9/13/10

Incredible Photos of Faraway Places


Chances are you already know Steve McCurry as the man who took one of the most iconic photos of our time. It was of a 12-year-old Afghan refugee girl who's piercing green eyes told us her harrowing story. The image itself was named "the most recognized photograph" in the history of the National Geographic magazine and her face became famous as the cover photograph on their June 1985 issue.

Beyond just that one photo, McCurry has shot over a million images spanning 35 years. More than anything, he is one of a few that has that amazing ability to capture stories of our shared human experience. As he says “Most of my images are grounded in people. I look for the unguarded moment, the essential soul peeking out, experience etched on a person’s face. I try to convey what it is like to be that person, a person caught in a broader landscape that you could call the human condition.”

Looking through his large body of work, we get to experience fantastic faraway places we can only dream about visiting. It's in his incredible photos that we feel connected to the world at large, appreciating our similarities and our differences, our cultures and our histories, and our past and our present in a truly unique and everlasting way.


via mymodernmet.com

The images he captures, capture you.

9/9/10

Will & the Wheel

Will, an enterprising hamster, tries building an ingenious and mysterious machinery using his beloved wheel.

Fantastic short animation. I so loved watching this. Made me smile and laugh from start to finish.

9/8/10

Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity



See the giant-screen version at the DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE & SCIENCE or the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. Narrated by Academy-Award nominated actor Liam Neeson.

Can you feel the pull? This cutting-edge production features high-resolution visualizations of black holes and other cosmic phenomena based on data generated by telescope observations and ultra-high end computer simulations.

Audiences will be dazzled with striking, immersive animations of the formation of the early universe, star birth and death, the collision of giant galaxies, and a simulated flight to a super-massive black hole lurking at the center of our own Milky Way Galaxy.

via youtube.com

What an extraordinary short film. A definite must watch!

ballerina project

 


Entertaining articles and great pictures of ballerinas outdoors in NYC.  Love it!!!

Absorbent Robots Could Prove Vital In Next Oil Spill Clean Up


Researchers at MIT have developed independent robots that use a revolutionary nanomaterial to absorb considerable amounts of oil - up to 20 times their weight. Powered by solar panels, the low-cost robots which are designed to work in fleets, would use GPS and wireless communication systems to navigate a spill site.

via
smartplanet.com

Looks like a very good product for oil clean ups. Apparently, the rig explosion site in Mexico isn't leaking oil. If it does, I wonder if they'll resort to using this technology.

9/7/10

DISCOVERY

DISCOVERY and AWE!  Love this picture so much.   Just sharing it forward.

It's a wondrous world!

Seesaw Faucet by Chanhee Han & Yanko Design

If it’s an eco conscious faucet with fun elements and a universal appeal that you’re looking for, I’ve got one for you right here. It’s called the Seesaw and it works on the same lines as the playground namesake. The up down action dispenses water from the left and soap from the right side. The eco factor kicks in with the notion that you’ll use only limited water, after dispensing the soap, and not while you pump some from a bottle. And as Chanhee points out, it should do well in public toilets.

Designer: Chanhee Han




via yankodesign.com
Sleek, stylish and appealing to the senses. Just gorgeous and the eco factor is a huge plus. Great design. I want one!

9/6/10

Troops of Doom - CLASSIFIED




Enjoy the webcomic Troops of Doom. It's entertaining and even funny.

9/5/10

Strutting Leo Photo Collection

After coming across a picture of a cartoonishly happy Leonoard DiCaprio on the set of "Inception," the internet has gone to town. "Strutting Leo," as it's been dubbed, has been photoshopped into what seems like every photograph ever taken. And for good reason: It's amazing. Here are the best of the bunch.
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via funnyordie.com
Just loving the 'Strutting Leo' meme. He's so happy-go-lucky.

David Gallo Shows Underwater Astonishments

WANT TO SEE INCREDIBLE MARINE LIFE FOOTAGE - THEN YOU GOTTA SEE THIS!


FASCINATING!!!

The tyPad

Pretty shnazzy. The tyPad turns your iPad into a fully functional laptop (minus the mouse part) with this leatherette case that has a built-in wireless keyboard, for $129.

The wireless keyboard is a must and the rest is just gravy!

9/3/10

NASA plans to send a probe to the Sun

NASA's daring plan to visit the sun took a giant leap forward with the selection of five key science investigations for the Solar Probe+ spacecraft. Slated to launch no later than 2018, the smart car-sized spacecraft will plunge directly into the atmosphere of the sun.

Janet Bloem

Janet Bloem: "http://www.redux.com/JanetB"

9/2/10

Voice Recognition Elevator





via biggeekdad.com

HYSTERICALLY FUNNY. ROTFLMAO.

A MUST SEE: DARK SIDE OF THE LENS



Pure gold! Don't miss it!!!

Nike files for Patent - Automatic Lacing System


American athletic apparel giant Nike has filed a patent for what appears to be a self-lacing shoe.
Officially referred to as an “automatic lacing system,” the innovation seems destined for the company’s iconic, tech-filled Air Jordan line of basketball sneakers.
The patent reads as follows:
The automatic lacing system provides a set of straps that can be automatically opened and closed to switch between a loosened and tightened position of the upper. The article further includes an automatic ankle cinching system that is configured to automatically adjust an ankle portion of the upper.
That’s right: push a button and the shoe laces tighten around your feet.
Here’s more info from the official filing:
In one aspect, the invention provides an automatic lacing system for an article of footwear, comprising: a sole including a cavity; a motor disposed in the cavity; the motor including a driveshaft; the driveshaft including at least one gear; at least one belt engaged with the at least one gear at an intermediate portion of the belt; a yoke member connected to the at least one belt at an attachment portion of the at least one belt; a plurality of straps attached to the yoke member, the plurality of straps being configured to adjust an upper of the article of footwear; and where the straps can be automatically moved between a closed position and a loosened position by activating the motor.
Pretty neat stuff, although my initial question for such an invention is how the company will balance form and features — that is, a technical shoe must be lightweight, too.
Wondering where all that power comes from, by the way? You guessed right: an on-board battery, which will be charged by either a USB or mini-USB port.
Dunking a basketball may never be the same again.
via smartplanet.com
Can't wait to see this in action.

9/1/10

Robots to aid stroke victims with physical therapy - SmartPlanet.com

Dr. Jacob Rosen, a professor at UC Santa Cruz is designing wearable robots to assist stroke victims in physical therapy and rehabilitation. See how repetitive exercises and the use of virtual reality can train the brain to rewire itself after a stroke.



What is the Death Race?


Hey, you hardcore fitness enthusiasts out there. Are you bored with running, swimming and cycling in triathlons? No problem.
The annual PEAK Death Race, held each summer in Pittsfield, Vt., is so brutal that entrants are required to sign a fatality waiver beforehand, acknowledging the possibility that they might expire during the up to 24-hour-long torment to which they'll be subjected.

via holykaw.alltop.com

Now that's grueling for sure!

Black Tie Beach

Improv Everywhere invaded New York’s Coney Island with a group of pranksters outfitted in black tie attire. Donning everything from tuxedos to old prom dresses, the fancy beach goers participated in regular beach activities like sand castle building, sunbathing, and, of course, swimming. Hmm, they probably still didn’t garner as many stares and eye rolls as the rotund AARP member playing beach volleyball in a banana hammock.



So cool.  I could imagine being on the beach and seeing them too!

"If Websites Were Pets"












via collegehumor.com

Meet Eater: Plant gets life from Facebook

FAFacebook


"Plants need light and water to grow, right? Wrong. At The Edge they also need love and attention. Any green thumb will preach the importance of doting care and consideration when it comes to the cultivation of flora, but such advice always falls alongside the traditional contributions of sun, water and nutrients. Meet Eater takes those traditional elements away, replacing them with a want to be touched, a desire for social media interaction and the occasional need for quiet time.
Meet Eater is a plant, but not one we're used to. This plant is watered upon the receipt of physical interaction, when it makes friends on Facebook and when people write on its wall. Behind this project is the idea that by introducing both physical and virtual levels of interaction the plant is able to make the move from being an object to being a creature. A creature you can become friends with on the Internet no less."