One man, 100,000 toothpicks, and 35 years: An incredible kinetic sculpture of San Francisco Thirty five years ago I had yet to be born, but artist Scott Weaver had already begun work on this insanely complex kinetic sculpture, Rolling through the Bay, that he continues to modify and expand even today. The elaborate sculpture is comprised of multiple “tours” that move pingpong balls through neighborhoods, historical locations, and iconic symbols of San Francisco, all recreated with a little glue, some toothpicks, and an incredible amount of ingenuity. He admits in the video that there are several toothpick sculptures even larger than his, but none has the unique kinetic components he’s constructed. Via his website Weaver estimates he’s spent over 3,000 hours on the project, and the toothpicks have been sourced from around the world: I have used different brands of toothpicks depending on what I am building. See the sculpture for yourself at the Tinkering Studio through the end of June.
30 of the Worlds Greatest Wedding Cakes Few things are more important on a wedding day (apart from both partners turning up; the ring being secure; and nobody objecting during the ceremony) than the cake. Very few weddings are without such a centrepiece. It's just a shame that so many couples opt for the same traditional, boring designs when there is so much opportunity to impress and surprise the guests. Here are 30 brilliant examples, to be used as inspiration for your own big day. Above: A wedding cake fit for an action hero. Above: An illustration of things to come? Above: There's nothing like brutal honesty wrapped in a Portal nod to begin a marriage. Above: A wedding massacre. Above: A show of vanity so incredible as to be impressive. Above: A wedding cake fit for geeks. Above: The most unappetising wedding cake I've ever wanted. Above: A work of baked art. Above: For Stargate fans only. Above: Good news everyone! Above: A cake for the Lego lovers amongst us. Above: Binary deliciousness. Above: Nothing is safe from Steampunk.
What We Use: Jason Fitzpatrick's Favorite Gear and Productivity Tips I'm loving this "What we use" series, and I think me and Jason are living parallel lives halfway across the nation. I liked Windows Mobile when I had it but getting an Incredible was one of the best things I ever did. And DIY Desktop+Netbook+Smartphone is all you really need; whenever I throw in a tablet or anything it gets relegated to the occasional toy while the other three do the heavy lifting. Body Language Basics - Syncrat Publishing Throughout history it has been an advantage if an individual can read body language. Body language helps in everyday life from closing a business deal or trusting someone with your life, to recognising when someone is upset. Body language is the art of making an educated guess at a person’s feelings or intentions based on their posture, movement and positioning. Each action or stance in the following list means very little, unless there is more than one indicating the same thing. Arms Feet Head Chest Other
Frederique Daubal Conceptual Photography: Playing Hide and Seek The following unsettling art project may seem rather playful and unpretentious at first, yet this is actually a great series on a serious issue. Being made by a well-known French artist and photographer with a graphic design background – Frederique Daubal – and entitled ‘Hide and Seek’, this photographic series quite probably touches the issue of human integration in the community. Being formally pages from fashion magazines, Frederique cut these facial renditions into tiny vertical strips and made them into masks resembling Muslim niqabs. So the featured characters wear a bit unnerving veils and with all that they bring up the philosophical question of visual identity and perception.
The 50 Best How-To Geek Windows Articles of 2010 Even though we cover plenty of other topics, Windows has always been a primary focus around here, and we’ve got one of the largest collections of Windows-related how-to articles anywhere. Here’s the fifty best Windows articles that we wrote in 2010. Want even more? You should make sure to check out our top 20 How-To Geek Explains topics of 2010, or the 50 Windows Registry hacks that make Windows better. How to Customize Your Windows 7 Taskbar Icons for Any App Would you like to change out the icons on your taskbar with a beautiful set of icons that all go together? How to Customize Your Windows 7 Taskbar Icons for Any App Change the Windows 7 Taskbar Color Sure, you can hack Windows and install a custom theme if you really wanted to, or pay for a software package to do it for you. Change the Windows 7 Taskbar Color With No Extra Software (Stupid Geek Tricks) Change Your Windows 7 Taskbar Color the Easy Way (and Rotate Between Colors) How to Crack Your Forgotten Windows Password
Skip the Extended Warranty; Use a Good Credit Card Instead Full Disclosure: I am a Best Buy employee. This is my opinion only, not necessarily of Best Buy as a company nor any other retailers. I often get this from customers about how their credit cards double manufacture's warranty. Honestly, that's great that their credit card offers this feature. I think people should definitely take advantage of it. But what many people don't realize is that this service isn't usually automatic Often, credit card companies require customers send them the receipt in order for the company to actually double the warranty. Anybody who has ever filed a claim against a warranty knows how frustrating difficult it can be to get any results. Now, going through your credit card company won't be as bad but again, they often require you try to go through the manufacturer first, especially if it's still under the 1 year warranty. That same mother had to wait 2-3 months each time she sent it in.
10 Simple Postures That Boost Performance Psychological research suggests simple actions can project power, persuade others, increase empathy, boost cognitive performance and more… We tend to think of body language as something that expresses our internal states to the outside world. But it also works the other way around: the position of our body also influences our mind. As the following psychological research shows, how we move can drive both thoughts and feelings and this can boost performance. 1. Pose for power If you want to feel more powerful then adopt a powerful posture. 2. Tensing up your muscles can help increase your willpower. 3. If you’re stuck on a problem which needs persistence then try crossing your arms. 4. If crossing your arms doesn’t work then try lying down. 5. While you’re lying down, why not have a nap? Brooks & Lack (2005) compared 5, 10, 20 and 30 minute naps to find the best length. 6. The way people’s hands cut through the air while they talk is fascinating. 7. 8. 9. 10. Embodied cognition
30 Examples of Dark & Emotional Photo Manipulation Here we have gathered a great collection of dark emotional photo manipulations. I hope you will really enjoy seeing these beautiful photos. The Eye of the Storm Serenade of a shallow death Incantation Fragile pictures of silence La danse macabre Love destroyed Dark memories caress Shadows of the Veil of Secrets For my fallen angel Porcelain heart Misanthropic alchemy Sanctuary for All Dead reflexions When a Part of Me Dies An angel’s demise Imperfect Girl The Three Sisters Angel of Darkness Princess Of Shadows If death is the end Unbreakable is my soul Lake of the dead screams Thou shall not pass Equinox of a dead soul Tears on a shallow grave Crying for eternity The rise of a dark angel Forgotten Memories Time is an illusion
14 Cool And Unusual Aquariums EmailEmail Do you live a stressful life, have high blood pressure and insomnia? Keeping an aquarium may be a good therapy for you! Studies going back as far as the late 80’s have shown that watching those beautiful fish going about their daily business can make you feel calm, reducing stress levels and your blood pressure. Although researchers have shown that the greater reduction in blood pressure occurred when there were fish in the tank, vs pleasingly decorated, but fishless, tanks – having a cool aquarium can at least make your friends jealous! [1 2 3] 1. Duplex is an acquarium/cage favouring an improbable encounter between a bird and a fish. 2. (Link) 3. (Link) 4. Ever wondered what to do with that ancient 26″ wooden TV set laying around in yours or your grandparent’s garage? 5. iPond The iPond is an iPod accessory the combines a speaker with a tiny aquarium. 6. If you do not have enough room in your new office to put an aquarium, just integrate an Aquarium in the table. 7. 8. 9. 10.
What Does Your Body Language Say About You? How To Read Signs and Recognize Gestures - Jinxi Boo - Jinxi Boo Art by LaetitziaAs we all know, communication is essential in society. Advancements in technology have transformed the way that we correspond with others in the modern world. Because of the constant buzz in our technological world, it's easy to forget how important communicating face-to-face is. When conversing old-school style, it's not only speech we verbalize that matters, but what our nonverbal gestures articulate as well. Body language is truly a language of its own. 10% from what the person actually says40% from the tone and speed of voice50% is from their body language. Lowering one's head can signal a lack of confidence. Pushing back one's shoulders can demonstrate power and courageOpen arms means one is comfortable with being approached and willing to talk/communicate
Jailbreaking Google's Cr-48 | Computechgadgets.com Rate this article : Google has unveiled it’s Chrome OS last week and has also started distributing the Cr-48 notebooks for pilot testing. Sure, it was great to try out Chrome OS in action on Cr-48. But, what fun is there if we don’t get a little adventurous, right? What could be more adventurous than jail-breaking a Cr-48 and running an alternative OS, such as Windows? Someone from PCmag.com just did that. Apparently, every Cr-48 notebook comes with a white toggle switch located underneath the battery, next to the power connector. Developer mode switch hidden beneath a piece of black tape Developer mode switch in the on position In order to enter developer mode, you have to flip the switch to the other direction. When you’re done flipping the switch, put the battery back on and hit the power switch. Getting ready to repartition drive Repartitioning completed If you’re trying to install your own disk image on your Cr-48, you should refer to the Developer guide here .
30 Habits that Will Change your Life Developing good habits is the basic of personal development and growth. Everything we do is the result of a habit that was previously taught to us. Unfortunately, not all the habits that we have are good, that’s why we are constantly trying to improve. The following is a list of 30 practical habits that can make a huge difference in your life. You should treat this list as a reference, and implement just one habit per month. Health habits Exercise 30 minutes every day. Productivity habits Use an inbox system. Personal Development habits Read 1 book per week. Career habits Start a blog. What do you think? Update: A reader put together a downloadable copy of all these habits.