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retroremakes
January 2nd, 2010, 22:20
http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/4/2010/01/500x_weekinreview.jpgA lot went down this past week, the last of the year and the decade. People always start looking back this time of year, and we were no exception. But there was plenty of crazy in the here and now.
Yes, there were recaps.
Brian recounted his love of gadgets (http://gizmodo.com/5437977/shine-on-you-crazy-gadgets) in the aughts and explained how that love changed throughout the decade.
We waxed nostalgic on gadgets in the year 2000. Jason wrote about MP3 players (http://gizmodo.com/5437243/mp3-players-in-the-year-2000-were-not-so-good-but-we-still-loved-them). Mark wrote about laptops (http://gizmodo.com/5437844/laptops-in-the-year-2000-were-the-smartphones-of-today). John wrote about Windows CE (http://gizmodo.com/5438096/microsofts-lost-decade-in-mobile) and the digital cameras (http://gizmodo.com/5438069/the-digital-cameras-of-2000-look-awfully-good-for-their-age).
We looked at the year's essential iPhone apps (http://gizmodo.com/5436652/gizmodos-essential-iphone-apps-the-best-of-2009).
Sean warned us of 7 gadgets (http://gizmodo.com/5437816/7-gadgets-that-will-ruin-2010/gallery/) to beware in 2010.
In case you were trying to remember what you liked, we counted down the 10 most popular posts (http://gizmodo.com/5437856/top-10-most-popular-articles-of-2009) of 2009.
We took the FBI Cybersquad, and their Matrix screensaver (http://gizmodo.com/5437166/fox-news-to-fbi-cybersquad-get-in-front-of-some-high-tech-looking-stuffquick), very seriously.
Don showed off some head-scratchers with a What Is It? recap (http://gizmodo.com/5435880/what-is-this-the-years-most-mysterious-images), and we thought that our Image Cache shots deserved the same treatment (http://gizmodo.com/5437946/the-year-in-image-cache-50-shots-that-wowed-us-in-2009).
The history of the New Year's Eve ball extends back 102 years. We made a timeline (http://gizmodo.com/5437770/the-times-square-new-years-eve-ball-timeline).
We couldn't resist posting these bird-watching apps, (http://gizmodo.com/5436238/apple-approves-tits--boobies-and-pussy-lovers-apps) and, in turn, John evaluated the state of porn apps (http://gizmodo.com/5437297/the-iphone-really-deserves-some-better-porn-apps) in the App Store.
Guest blogger Anna Jane Grossman remembered the Internet delivery service Kozmo (http://gizmodo.com/5436701/kozmo-that-doomed-dotcom+era-internet-delivery-service-had-me-at-hello) as part of our Y2K + 10 series (http://gizmodo.com/tag/y2k10).
Adam, working with illustrator Dan Meth, presented the socially acceptable geek subgenre scale (http://gizmodo.com/5437390/the-socially-acceptable-geek-subgenre-scale). Where do you fall?
Jesus made an incredible infographic (http://gizmodo.com/5435954/the-true-odds-of-airborne-terror-chart) on the true odds of airborne terror. It should make you feel a little bit better about flying.
He also posted the TSA's leaked security rules (http://gizmodo.com/5435188/leaked-homeland-securitys-post-underwear-bomb-airplane-rules), though as far as I know he wasn't visited by any government agents.
Theirs wasn't the only leaky faucet this week; we also looked at the Chrome OS netbook's leaked specifications (http://gizmodo.com/5435350/chrome-os-netbook-specs-leaked-multi+touch-ssd-and-more).
Speaking of leaks, this video (http://gizmodo.com/5435497/the-making-of-avatar-the-bootleg) of The Making of the Bootleg of Avatar was the most visible look at the craft since Jerry's
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHV3pfkOBFY of Death Blow and Cry Cry Again.
We leaked documents (http://gizmodo.com/5436673/leaked-nexus-one-documents-530-unlocked-180-with-t+mobile) with the Nexus One price tag that bummed everyone out a bit, because we had sort of hoped it was just going to be free for the taking. This ten minute video (http://gizmodo.com/5437495/ten-minutes-with-the-nexus-one) of the phone still made our mouths water.
Friend of Giz, Kate Greene, hunted for the perfect screen (http://gizmodo.com/5435257/the-hunt-for-the-perfect-screen).
Some buildings were demolished. It didn't go quite as planned (http://gizmodo.com/5437521/i-hate-when-this-happens).
Another friend, Will Smith, showed us how cheap is too cheap (http://gizmodo.com/5437251/do+it+yourself-pc-builders-guide-how-cheap-is-too-cheap) when you're building your own PC.
Google China's ex-president spilled some beans (http://gizmodo.com/5437479/google-china-ex+president-says-apple-tablet-is-a-101+inch-iphone-with-webcam) on the Apple tablet.
We thought these advances in text to speech technology (http://gizmodo.com/5435511/thought+to+speech-machine-could-be-the-beginning-of-something-huge) might lead to something big.
We had some laughs at this cartoon (http://gizmodo.com/5435399/im-a-mac-ads-go-honest) about what it would be like if the "I'm a Mac" ads were more accurate.
For everyone who has ever watched Steve Jobs announce the iPodWhatever, featuring x-ray vision, bulletproof plating, and a bigger hard drive the week after buying the old one, our guide of When to Buy Apple Products (http://gizmodo.com/5432507/when-to-buy-apple-products) was mighty helpful.
This incredible photo (http://gizmodo.com/5437053/oh-hello-saturn-you-look-so-makey+outy-today) of Saturn got Jesus all hot and bothered.
We watched this video (http://gizmodo.com/5436510/leak-half+life-2-playing-on-project-natal-update) of Half-Life 2 being played on Project Natal.
Mark's second 27" iMac was busted (http://gizmodo.com/5435561/my-second-imac-is-busted-too), just like his first one (http://gizmodo.com/5424639/i-spoke-too-soon-my-imac-is-ed-too). He's not going down quietly (http://gizmodo.com/5436442/apple-has-thwarted-my-efforts-so-i-need-your-help).
To put our iSlate speculation in perspective, Matt wrote up a recap (http://gizmodo.com/5435723/the-iphone-wouldve-sucked-if-the-rumors-were-true) of wacky iPhone rumors from the years before that gadget's arrival. One was oddly prescient.
If your resolution was to prank more often, this Skype trick (http://gizmodo.com/5438051/how-to-execute-the-ultimate-phone-prank-with-skype) is a good place to start.
David Quinlan told the awesome story (http://gizmodo.com/5435605/how-12-hours-2-guys-6-cups-of-coffee--1-iphone-app) of how he created his Stuck, his decision-enabling iPhone app.
Joel told President Obama that it is time to fire the Transportation Security Administration (http://gizmodo.com/5435675/president-obama-its-time-to-fire-the-tsa). Some people agreed with him, others did not.
John posted an old home video of himself water-skiing (http://gizmodo.com/5435726/excavator-mudhole-skiing-is-americas-greatest-pastime).
First (http://gizmodo.com/5436599/time-warner-cable-takes-subscription-fee-fight-to-the-people) Time Warner said, "no more Fox channels." Then (http://gizmodo.com/5437975/time-warner-cables-genius-solution-to-possible-fox-outage-the-internet), they said, "just use the Internet. In the end (http://gizmodo.com/5438651/fox-and-time-warner-reach-agreement-your-guilty-pleasure-shows-are-saved), everyone got along.
Just when you thought taser stories couldn't get more outrageous, a cop tasered an unconscious diabetic (http://gizmodo.com/5437088/cop-tasers-unconscious-diabetic-11-times) 11 times.
Also outrageous: the girl who couldn't get her stolen iPhone back (http://gizmodo.com/5437979/apple-refuses-to-send-stolen-iphone-back-to-rightful-owner-after-repair) from Apple.
Matt wondered what's going to be inside (http://gizmodo.com/5436465/whats-inside-the-next-macbooks) the next generation of MacBooks.
A guy constructed a really nice handmade telescope (http://gizmodo.com/5435624/some-guy-made-this-telescope-for-his-wife) for his wife, and suddenly all the presents we gave this year seemed pretty trite.
Another guy constructed a really useless machine, (http://gizmodo.com/5437930/how-to-build-the-worlds-most-useless-machine) but at least took the time to share with us how he did it.
We showed the view (http://gizmodo.com/5435813/the-view-from-the-top-of-kievs-moscow-bridge-dares-you-not-to-get-vertigo) from the top of the Moscow Bridge, and somewhere, somebody puked on their keyboard.
We learned that Google is just an elaborate front for a club of intense ping-pong players (http://gizmodo.com/5436266/google-creative-leads-have-the-best-conference-tables).
Some nerds picked up microphones (that is, rapped awkwardly into their MacBooks keyboards) and recorded (http://gizmodo.com/5435753/this-is-what-happens-when-apple-fanboys-start-rapping-nsfw) I'm On A Phone, a parody of a parody (http://www.hulu.com/watch/56632/saturday-night-live-digital-short-im-on-a-boat) (of a parody, if you count DJ Khaled himself as a joke). One set of them was declared the winner (http://gizmodo.com/5436171/im-on-a-phone-muthfcka).
Mark kicked off our Lifechanger section—posts on common objects that make life better—with as poignant a blog post that has ever been written about vintage pyrex pots (http://gizmodo.com/5435668/lifechanger-vintage-pyrex-colors).
Some weird shit (http://gizmodo.com/5436265/an-insane-tv-shoplifting-situation-that-could-only-happen-at-walmart) went down at a Walmart.
A man stayed true to his copy of shareware WinZip for five years (http://gizmodo.com/5436527/winzip-you-have-underestimated-the-cheapness-of-man); we admired his perseverance.
Now that Avatar has made a bajillion dollars, 3D is here to stay (even though Wilson's screening sort of sucked (http://gizmodo.com/5436584/unwatchable-avatar-hollywood-greed-could-kill-3d).) We took a look at the Battle of the 3D Glasses (http://gizmodo.com/5435784/the-battle-of-3d-glasses).
Speaking of Avatar, remember how your friend was like, "why don't they put those tendrils together when they're having sex?!" Well, they do. And we might get to see it (http://gizmodo.com/5437491/extended-extra+creepy-navi-sex-scene-might-land-on-avatar-dvd).
We previewed Blio (http://gizmodo.com/5435814/first-look-at-blio-ray-kurzweils-tablet+friendly-ebook-format), the tablet-friendly ebook format Ray Kurzweil rescued from the future to bring back to 2009.
Rosa showed off one expensive ass robot hummingbird (http://gizmodo.com/5435863/this-is-a-21-million-robot-hummingbird-and-it-could-save-your-life).
But all bots aren't good ones—we also found this fist-pumping story (http://gizmodo.com/5436216/how-three-guys-dismantled-one-of-the-worlds-most-powerful-botnets) of how three dudes disabled one of the world's most powerful botnets.
That Apophis asteroid that has a 1 in 250,000 chance of hitting Earth? Yeah, Russia's gonna deflect that (http://gizmodo.com/5437259/russia-considering-mission-to-deflect-apophis) just to be safe.
Kim Peek, the original Rain Main, passed away and we remembered him (http://gizmodo.com/5435964/remembering-kim-peek-the-uncanny-human-computer) as well as his amazing abilities.
It's probably not a good idea to pull up Star Trek stuff when you're surfing the web at work, but it's definitely not a good idea to pull up this Star Trek-related shot (http://gizmodo.com/5436027/these-star-trek-fans-are-one-weird-naked-bunch) at work. Hint: it's also wiener-related.
Speaking of things you shouldn't look at at work, Chauvon, an actor from MTV's Real World, showed us how to expose fake boobs using only a flashlight (http://gizmodo.com/5436780/expose-fake-boobs-using-only-a-flashlight). Parenthetically, one of hers popped during the last Real World / Road Rules challenge.
We put out the call for your Genius Bar horror stories (http://gizmodo.com/5435687/tell-us-your-genius-bar-horror-stories-and-win-free-pizza). There's still time to submit yours and win some pizza.
We learned that the Coast Guard (http://gizmodo.com/5436367/spectacular-air-rescue-of-crewman-from-moving-us-navy-submarine) got mean with pirates and cuddly with kittens in 2009.
Lastly, It turns out that there's a ton of Weekly World News issues scanned into Google Books (http://gizmodo.com/5436506/weekly-world-news-exclusive-first-photos-of-heaven-taken-with-cellphone), which someday will help someone get out of a sticky fact checking situation.


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