Mouse Movement

(via Reddit - thanks Cora)

Chinese Transformers Fan Builds His Own Army Of Robots

All geeks love Transformers, but Yang Junlin of Huizhou, China, took his passion for the franchise to a whole other level when he opened the 'Legend of Iron' factory and began producing his own robots.

He uses all kinds of scrap metal, from old car parts to simple sheets of steel. Although he admits his work is quite time-consuming, Yang has built over 1,000 iron sculptures since he opened Legend of Iron, five years ago, and isn't planning on stopping anytime soon.

Saturn Cassini Photographic Animation

Video made by Stephen Van Vuuren using photos from the Cassini spacecraft. Thousands of layers of many Cassini photographs were animated to make the fly-through work without any 3D CGI.



Vimeo link

'Bite Me' Toaster

Every day, your morning routine is the same. Cup of coffee, mornung paper, plate of toast. Yawn. Well, how can you jazz up your toast? With this Pop Art Toaster with 50s inspired design. Included inserts burns 'Bite Me' or 'Ugh...' with a frownie on your toast!

(thanks Cora)

100 Years Of Film Set Locations

Ever wondered if some movies were filmed in your neighborhood? BoxOfficeQuant, a site about statistics and film, has taken the top 2,000 films from 1910-2010 according to IMDB, and fed their locations into a Google Map. In total the map shows 9,736 locations from the 2,000 films.

How One Man Waged War Against Gravity

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Roger Ward Babson (1875 - 1967), remembered today largely for founding Babson College in Massachusetts, was an entrepreneur and business theorist in the first half of the 20th century. In 1948, he established the Gravity Research Foundation, In an essay called Gravity - Our Enemy Number One, Babson indicated that his wish to overcome gravity dated from the childhood drowning of his sister.

The foundation held occasional conferences where attendees sat in chairs with their feet higher than their heads, to counterbalance gravity. Over time, the Gravity Research Foundation shed its crank-ish air, turning its attention from trying to block gravity to trying to understand it.

Astronom O's

It started as a joke on Twitter (twitter.com/treelobsters/status/45850381951053824) between astronomers. Steve D. from Mad Art Lab decided to create a Carl Sagan prototype cereal called Astronom O's.

The Story Of Bacon

How Bacon is made. A 1965 industry video.



YouTube link

(via Everlasting Blort)

18 Most Horrifying Movie Dystopias

A dystopia is an imaginary place or state in which the condition of life is extremely bad, as from deprivation, oppression, or terror. It might be a nuclear bomb, a plague or even nature when she finally decides to release her fury on humankind. Regardless of the cause a dystopian world is or will be a truly frightening place.

(thanks Danny)

Seven Water Towers Transformed Into Houses

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One thing all old water towers have in common is that once their original purpose ceases to be important, they quickly turn into eyesores. Yet, on the other hand, their historic and cultural significance prevents them from being torn down.

A dilemma? Not for creative architects, city planners and communities considering an altogether new purpose, as these seven examples show.

(thanks Ritu)

Will And Kate Mug Fail

A Chinese company registered in England called Guandong Enterprises wants to cash in on the forthcoming marriage between Prince William and Kate Middleton. So they designed a mug in celebration of the wedding. They say:

Guangdong Enterprises has the greatest pleasure to present to you this beautiful cup to commemorate the wedding of HRH Prince William and his stunning lady bride to be, Miss Kate Middleton. Crafted in the finest bone china it features an exquisite design of the happy couple with ornate gold detailing to honour this great moment in history.

There's just one thing. That isn't Prince William's face on the mug!
That's Prince Harry!

(thanks qqqing)

Happy St. Patrick's Day (Beannachtaí Na Féile Pádraig Oraibh

Are yer wearin' green the-day? An Oirish sayin' 'olds dat 'if you're jammy enoof ter be Oirish, den you're jammy enoof.' On St. Patreck's day it seems dat everyone is Oirish. Here are sum St. Patreck's day links:

Leprechauns are aged, diminutive men an' 'ard-workin' cobblers, turnin' oyt exquisite tackies for other sprites. If yer 'appen across an industrious wee fella 'ammerin' oyt a shoe, luk closely - for yer man may be a leprechaun. Step quietly, for wee people 'ill avoid 'umans, knowin' us ter be foolish an' greedy.

St Patreck's Day Toast.
Genetically speakin', yer may not be Oirish. but through de use av modern technology, yer can be! Create yer St Paddy's Day Toast ter send ter yer lads. Choose yer toast, den upload a picture av yerself, adjust it, an' listen ter yer toast. De guy in de picture above is not me, that's just a random Oirishman.

(t'anks Cora)

The 'istory av St. Patreck's Day.

Fluffernutter O'Malley. That's me leprechaun name.
What is yer leprechaun name?

Aye, they are Oirish chickens. An' they are Riverdancin'.

10 Everyday Fruits And Vegetables That Are Poisonous

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Most of us think that eating fruits and vegetables can be nothing but healthy but there are hidden dangers in many common foods. Poisons that make you sick, paralyze and even kill you lurk behind some of our favorites.

Celluon evoMouse - The Evolution Of The Computer Mouse

With the evoMouse, you can perform common mouse operations using only your fingers. You can control the cursor, click and select, double-click, right-click and drag with basic hand gestures. The evoMouse also features multi-touch functionality including scroll, rotate, zoom, forward and back.



YouTube link

(thanks Cora)

Coke Vs. Pepsi: The Pioneers

The nagging question 'Which is better, Coca-Cola or Pepsi-Cola?' sprang from an earlier, more basic question: 'Can anyone tell the difference?' Professor Nicholas H. Pronko and colleagues at the University of Wichita, Kansas, conducted a series of experiments in the 1940s and 1950s. Pronko's final Coke/Pepsi paper appeared in 1958. In the ensuing half- century, other investigators have digested and challenged his methods and findings.

Advances in technology led to investigation of the brain activity of Coke and Pepsi drinkers. Here is a look back at the early work, the foundation upon which rests so much later planning, effort, and thoughtfully sipped cola.

40th Anniversary Of The Computer Virus

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Creeper, the world's first computer virus. From Creeper to Stuxnet, the last four decades saw the number of malware instances boom from 1,300 in 1990 to over 200 million in 2010. Besides sheer quantity, viruses, which were originally used as academic proof of concepts, quickly turned into geek pranks, then evolved into cybercriminal tools.

By 2005, the virus scene had been monetized, and virtually all viruses were developed with the sole purpose of making money via more or less complex business models. Here's a story about the most significant computer viruses over the last 40 years and their historical significance.

Ten Astonishing Steampunk Timepieces

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Why not take some old gears, dials and wires and create some pieces of steampunk art for your wrist? The results range from cool and crazy to downright bizarre and creepy.

Watches really can be ageless, especially when they are made of recycled, reused or repurposed materials. Add a bit of steam power charm and you have a timeless piece that can, on occasion, even look like a medieval gauntlet or a torture device.

(thanks Ritu)

404 Error Page

When a requested web page is not available, a 404 error message shows up.
The 404 error can be modified by the site's webmaster to a more user-friendly message. Like this one, a very impressive 404 page.

Katamari Hack

Katamari Damacy is a video game for the PlayStation 2. The game plays on the idea of the 'snowball effect.' Players take control of a tiny, sticky, little ball, and are challenged to grow it to an enormous size. When they begin, their ball can only pick up little items, such as paper clips and thumbtacks. As more and more items collect on the ball's surface, however, it becomes bigger.

Now you can turn any web-page into a game of Katamari Damacy with the Katamari Hack. Just copy and paste the below script into the location bar on any site. Then hold down the right-click button on your mouse.

javascript:var i,s,ss=['http://kathack.com/js/kh.js','http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.5.1/jquery.min.js'];for(i=0;i!=ss.length;i++){s=document.createElement('script');s.src=ss[i];document.body.appendChild(s);}void(0);

Mood Mugs

Mood Mugs are a range of insulated mugs with quirky facial expression to reflect your mood. These hand made porcelain mugs have been cleverly designed with double wall insulation, so they keep your drink warm and hand cool whilst showing everybody how you're feeling. There are three designs: Happy as Larry, Monstrously Moody, and Seriously Sleepy.

(via The Awesomer)

Tweets From Japan

Gen Taguchi has been putting together touching tweets from Japan and many people are helping to translate them into English and other languages (they are working on more than 12 languages with over 60 volunteers around the world). The recent tragedy is really serious, but people are helping each other and sharing heart warming stories through Twitter.

(thanks Gen Taguchi)

Lioness Shows Trust In Man With Her Newborn Cubs

Vimeo link

(via The Good Doctor)

Cool Castles Located On Cliffs

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Castles are already pretty impressive, even when they're not perched atop a mountain. But put them at the edge of a cliff, and you've elevated their awe-inspiring beauty to a whole new level. Touting amazing architecture and great historical significance, these eight structures are sure to impress any traveler.

(thanks Jean)

Portraits Of Criminals From Australia 1920

These portraits of criminals taken in the 1920s come from the archives of the Sydney Police.

Incredible Swarms Of Fish Form Off Coast Of Acapulco

The shores of Acapulco's beaches were this weekend teeming with masses of fish packed so tightly they looked like an oil slick from above. Thousands of sardines, anchovies, stripped bass and mackerel surged along the coast of the Mexican resort in an event believed to be linked to the devastating Japanese tsunami.

Experts couldn't be sure whether it had anything to do with the earthquake in Japan. Geologists from the U.S. Geological Survey said that tsunamis can change local currents, but that it's hard to make a firm connection.

Jennifer Aniston Goes Viral

Funny commercial for Smartwater with Jennifer Aniston.



YouTube link

Why Dutch Women Don't Get Depressed

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A recent report reveals that fewer than 10% of Dutch women work full-time, and they face one of the highest wage gaps in Europe. But the surprise is it's not just mums with young families who work only two or three days a week, it's child-free women in their 20s and 30s, too.

And, it seems, it makes them incredibly happy. The reason is because the majority work part-time. They earn less and have less. Many live off their partner. But they don't care. They want to relax, read a book, see their friends. And they are horrified by the lack of free time.

(via Visual Consumer)

Boeing 727 Converted Into A Home

Imagine having a Boeing 727 as a home. The plane set JoAnne Ussary from Benoit, USA, back $2,000, cost $4,000 to move, and $24,000 to renovate. That's not bad for a $30,000.00 investment. The stairs open with a garage door remote. And let's not forget the personal Jacuzzi in the cockpit.

Map: Where Americans Are Moving

More than 10 million Americans moved from one county to another during 2008.
This map visualizes those moves. Click on any county to see comings and goings: black lines indicate net inward movement, red lines net outward movement.

Google's 3D Version Of London - The Royal Wedding Route

On April 29, the eyes of the world will focus on London for the royal wedding of Prince William and Catherine Elizabeth Middleton. Google is expanding their 3D imagery of central London's buildings and trees in Google Earth - including the entire royal procession route.



YouTube link

(thanks Cora)

Japan Earthquake: The Explainer

Around 3 P.M. local time last Friday, there was a massive earthquake about 100 miles off the east coast of northern Honshu Island, Japan. Initially calculated to be a magnitude 8.9, it has since been upgraded to at least a magnitude 9.0. You may have heard that the quake pushed Japan westward by about 8 feet and that it shifted Earth's axis by 6.5 inches.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, USA, has found that the quake also sped up Earth's spin, just a little a bit. Days are now 1.8 microseconds shorter. Guest blogger Chris Rowan wrote a post for Scientific American that explains all of this.

(via Boing Boing)

The Treehugger Project

The Tree Hugger Project is an art project by Agnieszka Gradzik and Viktor Szostalo.

The Tree Hugger Project is an ongoing work of Environmental Art designed to help us rediscover our relationship with nature at a very personal and intimate level. Made from twigs, branches, sticks, wines and other natural materials, these playful sculptures remind us that we humans are still very much a part of our natural surroundings.

12 Amazing Houseboats And Floating Homes

They come in all shapes and sizes, from traditional-looking homes that just happen to be floating on water to ultramodern houseboat concepts that look like they might be able to fly, too.

Some are high-end, while others are cobbled together from reclaimed planes, trains and automobiles, proving that you don't have to have a large budget to take your home to the high seas - or the lake, bay, river or canal. Here are 12 amazing houseboats and floating homes.

Japan Earthquake: New Footage Of Moment Tsunami Hit

Unbelievable new footage of tsunami striking the fishing port of Miyako in Japan.



YouTube link

Amateur Weatherman Snaps Stunning Pictures

For many, it is a hobby that would require far too much patience. But Kris Dutson from Compton Valence waits for hours just to capture the perfect images of storm clouds breaking. He has spent ten years scouting out the ideal locations across Britain to capture the most astonishing atmospheric shots on his camera as rain falls.

He carries meteorological charts and a sun compass with him and will patiently wait for clouds to break before capturing the perfect shot. He sometimes waits for months on end before returning to a particular spot at the right time of year to catch astonishing images.

What Came First?

What came first? The chicken or the egg?
Created by British designer Kyle Bean.

(via Everlasting Blort)

Japan Earthquake: Before And After Pictures

Aerial photos taken over Japan have revealed the scale of devastation across dozens of suburbs and tens of thousands of homes and businesses. Hover over each satellite photo to view the devastation caused by the earthquake and tsunami.

(thanks Miss Rare)

Screwdriver-Powered Vehicle

German designer Nils Ferber created the 'EX,' a motorcycle powered by two 18-volt screwdrivers. The driver lies headlong on his three-wheeled vehicle and accelerates it with sprawled out arms. A specially developed joint tilts the back wheel and leans the driver's weight dynamically into the curve.

(via ackackack)

The Baikonur Cosmodrome - The World's Oldest Spaceport

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There are, to be frank, not many spaceports on the planet as of 2011. Of the thirty or so only six of them have sent people in to space. Four of those are located in the US, another in China and the sixth and oldest is to be found in Kazakhstan.

It is known as the Baikonur Cosmodrome and as well as being the oldest it is also the largest spaceport in the world. It has quite a remarkable history. Still in operation, it has seen huge political change in its time and is set to function as a space port until at least 2050.

(thanks Robert-John)

10 Amazing 'Above-Water' Shipwrecks

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The world's oceans are abound with shipwrecks and a multitude of other nautical artifacts. Lurking deep beneath the waves of the planet's most inhospitable waters are some of history's most grand and feared ships, presenting divers with a fascinating incarnation of a bygone age.

But what about those among us who don't scuba dive? Here are 10 corroding old vessels that can be seen clearly from the relative safety of terra firma.

Face Distorting Jewelry

Face Distorting Jewelry by designer Burcu Buyukunal who says: Terrifying beauty focuses on the trends of cosmetic surgery to question conventions of beauty and challenge the function of jewelery as adornment.

The Balloon Man

It's hard to imagine birthday parties, celebrations, or political conventions without a rainbow of balloons. So considering that they're associated with joyous occasions, it's kind of ironic that if it weren't for poverty and sheer desperation, balloons would never have been invented.

Tortoise Has Two Heads And Five Legs

Magdalena is not just a normal tortoise, the animal has two heads and five legs. The reptile belongs to Roman Gresak from Zilina in Slovakia. Each of the heads has its own nerve system and the tortoise has got two brains, which work idependently from each other.



YouTube link

Do You Like Dog?

Well, do you like dog?

(thanks Lin)

Japan's Earthquake Causes Day To Get Shorter

You won't notice it, but the day just got a tiny bit shorter because of Friday's giant earthquake off the coast of Japan. NASA geophysicist Richard Gross calculated that Earth's rotation sped up by 1.6 microseconds.

That's because of the shift in Earth's mass caused by the 8.9-magnitude earthquake. A microsecond is one-millionth of a second.

6 Pack Frame Cinch

Need to haul a 6 pack on your bike? Use a 6 Pack Frame Cinch.

(thanks Cora)

Pictures From Japan

Yesterday, an 8.9-magnitude earthquake hit off the east coast of Japan. The quake - one of the largest in recorded history - triggered a 23-foot tsunami that battered Japan's coast, killing hundreds and sweeping away cars, homes, buildings, and boats.

Creepy Cricket Fan

You've seen it before. During sport games, when there is a pauze, cameras often show spectators on the big screen. At the Cricket World Cup in Bangladesh, this man walked into the camera view.



YouTube link

(via Urlesque)

Painted Trees In The Mountains Of Colorado

American artist Curtis Killorn paints dead trees in all the colours of the rainbow. He turns them into spectacular public art pieces which stand out vividly against their natural backgrounds.

Weird Science From St. Joseph Island, Canada

Phil Sabine is puzzled by what happens when he leaves bottled water in his truck during freezing weather.



YouTube link

(thanks Cora)

Top 10 Dinosaurs That Aren't What They Were

Dinosaurs are not what they used to be. As new studies and discoveries are made, dinosaurs are becoming so much different from the way we always imagined them that, today, many of us have trouble recognizing even our childhood favorites.

Here are ten classic dinosaurs that have changed radically due to new paleontological discoveries. And they may still change a lot in the future! Dinosaur before and after shots.

(via UniqueDaily)

Doggie On A Bike

YouTube link

Lining Up In Comfort

Comfortable solution for when you have to wait in line.

(via J-Walk Blog)

Bolivian Bridge

Bolivian way to cross your car to the other riverside. This is how the Bolivians ingeniously work out a way to make a bridge.



YouTube link

(thanks Cora)

Jaw-Dropping Picture Of The Sun

This picture of the Sun was taken by Alan Friedman who used a filter that lets through only a very narrow wavelength of light emitted by hydrogen, so this tracks the activity of gas on the solar surface.

He also inverts the image of the solar disk to increase contrast. Somehow this adds a three-dimensional quality to the picture, and reveals an amazing amount of texture.

Happy Smile Trainer

The Happy Smile Trainer.

Enhance your mouth and jaw muscles with the Happy Smile Trainer and create the perfect smile. Just by biting on the mouthpiece once a day for five minutes improves the angles and balance of your face and cheeks, strengthening your gums and teeth.

10 Most Notorious Mafia Bosses On Earth

The Mafia. The name alone conjures shadowy images of underworld activity - debts and allegiances, honor and respect, family, power, and death. The 'don' or 'boss' is usually the mastermind; pulling the strings, making sure the deals get done, and above all else protecting his family, and himself, by whatever means necessary.

The following ten bosses are all still alive and have in their own ways displayed the ruthless conviction and fierce brutality necessary to rise to the top of their ranks. Here are the ten most notorious Mafia bosses on Earth.

(via Look At This...)

Cardboard Car

YouTube link

Chicken Is Tyrannosaurus Rex's Closes Living Relative

Chickens deserve to be treated with a little more respect in light of new evidence about their terrifying ancestry.

Analysis by scientists from Harvard University and the Museum of Comparative Zoology in Cambridge, Massachusetts, of a shred of 68-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex protein - along with that of 21 modern species and an extinct mastodon - confirms that dinosaurs share common ancestry with birds, particularly chickens and ostriches, and to a lesser extent, alligators.

Tyrannosaurus rex, the 'tyrant lizard,' has confirmed its place on the vertebrate family tree, thanks to the new study, which was made possible thanks to an extremely unusual Tyrannosaurus rex fossil found in 2003.

88 Examples Of Forced Perspective Photography

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Forced perspective is a technique that employs optical illusion to make an object appear farther away, closer, larger or smaller than it actually is. It is used primarily in photography, filmmaking and architecture. It manipulates human visual perception through the use of scaled objects and the correlation between them and the vantage point of the spectator or camera.

There are many ways to attack photography and some are much more expensive than others. Here's a stunning collection of forced perspective photography.

10 Greatest Works Of Graffiti Guerrilla Marketing

Urban graffiti has long been the preserve of disaffected youth, but now marketing and advertising creatives are taking advantage of its eye-catching appeal.

Advertising has been ubiquitous on city streets for so long that many people simply ignore it unless it is particularly insightful or clever. Yet graffiti can draw the eye in a way that normal, everyday advertising cannot, provoking conversation and true brand awareness.

(thanks Ritu)

Kamal

Here's Kamal, am artist from India. I guess his singing is OK, but he's a lousy dancer.



YouTube link

Man Arrested During Haircut Makes Great Mugshot

Make sure you'll never get arrested during a haircut or you may look like this in your mugshot.

The Models Who Were Used In 'American Gothic' Standing By The Painting

American Gothic is a painting by Grant Wood, in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Wood's inspiration came from a cottage designed in the Gothic Revival style with a distinctive upper window and a decision to paint the house along with 'the kind of people I fancied should live in that house.'

The painting shows a farmer standing beside his spinster daughter (not his wife, as so many parodies and references assume). The figures were modeled by the artist's dentist and his sister. Here they are, standing by the painting.

(via Nag on the Lake)