It hasn't even been two months since Microsoft loosed its Surface SDK, and already we're seeing new and improved (or is it just one or the other?) uses of the giant multitouch display. In a presumed attempt to keep savvy shoppers off of those message boards and in the dealership, BMW has developed a promotional video showcasing the so-called Product Navigator. Said device reminds us an awful lot of that fictional computer seen the recent "Twins" Volkswagen commercial, though it actually enables prospective customers to develop their next whip rather than taking their John Hancock and doing the hard work itself. Personally, we'd rather spend our time on the track in Spartanburg deciding which model suits us best, but to each his / her own, we guess. Vid's after the break.

[Via Autoblog]

Continue reading BMW Product Navigator: create your next Bimmer on a Surface

Filed under: Displays, Transportation

BMW Product Navigator: create your next Bimmer on a Surface originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 30 Nov 2008 23:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Before December 1st is officially upon us, make sure you didn't miss any of November's greatest hits:

• How to Burn Any Video File to a Playable Video DVD
  "With your BitTorrent addiction in full swing, you've filled hard drives with media but can't seem to figure out how to burn any of the videos you downloaded to a DVD."
• Customize Your Own Killer "Enigma" Desktop
  "Windows desktop tweaker extraordinaire and Lifehacker reader Kaelri—who brought us the gorgeous Lightning at Sunset desktop and then showed us how to do it ourselves—is back, this time with a fresh new desktop he calls 'Enigma.'"
• Is Your Printer Wasting Your Ink and Money?
  "Everyone's been there: You just bought an expensive ink cartridge for your printer, you use it for a while, and then suddenly—much sooner than seems reasonable—your printer tells you that you're either low on or out of ink."
• The Complete Guide to Speeding Up Your PC's Startup
  "You just hit the power button your PC, and now you've got enough time to brew a fresh pot of coffee for the entire office—because that's how long it takes for your computer to go from 'on' to 'ready to work.'"
• Top 10 Things to Look Forward to in Windows 7
  "While the next iteration of the ubiquitous Microsoft desktop operating system, Windows 7, isn't a dramatic overhaul of its predecessor Windows Vista, it does fix several sore spots and add a few welcome features."
• Get Windows 7's Best Features Right Now
  "If you're tired of hearing about Windows 7's upcoming features while you sit and stare at your aging XP or Vista desktop, take solace in a few free apps and themes that can give you a taste right now."
• Free Software We're Most Thankful For
  "Dear free software developers: Before we American nerds sit down to our turkey and mashed potatoes today, know that your creations are at the top of the list of things we're most thankful for."
• Five Best Desktop Customization Tools
  "It's crazy to think that an operating system can fit every user's needs out of the box, even if we are just talking about looks."
• Five Best Remote Desktop Tools
  "Whether you want quick access to your home computer from anywhere in the world or you're the go-to IT person for your friends and family, remote desktop applications are a godsend."
• Top 10 Online Freebies and Deals
  "Unless you're a financial Jedi Knight or economic Sith Lord, you probably don't have a ton of control over our turbulent economy. What you can reign over is your spending and saving—and when you know where they are, you can take advantage of deep discounts and general freebies across the web."

"Stack the Memory" by the Sniper Twins is a geeky rap song about computers. I thought it was pretty humorous, and definitely worth a watch. The video was very well made too. And I'm not just saying that because the twins told me they've got my dome lined up in their crosshairs even as I type this. But they totally do so please call the authorities. And tell them to bring extra pants. Oooh, and nachos -- my tummy's hungry. Official Site Thanks to Dax, one of the twins, for threatening to kill me.

A

No matter how accustomed we should be by now, it's always jarring to see one of the Nokia N-series phones drop at some outlandish unsubsidized price -- if you think the $556 tag on this N85 is hefty, keep in mind that Amazon is claiming that's already been steeply discounted from an atmospheric $1,200 "list price." While the phone is available to "buy" right this second at Amazon.com, there's a 3 to 5 week ship time quoted, so there's no telling if this'll be the first spot to nab the hotly-anticipated, N96-besting AMOLED handset in the States -- though it might be the first to take your hard earned cash for such a purpose.

[Via OLED-Info]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Nokia N85 pops up at Amazon for $556 unlocked originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 30 Nov 2008 20:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you're a fan of the ultra thin All-Ett but you're on a budget, all you need to do is score a free USPS Tyvek mailing pouch and grab a pair of scissors. Over at the DIY site Instructables there is a tutorial on turning those extremely durable Tyvek pouches into equally as durable wallets. The end result is definitely more attractive than you'd assume a folded up mailing pouch would be. Additionally if you're a fan of the Hipster PDA it makes a perfect cover for your stack of 3x5 cards. If you have trouble finding a USPS mailing pouch, any Tyvek mailing pouch will do although it may require slight modification to the folds in the tutorial. For other wallet related goodness check out our wallet hacks roundup.

• Where can I find a fast-booting web browser only flavor of Linux?
• What music helps you focus and get things done?
• What advice would you give a high school student interested in a tech industry career?
• What are some must have applications for a college student running Vista-64?
• Is it possible to decrypt a TrueCrypt volume through Cygwin?

Windows only: Cubic Explorer is a robust Windows Explorer replacement. Among the features power users have come to expect from Explorer alternatives you'll find tabbed windows, bookmarking, bread crumb navigation, file previews, detailed file searching and quick search via extension filtering. One area of oversight is the lack of dual pane browsing, but the tab interface is snappy enough that the lack of panes can be forgiven. The feature which really shines is the ability to save sessions. If you use Cubic Explorer on multiple machines you can save your preferences for each unique setup: work, home, laptops, etc. Cubic Explore is packaged both in an installer and in a zip file for portable use. For other Explorer alternatives, check out the five best alternative file managers. Cubic Explorer is freeware, Windows only.

Unless you had the foresight to stockpile wrapping paper after Christmas last year, you're looking at buying a lot of over priced paper this holiday season. At the business blog Strategize they came up with a cheap solution for wrapping tons of gifts without breaking the bank.

[We used the] basic brown shipping paper that you can purchase in any office supply or paper store. We wound up buying a pretty large roll of it in a 50 weight, but the entire roll was less than $50. The logo is applied with a self-inking rubber stamp that cost us around $25 and was produced in 24 hours by OfficeMax.

$75 for wrapping gifts might seem steep, but they wrapped around 150 gifts with those basic supplies putting their cost per gift wrapped at around fifty cents. They used their company logo as the adornment on the spartan paper, but you can easily substitute your own variety of craft store stamps or markers to the same effect. In an effort to recycle even more this year, I saved the enormous roll of art paper my toddler has been working her way through to be used as colorful wrapping paper. Should I run out, I'll set her to work with more crayons and restock. While you have gift wrapping on the brain, set up a gift wrapping station to speed up your holiday preparations. For other wrapping ideas check out how to Make Your Own Gift Wrap and how to Turn Catalogs Into Gift Wrap. Have you own creative way of wrapping gifts? Share in the comments below.