Admiral Ackbar says “It’s a ‘shop!” but we don’t care. This is way too awesome.
Sorry, Dude, Thought You Were Pikachu
Ube City’s recycling mascot, Ecoha, is under a bit of criticism. It seems the leaf-eared cartoon looks just like Pikachu in costume form. Those reddish cheeks, big eyes, and a really bad choice in material colors contribute to the near-cloning of Japan’s most famous character, but Ube City officials insist that Ecoha is in no way a copycat, pointing to a comparison of 2D versions as proof:
Nearly everyone who sees pictures of the little guy thinks he’s Pikachu; after receiving 82 comments about Ecoha’s unfortunate similarity to the Pokemon character, Ube City has decided to change the costume design.
8-Bit Fashion Plates Bring the Hauteness [Gallery]
Those 8-bit reworks are so hot right now.*
These posters are from fashionary, where you can purchase any of these (plus several others shown on the site) printed on heavy-weight matte paper, which is presumably quite fabulous.
When I see 8-bit figures that are elongated like this, I’m reminded of Interplay’s “Out of This World.” The game’s graphics were more detailed, but the anatomical proportions are similar.
[fashionary via Flavorwire]
*That was my Mugatu impression. It’s better in real life.
A 75-Inch TV Now Fits Inside Your Glasses
It seems Vuzix is taking a cue from sci-fi movies with their Wrap 1200 3D Video Eyewear–a set of wraparound glasses with internal 16:9 displays that showcase 3D material. Watching a movie in the Wrap 1200s is like viewing a 75″ TV from 10 feet away. A 15-degree adjustable tilt feature optimizes the viewing angle, and fully customizable settings to align the displays with the wearer’s pupils ensure a comfortable 3D experience. 2D display is also supported, and the plug and play eyewear is compatible with most game consoles, media players, phones, DVD players and tablets. There are tons of accessories available, if you’re the accessorizing type. You can even fit them over your prescription glasses, according to Vuzix.
These seem awesome if they work well, and since the company’s been designing video-eyewear devices for a while, indications are they might. I don’t know how covertly you can watch a movie in class or at a meeting in wraparound shades, but on an airplane or during long wait times, these would kind of be the best thing ever.
If watching a movie inside your glasses sounds like something you’d like to do (and why would it not?), you’re in luck: Vuzix is shipping the Wrap 1200 already, and for $499 you can own your own. (Hey, you get free rechargeable batteries.)
TARDIS Corset [Picture]
From the product description:
The TARDIS corset, in rough-out of the placement for the first panels. When finished, it’ll have lights, sounds, and a key. The phone door will be white, and will open. And yes, you ARE bigger on the inside. (Petrichor Perfume not included.)
Thanks for sharing, Nic!
Inside the Google Robocar [Video]
YouTuber jurvetson got to ride in one of the Google Robocars on and according to him, “it was thrilling.” It looks like a good time, anyway, and based on research of driving habits, autonomous vehicles aren’t really as scary as the idea of autonomous vehicles.
No need to look for a parking space; just let the car find one for you as you enter the building.
Two computers tucked into the trunk are doing all the steering, braking and acceleration by issuing commands to the drive-by-wire bus already designed into modern hybrid and electric cars.The spinning LIDAR on the room maps the environment in 3D, including pedestrians and, in this case, traffic cones. A camera to the side of the rear view mirror tracks the road. Three radar in the front bumper and one in back also detect proximal objects. GPS, inertial sensors and wheel-speed monitors give feedback to the computer on the car’s performance.
Commute time is a staggering collective time waster, and Ford estimates it will escalate to global gridlock in the near future. Google’s Thrun estimates that autonomous vehicles could pack more closely together and achieve 2-3x throughput improvements from existing roadways, with fuel and pollution savings from the efficiency gains. And in urban environments, the largest amount of drive time is spent looking for a parking space.
The Radioactive Orchestra [Video]
*nor FTFY
To help illustrate the process of radioactive decay, Swedish nuclear scientists and musicians teamed up and formed the Radioactive Orchestra, which translate the isotopes’ different energy levels into sound frequencies. The result is questionable in terms of listen-ability, but the Swedish Royal Institute of Technology and the Nuclear Safety & Training organization’s project overall is interesting and new.
This video shows how nuclear scientist Bo Cederwall, musician Axel Boman, and artist Kristofer Hagbard worked together to translate the radiation into music. (It’s not in English, but since you’re reading this you can probably handle the subtitles.)
And if you have a mind to make your own, head on over to the Radioactive Orchestra’s site, where you can do just that.
For Book and Comics Geeks
Presented without further comment, a photograph of literary and comics legends Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman.
[starrie]