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Before computers became the sole progenitors of almost all our visual artifacts, printing was a labor-intensive task that involved applying incredible pressure to inked blocks using machines weighing thousands of pounds. At the Common Press, in the basement of the University of Pennsylvania’s Fine Arts Building, artists are still using this outdated technology—right down to…
Any task requiring the use of clear tape would be a lot easier if you could snatch a strip of the sticky stuff with just one hand. And while there have been many complicated contraptions that promise exactly that functionality, Black+Blum have found a simpler approach that takes advantage of that perpetual force known as…
In the grand scheme of history our medical devices will (hopefully) seem quite primitive to people of the future. And if we make as many advances in the future as we have since the 1920s, we’ll all be cybernetic demigods in no time. We can do incredible things to extend life here in the early…
After countless months of “will they” or “won’t they,” Microsoft has finally conceded to give iOS users their very own version of Office in app form. Most iOS users, that is. Assuming they want it in the first place, which is no safe assumption given its many, many limitations. Getting Started The first thing to…
The Black Flag logo is sort of like the Coca-Cola script: it’s been subverted and remixed so many times, it’s become bigger than its original intended use. Now, thanks to a mini-documentary produced by Los Angeles’ Museum of Contemporary Art, we know the fascinating story behind the creation of the iconic mark—which, according to Henry…
Today’s solar panels convert about 20% of the Sun’s energy to electricity—which is good, but solar power would be much cheaper to use if the solar cells converted more of our star’s energy. Sharp has just made a huge step in this direction, with a new cell that converts a record 44.4% of sunlight into…
The situation in Syria is getting worse by the hour. France and the UK have both confirmed Assad’s use of Sarin gas against rebel-held towns, Hezbollah fighters have jumped in to the regime’s defense, and drones are falling out of the sky at an alarming pace. Including this one. In the latest incident, Syrian rebels…
Why didn’t southern diner chain Waffle House want a 450-pound tattooed rapper to use their trademarks and logo on a record called Whiskey, Weed & Waffle House? “Jelly Roll’s use of those trademarks was one of the more flagrant violations we have seen,” a Waffle House spokesman says. “Actions were taken to protect owner’s rights.”…
Syria’s violent crackdown on the uprising has already claimed 92,901 lives, and that very specific number was reached by human rights groups collecting the actual names of those killed from family and friends in Syria since fighting began two years ago. Still, analysts admit the real number is much higher.
Move over, Glass, there’s another AR solution for motorcyclists. A startup out of Russia has ideated a helmet with a HUD that claims to solve all your navigation needs. LiveMap’s helmet looks more like the lovechild of a Simpson racing lid and fighter pilot helmet, than a traditional motorcycle helmet. The company says it will…
With the announcement that the Xbox One requires Kinect, there’s been plenty of outcry that its ever-present robot eyes are creepy. Especially if you want your Xbox in the bedroom. Artist Alejandro Gomez-Arias probably wouldn’t mind, though. Hell, he’d probably be into it; he’s already starred in his own Kinect porn. https://gizmodo.com/microsofts-new-kinect-much-more-than-mere-motion-cont-509063783 The piece, called…
According to the European airplane manufacturer Airbus, their new A350 XWB plane is more fuel efficient and can carry more passengers (350 vs 250) than its American counterpart, the Boeing Dreamliner. It flew today for the first time in Toulouse, France. https://gizmodo.com/airbus-a350-xwb-first-flight-video-the-dreamliners-nig-513360748 Of course, a test flight is just a test flight. The Dreamliner was…
Children are impossible to please, no matter now many Lunchables you ply them with. But even the most ungrateful tykes will appreciate getting one of Mores stunning Petitpierre kids bikes crafted from carbon fiber so they’re easier to ride and maneuver. Featuring everything from built-in LED safety lights, to a clever footrest built into the…
Jezebel brings out their daily dirt bag of celebrity miseries and inconsequential life events starting with news of Lindsay Lohan getting transferred from the Betty Ford clinic to a Malibu rehab center for being “disruptive” and “making life hell for those around her.” She really works hard to grow her legend. https://jezebel.com/lindsay-lohan-transferred-from-betty-ford-for-being-hel-513356462
Watch the movie trailer for Neill Blomkamp’s new sci-fi movie, the story of how the 1-percent go live in a perfect artificial world around Earth called Elysium and 99-percent stay in a wasted Earth, producing for them. A dystopian future set in 2154 which now seems more plausible than ever. https://gizmodo.com/new-elysium-trailer-is-f-cking-awesome-513329949
Can you imagine what it would be like to report crimes via Facebook or call for a fire truck through Twitter? It would be pretty convenient, right? None of that scary “Call 911!” business. No ambling down to the precinct to fill out paperwork. No need to leave your living room at all, actually. It…
Scientists have proved that moderate alcohol consumption produces better and more ideas than coffee, which “can increase quality and performance if the task […] doesn’t require too much abstract thinking.” It seems reasonable, unless the scientists were wasted when they discovered this. Read the details at Lifehacker. https://lifehacker.com/why-you-should-drink-beer-for-big-ideas-coffee-to-get-513262326
The Boeing 777 is a huge, hulking beast. And when you’re trying to churn out 100 of them every year, there’s only one way to pull it off: turn to the robots. These giant, spray-painting robot arms can coat one of the bird’s mammoth wings in mere minutes. Compared to old-fashioned manpower, the enormous pair…
What is it about humans that make us love–and hate–being lost? Since the time of ancient Greece, we’ve been figuring out ways to entertain ourselves within extraordinarily confusing structures. There are dozens of different types of mazes: there are standard mazes, which feature “multi-route” paths; and labyrinths, which only have single routes. Then there are…
While solar power promises a lot, it’s only ever going to help satisfy our energy needs if it becomes efficient enough. Fortunately, Sharp has just made the world’s most efficient solar cell, which converts a staggering 44.4 percent of incident light into electricity. Take that, fossil fuels. The cell uses a special lens-based concentrator system,…
