Neatorama

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• Is a Progress Bar on a Traffic Light a Good Idea?
• Shrink It
• Facebook in the Führerbunker
• World's Oldest Music Instrument
• Trichrome Blue
• Pikachu Ski Mask
• World AIDS Day
• New PostSecret Video by Frank Warren
• Garbage Collector in Jakarta, Indonesia
• Architectural Punch Bowl
• Giant Binary Clock
• The Car Parts Sculptures of James Corbett
• Immanuel Kant Explained Using Superhero Comics
• The Most Dangerous Roads On Earth
• Stefan's Stormtroopers
• Santa Claus in His Own Words
• Sesame Street Voices
• Vodka Soon Available in Pill Form
• Marvel Theme Park Concept Art
• Oil Change Leads to New Car Purchase
• 9 Inspiring Green Tech Projects
• Top 20 High-tech Luxurious Bathtubs
• The Amazing World of Coca-Cola
• Antarctica Facts
• Fluorescent Tube Fighting
• Minimum Wage Machine
• The 10 Most Expensive Bicycles on Earth
• Caption Monkey 66: SpongeBob SquareCar

Is a Progress Bar on a Traffic Light a Good Idea? Posted: 01 Dec 2009 09:46 PM PST A design award has been given for a concept that would allow existing traffic lights to be retrofitted with progress bars that offer a visual representation of when the light will change.  Several benefits have been suggested… - Less pollution, as drivers can turn their engines off and cut carbon emissions while waiting for the green light, - Less fuel consumption, as turning off vehicle engines lowers fuel consumption in the long run, - Less stress, since drivers know exactly how long to wait, and - Safer driving, as all traffic participants are fully aware of how much time they have left before the light changes, reducing the chance for potential traffic accidents. Link, via Gizmodo and Reddit (where the discussion thread is decidedly less sanguine regarding the consequences of such lights).

Shrink It Posted: 01 Dec 2009 09:28 PM PST Shrink It is a flash games that requires no unusual skills other than an understanding of basic physics principles; you may or may not find that reassuring. A mouse click shrinks objects; the removed mass is “stored” and can then be added to another object by holding the space bar while clicking. Those who enjoy this should be reminded that Neatorama has an archive of several hundred flash games. Link.

Facebook in the Führerbunker Posted: 01 Dec 2009 09:28 PM PST Yes, all kinds of Facebook parodies have already been created, including the excellent Hamlet version by Sarah Schmelling, and even a Star Wars edition, as John Farrier pointed out recently. But if you haven’t seen this one by Brian Sack of Banterist I think you will enjoy it, particularly if you are interested in 20th c. world history.

World's Oldest Music Instrument Posted: 01 Dec 2009 07:17 PM PST Could this 43,000 year old bone of a cave bear be a musical instrument? If so, it could be evidence that Neanderthals were musically-inclined!   The Divje Babe flute is a cave bear femur pierced by spaced holes that was found at the Divje Babe archeological park located near Cerkno in northwestern Slovenia. It has been suggested that it is the world's oldest known musical instrument, but this is in dispute. The continuing dispute notwithstanding, the artifact remains on prominent public display as a flute in the National Museum of Slovenia (Narodni Muzej Slovenije) in Ljubljana. The museum's visitor leaflet maintains that manufacture by Neanderthals "is reliably proven". Link From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by rappin.

Trichrome Blue Posted: 01 Dec 2009 06:41 PM PST Lois van Baarle is a recent graduate of Utrecht School of the Arts, and the following is her thesis project.  Her animation and drawing skills have been a part of her for most of her life, and this video captures her style well.  Music & sound design is by Marcel Janssen.  Trichrome Blue is also one of three films for a fictitious company whose mission statement could have been penned by Don Draper. Trichrome Blue from Lois van Baarle on Vimeo. Artist’s Website via Drawn!

Pikachu Ski Mask Posted: 01 Dec 2009 06:22 PM PST > Deviant Art member =Sugarcoatidli3z crocheted this awesome Pikachu convertible ski mask because the weather was turning cold and she liked Pikachu. Now she’s made the pattern available to anyone who wants it! Link -via Everlasting Blort

World AIDS Day Posted: 01 Dec 2009 05:04 PM PST Almost missed this one: Today is World AIDS Day (it’s founded by the World Health Organization founded back in 1988 to raise awareness of the AIDS pandemic and to honor the persons who have died from HIV/AIDS). Chicago Now has a gallery of influential and famous people who have died from the disease. Do you recognize these four? Answers in the comment. Link – Thanks Mu!

New PostSecret Video by Frank Warren Posted: 01 Dec 2009 04:48 PM PST Frank Warren of PostSecret (recently interviewed on Neatorama here) has released a new video, where he asks fifty people one question: what’s their secret? You may find the brave voices captured in this short film haunting, shocking and humorous. In some of their faces you’ll see joy, anguish and grace as they trust you with their confession. Hit play or go to Link [Vimeo] – Thanks Frank!

Garbage Collector in Jakarta, Indonesia Posted: 01 Dec 2009 04:35 PM PST Refuse collector, Kota, Batavia, Jakarta, Indonesia. in Indonesia Martin Broomfield of 360 Cities took this panorama of a garbage collector/recycler in Jakarta, Indonesia, sitting down surveying his kingdom of recyclables. It was typical to see garbage men pushing carts (like one behind the guy) filled with mounds of bags of aluminum cans and recyclable plastics when was living there more than 15 years ago. I wasn’t surprised that nothing much has changed. If the embeddable player above doesn’t work for you, go here: Link – Thanks Jeffrey Martin!

Architectural Punch Bowl Posted: 01 Dec 2009 04:20 PM PST Photo credit: Barney Steel | Another pic at Cakehead Loves Evil On December 9th, the epicurean duo Sam Bompas & Harry Parr, in collaboration with cognac maker Courvoisier, will hold Architectural Punch Bowl: a drinkable art installation featuring a punch bowl so large that you can row a boat across it. Sadly, no swimming – for that you’ve got to go to Japan (where else?). Sam Bompas gave us this sneak peek photo above of taste consultant Alex James (yes, of the rock band Blur) floatin’ in a pool of Courvoisier punch – Thanks Sam and Emmylou!

Giant Binary Clock Posted: 01 Dec 2009 02:48 PM PST Students at the Technical University of Wroclaw, Poland, decorated the outside of their building with a giant LED clock that displays the time in binary. It consists of eighteen round windows, with green windows representing hours, blue windows representing minutes, and red windows representing seconds. Link (in Polish) via Gizmodo | YouTube Video | Photo: Wroclaw University

The Car Parts Sculptures of James Corbett Posted: 01 Dec 2009 02:03 PM PST Australian artist James Corbett began sculpting old car parts in 1999 while managing a car recycling business in Brisbane. Eighteen months later, he closed the shop and turned pro. Corbett never bends the parts, but uses the existing shapes to create (comparatively) realistic forms. Gallery at the link. Link via DudeCraft | Artist’s Website | Image: James Corbett

Immanuel Kant Explained Using Superhero Comics Posted: 01 Dec 2009 01:51 PM PST (Video Link) In this video, Douglas Wolk explains the ideas expressed in 18th Century German philosopher Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Aesthetic Judgment using superhero comics. Wolk, a comic critic, is the author of the book Reading Comics: How Graphic Novels Work and What They Mean. Run time: 5 minutes. via Comics Alliance | Wolk’s Blog | Background on Kant | Previously on Neatorama: Kant Attack Ad

The Most Dangerous Roads On Earth Posted: 01 Dec 2009 01:25 PM PST Simon Seeks has compiled a list of the most dangerous roads in the world. Many feature rock slide hazards, hair pin turns, steep cliffs and no guard rails. Still, it’s amazing just how beautiful some of these deadly roads are –often because the views from these places are unbelievable. Link Image Via Damian Morys [Flickr]

Stefan's Stormtroopers Posted: 01 Dec 2009 11:22 AM PST Stéfan’s Photostream at Flickr chronicles the lives of his resident stormtroopers, TK455 and TK479, and their various exploits.  Above is The Alice in Wonderland Syndrome: TK455: “Didn’t I tell you not to eat it?” TK479: “Why are you suddenly a giant?”

Santa Claus in His Own Words Posted: 01 Dec 2009 10:03 AM PST We first told you about Santa Claus’ blog three years ago. Since then, Santa has been steadily updating his site with stories of Christmases past and present. In a three-part series, he kicks off this Christmas season by telling the entire story of how he and his gift-giving enterprise came to be. Blitzen knew about my family fortune. And more importantly he knew about my desire to share my good fortune with the less-fortunate. He knew about how I followed my father’s tradition of anonymously leaving small bags of gold coins on doorsteps on Christmas Eve. He knew that I had expanded the tradition to secretly pay-off debts of those that had suffered misfortune and to leave some of my hand-crafted toys with their children. I had shared with him how I wished I could extend my reach beyond the Drobak & Oslo areas to help the many others across Scandinavia. And that is why that following Christmas season, on the verge of winter, he told me about the elves. Check the sidebar for Santa’s other projects and interests, including his favorite charities. Links to part one, part two, and part three.

Sesame Street Voices Posted: 01 Dec 2009 09:48 AM PST You may love Sesame Street, but how well do you know the Sesame Street characters? In Today’s Lunchtime Quiz at mental_floss, you are challenged to match the Muppet with a picture of the person who provides its voice. There is no option to select Jim Henson or Frank Oz, so this is more difficult than it would have been years ago. I scored 63%, which barely beat the current average of 59%. Link

Vodka Soon Available in Pill Form Posted: 01 Dec 2009 09:13 AM PST A researcher at a Russian university has developed a powdered form of alcohol that will soon make the consumption of vodka more convenient. From The Times of India: Russian professor Evgeny Moskalev of Saint Petersburg Technological University has evolved a technique that allows turning alcohol into powder and packing it in pills. The new technique can solidify any kind of alcohol, including whisky, cognac, wine and beer. The new technique can solidify any kind of alcohol, including whisky, cognac, wine and beer. "Dry" vodka can be wrapped in paper and carried around in a pocket or a bag. Vodka in form of a pill would come handy at parties when "consumers" would be able to calculate their exact required dosage. Verily, we live in an age of medical wonders. Link via Geekologie | Image: US Department of State (not the pills in question)

Marvel Theme Park Concept Art Posted: 01 Dec 2009 09:12 AM PST While the reality of a Marvel Superheroes theme park in Dubai is tentative (now projected to open in 2012), Chimera Design has produced a series of illustrations depicting the concepts and general look of the park. Most of Marvel super-heroes will have their own attractions including the Fantastic Four, Hulk, Iron Man, X-Men, Silver Surfer and of course Spiderman in what will be probably a different ride than the Spiderman ride at Universal Islands of Adventure. Also, according to a a recent post of Brady Mac Donald of the L.A Times “Off-site testing has already begun on three of the planned attractions: “Flying with Spidey”, “Fantasticar” and “X-Men: Danger Room”. Take a peek at Stark Laboratories, the City of Superheroes, Crater Lake, and other rides depicted. Link.    Image: Chimera Design

Oil Change Leads to New Car Purchase Posted: 01 Dec 2009 09:12 AM PST It’s a given that when folks take their car in to get an oil change, the lube tech is going to talk them into wipers, an air filter, etc.  But when Audrey McKnight took her 2006 Hyundai into the dealer for one, she left eight hours later with a 2009 model.  She basically accepted it after being told she could return it the next day; plus, it was the only way to stop the sales pressure. McKnight said a saleswoman pressured her to “try out” the 2008 Hyundai Azera with promises that she could return it the next day.  A sales manager at Holmes Hyundai secretly checked her credit while she waited for service on her car, McKnight said. The sales team also allegedly suggested that she could afford the newer car if she stopped paying on her Medicare supplemental insurance. McKnight said she owed $7,600 on her 2006 Hyundai, with 21,000 miles. Her $329 monthly car payments are set to increase to more than $400 per month with the new car, and will continue until she pays off the $26,000 she now owes. Link via The Obscure Store & Reading Room.  Photo: Mary Chind

9 Inspiring Green Tech Projects Posted: 01 Dec 2009 08:10 AM PST I never knew that Portugal was a leading clean-tech nation in the EU.  Their massive Solar Photovoltaic Farm project sounds really promising. Maybe we should all learn something from these nine stories and work together to develop green tech in order to benefit society and our planet. Portugal produces 1/3 of its energy from renewable sources. In having to quickly respond to a shortage of oil, coal and gas, Portugal is now an EU leader in the clean tech revolution. In less than three years, Portugal has trebled its hydropower capacity, quadrupled its wind power, and is investing in more photovoltaic plants. What is to be the world's largest solar photovoltaic farm is taking shape near Moura, generating electricity straight from sunlight . It is expected to supply 45MW of electricity each year, enough to power 30,000 homes. Link From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by mrmunchies.

Top 20 High-tech Luxurious Bathtubs Posted: 01 Dec 2009 08:07 AM PST It’s the high-tech integrated features that makes a bathtub really luxurious. Here is a list of best 20 high tech luxury bathtubs that give you the feeling of having a royal bath. Take, for example, the Red Diamond bathtub from WaterGamesTechnologies. It features console with massive gold frame and Swarovski crystals, 2 HD waterproof TV on a mobile console which disappears at the press of a button. For price tag of $47,200, the tubs also enjoy multicolor lighting and a champagne holder encrusted with swarovski crystals. Link From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by angel12.

The Amazing World of Coca-Cola Posted: 01 Dec 2009 07:24 AM PST Drank Drunk by practically everyone on the planet, Coca-Cola is arguably the most recognizable brand in the world. The company sells 1.5 billion units a day, and that’s not the most fascinating fact about it. The rest of this infographic has more mind-boggling statistics about the Coca-Cola Company. Link From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by eire79green.

Antarctica Facts Posted: 01 Dec 2009 06:22 AM PST Fifty years ago today, twelve nations signed The Antarctic Treaty, regulating research activity, economic exploitation, and territorial claims in Antarctica. To mark this occasion, Annie C. Lee of Fast Company has compiled eleven interesting facts about the frozen continent: 3. Antarctica’s biggest population center is the U.S.-operated McMurdo Station. In the summer, the community can swell to more than 1,000 people; this past winter, there were just 153. 4. Antarctica’s two-letter Internet suffix is “.aq.” Internet access is via satellite; a dish on Black Island provides 10-MB-per-second service to McMurdo. 5. Tourism is one of Antarctica’s two main industries. Antarctica had 37,858 tourists last year. Most visitors arrived by sea — a typical 10-day cruise to the region runs from $5,000 to $10,000 per person — and nearly all landed on the Antarctic Peninsula. No ship carrying more than 500 passengers may land in Antarctica. Link | Antarctic Treaty | Image: NASA

Fluorescent Tube Fighting Posted: 01 Dec 2009 06:06 AM PST These men are beating each other senseless using fluorescent tube light bulbs as weapons. This is apparently a sport in Japan. I can’t find much information about it online, so I take it that it is not a widely popular sport. One blogger said “It’s like WWF meets WTF.” — which seems like a good summation. There are more pictures at the link. Content warning: graphic violence. Link via Geekologie | Image: Blue Circlet

Minimum Wage Machine Posted: 01 Dec 2009 05:56 AM PST Minimum Wage Machine by artist Blake Fall-Conroy spits out $7.15 per hour in pennies as a person turns the crank. Fall-Conroy writes to Make: In the future, I see possibility in a lot of these machines hooked into a grid, with people performing basic human labor for money. Perhaps a new form of renewable energy generation? A new kind of supercomputer with thousands of people performing basic calculations at minimum wage “stations” across the world? Who knows? More pictures and technical details at the link. Link | Artist’s Website | Image: Blake Fall-Conroy

The 10 Most Expensive Bicycles on Earth Posted: 01 Dec 2009 05:44 AM PST Sidi Ergo has pictures and descriptions of the most expensive bicycles ever made, including models plated in gold and encrusted with diamonds. This model, the Koga Kimera, isn’t quite so luxurious. But developed by UK bike-maker Koga for Dutch Olympic competitor Theo Bos Koga, it’s priced at almost one million dollars. The Kimera is said to have the lowest wind resistance of any bicycle ever made. Link via The Presurfer | Photo: Oobject

Caption Monkey 66: SpongeBob SquareCar Posted: 01 Dec 2009 04:48 AM PST (Yes, it does have a license plate, but I blocked it off) Who drives a square car on the highway? SpongeBob SquareCar! Boxy and yellow and Scion is he. SponbeBob Square Car! If drivin’ nonsense be something’ ye wish … My wife snapped this pic of SpongeBob SquareCar while I was driving a few weeks ago. She just reminded me of how this would be perfect for today’s Caption Monkey feature, courtesy of Adam "Ape Lad" Koford. Best caption wins a Monkey drawing by our talented pal Adam. Place your caption in the comment section. One caption per comment, please, though you may enter as many funny ones as you’d like. Good luck and be sure to visit Adam’s blog for your daily Laugh-Out-Loud Cats. SpongeBobians, here’s the Neatorama article for you: 10 Neat Facts About SpongeBob SquarePants

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