Mobile devices can do just about anything these days, thanks to third-party developers. iPhones and Android devices have been known to do some pretty wild things. Need a dupe key made? Scan and order one with your iPhone. Want to know if you're hotter than Justin Bieber? Compare your facial features. Are you a policeman who needs to ID a suspect? Scan their fingerprints and irides. Want to control your Canon DSLR remotely? Use your Android phone.
Fatherhood is difficult, especially when you're an octopus. That is the moral of the 2011 IGF Student Showcase winner Octodad, available for free from its website. This hilarious little title was created by a team of interactive media students at DePaul University in Chicago, and is the latest in a stream of successful indie games to come out of collegiate video game design programs. In fact, it's so successful that a sequel is in the works.
With Microsoft's release of the Kinect SDK, things seem to have slowed down a bit in the world of Kinect development. Have developers exhausted the uses of Kinect already? No way! Four researchers at Cornell University have created an AI-based system on the Kinect that can recognize what you're doing, and maybe even who is doing it.
Were you horrified when Gwyneth Paltrow's head ended up in a box in Se7en? Do you share Harrison Ford's opinion that Han Solo should have died in Return of the Jedi? Think Kurt Russell could have handled aliens better in The Thing? Well, sorry—you're out of luck. There's nothing you can do to prevent William Wallace's beheading or Carrie's mayhem. But thanks to MyndPlay, controlling the plot to future films is totally possible.
What's the next best thing to being an official scientist? Being a non-official one. A new website called Science for Citizens helps you find the science experiment of your dreams, hook up with the scientists involved, and actually take part in the experiment itself. Here are some examples of what you can do:
One of the creepiest musical instruments ever is undoubtedly the theremin, a device originating from the early 20s that emits eerie sounds with a just a wave of the hand. If you've seen the original movie The Day the Earth Stood Still, you know what I mean—freakishly creepy. Playing the theremin can be off-putting for some, since it's a relatively pricy gizmo, but a new geek gadget called the EaTheremin aims to make all of us professional, dinnertime theremists.
Always wanted a fluorescent dog but didn’t want to commit? Well, here’s your solution. Researchers at Seoul National University developed fluorescent puppies that only glow when you want them to. Just inject the special pups with doxycycline and they’ll glow like a black light poster for a few weeks. Then, they return to dull, furry normal.
Body hacks. So simple, so ingenious. They're the shortcuts in life. We love them, the internet loves them. Back in 2008, somebody named Alicia Goh wrote a friendster blog post that has been passed along far and wide. Her tricks of the body include quick solutions for an itchy throat, a stuffy nose, a dire need to pee, and more. My favorites:
Does size matter? When it comes to optical illusions, it does. The size of a human brain's visual cortex determines how he or she sees the world, meaning not everybody observes optical illusions in the same way.
We've covered a variety of life perks, short cuts, and cheats (35 to be exact), but what about your health? Neatorama has compiled a list of "tricks" to staying healthy and keeping off the pounds.
LIFE magazine has posted a gallery of bizarrely wonderful old school scientific models. Don't miss the giant fetus or massive colon (double ew). Behold, science education before computers ruled our world.
Get to know Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard: Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard was born in Bolye Heights, Los Angeles, County, California on June 12, 1941.
Scientists have recently released a mathematical breakdown of the perfect handshake. The University of Manchester researchers discovered that nearly one-in-five people hate the handshake, listing complaints such as sweaty palms, limp wrists, gripping too hard and no eye contact.
I took a class in the fall entitled Writing for Television at Bentley University in Boston. Much of what I learned has helped me through my first year of creative writing. One of the keys to writing television that we learned in the class was that a television show follows the traditional three act structure that any story follows, except for the fact that in a television episode, many questions are allowed to go unanswered.
Make My Mondays Meatless! One day a week join in on cutting out the meat! This Presidential initiative revived by The Monday Campaigns in association with Johns Hopkins, rolled out this program to the Baltimore public schools, then San Francisco went meatless and now celebrity chef extraordinaire Mario Batali and his fleet of fabulous restaurants said I'll play too! Now you too can help fuel this fire!
Researching the job market thoroughly and with the correct resources is important to the advancement of your career. Watching this video will establish how to research your career options, find information about companies and familiarize yourself with job titles that are a fit for the degree and/or certifications you have earned as well as your professional background. Find the perfect job today!
Popsci has posted 2009's most amazing scientific images, and there's quite a few great ones in there. A few of our favorites below, click through for all 62.
As Hummer puts it, it's "The Ultimate Gadget for Grown-Ups." Dr. James Brighton from Britain's Cranfield University has converted a full-size Hummer H3 into a working remote control vehicle.
Watch this first 'tutorial'.FauxTo! Hoax! Con! May 28, 2008, this video was uploaded to YouTube illustrating the popcorn popping power of a circle of ringing mobile phones. Radiation. Amazing. Viral. Millions viewed.
NBC News has fired the producer it deemed most responsible for the airing of a selectively edited 911 call placed by George Zimmerman the night he killed Trayvon Martin.
Here's today's morning news: Rising Gas prices: The United States has seen a big inflation in gas prices throughout the nation. Many stations in New York have hit $4 per gallon, while Hawaii sells at $4.247. Experts predict another increase before memorial day. When will you reach your gas limit? Seen any outrageous gas prices?
"Chef" Marilyn isn't the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of the infamous blond bombshell. Yet a recipe featured in Fragments, a compendium of handwritten Marilyn artifacts, has led Marilyn-o-philes to believe the icon was in fact more domesticated than one may think.
Label Profile: Night-People [Night-People founder Shawn Reed, playing live in Montreal as Wet Hair]
Luxirare is a site of mystery; the genius behind the intricate and painstakingly photographed projects remains somewhat anonymous, despite her culinary mastery, fashion pieces and e-shop being featured in the likes of Vogue, Lucky Mag, ABC, NBC, and the New York Times. Insanely stylish and original, Luxirare has been blogged about all over the web.
Love, love, love it! Pixelfari converts Safari to 8-bit, turning everything into old school Nintendo-style pixely fonts and graphics.
For all pickle aficionados, apparently the combination of sour pickles and sweet Kool-Aid is surprisingly delectable. Popular in Mississippi, Kool-Aid drenched pickles are a popular treat coined Koolickles. Sound unappetizing? Don't knock it 'til you try it. The New York Times reports, "[Koolickles] have an arresting color that combines green and garnet, and a bracing sour-sweet taste that they owe to a long marinade in cherry or tropical fruit or strawberry Kool-Aid."
Guitar Essentials My friends and I would secretly scribble tab in the darkly lit practice rooms in our university even though we were educated musicians. So, being able to read tablature, or tab, is essential for beginning guitarists.
Getting to the airport from Manhattan by cab is like what, $40 now? Forget that. Don't be intimidated by New York transit. It's the best run and safest in the country.
New York based studio softlab's latest installation "(n)arcissus" is an eye-bending site specific installation currently on display at the Frankfurter Kunstverein art center in Frankfurt, Germany. The piece, made with over 1,000 mylar and vinyl laser cut panels, hangs in a stairwell, measuring 9 meters tall from the lobby ceiling.
From LAist: Meg Whitman has set a new record, having now spent more of her own money on her gubernatorial campaign than any politician has spent in US history, according to abc7.
Daniel Larsson and Tomas Redigh are the Swedish band Rymdreglage, otherwise known as two "retard ninjas". Their music video 8-Bit Trip pays ultimate nerd tribute to both LEGOs and old 8-bit video games (and ninjas).
If you've ever had even the slightest encounter with bed bugs, you know they are the most feared, nastiest vermin in New York City, as well as other closely populated spaces (re: college dorms). The latest nasty bit of news on the topic concerns clothing retailer Hollister- their flagship Soho store was shut down for three days for infestation.
This summer if you are in New York get yourself in some rubber soled shoes, buy a timed ticket in advance and run to the rooftop of The Met for The Big Bambu. It’s green, literally. It’s made from one of the most sustainable materials around. And it’s even recyclable! And you can walk through it!
Wow. What a trailer. Now this is how you get atttention!From the official website:Imagine if every myth, conspiracy theory and urban legend was true. Imagine if your worst nightmare came to life. Imagine a world where vampires hunt for mortal blood in dingy London nightclubs, where werewolves lurk in the sewers beneath Seoul, and where the undead prey on the living in the shadows of New York City. This is the premise for «The Secret World», Funcom's upcoming massively multiplayer online game ...
In honor of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, ESPN commissioned the Wieden+Kennedy ad agency (the same group that did the amazing aquarium Nikes) and the AM I Collective (a group of artists based in Cape Town, South Africa) to create 32 murals, depicting each and every team. Very nice work, beautifully done.
Via WonderHowTo World, Luv and Music: Weezy, we miss you. Well, at least I do. And I'm not ashamed to admit it. Lil' Wayne is currently serving a year long sentence in a New York prison, after pleading guilty to a gun charge. (Miss the story? Get the scoop on NPR).
Far-out animation entitled "Love and Theft" by Andreas Hykade of Germany. Careful - there's some slightly risqué imagery in there (depending on how liberal-minded your boss is). Apparently Hykade was inspired by Bob Dylan:
I don't know about you, but I've been counting down the days until the release of Iron Man 2. And that day is finally here. For those of us who won't make it to the theater until tonight, here's a little sneak preview for you, courtesy of NYC SFX house Perception.
Amazing vertical wall gardens with succulents and tillandsias by couple Flora Grubb and Kevin Smith. Inspired? Pick up some HowTo tips to get you started, or learn about the supplies you'll need here. Or try this vertical trellis moss project from Lowe's.
Ford Austin here....with a special report! I just arrived at the 2010 Starfest Convention in Denver, Colorado and I have to say it is AWESOME! We are at the Marriott Convention Center where they are holding Dahmer Vs Gacy Night at the Convention. We are attending a live band performance at about 8pm where the rumor is that band will be performing the Dahmer vs Gacy Original Theme song LIVE before the 10pm Dahmer vs Gacy screening. Tonight's screening kicks off the Official 1 year DAHMER V...
