Author: Gabrielle Taylor
Irregular IQ Cube from Brando
Taking the Rubik’s Cube up the axiomatic notch, the Irregular IQ Cube from Brando involves taking irregular shapes and forming them together into a perfect cube. Two cubes for $8, which means you can race your best friend to complete mental meltdowns. I can’t even work my keys half the time, so I’m skipping this, but for geek masochists, it looks like heaven. [GT]
Irregular IQ Cube from Brando [via technabob]
A Fair(y) Use Tale
Eric Faden, professor at Bucknell, has created a video to explain copyright to the beginner. What makes this unusual is that it’s all told by Disney characters. . . in extremely small snippets so as not to violate copyright. The film is very funny, very informative and very subversive. If you’ve ever wondered just “what” “is” “copy” “right” (or if you enjoy the discomfiture of Disney), check the video after the jump. [GT]
Pouchlink: vending machine forms packages on demand
Instead of having to fill vending machines with pre-set volumes of particular drinks, Pouchlink would allow the contents of plastic envelopes to be mixed and dispensed on the spot. Since the machines would be hooked up to mains water supplies, water wouldn’t have to be trucked around, and the plastic pouches could be made of biodegradeable materials, allowing the entire process to become much more efficient as well as eco-sound. Further refinements could let you program what drink you like into your mobile so you could upload it to the machine on the spot. [GT]
Drinks vending machines can form pouches on demand [via Core77]
"Slidingly engaging fasteners" to replace zippers, velcro
Annoyed a decade ago when his zipper broke on the way to the airport, architect and inventor Leonard Duffy decided to design a replacement. The result: “slidingly engaging fasteners” which are quiet, carry a bigger load than velcro or zippers, don’t wear down with use, and can replace anything from butterfly clips which hold tensor bandages together, to shoelaces. Over 150 companies have contacted Duffy to investigate the product further, so it’s likely coming soon to a foot, chest, or bandage near you. [GT]
The New Velcro [via TechEBlog]
Hasan Elahi blogs himself to prove he's not a terrorist
At TrackingTransience.net you can watch Hasan Elahi’s updates multiple times a day, as he posts about his activities and constantly uploads camphone shots of himself to establish that, whatever he may be, it is not a terrorist. The project began about 3 years ago when he was mistakenly added to the US government’s terrorist watch list, and to prove his total innocent, Elahi, Rutgers professor and artist, decided to make his entire life completely open. Art project or testimonial of innocence, his site has had hits from the Pentagon, the Secretary of Defense, and the Executive Office of the President. [GT]
Web censorship more widespread than expected
A study carried out by the OpenNet Initiative shows that at least 25 countries around the world block websites for what are usually political or social reasons. China, Iran, Myanmar, Syria, Tunisia and Vietnam had the most extensive filters for political sites. Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen had the strictest social-filtering practices, blocking pornography, gambling and gay and lesbian sites. The study was limited in its scope It didn’t include any countries in North America or Western Europe on grounds that filtering practices there have been better known than elsewhere, and they wanted to study something new. [GT]
Spare your brain in morning and evening
Multitasking is great for computers, but not so much for humans generally, and multitasking is hardest in early morning and late evening, making sophisticated tasks from computer programming, to driving, more difficult. Nor is it simply about being tired; the study assessed melatonin levels in the blood, which related to time of day rather than exhaustion. More studies will indicate precisely why early morning and late evening correlates to impaired behaviour, but until then, sleep late, and watch cartoons at midnight. Works for me. [GT]
Multitasking is hardest in the early morning
iSave water saving faucets
Guoqun Yu’s iSave faucet concept is a plumbing attachment that provides up-to-the-second reports on how many liters have been sprayed in the shower. It is powered by water (naturally) and can be installed in the shower or the sink. Yes, it does make you feel guilty, but is that so wrong? Don’t you feel bad about not wanting to be made to feel bad about wasting water? As guilt-tripping devices go, though, it’s pretty stylish. [GT]
iSave [via inhabitant
Tamanoi robot talks vinegar, yo
Buildup Co's new robot has 24 points of articulation, a mouth that moves in sync with its voice and a fiber-reinforced plastic outer shell. And the purpose of this robot? To talk about vinegar. The robot will entertain guests…
FanSee digital temperature display fan
A spiffy iteration of the “persistence of vision” lighting effect can be seen in the FanSee, an oscillating fan which also displays the temperature across its blades via red LEDs. So when it’s 4am and the air conditioning is conked out, you can know exactly what disgusting temperature the 6″ fan is trying to cope with. [GT]
FanSee [via Gizmodo]
