Engadget has an amazing little blurb on the future of video conferencing, and how it might not be boring?! Believe it or not (and we're saying "believe it"), the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization has created a game called Airhockey Over a Distance to "showcase the power of advanced networking." Essentially, you play airhockey on half a table that's propped up against a screen, as does your opponent in Zimbabwe (where air hockey is super... READ ON

Reuters is reporting today that Brazil's armed forces have somehow found themselves in the animal delivery service. The national forces have been enlisted to first fly and then ship over 100 penguins back to Antarctica next month. Apparently, penguins arrive every year on ice floes that melt close to Brazilian shores (this time the lucky birds ended up on the beaches of Rio). And while normally, these Antarctic immigrants are sent off to local zoos, this year's travel accommodations are... READ ON

It's good to know someone else is obsessed with odd sports -- the bloggers at YesButNoButYes have put together a top-ten list of harebrained physical activities, including: * The World Highland Games: Events like the Sheaf toss where you throw a bundle of straw, the stone put where you throw a rock, and the caber toss where you throw a tree. * Surf Lifesaving: Combining the grace and beauty of watersports with the thrill of cardiac arrest. * Extreme Ironing: You see what marriage does to... READ ON

More and more these days it seems we like to experience life in private, without annoying intrusions from our neighbors, our fellow countrymen or our mother-in-laws. With the success of the Walkman, listening to music became a solitary experience. With the success of the VCR, moviegoers found they no longer had to suffer through a matinee with a throng of inconsiderate candy-wrapper-opening individuals. Of course the cell phone has made public pay phones almost obsolete and the Internet is now making... READ ON