It's a new long-form essay in the tradition of Sterling's must-read, groundbreaking 2005 book Shaping Things, a critical perspective on what it means to have a house full of "smart"… Read the rest of the article: Bruce Sterling's "The Epic Struggle of the Internet of Things"

Gus writes, "Two of us who help produce the Hackers On Planet Earth conference and the Off The Hook radio show are starting a new season of The Media Show,… Read the rest of the article: Hacker puppets answer your questions about the net

Neil Clarke from the Hugo-winning Clarkesworld writes, "Clarkesworld Magazine has entered into an agreement with Storycom International in China to locate, translate, and publish Chinese science fiction stories in every… Read the rest of the article: Kickstarting a fund to translate and publish Chinese sf in English

Under the terms of the Canada-China Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement, approved by PM Harper on Friday, China can sue Canada in secret tribunals to repeal national and provincial… Read the rest of the article: Stephen Harper sells Canada: China can secretly sue to repeal Canadian laws

One year Teen exorcists from Arizona take on the UK and Harry Potter: Brynne Larson and Tess and Savannah Scherkenback, teenage girls from Arizona who happen to be exorcists just… Read the rest of the article: Blogging History: Arizona teen exorcists; Philadelphia Free Library is shutting down

They're oven, microwave, dishwasher and freezer-safe, and make 4 3" cakes (or whatever) per batch; $13 each.

Pop culture chocolatier Sweet Belle Cakes sells a variety of Star Wars-themed chocolates, from the solid chocolate Death Star ($8) to the massive chocolate Millennium Falcon ($22) to the Han… Read the rest of the article: Star Wars chocolates: Death Star, Millennium Falcon, Han in Carbonite truffle bars!

Evil Miss Cakehead's latest edible installation is a "horror-farm" featuring all manner of grotesqueries from baskets of entrails to slaughtered pigs, entirely made from cake!

It's the largest number of comments ever filed in an FCC docket, blowing past the 1.4M comments received on Janet Jackson's Superbowl "wardrobe malfunction" (and how f-ed up is it… Read the rest of the article: #Internetslowdown: FCC receives record-breaking 1.75M comments on Net Neutrality

The entire GOP Senate caucus voted against Tom Udall's proposed Constitutional amendment that would have allowed states to set rules limiting campaign contributions, overturning the notorious Citizens United Supreme Court… Read the rest of the article: Not one Republican Senator voted for campaign finance reform

We've known since the start that Yahoo fought the NSA's Prism surveillance program tooth-and-nail; but as unsealed court docs show, the Feds made the process into a harrowing ordeal, and… Read the rest of the article: Feds wanted to fine Yahoo $250K/day for fighting PRISM

Intestine socks! $11/pair (there's also lined notepaper versions for the squeamish), fits men's 9-12/women's 10.5-13. (via Canopy)

They're $20 from Thinkgeek, and are made of a "silvertone metal alloy," whatever that is.

Etsy seller Bunnie Buns made these Stormtrooper Bow Earrings, which are cute as heck. (via Geeky Merch)

Mtomsky's laser-cut art runs a gamut, from sweet, modest brooches like the $20.70 woodland squirrel to larger, more ambitious sculptural pieces from the wonderful mounted fish ($290); to massive spectacular… Read the rest of the article: Multi-layered, laser-cut art and jewelry

There were 800 convictions in the S&L crisis, but the DOJ hasn't prosecuted a single banker involved in the financial crisis; as Matt Taibbi points out in the brilliant, essential… Read the rest of the article: Elizabeth Warren asks why criminal bankers are too big to jail

The creator of Watchmen, From Hell, V for Vendetta; zinester; defender of libraries; wizard; battler of Big Comics and pornographer has finished the first draft of a novel set loosely… Read the rest of the article: Alan Moore's finished a one million word epic novel

The two halves of the bowl snap together to make a giant D20 (saving throw up, of course), and then snap apart to form a pair of dishwasher/ microwave-safe serving… Read the rest of the article: D20 serving-bowl set

Shirt-on-demand (tank, tee or sweat) from Lookhuman. Ain't No Party Like A D&D Party (via Wonderland)

It started off as a celebrated, gorgeous mutation in an Iowa orchard, spread across the land, and was then selectively bred to look redder, bruise less, and ripen on the… Read the rest of the article: Why the disgusting Red Delicious apple rules American grocery stores