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News: Zooming Into Sand

Incredible. There's a type of sand (found only on the small Okinawan island of Iriomote) in which each grain resembles a tiny star. And I never would have known, if it hadn't been for blogger Jason Kottke's pal Mouser. Mouser collects sand from all around the world, and then documents each sample with a macro lens:

News: AT-AT Crash Lands as Snow Fort

Snow fort + Star Wars = coolest dad in the world. Says Redditor jabo27 : “I actually measured out my son’s big toy AT-AT to get the different parts to the right ratio, but then that all went out the window when I actually started building it in the yard. At least you can crawl into the head (from the back side), through the neck and up a deck on the body. and then slide down it’s ass.”

HowTo: Go Jersey Shore This Halloween! Top 10 DIY Snooki Looks

Jersey Shore's pickle-loving, drunken little ball of fun has captured the affection of many, as well as a fair share of haters. According to today's Wall Street Journal, Snooki and other Jersey Shore characters have surpassed Lady Gaga in popularity for Halloween costumes of 2010. Go Snook. (Not too surprising. For lots of ladies out there, the more revealing the costume, the better.)

News: Look! A Diamond the Size of the Moon!

Lucy, whose real name is BPM 37093, is a diamond roughly the size of our moon. At around 4000 kilometers in diameter (2,485 miles), Lucy is estimated to be around 10 billion trillion trillion carats. A billion trillion trillion? x 10? It's easier to imagine dividing by zero than to put this ridiculous number into perspective.

News: Would You Eat Poor Yoda?

Instructables user tchitwood's realistic Yoda head cake may leave the most devoted (yet hungry) Star Wars fans feeling slightly guilty. tchitwood says "everyone said it was sad to cut into him, but we went to the dark side that night. :)".

News: Crafting Buildings

Check out MY quick intro and some tips for the Crafting building then watch my video for more in depth, live action information! This post is NOT copied from the Zynga boards, so it's unlike any you have seen yet!

How To: Use the Parameter Collector tool in Autodesk 3ds Max

In this clip, you'll learn how to use 3ds Max's Parameter Collector tool. See how to use 3ds Max 2010's built-in grouping features to work on multiple meshes the same way you might work on a single object. Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular modeling software or a seasoned 3D artist just looking to better acquaint yourself with the application, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, and to get started taking advantage of the Paramater Collector tool y...

How To: Work with multi-sub materials in Autodesk 3ds Max 2010

See how to work with multi-sub materials in Autodesk 3ds Max 2010. Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular modeling software or a seasoned 3D artist just looking to better acquaint yourself with the application, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, and to get started taking advantage of the 3ds Max Assembly and Group tools yourself, take a look! Work with multi-sub materials in Autodesk 3ds Max 2010.

How To: Render millions of particles in Houdini 10

This two-part tutorial looks at the techniques for rendering millions of particles in Houdini 10. The first part looks at using the popsolver to manipulate particles using both the standard pop nodes and dynamics forces. We use the interact pop, and random grouping of particles to build an ink like effect. We set up a smoke simulation and use the velocity field of that to advect (move) the particles. Whether you're new to Side Effects Software's popular 3D production program or a seasoned gra...

How To: Create a particle-based explosion in Houdini 10

This clip presents a walkthrough of how to go about creating a particle based explosion in Houdini 10. Whether you're new to Side Effects Software's popular 3D production program or a seasoned graphic artist just interested in better acquainting yourself with the application, you're sure to be well served by this free video tutorial. For more information, including detailed instructions, take a look.

How To: Use and work with bundles in Houdini 10

This clip discusses the use of bundles in Houdini. Bundles serve similar purposes to groups of objects and layers in other applications. Whether you're new to Side Effects Software's popular 3D production program or a seasoned graphic artist just interested in better acquainting yourself with the application, you're sure to be well served by this free video tutorial. For more information, including detailed instructions, take a look. Use and work with bundles in Houdini 10.

News: Are North Korean World Cup Fans Really Chinese Actors?

World Cup World asks: "How'd North Korean fans get to the game?" Fair and valid question. It's seeming IMPOSSIBLE for any North Korean citizen to get a visa to leave the communist regime (not that they could afford it, anyway) to attend this past week's game. After much initial speculation on whether these fans were the real deal, the mystery has been resolved by multiple news sources.

How To: Create a 3D model of a book in modo

This tutorial presents a general guide on how to model a book within modo, setting up the UVs, assigning some basic textures and materials to different poly groups. In the end, you will set up a studio shot for the book and create some more copies to fill the scene. In order to achieve the final product shot, you'll use some of the outputs provided with Modo. Whether you're new to Luxology's popular 3D computer graphics application or are a seasoned digital artist merely on the lookout for ne...

Animal Kingdom (DP: Adam Arkapaw)

Every summer, I pick one or two films I can't wait to see. Some of them are conventional blockbuster choices (Transformers, Star Trek) and others are guaranteed to deliver (Dark Knight, etc.). The obvious choice for this summer is Chris Nolan's new epic "Inception". But if you're interested in an indie-epic all its own, check out "Animal Kingdom", directed by David Michod. The early Scorsese-esque fan favorite at Sundance (and Dramatic winner) has some of the best looking stuff I've seen in a...

News: Alice in Wonderland Synopsis

From Walt Disney Pictures and visionary director Tim Burton comes an epic 3D fantasy adventure ALICE IN WONDERLAND, a magical and imaginative twist on some of the most beloved stories of all time. JOHNNY DEPP stars as the Mad Hatter and MIA WASIKOWSKA as 19—year—old Alice, who returns to the whimsical world she first encountered as a young girl, reuniting with her childhood friends: the White Rabbit, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Dormouse, the Caterpillar, the Cheshire Cat, and of course, th...

How To: Operate the Motorola Nextel i836 mobile phone

If you're having a little trouble operating your newly purchased Motorola Nextel i836 cell phone, let Sprint help you out. This Sprint interactive mobile phone tutorial takes you through every step necessary to fully familiarize yourself with the i836 cell phone by Motorola. This instructional tour will help you learn how to use Sprint Nextel Direct Connect, 65K Color Display, Downloadable Applications and Games (Java), Multimedia Text Messaging, Sprint Nextel Direct Send Contacts, Group Conn...

How To: Operate the Motorola Nextel i870 mobile phone

If you're having a little trouble operating your newly purchased Motorola Nextel i870 cell phone, let Sprint help you out. This Sprint interactive mobile phone tutorial takes you through every step necessary to fully familiarize yourself with the i870 cell phone by Motorola. This instructional tour will help you learn how to use Sprint Nextel Direct Connect, 1.3 MP Built-In Camera, Audio Player, Bluetooth with Printer Support, Large Color Display, Micro SD (TransFlash) Card and Slot, Applicat...

How To: Build a Star Wars Lightsaber (Infographic)

There are many ways to make a lightsaber. You can turn a flashlight into a steampunk lightsaber, you can make a lightsaber from junk, and you can make one that looks totally real (if you've got the money and time). Heck, you can even make one in Photoshop. And now you can make one using an infographic! Who doesn't like infographics? This infographic by Herbert Pocket, which may or may not have been inspired by this lightsaber infographic, will show you the quick route to making a Star Wars wo...