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ORIGINALLY AIRED: 1/10/2005

Thomas "Thunder" Keller, iPod Tattoos, Stowboard

Episode #5003

9107


CES Rumors
Now that CES has wrapped, we bring to you the big rumors from the main floor:

• The Xbox 2 will have a standard resolution of 720p. Of course, the current Xbox supports 720p, though not many game publishers have included the option. Perhaps Microsoft will demand 720p compatibility for the Xbox 2?

• The Sony PSP will debut at $150. Well, that certainly would pop Nintendo’s balloon…

• Samsung is going to release a 5MP camera phone. Crazy!

Back in the real world, the Best of Show award goes to the Yamaha YSP-1, a digital sound system that creates multi-channel surround-sound without all the pesky speakers.



Playing with Thunder
As the youngest player to finish first in a World Series of Poker event, Thomas “Thunder” Keller is well on his way to a successful career in gambling. How does one become a professional gambler? Thomas started playing at Stanford University where he was an economics major. His first games had quarter bets, but as he continued to clean up, he progressed to online poker and then to high-stakes games. “A lot of people consider poker to be America’s true national pastime,” said Thomas – but for him it’s also a full-time job.

For more info on Thomas visit

His homepage: www.thunderkeller.com

His preferred poker software: www.poki-poker.com

His favorite online poker site: www.ultimatebet.com.



TSS Top 5
Dirty-Sounding Poker Terms
5. Back Door Flush
4. Wake Up With a Hand
3. Big Slip
2. Anaconda
1. Pockey Rockets



Stowed Away
The Stowboard sounds like a cool product – a metal skateboard that folds up for easy storage – but Chi-Lan found it lacking. Aided by extreme sports star Ben Snowden, she put the board through its paces but it came up short compared to a true skateboard: “I love compact things, so when the Stowboard came in the mail, I was so excited because, finally, someone came out with an ultra-portable skateboard. But when I rode it, I found that it wasn't really meant to do much more than be stowed. I think this product has shown us that being compact isn't always a good thing. But hey they tried. The Stowboard isn't meant for skaters or the like...so I am not sure who else would use it, but there you have it.”

Go to http://stowboard.com for more info.



Garry’s HL2 Mod Rocks
Why play Half-Life 2 the old-fashioned way when you can bend the characters to your whims then shoot them with a balloon gun and send them floating into the sky? This mod allows you to spawn characters, manipulate their bodies however you deem fit, and then play with the physics engine with intriguing guns that shoot functioning wheels, watermelons, circular saws, high-pressure canisters, etc. Hours of fun will be yours! “I am glad you have no life,” said Kevin P.

Head over to garry.tv for the free download.



The Feed
In tech topics…

Yeah? So? Observant Mac fans standing outside the Macworld Expo doors peek at banners that read “Life Is Random.” What could it mean?!

EA Empire Grows. But Is It Evil? Not only has Electronic Arts shut Sega out of producing NFL video games, but now it’s bought the exclusive rights to arena football as well. Perhaps Sega can do a high school football game?

Boring Online Conversations Through History: Google has posted a Usenet archive dating back to the early ‘80s.




Stickers – er, Tattoos for Your iPod
Don’t settle for boring ol’, classy white when you can give your iPod a personalized splash of color. Chi-Lan tried out HP’s “tattoo” system and found it simple to use:

Pick an image

Resize or crop to 8.5 x 5.5

Print on Practice Page to match image and shape

Print on tattoo

Remove tattoo

Apply to iPod

Voila!

Go to HP’s iPod tattoo page for more details.



TSS Web Classics

When whale watching gets dangerous.



Sarah’s Internet Gems
Oddities that cannot be found anywhere else but the World Wide Web.

Internet Gem #1: iPod Fingernails
http://www.geocities.co.jp/Stylish/5910/imactip.htm
 
Internet Gem #2: Bizarre Food Anomalies
http://www.hanttula.com/exhibits/freakyfood/index.htm
 
Internet Gem #3: Caffeine Art
http://www.justcoffeeart.com
http://homepage.mac.com/ub22/PhotoAlbum28.html


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