parties

Touch-screen blender mixes old and new

Along with toasters, blenders are an iconic part of the American kitchen. They look cool, are very useful, and don't take up much room. In the list of appliances to get, blenders are certainly near the top. Blended margaritas certainly wouldn't be the same without them.

The Oster Blender with eLume Touchscreen brings blender style to the 21st century. Featuring a control panel sans traditional knobs or buttons, the blender relies entirely on a touch-screen interface. Without any nooks or crannies to hold spills, the flat screen easily wipes clean. When not in use, the eLume lights turn … Read more

Something for everybody with Weber Summit Grill

Everybody loves a backyard barbecue get-together. Having fun with friends and family only gets better when a grill is involved, Besides the enjoyment of spending time with the people you care about, a backyard barbecue offers the rare opportunity for everybody to eat exactly what they want. If somebody wants chicken, they simply throw it on the grill. The same goes for those who want burgers, steaks, or veggie burgers. No other form of social food gathering offers quite the individuality that cooking with a grill can provide.

Weber takes things one step further by offering the versatile Summit S-470 Gas Grill. … Read more

Fondue meets raclette: Cheese party!

Cheese goes well with cheese. Few other food groups can claim that to the extent that cheese can. Besides crackers or bread, nothing seems to go quite as well with cheese other than more cheese. With such a wide variety of cheeses available it's possible to have a cheese-based meal, while still experiencing an exciting depth of flavors. From hot-and-gooey to the strong-and-smelly, cheese is easy to get carried away with.

For those who appreciate an overabundance of cheese in their meals, check out this Wimmeley Raclette Party Grill with Fondue Pot. The spirit of the cheese course is … Read more

Report: Facebook to open up to developers

Facebook plans to announce at a developer event Monday that it will open up user-contributed information to third-party developers, according to a report Sunday in The Wall Street Journal.

The move would allow developers to build applications and services that--with users' permission--access user videos, photos, notes, and comments. The move would be a significant change for the social-networking site, which had previously retained tight control over the site and how developers interact with it.

To allow developers to take advantage of the free feature, Facebook users would have to give the companies access to their data, and users' privacy settings … Read more

Complete your table with an (easy) ice sculpture

Admit it. Go on, admit it. You always wanted an ice sculpture centerpiece. I know I have. I'm not ashamed to admit it. An ice sculpture may be cheesy or fancy depending on your perspective (not to mention the sculpture), but there is no denying there is something just kind of neat about watching an ice sculpture slowly melt before your eyes. With little or no work, you can now have your very own ice sculpture (over and over again).

These Ice Sculpture Molds, available in Penguin or Angelfish, may not be the high art ice sculpture you would … Read more

Good grilling on the go

It's easy to become accustomed to the convenience of kitchen appliances. I know I am appreciative of my indoor grill. It makes me feel good knowing that a quick burger, chicken breast, or panini is but a button press away. It's useful, easy, and always there for me. With a tethered electrical cord, however, the grill is not very portable.

In a case of an outdoor appliance being inspired by an indoor appliance that was originally inspired by an outdoor appliance, we have this outdoor grill (got all that?). The Coleman Fold N Go InstaStart Grill borrows the … Read more

DSiWare, WiiWare, and Virtual Console releases for this week

This week adds more downloads for the DSi, a party pirate game to WiiWare, and a Sega Genesis remake of the Pitfall series. DSiWare Mixed Messages (Activision, 500 DSi Points): Mixed Messages is a party game all about communication. Play along with up to 21 different users in the game of "telephone" for your DSi. Master of Illusion Express: Shuffle Games (Nintendo, 200 DSi Points): The Master of Illusion series continues with Shuffle Games. This mini game will allow you to predict what your audience is thinking! WiiWare Party Fun Pirate (TOMY Corporation, 500 Wii points): Exchange turns … Read more

Net traffic down on first day of Swedish antipiracy law

This post was updated at 2:30 p.m. PDT with new information about Internet traffic.

The same day a new antipiracy law went into effect in Sweden, Internet traffic took a dive and five audio book publishers went after an alleged illegal file sharer in court.

The so-called IPRED law, which went into effect Wednesday, requires Internet service providers to reveal subscribers' Internet Protocol addresses to copyright holders in cases where a court finds ample evidence of illegal activity.

As of 2 p.m. local time Wednesday in Sweden, Internet traffic was down about 30 percent from the day … Read more

Serving up fondue for another go-round

If my prediction for beer-can chicken gaining in popularity doesn't come true, I have a backup plan: fondue. The once-popular, and practically mandatory, party accessory seems to be making a comeback. In a world where Internet fads come and go like the dying breeze, I see no reason why the fondue party cannot once again dominate the casual get-together scene. Any planned interaction at a party serves two purposes: first to keep your guests entertained, but more importantly, set activities act as an ice-breaker.

Your guests will certainly be talking upon seeing this Blomus 24 Piece Fondue Set. Accommodating … Read more