GeekBytes: Doing Christmas the Geek Way

Welcome to GeekBytes, where we roundup up other notable stories we didn't want you to miss out on. In today's edition, we show you how to do Christmas the GeekTech way, with some awesome wrapping paper, cool gifts and clever decorations.

Have you ever ended up embroiled in a Christmas decorations war with your neighbors? This house would win hands-down. Not only is the house entirely decked in 20,000 festive Angry Birds LEDs, it's also a game. Those pesky pigs are trying to ruin Christmas, so it's up to you to grab that slingshot and fire a host of pretty cranky birds. Take that, neighbors! [via Ubergizmo]

Okay, so you may be pushing it to order a last-minute gift online now, but these pillows would make a good gift for any occasion (you can always be really organized for next year too). The handmade camera-shaped pillows start at $38 and feature various vintage cameras, from Kodak to Amico. Creator Ronda Smith also takes custom orders, but these are too cute to pass up. [via Gizmodo]

If you really want to make your geeky friend, partner, child, etc... happy, wrap up their gifts in Minecraft wrapping paper. The pixel paper is available from J!NX for $8 for a pack of three sheets, and you have a choice of diamond or cobblestone patterns. While you are browsing J!NX though, it's possible you may be tempted by the variety of the official Minecraft merchaindise on offer. [via Geekosystem]

 

Translogic hangs out with Daimler's Zetsche and Ford's Mulally at CES

 

Usually our sister publication Translogic is out putting futuristic transportation hardware through the paces or talking to geeks who are trying to reimagine the very infrastructure of our world. But this week, the show has a decidedly more conventional subject: Interviews with Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche and Ford CEO Alan Mulally.

Both of these automotive bigwigs were wandering the halls of the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this month (Zetsche was the keynote speaker, a job Mulally performed two years ago), which is where Translogic caught up with them for a chat and demonstration of their CES wares. Zetsche showed off a new gesture-based in-car interface, as well as some new active safety technology for Mercedes-Benz. Mulally plugged Ford's new hybrid and plug-in hybrid Fusion, as well as showing off the Ford Evos concept's fancy infotainment system. Give it a watch after the jump.