Robosaurus Slashdot has a discussion about this giant, car-eating entertainment robot. I know I'm usually into friendlier robots, but I bet it would be cool to see Robosaurus in person. (I love that they call it "car-nivorous." I wish I'd written that.)
<no>circles</no> This game (if you can call it that) was listed as a USA Today Hotsite this week. They don't explain it, and neither can I, but it's kind of fun to mess around with.
u r special People who live in the U.K. can get free text message affirmations sent to their cell phones. The example they show on the site says "I believe in me!" but I think it would be funnier if the free text messages were in IM speak, so you could pretend they were compliments from your inner pre-teen.
The other possible result is that if cell phones start sending random daily messages that say stuff like "I luv u," it could totally change the way people feel about their electronics. (And this also makes me think of Kelly's Hello I Love You Keypad.)
D&D This BBC article asks Whatever happened to Dungeons and Dragons? Well, let me tell you from personal experience: those twelve year old boys who used to play in the basement are now leading D&D groups in hip Soho apartments. Okay, well I only know of one case like that, but I'm sure it's not the only one. The fact is, it's fun to have wild Friday night adventures where you get to battle an ice giant and save a pegasus. Especially when margaritas are involved.
New painting Most of my robots are on little pieces of paper, but this one is on a 12"x12" canvas. At first it was on a yellow background like the other robot blender I made a while back (go here and scroll down to see it), but on the big canvas the yellow looked terrible. I decided to redo the background into a kitchen with very tacky wallpaper.
I like this robot. I hung him on the wall, and now I feel like he's watching out for me whenever I go into the kitchen. In a way, it's kind of comforting, but I think if I really had appliances that watched me, it would feel like an invasion of privacy. Maybe someday we'll all have futuristic houses with appliances that communicate with us, but I hope they are built to include a privacy option... some button you can press that means "Don't talk to me, any of you! And turn off your damn sensors while you're at it!" Sometimes I don't want my appliances to give me advice or make friendly conversation. Sometimes I just want to be alone.
A robot, and some cool photography I just read this New York Times article about a German photographer named Peter Bialobrzeski who takes futuristic-looking photos of the megacities in Southeast Asia. I like that he mentions Blade Runner as an influence. At his website, click on the photo on the homepage to go to an online gallery that has some really neat stuff. I feel like he went on some magic spaceship ride to the future and brought back a few rolls of film.
Here's a New York Times article about "circuit benders," people who turn electronic toys into musical instruments by messing with the wiring. I think that stuff is really freaking cool. I hope I learn how to do it someday. I need more electronically-inclined friends.
And along the lines of yesterday's eye implant article, here's a New York Times story about a few new technologies that help improve people's eyesight. The last time I got new contacts, the woman checking my eyes said, "Wow, your eyes are really bad! But it doesn't matter. You'll just get laser surgery someday!" I have a feeling she's right.
Robot girls I had nothing to write about today (I've been busy with work), but I just read my Google news alert about robots and found this great little story about a girls' robotic team. My favorite part of the article:
Each team also had to choose a research topic to present to the judges. The Super Nova Girls chose to simulate life on Mars using a frog named Comet and plants.
You might have guessed I like robots, but I also think frogs are really neat. And I love when people give their pets cute names! So this story has everything I would ever want from the news. (You might think I'm kidding, but I mean that in all seriousness. I have had enough stories about war and death and sadness to last me a lifetime. I will take girly robot news any day.)
Majority Report I'm listening to Janeane Garofalo's radio show again. I will keep listening as long as it keeps making me laugh out loud at least once an hour. (That's a better ratio than I usually get from TV.) Tonight, Tim Robbins is on! He's one of my all-time favorite celebrities.
How did I miss this? While doing something work-related, I just stumbled across this website about an '80s TV show that involved kids answering video game trivia questions and playing video games on TV: Starcade!
The show feels unbelievably retro, but yet also strangely futuristic. It looks like if you join the site (which seems to be free) you can watch the pilot episode online. Maybe I'll check it out later.
Tron-rific Hey, check out these tips for making your own Tron costume. (I found that on Boing Boing.) Here's an article I wrote for Popcrazy a long time ago about how to make Tron cupcakes.
And here's a site where robots tell jokes. None of the ones I listened to were very funny (and some weren't funny AT ALL), but hey, at least they're trying.
Here is a Japanese game thing. Drag the stuff around the outside onto the sphere. The order you choose affects how well it grows. I got obsessed with this one night, and it sucked away a bunch of my time, so be warned!
The Majority Report Tonight I listened to Janeane Garofalo's new radio show. It's on every weeknight from 8-11, and you can listen online here. I suppose I could listen to it on a real radio since I'm in NYC, but my only radio is in the other room. So web it is.
I think the little robot on the right kind of looks like a boombox from the '80s. If she were real, I bet she'd like Janeane Garofalo, too.
