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Gizmodo

Gizmodo, the gadget guide. So much in love with shiny new toys, it's unnatural.

Old Beijing Subway Trains Get Second Life As Homeless Shelters [China]Yesterday

Ever wonder what happens to old subway cars when subway lines upgrade to newer trains? In Beijing at least, the ones used pre-Olympics have been shipped to Sichuan and converted into temporary winter shelters. Ten DK-16 trains, each with six cars, are now in Guangyuan, a city north of Sichuan's capital Chengdu.

Sure, they may not look very homey to us, but they're an ingenious way to deal with the terrible problem of the thousands left homeless by the earthquake, while making sure older subway models don't end up in a landfill somewhere. Altogether, the trains will accommodate roughly 1,200 people. [China News]

Japanese Healthy Cigarettes Do Nothing for Kicking the Habit [Unsexy]Yesterday

A Japanese company, Sosu, has recently revealed healthy cigarettes, rechargeable battery-powered butts that emit flavored steam, complete with glowing LED lights. Unfortunately these cigarettes won’t actually help with those nicotine—you know, the addictive part—cravings.

The Mismo cigarette comes from Sosu's 'Nicolestyle' (or "Nicotine-less Style") line of products. Nicotine-free and tar-free, the cigarettes ensure you get your essential nutrients such as CoQ10 and Vitamin C. Flavors come in mint and grapefruit, which lay in cartridges that cost about $10 each and last for 300 inhales. For about $126, you can at least look swanky and cultured (coughpretentiouscough) as you hang outside a high upscale Euro club. I guess smoking is still pretty in—just this morning I swore I woke up and for a few hours I thought it was 1929. [Engrish]

At Gizmodo Gallery: A Live "Will It Blend?" Demo [Gizmodo Gallery]Yesterday

The Gizmodo Gallery, which starts this week in NYC, is going to have voodoo. See, Blendtec, the guys responsible for those catchy videos of gadgets being destroyed aren't just giving us one to give away as a door prize, but they're setting us up with a demo model we can use to pulp our own gadgets with.

We'll have lab coats and goggles, but also whipped cream and berries. And I think we'll sacrifice a gadget or two come this Saturday to the gods of user interface design or battery life because clearly, asking companies to improve such things have by and large gone unanswered. We may do even more than a few if you've got some particularly interesting and hated ones you want to puree, but no promises!

[Read more about our Gizmodo Gallery here and see what else we'll be playing with at the event.]

[Thanks to REED ANNEX and thanks to our benefactor gizmine.com]

Gizmodo Gallery
Reed Annex

Good OS Launches A Cloud-centric Version of Their Linux OS called...Cloud [Cloud Computing]Yesterday

Good OS, who provided the $200 Wal-mart PCs with gOS, will release a cloud-based version of the OS, the pragmatically named Cloud. Cloud runs a hybrid browser/linux kernel, offering quick startups and minimal lag.

According to Electronista, Cloud launches within a few seconds, provides access to the internet, runs client apps (like Skype), as well as a variety of web apps, including a dock full of them from Google. In addition, Cloud is compatible with flash video and mp3s, giving users options for multimedia use within the OS. But Cloud is not meant to be a standalone solution. Instead, it will be packaged in netbooks alongside Windows XP, complete with a dock icon that will switch you over to the more robust operating system when more power is required.

Cloud is expected to be available early next year, when it is shipped alongside Gigabyte's Tablet Notebooks. [Good OS via Electronista]

Product Manual Archive Gives Us a Glimpse of Gadgets of Yesteryear [Retromodo]Yesterday

For those of us who don't remember life before the NES, Boing Boing uncovered a collection of vintage instruction manuals, ads, hang tags and more, which give us a glimpse of gadgets from the past.

Included in these clippings are lessons on how to build fallout shelters in case of emergencies, and my personal favorite, headphones, now available with a "new coiled cord!" Check out a gallery of our favorite retro gizmos below, or head over to the Product Manual Archive to check out the ongoing collection! [Product Manual Archive via BoingBoing]