Gamer is an upcoming scifi movie from Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor featuring an online multiplayer game called “slayer” in which players control real human beings as game characters. The film is set to be released on September 4, 2009.
Visualizing the Big Bang
We made this video about the Big Bang because the theory is important and amazing, but often misunderstood. This video was produced without any funding from any outside sources. It was put together with donated creative time from a group with a desire to further public cognition of science.
Science has many amazing stories to tell, this is the first: The Big Bang Briefly.
[Via Dark Roasted Blend]
Sears: Life. Well Cooked.
TMZ reported yesterday about a grill featured on Sears’ website under “Human Cooking > Grills to Cook Babies and More > Body Part Roaster”, and they produced the following image as proof:
According to reddit user gfixler, who claims responsibility for the prank, he’s been able to make these sorts of modifications to the breadcrumb trail on sears.com “all year.”
Here’s another example:
As explained by reddit user immerc, this was done by simply changing the parameters in the URL of the page being viewed and then resubmitting it. Sears was extracting the breadcrumb text directly from the URL without any validation. Furthermore, the site cached the page associated with the item, so the user-generated breadcrumb remained visible to other users for some nontrivial period of time.
Sears has since fixed the flaw, and hopefully learned its lesson about sanitizing anything that might come from a user.
Thanks to Alex B. for the tip.
The Geek Wish List: Day Five
- Bluetooth rotary phone handset
This is either brilliant, pointless or just brilliantly pointless. It’s simply an old fashioned style telephone handset adapted to hook up to your cellphone via a Bluetooth connection.
To be fair, using it in public is likely to have you committed to an institution. However, in the home, it could be useful for people who don’t like using a speakerphone, but don’t want to hold a cellphone to their ear, either because it just doesn’t feel right to have all those rays so close to the brain, or because you want to cradle it between your head and shoulder and are looking for a way of doing so that is a fraction less likely to cause crippling neck pain.
For more details: http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/cellphone/8928/
- R2-D2 projector
You knew this was coming. You knew it because it was utterly predictable. And you knew it was utterly predictable because you are a geek.
Just in case you’ve somehow missed this pinnacle of geekdom and technology, let’s recap.
It’s a 1:2 scale replica of R2-D2 which moves about by remote control:
It has a DVD drive and displays the video through a projector:
It has a docking station for your iPod:
And the remote control is the Millennium Falcon:
For more details: http://www.nikkor2d2.com/
Biomimicry in Action
Janine Benyus has a message for inventors: When solving a design problem, look to nature first. There you’ll find inspired designs for making things waterproof, aerodynamic, solar-powered and more. In the following video presentation, she reveals dozens of new products that take their cue from nature with spectacular results.
Social Media Addicts Association (SMAA) Meeting
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.
