Designer Mods a Pioneer a DJ Deck to Look Like the Millennium Falcon

Designer Jesse Dean has made a career out of modding out DJ equipment like turntables in all kinds of nerdy ways. His latest, though, might be the most profound geek mod he's ever done.

Dean will mod anything. Want your Native Instruments workstation loaded with Lego? You got it. Want your Technics turntable welded together with some other gear? He will do it. But what do we make of the "Pioneer Millennium Falcon?" My it's impressive.

What you're looking at here would be a beautifully crafted 3D model of the Millennium Falcon even before you realize that it's all be build around a Pioneer CDJ-2000 deck. It's amazing that Dean is able to build up Han Solo's ship around the gear in so much detail while retaining the full functionality of the CD DJ deck. As for moving this thing around—you might need to enlist the help of a wookiee. [Jesse Dean Designs]

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The Weirdest Thing on the Internet Tonight: Beat It Tonight (NSFW)

No see, the three supa-hawt party girls getting naked and drunk represents the itch of his addiction—that itch, that unyielding, nagging itch—the Molotov cocktail, his determination to conquer it.

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OPEC Need Not Cut Production Next Year as Production from Iran and Libya Adds Up

By next year there will be enhanced oil production in the U.S. Similarly, while Iran will start exporting more oil to the world after the sanctions are lifted. The oil production will also get an edge when Libya starts producing in its full capacity. In such a situation there will be more supply of oil which may debacle the global oil prices; however, OPEC members are not worried about this.

In a statement, ministers from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq said that OPEC needn’t cut production next year to make room for additional supplies from Iran, Libya and U.S. shale oil. The statement has come up after apprehensions have been shown that the oil prices may face a steep decrease thanks to increased production in 2014.

Saudi Oil Minister Optimistic About Oil Market in 2014

Following his earlier statements that he made last month, Saudi Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi said in a speech at a meeting of Arab oil exporters in Doha, Qatar that Shale oil is not posing any threat to Saudi Arabia and OPEC. He seems too determined on his stand that he has been clearing quite often that there is no need to increase or decrease the production.

He said that he is optimistic that the market will stay balanced and stable next year. His statement has come up when expectations were made that since output will increase after Iranian and Libyan production return to the market, OPEC will need to revise its policy and reduce oil production to maintain a balance in favor of the oil producers.

However, as the Saudi Oil Minister says that he is content with current oil price levels and there is no likelihood of changing the policy till at least June 2014, the current production will continue even after Iranian and Libyan oil is available for export. Iran which has been facing economic sanctions for its disputed nuke program is seeking to raise oil output to 4 million barrels a day.

Earlier in a statement Iranian oil minister, Bijan Namdar Zanganeh, said at the OPEC meeting, after a Nov. 24 agreement over its nuclear program opened the door to an easing of sanctions that the country is willing to increase production and export oil to balance its deficits which it has suffered after the U.S. and allied countries imposed economic sanctions on it.

To contact the reporter of this story: Jonathan Millet at john@forexminute.com

Jonathan Millet is currently the proud CEO of ForexMinute.com, the brand new financial news portal which is making waves among Forex traders around the globe for the innumerable Forex resources it off...

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Overstock to Become the First Big U.S. Online Retailer to Accept Bitcoin

Whereas Bitcoin is facing one setback after the other, it is also receiving acceptance from wide segments; now, Overstock is planning to become the first big U.S. online retailer to accept Bitcoin. According to Patrick Byrne, the company’s libertarian chief executive, Bitcoin is a healthy monetary system which can contribute largely for the organization.

Mr. Byrne talking to media professionals said that Overstock planned to start accepting Bitcoin next year. Though the specific time has not been framed, estimates are that it may start accepting the digital currency as early as the end of the second quarter. The decision is purely based on the convictions Mr. Byrne has for the science and technology and its outcome Bitcoin.

In his statement Mr. Byrne says that he thinks a healthy monetary system at the end of the day isn’t an upside down pyramid based on the whim of a government official, but is based on something that they can’t control. He also says that there are a lot of virtual currencies, but this is the only one he knows of that can’t be created.

Mr. Byrne is a Libertarian

True to his convictions and ideology, Mr. Byrne, a self-proclaimed libertarian believes in the Austrian School of economics. It is to be noted that Austrian School of Economics unlike Chicago School of Economics predict that fiat currencies created for governments by central banks would destabilize the world economy.

Austrian School of Economics is often criticized by the mainstream economists who are dominating the Federal Reserve of the U.S. However, this school has often come up with hard hitting facts and predictions that are undeniable. Mr. Byrne and other libertarians have been supporting Bitcoin for long; even Libertarian Parties of Canada and the U.S. accept them as donations.

Bitcoin whose prices have gone up recently and touched the benchmark of $1200 faced a setback after the Chinese government banned them from financial transactions. Similarly, a guideline issued by the Norwegian government said that Bitcoin is not real money. However, the decision on the part of Overstock seems to give further impetus to the cause when the chips are down for it.

True to his ideas, Mr. Byrne supported the libertarian Ron Paul in the 2012 U.S. presidential election. He says that if there’s going to be some part of the population which adopts it, he thinks that that group will get that business. And the people who switch to it will respect that they started adopting it.

To contact the reporter of this story: Deepak Tiwari at deepak@forexminute.com

Deepak Tiwari, a law graduate, has been working as a journalist for six years now. He currently writes on Bitcoin, economic, and Forex related news at ForexMinute, the brand new financial news portal ...

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Fed Tapers Stimulus, Japan Brings New Stimulus

Today, the Bank of Japan came up with a statement wherein it said that it is maintaining its record easing though on the other side of Pacific Ocean, the U.S. Federal Reserve has decided to taper policy. The decision on the part of Japan is aimed to weaken the yen to a five-year low against the dollar as the country’s economy depends a lot on exports and weak yen gives impetus to it.

In his statement governor Haruhiko Kuroda said that the central bank of Japan is expanding the monetary base by an annual 60 trillion to 70 trillion yen ($670 billion). The much waited conclusion came after a two-day meeting in Tokyo. According to media Kuroda’s push for 2 percent inflation underscores the difference in policy direction between the BOJ and the Fed.

The Bank of Japan Cautious about Prices

According to market observers the change in language that the BOJ is adopting shows that it is more cautious on prices. In fact, Kuroda said there was no change in his view which he has been expressing on inflation. He says that that Japan will reach the BOJ’s 2 percent inflation target and the new steps are being seen as solid steps to boost government bond purchases.

In his statement Kuroda said that the BOJ isn’t targeting foreign exchange rates which have fallen to record levels against the dollar. Factually, the yen has fallen 17 percent against the dollar this year which is not just unprecedented but also setting disturbing trends; for instance, it is fueling consumer price gains.

However, Kuroda sees it as a market correction which according to him is an excessively strong indication for Japan’s economy. He said at a press conference after the meeting that corporate profits have been boosted, sentiment among economic players has turned positive, stocks have risen and growth has accelerated.

The Fed May Reduce Its Bond Buying by $10 Billion

Reports are coming that in its pursuit to reduce stimulus every month, the Federal Reserve will probably reduce its bond purchases in $10 billion increments. It will be done over the next seven meetings before ending the program in December 2014. In its statement the Federal Open Market Committee said that it will slow buying.

Bernanke in his statement said that the Fed is going to take further modest steps subsequently, so that would be the general range. He added that the Fed could stop purchases if the economy disappoints, it could pick them up somewhat if the economy is stronger.

To contact the reporter of this story: Jonathan Millet at john@forexminute.com

Jonathan Millet is currently the proud CEO of ForexMinute.com, the brand new financial news portal which is making waves among Forex traders around the globe for the innumerable Forex resources it off...

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Chris Hadfield Answers Your Spacewalk Questions on Twitter Right Now

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It's no lazy Saturday on the International Space Station: astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Michael Hopkins have just begun the first of three spacewalks to fix a faulty cooling loop on the outside of the ISS. And you can watch it live.

Head on over to NASA TV for live video, including radio communication from the astronauts and explanation by NASA engineers here on earth. Today's mission is disconnecting the faulty pump circulating ammonia coolant through the ISS's external cooling lines. A second spacewalk on Monday will focus on connecting the replacement pump, and a final mission Wednesday will complete the repair using the ISS's giant robotic arm. Hey, if you're gonna work on a holiday, you should at least be able to play with some awesome toys! [NASA TV]

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The Fascinating Century of the Crossword, the Original Mobile Game

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Look around at the people on a train, at a bus stop, or in an airport. Chances are, lots of them are playing some kind of game on their smartphones. But in any crowd, you'll likely see someone poring over a different pocket diversion — the crossword puzzle, still going strong today on its 100th birthday. It's been a fascinating century.

Word games have been around since the dawn of writing, and by the late 1800's games in magazines were starting to develop crossword-style characteristics. But it was on December 21st, 1913 that Arthur Wynne published the first true crossword in The New York World. This puzzle defined the design and layout that would last a century. However, it didn't establish the name — Wynne called his game a Word-Cross, seen here.

By the 1920s, the name had changed from word-cross to crossword, allegedly due to a typesetter's error somewhere along the line, and the puzzle turned into a booming fad. In 1924, the newly-formed Simon and Schuster publishers reluctantly produced the first crossword book, at the nudging of founder Richard Simon's puzzle-crazy aunt. The initial batch of 3,600 copies, none of which carried the publisher's name, sold like wildfire, and Simon and Schuster went on to publish over 100,000 copies. In 1924 and 1925, crossword books landed in the top ten nonfiction bestsellers.

Puzzle books weren't the only hot sellers. As crosswords swept the nation, sales of dictionaries skyrocketed, including pocket-sized editions and even a micro version worn on the wrist. Railroads installed dictionaries in passenger cars, and libraries were overrun with puzzle fiends anxious to look up a vexing clue. In 1921, the New York Public Library reported how rowdy puzzle nuts "swarm to the dictionaries and encyclopedias so as to drive away readers and students who need these books in their daily work."

And the puzzles had a notable effect on people's vocabulary. Smithsonian quotes a 1925 Literary Digest list of words that had fallen into disuse, only to be revived as crossword clues. Today, words like acute, ooze, smudge, omit, and sever are commonplace, thanks to crosswords. Even the internet's favorite verb, ban, was dusted off and re-inserted into our word banks by puzzle writers.

As happens with seemingly ever harmless pastime, the crossword's popularity stirred up significant fear and consternation. Experts feared that the tricky word puzzles would cause undue stress, and Maryland's Chairman of Mental Hygiene worried that crossword anxiety could cause psychosis. The New York Times of 1924 derided the "sinful waste in the utterly futile finding of words the letters of which will fit into a prearranged pattern, more or less complex."

Eventually, the Times's indignant anti-crossword stance subsided: in 1942, Margaret Farrar, a former assistant to Arthur Wynne, became NYT's crossword editor. Farrar established the square, symmetrical grid that has since become standard in American crosswords, filling the blanks with intelligent, clever puzzles that gave the crossword longevity far beyond the initial fad. When she retired in 1969 the NYT puzzle had become perhaps the most recognized and well regarded of all crosswords.

It's puzzling (hah!) that a pastime which encourages people to use their brains, thumb through dictionaries and expand their vocabularies would ever be seen as a pariah. A century later, we think of crosswords as a brainy way to start the morning or whittle away the commute to work. Makes you wonder if, in 2023, we'll say the same thing about Candy Crush.

Top image: Shutterstock / Rob Byron

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