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Many things can make a birthday special -- a nice dinner, a night out on the town, a long-lost friend decked in glitter popping out of a giant cake. Sometimes, however, a heartfelt geeky homemade gift can outshine them all.

Reddit user XsimonbelmontX went above and beyond for his wife's recent birthday by creating a highly customized version of Monopoly based on Fallout -- her favorite video game series.

The incredible attention to detail put into the game might astound you, as the creator, who identifies himself as Brandon, spared no mental expense at adding a Fallout touch to everything from the currency to the pieces.… Read more

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- The first call from a cell phone was made 40 years ago today.

- The Verge interviews Marty Cooper, father of the cell phone.

- Recalling 1993: Step back 20 years in NYC's past.

- Catching up with the TV show release group responsible for recording, distributing torrents.… Read more

Doing the dishes is one of those annoying kitchen chores that is easy to put off. After all, the meal has already been made and presumably eaten. Clean dishes add nothing to the past. However, the future is another matter entirely. Last-minute cleaning to plate a waiting feast of deliciousness is an annoyance that can easily be avoided by just doing the dishes ahead of time. Especially when prep cooking requires it.

There is a certain order to doing things in the kitchen and the JonJas Cubodira wants everybody to follow along. The kitchen gadget combines a dish drying rack … Read more

Hewlett-Packard chairman Ray Lane, along with three board members, will meet with some of his company's top investors to reassure them about the job they're doing, according to a new report.

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal in an interview published today, William Patterson, executive director of CtW Investment Group, a large HP shareholder, said that he and his supporters will lead a charge aimed at removing Lane and two of his fellow board members, John Hammergren and G. Kennedy Thompson, at the company's annual meeting on March 20.

That is, Patterson told the Journal, unless HP … Read more

A soundboard is a simple tool that holds all the various sounds of one particular theme and allows you to utilize them for ringtones, notifications, or simple playback. Typically these sounds are taken from a popular source such as a pop song or television show. Psy Gangnam Style SoundBoard is a selection of the popular sounds of Psy's hit. Because of the fast rhythm and catchy lyrics, "Gangnam Style" has quickly become popular, and its soundboard doesn't disappoint, either.

Psy Gangnam Style SoundBoard offers an easy installation that requires one simple extra step in order to … Read more

Remember Stratego? It's the classic capture-the-flag boardgame. And it's now available for iPad.

Why just iPad? I'm not entirely sure. Granted, the board would be cramped on an iPhone or iPod Touch screen, but I've seen plenty of other games work around that. (Monopoly, anyone?)

That curiosity aside, Stratego for iPad does a fine job recreating the original while adding some welcome digital touches. For starters, you can create and save multiple board setups (i.e., troop deployments), a huge time-saver and a great way to test how various deployments work against your opponents.

And speaking … Read more

Bruce Sewell, Apple senior vice president and general counsel, today joined the board of directors at Vail Resorts, a resort operator in the U.S.

Sewell came over to Apple from Intel in 2009, and has been with the company during its substantial legal efforts against Samsung, HTC, Nokia, and others over patents and other intellectual property.

The move is noteworthy given a long period during which Apple's core executives kept off the boards of other companies. That policy appears to have softened since the passing of co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs. For instance, iTunes and iCloud chief … Read more

The circus that is the end of the year is one that is filled with family, friends, and, of course, food. While all these hectic gatherings certainly do represent good times, the occasion can be fraught with danger. As the turkey, ham, or roast rests waiting to go under the knife, the inside of the beast is plotting against you. The anticipation of the first slice is tempered by the reality of the released juices -- inevitably rolling straight to your new tablet, phone, or e-reader.

The same juiciness that makes the centerpiece of a meal delicious also makes it … Read more

After Yahoo announced that Max Levchin was appointed to its board, the PayPal co-founder and Silicon Valley all-star took to his blog to explain his reasoning for accepting the position.

According to Levchin, his decision centered on three areas -- personal, business, and sentimental. On the personal side, he said that he has for a long time "respected Marissa [Mayer's] talent and tenacity," adding that her decision to take over Yahoo "was a very ballsy move, and when she asked for my help, I was excited about working with her."

On the business side, Levchin … Read more