAd

We're still a couple days away from the PlayStation Move's September 19 launch date, but hey -- who said Best Buy has to follow the rules? One of our readers picked up a Move at a Best Buy in Benton Harbor, Michigan today, and we'd expect the trickle to turn into a flood by the time the "official" launch finally arrives. So -- who's buying one?

Panasonic AF105

The splicing of video and stills cameras continues unabated today, as Panasonic has just outed a serious-looking piece of photographic hardware. The AF105 is the world's first camcorder to offer a Four Thirds-sized sensor and provides 1080/60i or 1080/30p AVCHD video recording skills, while matching up to the growing selection of glassware for cameras like the G2,GH1 and the Micro Four Thirds GF1. SDHC and SDXC storage cards are accepted and there's a note that "cinema" lenses can also be fitted on via an adapter. The price is set at ¥837,900 (about $9,960) and launch is expected this December.

AV Watch Impress Panasonic

We tend to hold inventors in high esteem, but often their discoveries were the result of an accident or twist of fate. This is true of many everyday items, including the following surprise inventions.
In this article, we'll take a look at some of these inventions. Check out the next page for the first discovery in our list.

9. Corn Flakes

In 1894, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg was the superintendent of the Battle Creek Sanitarium in Michigan. He and his brother Will Keith Kellogg were Seventh Day Adventists, and they were searching for wholesome foods to feed patients that also complied with the Adventists' strict vegetarian diet. When Will accidentally left some boiled wheat sitting out, it went stale by the time he returned. Rather than throw it away, the brothers sent it through rollers, hoping to make long sheets of dough, but they got flakes instead. They toasted the flakes, which were a big hit with patients, and patented them under the name Granose. The brothers experimented with other grains, including corn, and in 1906, Will created the Kellogg's company to sell the corn flakes. On principle, John refused to join the company because Will lowered the health benefits of the cereal by adding sugar.

 

8. Microwave Ovens

The microwave is the result of an observation during a science experiment.

The microwave oven is now a standard appliance in most American households, but it has only been around since the late 1940s. In 1945, Percy Spencer was experimenting with a new vacuum tube called a magnetron while doing research for the Raytheon Corporation. He was intrigued when the candy bar in his pocket began to melt, so he tried another experiment with popcorn. When it began to pop, Spencer immediately saw the potential in this revolutionary process. In 1947, Raytheon built the first microwave oven, the Radarange, which weighed 750 pounds, was 51/2 feet tall, and cost about $5,000. When the Radarange first became available for home use in the early 1950s, its bulky size and expensive price tag made it unpopular with consumers. But in 1967, a much more popular 100-volt, countertop version was introduced at a price of $495. 

7. Silly Putty 

It bounces, it stretches, it breaks -- it's Silly Putty, the silicone-based plastic clay marketed as a children's toy by Binney & Smith, Inc. During World War II, while attempting to create a synthetic rubber substitute, James Wright dropped boric acid into silicone oil. The result was a polymerized substance that bounced, but it took several years to find a use for the product. Finally, in 1950, marketing expert Peter Hodgson saw its potential as a toy, renamed it Silly Putty, and a classic toy was born! Not only is it fun, Silly Putty also has practical uses -- it picks up dirt, lint, and pet hair; can stabilize wobbly furniture; and is useful in stress reduction, physical therapy, and in medical and scientific simulations. It was even used by the crew of Apollo 8 to secure tools in zero gravity.

6. Post-it Notes 

 

A Post-it note is a small piece of paper with a strip of low-tack adhesive on the back that allows it to be temporarily attached to documents, walls, computer monitors, and just about anything else. The idea for the Post-it note was conceived in 1974 by Arthur Fry as a way of holding bookmarks in his hymnal while singing in the church choir. He was aware of an adhesive accidentally developed in 1968 by fellow 3M employee Spencer Silver. No application for the lightly sticky stuff was apparent until Fry's idea. The 3M company was initially skeptical about the product's profitability, but in 1980, the product was introduced around the world. Today, Post-it notes are sold in more than 100 countries.

5. Saccharin

Saccharin, the oldest artificial sweetener, was accidentally discovered in 1879 by researcher Constantine Fahlberg, who was working at Johns Hopkins University in the laboratory of professor Ira Remsen. Fahlberg's discovery came after he forgot to wash his hands before lunch. He had spilled a chemical on his hands and it, in turn, caused the bread he ate to taste unusually sweet. In 1880, the two scientists jointly published the discovery, but in 1884, Fahlberg obtained a patent and began mass-producing saccharin without Remsen. The use of saccharin did not become widespread until sugar was rationed during World War I, and its popularity increased during the 1960s and 1970s with the manufacture of Sweet'N Low and diet soft drinks.

4. Slinky

In 1943, naval engineer Richard James was trying to develop a spring that would support and stabilize sensitive equipment on ships. When one of the springs accidentally fell off a shelf, it continued moving, and James got the idea for a toy. His wife Betty came up with the name, and when the Slinky made its debut in late 1945, James sold 400 of the bouncy toys in 90 minutes. Today, more than 250 million Slinkys have been sold worldwide. 

3. Potato Chips

If you can't eat just one potato chip, blame it on chef George Crum. He reportedly created the salty snack in 1853 at Moon's Lake House near Saratoga Springs, New York. Fed up with a customer who continuously sent his fried potatoes back, complaining that they were soggy and not crunchy enough, Crum sliced the potatoes as thin as possible, fried them in hot grease, then doused them with salt. The customer loved them and "Saratoga Chips" quickly became a popular item at the lodge and throughout New England.

Eventually, the chips were mass-produced for home consumption, but since they were stored in barrels or tins, they quickly went stale. Then, in the 1920s, Laura Scudder invented the airtight bag by ironing together two pieces of waxed paper, thus keeping the chips fresh longer. Today, chips are packaged in plastic or foil bags or cardboard containers and come in a variety of flavors, including sour cream and onion, barbecue, and salt and vinegar.

2. Fireworks

Fireworks originated in China some 2,000 years ago, and legend has it that they were accidentally invented by a cook who mixed together charcoal, sulfur, and saltpeter -- all items commonly found in kitchens in those days. The mixture burned and when compressed in a bamboo tube, it exploded. There's no record of whether it was the cook's last day on the job.

1. Play-Doh

What do wallpaper and Play-Doh have in common?

One smell most people remember from childhood is the odor of Play-Doh, the brightly-colored, nontoxic modeling clay. Play-Doh was accidentally invented in 1955 by Joseph and Noah McVicker while trying to make a wallpaper cleaner. It was marketed a year later by toy manufacturer Rainbow Crafts. More than 700 million pounds of Play-Doh have sold since then, but the recipe remains a secret.