Remember that LED display board that was scheduled to be lit up at Walgreens in Times Square? You know, that 17,000-square foot one touting 12 million LEDs? Sure you do. The board, which was designed by D3 LED, was finally activated in the heart of New York City, and its creators are asserting that it’s one of the most complex in existence. If you’re wondering if this is worth a trip up (along with having a peek at the giant tree in Rockefeller Center), you might want to hit the read link first, but you should probably understand that almost nothing in NYC can hold a candle in terms of magnitude to downtown Dubai.Filed under: DisplaysGigantic LED display board goes live at Walgreens in Times Square originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Could you tell a few auto shows were going on in California? In case you’ve somehow overlooked it, a number of automakers are showing off some swank new in-car connectivity options, and Dodge is striving to elicit even more fluids from your saliva glands by showing off the Dodge EV. We initially heard about this mythical automobile back in September, and now the very Viper-inspired whip is wowing onlookers in LA. The all-electric plug-in boasts mid-mounted batteries, a 268-horsepower engine, a 150-mile range and a 0 to 60 time of under five seconds. Have a peek at what you’ll be attempting to finance “as early as 2010″ down in the read link.[Via Digg]Filed under: TransportationDodge EV seen in the flesh at LA Auto Show originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 05:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

We’ve seen plenty of cheap plastic MP3 land-fillers in our day. But those usually originate from deep-down within the fetid bowels of some no-name manufacturing house in southeast Asia, not the once illustrious Creative. The Zen Moo (yes, Moo) appears to be be a Zen Stone with extra bits of plastic and paint added to achieve Cow. Like the Stone, you get a small OLED, 2GB of memory, 20 hours of playback, and FM tuner to the delight of kids across China (where the Zen Moo was announced) — hey, it’s never too early to destroy a child’s hearing. Gift-wrapped product waifs holding the accompanying speaker accessory after the break. Update: Seems the Zen Moo is a tribute to the 2009 Chinese New Year, year of the plastic cow.[Via EpiZENTer, thanks Oscar M.]Continue reading Creative gives up, introduces the Zen MooFiled under: Portable AudioCreative gives up, introduces the Zen Moo originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 04:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

var digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/gadgets/BlackBerry_Storm_now_available_on_Verizon’; You’ve read the review, now Verizon’s BlackBerry Storm is available for purchase for $200 on two-year contract. Really, what’s left to say — you’re either ready to pull the trigger or not.[Thanks, JR]Filed under: CellphonesBlackBerry Storm now available on Verizon originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 04:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Like the Eee Top all-in-one PC but 15.6-inches is just too wee for your taste? Fine, you’ll have the chance to grapple with 20- and 22-inchers, according to ASUS CEO Jerry Shen, sometime in the first half of 2009. Drop Windows 7 into these touchscreen monuments to mediocrity and we’re in.Filed under: DesktopsASUS Eee Top climbing to 20- and 22-inches by June originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 03:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Today’s Top Posts: PINs hacked from ATM transaction processing software Blockbuster backs out of Circuit City buy Play your Nintendo DS like a Jedi with a Lightsaber Stylus Shell Japan to build big solar power panel factory Interview: James Dyson loves and hates on the iPhone, BlackBerry Beer-bottle telephone Voice Search comes to Google Maps for BlackBerry Japanese companies start anime and manga download service for the Nintendo DS Nvidia’s faulty laptop GPUs cause all sorts of headaches Google Talk on the iPhone: It’s not what you think

At Germany?s new grocery story of the future (already in use by residents of the present) shoppers can use mobile phones to check out while they shop. The store has created free software for your phone that allows you to use your camera to capture barcodes as you shop. Once finished, just press a button and all your purchases come up as a single bar code. Slide your phone under the barcode reader at an automated pay station, and your final amount comes up. Shoppers can then pay using cash, credit or debit cards, or with the touch of a finger, (once you register for fingerprint shopping). The store also features Roger the helpful German shop robot, an automated wine tasting bar and micro chipped meat. Take a tour with the BBC.

Sure this thing has GPS built-in but it uses a number of clever algorithms so it won’t be completely dependent on geographic position and can even do crazy arial acrobatics. The best part is where they throw balls at the thing and when it stays essentially in the same place without moving. This stuff is cool but extremely scary. via Giz

Wha happen?! Bloops! It seems the gas inside flat-panel displays, Nitrogen Trifluoride (NF3), is 17,000 times better than CO2 when it comes to trapping heat in the atmosphere. The gas isn’t very prevalent yet but just wait until we start throwing away our old HDTVs to get OLEDs. Best of all, “has a characteristic mouldy smell and is thought to be highly harmful to the liver and kidneys.” Tasty! While flat-screen manufacturers are talking up their greenness, what we really need to know is their NF3 use and energy efficiency. It will be interesting to see how long this issue lasts until someone does something about it.