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NYC’s new “Rat Information Portal” is being billed as “a one-stop resource website for New Yorkers’ rat prevention needs.” In addition to tips on how to control rat populations, the website also supplies an interactive “Rat Map” with data on inspections, violations, compliance, exterminations, and cleanups for any property in the city going back three years. Basically, it is a hotspot map for creepy vermin within the city. The idea is to put pressure on property owners who are slow to address their growing rat problems and give everyday citizens the tools they need to fight back. That’s right folks…NYC has declared war against the rats. [Rat Information Portal via SFGate]

In case you’re looking for a recap of today’s Halloween madness on Giz, all the ghoulishness and trickery you can handle is right here.

Let me tell you a story about a boy named Timmy. Born to a poor servant woman out of wedlock, Timmy was abandoned at a young age on the steps of a church, his mother hoping he could find a life better than she could provide. He did not. Instead Timmy spent his youth traveling town to town, shining shoes, cutting wood, doing pretty much any labor necessary to afford one meal a day. His life was hard and often felt meaningless. No one loved him, he thought. And unfortunately, he was right. Years passed in this way, until one Christmas morning…

Timmy woke up to the sun shining in the alley where he slept. Oh no, he would be late to his new job at the bakery, a place with sweets and other good things to eat. He could not lose this position or he would go hungry again.

But to Timmy’s surprise, the Baker was sitting beside him, touching his cheek gently. “You’ve worked hard for too long, little boy. You deserve a good home and a loving father,” the Baker said. “I’d like to adopt you, if you’ll have me as your dad.”

Timmy’s eyes welled up in tears. This Christmas he would get a new beginning. Life would change for the better. Maybe he could even go to school, pursue his day dreams of architecture or baking.

“But there’s one thing I’ll ask of you first,” the Baker said.

“What…father?” the boy responded.

“Open that gift,” replied the Baker.

And it was at that moment that Timmy noticed a huge wrapped gift leaning beside the brick. It was the biggest present he’d ever seen, even when he remembered back to the times he’d peek in shop windows. Timmy could not restrain himself. He ripped into the package ravenously until the shiny paper succumbed to the mud of the streets.

“It’s a train!” Timmy exclaimed. The Baker smiled tenderly. It had cost him six months of pay, though he’d never admit that to anyone.

“Hop on,” the Baker said.

So Timmy jumped in the Hammacher Schlemmer Locomotive, his face glowing from either the sun or glee, one could not tell. He shouted “all aboard” and the Baker laughed. Then Timmy stopped for a moment, glancing around at the controls.

“How do you start the train?” Timmy asked.

“Oh, you crank it to go,” the Baker explained.

“A mechanical toy? You mean I have to work even more than I have my whole life?? Fuck that shit!”

And with that, Timmy and the Baker parted ways, never to see one another again. [Hammacher Schlemmer via DVICE]

It appears that Microsoft is starting to get more aggressive with that $300 million marketing blitz. The new tactic? Setting up large kiosks outside Apple stores where visitors can record their own “I’m a PC” video. The image above comes from an Apple store in England where a trio of Microsoft staffers will attempt to intercept Apple store patrons and convert them over the course of the next few days. Details are scarce on where these kiosks are going to be located—or whether the campaign will even come to the states. That having been said, have you seen one of these “I’m a PC” kiosks lately? [AppleInsider]

Fortune’s Techland blog is reporting that with Vodafone’s recent announcement that they would fully subsidize the Blackberry Storm, Verizon might be considering similar low cost options to compete against the iPhone. While some inside sources claimed Verizon may go as far as to make the phone free with a two-year contract, other anonymous blabbermouths from the Verizon camp shot that notion down.

Most analysts believe the Storm will be equally priced to the 8 GB iPhone at the very least, but its realistic to see it at a $99 or $150 price point. The goal is to move some serious units during the holiday season, but for that to happen, Verizion needs to actually release the Storm first. [Techland]

We’ve spotted WildCharge wireless charging kits before, but this new implementation in the Psyclone TouchCharge kit for Xbox 360 controllers might make the most sense. You load the 360 controller with the special bundled battery and plug the base plate into the wall. Set the controller on that plate and, KAZAAM, everyone in your family thinks you’re a warlock as your battery recharges right on your table. The only catch is that we think this kit might only support one battery/controller at a time, and at $70 a pop that’s going to add a pretty hefty tax on gaming. [EBGames]

Not surprising news, this, but sad nonetheless. According to Opera CEO Jon Stephenson von Tetzchner, an iPhone version of its popular mobile browser is developed and ready to go, but will likely never see the light of day due to Apple’s infamous App Store policies, barring apps that compete with the phone’s default features—here, Mobile Safari. Personally I find Safari to be pretty solid, but for those who find it crashy, an alternative would come in handy, and of course, competition is usually a good thing in situations like this. Sigh.

I think it is safe to say that design student Kyle Buckner is more than just an iPhone user—he is an iPhone worshiper. After all, the iPhone sits atop his elaborate wood-carved pedestal like a King on his throne. Is this the beginning of some sort of cult? Will there be robes and chanting? Truth be told, the sculpture was carved for a school project—but throw an actual dock in there and Buckner would be the envy of Apple superfans everywhere. [Mac|Life]

In case you missed it in our huge photographic timeline of the Lego minifig, today is the deadline for the Giz Lego Minifig video contest. We have got a ton of entries, some of them really amazing ones (one of these actually came in the mail literally two minutes ago). So if you are just about to finish it, hurry up because it ends today before 12AM). If you have sent it already or you are a lazy person, you can sit down, relax, and enjoy all Gizmodo posts celebrating the most iconic figure ever:

Videos

• Exclusive Video: How Lego Builds the Minifigs.
• Minifigs can also time your chicken pies.
• Instead of doing a Lego minifig of yourself, buy a $60,000 natural-sized replica.
• The secret imperial Lego Stormtroopers clone-making factory.
• Lego employees use custom Lego minifigs as business cards, as that’s why we hate them.

Galleries and images

• Exclusive: The Lego Minifig Timeline.

• Why are minifigs yellow? Why there are no blonde minfigs? All you ever wanted to know about them is in our Lego Megaguide. And yes, that’s me “minifiged” in the image.

• Steve Jobs minifig commanding a real Mac Pro Lego clone.

• He can also deliver Lego MacWorld keynotes.

• If you ever wanted to see how 35,310 Lego Clone Troopers look like together, click here.

• Lego is not limited to Star Wars: check this custom Cylon minifig with LED eye.

• Iron Man got the LED too for his arc reactor.

• Of course, the Lego clonetroopers also got the LED treatment.

• The Anatomy of a Lego Minifig: How a minifig really looks inside.

• Baseball to break minifig legs.

• Imperial Stormtrooper minifigs participate in the Beijing Olympics.

• The Beijing Olympics in minifig scale.

• 80,000-brick Lego Ferrari requires giant Schumacher minifig.

• Somebody once loved me even when I was a minifig obsessed noodle, and I still love her more than all the Lego bricks and minifigs in the world.

• Army of Lego transvestites celebrate the minifig anniversary.

• Lego men minifigs also go to the beach and wear thongs, to the horror of other minifigs.

• Lego minifig skull can hide your secrets.

• Lego minfigs can also be armed and go to war thanks to custom weapons

• In Lego land, there are also iPod ads with black silhouettes of minifigs dancing against primary colors.

[Lego Minifig Contest Rules]

The Gadget: Fun Sized 3 Musketeers chocolate bars. Available in 11 ounce bags of individually wrapped bars.

The Price: $3.39 for an 11 oz. package

The Verdict:

Since when did small equal fun? The way I see it, the more candy there is, the more fun you’re having, so to call these things “fun sized” makes me think they’re trying to fool their customers.

But beyond that, the smaller size screws with the whipped chocolate to outer chocolate ratio. If you get a regular, “non fun” 3 Musketeers bar, the outer chocolate seems thinner and there’s a bit less of it. It’s a better setup, in my opinion.

But really, when you’re getting this stuff for free, you can’t really complain.