The CSP ///

Tron (Incredible Stop-Motion Re-Make)

2010-03-13T16:48:00.000-06:00

Honda Tron Commercial

2010-03-13T16:43:00.001-06:00

'Tron Legacy' Trailer Premieres Online

2010-03-13T16:17:00.001-06:00

Via MTV/Movies

NASA Garage Sale Includes Shuttles, Engines, Space Suits

2010-01-22T20:03:00.002-06:00

Looking for a good deal during the recession? Space geeks don’t have to look any further than NASA, where they can pick up a retired space shuttle for the bargain-basement price of $28.8 million.

That’s the cost NASA estimates for shipping and handling on a space shuttle. The Space Shuttle Discovery has already been spoken for by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, but Atlantis and Endeavour are still available.

Not just anybody can buy them, however. NASA says because of the role the shuttles have played in the nation’s space program, “special attention is being given to ensure the shuttle orbiters are appropriately retired and displayed in the broadest interest of the American public.” That means Bill Gates or Sergei Brin probably can’t put one in the backyard.

The $28.8 million price tag is more than 30 percent off the original sticker price of $42 million NASA was asking in December of 2008. The space agency says it dropped the price because much of the original cost included work that is needed to decommission the shuttles even if they were only to be stored in a hangar.

NASA says the new price reflects the cost of transporting the space vehicles to their new locations and fixing them up so they are in proper display condition. More than 20 inquiries were received after the initial listing, but NASA expects others will step up now that the shuttles have been discounted. Technically, Atlantis and Endeavour are not for sale. They will remain property of NASA, but will be on permanent display at the new locations. The deadline for organizations to apply to adopt a shuttle is February 19.

In addition to the orbiters, NASA is also offering up surplus main engines from the space shuttle. And, it’s offering numerous other items are space-shuttle related (.pdf) to museums and educational institutions, including such items as flight-crew clothing and instruments that have been to space, as well as wind-tunnel models, mockups and simulators that never left the ground.

The fire sale extends beyond the shuttle program to include 2,500 items from the space program that are newly available, including space suits from Apollo and Mercury and other artifacts like an adorable model of a Gemini spacecraft.

See Also:

Images: NASA

Weirdness Circa 1974 /// Yuppi du...

2010-01-19T22:58:00.001-06:00

Via Katey

What if... William Shakespeare wrote The Big Lebowski?

2010-01-19T22:51:00.003-06:00

Read it here /// Be their friend on Facebook

heard these guys on 89.3 earlier today | Nerve Dice

2010-01-17T20:48:00.002-06:00

	Skoal Kodiak - Nerve Dice .mp3

	Found at bee mp3 search engine

Thor listens to his iPod

2010-01-12T20:44:00.002-06:00

Via Sam Kess

I Tell Ben /// A short story by Sam Kess

2010-01-12T18:16:00.002-06:00

We're on the highway in Ben's car when I'm telling him about this thing I can't explain. I haven't seen Ben in while because he was on speed or something, so a couple of months have passed since the dream. In the dream, I was the passenger in a car like I am now. Somehow the car in the dream went off the road and it plunged into a lake. I remember it so vividly, the way the water felt, creeping up, covering my legs, so cold and slow and inevitable.

Way back in first grade, they taught us what to do if our car ever falls through the ice on a frozen lake. You're supposed to roll the window down just a crack, so the water can slowly come in and equalize the pressure. Then you can open the door because the water isn't pushing in against it. So that's what I'm doing in the dream, sitting there and waiting for the car to fill up with water. The driver is a guy. He's scared. He probably never learned what to do.

This dream really fucked with me, I tell Ben, because I've had The Dreams before. The Dreams that make you never want to go to sleep again, the ones where you forget that you don't drink anymore and you have to relive what you used to be like. Ben knows about The Dreams, because he has recently spent time with addicts.

This dream was something different, I tell him. It was more real and more intense and even more scary. I could feel the water still creeping up over me while we headed up our exit ramp. I got out of the car, I tell him, and I swam. After that it was just cold, and then I couldn't tell him any more because I was choking back tears. I've tried to remember what happened after that, because of what I found out, but all I can remember is cold and scared and maybe going to die.

The weirdest thing, I tell Ben, is two days later there's a huge memorial article in the Pioneer Press. I still have it somewhere. The same night I had the dream, two high schoolers were driving on the ice and their car fell through. I know their names. Not to say that I recognized them, rather that I know them now. The guy drowned in the car. The girl got out and made it a few hundred yards on the ice before she froze to death. She had gotten out by letting the water creep in slowly.

I almost have to make Ben stop the car. I can't take it. I can still feel the water rising, covering my legs.

Originally published in Haute Dish, The Arts & Literature Magazine of Metropolitan University

Getting Bent /// A short story by Sam Kess

2010-01-12T18:10:00.005-06:00

It's fucking freezing out here, but the vodka helps. I like to think of it as an extra layer, a liquid jacket. I'm standing outside of a beat-to-shit station wagon in the middle of a snow-glazed gravel pit. The sky is clear and dark. I'm surrounded by sharply-inclined walls of dirt that look like they could collapse into a sand avalanche with the smallest disturbance. They will, too, when they thaw out.

I keep passing my Camel Light from hand to hand, taking turns between the relative warmth of my jeans-pockets and the chilled fingers of nicotine delivery. Actually, the chill is only because I'm out here. Inside the car, the heat is blasting, but Nora is talking to my buddy Charlie about something I'm not meant to hear. Or something. I don't really feel left out because I don't give a fuck. It's just cold out here and they kept the bottle in there with them.

Nora's all right. She's a total bitch, don't get me wrong, but I've always gotten along with her. There are a lot of girls like that. They act super evil to everyone else, but then they're nice to me. They must think I'm harmless, I guess. As much as I don't want to admit it, they're right. I wonder what they say about me when I'm not around. Probably that I'm gay or something. Yeah, right, like the chicks even talk about me at all.

Charlie's good people. He's driving this car right now because the salt on the roads would rust up his truck. I mostly think these rednecks around here are kind of stupid, driving up and down and up and down the main drag in their giant pickup trucks. We joke that they fill up at the gas station on one end of town, then drive to the one at the other end and fill up again. Charlie's truck is sweet, though. It's more of a low-rider, but the front wheels are lower and you always feel like you're going down a hill. It's an orange '79 Ford, which is the only model of truck that I can identify. My other buddy has one, too, and thinks it's the greatest truck ever built. His isn't as cool, though.

You wouldn't know it by looking at him, but Chuck is a pretty badass dude. He's two years older than me, sort of tallish and skinny with dark, stringy hair fraying out of his baseball cap. Instead of regular glasses, he's got these lightly tinted prescription lenses, so he's the only guy in school who's allowed to wear sunglasses. Even though he looks like kind of a dork, he can bench more than most of the seniors and he can beat your ass. You'd never know it if you stay on his good side, though.

We'd been cruising around the lake and packing a few one-hitters. He isn't drinking, but he wanted to get rid of the vodka before his dad found it. I helped him out, chasing it down with flat, but very cold Mountain Dew. It's shit, probably the cheapest that the Winton Municipal Liquor Store has to offer. I think it's about three chemicals away from rubbing alcohol. I forget why we picked up Nora. I think it was Charlie's idea. I bet he's trying to score. Maybe that's what they're talking about right now. I wish they could speed up whatever drama's playing out in there, though, because I'm freezing my ass off.

That's the other thing about Nora, is that she's easy. Not that I'd know, of course, but everybody says it. She's blond and the same age as me. She's kind of hot, but she has these wide lips that make her look like a duck. I used to like her a little bit, before the rumor started about her and that douche Jordan at that party a while ago. Even though I'm stuck out here, I don't mind her coming with us. I keep almost seeing her boobs when she leans over between the two front seats, at least I did back when I was in the car.

My cigarette is long gone and I'm breathing into my hands and rubbing them together to keep from losing feeling. I'm about to go knock on the window when Nora gets out, smiling sweetly. She says "Sorry" for leaving me out here, but what I hear is "Quack". Then, still smiling just as sweetly, she totally steals shotgun from me. She slides another "Sorry" my way and fakes a bit of guilt. I climb into the fucking back seat. This night is going downhill.

Originally published in Haute Dish, The Arts & Literature Magazine of Metropolitan University

Going to the moon was hella fun! We should do it again!

2010-01-08T12:36:00.004-06:00

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) was launched in June, 2009, and is currently orbiting the Moon around its poles at a low altitude of just 50 kilometers (31 miles).
The primary objective of the LRO is to prepare for future lunar exploration, scouting for safe and compelling landing sites, potential resources (like water ice) and more. The high-quality imagery used in the mapping of the lunar surface is unprecedented, and a few early images have included detailed overviews of the landing sites of several Apollo missions, some 40 years after they took place. LRO is now on a one year mission, with possible extensions up to five years. Collected here are several recent LRO images, and a few then-and-now comparisons of Apollo landing sites.
(18 photos total)

Via Boston.com / The Big Picture

Listen to ((( streaming radio ))) KFAI /// Jet Set Planet

2010-01-05T18:48:00.006-06:00

A radio program featuring dismissed, forgotten, or otherwise marginalized vinyl LPs from the record bins of Thrift Store USA. Jet Set Radio broadcast from Studio 4 high atop the Bailey Building on Minneapolis' West Bank every Monday evening at 10:30pm, for 90-minutes of the best in:

Exotica
Crime Jazz
Lounge and Cocktail music
Big Bands in the Stereo Age
Ping-pong percussion
Bongos. Bossa Nova, and Latin tunes
European and American soundtracks
Jazz for swingers and soft-core sensualists
E-Z & Sleazy Listening
Rock-Gone-Wrong
Juvenile Delinquent music
the Now Sound
Songs of the Jet Set
the Schreee of 10,000 strings
and Spy jazz

KFAI 90.3 FM Minneapolis / 106.7 FM St. Paul
Listen Online at http://www.jetsetplanet.com

When science looks like sci-fi | Cassini's Current Location

2010-01-03T03:07:00.004-06:00

Everyone knows about Cassini, the unmanned space-craft NASA has in orbit around Saturn, right? Well everyday they post pics like these illustrating it's current position. I think they're pretty.
NASA's Cassini Equinox Mission: Present Position

BIGHT CLUB @ STATION 4 THIS SATURDAY! ((( 01/02/2010 )))

2010-01-01T11:41:00.005-06:00

A Public Service Announcement from Megan Fox

2009-12-29T00:05:00.003-06:00

Illuminated Gibson Guitar with LEDs and Lasers

2009-12-28T17:02:00.003-06:00

Moritz Waldemeyer does it again! He's the go-to guy for the music industry to create magical, illuminated outfits and now — instruments.

I was loving Rihanna's fierce laser outfit for the the 2009 AMA's, but this beautiful white furry Gibson Les Paul guitar illuminated with LEDs and lasers steals the show. How fun are these guitars!

The best part yet: The lasers turn the guitars into musical paint brushes that create real time graphics on a giant projection.

This project was created for OKGO. Waldemeyer previously had created these lovely LED-infused jackets that spelled out the bands name.

Via Fashioning Technology

10/GUI /// The Future of User Interface?

2009-12-27T18:23:00.003-06:00

The concept of having each finger on each hand as it's own interaction point in a basic intuitive desktop environment isn't at all new but 10/GUI looks like it could be more accessible to modern consumers.

10/GUI from C. Miller on Vimeo.

The Apple iPhone /// Is it Jesus?

2009-12-27T01:21:00.004-06:00

Jennifer's Body (for those of you that havn't seen it yet)

2009-12-27T00:23:00.004-06:00

Replace Your Laptop With Your SmartPhone /// Nearly There

2009-12-26T19:57:00.006-06:00

More and more now web apps and iPhone/SmartPhone apps are replacing the software you normally rely on your computer for. Whether you have work or homework to do or want to kick back and enjoy your favorite music and videos, the internet has replaced not only the software you use all the time but your DVD and MP3 libraries as well and most of the time you need not download a single thing. Every week something pops up online that eliminates the need to bring a computer with you when go somewhere. Smartphones are getting smarter and smarter and the internet is evolving right along side. Short of a larger display a $100 SmartPhone (take your pick!) could replace your entire system unless you're a computer gamer. Even then you probably know about the massive surplus of online flash games that could keep you busy for years!

Here's a closer look at what's online (and accessible via SmartPhone) that essentially eliminates the need to even own a computer. I'll give you web-based alternatives to Microsoft Office, iTunes (and your library!), NetFlix, :

Google Apps & Docs now fully replaces Microsoft Office or OpenOffice in nearly every single way allowing you to create/save/send documents, presentations, and even spreadsheets. You can now save anything in whichever format you'd like online so there's no further need for personal file storage devices. You can log-in to your Google account and access your files from anywhere with internet access whether it's a phone or a computer. You can also (of course) send files where ever or to whoever you'd like. Google Docs even lets you share folders online which would be extremely useful to both students and business professionals.

Grooveshark (and Grooveshark Mobile) eliminates your iPod/MP3 library almost entirely. For $3 a month/$30 a year (a VIP Membership) you can download and install Grooveshark Mobile onto your mobile phone. Without an account it's still like using THE ENTIRE WORLD'S iPOD but after creating an account you're allowed to upload your entire music library to their site and listen to any of it using any device with an internet connection and the ability to load the Flash based website. I mention uploading your library only because I understand how sentimental or materialistic people can be about all the music they've spent so much time and money building. Having said that I still think the best part about Grooveshark is you don't need to upload a thing. All you need is, hands with fingers, ears to listen, and a brain that knows what you want to listen to and WHOOP THERE IT IS. It also has a "Radio" feature which works the same as Pandora or Last.fm but I never use it as the ability to listen to exactly what I want is why I use it in the first place. You just type in a song or an artist and Grooveshark pulls up anything relevant to your search. Usually that means an artists entire discography including EP's, remixes, and every other version of a song ever recorded. The site is based on the ability to create dynamic playlists (and save them if you're registered which is FREE) by either adding individual songs, entire albums, or even every song within your search results. I like to add 3 or 4 albums and then shuffle them but you can really do whatever you want including deciding the track order , sending it to a friend to listen to, and embedding it into a blog or website. My iTunes Library is ridiculously huge. It nearly FILLS 2 separate 500 GB external hard drives (that's nearly 1 TB of music!) but I haven't even plugged either of them in or opened iTunes since I discovered Grooveshark nearly 6 months ago. The only time I don't use Grooveshark is when I'm either sleeping, watching a video, or listening to a friend's music that's only on MySpace or Last.fm. For someone that's ALWAYS listening to music or paranoid about losing their library Grooveshark is the best thing since WI-FI.

Every night before I go to sleep I go to Grooveshark, type in "thunderstorm" or "rain" and tell the site to loop it. I've always slept better when it's raining out and Grooveshark will seamlessly loop the whatever I've chosen all night long even if my WI-FI connection goes down for a minute!

Flickr or Photoshop.com not only let you upload your photos from wherever but also give you numerous impressive photo editing options as well as the ability to save your edits as new files. There are more and more sites popping up every day that give you functionality comparable to that of highly coveted intermediate photo editing software like Adobe Photoshop or Paint.Net.

Google Videos (eliminating NetFlix, rentals, and torrenting) can be used to watch pretty much anything you'd ever want no matter how new, short, long, or obscure it is if you just know what you're doing. When searching for episodes of pretty much any TV show I find it helps to first know either the name of the specific episode or at the very least the season and episode numbers. For instance, let's say you want to see episode 11 of Star Trek Deep Space Nine season three. You'd type in "star trek s03e11" and maybe "ds9" or "deep space nine". Thanks to pirates worldwide and varied international copyright laws you can even watch movies that are still showing in theaters! It's a piece of cake. For movies I usually just type in the name (sometimes adding the year helps) and then click the "Show Options" link under the Google Videos logo. That reveals a column of sorting options including one called "Long +20 min" which eliminates anything less than 20 minutes long. This is how I find all the movies I post here. Sometimes the quality is poor but I'm not complaining. I've been using this search technique for years and every year the quality is better as pocket-sized HD cameras and DVD screeners are becoming more and more commonplace. Pretty much anything looks good on the screen of a SmartPhone though when "full-screened".

The question that remains is what's still missing?

How to Connect and Use a Bluetooth Keyboard With Your iPhone

8 Mesmerizing Sci-Fi Flavored Tracking Shots /// Via io9

2009-12-26T05:59:00.005-06:00

In science fiction cinema and TV, creators need to draw audiences into their world seamlessly. One way to do this is the tracking shot, an immersive one-take journey through a scene. Here are 8 of the best.

(Note: some of these scenes contain spoilers and / or some serious violence. Beware!)

Serenity

Serenity is Joss Whedon's sort-of-final-chapter for his much beloved television series, Firefly. But it's also a stand-alone story, offering any new viewers a chance to discover the crew and the world of the show anew. And what better way to throw a new audience into the world than a wandering tour of Serenity herself. In the opening shot of the movie, Whedon uses a long-take to fully draw us into his world. You can watch the first minute and a half of the six minute masterpiece here.

X-Files - Triangle

In this episode of the X Files, most of the on-screen action is depicted in a series of long takes and uncut sequences. There are some edits, but they are disguised to make the whole episode feel seamless. And the effect is pretty impressive.

Oldboy

It's not strictly sci-fi, but the action-filled, vengeance-fueled martial arts epic, Oldboy, has garnered a lot of praise for its unflinching take on violence and anger. That's pretty evident in this fight scene. It includes a hallway, a giant gang, and an enraged man with a hammer. And it's visceral impact is heightened by the fact that it all takes place in one seamless take.

Children of Men

Children of Men is a movie that relies on the long single take for a couple of breathtaking scenes, including the particularly moving one from which the picture above comes. But the one that is most impressive is the roadway assault scene. Watching it, its brilliance isn't immediately clear. It's not until you realize that there's no way a camera could fit inside the car that you realize the casual scene took enormous innovation and patience to pull off.

Contact

The introduction to Contact serves as a quick reminder that the universe could be an empty place that is entirely indifferent to humanity. It's almost like a counterpoint to the rest of the story that follows. And it's accomplished with a tracking "shot." It's technically a visual effect, but the purpose is clear, and it's accomplished relatively seamlessly.

Battlestar Galactica

As with Serenity, Battlestar Galactica needed to find a way to draw in the audience and show them the characters and the world they would be a part of for the rest of the series. In one of the earliest scenes in the miniseries, we get just that: a long tracking shot through the interior of the ship, showing us most of the important players of the rest of the series. A fitting beginning to a show that aimed to do things with space opera that were as-yet untried.

Cloverfield

Cloverfield's main conceit was that it was found footage, mostly untouched, from one long night of filming. As a result, most of the film is meant to look like a one-take sequence. You could choose any sequence from the movie, but this one is particularly terrifying, since being confined to one point of view makes the danger seem even more close and real.

Shaun of the Dead

The beauty of the long take in Shaun of the Dead is not the artistry of the camera movement or its length. It's that the same tracking shot was done twice, once before the zombie outbreak and once after. At the :40 mark in this video, you can see the two takes intercut with each other, showing just how carefully the two scenes were constructed.

This list is by no means exhaustive. What are your favorite long-takes in sci-fi cinema in television? Did we forget any greats?

Send an email to Stephen Goldmeier, the author of this post, at stephen@io9.com

James Cameron's AVATAR Hits The CSP /// HARD

2009-12-25T21:46:00.017-06:00

Every year around Christmastime my mother and I will eat the best meal we've had (since the previous Christmas!) and then go see the year's biggest Hollywood blockbuster. This year after cooking us up her OMG oh-so-delicious spicy chicken curry we went to the Marcus theater in Oakdale and saw James Cameron's most recent masterpiece, Avatar (in 3-D!!).

Okay, I'm the first to admit that I gush loudly and hard about a lot of the sci-fi I see on a regular basis, but I can honestly say without any hesitation that Avatar is the film I've been waiting to see my entire life. It's truly amazing to behold just how much love, dedication, and not to mention absolute precision that was so clearly put into this film.

Perhaps I wasn't alone in my skepticism for Avatar after seeing the recent South Park episode that made fun of it. If I remember it correctly they made it out to be the tragic, hideously deformed, bastard lovechild of Dances With Wolves and The Smurfs. After seeing it for myself I have serious doubts that either Trey Parker or Matt Stone had any legitimate criticism with the film when they saw it. The seamless integration of live action and computer animation in Avatar is unlike anything I've seen before. It blows my mind out how far we've come with CGI and I can't say enough good things about this new-ish 3-D technology. It's a trip.

Neil Gaiman's Coraline was incredible in 3-D but Avatar is a whole new beast to be feared and respected. I mean, if you're sitting in the right place in the theater (anywhere really, but dead-center, a row or two back from the middle is best I think) you're actually in the friggin movie. People have been saying things like that for years now but really we're only just now seeing film making of that caliber.

It's no surprise whatsoever that Avatar was made by the very same sick evil genius nerd-lord giant that brought us Aliens, The Abyss, Terminator, and of course Terminator 2 over a decade ago. There's no arguing that James Cameron certainly knows what he's doing.

Recently I was delighted and hugely relieved to learn that James Cameron (I shit you not!) made the film Titanic as a brilliant con-job to get the financing he needed to not only buy his own submarine but spend the better part of a year filming at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. What makes that so enormously heroic and hilarious to me is that the finished theatrical version of the film contained only a few minutes of actual bottom of the sea footage.

I'll look into it and post a link to where I read this awesomeness but my source also said the blockbuster everyone saw was made largely out of the guilt he felt for taking the studio's/investors money and spending it all on his private underwater endeavors, most of which no one will ever see! He's been a gigantic hero of mine for as long as I can remember but learning all of that put him instantly into my number one slot with a bullet.

It'll be interesting to see what else he'll bring us in the future.

Also relevant...from io9: 13 Video Featurettes Lay Out The Characters And Designs Of Avatar

Here's a very decent quality copy of Avatar that a Russian pirate uploaded (Russian! No English subs! Sorry!) for your viewing pleasure:

And here's an extremely crappy quality copy split into 2 parts (in English!) for your listening pleasure:

Star Trek (2009)

2009-12-25T20:58:00.002-06:00

The Million Dollar Hotel /// Entire Film + Soundtrack

2009-12-23T09:10:00.024-06:00

Watch it here for free!

THE MILLION DOLLAR HOTEL
Format: 35 mm / Color | Lenght: 132 min

Directed by Wim Wenders

Written by Bono, Nicholas Klein & Wim Wenders

Starring (pretty much all of my favorite actors)
Jeremy Davies, Mel Gibson, Milla Jovovich, Jimmy Smits & Peter Stormare

Featuring incredible music by Bono, Brian Eno, Jon Hassell, Daniel Lanois & Hal Willner

Listen to The Beatles /// Right Here!

2009-12-23T07:02:00.004-06:00

A Jackson 5 Christmas /// Merry Christmas, Everyone!

2009-12-22T16:09:00.002-06:00

Grooveshark Lite on Fluid/Prism

2009-12-16T04:14:00.003-06:00

WiseStartUpBlog writes, "As we work on developing an AIR application or have you the developer community at Grooveshark craft it from our APIs, here is an interim solution that gives you all the elegance of an AIR app without all the coding needed.

Fluid allows you to create SSB (site specific browser) windows that are reminiscent of the days of multiple windows of Internet Explorer in the 90s. Luckily, Fluid is built on the Cocoa platform making it more efficient, stable, and usable than IE, but also limiting it to Mac only.

To get started on your Grooveshark “app” download Fluid, and then create a new applet with the URL “http://listen.grooveshark.com/” and create it. Once created, you can easily use Grooveshark in a separate window and never get the ‘annoying shit, I just closed Firefox and now my playlist is gone because I didn’t save it’ feeling.

Any other cool apps you are using for the Grooveshark platform?

Update: Colin has pointed me to Prism, a Firefox extension that offers similar use on a PC

The Oh-So-Pretty! Commodore Bent 64 Blackout

2009-12-13T14:24:00.006-06:00

Hardware:

Super Bright multi line Vacuum Fluorescent Display
8 bargraph displays
10 dedicated potentiometers and 1 encoder
multi-purpose/color LED indicator
Custom black finish
RCA dual mono output
s-video output
100% commodore 64 functionality
MFX-24 compatability
cynthcart module is embedded,switch between commodore and cynthcart mode without removing anything

Software:

programmable 16 step filter seq speed, lenght, offset
cynthcart(ROM) built-in
user savable pot position(global)
graphic seq positioning
programmable marquee and splash screen

Via BIGHEAD ELECTRONICS

Note: I have an as of yet "unbent" C64.... I wonder how hard it'd be to do this to it myself...they say it took them a year to do this!

A fun noisemaker for you

2009-12-13T13:35:00.002-06:00

Okay, so a cassette player makes noise when its tape head reads information off of a magnetic tape, right? And credit cards have those magnetic stripes on the back with their own information on them, right? So you should be able to play a credit card just like a cassette tape.

Turns out you can. It sounds a little bit like scratching a record. Here is a sample.

Here’s how to make your own credit card noisemaker.

Stuff You Need:

Credit card. Or, really, anything with a magnetic stripe: Hotel key card, MetroCard, Costco card. They all seem to make pretty much the same noise.
Speaker. A guitar amp is fine. Small is great; I’m using this little amp from Radio Shack.
Alligator clips.

You’ll want two pairs (each pair is connected by an insulated wire, like the one above).

Phone plug.

This one is a mini — you can use a 1/4″ instead if you’re running it into a guitar amp. Mono is fine (and a little cheaper). Get one where you can get at the connectors (on the left of the pic). You’ll be connecting one alligator clip to the short one (top left) and the other alligator clip to the longer one.

Tape Head.

You can pull this out of any old tape deck that isn’t working anymore. This one is mono, which means that there are only two (instead of four) connections in the back, so there’s less futzing around — but stereo is fine too. I pulled this one out of a little kid’s plastic walkman that I picked up at Value Village. (Broken answering machines are good too.) Note that I kept the wires attached to it; this makes it a little easier to hook things up to it.

Now, all you have to do is use the alligator clips to attach the two connectors of the plug to two connectors of the tape head. (It doesn’t seem to matter what gets hooked up to what when you’re using a mono head and a mono plug. With stereo stuff, you may have to do a little trial and error.) Then, plug the plug into your amp.

Now rub the tape head against the magnetic strip on the back of the card. Sweet music!

(The obvious next step is to take a cassette tape and take out the actual tape part, and use some sort of adhesive to affix it to a flat surface, and then play it with a loose tape head, like a really low-rent Laurie Anderson.)

Via Extra Drowsy Formula

5 Years Left to Back To The Future

2009-12-12T19:38:00.002-06:00

Originally posted here. Back to the Future is my favorite movie of all time. When first movie was in theaters I wasn’t even born yet, well actually just one year before. I remember that I watched the second movie in early 90’s, probably when I was 4 or 5. Second movie is featuring the near future and in 90’s it really looks like a future ahead of us but in our imagination. I’ve thought that cars will begin to fly in next century. Well now we are in year 2009 and things are looking different than the future of Back to the Future movie. Back to the Future II presents year 2015. So just 5 years left to that future from current time. Now I want to highlight and compare things between the movie and current time. Are we really gonna catch the future in the movie? Let’s see. (Please excuse my English where some correction requires.)

Fuel and Energy Consuming

Fossil fuels are still the most popular fuel source. We are using new resources though (Hdyrogen, Water, LPG, CNG, CO2, Wind, Sun).

See some examples: Hydrogen cars, Honda Clarity, Tesla Roadster

Fusion energy for home users? Producing it from trashes? Will it be safe and cheap?
I dont think it will be possible in 2015. Plus wiki says so too.

Anesthetize

Anasthetize with gadgets? No need to wait. It’s even possible with spray now.

Antiaging

New cosmetic products & surgeries are helping to slow aging but not adding 20-30 years to your lifespan. Adding hair or refreshing face are possible. You can even change your face and make it look like a celebrity’s one. (If you lost your mind)

We dont know what stem cell will bring for our future.

And what is the point of living more but not having a child? Who will live more in the future? For example: Europe is getting older.

Binoculars

We are much much better now. Even mobile phones can do face tagging. Plus we got google earth, gps devices or mobile phones!

Clothes

Nike has actually released that sport shoe but it has no auto fitting option. We dont have auto size fitting shoes and hair dryer shirts. We got some clothes which are functionable with mp3 players or mobile phones. We got some fancy tshirts. We got sunglasses that plays mp3 or takes a photo.

More gadgets in clothes will be possible in the future but the question is do we really need it?

Justice System

It’s getting worse. Criminal rates are getting higher and higher.

Holomax

We got IMAX. We got holography-like gadgets like a keyboard.

Holomax is not that advanced technology like in the movie but it’s possible in the future without a 3D glass.

No need to mention that computers are way better than the future of the movie. We will see better desktop solutions very soon too.

Big Screens

We got big screen billboards. More bigger and much more quality.

Mj

Surely his music will live on but Michael Jackson has passed away June 25, 2009.

Cyber Waitress

It’s possible now but who wants to talk with a cyber waitress anyway?

And check that CRT screen above. Now we got flat screens, LCDs, LED Screens. Soon OLED will be popular.

Arcade Games

We dont know how future games look like in the movie but I think we are the future now. Speaking about todays gaming, new generation consoles like Xbox360 and PS3 graphics are very great. Besides brand new technologies are coming like Natal Project or Sony Motion Controller.

Robot Trashes

It is possible now but for what? You can buy some vacuum cleaners if you want though.

Fingerprints

It’s possible now. You can be tracable with satallites or with your mobile phones. Your finger prints give your identity but it’s not a global system.

Pepsi

Will Pepsi be perfect in 2015? Dont know

Fancy Cops

Cops should look serious.

Smarthomes

If you have enough money then you can turn your home into a smart one with security doors, cameras, lightning or warming systems. Voice commanding. Iris or fingerprint scanning doors are available today.

Payment Tools

Credit cards; In the begining they were very basic then they came with chips and passwords, now pay and pass, in shape of a watch or keyring. But I believe we will see fingerprint pass in the near future because of stealing protection. Unless someone cut your finger or copy your fingerprint

Webcam

Webcam is not a problem. We got HD webcams. 3G on mobile phones allow video calling.

Fax Machines

Hello hello anybody home?

We still use faxes (it’s very small in the movie though) but now we use internet and mobile phones more for personaş communication.

Foods

Dehydrated pizza, great fantasy isn’t it? There are pills that contains mixed vitamins or food integradients but a small pizza is not coming out bigger from your microwave. Paste can grow but what about meat?

Hover Cars, Skateboards, Cameras and Flying People

Everybody imagine the future with flying cars. 5 years left but it’s not looking possible from now. First of all it is possible in the movie because of the energy source. It’s cheap and powerfull. There is a prototype but it’s very primitive comparing to a flying DeLorean.

In 90’s I’ve thought it will be possible in 2015 but now time gap is closing.

Speaking about hovercameras we got helicameras and they do the job very well.

People can’t still hang in the air but fly well from a mountain.

Got some great road cars like 1001 HP Bugatti Veyron.

Great racing cars like Formula 1.

Great planes like Airbus A380.

We are building our second space station even a space port.

But sadly cars are not flying but I will keep my hope. Who knows maybe I could update this entry 5 years later and will discuss which car is the fastest in the air.

I hope you enjoyed my article (rather this guy's article).

Via nitrogliserin.net

UFO SIGHTING? /// The Norway Spiral (seen this morning)

2009-12-09T20:56:00.005-06:00

Star Wars Chop Sabers - $12 on ThinkGeek

2009-12-09T20:37:00.003-06:00

Eat sushi, defend the galaxy

NOFX - Cokie The Clown

2009-12-09T19:18:00.003-06:00

From their website /// "5 songs that were recorded during Coaster but didn’t make the record cuz they were too good" The CD's just $5 and well worth it, but here's the whole thing streaming. Sorry guys. I FOUND IT on Grooveshark.

BIGHT CLUB /// Mineapolis Hip-Hop /// "SWEAT" EP Dropped

2009-12-05T13:18:00.011-06:00

Here's a free download of their new track.... Heat Rocks G (3.3M)

BIGHT CLUB SWEAT PROMO from bight club on Vimeo. Listen to them here.

Y Control (Faint Remix) by The Yeah Yeah Yeahs

2009-12-04T14:54:00.001-06:00

Natalie Portman Is More Gangsta Than You

2009-12-04T12:45:00.006-06:00

Watch (and OMFG!!! HEAR!) the Explicit version here.

Best Firefox Add-On EVER /// Greasemonkey

2009-12-04T11:55:00.003-06:00

Greasemonkey is an incredible Firefox Add-On that allows you to customize the way you see the sites you spend the most time on. Hundreds of amazing scripts, for a wide variety of popular sites, are already available at userscripts.org.

For instance, one Greasemonkey script changes the default bright white background on Facebook to the colors used in the profile pic of the profile you're viewing. Another makes Google black and much easier to use for longer durations. Yet another ads a loop feature (among others) to YouTube videos. The best is one that removes the ad panel in Grooveshark.

NEW Grooveshark Ad Remover - Removes the side banner advertisements on Grooveshark.

Auto-Colorizer for Facebook - Adds an awesome color scheme to facebook based on your photo.

YouTube HD Suite – Adds icons to your YouTube searches to show you which videos are available as HD and MP4, and then provides you with links inside each for downloading in the quality you want.

YouTube “Lights Out” – Gives you a light bulb icon so you can turn off the “lights” and darken the background for easier enjoyment of your video.

YouTube Enhancer – Assists with downloading videos you wish to keep, giving you the ability to buffer with autoplay turned off, rollover previews and several media controller options.
You can write your own scripts, too.

Check out wiki.greasespot.net to get started.

TV Static Screensaver

2009-12-03T12:43:00.002-06:00

This morning I was marveling at the beauty of a television sans signal and thought to myself "self, wouldn't it be cool if there were a screensaver that mimicked this tid bit of oh so pretty entropy?"

Old man Google always comes through: http://www.objectfusion.com/downloads.html

Or here's a direct link: http://www.objectfusion.com/software/freestuff/setuptvstatic.exe

Wanna listen to Joy Division covers?

2009-11-13T21:36:00.002-06:00

Via Grooveshark

Mac Dock Icon Spelling!

2009-11-13T14:37:00.004-06:00

Maybe these will make you smile.

SeanJA had the great idea to to make these into downloadable wallpapers

Browes 1280 x 800

Braves 1280 x 800

Sex 1280 x 800

Vespa 1280 x 800

Waxes 1280 x 800

From Jessie Tully

From Johan du Toit

From Peter Collins

From Rudy

From Vasco Batista

An anonymous Seinfeld reference

As in: wasting your Sunday afternoon making these things instead of going out, might make you an agoraphobe.

Via Mike Giepert

Thanks, Mike!

Steven Klein's Robots In The Garden - Vogue Magazine

2009-11-13T12:10:00.005-06:00

I found these photos in the issue of Vogue they were originally published but never knew who did them. Steven Klein knocked it out of the park. His website is pretty sick as well.

Super Cool DIY Twelve Monkeys Costume

2009-11-10T17:09:00.001-06:00

Twelve Monkeys Costume - More DIY How To Projects

Nirvana: Live on The CSP

2009-11-09T15:20:00.007-06:00

Mtv Unplugged In New York - 45 minutes

Live in Rome - 53 minutes

Live @ The Moon - 42 minutes

Mtv's Live & Loud - 38 minutes

Hollywood Rock Fest (part 1) - 54 minutes

Hollywood Rock Fest (part 2) - 31 minutes

Amsterdam (1991) - 23 minutes

Strawberry Fields Forever (and ever and ever)

2009-11-06T13:21:00.001-06:00

Jeff, Aleko, Alex & Kim Go To Los Angeles

2009-11-04T13:39:00.005-06:00

AS3 Sound Visualization Engine

2009-10-27T19:53:00.002-05:00

originally uploaded by NymphoBrainiac.

"A sound visualization engine built in Actionscript. It works by analyzing the raw data of an mp3 file, taking a snapshot of its sound wave every 31 milliseconds and placing it into a ByteArray. The ByteArray is fixed to 512 floating-point values, where the first 256 values represent the left channel, and the second 256 values represent the right channel of audio. I then loop through all 512 channels and assign animations based on each (again every 31 milliseconds). The animation effects are assigned randomly applying blurring, scaling, motion and sizing based on the sound wave values. For added effect I added a photo of cannon beach I took and masked it with the sound wave. After all the song is about a beach."

Check it out here: AS3 Sound Visualization Engine.

Music: Beachcomber Blues – Dolorean

Permalink: http://www.christeso.com/index.php/lab/as3-sound-visualization-engine/as3-sound-visualization-engine

DIY hot alien girl halloween costume - Be a Trill!

2009-10-24T20:02:00.004-05:00

The Trill: A Make-Up Tutorial

How to apply your Trill spots this Halloween. This tutorial is spilt up into five sections:… Continue

Posted by callmezippy

WTF?

2009-10-12T02:38:00.000-05:00

Autolux - Today @ 8:00pm

2009-09-03T14:37:00.003-05:00

at First Avenue: 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis, MN

Vampire Hands @ The Turf Club (08.14.09)

2009-08-23T20:47:00.004-05:00

My friend John records local shows and recently taped Vampire Hands at The Turf Club. Since I'm 86ed from The Turf Club for unknown reasons it's nice to at least hear it. All the recordings this guy does sound really pro. Enjoy!

You can download the songs from this page: http://www.emptystapes.com/vampirehands2009-08-14.mp3/

Via Empty's Tapes

True Blood S02E07

2009-08-03T13:01:00.002-05:00

Via QuickSilverScreen

Best. Show. Ever.

Festival Commemorating 1934 Minneapolis Truckers Strikes

2009-07-25T13:05:00.002-05:00

Brother Ali, El Guante, and Ellis Headline Street Festival Commemorating the 1934 Minneapolis Truckers Strikes‏

"ONE DAY IN JULY"
A Street Festival for the Working Class
Remembering 1934--When Minneapolis Became a Union Town.
Saturday, July 25, 7th Av N & 3rd St N, Minneapolis Warehouse District
FREE - 2 PM to 10 PM
onedayinjuly.org

"One Day in July" street festival will highlight union courage, culture and sacrifices through music and history.

Youthful supporters of the struggles of union labor will gather again at a street festival and concert they are calling a "counter-Aquatennial" in the Minneapolis Warehouse District on Saturday, July 25 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the historic 1934 Teamster strikes.

The festival site at 7th Ave N and 3rd St N is one block away from an intersection where Minneapolis police gunned down 67 strikers on Friday July 20, 1934. Two strikers died of their wounds. "We will never forget the sacrifices the strikers made," says Jim McGuire, coordinator of the festival and a union shop steward. "After the strike was won, Minneapolis became one of the strongest union cities in the country. We have been benefiting ever since."

"We call our One Day In July celebration the counter-Aquatennial," McGuire says. "The Minneapolis Aquatennial was created in 1940 by business interests concerned about the tens of thousands of working people who flocked to annual summer picnics organized by the Teamsters union, heard pro-labor speeches and celebrated union culture. At One Day in July, we take back our working class history, culture and traditions."

Over 1,000 attended the first One Day In July celebration in 2004 on the 70th anniversary of the Teamster labor battles. Headlined by The Strike, City Pages named it "Best Street Festival of 2004." Organizers expect a larger attendance this summer as a devastating economic crisis creates a renewed interest in unions on the part of younger workers.

Scheduled to Perform
- Brother Ali featuring BK One
- El Guante
- Mic Crenshaw
- The Brass Kings
- Ellis
- 2 Tone Runts
- City on the Make
- Best Bitch in Show

For more information contact Jim McGuire (612) 378 1973, seamus@pro-ns.net.

+ Colagene, illustration clinic +

2009-07-19T21:30:00.002-05:00

Takeshi / Alstom / Paris

Double-page illustrations for Alstom's annual report

+ See Takeshi's portfolio

Emmanuel Polanco / EMI / Virgin / Alice in Chains / Los Angeles

An illustration for the single titled "A looking in view" from the new album "Black gives way to Blue" available on Itunes

+ See Emmanuel Polanco's portfolio

Emmanuel Polanco / Journey Group / EFCA Today / Minneapolis

A series of three illustrations to accompany the article Hidden Danger - Sexual addiction among church leaders

+ See Emmanuel Polanco's portfolio

Aaron McConomy / Commerce / Montreal

Series of portraits of new business leaders to watch out for in the next year

+ See Aaron McConomy's portfolio

Pablo Pasadas / l'Aquitaine / Paris

Cover illustration for the July/August supplement illustrating summer
in Aquitaine, a region in France

+ See Pablo Pasadas's portfolio

Aaron McConomy / Cottage Life / Toronto

An illustration for a service feature about basements

+ See Aaron McConomy's portfolio

Takeshi / Journal de Montréal / Montreal

Illustration for the 25th anniversary of world renowned Cirque du Soleil,
led by Guy Laliberté

+ See Takeshi's portfolio

Marie-Eve Tremblay / Time Out / New York

An illustration for the Own This City section

+ See Marie-Eve Tremblay's portfolio

Julien Pacaud / Time magazine / New York

For an article about dating, and how people are using a new scientific method of matchmakings, and scents

+ See Julien Pacaud's portfolio

Katrinn Pelletier / Avenue Magazine / Calgary

For an article about whether parabens are harmful or not

+ See Katrinn Pelletier's portfolio

Katrinn Pelletier/ Canadian Living / Toronto

An illustration for the Motherlode column

+ See Katrinn Pelletier's portfolio

Tonwen Jones / Chicago Magazine / Chicago

An illustration for an article about food deserts

+ See Tonwen Jones's portfolio

Tonwen Jones / Cottage Life / Toronto

An illustration for the Q&A section

+ See Tonwen Jones's portfolio

Karen Klassen / Communication Arts / Fresh profile

Karen Klassen's work is profiled on the Communication Arts website

+ See Karen Klassen's portfolio

Colagene, illustration clinic

Montreal +1 514.845.4730 . CAN/USA Toll Free 1 866 700.4558
Paris +33 (0)1.42.63.12.51

www.colagene.com

Natalie Portman Cast In Upcoming Thor Film Adaption!

2009-07-13T16:46:00.004-05:00

Built to Spill - Paper Planes (live MIA cover)

2009-06-25T17:48:00.000-05:00

Wall-E Builders of the World! Unite! /// Take Over!

2009-06-19T09:40:00.002-05:00

Its adorable robot love story makes Disney’s Wall-E movie is as much a geek favorite as Star Wars and Terminator. Some Wall-E fans have banded together to take their passion to a new level, fashioning life-size, fully functional replicas of robots from the movie.

And there are more than just a few of them. A Wall-E builders’ group boasts nearly 3,000 members worldwide.

“It’s a lot of reverse engineering,” says Bruce Shields, who is better known among DIY roboticists by his screen name Jawa Lunk. “It’s a release, a relaxing hobby that is enjoyable. When you are done you can look at it and say ‘this is it, this is the end.’”

Wall-E, the bug-eyed robot star of the movie, is clearly the hot favorite in this DIY community. But other robots from the film, such as Eve, M-O and Autopilot, have also been brought to life. Some of the group’s homemade bots will be on display this weekend at the Maker Faire, a festival of DIY arts, crafts and technology in San Mateo, California.

When the first trailer of Wall-E was released in October 2007, Shields says he found a robot that the world could love. A Michigan-based pastor with a strong interest in robotics, he created the Wall-E builders’ group. In its first few weeks, the group collected about 400 members. And they tried to find every little nugget, image or slice of video that could offer a hint to how the robot functioned.

Without blueprints or schematics, creating a life-size or even a scaled-down version of the Wall-E robot isn’t easy. The head was the most difficult part, says Shields. He hand-formed the sheet aluminum around two LED flashlights, and connected PVC elbows to the back. He formed faux solar panels on the head and put it all together in his workshop. For the arms, Shields took a PVC pipe from a sink drain and sized a smaller pipe to fit inside it, which allowed the arms to move in and out. He documented the process in this blog. The faux rust and weathering came from a paint job.

Every part of the process has been documented in the online forums where members of the community make suggestions and improvements. For instance, another member suggested that yellow #120 from Walmart’s ColorPlace brand made for an excellent external paint on the robot.

“We don’t have anything that is off the shelf,” says Shields. “We don’t really have anything where we say, ‘Let’s go down to the store, let’s buy an arm and hook it up.’”

It’s not just the Wall-E robot that gets attention. Matt Ebisu, a member of the group, first built M-O, a cleaner robot. “My focus is on the secondary robots, M-O, Eve and Auto,” he says. “And M-O is just very comedic, funny, cute and interesting in the way he has been designed.”

A tiny robot with a box-like frame, a red light at top of his head and a brush permanently stuck between its hands, M-O plays a charming yet small part in the movie.

To recreate M-O, Ebisu started with an existing Clean N Go M-O figure toy. He gutted the insides and devised a way to fit existing electronics inside it. Ebisu took a trackball from a mouse and refashioned it to create a way for the robot to move around. He used toothbrush bristles to recreate the cleaner brush and put an LED inside a clear Lego brick for the light.

Building the robot took about three months. Ebisu says he’s obsessed with Wall-E: He’s seen the movie at least 96 times.

“We are doing robots that are really detailed and take quite some time to build,” says Shields. “It’s not a light weekend project.”

Maker Faire features more than 600 exhibitors and is expected to draw 80,000 attendees, organizers say.

Check out more pictures of the robots below.

M-O robot comes to life.

A fully functional Wall-E from Uruguay-based Elso Lopez.

Bruce Shields aka Jawa Lunk’s Gamecube Wall-E being built.

A close-up of the Wall-E robots’s tracks.

For more see, the Flickr photostream of the Wall-E Builders group.

Top Photo: Wall-E/Bruce Shields. Other photos: Wall-E Builders group.

Via Wired

Redesign the gay-pride flag?

2009-06-18T17:51:00.001-05:00

One new idea for a gay-pride flag

Studio 360, the wide-ranging cultural radio show hosted by Kurt Andersen, likes to conduct playful experiments centered on graphic design. With gay pride celebrations coming up at the end of June, the staff thought a "Gay Flag Makeover" might be fun. "Don't get us wrong, some of our best friends are rainbows," went the message posted on a Studio 360 Flickr page. "But we think it's time for a 21st century gay flag makeover. Should it be pink and sparkly? Subdued and stately?"

Some listeners were less than impressed. The rainbow flag, wrote one, is "sacred; people have literally died for openly displaying it. its history should be respected, and it should be left alone."

Under the subject line "Some Cheek," another listener suggested that the rainbow flag's evolution as a symbol deserved its own segment on the show: "There was a creator. There's a theory of the reasons for the colors in the flag. Nice job of COMPLETELY ignoring the history and symbolic resonance of a flag that people have marched with by the HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS."

Other listeners predictably told the complainers to chill out. Suggestions for new flags have ranged from tweaks on the present design -- a gradually widening rainbow rising from bottom-left to upper-right, on a royal blue background, watched over by a pink sun, for example -- to utter redos. Among the latter are a version of the American flag with only six stars, each representing a state that has approved gay marriage, and a white flag depicting a large purple rhinoceros head (adorned with a small, red heart-symbol).

The latter may hold some nostalgic value for older Bostonians. A related purple rhino appeared on posters in Boston in the 1970s as a gay-pride emblem, though it failed to take off nationally. The idea was that the rhino was a misunderstood beast: more gentle than generally believed but quite powerful when roused to anger.

The return of the purple rhino: a replacement for the rainbow?

Via Brainiac /// Via The Awl

World's Fastest and Most Sensitive Astronomical Camera

2009-06-18T17:44:00.002-05:00

(Takes 1500 Images Per Second!)

Read more ///

Eduardo Kac's Transgenic Flower // bio-art

2009-06-17T21:01:00.001-05:00

This innovative project, featuring a gallery installation at WAM and a public artwork on the University campus, was a collaboration between artist Eduardo Kac and University of Minnesota scientist Neil Olszewski. Over the past three years Kac and Oszlewski have created and propagated a new life form – a transgenic petunia – by expressing Kac's DNA on the red veins of the flower only. Kac calls the resulting flower "Edunia".

The Weisman exhibition features the transgenic plant and related prints based on the seeds produced for the project. Kac also created a large, three-dimensional fiberglass and steel sculpture, entitled "Singularis", based on a protein found in "Edunia". The sculpture, now part of the Weisman's public art collection, will be located at the University's new Cargill Center for Microbial and Plant Genomics and on view beginning April 17, 2009.

Eduardo Kac is internationally recognized for his interactive net installations and bio-art. He is professor of art and technology studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and has published and lectured worldwide about art, science, and culture. Neil Olszewski, professor of plant biology at the University of Minnesota, coordinated the fabrication of the transgenic plant and the source of a protein that Kac integrated into the public artwork's form.

Jerd electrocuted - laughs about it

2009-06-17T20:55:00.002-05:00

Jerd built a jacob's ladder at work today and a customer plugged it in while he was adjusting it. He got upwards of 6000 volts through the chest directly over his heart. He should be dead.

"It was cool." Jerd later told me.

Biometrics Turns Your Ear Into Your Password

2009-06-17T11:56:00.002-05:00

What is your mother’s maiden name? What was your high school mascot? What town were you born in? Who cares! Pretty soon, your body could be the only password you’ll ever need.

As the field of biometrics takes off, the securities that protect your identity - from your credit cards to your property - will increasingly focus on your own flesh and blood. And it’s not all fingerprint scanners and voice recognition. New technologies are allowing your identity to be confirmed (or revealed) from a greater distance, more quickly, and without necessarily asking your permission.

Take your ear. No, that’s not a van Gogh joke; it’s called otoacoustic emission (OAE), and it’s the center of one of the many fascinating frontiers in biometric technology. Every time an auditory stimulus strikes your ear, hair cells along the spiral-shaped cochlea (part of the inner ear) translate the vibrations into action potentials, which are relayed on to the temporal lobe in the brain. With the right stimulus - a series of clicks, for example - these hair cells make some noise of their own as they expand and contract: otoacoustic emission.

Everyone’s inner ear has a unique structure, sort of like your fingerprint. Subtle differences in the cochlea translate into subtle differences in the OAE it produces. Dr. Stephen Beeby, an engineer at the University of Southampton, UK, is leading a research project to capture these unique sounds and use them as part of biometrics. By stimulating the ear with clicks, he hopes to capture the unique OAE of a person’s ear and use it as an identification tool.

If supersensitive microphones capable of sensing an OAE were built into your cell phone, your identity could be confirmed from afar. This way, your bank or cell phone company could know for sure that you were you, and not that guy who found your credit card on the sidewalk. If the technology is perfected and fully implemented, your cochlear-ID could secure every phone purchase you make. It could also shut down your cell phone or mp3-player the moment they touch foreign ears. Just in case that German guy who stole my iPod is reading: your days are numbered, mein freund.

Introducing new biometric techniques is no easy task. The researchers will have to show that OAE signals do not change over time, thereby providing a consistent biometric ever an individual’s lifetime. They will also need to prove that their technology has a low rate of false-match mistakes before its widespread use. There are still some bugs to work out. Excessive wax or ear infections can also muddle the signal, and apparently alcohol also dampens the sound of the OAE. That could make that late-night pizza delivery harder than you thought.

Audiologists have even suggested that they can distinguish gender, and even ethnic groups, by looking at OAE signals. This broadens the scope of how this technology could eventually be used; it also raises the whole host of ethical questions that surround biometric technology. How many aspect of our identity do we want to reveal with the sound of a click? I suppose you could always thwart your would-be identifier with speaker phone.

The research is funded through mid-2010, so we should be seeing their final product - bugs worked out - by then. Researchers hope to sell their microphones and software to electronics companies, and you shouldn’t be surprised to see this technology hitting the market soon after. So if you’re always forgetting your passwords, you might be able to - ahem - lend an ear instead. Just don’t go all Dutch Post-Impressionist on us.

-
Side note: I am fully aware - though reasonably skeptical - of recent claims regarding a certain painter’s ear, or lack thereof.

Via-Singularity Hub

Gabe Roy Sued (ON JUDGE JOE BROWN)

2009-06-13T19:12:00.002-05:00

HOLY SHIT /// Red & Johnny

2009-06-06T23:22:00.003-05:00

Make a new wave playlist and spend an hour with 2 horrifically romantic Stormtroopers in love: Red & Johnny

It's only slightly depressing that my...

The Crinn /// Poster by Alex Argo

2009-06-04T15:59:00.006-05:00

Click image for full resolution scan.

In case you're just tuning in, my roommate John is the singer in The Crinn, a metal band recently signed to Nuclear Blast Records. Apparently The Crinn are often classified by their fans as "Noodle Grind". I'm not really into metal but these guys are so so sick and their new album Dreaming Saturn will melt your brain when it comes out.

Feel free to check them out on MySpace, Last.fm, or YouTube.

My other roommate Alex and I made this amazing poster for their upcoming show.

Terminator 4 sucked ASS / TV series cancelled... Hitler is upset

2009-06-04T14:40:00.009-05:00

Turn your regular phone into a Skype phone

2009-05-31T20:33:00.003-05:00

The D-Link DPH-50U Skype USB Phone Adapter

$19.99

Manufacturer Product Page|
Website: http://www.dlink.com/|

Turn your regular phone into a Skype phone with D-Link's USB Phone adapter. This handy unit plugs into your PC's USB port and your regular phone jack allowing you to use your phone for both Skype and regular landline calls.

The remote calling features let you save money in two ways. If you are away from the network and need to make a long distance or international call, all you have to do is call your computer and have it make a low-cost SkypeOut call. If you are traveling abroad and need to make a local call, just make a Skype to Skype call and have the unit use your regular phone line to make the call. Either way you save money.

Via Jerd
Note: More to come after Jerd completes his payphone mod.

An introduction to film studies By Jill Nelmes

2009-05-17T17:40:00.001-05:00

YouTube Videos of Old Turntables Playing Old Records

2009-05-09T15:27:00.002-05:00

Pretty much anytime I think I've had an original idea I just have to google or YouTube it and a million people were excited about it years ago and most likely over it by now.

Recording video of your turntable playing your favorite records and maybe even redubbing the sound with a recording of the record you made with your fancy new USB Turntable. I just got a Stanton T.90 and an M-AUDIO Axiom 25 so I'm too busy to do this anyways. Here are more nerdy beautiful candy A/V pods > X

Happy Space Day, Fellow Space Cadets

2009-05-01T15:15:00.004-05:00

I can't believe I nearly spaced Space Day. It's only 3pm now. There's still like 9 hours of it left I suppose. Everyday is kinda Space Day for me though. How does one celebrate Space Day? Leave it to Lockheed Martin and NASA to make a sweet holiday. Next year people are getting presents from me. This needs to catch on as it's the only science holiday we get. Go science! Hooray for science! Here's the article:

[ Via io9 ] Today is the 12th Annual Space Day, an event that's jointly hosted by NASA and Lockheed Martin, held each year on the first of May. This year's theme is titled : 'Celebrating Human Space Flight: Past, Present and Future'.

Despite the event's name, the activities will actually continue through May 2nd, where there will be a celebration at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. Astronauts from the recent Shuttle mission, STS-119, will be present, and there will be a live broadcast from the International Space Station.

The overall focus of this event is education, and as such, schools and civic groups have been invited and encouraged to participate. According to NASA, there will be educational activities at the museum from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. EDT.

More information can be found here :

http://www.spaceday.org

New robot 'steered by human thought': Honda

2009-04-23T10:23:00.001-05:00

TOKYO (AFP) — Japan's Honda said on Tuesday it had developed a robot steered by human thought, thanks to a helmet-like device that measures a person's brain activity and sends signals to the machine.

The latest version of ASIMO -- the celebrity robot of Honda Motor Co. that can already dance, run and guide guests through an office floor -- has now been fitted with a so-called "brain machine interface" (BMI), the company said.

The state-of-the-art technology means the humanoid can perform four basic movements with its arms, legs and tongue based on the non-verbal instructions a person sends to it by concentrating on performing the action themselves.

"By only imagining moving their right hand, for example, a test person can move ASIMO's right hand," said one of the scientists involved, Tatsuya Okabe of the Honda Research Institute Japan.

"The accuracy of a movement depends on the test person and whether that person is good at concentrating."

ASIMO can perform the motions correctly in 90.6 percent of cases -- a record in the field of BMI technology -- the scientists told a Tokyo news conference, where they showed video footage of the experiment.

The research aims to create a robot which can help people with house-keeping chores such as serving dishes or watering plants.

The project is jointly run with the state-backed Advanced Research Institute International and precision-equipment manufacturer Shimadzu Corp.

"What we are doing is still basic research, but we are working on the dream of commercialising it," said Yasuhisa Arai, president of the Honda Research Institute. "But there is still a very long way to go before commercialisation."

Via Jerd

Always Pretty | D&G Ads

2009-04-21T16:35:00.005-05:00

Via FashionBox

Burroughs on Cut-Ups

2009-04-20T23:10:00.002-05:00

Cut-Ups from Matti Niinimäki on Vimeo.

Most Embarrassing Alien Mating Scenes Of All Time [NSFW]

2009-04-18T21:03:00.000-05:00

The Planetary Society's Current Volenteer Opportunities

2009-04-18T20:22:00.003-05:00

Represent The Planetary Society

If you are planning on attending a space-related event in your area, consider attending as a volunteer! Please contact us and let us know about the event, and we will be happy to work with the event coordinators to provide a table where you can represent The Planetary Society. We will provide you with materials to hand out to other attendees.

Host an Earthdial Site

The EarthDial project is a partnership between The Planetary Society,
Bill Nye, the Science Guy® and Nye Labs, and Professor Woody Sullivan at the University of Washington. The EarthDials are designed to look somewhat like the MarsDials aboard NASA's Spirit and Opportunity rovers, currently on Mars. To date, we have 14 live dials located around the world, and we would like interested volunteers to become involved by building an EarthDial in your neighborhood, school, library, or other location. Please click here for further information, instructions, and specifications on building your own EarthDial! Have fun!

Create a Mars Station

Mars Stations consist of a diorama representing an area of Mars. Robotic rovers made out of LEGO® components drive around the diorama, investigating the terrain. The rovers are equipped with web cameras and are connected to a computer on the internet. Visitors to the Mars Station's website can drive a rover at any of the Mars Stations by just using their web browser. The Planetary Society and the LEGO Company have teamed together to establish a network of Mars Stations around the world. If you or a school, planetarium, or science center you are involved with, are interested in hosting a Mars Station, please e-mail us. For further information on the project, please click here.

[The Planetary Society]

Saturn's Equinox Brings Shadows

2009-04-18T19:59:00.002-05:00

Over the weekend, sharp-eyed Cassini-watchers on unmannedspaceflight.com noticed a series of way-cool photos on the mission's raw images website. Here's a full-frame view, captured some time on April 8.

Click to enlarge >

Shadows on Saturn's rings
Credit: NASA / JPL / SSI

Why's this image cool? We're looking at the rings, and the long skinny finger coming in to the image from the bottom is clearly the shadow from one of the moons. But wait, this image rewards closer inspection. Let's zoom in...

Shadows on Saturn's rings (detail)
Credit: NASA / JPL / SSI

What's that jaggedy dark stuff behind the brightest ringlet in the image? We're only a few months away from Saturn's equinox, the day when the Sun will pass through the plane of Saturn's rings. So to an observer standing on Saturn's rings, the Sun is beginning to set, and casting long shadows. We're seeing shadows cast from structure within Saturn's rings. COOOOOOOL.

Once the first shock of amazement has worn off, questions start to arise. What's casting those shadows? Are those moons? Well, the first thing to ask is, how tall are the things that are casting the shadows? To know that, we need to know the scale of the image. The Cassini website says Cassini was 1,141,262 kilometers away from the rings when it took the photo, which would give you a scale of (1,141,262 kilometers x 0.000006 radians, which is the angular resolution of the narrow-angle camera) = 6.84 km/pixel, but I've never known what to make of the range given for Cassini to the rings, since the whole ring system stretches 280,000-plus kilometers in diameter. The range could be to the closest point on the rings, with Cassini looking at an angle, which would mess up the scale calculation a bit. Also, since Cassini's view on the rings is a foreshortened one, the longitudinal scale could be quite different to the radial scale.

Fortunately, Cassini is far enough from the rings that we can see enough of the ring system in the frame to know where we are in the rings. See how there's a bright section in one corner, then a dim one with rhythmic gaps? I recognize that dim, rhythmic-gap area -- it's the Cassini division, the dark, dusty region that separates the A and B rings. So all that interesting shadow-casting topography is at the outer edge of the B ring, where there are very strong effects from an orbital resonance with Mimas. Even more fortunately, the IAU just formally approved names for all those gaps in the Cassini division, identifying their locations in the process, so that gives me a good radial scale for the image. (I wrote a blog entry on that here.) Here's a segment of the ring image with a few of the gaps labeled with the Y positions of the gaps in pixels.

Click to enlarge >

Shadows on Saturn's rings (labeled)
Credit: NASA / JPL / SSI / annotated by Emily Lakdawalla

So let's see. The B ring outer edge is at 117,500 km from Saturn, and the Jeffreys gap is centered at about 118,950 km from Saturn, so that's a difference of 1,450 km, over a distance of 205 pixels, so the scale along the rings is 7.07 km/pixel. Which turns out to be very close to the scale I calculated from Cassini's range to the rings. Let's call it 7 km/pixel -- that's close enough for government work, as they say!

All right. So how big are the objects casting shadows? Well, the shadows are not quite perpendicular to the rings, but they're not far from perpendicular, so I'm going to assume the 7 km/pixel scale is pretty close to correct. The longest shadow I find in the image is 15 pixels, or 105 kilometers (let's just call it 100) long.

What does that mean about the height of what's casting the shadow? The reason we can see these shadows at all is because the angle that the Sun's rays makes with the rings is really low right now, so close to the equinox. Bjorn Jonsson tells me it's 1.9 degrees, in fact. I have to assume that the surface on which the shadows are being cast is perfectly horizontal (which it may not be, quite, but it's the only way I can proceed, so I'm going to go ahead and make that assumption). With a little trigonometry (let's see, tan 1.9 = object height over shadow length, so it's 100 km x tan 1.9 or) a little over 3 kilometers.

Wow! Is the edge of the B ring made of a pile of moons 3 kilometers across? Hold your horses. Three kilometers is the same as the diameter of some of the smaller moons of Saturn, like Methone, Anthe, and Pallene, and it's quite a bit bigger than the most recently discovered S/2008 S1. I believe that what we're actually seeing is clumpiness of particles at the outer edge of the densest B ring, where particles bunch together partially by self-gravity (which would make them more like moons) but also by the periodic gravitational shoves they get from Mimas. At least that's what the imaging team has said about past images of the outer edge of the B ring, like this one. These clumps would be transient, torn apart by the same forces that bring them together. The B ring is so dense that particles rub up against each other as they orbit Saturn. (We know that because it's opaque to light, and even to radio waves). So an astronaut would be able to travel easily from one particle to the next, clambering around the rings, though it'd be a long trip to circle Saturn! And, evidently, the astronaut would have some climbing to do, traveling up and down the clumps of big particles that form the B ring's outer edge.

That long shadow in the original image? It's cast by Mimas, which is cool, because even though Mimas is well out of the frame (it's roughly 70,000 kilometers away from the outer edge of the B ring, which would be 10,000 pixels, or roughly 10 Cassini narrow-angle camera images end-to-end, at this range), it's the one responsible for making this mountainous mess of Saturn's B ring.

The image I posted at the top of this blog entry is just one of many taken in a sequence of Mimas' shadow passing along the rings. The guys at unmannedspaceflight.com have animated some of the photos to see if they can detect any motion within the clumps at the edge of the B ring, but I can't convince myself I'm seeing anything real among the artifacts caused by the JPEG compression of the raw images. We'll have to wait for the release of the photos onto the Planetary Data System about a year from now to be able to see what Cassini's camera shows us at that level of detail. In the meantime, I'm quite sure we'll be seeing some nice versions of at least one of these images in a release from the imaging team -- stay tuned!

Via The Planetary Society Blog

More Shiny Ridiculous Toy Guns

2009-04-12T14:55:00.004-05:00

Mini Laser-Sighted Machine Gun Flamethrower

Deckard's Gun - Blast Electric Sheep for $150,000

2009-04-12T14:46:00.005-05:00

Was Deckard really a replicant? Who cares, his blaster's for sale.

Yup, just a mere $100,000 to $150,000 and this one-of-a-kind movie prop could be yours, although we imagine that price tag is going to climb a bit higher before all is said and done at the Auctioneer Profiles in History event beginning April 30.

Other classic movie items up for auction include a ring worn by Bela Lugosi when he played Count Dracula; a monocle used in the Fritz Lang's 1927 sci-fi movie "Metropolis"; and Rita Hayworth's dress from 1940's film noir classic "Gilda."

It's truly an eclectic collection of items that, if combined, would have probably confused Harrison Ford's character even more. [Reuters]

Via Gizmodo

Matt Pattinson - Culprit Tech

2009-04-12T14:34:00.002-05:00

Here’s something a little different; a very nicely composed mix of Illustration and found Collage design with a definite feel of 70’s Sci-fi…. Silent Running? from Edinburgh based Designer/Illustrator Matt Pattinson.

More at http://www.culprittech.blogspot.com and http://www.culprittech.blogspot.com

Via Sci-Fi-O-Rama

Bob Pepper - Passing For Human

2009-04-12T14:28:00.002-05:00

From the amazing Bob Pepper this piece was used as the cover for an edition of the 1977 Jody Scott novel “Passing for Human”.

Scan via vintage sci-fi goldmine Ski-ffy.blogspot.com see more of Bob Pepper’s Cover Artwork here: http://ski-ffy.blogspot.com/search/label/Bob%20Pepper

Via Sci-Fi-O-Rama

Rorschach Reviews Watchmen

2009-04-12T09:56:00.004-05:00

Click the image to enlarge.

Via ComicsCareer

Mad Men OSX icons

2009-04-11T22:33:00.001-05:00

Via FFFFOUND!

The Joker Figure

2009-04-10T14:22:00.003-05:00

This 1/6 scale Joker figure is an upcoming release from Hot Toys.

Via likecool

Terminate Yourself

2009-04-10T00:11:00.001-05:00

Via Botropolis

Note: So far I've only "Terminated" my ex.

Jet bike by Norio Fujikawa

2009-04-09T23:36:00.001-05:00

Gear | Concept

Jet bike by Norio Fujikawa. I love this concept, Pretty!

Via likecool

SLAP Widgets: virtual controls you can touch

2009-04-09T23:27:00.002-05:00

Dynamic relabeling of the SLAP keyboard

Ever since multi touch technology made its way into our lives through public displays and handheld devices, we have been in a state of infatuation with virtual controls. We pinch photos, flick menus, and spin maps around a virtual globe with ease. As seductive as these experiences are, there are still times when the tactile feedback and accuracy of physical objects are still preferable, and researchers at RWTH Aachen University in Germany in conjunction with UC San Diego have created the Silicone Illuminated Active Peripherals, or "SLAP Widgets" system to try to get a better handle on it.

SLAP Widgets are real live plastic and silicone objects that are used in conjunction with a multi-touch table to allow users to control interface values through physical push buttons, sliders, knobs, keypads and keyboards. When a widget is placed atop the surface projection, a camera can read markers located underneath it in order to identify and locate where it is. The system then projects a contextually appropriate virtual control (such as a color-coded button, slider, dial locations or querty keyboard) onto the surface, and the clear plastic widget comes to life with the bright, animated forms that appear illuminated on the screen underneath it. The user can then manipulate movable parts, such as moving the slider knob or spinning the dial, and the display responds to user input in real time. In other words, when text input is needed, a keyboard can be placed on the surface in order to invoke a keyboard display underneath it. Markers can be read as keystrokes are pressed, and the user gets the benefit or dynamic, contextual input along with the tangible feedback of pressing real, physical keys.

Slap widgets acrylic dial assembly with dynamic virtual dial display

In a recent CHI2009 presentation, Malte Weiss of the Media Computing Group at RWTH Aachen University demonstrated the system, explaining that certain tasks that require precision, such as locating a specific frame in a video, are better handled through physical input devices than through virtual ones. The system, which includes off the shelf components such as an iSkin silicone keyboard protector, as well as custom made widgets such as the dials and sliders, is currently under development.

SLAP Widget set. a) Keypads. b) Knob. c) Slider. d) Keyboard.

More information about the project, including a video of the system can be found at the RWTH Aachen University Media Computing Group website: http://hci.rwth-aachen.de/slap

Via oobject

Note: I don't know that I'd ever use these as I'd much prefer a non-peripheral all touchscreen system but I thought they looked pretty.

Canada Needs (Space)Men. And Women.

2009-04-09T21:55:00.004-05:00

10 Star Wars Toys that Look Like Other Celebrities

2009-04-09T16:46:00.002-05:00

10. Luke Skywalker / Brian Thompson

When Star Wars figures first came back in the 1990s, Kenner (for some bizarre reason) beefed up all of their characters to ridiculous proportions. So the scrawny farm boy played by Mark Hamill came out looking like the muscle-bound Alien Bounty Hunter from The X-Files, complete with overly defined facial muscles. Would Thompson have improved Star Wars? We doubt it. Would Mark Hamill have improved X-Files? Mark Hamill improves everything.

9. Han Solo / Josh Brolin

Apparently, Harrison Ford’s rugged good looks are hard to capture in three dimensions—that’s the only way to explain all the Han Solo and Indiana Jones figures that look like everybody in Hollywood except Ford. This particular figure is a little too long-faced for Han, but just right for Brolin, the star of No Country for Old Men. If only he were playing Indy in this year’s Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, rather than that Ford mummy.

8. Malakili / Denholm Elliott

There’s something about the sensitive eyes and tight mouth of Jabba the Hutt’s palace employee and rancor keeper Malakili that reminds us of Indiana Jones’ Marcus Brody, who got lost in his own museum once. The Nazis never would have caught him if he’d had a trap door and a Rancor monster.

7. Mon Mothma / Laura Bush

As the leader of the Rebellion, Mon Mothma was one of the first to recognize the sheer evil of Emperor Palpatine, as he subjugated outlying planets to his will and undermined the power of the Senate. Similarly, as the wife of President Bush, Laura oversaw the destruction of Alderaan and personally struck down four highly trained Jedi.

6. Slave Leia / Christian Bale

A mannish Princess Leia action figure? Say it ain’t so! To be fair, Carrie Fisher was not the daintiest of leading ladies, and Christian Bale is not the most rugged of leading men, so the fact that their action figures would kind of look alike isn’t so surprising. The fact that we’ve seen Bale naked and not Fisher? Not so much surprising as gravely disappointing.

5. 12-Inch Han Solo / Zach Braff

One year after our #10 figure was released, Hasbro again attempted to capture the majesty that is Harrison Ford in their 12-inch Collector’s Series. This time, the sculptor tried to give Ford a little more schnozz but overshot, landing squarely in Zach Braff territory. Sadly, Dr. Dorian has only had fantasies where he dressed as Luke Skywalker—otherwise, this could have been the first Scrubs figure. Is anyone excited by this? You know, besides Braff?

4. Dengar / Johnny Cash

When Cash did all of those drugs, was he mystically transported to another planet in the distant past, where he hunted men for sport and profit? Man, that would have made Walk the Line a lot more interesting, if fraught with legal complications. Still, you can’t deny the fact that the worn, lined face of the Man in Black is the spitting image of the Man in Bandages, who hunted Han Solo (unsuccessfully) for Darth Vader. Fun Fact: Boba Fett was the best man at both of their weddings!

3. General Rieekan / John Kerry

This Rebellion general commanded Echo Base on the remote ice planet Hoth. We’re not sure, but we think that’s where John Kerry is now.

2. Yak Face / Robert DeNiro

“Are you yakkin’ at me? I’m the only yak here.” DeNiro was already a major superstar when he was asked to play Saelt-Marae, a.k.a. Yak Face, in Return of the Jedi, but he owed Lucas a favor, and so he tried to bring a lot of the energy he brought to Travis Bickle to the performance. Namely, he asked Ree-Yees if he had fucked his wife, then savagely beat him to death.

1. Princess Leia / Virgil the Chimp

Via Topless Robot

Sexy Lightsaber Battle

2009-04-09T15:28:00.003-05:00

Via Topless Robot

Sexy Exterminators of the Human Race

2009-04-09T15:08:00.002-05:00

Via Topless Robot

The Browncoats Tell You About a Man Named Jayne

2009-04-09T13:50:00.002-05:00

Via Topless Robot

Note: I can be reached at AIM screen name "thecsp" or on Facebook

Posner to blog for the Atlantic

2009-04-08T19:24:00.002-05:00

As I've reported, the federal judge Richard Posner will begin blogging in May on the economic crisis -- continuing, in a different medium, the narrative and analysis of his new book, "A Failure of Capitalism," also due out in May, ensuring that his book won't become instantly dated.

The Atlantic magazine saw an opportunity here. Harvard University Press, the publisher of "A Failure of Capitalism," has announced that Posner's blog will appear under the aegis of TheAtlantic.com -- already home to the popular bloggers Andrew Sullivan, Megan McArdle, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and (until he starts his New York Times column) Ross Douthat.

Lose Douthat, gain Posner. Not a bad trade, even even considering Douthat's talent.

A few years ago, under a different editorial regime, Posner wrote a front-of-the-book column for the Atlantic, but that experiment didn't pan out.

The blog will be interactive, with Posner responding to readers' questions about the economic crisis.

Via Christopher Shea / Brainiac
Note:

The Bandai Luminodot Lite-Brite HD Board

2009-04-07T21:16:00.005-05:00

Price: $179.99

Features

Bandai's Luminodot is the Lite-Brite we always knew we wanted. This 70 by 50 pixelated board is supported by a bright LED backlight. With 1600 bulbs in 12 different colors, each dot is important to finish the master piece. Any type of images can be projected onto the Luminodot, from a simple 2D picture to perspective art works. Featuring a private software that helps the user to create and preview the image. Luminodot is designed with a removable front panel, which allows the user to place the printed image underneath. A one-of-a-kind interior decoration. Available only from Japan.

Watch the exclusive videos on Luminodot.jp
Visit Luminodot.jp for available downloads

Specifications

Power: AC adapter

Accessories

1600 color bulbs

Via All About Gadgets

Note: I am declaring laser-tag war on the laser-tag gun owning community. More on this later!

Ladytron Graffiti

2009-04-07T11:21:00.005-05:00

Via aritzeneko (Flickr)

Note: I would like to dispose of everything I own made of paper (that isn't art) and the friends I have that aren't futurists.

Carla of Autolux on the new PJ Harvey/John Parish record

2009-04-06T15:17:00.003-05:00

carla is playing on the new pj harvey/john parish record,
A Woman A man Walked By. the record will be released
on March 30 in Europe, and March 31 in the US.
for more information on the record go here:
http://www.pjharvey.net

Via Autolux

Why 3-D Movies Will Always Hurt Your Eyes

2009-04-06T14:59:00.002-05:00

Did the 3-D version of Monsters Versus Aliens make you want to barf, even though you liked the movie? Now Slate's Daniel Engber explains why - and says the problem may never be solved.

Engber writes:

Vision researchers have spent many years studying the discomfort associated with watching stereoscopic movies. Similar problems plague flight simulators, head-mounted virtual-reality displays, and many other applications of 3-D technology . . .
One potential explanation for the discomfort lies with the unnatural eye movements stereoscopy elicits from viewers. Outside of the 3-D movie theater, our eyes move in two distinct ways when we see something move toward us: First, our eyeballs rotate inward towards the nose (the closer the target comes, the more cross-eyed we get); second, we squeeze the lenses in our eyes to change their shape and keep the target in focus (as you would with a camera). Those two eye movements-called "vergence" and "accommodation"-are automatic in everyday life, and they go hand-in-hand.

Something different happens when you're viewing three-dimensional motion projected onto a flat surface. When a helicopter flies off the screen in Monsters vs. Aliens, our eyeballs rotate inward to follow it, as they would in the real world. Reflexively, our eyes want to make a corresponding change in shape, to shift their plane of focus. If that happened, though, we'd be focusing our eyes somewhere in front of the screen, and the movie itself (which is, after all, projected on the screen) would go a little blurry. So we end up making one eye movement but not the other; the illusion forces our eyes to converge without accommodating.

This is just one part of a fascinating article about the ways 3-D affects our vision - and how all the new 3-D technologies won't be able to fix the basic problems that cause nausea, dizziness, and (potentially) damage our ability to focus our eyes.

Via io9, via Slate

Note: I'm in so much back pain today I can barely move! :(

Star Trek Countdown - More Than A Prelude To The Movie

2009-04-06T14:42:00.002-05:00

The final issue of Star Trek: Countdown was released this week, completing the prologue to this summer's Star Trek movie. If you skipped the series, then you missed a lot... including some old friends. Spoilers!

Countdown - plotted by the movie's Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, and scripted by Tim Jones and Mike Johnson from Orci and Kurtzman's production company - doesn't just set up next month's JJ Abrams-led reboot in style (complete with great art by David Messina); it also offers what may be the final canonical Next Generation story, as well, and it's one that satisfies even without knowing that a movie was coming out to follow it.

The series is really an introduction to Nero, the Romulan who'll rewrite history in the movie. What Countdown gives us is the reason why he does that, as well as make you feel some sympathy and empathy for how he ended up the way we'll see him in theaters a month from now. It's not a small-scale origin, however; it takes the destruction of the planet Romulus - and the death of his wife and unborn son - to turn the good-willed miner into the tattooed villain we've seen in trailers and posters, and it's a destruction that may have been averted had things not been the way they were... leading to his desire to change the universe in grander - and, in a way, much smaller - ways than saving his planet.

His ally in trying to save the planet is Spock, at this point the Federation's ambassador to Romulus and - in a nice allusion to Superman's origin - a scientist who warns of the planet's destruction ahead of time, only to be ignored by the powers that be. When Spock and Nero try to take matters into their own hands to save the planet, they run into the Enterprise (now being commanded by Captain Data), as well as Jean-Luc Picard and Geordi La Forge, both living surprising new lives outside of ongoing starship missions. When Romulus is destroyed, midway through the story, we get to see Nero's transformation into the movie's big bad, as well as the way that brings him into conflict with another familar face, Worf, now fully a Klingon warrior.

Ignoring the movie tie-in altogether, this would still be an enjoyable series; the story feels appropriately epic, with characterization that's spot-on to the Enterprise crew(s) that we know and love and shout-outs to Trek past that aren't self-important or pull you out of the plot (The Romulans have retro-fitted Borg technology to create their ultimate battleship, for example). Even the ending, which very clearly sets up the movie, could be taken at face value as a conclusion complete in and of itself (Spock and Nero's ship disappear into a singularity and are presumed dead by the Enterprise crew who watched it happen). The series doesn't just make you want to see the Star Trek movie, it also makes you want to read more Star Trek comics if they'll be as good as this one.

Star Trek: Countdown's collection edition is released this Wednesday, and the individual issues are available in comic stores and at iTunes right now.

Via io9

'Wolverine' premiere may be in your town, or on your computer

2009-04-05T15:16:00.006-05:00

Wow, what is going to happen when "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" hits theaters on May 1?

More than 100,000 downloads of a nearly finished version of the film were snatched off of file-sharing websites this week after a copy of such a version of the 20th Century Fox film was leaked. The FBI is investigating and, believe me, the studio was badly rattled by the theft -- this film, on paper, looked like it could be one of the biggest releases of 2009 but it has been encountering considerable turbulence for a movie still sitting on the runway.

First, there were rumors of late re-shoots (suggesting that director Gavin Hood was scrambling to correct missteps or make up for missed moments) and the whispers were so nagging that star Hugh Jackman took the unusual move of approaching the fan press in a gesture of rumor-control (or, for you cynics, a measure of damage-control).

Jackman has been nothing but a gamer when it comes to this film. The famously likable star has been an enthusiastic ambassador for the project all the way back to Comic-Con International (and it's no surprise, since he is a producer on the film as well as leading man). This week he was the voice of the movie once again, this time announcing a pretty cool contest that has been stirring considerable fan interest already. Check out this video:

You can read more about the contest right here.

So I can think of a half-dozen reasons the movie could end up as a big May hit (fanboys love the character and Jackman in the role, the star is popular beyond the niche comics crowd, there's a pretty snappy trailer, there's a good cast and a gee-whiz factor of seeing Gambit on the screen...) but I can think of just as many reasons that it might disappoint (not least among them the brand-deflation caused by Brett Ratner's groaning finale to the otherwise sublime "X-Men" franchise). There are a lot of fanboy movies that look like dead-bang hits this year ("Star Trek," "Terminator Salvation," the sixth "Harry Potter" film and "Avatar" spring to mind) but I get the feeling that "Wolverine" will have to claw its way to the top the hard way.

-- Geoff Boucher

Via Hero Complex

Google Street View Catches 2 Nerds LARPing

2009-04-03T16:07:00.004-05:00

That's right. Their girlfriends get to see them live action role playing.

Ahhhh the internet. Go see!

Radio CSP ////

2009-04-02T17:40:00.012-05:00

We've set up several stations via Pandora Radio and Last.fm and welcome you to listen. The stations have actually been up for a while now but we've been too busy to plug them much. Radio CSP is always free and just a click or two away.

Listen to Radio CSP via Last.fm or Pandora

Biggest GEEK of the Week: Chris Giddens

2009-04-02T01:10:00.006-05:00

Via S P A C E B L O G