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November 30, 2005

A Timepiece, City Style

Zurich's new Christmas Illuminations, "The World's Largest Timepiece" have replaced the hundreds of light bulbs that were installed along the Bahnhofstrasse 33 years ago. As Christmas day nears, the illumination(s) will gradually alter until New Year's Eve when the row of lights will emit sparks of lights almost like a fireworks display.

The entire installation is made up of 7 meter long fiber optic tubes. Within each tube are 28 sections to give off varying patterns.

lookie here for more pictures

Posted by tranism at 2:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Lunatics

The Lunatics - a six and a half minute interactive fairy tale about consumption, exploration, and creativity.

Told by an elder Lunatic in an almost Native American chieftain storyteller way, this interactive experience guides you through the Lunatics' transformative journey from being consumers to becoming creators. The Lunatics have always worshipped the moon, but during more precarious times, they ignored it in favor of a more consuming light. They wanted more and more and their once cherished moon slipped away. By the time they realized what had happened, it was an uphill battle to get the moon back. Lesson learned - excess can destroy you.

The interactive part of the story plays out by including you, the viewer, blending the role of audience and participant. While wearing masks, you are transported onto the screen and into the story where you see, hear, and physically engage with the tale's themes. Your movements trigger animations empowering you to affect the world on screen. The cool thing is you're not just watching the story, you are the story and with that, you walk away with a deeper understanding of the story's underlying themes and morals.

Posted by tranism at 12:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | |

Dolphins Are So Cute

I was careful to look closely when I saw a dorsal fin emerge from the waters, only there was something different about this one. It was huge.

The next time I see a dolphin playing, I'll be careful to make sure it's real because it just might be a Bionic Dolphin. Think space age materials, a V8 engine and a human driver. It swims, submerges, leaps and jumps. An amazing piece of machinery that will make jet skis so yesterday. Currently in production and coming to an lake, sea or ocean near you.

more pictures after the jump

Posted by tranism at 11:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | |

Pac Man For Real!

The lovable bright yellow orb with constant munchies for ghosts is back but this time he's "real".

This year's IREX 2005 Expo, a Pac Man robot with which you could play through a remote was seen eating ghosts! This is an official project from Namco so it was no small feat. The floor is lit with LED's for Pac Man to munch on and the ghosts turn a nice shade a blue when Pac Man temporarily inherits his super munching powers.

via Akihabara News

Posted by tranism at 11:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

November 29, 2005

Palm Based Sequencing

Wanna create beats on your PDA?

Mobile music making is taking yet another step as a program for up market Palm and Treo branded handhelds.

miniMusic has been working on a new version of their Palm software called Beatpad, an essential tool for making music on the airplane, subway or anywhere else where it is impossible to bring a full studio or even a laptop.
As real processing power has been made available to the PDA market for some time, it was only a matter of time before a piece of software would pop up. The latest model of BeatPad Version 1.1 is a pattern-based sequencer. It provides a simple yet elegant and powerful interface for creating musical patterns of various instruments or drum kits, layering or chaining these patterns, and performing them on a handheld device.

Using the PDA's large touch sensitive screen, it is easy to see every aspect of a pattern at once and manipulate it with the stylus. With a built-in softsynth that bears the strange name Krikit, the possibility to add multi clips of various sounds is a reality. A library is provided for organizing your own patterns and probably the most unique feature of all: midi export, that renders to a full-fledged sound file that you can bring back to the studio ready for output.

As stated the software is available to the Palm-powered clients exclusively. So if you have a Sony Clie, a Palm, Treo or Handspring collecting dust in the corner, this news is reason enough to get enthusiastic again. With a price tag of $29.95 for the sequencer alone, the era of the ultra-portable studio is finally on it's way.

electro, get me what I need! thank you ; )

Posted by at 11:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | |

November 28, 2005

Move Over Dyson

A new cyclone is in town and he's called the Cyclone Cleaner. Many vacs on the market are too cumbersome and difficult to use. What happened to the days when a vacuum just needed a flip switch and a slight push to remove dust? Sure, all the technology that goes into them now-a-days mandates that they come with a dizzying array of attachments. We've already mastered how much suction is needed to clean thoroughly. What we need now is something that re-simplifies the act of vacuuming.

The Metaphys Cyclone Cleaner was designed to be ready to use at any time, not to be stored and stowed away, it's beautiful enough to leave out once it's folded up. All the basics are here; extendable hose, collapsable handle, and that fact that its iPod white couldn't hurt either.

another picture after the jump

Posted by tranism at 1:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | |

Stealth Chair

Looking like a distant cousin to the Stealth Bomber, the Stealth Chair designed by CULTIVATE is slick, sharp, and definitely unique. If you got money to burn, burn it here. While you're at it, pick one up for me too.

Posted by tranism at 1:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | |

The Eskimo-Inuit Civilization IF?

Out of the swirl of cold white air and the haze of powered snow, an eery glow emanates from the horizon in the far north. As you trek closer, you realize you've stumbled upon something amazing. Frozen blocks of water stacked in elliptical and organic shapes communicate a great civilization exists here. Its form and design evokes something ancient, but yet its sparseness feels perfected. Just like in nature, nothing in excess; only what is needed exists. When I saw these forms, I couldn't help but write stories to go along with them. No these aren't the ancient cities of the inuit civilizations, they are The Snow Show exhibition.

The Snow Show is an exhibition of contemporary environmental art and architecture that replaces familiar, permanent materials like wood or concrete with the unusual, ephemeral element of water it its froze form.

This outdoor exhibition presents huge extraordinary architectonic structures of snow and ice, some over 5 meters tall. Some of the participants in the exhibition are some of today's most exciting artists and architects. It is a place that is magical, playful and unforgettable.

more pictures after the jump

Posted by tranism at 1:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | |

Space Ship One

I've been meaning to write about this forever but somehow it keeps slipping past me only to get postponed to a post-it note on my monitor.

On October 4th, 2004, Space Ship One claimed the 10 million dollar prize to become the first private manned space craft to reach space. With that, it obliterated any thought that space was only within the reach of those large, sometimes cumbersome government managed space agencies (ahem . . . NASA).

The story embodied all the virtues of a classic young techno upstart by Paul Allen of Microsoft, designed by supreme aviation designer Burt Rutan, and built by his company Scaled Composites.

This is an age where inventions are often more evolutionary and incremental rather than revolutionary, Space Ship One is ground breaking - perhaps standing right up there with the Wright Brothers, Alexander Bell, and Lambie Baird.

WIth hopes of a bright future in hand where humans can really reach up far beyond the sky, Space Ship One hopes to start its first passenger flights into space in 2007.

Are you a pioneer? If you could afford the air(space)fare, would you go?

another photo after the jump

Posted by tranism at 1:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Queen Mary's School

One of London's largest University's recently opened the doors to its new facilities and I don't know how I missed it. Amazing architecture with a balance between space and creativity. Clearly it defies any previous rules that all medical spaces need be sterile. The new School of Medicine & Dentistry is an example of how a creative environment that makes use of form and color can contribute to the learning process regardless of vocation.

The outside is nothing compared to the inside.

more pictures after the jump

Posted by tranism at 1:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Marty McFly's Nike's

Call me a shoe whore, I don't care but there's an online petition going around for Nike to actually reproduce the famous futurist high tops in "Back To The Future 2".

With nearly 2000 signatures already, there's obviously a demand for a limited production run. Please help me by signing the petition so I can get to rockn' my new Marty McFly's!

another picture after the jump

Posted by tranism at 12:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | |

November 26, 2005

A Paradigm Shift

Electro & Plankton just want to thank everyone for reading, leaving comments and sending those wonderful emails full of links and stories. And if you don't see something you've recommended posted, don't take any offense. It could be we already knew and just didn't wanna write about OR we loved it but somehow lost the email. SIGH. . . we are trying to become more organized. We are doing all we can short of throwing down the hammer of Scandinavian efficiency and Asian consistency.

On to the blog post topic. Electro has noticed a major shift in stats of the kind of people that visit this blog. Electro's original blog (some of you may remember as "tranism"), was heavily gay supported. In fact, nearly 80% of all visits were from gay blogs. Since the launch of electro^plankton, a paradigm shift has occurred. Less than 30% of all visits are from gay blogs. The majority of visits come from edu's, Europe and other tech/art/science blogs.

The only major change with this blog is the purposeful exclusion of scantily clad hot boys and personal tales of gay sutra. Have we lost appeal to our gay audience? Have we fallen out of favor with our original readers? Or is this shift only a natural causality of what we now choose to write about?

Let us know!

Posted by tranism at 12:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (6) | |

Cover Buddy Makes PSP Useful

I came across this cool little app. called CoverBuddy. It basically turns your Sony PSP into a remote control for your iTunes. From anywhere within your wireless network, you will be able to control your iTunes jukebox; access music, view album artwork, even listen to music bought from the iTunes store.

The interface is slick and totally Mac like. It compliments iTunes perfectly and works without a hitch. Currently only for Mac OS X, the developers say a windows version is in the works. The other negative is the app. ain't free. However $19.95 is a good deal for what it does so give it a test run. There is a free trial that gives you limited access until you register for the full product.

Posted by tranism at 12:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | |

November 25, 2005

Air Tree

Simplicity in its design, Air Tree, conceived by the smarties at Philips, acknowledges the form and function mother nature has created in her trees - devices that provide shelter, clean the air and moderate the climate as a whole.

Currently air purifiers and humidifiers may do their jobs well but as humans, we look for familiarity in one's home; to be able to bring the outside in is important for us to feel connected and from that, somehow we feel at peace. After all, a technological marvel doesn't necessarily have to look "techie". If a air purifier essentially performs what a biological tree would do, why not take its design cues from one to begin with?

via inhabitat

Posted by tranism at 11:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Lions, Pumas, Gators OH MY!

Helmut Smits took some pretty cool photographs by placing home made acrylic logos of iconic brands all around the Netherlands. I would image people passing by must have did a double-take, like WTF???

more photos after the jump

Posted by tranism at 11:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Designer Organisms Power Our Future

The same scientist who cracked the human genome now hopes to exploit the properties of DNA to solve the world's pending energy crisis.

J. Craig Venter gained worldwide recognition in 2000 when he successfully mapped the human genetic code - is now behind a new start-up called Synthetic Genomics which plans to create new types of organisms that would produce hydrogen and break down greenhouse gases.

The initial focus will be on creating bio-factories for hydrogen and ethanol, two fuels seen as playing an increasing role in powering vehicles, our homes and even our mobile devices.

With the genome mapped, scientists can now program new instruction sets in DNA for organisms to execute. Since they follow the life cycle of nature, nothing is wasted, everything is recycled and they are powered by the same sources our plants love; greenhouse gases and the sun.

Nature is incredibly efficient, even photosynthesis is about a million times more efficient than even the most complex and expensive solar panels despite doing the same thing - harnessing the power of the sun's light. By using nature as the bio-factory, our energy crisis can be solved without further harmfully contributing to the environment.

via cnet

Posted by tranism at 1:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Honda Demos The Future Of Energy

Wouldn't it be ideal to fuel your car and your home energy needs all by yourself? No need for a government run utility service. Honda sees a future in fuel cell technology for home consumers, not just industry.

Further advancing its vision of a gasoline and emissions free transportation future, Honda Research & Development introduced the Home Energy Station III, which provides heat and electricity for the home as well as fuel for a hydrogen powered fuel cell vehicle.

Unlike traditional energy sources like gasoline, the Home Energy Station III uses natural gas as its base energy source. In keeping with the path established by early generation systems, Home Energy Station I and Home Energy Station II, the Home Energy Station III is designed to work in a home-based refueling environment as is able to supply a sufficient amount of hydrogen to power a fuel cell vehicle, such as the Honda FCX, for daily operation while providing electricity for an average size household. The ultimate goal it to allow consumers to become directly aware of their own energy usage while drastically reducing emissions.

The future is upon us, if only we could get more lobbyists on our side to push these advancements ever further.

Posted by tranism at 1:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | |

Zubbles Story

The story of a struggling toy maker and his 11 year battle to solve what veteran toy manufactures said couldn't be done; make colored bubbles.

To summarize, Tim Kehoe had always been fascinated with bubbles. I mean who wasn't? There is something mystical about their transparent aloofness and yet their temporary existence makes them all the more magical. Most of us out-grow their novelty but Tim Kehoe saw a future in bubbles. He wanted to bring them to life and in full technicolor, but the laws of physics have made that next to impossible . . . or so they thought.

A bubble is basically surfactants (a material found in all soap) interacting with water to reduce surface tension. This allows the fluid to spread across a bubble without breaking. You would think all you have to do to add color is to add some dye or food coloring. Two major problems exist with both those methods. First, color dye and food coloring is heavier than water so instead of spreading evenly across the bubble, it just sits and collects at the bottom under the whim of gravity. Secondly, they leave nasty stains once the bubble pops.

So the question became, is it possible to create a colored bubble that doesn't stain or leave any mark at all. After 11 years of home experimentation, Tim Kehoe finally consulted a molecular chemist (very few of them in the world) from India and with half a million dollars, a dream, and some of the most challenging work they have ever embarked on, they finally figured out the holy grail of bubble making.

The same toy manufactures who at first shunned Tim, regarded him as a toy making mad man are know clamoring to carry his latest invention - "Zubbles". Due out just in time for the Holiday season, Zubbles are posed to make the world's best selling toy even better. They making beautiful vibrant colored bubbles that last longer and once popped, leave no stains on anything. The color simply disappears once it interacts with air.

There is something intricately hot and incredibly appealing about a 30+ year old man never giving up on his kid dreams. Make sure you read the full story here. It's inspiring and better than any lifetime channel movie. Believe dat!

Posted by tranism at 1:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Origami x's 100000000000000

That's how mind boggling Yuko Nishimura's intricately folded paper artworks are. The precision and skill required to take paper folding to this level is thoughtful and provoking. I'm still in awe.

website here for more AWESOMENESS!

Posted by tranism at 12:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Murakami Flickr

Check out the Murakami gallery posted on near near future's flickr blog. AWESOMENESS I TELLS YA! In case you didn't know, I love Murakami's work.

Posted by tranism at 12:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

The Eden Project

The Eden Project (located in the United Kingdom) is a showcase for global bio-diversity and one of the most innovative and high profile lottery funded projects.

The "biomes" makes up the largest plant enclosure in the world built in the lightest and most ecological way possible. They are a sequences of honey-comb shaped spheres that encapsulate humid tropic and warm temperate regions.

Make sure you check out the website. The structure(s) are amazing. Too bad it's not in the USA.

Posted by tranism at 12:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | |

November 24, 2005

People+

Modern lives are increasingly becoming more flexible, connected and mobile. How do you update your living space to communicate the themes of mobility and its influence on people's lives? The People+ installation exposes flaws of communication, and stresses the fact that mobile communication expands the boundaries of a person and augments the distances one can reach.

The installation uses the human figure symbol (imagine a stick figure) and the "+" sign as a vehicle to tell a story; and the story is simple - connect one human being to another and you have created a network and mobile communication is all about networks. It's a type of emotional math if you will.

From that "equation", how does the installation look? A cloud of human figures and "+" signs hang from the ceiling and react to mobile phone activities like calls, SMS, MMS, etc. When this happens, the cloud becomes alive with steams of light flowing between the objects. The objects glow and dim, a human figure, a "+" sign, another human figure, another "+" sign and so on. An imaginary line is then created portraying a trajectory of activity. The result is beautiful and hypnotic.

Posted by tranism at 8:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Instant Balcony Bloomframe

Hofman Dujardin Architecten has patented a window frame which offers apartment dwellers in dense urban areas the pleasure of having a balcony. Super utilizing space - Bloomframe acts as both window and balcony. This nifty building component can also be added to existing buildings.

via we make money not art

Posted by tranism at 8:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

November 22, 2005

h2o Audio (for the Apple mini iPod)

plankton here, jackin' electro's blog account again and for good reason too.

This is pretty cool, imagine surfing to your favourite (yes I spell it the Euro way) songs. The waterproof housing for the mini iPod comes with silicon earplugs and is submersible up to 3 meters which is about 10 feet for you non-metric peeps. Included is a secured latching system and there are armbands and swim belts optionally available too.

The only improvement I would suggest is make it for the iPod nano instead. It's so much lighter and could easily sit inside a wetsuit, not to mention, flash based memory is probably better suited for such an activity.

For more info, contact Kim@surfline.com

Posted by tranism at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | |

November 21, 2005

Mario Kart Stole My Weekend

Yeah, that's all I did this weekend. Aside from the early Thanksgiving dinner I had with friends and the massive amounts of shopping for useless but must have items, I pretty much spent this whole weekend playing Mario Kart DS. A go-cart racing game with all the famous Nintendo Mascots ONLINE. It is addicting which would explain why I am addicted to it. I've played people from all around the world. Not 10 minutes ago, my ass was str8 up KICKED by some Russian player. I haven't had that much fun havin' my ass taken down in a LONG LONG time.

I'm totally bringing this shit in to work tomorrow. If you ever get the game, my friend code is 390902-033788. Shoot me an email with yours and look for me online. SEE YOU THERE!

Posted by tranism at 3:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

November 18, 2005

Almost!

I don't know why, I just like this picture.

via nubablog

Posted by tranism at 5:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

MuscleBoy . . .errr, I Mean Muscle Body

I must be slightly perverted because it's only now I realize this thing is called "muscle body" not "muscle boy". Strange how the mind can make you see things that aren't really there. Perhaps my brain was telling me what I'm really interested in is a muscle boy. Oh well, I digress . . .

The MuscleBoy project consists of a fully kinetic and interactive architecture that is a full-scale prototype of an interior space. The project is an architectural body that consists of a continuous skin that incorporates all its architectural properties and makes no categorical distinctions such as floor, wall, ceiling, door. The interaction between MuscleBody and its players (the people that have entered the interior space) causes the MuscleBody to change its shape, its degrees of transparency and the sound that it generates.

Outside of that I just want one because the title of the project sorta sounds / looks like "muscle boy" and it would look madd wicked in my backyard.

more pictures after the jump

Posted by tranism at 5:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Beanbags Are For Portables Too

A mini beanbag chair for your cellphone / iPod / blackberry / or anything else you can sit in it. Yes I know, it's totally pointless since we are just as content with tossing our mobile devices onto a table / bed / desk / bag when not in use. This is just a nice cute departure from all that. These devices often cost several hundred dollars so why not spend a measly $9 and display it.

Oh and buy us one too. :)

Posted by tranism at 4:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

iPod nano CEO Billfold Wallet

An elegant full-grain leather wallet designed for use in a jacket pocket. The CEO Billfold by Malware, holds the nano and all your business essentials. There's also an opening in the wallet for access to the headphone jack. Just remember, its a nano, so don't sit on it!

Only $34. Buy it here, oh and buy us one too. :)

Posted by tranism at 4:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

BEI JING HUAN YING NI

No those aren't the new Powerpuff Girls. They are the official mascots for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. As I have said many times before, Asians LOVE LOVE LOVE to make EVERYTHING CUTE. It's in our blood and the latest icon to be swept up in Asian aesthetics are the Olympic rings - turned cute cuddly animals.

They are called "Five Friendlies". Beibei a fish creature, Jingjing a panda, Huanhuan a malevolent fire demon, Yingying an antelope, and Nini a swallow. When halved and strung together, their names mean Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni meaning Welcome To Beijing!

note: the reason why Asian often double their names is because it denotes cuteness and youth

Of course that isn't it. Although the five mascots may look cute and cuddly, they can do something that will probably translate to some amazing opening Olympic show. Kiddies, these five can combine to form a giant robot! GO VOLTRON!

Man, once the marketing machine gets a hold of them, expect to see them sell out everywhere. Watch out Hello Kitty, there's a new gang in town.

Posted by tranism at 9:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | |

Christian Burns

ex-BBMAK member Christian Burns has been in San Francisco putting the finishing touches on his new solo album. If you love electro synth-pop mixed with some Depeche Mode and the sound of The Killers, then you'll love his stuff. I totally love it and listen to it constantly while I'm at work. The man has great lyrics, hooks and of course that voice. I can't wait for the album.

check out the music on his myspace page

Posted by tranism at 2:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | |

pixile

A Pixile is a projection applied onto spherical objects suspended in space. The projection consists of a realtime 3D rendered environment which mimics the physical shape and size of the objects is it projecting onto. The result is a holographic illusion. You can interact with the pixile with the use of a mouse, clicking and dragging objects as if they existed in real life.

The image above is taken from the DesignEDGE expo in Singapore last week. It's called "The Fishbowl Pixile". Three spheres are placed in a vertical row. A fish bowl shape is projected into each sphere, creating a virtual opening on the physical sphere, the user is able to rotate the individual bowls around in all directions with the use of a mouse. Small physics based cubes are placed inside the bowls so the user is able to pour the cubes from one bowl into another. The cool thing is the cubes start as primary colors but once they mix with the other cubes, they average out and form new colors.

check out this video

Posted by tranism at 1:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

QRIO + Beck = HELL YES!

I'm obsessed with robots, robotic technology and artificial intelligence so in a way, Sony's QRIO is my nerdy-geeky wet dream. There are only four in the world (all under Sony's control) but when the boss lets them out, man do they impress! Some of the most advance robots in the world with movement so much more realistic and fluid than anything seen before. In fact, they move so well, they are a part of Beck's music video for his single "Hell Yes".

You can check out the video here. Just click on the Real Player link because the Windows Media Player link requires registration.

Posted by tranism at 12:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Now That's What I Call An iPod Dock!

I've always wondered why all those speakers designed for the iPods were tiny and dinky. I know I know, size isn't everything and a lot of them actually sound good but the iPod is so beautiful, if I'm going to dock it, I want it displayed and this just may be the solution.

The Geneva Sound System works with any iPod, audio CD and includes FM radio to boot. With it's giant speaker making up the base and stand for the iPod, you can be sure the digital music from your iPod will sound great. At $600 - $1100 a-pop, it ain't cheap but for those of you that are aesthetically required, you can't go wrong with it.

check it out here

Posted by tranism at 12:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | |

The Abyss That Is New York

I hate long vertical images but I'm doing this for all my New York buddies and blogmates. I present to you an underground depiction of your city (not to scale of course). It looks so freakin interesting. Makes me wonder what's under Los Angeles.

via national geographic

Posted by tranism at 12:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Pillow Fight Tee

Threadless is having a $10 sale on tee's so get 'em while they last. Things are selling out FAST. I just picked this up. Cute huh?

Posted by tranism at 12:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | |

Creating A New Language

What would happen if you were locked in a room with a bunch of strangers, not allowed to speak and all you had were four to sixteen symbols to work with? How would you all communicate?

To find out, Yale cognitive scientist Bruno Galantucci decided to run an experiment. He set up a computer game in which two people wander through a virtual space with several rooms - each marked with a geometric symbol on the ground. Neither can see the other, but they can communicate by drawing symbols on a rapidly scrolling chalkboard that each can see. To figure out where the other person is, they must develop a system of communication that is linked to the symbols on the ground, yet also which communicates complex concepts like relative position and direction someone is heading in.

Then he plopped a few subjects down to see what would happen. Nine out of ten pairs developed a communication system of three or four symbols and solved the puzzle in three hours. A more complex version of the puzzle was solved in six hours with sixteen symbols created. The interesting thing was, each language was different. You would think people would come up with the same solutions and conclusions.

The good doctor expected the pairs would build their language on elements on the icons that appeared on the floors of the rooms. A few did, but they extracted features of the icons - the number of vertices or some abstraction of the shape for example. Others adopted a numbering system for the rooms - such as slanting one line for the first room and two for the second. Another technique involved labeling the rooms by their relative position in space by placing marks on different parts of the screen.

So how do humans develop these language skills so fast? Intriguingly, communication was born as soon as one partner decided to copy another's symbols. There's something cognitively deep about the act of mimesis between two sentient beings. The one pair that didn't complete the game basically reduced themselves to the equivalent of screaming in frustration by scribbling all over chaotically.

Since this video game started as a study, I could image it extrapolated into a massively multiplayer game similar to World of Warcraft. What kind of language would 10,000 people online develop? How would language influence relationships, alliances and growth? What kind of languages will be the easiest to learn and spread rapidly and what kind will quickly die and be absorbed into others? If anyone can make this kind of game, it would be Nintendo, known for their passion to create games based on motives and ideas rather than just graphics. DO IT NINTENDO!

via collision detection

Posted by tranism at 12:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

November 17, 2005

Space Cadets

This is so fucked up yet so fabulous (yes I said fabulous). Our Brit friends are about to unleash a new reality show aiming to pull off the biggest hoax (I wouldn't say biggest, but damn near) in television history by persuading a group of people that they have been blasted off into space!

Nine people will be told they are set to visit the final frontier as space tourists and that in preparation they will undergo intensive training in Russia when in reality, it all takes place at a high tech secret location in the U.K.

Unbeknown to them, their shuttle will be a Hollywood creation, made originally for the film Space Cowboys. A giant custom built screen positioned just outside the shuttle will, it is hoped, provide the illusion of a view of Earth from space. The launch sound has been created by a Hollywood fx studio while the shuttle will tip and rock in the process.

To help keep the "lie" going, three actors will be placed among the group and will be able to report back on whether or not there are any suspicions.

Damn, this is a reality show I would watch!

Posted by tranism at 11:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

November 15, 2005

This is Everybody! On Tour

2 cd's mixed by Sander Kleinenberg and Lee Burridge

plankton here hi-jackin electro's blog account to bring you this latest music review. I am big fan of Sander K., and I can say that the live experience blows away any of his recorded material, yet, his records are still some of the best house music out there today. That should give you an idea. Interesting track selections and perfect mixing makes this live recording a good relevant one to have.

1st cd - Sander Kleinenberg
Sander starts out real mellow and mysterious, the first track lays down the tone of the entire mix; moody, wicked, funky and dark. I've listened trough the whole thing 3 times and with each listen, it's growing on me.

A double cd set, but I would recommend it just for Sander's side. Lee's work does well by adding that extra something. But if you're unfamiliar with Sander, I would recommend "Everybody" which to date I think is still his best, most complete work. Everybody is easier listening. Tracks like "Addiction" and "Ride" will have you shooting across your hardwood floors in your tube socks wishing it were the weekend.

Also make sure you check out his other releases, "Nubreed" and "This is Everybody Too".

2nd cd - Lee Burridge
I have to admit I'm not too familiar with his work, but I like parts of this mix, "One earth beat" and his remix of Dinky's "Acid in my fridge" are really great tracks. Real funky and techy house which at times remind me of James Zabiela's inventive and fun approach to house music - very experimental. I have to say though that some of the tracks seem a little thin and not so exciting. Overall this cd is more then just a bonus, trust me when I say you will give it its fair share of plays in your daily playlist.

Posted by tranism at 3:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | |

November 13, 2005

Run Little Reindeer, RUN!

Thanks to our boy Jorgen Arnor whom tipped us off to this cute cute commercial for Finnair.

Little reindeer is lost in the dark, looking for his family . . .
Thru the call of the wild, he looks up and notices the North Star . . .
Evasive the little reindeer is avoiding obstacles and predators . . .
Finally the North Star leads him to his family . . .
One last look, oh wait! That's not the North Star - that's Finnair!

Clever, very clever.

I don't know why, but this commercial gets me all warm and cozy inside. Perhaps it's that cute cute reindeer in the commercial, or maybe I'm just ready for Christmas and Winter already. A sense of home, a sense of family and friends, warming up to a cup of hot cocoa while the Los Angeles winter temperatures hit a burrr-chilling 67º. ;)

Posted by tranism at 6:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

A Day In A Life

The new PSP commercial directed by Chris Cunningham (worked on many of Bjork's videos) is nothing short of amazing. Think Transformers meets Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

check out the video here

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Japanese Pre-Fab

The Japanese sure do know how to make some amazingly efficient and beautiful pre-fabricated homes. If you can read kanji, check it all out here.

Posted by tranism at 5:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

The Fountain

Hugh Jackman's latest movie (due sometime in early 2006) called The Fountain promises to be a cerebral experience with an excellent story. Spanning over one thousand years, and three parallel stories, The Fountain is a story of love, death, spirituality, and the fragility of our existence in this world.

Directed by Darren Aronofsky who also directed Requiem for a Dream; I have no doubt this movie will be just great if not greater.

I only wished I had the opportunity to work on this project. The trailer looks amazing so make sure you check it out for yourself.

Posted by tranism at 5:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

November 12, 2005

Futuristic Time Keeping

ONE & CO's concept for the Timex 2154. How does telling time relate to us in the future? Much of today's time keeping is associated with an event and the Timex 2154 aims to help you remember what was in-store for you in that moment of time. The memory based watch allows the user to visually relive an experience on their wrist. The watch is wirelessly connected to a databank that complies images from the surrounding digital ecosystem. Gives new meaning and depth to the phrase "turn back time".

Posted by tranism at 7:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | |

VirtuSphere

VirtuSphere provides a mechanical basis for truly immersive virtual reality environments. Long gone are the cumbersome heavy head gears of the late 90's. Enter a new era where the user wears lightweight wireless head gear and every real step is associated with a virtual step.

The device consists of a large hollow sphere which is mounted on a specially mounted platform that allows the sphere to rotate freely as the user walks in any direction. The user wears a head mounted display which provides the virtual environment. Sensors under the sphere provide subject speed and direction to the computer running the simulation. Users can ever interact with objects in virtual space using a special manipulator.

Currently there are 18 VirtuSpheres around the world with more to come. Some of the foreseen applications are:

• Military, Law Enforcement, Dangerous Occupations training simulations
• Video Local Area Network Arcades
• Health and exercise, professional athlete training, fitness clubs
• Business and personal communications
• Education
• Virtual travel and tourism
• Virtual museum exhibits
• Entertainment at events
• Home gaming and exercise

The ability to move physically and thereby control the simulation is one of the enabling technologies behind such science fictional devices as the Star Trek holodeck. (Yes I'm a geek). The holodeck is a virtual environment that provides infinitely varied participatory, interactive entertainment in a very small space. On Federation Starships, stressed crew members need to have some sort of outlet for exercise and entertainment.

Posted by tranism at 6:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Let's Cheat

Baller Pens have a 6.5" retractable sheet able to take fine tip markers, pens and pencils. Write your notes down or . . . "cough" write answers down. When the opportune time arises, simply pull out the sheet, have yourself a quick glance, retract and be on your merry way. Nobody would be the wiser. Enjoy CHEATERS!

Posted by tranism at 2:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Freeze It Cubes

Pretty simple idea. Take some food coloring and water, seal it inside a glass cube. Freeze them and color code your friend's drinks. Re-use as often as you like. Like I said, simple but very effective.

Buy 'em here

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Garden Sculptures

My friends think I'm crazy everytime we drive by the local gas station decorated with garden serpents and unicorns. As these set of photos comfirm, I'm not the only one in the world that finds garden sculptures cool. The panda bears are excruciatingly cute.

Posted by tranism at 2:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Flickr Transparent Screens

Yet another cool set of community photos on flickr. This time, creative and time alotted individuals use laptops, pdas, cellphones - anything with a screen to create an optical illusion of being able to see right thru. Check it out for yourself and submit your own entry. Currently already over 300 photos.

Posted by tranism at 1:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | |

Sitting Is A Hot Activity

So don't ever let anybody tell you - you sit down too much. Don't let them tell you - you needs to get yo ass up and move around because you know what? Sitting is a hot activity to do. Get the right chair and I swear you'll receive more attention than you ever did walking around.

Seating option number one is called the "Nouvelle Vague" by Christophe Pillet. Perfect for the day time or evening, the chair gives off different moods depending on which. Complemented by its oval footrest that's shaped to give you multiple relaxing positions which can also work as a standalone pouf.

Seating option number two is called "Truffle" by Jean Marie Massaud. It is a fun and unorthodox armchair that can sit flat or raised with a metal base. The Truffle is inviting as it begs to be sat on. Turn it upside down and you'll see why it received its moniker.

Both are elegant and modern seating options anyone can get into. Don't be afraid and visit the Porro site to pick yourself or a loved one up a pair.

Posted by tranism at 1:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | |

November 8, 2005

Eggshell Membranes Can Do More

Japanese company Descente (which is like their version of Dupont), are selling pants that are lined with membranes found inside chicken eggs. Each pant needs eight eggs to completely line it. The membrane which is a protein, is turned into a powder after which it is attached to a fine polyester (not your grandma's polyester) fiber. Fabric made from this polyester is water resistant and dries faster than ordinary fibers. It also repels static leaving your pants wrinkle free.

via Nikkei

photo is of burbank hot boy Ari.

Posted by tranism at 2:28 AM | Permalink | |

Robot with 20,000 Brain Cells

A robot operating on biological principles without any pre-specified instruction; is that possible?

Apparently yes - researchers at the Neuroscience Institute have developed "Darwin VII", a trash can shaped robot that has 20,000 brain cells.

The infant bot crawls across a floor strewn together with blocks, grabbing and tasting as it goes, its malleable mind is impressionable and hungry to learn. It is already adapting, discovering that the striped blocks are yummy and the spotted ones are gross.

Its exploration is driven by instincts, an interests in bright objets, a predilection for tasting things (sounds like me), and an innate notion of what tastes good. In time, it will learn more and researchers are eager to study Darwin's "brain" develops.

So here is the beginning of self-thinking robots. Darwin may be an infant now but if moore's law holds true, he will soon rule the world and in preparation for his dominion, I bow to my new overlord. You all should too.

Posted by tranism at 2:12 AM | Permalink | |

mTUNE

If the iSmack doesn't strike your fancy, maybe you'll like the mTUNE from macally. The mTUNE is a cordless stereo headset specially designed for the iPod nano. Simply plug the nano into the nano slot and you can enjoy your music anywhere, anytime - no batteries required. Enhance your music using real headphones, not those sub-par earbuds.

Retails for $49.99

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Ultrathin Samsung P300

Razr who???

Weighing less than 70 grams and no larger than a credit card, the ultra-thin Samsung P300 blows it's competition, the Motorola Razr, out of the water. The P300 is a triband GSM/GPRS phone with an integrated 1.3 megapixel camera with a crisp 220 x 176 TFT display. Comes with 80 MB of internal memory shared by music (yes it plays MP3's), videos, pictures and games. Don't let its diminutive size fool you. This phone comes with all the standard applications larger phones carry; JAVA, WAP 2.0 MIDI, calendar, notes, activity planner, clocks, calculator, unit converter and a stop watch. It's wireless capabilities include full support for bluetooth 2.0 and the phone is powered by a lithium ion battery, more than enough juice to give you plenty of standby/talk time.

Comes out soon people. Keep your eyes peeled.

more pictures after the jump

Posted by tranism at 1:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | |

Carbon Neutral & Clean; It's The Future

The Toyota Fine-X provides a glimpse of the radical opportunities that a hybrid fuel cell system can provide, delivering strong environmental performance and exceptional maneuverability through a four-wheel independent drive and the use of a large steering angle mechanism that allows the vehicle to turn on a dime.

The Fine-X follows Toyota's "vibrant clarity" design principles and has external dimensions slightly greater than the current Toyota Corolla. Interior space however is closer to a Prius or Camry. The interior is designed to be welcoming, with variable lighting intensity and power seats that automatically move in and out of the car through gull-wing doors.

Four-wheel independent drive with in-wheel electric motors and four-wheel independent steering with a large angle steering mechanism gives the Fine-X more maneuvering ability than any other vehicle. With this ability, the car can make u-turns on the spot or move into tight parking spaces since the wheels can rotate to a perfect 90 degree angle. Driving is also made easier and safer thanks to the use of multiple displays that gives the driver a 360 degree view around the car.

The hybrid system, combining a hydrogen fuel cell and electric motors ensures environmental performance, while Toyota pursues a carbon-neutral profile for the vehicle by using plant-based materials in the construction of internal and external components. The source plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow and even if the components are burned when the vehicle reaches the end of its life, no additional CO2 is emitted.

The interior of the production version varies from the concept mockups but at least there is a production model. Could this be the future Prius? The future looks promising don't it?

click on images for a larger view
additional pictures via gizmag
more pictures after the jump

Posted by tranism at 1:39 AM | Permalink | |

November 7, 2005

The Go Clean Solution

Anyone who has seen my bathroom must think it's some baby variant of Sephora because I just have way too much crap in there. A-midst all the products, there are a few items I can not do without and are a part of my daily "body renew" which is my phrase for getting yesterday off of today.

One of these items is Redken's go clean shampoo for men. It smells great because it barely smells at all. It does what it says, simply clean without feeling stripped and leaves hair soft. Recommended for everybody, unless you're bald.

Posted by tranism at 10:30 PM | Permalink | |

Vaja + Motorola RAZR

Premium leather soft goods makers Vaja unveiled their form fitting letter case for a phone I hate, the Motorola Razr.

The case is beautiful and comes in over 20 colors (40 if you consider you can combine colors). The case is $70 but I think well worth it for the perfect fit it achieves, while protecting the phone without forcing the phone to bulk up too much.

Posted by tranism at 3:49 PM | Permalink | |

Green Screen Show

One of the hottest shows on TV (at least for me) is Drew Carey's Green Screen show on Comedy Central. The show's premise is improv but with a twist. Drew Carey and his comic friends create scenes out of whatever the audience suggests and with the aid of a green screen and some of L.A.'s top animators, create an improvised animated skit.

I tell you I am hooked. I haven't laughed that hard since Mariah Carey playing as umm... Mariah Carey told her DJ b/f with the horrible jersey accent that she never sleeps with guys on the first night in her bombed movie Glitter. The Green Screen show is something unique and refreshing and really highlights the talents of these comedians. Please make sure you program your Tivo's because missing one episode would really be a shame.

Posted by tranism at 3:35 PM | Permalink | |

Video Games & Emotional Highs

Wired News recently published an article about how the video game industry might someday mirror the movie industry in its ability to affect us emotionally. As next generation video game graphics approach a new level of realism, are we on the brink of interactive entertainment that can emotionally affect us as much as movies do?

Writer Clive Thompson mulls over whether games can go deeper emotionally. Like a good novel or a play, can games tap into the subtler feelings like sadness, envy and sadness?

According to market researcher Hugh Bowen they can. In his book Videogames: The Impact of Emotion, he asked 535 gamers to describe how deeply their favorite games trigger various emotions. Most of the answers were competitiveness and a sense of accomplishment which is no surprise since most games task you to achieve a goal. However, clear lear lines of how game genres affect emotional states became apparent when gamers into war games said they experienced feelings of honor, loyalty, integrity and other patriotic feelings.

Not surprisingly RPG's (role playing games) evoked the strongest emotions. In particular, a large segment of those questioned said the Final Fantasy series were the most emotionally potent. Again, no surprise here since RPG's rely on narratives to convey story and emotion. Many of the gamers chose Final Fantasy because it had genuinely caused emotional heartache. One noted scene was the death of Aerith in Final Fantasy VII. Just like in movies, the cut scene caused an uproar of reactions. As gamers everywhere watched her life drain from her body and then metaphorically leave in a crystal gem bouncing away to dramatic music, gamers actually felt disgust for the villain and remorse for the lead character who just watched the love of his life die at the hands of his enemy.

So as the dawn of next-gen consoles arrive with their hyper-realistic graphics, HD resolutions, multimillion dollar development and production budgets, will they replace current forms of entertainment that illicit strong emotional responses? Unless everyone in the world starts playing video games, I doubt it but I do believe there will be a time when the two will somehow merge. One key ingredient to strong emotional attachment is interactivity and that's something theatrical releases could never touch.

Posted by tranism at 3:10 PM | Permalink | |

November 6, 2005

Project Import Export

P.I.E. finds and sources some of the most talented small design studios in the world in an effort to help them spread across the globe. What makes P.I.E. stand out are the incredible designs they find and on top of that, all of them were designed and produced using "green" materials and technology. Safe for the environment and beautiful too. What more can you ask for?

more pictures after the jump

Posted by tranism at 1:47 AM | Permalink | |

Water Drops Make Music

The Aqueous installation is a meditative space that encourages perception of small things. In a dark room, visitors can see lights near the floor and on the ceiling and hear soft water sounds from every part of the space. As the sound gains and loses musicality, they can also catch glimpses of tonal, rhythmic and spatial patterns.

Water droplets fall through the space into 25 water filled tubes that are approximately tuned in an equal temperament scale spanning two octaves. Each tube is lit from the bottom by an LED creating a glow in the ceiling that shimmers and flickers when the water surface is distorted. The release of droplets is hidden above the ceiling allowing it to act as a canvas.

via Zehao Chang and near near future

Posted by tranism at 1:37 AM | Permalink |