Space Station residents to drink recycled urine

If you're the kind of person who wants to do research on the International Space Station, it appears that you may need to cross some boundaries of taste many of us wouldn't even consider.

According to a BBC News story, the crew aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, which is scheduled to launch from the Kennedy Space Center on Friday afternoon, will be handing off to their Space Station colleagues a water regeneration system designed to, among other things, recycle urine for reuse as fresh water.
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S'mores, no campfire needed

Between a breakfast sandwich maker and this, I'm starting to rethink my microwave.

This S'mores Maker lets you bypass the campfires--and the risk of blackened marshmallows--to make the sweet sandwiches in your microwave. Just fill the back reservoir with water, which is apparently the secret to even heating. Pile on the graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows, and zap for 30 seconds.

Of course, anyone who's microwaved a Peep knows that marshmallows tend to shape-shift during cooking, so this gadget incorporates two arms to hold your s'mores in place. Four nonslip feet on the bottom keep it from sliding around on the turntable.

Just 10 bucks buys you a little taste memory of summer nights, even in the midst of winter. Which leaves me with just one question: Are we also obliged to tell ghost stories while gathered around the microwave?

Via CNET Blogs

SanDisk firmware update adds OGG, FLAC support to Clip and Fuze

Awhile back, SanDisk released some fairly major firmware updates for both the Sansa Clip and the Sansa Fuze. Well, technically, the update for each is a different piece of software, but most of the fixes and enhancements are similar, so I'm treating the two as one here.

I finally got around to installing the new firmware on the Clip and I have to say that it's definitely a worthwhile install (most firmware is). If you haven't done it already, make sure you do--I've included some basic steps for updating Sansa players below.

Perhaps the most exciting thing for audio format nerds is the addition of support for both Ogg Vorbis and FLAC file types. This added feature certainly gives the Sansas a leg up on the competition, as only a handful of other MP3 players offer such playback. (Cowon is a notable example.) In addition, the players now support the most advanced Audible AAX format (type 4), and they include enhanced control over audiobooks and podcasts.
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Wilting flower dies as your energy use blooms

If powering up your amp and monster TV leaves your neighbors in blackout misery, this new energy monitor could be for you. Dubbed the Wilting Flower, it's a visual reminder of how much electricity you're guzzling at any one moment. When you're using very little juice, it's a perky little flower with its petals open, but as you use more energy it goes red and--if you maintain your prolifigate ways--eventually wilts and closes up. Subtle? No. Quirky? Yes.

Designed by Carl Smith of Doncaster, the Wilting Flower is essentially a fancy-looking version of the Wattson, Efergy Meter and OWL. It works by chatting wirelessly to a clip that you DIY install onto your electricity meter (if it's as easy as the Wattson, you won't electrocute yourself). We like Smith's graphic approach to reminding us of our energy use, since most of today's energy monitors employ a rather boring screen that shows how many watts or pounds you're burning.
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Nokia keeps Vertu brand, ceases sales of devices in Japan

Japan is one unique mobile phone market where foreign companies have scarcely a foothold, even Nokia with its global market share of 38 percent. Turns out the Finnish firm has thrown in the towel and decided to cease selling its handsets with the exception of the luxury Vertu brand in the Land of the Rising Sun. The move will affect about 10 percent of Nokia Japan employees, according to the company, with the remaining staff presumably working on research and development and sourcing for the global market.

Via Nokia Bulletin Board

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