Top Five: Stupid Things That I Really Want

If had money to blow on stupid stuff these things would be at the top of the list.

Beardhead



















Toilet Mug



















Marshmallow Shooter











Mini USB Turntable



















Mini USB Turntable

Monkey Gamers: Online Gaming Will Never Be The Same

I guess this proves that even "less-evolved" brains can play video games - this can't say much for those that boast in their thumb skills. Check out this video of a chimp playing a first person shooter (Far Cry 2). Now I love this, highly underrated, first person shooter game series, but now that I see even a monkey can do it I feel a little less compelled to enjoy it.

I don't know what this means for the future of monkeys and/or video games but here is a thought: If monkeys can be trained to shoot virtual guns what's to stop a country from training monkeys to use real guns and forming a monkey military? Should World War III come, it could end up looking a lot like a scene from Planet of the Apes.

The Ice Queen Helene: Cassini Gets A Close Look

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has successfully completed its second-closest encounter with Saturn’s icy moon Helene, beaming down raw images of the small moon. At closest approach, on June 18, Cassini flew within 4,330 miles (6,968 kilometers) of Helene’s surface. It was the second closest approach to Helene of the entire mission.

Cassini passed from Helene’s night side to the moon’s sunlit side. It also captured images of the Saturn-facing side of the moon in sunlight, a region that was only illuminated by sunlight reflected off Saturn the last time Cassini was close, in March 2010. This flyby will enable scientists to finish creating a global map of Helene, so they can better understand the history of impacts to the moon and gully-like features seen on previous flybys.

The closest Helene encounter of the mission took place on March 10, 2010, when Cassini flew within 1,131 miles (1,820 kilometers) of the moon.

The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The Cassini orbiter and its two on-board cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging team is based at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, CO.

(source link)

This is an animation using the still images captured by Cassini.

Bad Lip Reading: Music Videos

This is both funny and genius. Just watch.



If you didn't catch on I'll just go ahead and say it: This is not the actual song or lyrics that go with the music video. Some of the comments on these videos crack me up because people don't realize this is a joke. I guess that just speaks to how well these videos are done if they can trick people into thinking they are genuine. But to be honest I like these songs they come with much better than most of the pop music they are dubbing over. This is like Weird Al for the mod-generation and done much better I might add. They have several "bad lip reading" videos on their channel but with lines like "And braid his show-dog, Tiny Timmy Tokyo... and I'm pregnant" and "Please help me down from this swing... I got my plasma sword and I'm ready to crank it!" this video is my favorite so far.

"Let's buy two big industrial windmills. I already got one. Who needs three? Well, the first one... I broke it."

Check out more at youtube.com/user/BadLipReading.

50s Style Go-Bots: The Past Is The Future

So this old news to many people but after seeing this I had too post it. Japanese artist Kazushi Kobayashi has created the Chubu 01 This line of beautifully designed mecha robot models could be described as something from “a parallel 50s where these robots are the most popular transport system”.

This is just genius and looks like something straight out of an anime movie. Now all we need to do as is add some gears and a motor and get these things moving and into garages everywhere.

If you would like to have your own all you have to do head over to Harajuku's Tokyo Cultuart gallery and shell out 28,000 yen (about $350) for the DIY model kit.

Rad To The Max: Technology

It's never too early to start making your Christmas list and this stuff is at the top of mine.


Robotic Dinosaurs

The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Japan has made some really cool dino-bots. They are still far from making one that could actually be mistaken for the real thing - t T-Rex head shakes when it walks, it's very slow... rounding corners would be an issue and its skin is obviously rubber - but I still want one. Just think of how much gas you could save by riding it to work.

link: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology


The Reactable Mixer

"...an electronic music instrument that combines a tangible tabletop interface with concepts or techniques such as modular synthesis, visual programming and visual feedback." What more do you need to usher in the music of the future? The Music Technology Group has made their mark in the music industry. This is another must for me. The idea of combining visuals with music is brilliant. It makes music tangible and that is the best way for people to learn. I am excited about this technology entering the home in the near future.



source link: Music Technology Group


Zelda Theme, Electrified

Now, I am a huge Zelda fan. I have followed the series since the beginning starting with that Christmas years ago when I got the gold special edition for the NES. After that I was hooked. I also like all things science, though I don't always understand it... always being a generous word. So, when I saw that someone had used Tesla Coils to create the original Zelda theme music I became an instant fan. That electricity would look great flying across my living room.

Monday Music Highlight: Edison Glass

These guys have been doing their thing for a few years now so it's nothing new. But if you have never heard them it's about time you check them out. These guys are music geniuses. You don't have to like their music but their understanding of composition and music theory has to be appreciated. And the drummer... if I didn't know any better I'd think he injects "perfection" and "creativity" into his arms and hands. His timing is unbelievable and he rarely skips a beat. And the bass player... well, let's just say I could write a blurb about each of their talents but I'll let the music speak for itself. I will say that their live performance is shadowed by their great work in the studio but just to watch them is worth the price of a ticket.

Interesting fact: Their name is taken from the names Thomas Edison and Philip Glass.

Check out www.indievisionmusic.com for an interview with the band.




Check out more at www.myspace.com/edisonglass

Blender: Another Texture-Study Design

I haven't had much to write about lately. Thought I'd post another blender project. I have been working more and more with textures and UV mapping. Its a slow process learning how to map something realistically. I am trying not to put the cart before the horse as I tend to do with things of interest. I have a tendency to try and reach the ultimate goal whereas in this case it would be an animated object. After a few more models I might begin my attempts at animation.

This is the latest design. I can't say exactly what it is. We'll call it a sci-fi grenade. A "frag" for you Halo fans.

Blender.com

Monday... er Tuesday Music Highlight: Sarah Jarosz

So, I am still trying to get into the habit of keeping a writing schedule. So, to make up for my forgetful memory I am posting what I had intended to post yesterday.

I saw this chick a few weeks ago on Austin City Limits. I can't say I was immediately blown away by her performance. But after watching through three songs she, and her accompaniment, began to plant a seed in my mind. I could begin to hear the potential in the arrangements. By the end of her set I was scrambling through the internet trying to find all her music. I have to say her live performance is slightly lacking; it left me wanting. But her studio work is amazing. I won't say much more. I'll let this video interview say the rest.

Here are six of her songs that I think are great examples of her studio work.

Check out more at sarahjarosz.com.


On another note: I have been using Grooveshark for years now. I found it shortly after its launch. It has become my favorite online streaming player. If you don't know about it check it out. I also discovered the Grooveshark widget (music player) recently. I think they did a great job with it. Its design is simple but good and the colors are customizable to fit your site. It's also a functional player which is more than I can say for some other player widgets. I have yet to see any problems with it. If you use widgets you should definitely check it out.

Grooveshark.coom

Top Five: Toys of My Youth

I spent a half an hour today in a Toys R' Us looking for a birthday gift for my favorite soon-to-be six year old. As I was standing in one of the dozens of aisles dedicated to girls' toys I was a little overwhelmed by my options. It was a very nostalgic experience, not because I played with girl's toys as a kid, though I can't say never, but because I was a toy fanatic as a kid. But then again what kid isn't. I landed on a toy that has been a staple for all little girls since I was a kid, My Little Pony. I'm not going to lie. It's a pretty cool toy. And of course I got some Hot Wheels for her brother, a staple for all boys' toys. It was actually a lot of fun being back in a store dedicated to toys. I am a huge kid myself and if I had millions of dollars I would have a room in my house dedicated to toy collecting.

Anyway, while I was there my mind wondered back and dusted off the memories of me playing with my favorite toys as a kid. The toys from the 80s and early 90s were the best. So, I figured I would make another Top Five list of my favorite toys from my childhood.

1.) Marvel X-Men Action Figures

These were the crème de la crème of toys when I was a kid. The cartoon was on FOX kids and in full swing. I was obsessed. I still remember humming the theme song throughout the day at school. I had a fantasy of being one of the gang. Mimic was my name and my powers were the ability to change form to look like anyone. I also had the "Rogue" ability to absorb mutant powers for a short time by touching that mutant. In essence I was cheating because with these powers I could be anyone I wanted, even if only for a short period of time. And, for all you X-Men fans, yes there is already a Mimic... I didn't know that at the age of 11. But since I couldn't be Mimic I settled for the next best thing, Wolverine. You can't go wrong with adamantium claws. I remember spending hours having X-Men battles in the back yard. It was beyond epic. Marvel toys redefined the action figure with this collection.

2.) Masters of the Universe

What kid didn't like HeMan in the late 80s? Santa got generous one year and brought me, pretty much, the whole collection of toys. I remember going nuts that Christmas morning. Castle Grayskull was, by far, one of the coolest hero bases ever. It had a secret door and a falling-rock trap at the front gate. Skeletor and his minions had no chance. And even if they did ever break through, HeMan's oily muscles, stunning power sword and faithful friend Battle Cat would destroy them. I HAD THE POWER!

3.) Ninja Turtles

This was another classic toy dynasty from the early 90s. Leo, Raph, Donnie, Mikey, Splinter, April O'Neil, Shredder, Bebop and Rocksteady, the footclan, Krang, the Turtle Van, The Sewer System... the list goes on. This was one of the coolest collections of toys. The thing I remember the most were the accessories. The various weapons, vehicles and environments that were in the collection were amazing. I even had quality (plastic) replicas of the turtle's weapons so I, too, could be a turtle in my own back yard. The cartoon was fantastic as well. I remember as a kid this particular toon came on for a full hour on Saturday mornings. And for those of you who are a little younger and think the later TMNT cartoons that followed were just as good or better... you couldn't be more wrong. The TMNT cartoons to follow never did the original justice.

4.) Battle Beasts

These were some of my favorite toys. I had a million of them. They came in packages of 4 or 5, I can't remember, and they covered every animal imaginable. On the front they had a square powercell that showed one of three elements: fire, water or earth. They "activated" when you held your thumb against them for a couple seconds. These elements indicated which "team" they were on. Like the ever popular, Pokemon, of the next generation, I had to have them all.

5.) Legos

I loved Legos. I had three Lego cases full of them. But of all the Lego series out during my youth the Ice Planet collection was my favorite. I had the whole series. Just looking at the pictures bring back so many memories. The two images to the left I built on Christmas morning on the kitchen floor. It took me all morning to put the whole series together and then I spent the rest of the day playing "Ice Planet". I mined ice crystals and fought off space pirates, played by characters from the Space Minifig series. I think my parents were convinced that I would grow up to become some sort of toy engineer. I would spend hours building my own models. I won second place and got a 250 dollar Lego gift card for a lego building competition when I was 12. That was one of the biggest highlights of my youth. Alas, math would become the bane of my existence and engineering would become a less attractive avenue. Besides, I had plans to become a weatherman... that didn't happen either.

Top Five: Favorite CG Short Films

So with my new found addiction taking up a lot of my free time, as well as time that is not-so-free, my love for CG films has been rekindled. Blender has given me a whole new perspective on what goes into a film like The Incredibles. I thought I already knew so much. I had taken classes on basic animation when I was in school (studying fine art: graphic design) but I suppose I had never really taken a class purely on animation. Just modeling basic low-poly junk is tedious... but fun. I can't imagine the time and attention to detail it must take to even produce a CG short with a fully realized world. Granted, many of the larger films have massive teams of people who know all the hot-keys and shortcuts but much of the time these shorts are done with a team of three or less... even just one person at times. Seeing what goes into modeling, texture wrapping, bump mapping and rigging, among many other tasks, I see now, more than ever, how impressive these films really are. Sure they are beautiful to look at but there is beauty behind the scenes as well... and a lot of crying and temper-tantrums I am sure. So, while rekindling this love over the past few weeks I have been watching a lot of CG shorts and have come across some really good ones. These are my top five favorite CG shorts as of now.

Sigg Jones from Asterokid on Vimeo.

I lived on the Moon from Yannick Puig on Vimeo.

Cat's Meow from Jorge Garcia on Vimeo.

Pigeon Impossible (720p) from Paulo David on Vimeo.

REPLAY HD from Anthony Voisin on Vimeo.

If you would like to see more amazing CG work check out the post "10 CG Shorts You Must See" at www.3dworldmag.com. This site is great for keeping up with what's new in CG.

Leave It To Robots: Exploring A 4,500 Year Old Mystery

This is pretty amazing. Last year I read that scientists from Leeds University were planning on sending in a robot fixed with a drill and snaking camera to, hopefully, uncover more of the mysteries of Pyramid of Khufu: the King's Chamber and the Queen's Chamber. They have arrived at two small doors, one of which they have drilled through revealing the second door resting only, a short, 20 cm behind it. The mysteries behind the second door have yet to be discovered.

(Above: TC Ng demonstrates the Djedi Rover inside a pyramid.)

Its incredible that, after thousands of years, we are able to peek inside a chamber that was closed off to people. The idea of seeing something, man-made, that hasn't been seen in 4,500 years is mind blowing. Makes me wonder if ancient Egyptians ever thought people in the future would do as we are doing - exploring sealed burial vaults.


Robot to explore mysterious tunnels in Great Pyramid

By Andrew Johnson
Sunday, 8 August 2010

For 4,500 years, the Great Pyramid at Giza has enthralled, fascinated and ultimately frustrated everyone who has attempted to penetrate its secrets.

Now a robotics team from Leeds University, working with Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, is preparing a machine which they hope will solve one of its enduring mysteries.

The pyramid, known as the Pyramid of Khufu after the king who built it around 2,560BC, is the only wonder of the ancient world still standing. At its heart are two rooms known as the King's Chamber and the Queen's Chamber. Two shafts rise from the King's Chamber at 45-degree angles and lead to the exterior of the monument. They are believed to be a passageway designed to fire the king's spirit into the firmament so that he can take his place among the stars.

In the Queen's Chamber, there are two further shafts, discovered in 1872. Unlike those in the King's Chamber, these do not lead to the outer face of the pyramid

No one knows what the shafts are for. In 1992, a camera sent up the shaft leading from the south wall of the Queen's Chamber discovered it was blocked after 60 metres by a limestone door with two copper handles. In 2002, a further expedition drilled through this door and revealed, 20 centimetres behind it, a second door.

"The second door is unlike the first. It looks as if it is screening or covering something," said Dr Zahi Hawass, the head of the Supreme Council who is in charge of the expedition. The north shaft bends by 45 degrees after 18 metres but, after 60 metres, is also blocked by a limestone door.

Now technicians at Leeds University are putting the finishing touches to a robot which, they hope, will follow the shaft to its end. Known as the Djedi project, after the magician whom Khufu consulted when planning the pyramid, the robot will be able to drill through the second set of doors to see what lies beyond.

Dr Robert Richardson, of the Leeds University School of Mechanical Engineering, said they would continue the expedition until they reach the end of the shafts.

"We have been working on the project for five years," he said. "We have no preconceptions. We are trying to gain evidence for other people to draw conclusions. There are two shafts. The north shaft is blocked by a limestone door and nothing has penetrated that door. With the south shaft a previous team has measured the thickness of the stone, drilled through it and put a camera through it and found there was another surface. We are going to determine how thick that is and we could drill through it. We are preparing the robot now and expect to send it up before the end of the year. It's a big question, and it's very important not to cause unnecessary damage. We will carry on until we find the answer. We hope to get all the data possible which will be sufficient to answer the questions."

(source: The Independent)

Epic Meal Time: I'd Eat That

I found these guys last year in the fall and have been following them since. Despite the thousands of calories, the large amounts of liquor and bacon strips, bacon strips, bacon strips... I still never fail to get hungry watching them. I would eat anything they make. I would probably regret it later but, yeah, I would eat it. You know you have made something special when you "about to get drunk off pancakes".

Check out more at www.epicmealtime.com or check out their Youtube Channel.