Facebook unveiled a redesign of its profile pages earlier this month that rearranged users' personal info and photos into a streamlined layout.But some enterprising designers have taken the revamp one step further, turning their Facebook profiles into creative works of art.The site's new page design was intended to more prominently display recently uploaded photos that tell a story about the user's life, said Facebook engineer Josh Wiseman in a blog post.Where most users saw a rigid presentation of one profile photo next to five smaller, uniform thumbnails, some saw potential. The website Reface.me has organized a page with some of its favorite profile-page reimaginings, which it calls "profile hacks."Alexandre Oudin, who works at a consulting firm in Paris, has been credited by many bloggers as the pioneer of this young art phenomenon.Oudin's main profile picture is of the right side of his face. [Read the full article]

While your 8-year-old might not be coding websites or whizzing through Excel spreadsheets just yet, it's not too soon to get him or her a tech-driven gift this holiday season.After all, kids today are using technology at younger and younger ages, and some tech toys, such as the iPod Touch, aren't just for adults.With just nine shopping days left until Christmas, here are some last-minute gift suggestions -- from a tantrum-proof video camera to a flying "quadricopter" you control from your phone -- for that tech-savvy kid (or kid-like adult) in your life.Mindflex ($64.97--$91.49; Amazon.com, Kmart, Walmart, Meijer.com, Best Buy, Target, Toys "R" Us, Entertainment Earth and other retailers.)Here's a game that gives your brain a workout -- literally. Mindflex comes equipped with a headset, a game console and four foam balls. Players put on the headset and actually use their brain waves to spin the fan within the game console. [Read the full article]

The opening passage from George Orwell's "1984" depicts a guy hustling up a stairwell that's plastered with giant posters of a man's face staring at him."It was one of those pictures which are so contrived that the eyes follow you about when you move," Orwell writes in the classic dystopian novel. "BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, the caption beneath it ran."These days, Big Brother doesn't need to do much snooping. We just tell him what we're up to. We tweet, check in on Foursquare, use digital payment systems and generally live so publicly that spying loses at least some degree of utility. [Read the full article]

Less than a year ago, some technology pundits questioned whether Apple's "iTablet" would find any buyers.InfoWorld ventured to explain "Why Apple's rumored iTablet will fail big time," while VentureBeat's 2010 predictions included the claim that "tablets will fail."Fast-forward to the end of 2010, and the iPad is a smash hit. eMarketer predicts that Apple will sell 13.3 million iPads this year, and one survey ranked the iPad as the most-wanted gift this holiday season. But the iPad has reshaped more than just the device market: From publishing to web design, we're seeing the iPad change the world in unexpected ways.1. Pushing Apple over the top: It's no secret that the iPad has accelerated Apple's rise to the top. [Read the full article]