This is a guest post by AT&T.

Every business has two obstacles: time and money. While it’s always good to take advantage of the newest technology, usually there is a big price to pay in terms of capital commitment. After all, you have to purchase the hardware, sign extended service agreements, train your staff new processes, and then hope it interfaces well with the infrastructure you’ve already built.

These concerns can be minimized if not eliminated when you take advantage of cloud computing services. Just like a cell phone with a pay as you go plan, AT&T’s cloud computing services are scalable based on your needs. If you have a sudden rush of orders or need a new application now, you can quickly implement what you need and dial back down later when the need is gone.

As we become increasingly more connected with Smartphones, Tablet PCs, and of course traditional PCs, your company needs to have the flexibility to serve all of those needs within your network. Cloud computing is a flexible cost-effective alternative for delivering IT services across your entire organization from any physical location.

Since cloud services are network based, you need to choose your provider wisely. AT&T has 99.9% network availability as well as enterprise security measures built in to ensure maximum performance without sacrificing security.

If you would like to learn more about cloud computing and the services that AT&T offers, please download this white paper from AT&T: Cloud Services: What Are They, What Value Do They Provide?

So here’s the backstory. Since traveling to a far-off planet to location shoot the Tatooine scenes from the original Star Wars film would have been cost-prohibitive, the filmmakers built and shot the sets in Tunisia instead. Including the Lars’ family home, commonly known as the ‘igloo’. Unfortunately the conditions and temperatures in the Tunisian desert have slowly weathered those sets over time, to the point where they’re close to being completely destroyed. So a group of fans has planned an expedition to Tunisia to restore them to their original glory, but in order to do that they need money. And as Lucasfilm has proved time and time again, the best way to get money is with Star Wars merchandise.

Taking a page from the Romain Jerome design playbook, the restoration team has created a collectible watch that features actual sand from the Tatooine sets adorning the face. The numbers surrounding the watch face are printed in Aurebesh, the official language of the Star Wars universe, and each timepiece is made from solid 316L stainless steel, machined brass and Seiko mechanisms. According to their Kickstarter page the watch has a suggested retail price of $112, and you can get one with a donation of just $77. However, it looks like the project has already reached their $22,760 funding goal. So not only will the sets hopefully be preserved, but they’ll have a few extra credits to head into Tosche Station to pick up some power converters too.

[ Kickstarter - Planet Tatooine Collectibles ] VIA [ TheForce.Net ]

While they’re more commonly used as a way for prepubescent boys to leave an imprint of their middle finger behind in novelty stores, those pin art desk toys are occasionally an amusing way to kill a few minutes at work. And when blown up to full-scale, a clever way to advertise your fashion brand.

That’s what Lulu Guinness did with this giant pin art display which encouraged people to ‘Be a Pin Up!’ themselves. If you had a real-life wayback machine you could travel back to last month and experience it for yourself under the St. John’s Gate in Central London, where it was on display as part of Clerkenwell’s Design Week. But now we’re going to assume it’s sitting on top of Lulu Guinness’ equally gigantic desk, next to a monstrous version of Newton’s Cradle which could demolish a building.

[ Fashionista Barbie - Clerkenwell Design Week: Lulu Guinness - Be a Pin Up! ] VIA [ TDW Geeks & Illuminations and Other Stuff ]

Lets get this out of the way first and foremost. Polara’s self correcting golf balls, which promise to correct slices and hooks by up to 75%, are not approved for professional competition play. So if you think you’ve found a way to sneak into the PGA or LPGA, it isn’t going to happen. However, if you’re completely unable to play through a round of golf at your local course without constantly landing your ball off the fairway, and have very understanding friends, you might want to give them a shot.

I don’t completely understand the science of what keeps them on the straight and narrow, but it’s a combination of a deep, shallow and tiny dimple pattern on the outside of the ball. And what looks to be a specialized layer core which optimizes spin and increases distance. A set of 12 Polara balls will cost you $39.95, which I assume is more expensive than a regular set of balls. But since Polara’s balls will also reduce the number of snickers and laughter from your fellow players, I’m pretty sure it’s more than worth it for a lot of golfers.

[ Polara Self Correcting Golf Balls ] VIA [ The Red Ferret Journal ]

Now seriously, why has it taken mankind so long to make such a simple improvement to the wooden cutting board? Chop was created by French designer Patrick Jouin for Alessi’s Fall & Winter 2010 collection, and simply adds a concave groove around the rim that allows you to slide a plate below the cutting surface and easily scrape chopped food onto it. Unfortunately it’s $100, but fortunately it looks like it’s less complicated to make than a grade school wood shop project. Now where’s my router?

[ Alessi Chop Cutting Board ] VIA [ Core77 ]

You know I’m not entirely sure what this Want/Need Glass available from Alesina Design is supposed to be illustrating. At first I thought it was maybe a commentary on appreciating the fact that we have a readily available supply of fresh drinking water, and that we shouldn’t waste a single drop or be too greedy when filling up a glass. But now I’m thinking it’s just the result of a bet between designers as to who could get $30 for a single glass that already comes with a hole in it. Somewhere someone’s got a smirk on their face a mile wide.

[ Want/Need Glass ] VIA [ HolyCool.net ]

By Chris Scott Barr

Owning an arcade cabinet is one of those dreams that most every gamer has. Unfortunately there are some major hurdles involved with owning such a thing. First, if you want one with a good game (or multiple good games) you’re going to have to shell out a few hundred bucks. Then there’s the issue of space, and weight. I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to move one, but arcade machines are really heavy. Well, if you already own an iPad, you can turn it into a miniature arcade cabinet.

That’s right, you can finally head over to ThinkGeek and pre-order your very own iCade. The April Fool’s gadget from last year is going to be shipping on May 11th. The price hasn’t changed from the earlier $100, so no worries about having to pay more. What’s even better is that Atari has already released their collection of 100 classic games, so there will be no shortage of games to play when yours arrives.

[ ThinkGeek ]

It’s probably not going to get the job done if you spent your day wallowing around in a pigsty, but for reasonably soiled garments, this washing machine from Russell Hobbs has a ’super rapid’ mode that can clean an entire load in just 12 minutes! The secret is apparently a twin jet system which blasts the load with water and detergent at the same time using two separate nozzles.

Not only does it apparently offer a better wash, but it can also reduce water usage by 15%. And since it’s running less, it also reduces energy consumption by 30%. That equates to saving the average family about 212,415 gallons of water over a lifetime, and 2 years and 4 months of time spent waiting for the washer to finish. That’s time that can be better spent living life and dirtying more laundry! ~$400 (£247) for the 7kg model pictured above, and ~$520 (£320) for a 9kg model.

[ ASDA direct - Russell Hobbs 7Kg White 1200 Spin Washing Machine ] VIA [ Gizmag ]

It’s not the first Nutmobile that Planters, and presumably their CEO Mr. Peanut, have commissioned, but the company’s latest promotional tool will certainly be one of the greenest and gaudiest creations rolling about the country this year. Built on a 2011 Isuzu NPR box truck, with the box bit swapped for a giant fiberglass peanut reinforced with a steel frame, the new Nutmobile can hold up to 3 passengers plus Mr. Peanut himself should he need to make a public appearance. (I hear he’s actually a bit of a recluse though, and is rumored to have a cannibalistic addiction to peanuts.)

And while it doesn’t appear to be in competition with the Volt or anything, the new Nutmobile is a shining example of promotional eco-friendliness. The engine runs on a mix of biodiesel and regular diesel, the windshield is made from 100% recycled glass, the interior features wood flooring reclaimed from an 1840’s barn and the vehicle’s batteries are charged with a combination of solar panels and a wind turbine built into the roof of the cab. And I’m just going to assume/hope that like Powell Motor’s disastrous ‘The Homer’ the new Nutmobile is also equipped with rack and peanut steering.

[ The New York Times - A Green Makeover for Planters Nutmobile ] VIA [ Autoblog ]

A can of pop or a candy bar might give you an energy boost for a couple of minutes, but the makers of the RoboPutt vending machine feel your money could be better spent, particularly if you’re an avid golfer with a terrible putting game. Designed to be installed in pro shops or somewhere near a golf course, the RoboPutt machine provides 5 minutes of putting training and instruction for a mere $5.

Users bring their own putter, since it helps to use a club you’re already comfortable with, and in the process of creating their user account they attach a small sensor to it and record the mechanics of their current putting swing. Once satisfied, that information is uploaded to the RoboPutt machine and is stored with their ID for future comparisons. Each user is also provided with a swipe card so their information is available on any RoboPutt machine around the world. For the actual putting lessons they then attach their putter to a mechanical arm which goes through the motions of a proper putting swing so that a user can build up the appropriate muscle memory over time.

There are options to simply go through the motions of the swing you recorded to reinforce what you already feel is an ideal swing (if you’re a professional golfer for example) or to have the RoboPutt machine take into account and correct the swing you recorded to improve your game. And after that more advanced lessons are also available to help you master any kind of putting scenario.

[ RoboPutt Vending Machine ] VIA [ Gizmag ]