A Graphical Mystery Tour of the Beatles

Michael Deal, a remarkably talented graphic designer, has taken up a rather monumental project which he calls Charting the Beatles. While the title may sound simple, the breathtaking graphs that he’s created are anything but. Considering that I’m a huge fan of the Beatles and an absolute data nut, this project is absolutely enthralling for me.

My personal favorites include the collaboration chart, the self-reference chart, and the song key charts, all giving visual representation to an amazing period of music creation and influence and rock and roll. Deal’s charts are all visually lovely and vary widely from subject to subject–an absolutely must-read for music and chart geeks alike!

Man, I could look at these all day.

[via @oldbie on Twitter]

[Photo: Michael Deal Graphic Design, a graphic of the keys used in the Beatles album Revolver]

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20% of Women Dump Men Over Gaming Habits

If you’re a guy and a gamer, you’ll definitely want to read this:

One in five women have dumped their partner because of their web or gaming habits, says MyVoucherCodes.

Research by the UK online discount site revealed that 80 per cent of women claim their other half spends too much time playing computer games or browsing the web. Furthermore, 70 per cent said the gaming addiction was the cause of arguments between the couple.

So, geeks and geekettes, do you agree with the result of this study? Have you ever dumped someone over his gaming habits? As usual, the comments section is open for your stories!

[Via [H] | Source: Gamepro]

Epic Mass Effect 2 Launch Trailer

I was really, really looking forward to playing that game, but unfortunately, I have a PS3, and the game is only available for pre-order (release date: jan. 26) on PC and Xbox 360 as of now.



Voice Band iPhone App Lets you Create Music with your Voice Alone

Yes folks, the Voice Band iPhone app will transform your voice into a musical instrument in real time. Just sing into the iPhone, and your humming will become a guitar, a bass, a synth, and lots more! Only $3 at the iPhone app store.

[Via Gizmag]

The Greatest Adventure: Some Considerations in Casting Bilbo Baggins

The Internet was all a thither yesterday with rumors that Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro had finalized casting for Bilbo in The Hobbit… with Tobey Maguire. The Twittersphere went bananas, and after a few hours, we heard directly from the source, and the directors assured the panic-ridden public that they were still a month away from finding their Bilbo.

Did you hear that collective sigh of relief? I know I did.

But all this speculation begs a few questions and brings to light some inherent issues with casting such a monumental role. The biggest problem with casting Bilbo is that he’s really the sole hobbit, and truly the most important role in the film. There’s no hobbit supporting cast this time around, no Pippin or Samwise. Sure, there’s a lot of dwarves, a dragon, and some familiar faces (we’ll see Ian McKellan as Gandalf and Hugo Weaving as Elrond again) but much of The Hobbit revolves around Bilbo’s solitary adventures as he gets separated from the group time and again.

At any rate, here are a few things I hope that the casting directors will take into consideration when casting Bilbo.

Continue reading ›

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Bill Gates Twitter Account

Bill Gates Twitter Account

Well folks, ex-Microsoft CEO Bill Gates has finally joined twitter yesterday, and so far, he tweeted 5 times and got over 185,000 followers. Now, let’s see how long he keep this up. If you want to follow him, just hit this link.

Why Torchwood USA is a Terrible Idea

The Hollywood Reporter broke the story that apparently FOX is developing a U.S. version of the popular BBC show Torchwood, which for the uninformed, is a Doctor Who spin-off with a more adult flavor. The good news apparently is that creator Russell T. Davies (who has some free time now that he’s left Doctor Who) will be writing, and series star John Barrowman might be reprising his role as Jack Harkness. Of course, there’s no telling if this move is a real attempt to bring the Who-verse to American audiences, or if it’s just a case of someone thinking “Ooh! CSI Cardiff! Grab that!” Still, my knee-jerk reaction (apparently shared by a lot of the show’s fans, judging by the Internet buzz so far) is that this is a terrible idea. Here are a few reasons why:

  • Remember the last time Doctor Who tried to come to America? It is a black mark on the franchise called the 1996 movie which featured the Eighth Doctor in San Fransisco. Let’s just say it wasn’t pretty.
  • Coupling. Blackpool (known stateside as the trainwreck Viva Laughlin). Teachers. Eleventh Hour. Life on Mars. Just a few examples of incredibly awesome British TV shows that became mediocre to horribly, horribly painful American TV shows. There are obviously exceptions to this – Queer as Folk comes to mind, and it was actually written by Russell T. Davies. But if you want an example of just how horribly Hollywood can mess something up, have a look at the American version of Coupling, which uses the exact same scripts and somehow manages to fail horribly.
  • FOX. Really. FOX? Really? Because they have such a great track record of nurturing cult science fiction shows. < irony > On the bright side, at least Joss Whedon isn’t writing this one. < / irony >

I’m all for sharing the Doctor Who love with American audiences, but I think this is probably a case of: If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.  Otherwise we’re going to have Torchwood: Miami starring David Caruso, or better yet – a Doctor Who reboot starring Zac Efron as the Twelfth Doctor.

Job Offer: Microsoft Azure / Visual Studio Student Insider

Someone at Microsoft just contacted me about a job offer for IT students, so I decided to post it as this could be a great opportunity for some of our readers to gain experience with a key Microsoft product (either Windows Azure or Visual Studio). Not only will this allow you to get free training, but you’ll also get the chance to attend to a few exclusive technology conferences as a representative of Microsoft.

For those of you who are interested, hit the jump for all the details.

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Man Claims He is Allergic to Wi-Fi

A man living in Santa Fe, New Mexico claims that his neighbor’s wi-fi is making him sick. According to CNN, Arthur Firstenberg believes that since his neighbor moved in next door, he’s been experiencing a sickness and side effects so severe he’s had to go homeless entirely to escape the discomfort. Firstenberg cannot go to a hotel or motel, since they also use wi-fi, as well as a host of other illness-inducing electronics. Firstenberg claims that his sensitivities extend back decades.

So far, science has yet to determine if electromagnetic interference is a diagnosable condition. Research seems to indicate that it’s rather a psychiatric issue, and not a physical one. According to the article, a German study was unable to come up with any conclusive results:

The major study endpoint was the ability of the subjects to differentiate between real magnetic stimulation and a sham condition. There were no significant differences between groups in the thresholds, neither of detecting the real magnetic stimulus nor in motor response.

The comments on the CNN article, all 113 of them, run the gamut from supporters believing Firstenberg’s claims, while others cry skeptic claiming it’s all in his head. But how about you guys? Is this bunk or believable? I mean, I’ve got to say, I kind of feel bad for the guy next door with all the gadgets… that could well be any of us, what with our geek tendency to hoard electronics!

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TIE Fighter Helmet Will Make you Look Ridiculous

If you ever feel like going onboard a TIE fighter to terrorize your neighborhood, well now you can, thanks to this ridiculous-looking TIE Fighter Helmet. I’m not exactly sure if your neighbors will be terrorized though… they’ll probably just point their fingers at you while laughing their asses off at how stupid you look with that thing on top of your head.

[Via Great White Snark]