Month: August 2006

Approaching the uncanny valley

(via TechEBlog)

Scientists in Japan have recently announced the development of a “lifelike” female android called “Repliee Q1Expo.” Of course, they should have named her Rachael, I think, but what do I know? (And speaking of Sean Young, go check out her pictures on IMDB – I can barely believe she’s nearly 50).

More information from the BBC:

She has flexible silicone for skin rather than hard plastic, and a number of sensors and motors to allow her to turn and react in a human-like manner.

She can flutter her eyelids and move her hands like a human. She even appears to breathe.

So why the uncanny valley reference? Well…

Continue reading “Approaching the uncanny valley”

Instant domain search

(via BloggingPro)
If you are looking to register a new domain, here’s a tool to help you find the perfect name.  Using AJAX, Instant Domain Search shows the .com, .org, and .net address availability of the domain you are typing, as you type it.  Here’s just a snip of the screen you’ll see when trying it out.

instantdomainsearch.jpg

[tags]Instant Domain Search, Cool domain search tool, AJAX domain tool[/tags]

How to build a sandcastle

(via LifeHacker)
Another item to throw on the list of things I need to do with my kids – Build a sandcastle.  Of course, I think this might have been handier when we were living in Myrtle Beach, but since I couldn’t find a good job there, that didn’t last long.

Why spend money on clay when you can use beach sand for free? Indulge your artistic side and create medieval fantasies by building your very own sand castle.

  1. Draw a rough sketch of the castle you’d like to build.
  2. Choose a square site near the water, but not so close that waves will destroy your castle as the tide comes up. Make sure the square is large enough for your castle plans.
  3. Dig a hole down to the water table, where the sand is dark and moist, or bring up large buckets of water from the ocean or lake.

And the list goes on.  After the ehow guide is a section with tips from ehow readers.

[tags]How to build a sandcastle[/tags]

Ancient ads – height increasing shoes

An advertisment from the March 1954 issue of Popular Science. Clip courtesy of Modern Mechanix blog.

I go for a TALL man
Wishing won’t make you TALLER . .. but “ELEVATORS” will! In these wonderful height-increasing shoes you grow almost 2 inches the instant you put them on.

The Original and Genuine ELEVATORS*
Height-Increasing Shoes
“Your Personal Pedestal”
*Trade Mark of Stone-Tarlow Co., Inc.

mm-med_tall_man.jpg

Don’t we all, darling? Don’t we all?

And apparently the ad creators mean 2 inches when they say 2 inches, not the “That’s 5 inches, little lady” 2 inches that some of you men out there lie and use…
[tags]Modern Mechanix, Ancient ads, I go for a tall man.[/tags]

Even in the spider world, men are wrong

LiveScience.com has this article on the mating habits of a certain spider species (Physocylus globosus, if you must know).  “Now why in the world would this make you say men are wrong, Randy?” you might be thinking.  Well, because much like everything else we males do, the females instruct the males in how they are mating incorrectly.  And all you voyeuristic perverts can even watch the video and hear the audio of these 2 little critters getting it on.

While mating, female Physocylus globosus spiders emit high-frequency squeaks to let males know what they should be doing, a new study finds.

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Today in History – Jesse Owens puts hole in Hitler’s theories of superior race

Stupid old Hitler thought he had the formula for the perfect race.  He considered skin color to be one of the important factors in building the perfect race.  Then came the 1936 Olympics, where Jesse Owens went on to win or be on the team that won 4 gold medals, the 4th coming on this date in 1936.  This showed Hitler that either he was wrong about skin color being an important part of the perfect race, or that he’d selected the wrong skin color.

In 1931, the International Olympic Committee awarded the 1936 Summer Olympics to Berlin. The choice was meant to signal Germany’s return to the world community after defeat in World War I. Two years later, however, Adolf Hitler came to power. He transformed the democratic German government into a one-party dictatorship, purged political opponents and suspected dissidents, instituted anti-Semitic policies, and began the remilitarization of Germany.

Hitler initially held the Olympics in low regard because of their internationalism but became an avid supporter after Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels convinced him of their propaganda value.

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What’s wrong with this picture?

As you’ve probably gathered from some of my recent posts, I tend to aimlessly wander around the intarwebbe from time to time. In those ramblings, I usually find nothing of note. Occasionally, however, I find stuff that I really think is worth passing on. The latest such finding is the site National Parks Traveler, which discusses various goings-on in America’s national parks. After reading a few days worth of posts there, I look to the sidebar and see what categories I have to look in on the site. Out of curiosity, I decide to see what the Missteps in the Park category holds. Among the lost tourist details is this little helpful hint on how NOT to behave in a national park.

bisonkids_copy.jpgSo, what’s at play here? Are we talking communing up close with nature, or a building case of child neglect?

I’d opt for the latter. I mean, really, where are the parents and what are they thinking? Do they have a death wish for their kids? Any bets that if the kids wound up being gored, which they didn’t, that the parents would sue the National Park Service?

Continue reading “What’s wrong with this picture?”