Traditional noisemakers are sooo last century. Now you can ring in 2009 using your iPhone. The New Years Blowout Horn and 2009 Countdown app is free on iTunes.

You can blow into the microphone to hear the hear the horn, and the blower even unrolls on the screen. You can also play Auld Lang Syne at the touch of a button.

Did I mention this is free?

I don’t have an iPhone, so I’ll have to try and make a noisemaker out of my roommate’s cat.

(via CultOfMac.com)

For Zune owners, today is the day the music died. Around midnight last night, Zunes all over the world stopped working. Reports are sketchy, but it’s possible every single 30 gig Zune in the world is now frozen. Not literally cold in temperature, but just not functioning at all. Other models of Zune seem to be working.

iPod owners now have another reason to be smug. You win this round, Apple!

(via Wired.com)

The biggest celebration for New Year’s is definitely the party in New York’s Time Square. I personally don’t believe the year begins until that shiny ball drops, even if people in Singapore have already finished celebrating.

This year, I was excited to learn that New York City has decided to go green, roping in Duracell to power the new 2009 sign. They built a “power lodge” of bikes rigged to electrical generators, allowing tourists to hop on, cycle and charge up a ginormous battery.

Thanks to everyone’s help in less than a month, the 608 halogen bulb ball now has enough power for tonight!

Happy New Year!

(Photo Credit: Wired)

People, come on! It’s not even 2009—heck, it’s not even time to celebrate New Year’s Eve yet but celebrities are already getting arrested left and right.

First Matt Dillon is caught speeding at 106 miles per hour in Vermont and now Charles Barkley was put behind bars for drunk driving in Arizona. Couldn’t they have at least waited until tonight?

Don’t drink and drive, friends, and don’t speed. Especially if you’re a celebrity. Actually, go ahead, because then we’d blog about it in the New Year.

Our friends in Japan have been treated to this trailer for Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li. Based on the popular videogame, Smallville’s own Kristin Kreuk stars as Chun Li. I don’t understand Japanese, but I do understand the universal language of hot girls kicking people in the face.

Remember the kid named Adolf Hitler? That dude who got pregnant…again? Joe The Plumber? The 3 year old who explained the plot of Star Wars?

We’ve had our share of temporary celebrities this year, and I Heart Chaos.com has a list of all the “famous” people you vaguely remember from throughout the year, including some I had forgotten about, like the teen who had a plot to kill Jesus.

Like many parts of the internet, there’s some strong language on here, so it might not be safe for work.

Don’t tell my boss.

I don’t know why people make such a fuss over New Years resolutions, especially when it’s so easy to find a simple promise to keep and remember. For example, don’t focus on losing an unbelievable 20 lbs. Instead, promise yourself things like breathing air or not being an overachiever like this boy scout.

See, there’s this college freshman in Long Island who has earned all 121 merit badges, which the Boy Scouts of America called “an almost unheard-of feat.” Then again, it’s happened before.

Well, you know what’s an almost always-heard-of feat? Not being a nerd. And that’s what I’m going to resolve to do in 2009.

(Flickr Photo Credit: elston)

Everyone and their mother is compiling useless lists to celebrate the end of ‘08, but Holidash is offering something that we could actually use: hangover cures from around the world. Because we know we’ll be needing it on January 1st.

Check out the list here, which includes ideas from all around the world, including raw egg and seafood salad. Ew?

(Flickr Photo Credit: alpha du centaure)

The Smoking Gun has compiled their list of the best mug shots from this year, and I really can’t argue with their judgment. Especially since they are the ones with the database of mug shots.

Sure, there are celebrity ones in there, but my favorites are the normal people mug shots. They’re just like you and me, only, you know, arrested.

The best new thing about 2008 is of course The WB, but that doesn’t count as an organism, so it didn’t make it on this list.

Wired.com has the Top 10 new organisms of 2008. My favorite is the teeny-tiny snake, but I’m partial to animals the size of money.

Sadly, none of the new organisms look very tasty. Maybe we’ll have better luck in 2009.