GIGO

The technical term is "pissing in the pool", or why Google translate failed.

A day made of glass

Interesting, but is it really the future we want? On the other hand, now that the idea is there, will we even have a choice in the matter?

Via Next Nature.

Blackberry

via Next Nature

Price Stability

Why it is important to let computer algorithms set your prices for you ...

Lana, The Lady, The Legend, The Truth

What? The prices only differ by a factor of 10 billion.

Hint: If they fixed it by the time you find this, the lowest price was $0.01. The factor between prices should tell you approximately what the highest was. Maybe one of the booksellers is trying to find the money to help balance the US Federal budget.

The Internet is Made of Cats!

Does your iPad have wings?

Wings!

Want!

The bookbook!

Broadacre City is One Step Closer

NASA Unveils All-Electric Personal Flight Vehicle

I think I liked Wright's ornithopters better. Well, it will redefine the problems with drunk driving if nothing else.

And when you need to recharge it in the middle of nowhere because you forgot to stop at the station: Eolic: A Foldable, Portable Wind Turbine

Want!

from schultzeworks via dezeen

via TokyoMango

The TV Show

via laughing squid

The Best Toys

Wait, since when do environmental activists get to have the best toys?

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Unreal

Some awesome artwork from the Netherlands. Yes, that really is all just tricks of the light.

via Good Magazine.

Want!

Okay, I so totally want my own galactic shuttle. Wonder if it would make a good house?

Via Wallpaper*.

Mental_floss' step-by-step guide to destroying civilization with nanotechnology

Mental_floss' step-by-step guide to destroying civilization with nanotechnology

via boingboing

This step-by-step guide overlooks the most important part, which is, of course, to make sure you destroy the world in a way you can survive (ideally, with a horde of adoring worshipers, or at least really good looking, intelligent, and inventive sex slav- ermmm, minions). Otherwise you don't get to gloat. And really, where's the fun in not getting to gloat?

Life Imitates Art

All is good with the world.

Okay, so it is sort of a dystopian story, but they fact that they actually built one ...

Now we just have to avoid the giant killer robots and we're good to go.

Theme Song

From boingboing, some fan-tastic techno-kitsch at its best.

And right after having caught up on Girl Genius, who could ask for more?

A Solution

How to get your cat to agree to EULAs for you.

My favorite EULA was still a CD case with a sticker holding it closed saying that breaking this seal meant you agreed to all that fun EULA stuff, which usually says, in effect, that any attempt to use the product voids all warranties on said product. I popped the hinges. Don't remember how many times I installed that particular piece of software, but I never broke that seal.

Geek Glamour!

Now we can finally go to the gala formal at the end of all those cons in style!

Okay, I'd own a pair, and find excuses to wear them, I really would. If for no other reason than they clearly would have enough space for human-sized toes. Unless for some stupid reason they actually put tapering wedges in the front to maintain the proper levels of pain and discomfort.

Student Works

From the comments in a post on Deezen regarding the posting of a student project.

eeeh..Why are third year students around the world doing the exact same thing? No context, no meaning, no function, scaleless…. it could be anything, it could be a toy or a villa or a museum. No thought of the art. No, it has to be enough now!

There there are many things in the long litany of complaints that I must agree with:

• Student works should be shared and commented on in public forums like this.
• Students should be allowed to experiment.
• It is easy to claim something is derivative because it looks sort of like it falls into one camp or another that critics have typed famous architects into or that architects have claimed as their own. Also note that such claims of derivation seem to be a name dropping game. How many times can we drop the name Zaha Hadid? Perhaps the student was actually inspired by some lesser known work of Jungermann. Or perhaps Hadid is as influenced by her tools as these students are.
• However, the point of such encouragement is to allow for a broader base of critique.

So ...

• Buildings have context. Most student projects that get shown off like this are entirely lacking in context. For instance, in the article linked to above, where in Queens could you even put such a thing, and what sort of dialog would it establish with the surrounding architecture? Would it become nothing but a larger version of the Golden Turd?
• Buildings have function. Judging from the interior shots of this structure, the only function the building serves is to create space. As someone asked already, where would you hang the art?
• Buildings, certainly public buildings, need to relate to people.
• Overlooking these factors is not intellectual experimentation, it is intellectual laziness. On the other hand, learning where your weaknesses are and overcoming them is a critical part of learning.

There are times ...

There are times when the New York Times makes me wonder ... especially when there seems to be no hint of satire.

Of course, there is a solution!

In related news, the Onion is less safe for work than ever.