$230 million of Robot Land’s $600 million budget has been secured. And in case the project never breaks ground (or the robots don’t let us in), we have a load of renders showing us what it would have looked like.

Featuring attractions like Robot Water Park, Robot Battle Stadium, Robot Flower Island, Robot Museum and, of course, the Business Incubation Center (as some of the grounds are reserved for industrial services), we think it’s a great idea.

Though, not to sound prejudice or anything, but since when do robots have the spending money to bring a family of four to a theme park? [Robot Land via Plastic Pals via Engadget]

Microsoft may not see the Xbox 360 as a tool for the military, but as an essential part of your hospital room? Sure.

Desney Tan, a senior researcher at Microsoft Research, shared how Microsoft thinks the Xbox 360 could fit into hospitals. A low-cost PC, the 360 could be networked to share medical records with an in-room screen, filtering such information depending who is in the room—your doctor vs. your family vs that random guy who stopped by from work.

Sensors could make these distinctions automatically. (I imagine a scenario in which all doctors and nurses have RFID tags, and the Natal camera counts the number of bodies in the room. If the two don’t match up, you available personal information becomes more conservative.)

Of course, this 360 could be used play games, too. Microsoft isn’t, like, looking to torture the pediatric ward.

PCWorld has more about Microsoft Research plans to take on healthcare, including some interesting ideas with mobile phones—really neat stuff. [PCWorld via Kotaku]

The single most clever motion picture I’ve seen this year wasn’t Avatar—it was Logorama, an animated short fitting 2500 logos into a highly entertaining parody of corporate/consumer culture. (Watch it. You’ll thank me when it wins an Oscar.)

After viewing Logorama in the theater a few months ago (thanks, Chicago Film Festival), I was struck by three resurfacing thoughts.

1. It’s beautifully animated.
2. There’s extraordinary cleverness in each frame—you just can’t expect to take it all in with one viewing.
3. By the end, you are not bothered by the fun fast food logos or references to AOL or Microsoft. You’re frightened by the logos you could identify without ever having given the company any thought in your day to day life. You’re frightened by the familiarity of all the strangeness. (At least, I was.)

By French design collective H5, Logorama is worth taking the 15 minutes or so running time out of your lunchbreak (there is some potentially NSFW language). Unfortunately, I can’t embed it for you. So watch it over on Facebook.

The compression kills me, given that the sharp edges are a key to the piece’s style. But I’m genuinely excited to share this with anyone who hasn’t had the opportunity to check it out. [Logorama via Kotaku]

The best parodies start with a laugh before leaving us with the hollowness of their truth. Sorry, Google Buzz. Sorry, under-lived life. Sorry, sweet butterfly.

According to an FCC filing confidentiality request, it seems likely that the Pre could arrive on AT&T this May. Neat, but why would anyone choose AT&T over Sprint or Verizon? (That’s an earnest question, in case you’re of that misunderstood camp and care to enlighten the group.) [FCC and PreCentral via Engadget]

For this week’s Shooting Challenge, we’re playing with the human mind. How do you know something in a picture is really that large or small? Or put differently, why the hell did no one tell me I was a giant??

The Challenge

Trick our sense of scale using forced perspective. In other words, I ask that no one goes the tilt-shift or macro route. We’re not creating miniatures through lens distortion as much as we’re abusing the basic laws of perspective for our adolescent giggles.

The Method

We’re all familiar with crushing friends’ heads with our fingers, but for a bit more on the techniques behind forced perspective, Environmental Graffiti’s tutorial is loaded with examples and tips. But the best advice? The simpler the landscape, the more fake-able the effect.

The Rules

1. Submissions need to be your own.
2. Photos need to be taken the week of the contest. (No portfolio linking or it spoils the “challenge” part.)
3. Explain, briefly, the equipment, settings and technique used to snag the shot.
4. Email submissions to [email protected].
5. Include 800px wide image AND 2560×1600 sized in email. (The 800px image is the one judged, so feel free to crop/alter the image for wallpaper-sized dimensions.)

Send your best entries by Sunday, February 14th at 6PM Eastern to [email protected] with “Forced Perspective” in the subject line. Save your files as JPGs or GIFs, and use a FirstnameLastname.jpg (800px) and FirstnameLastnameWALLPAPER.jpg (2560px) naming conventions. Include your shooting summary (camera, lens, ISO, etc) in the body of the email.

I can’t wait to see what you come up with! (Just don’t squish my head again, it’s surprisingly painful.) [Image source]

The iMac’s notorious flickering problem has been solved through a firmware update. And after a few weeks’ hiatus, Apple has continued shipping 27-inch iMacs. This may be it.

Can You Safely Buy a New iMac Yet?

Nope, but you might be able to next week.

Why?

There are two noted problems with iMacs—the 27-inch models in particular. First is an issue where their screens flicker. Apple released a firmware update for the problem, but it didn’t seem to fix it. However, the second firmware update looks to have been more successful. How successful?

Combing through about 30 pages of this thread (thanks Kyle), dozens have found the second update successful—and similar threads have come to similar conclusions. A few outliers still exist, but the vast consensus seems to be that the issue is nullified when the update is properly installed.

So it looks like the flickering problem is fixed for most users. This is great news—a huge breakthrough in this whole saga. If your iMac is still flickering after the update, call up Apple and demand new hardware. It finally seems safe to say, you’re probably in the minority.

But the existing, huge question mark is regarding the yellow screens. Are these fixed yet? Apple halted production lines in what we assumed as an attempt to solve the yellow screen problems (among other iMac quirks). Now they’re shipping new 27-inch iMacs again.

Theoretically, the yellow screens could be behind us. But until customers actually receive and test these iMacs, we don’t know if Apple was able to solve whatever problems are going on.

Apple most certainly hasn’t made claims either way.

What Ever Happened With Those Apple Pay-outs

We received reports from the UK, and then the US, that Apple was essentially buying back faulty iMacs for 15% over the sticker price. It was until later, however, that we learned the catch. What once looked like a pretty great deal turned out, well, mediocre. The 15% was a flat payback rate that was meant to cover both tax and shipping. We assume it covered purchasing expenses, but a money hand-out it was not. It’s also worth mentioning that this deal was handed out sporadically, and I’m not sure it’s still being offered to customers at all.

Quote of the Week

“[Apple] said they can issue me a refund via check that’ll come 4-6 weeks. That’s nearly $2600 of my money they’re going to hold for over 2 months since the day I paid for this messed up computer.”

Apple Is All In

So this is it, the big moment of truth. Without official word, we are forced to interpret the delivery freezes as both a silent admission that there were problems with iMacs and an attempt to fix them. But who knows if Apple actually solved the yellow screens. Especially if the source of the issue is really in the LG panel itself—which some suspect given similar complaints with similar Dell monitors—it’s possible that Apple can’t cure the jaundice without raising hell down at the factory, or shopping for another supplier. (This problem shouldn’t be the consumer’s inconvenience, of course.) We won’t know until we see the latest iMacs in the wild.

We’ve got a lot of sources—retail/repair spies, plenty of tipsters who are on their third or fourth faulty iMac and, of course, all of you—just waiting to share their replacement experiences. Tip us at [email protected] and join in.

Apple, I hope we can put these problems behind us because neither of us wants to see how bad that apple on the table can rot.

Dell’s U2711, on sale for $1,100 today, seems like the monitor dreams are made of, with 2560×1440 resolution, 100 percent representation of the sRGB color space, 6ms response and a window-friendly matte finish. There’s just one, tiny catch. UPDATE

This Dell monitor is believed to use the same LG-sourced panel that’s been plaguing iMacs. You know, the yellow one.

To make matters worse, some have already complained that these LG-sourced monitors are already causing problems in the Dell monitor line.

The potential issues haven’t prevented Dell from securing a CNET Editor’s Choice on the U2711, so maybe they’re just fine. But I would strongly recommend you take a look at the return policy before ordering. Full specs at: [Dell via Electronista]

UPDATE: Excellent point from a reader—the 27-inch iMac uses the same LG basic LM270WQ1 IPS panel but the Dell uses a conventional CCFL backlight as opposed to the iMac’s LEDs. Especially since the LED matrix positioning has been suspected of causing yellow iMacs, the idea that this Dell display would be just fine makes some level of sense.

No doubt, you’ve seen Orion when stargazing. A spot on his belt that’s sometimes mistaken for a star is really the Orion Nebula. Here’s an ever-so-better better view, thanks to the 67-megapixel, infrared-sensitive VISTA telescope. [Full 341MB Version via Wired]

The Keyboard Purse is cute enough, and for $40, it’s a reasonably priced purchase. Now if only you could actually type on the thing, I’d reclassify it as a manbag in a heartbeat. [Neatorama]

Most solar backpacks have disappointingly miniature solar panels, sewn in shamefully, adorning nothing. But new bags from Neon Green take the precise opposite approach, ripping open eyelids of every person in sight through the sheer, humbling power of green energy.

The Soular Powers packs from Neon Green aren’t quite fully cooked—we don’t know prices or availability, making their casually announced line a bit tough to follow. But they’re bold, practical and, above all else, unabashedly solar.

We believe the lead shot is the Capsoul, a 3-in-1 backpack. Its solar panel is removable, and the entire bag can be reconfigured to both a smaller shoulder bag and carrying case.

There’s also the Piggy Back, which is much smaller, and can attach to your existing bag. Neon Green promises 11.1 volts from the Piggy Back in full sunlight, which we assume means the Capsoul produces even more power.

We’ll keep an eye out for an actual release. Until then, check out Neon Green’s existing line here: [Scratch Tracks via ChipChick]

Sony hasn’t exactly been coy about positioning the PS3 as a platform for 3D gaming and movies, but now SCEA’s John Koller has revealed that multiple 3D firmware updates will arrive on the PS3 by this summer:

3D is a major part of our initiatives in 2010 and we’re currently developing 3D stereoscopic games to come in conjunction with the launch of Sony’s 3D compatible BRAVIA LCD TV in summer 2010. The amazing thing about the PS3’s technology is that all PS3 units that exist in homes and markets will be able to play 3D stereoscopic games as well as 3D BD movies through separate firmware upgrades – something that other platforms are unable to do. We’ll be announcing actual game titles separately later, but we think that 3D stereoscopic gaming has a ton of potential, particularly in placing consumers within the actual experience.

It’s interesting to note that 3D gaming and 3D Blu-ray will represent separate firmware updates for the PS3, most likely as the 3D Blu-ray update will be focused solely on bringing the PS3 up to the HDMI 1.4 standard (note: as some have pointed out, the full HDMI 1.4 spec is not firmware updatable, but Sony is addressing 3D Blu-ray movies—a key component of the update—somehow) while the gaming update will be for, well, whatever Sony is doing with that. [Pocket-lint via Ubergizmo]

Asus surprised everyone at CES with, not another small Eee, but a honking 8lb, 17-inch laptop with stealth bomber envy, called the G73. Now, out of nowhere again, the laptop has gone on sale in the US.

There’s only one configuration of the G73 available now—the G73JH-X1. Specs include:

• 17.3-inch screen (1920×1080, LED-backlit)
• Intel Core i7 720QM
• 8GB DDR3 RAM
• ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870 1GB graphics
• 500GB (7200RPM) hard drive
• DVD burner
• HDMI/VGA/4 USB

The tapered G73 design starts at less than an inch but grows as thick as 2.3 inches at its fattest point. And not so unlike that old girlfriend who just pinged you on Facebook, the G73 needs to be seen in person before you can really gauge the body. [Newegg via Laptoping]

LTE is exciting stuff (if you don’t know what the heck LTE is, we have an explanation here). AT&T has just inked deals with Alcatel-Lucent and Ericsson, who supply AT&T’s 3G equipment, solidifying 2011 as the year of 4G.

AT&T’s “field trials” of LTE are promised for later this year—a soft launch that will most likely resemble AT&T’s rollout of 7.2Mbps technology—with commercial deployment slated for 2011.

Promising transfer rates of 140-300Mbps, LTE can’t come soon enough. Of course, a skeptic might temper their expectations for any grand future of AT&T when the present ain’t so hot to begin with. Was that a downer? I’m sorry. That was a downer. [AT&T]

According to an alleged leak on PreCentral, Web OS 1.4, with the big new feature of video capture and editing, will be available February 15. The news comes from a Sprint technician, so Verizon’s updates may not line up. [PreCentral]

Outside spent two months wearing Columbia’s $250 lithium-ion-packing heater boots through snow. Unfortunately, the promise of toasty winter feet is little more than a promise.

Not only were the boots, in both men’s and women’s configurations, heavy and uncomfortable; the Bugathermos weren’t especially warm, either.

And the embedded heaters? I could barely feel the warmth. When hiking on a ten-degree day with the heat turned on for one foot but off for the other, my feet felt about the same.

Especially given the fact that toes are amongst the parts of your body most prone to frostbite, it’s a shame to hear the Bugathermos didn’t perform better. And until they do, I’m sticking with keeping my feet warm the old fashioned way—slicing open the nearest Tauntaun and coating my hiking boots with scalding hot blubber. [Outside and Columbia]

So what exactly is Google Buzz? Used on a PC or mobile, Buzz reminds us of an RSS combined with all of your social networking—all within the existing Gmail and Google.com infrastructure.

Buzz’s five key features include:

• Automatic friends lists (friends are added automatically who you have emailed on Gmail)
• “Rich fast sharing” combines sources like Picasa and Twitter into a single feed, and it includes full-sized photo browsing
• Public and private sharing (swap between family and friends)
• Inbox integration (instead of emailing you with updates, like Facebook might, Buzz features emails that update dynamically with all Buzz thread content, like the photo viewer we mentioned above)
• “Recommended Buzz” puts friend-of-friend content into your stream, even if you’re not acquainted. Recommendations learn over time with your feedback.

Google Buzz is available today, and it should creep up as a new tab in Gmail any minute.

But What About My Cellphone?

Of course, Buzz also works on mobiles right from Google.com on Android and iPhone browsers, and it locates your position from a one button press. From here, Buzz can tailor your feed to their information on things like businesses and restaurants. More on mobile Buzz here. [Google Buzz]

Hands on

Here’s what Buzz looks like. First, the text box. No obvious word limit, as far as I can see. Don’t go dumping huge articles in here, but you can fit more than Twitter.

Once you click in, you can add links, photos and decide whether or not you want a private or public Buzz.

The Buzz listing looks more like Facebook than it does Twitter, with Likes, dislikes and the ability to respond directly to a posting and have other people see it. When someone makes a new comment in reply to an old Buzz, it bumps that entire Buzz up to the top.

What’s weird, and what Matt and I can’t figure out yet, is how some people are able to find us on Buzz. Is it searching by real name? It’s also interesting that this is tied to your Gmail account. When people do a search for you, it doesn’t seem like it exposes your actual email address, which is a good privacy protection wall.

While this is really just a Honda ad, I had to share its charms with you. Because not only is the alleged Alec probably the most promising mind of his generation; he’s likely husky and rejected by his peers. [Jalopnik]