If you’re a discerning geek who can’t be satisfied with an action figure that’s anything but unique, the Vicale Corporation lets you configure your own with a handy-dandy Flash configurator. [boingboing]

There is enough idle electrical capacity in the United States’ grid to power all the cars and light trucks in the country, if everyone switched to plug-in hybrid-electric cars. Sure, the power would still be generated by fossil-fuel burning plants, but would be used with a higher overall efficiency and lower overall emissions, the studies’ authors claim. [treehugger]

I don’t have a wood stove (or live in a cold climate) but if I did I would so buy the Heat Wave fan. It pushes 300 cubic feet of air per minute, and requires not an erg of external power. The secret sauce? It’s driven by a Stirling engine.

The cancellation of a London conference on social networking due to lack of interest from potential delegates has The Guardian wondering whether social sites are going the way of the dodo. Though I’m inclined to believe that the end-cap to the piece is more accurate in its assumption:

“Alternatively, the cancellation of a social networking conference in London may just be another example of the sad reality that European companies just don’t get the web.”

Clever advertising can be a great tool for getting out an important message – like this bicycle-powered billboard that promotes the efficiency of LEDs over normal bulbs. Sadly, it’s an industry that is more widely concerned by barraging us with images and products at times when our attention is captive by circumstance – like when you’re checking your grille in a public washroom mirror.