Are you among the many whose lives have been ruined by a never-ending torrent of tweets, friend requests and Internet quizzes? If so, then what are you waiting for? Join the Social Media Addicts Association today!
Optical Illusion: Perfectly round circles
This optical illusion contains 4 perfectly round circles. Can you see them all… at once?
The Geek Wish List: Day Four
- Luxury bus
The background of this bus is something of a mystery, but be assured, it is genuine and has featured on British TV show Top Gear.
This is not a possession of which our more environmentally aware readers will necessarily approve. And frankly much of its appeal comes from a combination of luxury and size. But when it comes to screens and buttons, this supreme motorhome has plenty to offer, starting with a dashboard more akin to a cockpit:
There are TV screens everywhere, including two in the lounge:
And best of all, there’s space for frankly the most opulent piece of luggage ever seen on a six-wheeled vehicle:
- LED faucet lights
If the bus is a little out of your price range, you may have to settle for one piece of technology which features in its bathroom.
It’s a remarkably simple idea. The light clips on to your faucet and illuminates the stream of water with a blue light once you turn the water on. As and when the water gets to 86 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, the light switches to red.
The manufacturers offer some gubbins about it being a safety feature to avoid young children scalding their hands, but let’s be honest: the point is that it looks awesome.
For more details: http://www.faucetlights.cn/
3D Short of the Day: Blip
Produced by Ben Harber and Sean Mullen from the Irish School of Animation, blip is a short 3d animated film that features two alien trying to take over the same planet.
Users Beware: Helpdesk Warning Sign [PIC]
Science Is Sexy: DNA You Say?
By Jimmy Rogers (@me)
Contributing Writer, [GAS]
Much of the time, when I discuss science with non-science people, I get the impression that genetics is a double-edged sword for them. While most understand that genes contain the “blueprint” for the organism that carries them, and that heredity somehow factors into that, the DNA (DeoxyriboNucleic Acid) molecule and its role in the process remain a mystery. Hopefully we can begin to clear things up here.
Each cell in your body (excluding red blood cells) contains a highly condensed package of DNA. While the structure of this package is unimportant for our purposes, one good thing to remember is that whenever a bit of DNA needs to be used by the body, that part can be selectively accessed and then repackaged again. Also, whenever the cell divides (and makes a complete copy of itself), ALL of the DNA needs to be “replicated,” or copied, as well.
This is a very important process because there is a LOT of DNA that needs to be copied and moreover it needs to be copied ACCURATELY. DNA and RNA (RiboNucleic Acid), are relatively similar molecules in that they can both store information, but the machinery for copying RNA is much more error prone, so in higher organisms, DNA is the main information molecule.
Meet the L33ts
Yes folks, today’s teenagers are probably going to be those parents in 30 years. Oh well, I guess this could be pretty cool, depending on which side of the fence you’re standing: L33t or Noob.
[Via Joystiq]
The Geek Wish List: Day Three
- Mercedes Benx S-Class 2007
No doubt this is a high-performance car with luxury status which would attract the interest of the most mainstream petrolhead. But it’s also got some features with particular geek appeal.
The big one is an automated braking and control system. When you’re on the open road you set your desired speed and, well, that’s it. The car uses radar sensors to detect the speed and distance of the car ahead, then speeds up or slows down as necessary to maintain a safe distance. It’s said to work well, though it can be disarming and drivers find it difficult to avoid the natural implication to hit the brakes manually. Unlike previous incarnations of the technology this system can slow the car right down to a complete halt, meaning it’s even suited to congested city driving.
There’s also a night vision camera which displays an image on a screen mounted behind the steering wheel so that you can spot otherwise hidden upcoming obstacles:
And there’s even built in massaging on the seats, controlled via the dashboard:
(Pics courtesy of Mercedes via Wired.com)
- Digital thermometer frying pan
Baking is simple: you switch the oven to a precise temperature, and if you aren’t convinced the dial settings are right, you can use an oven thermometer. But when it comes to frying pans, it’s tough to get much more accurate than “do I dare prod it with my fingertips?”
Well, that was the case until somebody came up with the idea of building a digital thermometer into a pan and having the temperature displayed on the handle:
So once you do figure out exactly the right temperature to get your bacon and eggs just so, now you can be assured that next time you fry you can get exactly the same level of heat… to a degree of accuracy which only a geek could appreciate.
For more details: http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/kitchen/a7a9/
Wednesday Geeky Pics: Bugs!
Let’s go old school geeky for a moment. Did you have a bug collection when you were a kid? I did, briefly for a class project, but then decided that I’d rather see them alive and flying around than pinned to a board. Of course, who needs a board when you’ve got a camera? With all of the beautiful things in nature to photograph, these guys are sometimes overlooked… but the pictures below are definitely worth checking out. And just think, these buggy models might still be alive and well!
A friendly face. – mhodge (CC)
Making filthy water drinkable through nano-filtration
It’s not a secret, we all know that a good part of the world has problems with its drinking water sources, bringing death and sickness every day upon third-world countries. Sure, humanitarian organizations try to help these countries, but doing so is expensive. So when looking at the situation, Engineer Michael Pritchard thought he needed to do something about this mess, and invented the lifesaver bottle, which, using a non-chemical nano-filtration membrane, can make the most revolting water drinkable in seconds.