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2011/12/31

Neatorama

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Neatorama

Want To Know More About North Korea? Then Read The FAQ Page

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 11:49 PM PST

In an effort to pull the old “I’m not up to no good! See, I can prove it!” routine, North Korea has released a FAQ page to answer all your questions about the dark and mysterious country, and alleviate any global concerns at the same time.

This fun, informative and easy to read page includes the following hits:

24. Is it true that all citizens of the DPRK work for the government?

Government and people are one. There is no distinction of them.

8. Can I travel to North Korea as a backpacker?

No. You must travel as a group only, even if you are the only participant you must be with Korean guides at all times.

…and many more hilarious answers to seemingly simple questions. Will it make you trust North Korea more?

Probably not, but you’re guaranteed to enjoy the circular logic and evasive answers, all while cracking up at the very thought of a country like North Korea having a FAQ page!

Link

Amazing Hand-Crafted Nazgul Armor

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 11:42 PM PST

The amazing prop creation team over at Kropserkel created this fantastic set of armor and a variety of others as potential Nazgul armor. You could even commission them to custom make your own set of Lord of the Rings Armor, how cool is that?

Link

11 Things We Can Expect In The Future According To Buck Rogers

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 11:36 PM PST

Man, I used to love me some Buck Rogers In The 25th Century when I was a kid, and not just because I had a serious crush on co-star Erin Gray! The sci-fi was just far out enough to hold your attention without making you learn an encyclopaedic amount of factoids, and the fashion was dy-no-mite!

All kidding aside, as a kid growing up in the 80s Buck Rogers and Battlestar Galactica fed my geeky addiction to sci-fi like no other show could, and kept me firmly planted in front of the television, my mind racing at the possibilities presented in each episode.

Head to the link to find a bunch of sci-fi elements Buck Rogers predicted would become a part of mankind’s future. They’re hilarious and mostly outdated, although if any of them do come true the future will be a scary place indeed!

Link

Jabba The Snowman

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 11:35 PM PST

This great picture of Lucas Arts’ holiday card from this year made me wish I was on their Christmas card list. This particular card was sent to Bonnie Burton, the editor of The Official Star Wars Blog.

Image Via Laughing Squid

A Fun New Years Eve Tradition From Ecuador

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 11:35 PM PST

These images aren’t of pop culture statues being erected to spruce up city street corners in Ecuador, they’re giant effigies known as “anos viejos”, many of which feature fan fav characters, that are burned to celebrate the coming of the new year.

Ricardo Bohorquez has taken some amazing pics of the effigies being built, many with people in the frame to show their massive scale, and I only wish there was a part 2 to this article showing them all going up in flames!

Link –via ComicsAlliance

A Rose By Any Other State Of Matter

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 11:29 PM PST

No, it’s not really a rose being liquified. It’s a composite photograph of 17 different images of a crystal rose with colored water being poured down the surface. My hat goes off to Anthony Chang for having the patience to put together this gorgeous art project.

Link Via Laughing Squid

3D Guns Make You Look Dangerous...And Crazy

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 11:03 PM PST

No word yet on whether or not the TSA will let you get on a plane with these 3D gun nails, but then again, it’s going to be pretty hard to load them assuming you have these on both hands, so maybe you’d be more of a threat to yourself than to other people.

Link Via Geekosystem

So This Is What Baby Rhinos Sound Like

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 10:54 PM PST

(Video Link)

It almost sounds like they have horns in their throat aside from the ones on their faces.

Via Geekosystem

Morrissey Hacked Into Google Earth

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 09:58 PM PST

It was recently discovered that if you use Google Earth to view the Salford Lads Club in the UK you will find an image of the Mozster hanging out in front of the club, just like in this iconic photo of the Smiths from their The Queen Is Dead LP.

Now that’s what I call a dedicated Morrissey fan! I wonder who will have their image hacked into Google Earth next? My prediction- Elvis at Graceland.

Link

Digitize-With The Captain Power Rap

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 09:58 PM PST

(YouTube Link)

Here’s a moldy old slice of cheese for your entertainment, courtesy of the 1987 sci-fi kids TV show Captain Power. Watch as the Narrator explains humanity’s predicament via reggae-styled rap, all while the heroes battle to keep humans from being turned into machines.

This video is the perfect example of why rapping should be left to the professionals, unless of course you need to quickly come up with a theme song in order to rally the troops against an android invasion.

TV sure has come a long way since the 80s, but have rappers learned from Captain Power’s mistakes?

–via Comics Alliance

An 8-Bit Animation From Lecco Italy

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 09:44 PM PST

(YouTube Link)

This adorable 8-bit style animation comes to us fresh from some walls in Lecco, Italy, where pixel penguins stroll the day away, dodging the occasional Space Invader and *ahem* helping the flowers grow.

I really like how they freeze the animation at the end and pan across to show you the rest of the amazing graffiti art that adorns this city wall. Now that’s what I call fresh!

–via WoosterCollective

Gritty Photos Of British Gangsters

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 09:37 PM PST

The blokes in these pics aren’t characters from a Guy Ritchie movie, they’re real-life British gangsters, captured in intimate moments by Jocelyn Bain Hogg, presumably between heists.

These photos show us a rare, intimate glimpse into their lives-relaxing, cutting loose at a disco, or acting out physically like their usual, maniacal selves.

There’s an energy in these photos, an edginess that makes you want to look away, but then you’d be missing out on a moment you might not have the chance to witness ever again.

Link –image credit: Jocelyn Bain Hogg, The Firm

Diamond Weevils Have Real Diamonds In Their Shells

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 09:04 PM PST

Scientists recently discovered that the shiny bits embedded in the shell of the Diamond Weevil is more than just stylish bling- they’re actually small diamonds grown for protection. Here’s what they discovered, and what they plan to do with this discovery:

A new high-tech investigation reveals the diamonds are just that: chitin in a diamond-type arrangement that’s optimized to throw off brilliant greens, yellows and oranges. What most people call diamonds are made of carbon, but other materials can take on the same crystal structure, called diamond cubic.

"Materials scientists could look to these scales to inspire new materials, but we don't yet know how they are made," said biophysicist Bodo Wilts of the University of Groningen, co-author of a Dec. 21 study of the scales in Journal of the Royal Society Interface.

"We've got some catching up to do," Wilts said. "The nature-produced tiny structures are far beyond any human designs."

The scales are a type of three-dimensional crystal, called a photonic crystal, which is much like an opal. Each kind of photonic crystal reflects a specific wavelength of light at a specific orientation. Other crystals lacking a regular 3-D structure, meanwhile, aren't as brilliant or iridescent.

It seems that no matter how high tech our society becomes, we can always learn a thing or two from the natural world.

–via Wired –image via Bodo Wilts/Journal of the Royal Society Interface

Robot DJs Are Coming, Hide Your Turntables

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 08:57 PM PST

(YouTube Link)

Watch this programmed robot arm, complete with creepy pink hand, scratch away on some vinyl like a true turntablist. I don’t know whether to feel amazed by the programming, or deflated by how easy this robotic arm makes the rhythmic scratching of records look.

Either way, it can’t compare until the robot arm is switching records, using a crossfader, and syncing songs on the fly. Until then, the DJs of the world are safe from their robotic overlords. And don’t all robots have a tin ear?

–via AnimalNY

Sci-Fi Themed Brothel in Nevada

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 08:37 PM PST

The world's oldest profession meets science fiction. That's the vision of Dennis Hof, the owner of two of Nevada's most notorious brothels and star of the HBO documentary Cathouse.

Henry Brean of the Las Vegas Review-Journal has the story:

The reality television star and outspoken sex merchant recently bought a rundown bordello 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas and unveiled plans to renovate and reopen it with a science fiction theme.

He is calling it Alien Cathouse and promising "girls from another world."

Hof has turned to an old friend to plan the costumes and decor: Hollywood Madam turned Pahrump resident Heidi Fleiss.

"She's the chief alien design queen," he said.

Link (Image: David Stroud/Las Vegas Review-Journal) - via io9

New Year's Oreo Pops

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 06:50 PM PST

Take Oreo cookies, put them on a stick, dip them in candy, and stick the homemade chocolate numbers on top! Well, these cookie pops aren’t quite that easy, but you can get directions from Jill at Kitchen Fun with My Three Sons so you can make your own before New Year party time! Link

Microsoft's New "Magic Wall": A Holodeck in Your Living Room?

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 06:39 PM PST

Microsoft might've missed the boat when it comes to Tablets, but it might just have an ace up its sleeves. Check out Joshua Topolsky of The Verge touring Microsoft's Edison Lab, where a team of really smart people are building a magic wall:

Stevie Bathiche, director of research at Microsoft's applied sciences lab, says to "imagine a day where in your home, one wall is dedicated to being your magic wall. A wall where it can teleport you to another world without really going anywhere." Bathiche shows off a number of systems that aim to accomplish this vision, including a system that projects LED light to detect a human being's movements in space, and a glasses-free stereoscopic display that can be "steered" by the viewer as they move.

Link | More from the Microsoft Research tour series on The Verge

2012 & The End Of The World

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 05:51 PM PST


(YouTube link)

Some people still think the world will end in 2012, because that’s where the Maya calendar ends. C.G.P. Grey explains how that strange idea came about. An even simpler explanation came from Dan Pirraro a couple of years ago. If this goes too fast for you, the script is at Grey’s website. Link -via The Daily What

The Longest Straight Staircase in the World Has 699 Steps

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 05:00 PM PST

Team, today’s stair running drill is going to be a doozy. Pictured above is Jacob’s Ladder, a staircase in the UK Overseas Territory of Saint Helena. Settlers built it as an inclined plane in 1829 to help bring agricultural products into Jamestown, the capital of the island. The staircase is now accessible to tourists, but the slope is really steep and not every portion has a railing, so do not look down. You can view several more pictures at the link.

Link -via Bit Rebels | Photo: Wikimedia user Deusdixital

Pigeon is Actually Good at Math

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 04:38 PM PST

Who ya callin' birdbrained? Researchers at the University of Otago in New Zealand found that the lowly pigeon is actually quite brilliant at math:

Scarf and her colleagues began their search for mathematical ability in pigeons by training subject birds to recognize groups of one, two or three objects on a screen and peck at them in proper numerical sequence. This, admittedly, was not an easy lesson to get across. It took about a year of practice and rewards before the pigeons could be said with certainty to have gotten the idea. The birds may have actually understood earlier, but the researchers had to make sure they were indeed responding to the number of items, as opposed to their color, shape or relative size. As a result the pigeons had to be trained with random selections of ovals, triangles, rectangles and even computer clip art before it was clear they had their counting skills down cold.

Link (Photo: William van der Vliet)

Vegan S'More Cocktails in Chocolate Glasses

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 04:00 PM PST

If a s’more cocktail isn’t, by itself, a sufficiently serious chocolate delivery system, then Spabettie has a recipe for you! She used a shot glass mold to make chocolate cups, filled them with chocolate-flavored vodka and then topped them off with rice whip.

Link -via Tasteologie

Cat Playing Fruit Ninja

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 02:37 PM PST

First, we got an African Bullfrog playing Ant Crusher. Next up: cat playing Fruit Ninja.

The depressing thing is that the feline is much more adept at playing the fun iPad game than me. See it at Ubergizmo: Link [embedded YouTube clip]

A Short History of the Modern Calendar

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 02:14 PM PST


(YouTube link)

Have you got a calendar for the new year yet? The calendar we use might not be all that rational, but we are quite used to it. This video from Jeremiah Warren will help you understand how our calendar came about. -via The Daily What

Apes Gamble by Calculating Odds

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 01:49 PM PST

Do apes love to gamble just like humans do? You bet! New study by Max Planck scientists reveal that apes can calculate odds before taking risky gambles:

Experts observed apes as they gambled using upturned cups concealing pieces of chopped banana.

Given the choice of a safe bet of a small piece of banana or a larger chunk of fruit hidden beneath one of a selection of shuffled cups, the apes chose to gamble more than 50 per cent of the time.
The team, led by Daniel Haun of the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics found that they were also able to identify when the odds were stacked against them and when it was wiser to go with the safe bet.

As more cups were added and the odds became worse, the apes become more cautious.

Link

Robot Tea Infuser

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 12:45 PM PST


Robot Tea Infuser - $9.95

Do you like your tea with a dash of retro technology? Check out this cute Robot Tea Infuser from the NeatoShop! The stainless steel tea infuser comes with its own drip tray, so you can keep your table neat and tidy. Its adjustable arms let the infuser fit any size tea cups or mugs.

Link | See more neat Coffee & Tea stuff from our Shop

Wild Panda Filmed Eating a Dead Animal

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 10:37 AM PST

Still think that pandas are cute and cuddly animals that eat only bamboo? Surely it poses no threat to other wildlife, right? Well think again: this wild panda in China was videotaped eating a dead animal:

Captured on an infrared camera in the Laohegou forest area, the panda appears to find a dead wildebeest in a gulley and gnaws on its bones for two hours.
Pandas are typically known to eat only bamboo shoots, but according to Chen Youping, deputy director of Forestry Department of Pingwu County, it is not unknown for the beasts to eat meat.

"The reason why pandas eat meat is because it used to eat meat millions of years ago," he said.

"Now they mainly eat bamboos, but we occasionally see bones of dead animals in pandas' excrement during our years of field work," he added.

Link | Hit play or go to Link [YouTube]

1980s Film Alphabet

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 09:21 AM PST

I’m not usually good at this sort of thing, but I looked at the 1980s Film Alphabet and could name all the movies! Yes, even Raiders of the Lost Ark, which is under “I”, for the character, I guess. This is a creation of artist Stephen Wildish. Link -via Laughing Squid

Online Retailers and the Drunk Customer Market

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 08:51 AM PST

A lot of good, horrifying stories begin with “I was drunk, so I got on the Internet…” and go downhill from there. Some people even shop online while sloshed:

"I have my account linked to my phone, so it's really easy," said Tiffany Whitten, of Dayton, Ohio, whose most recent tipsy purchase made on her smartphone — a phone cover — arrived from Amazon much to her surprise. "I was drunk and I bought it, and I forgot about it, and it showed up in the mail, and I was really excited."

And online retailers have noticed:

At QVC, the television shopping channel, traffic and viewers rise around noon, then quiet down until after 7 p.m. Then items like cosmetics and accessories sell briskly. "Call them girl treats — they seem to attract a really strong following once you get past dinnertime," said Doug Rose, senior vice president for multichannel programming and marketing for the company. "You can probably come to your own conclusion as to what's motivating her."

Still, the nighttime spike requires delicacy among retailers: for reasons of propriety, they do not want to be seen as encouraging drunken shopping, and many people who inadvertently buy products in that state would most likely return them at high rates. On the other hand, a happy customer can lead to higher sales.

"In a shopping context, alcohol would lift people's moods and make them feel more relaxed," said Nancy Puccinelli, an associate fellow at the Oxford's Saïd Business School who studies consumer behavior. "If we see a product and we feel good, we will evaluate the product more positively."

Link -via Marginal Revolution | Photo (unrelated) by Flickr user somegeekintn

Tamara de Lempicka's Spock and Uhura

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 08:34 AM PST

Tamara de Lempicka is my favorite Art Deco painter, so this image inspired by her work makes me happy. It was composed by deviantART user lymanalpha.

Link -via Comics Alliance

For Tax Purposes, Marvel Argues that Mutants Aren't Human

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 08:17 AM PST

It’s stunning that Marvel Comics would throw its weight behind the Mutant Registration Act. But in order to keep more money, the company’s attorneys argue that mutants, such as the X-Men, aren’t human:

In the non-fictional world, our world, Marvel is taking the position that mutants are not humans at all. But this isn't an ideological or a moral stance. Instead, it is a financial one. Toys manufactured in other countries and imported into the US are subject to taxes, but those taxes are lower if the toys represent non-human characters. That has led to Marvel lawyers arguing that an action figure representing, say, Wolverine, is actually "representing animals or other non-human creatures (for example, robots and monsters)."

Link -via Nerd Bastards | Image: deviantART user Fandias

Porsche TV Display

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 08:06 AM PST

YouTube user Kanaal Van Ronorozco makes TV display centers in the front or back ends of classic vehicles, such as this 2005 Porsche 996. It’s not a fabrication, but the actual rear of the car, right down to the brake calipers. With a push of a button, the brake lights flash and the screen opens or closes.

Link -via DVICE

Moscow Time-lapse

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 07:59 AM PST


(vimeo link)

I grew up during the Cold War, with an image of Moscow as a drab, grey, cold, Soviet citadel. But the Cold War has been over for 20 years! This video shows the city as beautiful and colorful, both historical and modern. -via Everlasting Blort

The Invisible Hockey Player

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 07:56 AM PST

Norway’s hockey team appears to have a secret weapon in the form of an invisible player! But no, that’s Ole Kristian Tellefsen, getting into a tussle with Finland’s Petteri Nokelainen last May. This strange picture is part of Sports Illustrated’s gallery of Pictures of the Year. Link -via reddit

(Image credit: Imago/ZUMAPRESS.com)

The 2011 Win/Luck Compilation

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 07:54 AM PST


(YouTube link)

It’s the opposite of the “fail” videos! As you’re waiting for something to go wrong, it turns out just right in these video clips. -via BroBible

The Terrifying Work of a Lion Groomer

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 07:51 AM PST


(Video Link)

You can’t take this kitty cat to a regular pet groomer. No, lion wrangler Alex Larenty has to take care of that job, and he has to do it every day. Watch him brush the hair and file the claws on this 250 kg lion.

-via io9

When Frank Frazetta Worked for Disney

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 07:36 AM PST

Walt, I have never prayed to you before. I have no tongue for it. No one, not even you, will remember if we were good men or bad. Why we fought, or why we died. All that matters is that two stood against many. That’s what’s important! Cuteness pleases you, Walt… so grant me one request. Grant me revenge! And if you do not listen, then to hell with you!

Fantasy artist Frank Frazetta (warning: some NSFW images) never worked for Disney, which is a shame. He would have inspired some spectacular movies. But Disney artist John T. Quinn III does, and composed this cartoon in the style of Frazetta.

Link -via Popped Culture

Abandoned Brothels

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 06:18 AM PST

Brothel

Urban exploration takes a turn toward the world's oldest profession! Take a tour -safely- through a photo gallery of bygone houses of ill repute in Spain, South Korea, and the USA. The outsides may look plain, but the inside pictures display a decaying gaudiness that tells the story of what once went on in these businesses. Link

(Image credit: Flickr user Jitze Couperus)

Slime Molds Solve Maze

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 06:00 AM PST

I spent a year of college teaching rats to find their way through a maze, and now I find that slime molds, which don’t even have brains, can do the same thing! Professor Toshiyuki Nakagaki of Japan’s Future University Hakodate studies slime molds, which organize their colonies of cells to move toward a food source, using the most direct route.

“Humans are not the only living things with information-processing abilities,” he said. “Simple creatures can solve certain kinds of difficult puzzles. If you want to spotlight the essence of life or intelligence, it’s easier to use these simple creatures.”

The research in slime mold organization may lead to information-processing breakthroughs, including the possibility of biocomputers. Link -via Arbroath

(Image credit: Flickr user Sentrawoods)

Cat vs. Disc Tray

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 05:45 AM PST


(YouTube link)

On the one hand, it appears amazing that we sacrifice expensive electronics for the amusement of our cats. On the other hand, I know how easy it is to accumulate obsolete computer equipment that may not function as originally intended, but will still amuse the cat. Which, in turn, amuses us! -via Tastefully Offensive
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