“An abridged history of video games in under three minutes. Made using only sounds, music and video from the video games themselves. Produced for Polygon.com by Reverse Enginears featuring P Sus.”

The more of these games and sounds you can identify from memory, the more ANCIENT A creature you must be.. For the record, I knew them all.


-CAINE-

So here's a thing I desperately want, but can't have. One, because it's sold out. Two, because I probably couldn't afford it anyway.

Visit Evil Robot's page for more.

-CAINE-

California based Tactus' Technologies, has developed a material that can instantly deform itself to create physically raised buttons and shapes, to coincide with the display on smart phones and other touch devices. What follows, is the technical explanation on how their new tactile surface works, as explained in the company's White Paper;

"Made of a thin multi-layer stack, the top-most layer consists of an optically clear polymer. A number of micro-holes connect the top layers of the panel to a series of microchannels that run through the underlying substrate. The micro channels are filled with a fluid whose optical index of refraction matches that of the surrounding material, making it fully and evenly transparent when light from the display passes through.

Increasing the fluid pressure causes the fluid to push up through the holes and against the top polymer layer, making it expand in pre-defined locations. This enables an array of physical and completely transparent buttons to rise out of the surface. A small internal controller that interfaces with the processor of the touchscreen device controls the rise and fall of the buttons. The controller allows a proximity sensor or a software application to control the state of the buttons. For example, the buttons could be triggered to rise whenever the software calls for the virtual QWERTY keyboard"

I think this is amazing. First, because it's one of those fake looking, sci-fi sounding technologies, that just doesn't seem like it should be real when you first learn about it. But also, because I realize there are a lot of  people who still can't quite get used to the button-less touchscreen thing, and would really like to get their buttons back. Where as I,  am not personally harboring any great longing for the days of raised keys and D-pads. In fact, I'd go so far as to say I've become pretty anti-button at this point, as far as my user interface goes anyway. And this way, everybody's happy. Plus, just thinking about all the future applications one might find for a self deforming material, is pretty inspiring.

-CAINE-

 VIA: tactustechnology.com

So here's a sentence you've probably never heard before- "Hey, check out this Yo-yo video, it's amazing!" Or, if you have heard that sentence before, than your reaction was probably to stare back blankly, while slowly backing out of the room. I totally understand. But seriously, it's awesome, I think. Though there's always a fair chance that I'm just more easily amused than you are.

 -CAINE-

There are obviously many inherent problems with planning a maned mission to Mars. Not the least of which being the plethora of issues that arise with the time it would take to get there, which is about 7 months with current technology. But perhaps the biggest problem with such a mission, or it least the most cost prohibitive one, is figuring out how to bring people back once we get there. Which is why one long proposed solution to this issue has been- don't. And that's exactly what a privately funded Dutch Company called Mars One, hopes to do by the year 2023. 

The plan's pretty simple really, relatively speaking. In 2016, the company plans to place it's own communications satellite into orbit around Mars, followed by a rover in 2018, to scout locations for their proposed settlement. Living quarters and life support units, along with a second rover which will work in conjunction with the first to prepare said equipment, would arrive in 2020. And finally, in 2023, four Mars One astronauts would arrive to live out the rest of their lives on the martian surface. The settlement would then be kept alive by subsequent missions to the planet every two years, which would also bring new settlers with each trip.

Now, I'm a realist... Okay, I'm kind of a pessimist, if not a cynic, though I'm doing my best to try and be a little less of both those things. And while this is an obviously ambitious goal for any entity to try and accomplish, and one which I can't help but doubt will ever become a reality. The basic plan here, I think, is both a plausible and reasonable one. Particularly if you remember to take into account the exponential rate at which modern technology grows. And now that private industry has begun to get into the business of space exploration, just imagine the advances in space technology we can expect to see in the coming decade.

As for weather or not it's a worthwhile endeavor to even try and send people to live on another planet. I suppose that depends on what you think the ultimate purpose of space exploration really is. Because if it's just about cataloging facts about the universe. Then, as many have strongly argued, there's really no point in sending anything living out into the void, when robots are so much better suited for the task. On the other hand, if you happen to think the purpose of space exploration is, EXPLORATION. That human beings actually walking on the surface of other worlds and seeing those worlds with and our own eyes rather than over a live video stream, holds a value greater than simply collecting data. Then, like me, your answer is probably an enthusiastic, yes. And the idea that human beings living on another planet might actually be on it's way to becoming a reality, satisfies a fantasy you've been entertaining for a very long time.

And No, I don't mean the one with the girl with three boobs. I was actually trying to be all thoughtful and philosophical and stuff. Why do you always have to make everything dirty?

-CAINE-

Source: mars-one.com 

I suspect it will surprise virtually none of you to learn that I happen to have an affinity for snakes, reptiles, and amphibians. Yes, I know, weird heavy-metal-guy has a thing for snakes, how predictable. But it's true. If it's slimy, scaly, and creepy, I probably think it's cute, pretty, or fascinating. I also have a thing for bugs and rodents... Have I mentioned that I'm odd?

So you can imagine my surprise when I discovered that apparently- GIANT SALAMANDERS ARE A THING! And I mean, actual GIANT salamanders. Cause, ya know, usually when ya hear the word giant, it just means as compared to regular sized, whatevers. But these things are HUGE! As in "Hey, look at me. I'm a 5 foot long, 80 lbs amphibian", huge. This may be one of my new favorite animals, ever.

-CAINE- 

VIA: weirdthings.com