There’s no question the iPod has made a huge impact in the music world, but now, it’s influence has crossed over into the real estate and architecture world. A property developer, Omniyat Properties, is planning to construct an iPod-inspired luxury, residential tower in Dubai. The 23-story tower will offer more than 200 units and will be built on top of a docking station angled in such a way to convey the look of an iPod. 

Construction is expected to be finished in 2009.

James Brown is returning to the famed Apollo Theater in Harlem where a public viewing will take place until 8 p.m. tonight. It’s the same theater where the “Godfather of Soul” made his debut in 1956. 

Known for his impact on hip-hop and rap music, thousands of fans are expected to turn out and pay their respects to Brown, who died of heart failure at age 73 on Christmas Day in Atlanta. 

Brown's close friend, Reverend Al Sharpton, told the Associated Press: 

“He was a superstar for common people and I wanted to make sure that common people got to see him one last time,” Sharpton said late Wednesday, at the start of his journey from Georgia to New York.

“It’s going to be a royal day in Harlem,” he said, promising “the kind of homecoming we haven’t seen in a long time, if ever, in the Harlem community.”

Brown's body will be taken back to Georgia on Friday for a funeral service in his hometown of Augusta. Another public viewing is expected before his burial on Saturday.

A write-in campaign to get Vancouver Canucks defenseman Rory Fitzpatick in the 2007 NHL All-Star Game may be working. Steve Schmid, a 22-year-old from upstate New York, is behind the effort. He recently started a website to campaign for Fitzpatrick.

Now, TV sports network Versus has reported the player has received 428,832 votes, putting him in second place for Western Conference defenseman, just behind Scott Niedermayer of the Anaheim Ducks. Fan voting selects the five skaters and one goalie that start the all star game. Coaches and GMs choose the rest of the players for the game.

Fitzpatrick has played with six teams in eight season in the NHL. Heading into Vancouver’s game on Saturday against the Minnesota Wild, Fitzpatrick had no points in 17 games.

The 2007 All-Star Game will be played in Dallas on January 24th. Votes can be cast on NHL.com through January 2nd.

The campaign has also spawned several videos that can be viewed on YouTube.

Although their ability to make martinis that would please the likes of James Bond may be up for debate, robotic bartenders showed off their skills this week at Vienna’s annual cocktail robot convention Roboexotica. At the event, robots demonstrated their abilities in areas such as mixing drinks, serving drinks and food, conversing and smoking cigarettes and cigars.

The aim of the convention isn’t to create robots for commercial use but to build robots that have unique personalities, as Reuters reports.

"It's all about the flair, the atmosphere and the personality that a robot can have," said Magnus Wurzer, ducking a bunch of cocktail cherries launched by a robot in one corner of the hall to another holding a drink at the other end.

The cherries miss their target and hit onlookers.

"The robots shouldn't be efficient," Wurzer said. "They shouldn't behave like they were in a factory, they should be cultured and urbane."