If you’ve not known, Microsoft has been fighting with Apple for quite some time over the “App Store trademark, even before Amazon go and name their new online app store the Amazon App Store, which got themselves a letter from Apple as we’ve already known.

Now we may be able to slightly guess what Redmond has been so consistently fighting to prevent Apple from getting that sole right to use that popular term. Hopefully this is not some crude and late April fool joke. Chinese site cnBeta’s been busy dishing out alleged screenshots of Windows 8 at its infancy, and the latest seem to be rather wacky. It appears that Microsoft’s next flagship OS will be shipped with its very own built-in app store, which is simply dubbed Windows App Store at this stage.

As with previous Windows milestone builds, the final appearance may differ slightly, but word has it that this new store’s passed its internal tests and will soon go beta. While it’s too early to tell, here’s hoping that this feature will open the floodgate to a whole bunch of cheaper Windows software.

SOURCE via Ars Technica

Codemaster’s rally racing game Dirt 3 may be just around the corner, with a release date of May 24, but that doesn’t stop them from continuing on teasing us. The developers Codemasters has revealed an intriguing three-game party mode in the new racing game. The party mode consists of mini games and will serve as an escape for those who get tired of sliding Ken Block’s WRC Ford Fiesta around gravel-strewn corners at breakneck speed. It also means there will be a welcome multiplayer mode to an already awesome racing title.

The first, called Invasion, has players driving around an open parking lot attempting to destroy cardboard robots while avoiding skyscrapers, which could turn out to also be robots. The second game is Outbreak, where a glowing-green “infected” player tries to spread his car’s disease by crashing into opponents. Last man standing without the verdant infection leaves the game victorious. The last game is Transporter, where players careen around in search of spontaneously-appearing flags. Once you claim a flag, you have to return it to your home base without being mugged by another player.

Essentially, party mode combines a Mario Party-style multiplayer mode with a straightforward rally-racing game. Sounds like Dirt 3 will be very awesome!

SOURCE via Joystiq

Right, we’ve seen countless of very bizarre and special and unique (whatever you want to call them) wedding proposals, sometimes it’s hard to think of anything special again to convince her to put on that cursed ring and be your maid for the rest of your life. For a certain someone who thinks that he’s a wizard and has found his partner sorcerer (or witch?) and he’s going to go bold and ask for her hand, or wand? Anyway, he’s prepared a Harry Potter book with a surprise cut-out containing the engagement ring. Not sure if the ring is enchanted or not thought. I know I know, placing a ring in a cut-out of a book isn’t very new, but hey at least it gives those wizard-wannabes some good inspiration. Damn, I’m running out of ideas that can be used when the time comes.

When we see paints, we go ‘yeah dawg I can draw that too’. Like I can’t? But when it comes to crafting, I’m still amazed by some gardeners who can actually cut out shapes of animals. I’ve seen plenty of wood carving, and I’ve experienced it myself, but this… this is majestic product. I’m not sure how he did this, but I’m also sure he didn’t use his teeth.

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I’ve seen aplenty of fake products from unknown China manufacturers blatantly using real company names on their products, and here’s another news straight from mother Russia. A Russian nerd who is in need of some portable backup, probably to store his porn collection for easy access during travelling, drive all the way to the Russian/Chinese border and pick up a 500GB black-market Samsung.

That’s already a very smart move he did there. But what did he get? The seller had rigged the 128MB flash drive inside to appear as a 500GB drive when plugged into a computer, and continually delete files imported to it to make it seem the transfer was successful. See the trick there? Well, we never heard if he returned to get his money back, but I can already imagine the result.

So boys and girls, next time don’t try to save a few bucks and get something that’s dirt cheap, because it seem too good to be true, then it’s not. Do double check when you buy something, especially in this world where there’s so many counterfeit parts.

SOURCE via Screw of the Day

Do you fancy keeping spiders? How about robotic spiders? I’ve seen people having spiders as pets, and some having robots as toys, but I’ve never seen both combined. Here’s a very cool hobby toy that you can buy, and it’s a robotic spider made by Kondo.

It’s got many legs, although they can’t be used to stab people with eight samurai swords. Dubbed as the KMR-M6, this robot comes equipped with an optional spacing, a camera, grippers and servomotors to add more fun and flexibilities to your research and developments, or your Tom Peeping missions.

The Kondo KMR-M6 spider robot is now available for 76,800 Yen or around $900.
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