Store this in the distractions-for-work category, Goggles is a flash-based game that I stumbled on over the weekend. British designer Mark Caswell-Daniels merged aviation with Google Maps for another clever use of the online mapping program. Goggles is a flight-simulator game where you can study various cities from a bird’s eye view. But don’t get too close or you’ll crash. I see Mark added Washington DC and New York, but nothing on the Left Coast. I imagine flying to OC would take hours, possibly days, and get you a good dose of carpel tunnel.

I believe I managed to fly to the Capitol building, right?

Why hasn’t the Gadgetress blog been updated for days and days? Because of this game. Thanks to all readers who sent in their high scores. I finally got to level 8 and topped 14,000 points but at what price? The top reader, so far, is Diana, a reader, who e-mailed me her top score below. She admits that she had some practice. “This game is similar to that of a Neopets game called Sutek’s Tomb…so I got some experience…heh.”

There’s a lot of useful stuff out there on the Web, but sometimes it’s hard to slog through the boring stuff to get the good stuff. Hopefully, these recent links of sites I found will interest you, and, of course, to add your two, feel free to comment below or send me an email.

Cool Google Maps: A collection of useful geographical guides on local bars, restaurants, gas prices, AIM users … made using Google Maps. (via Daypop)

Robots take over the world (not really) at the recent iRex 2005 International Robot show in Japan. Included photos of a floor-cleaning robot that recognizes human voices and the Kondo Kagaku’s KHR-1 robot that can balance on one foot. Source: CNET.

Make magazine issue #4 is now available. It’s pretty good. The DIY mag for techies shows you how to make an electric guitar out of a cigar box, among other geeky things.

Back to OC: If you find yourself sitting on your bum staring at your PC or hunched over on the couch playing Xbox 360 games, get out! There’s a lot happening in the local high-tech world this weekend.

Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 3rd and 4th: Fry’s Electronics in Anaheim turns into a playground for the “Technology inMotion Tour,” a 24-city traveling tech circus that includes an 18 wheeler crammed with computers and Xboxes. Symantec, the antivirus company, is head sponsor but also making appearances are Microsoft, Electronic Arts, Linksys, Logitech, Adobe and Vonage.
Why should you go? Free virus/spyware scans for consumers who bring their computers to this “Tech Tank” And for video-game fanatics, Xbox 360 game playing.
When: This Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 3 at 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Dec. 4 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Fry’s Electronics at 3370 East La Palma Ave in Anaheim

Saturday, Dec. 3: For young braniacs, LEGOLAND is hosting the F.I.R.S.T. LEGO League Ocean Odyssey Challenge where kids compete in a science and technology tournament. F.I.R.S.T., an acronym for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, brings 48 teams of kids ages 9 to 14 from all over Southern California to build, program and test an autonomous robot that will compete with other teams’ robots in an obstacle course. Sounds tough.

Sunday, December 4: The North Orange County Computer Club is meeting at its usual spot at Chapman University. Guest speaker is Lee Otsubo, “The Digital Photo Guy,” with tips on digital cameras and photos.
When: 1 p.m. at the Hashinger Science Center at Chapman University, 33 N. Glassell Street in Orange. For a map or meeting information, see NOCCC’s site.