In terms of absolutely painstaking dedication to one's craft, these micro-sculptures that fit in the eye of a needle take some beating. The blurb claims that the artist, Willard Wigan, paints his creations with a hair plucked from a housefly's back. This does beg the question as to how you get that idea in the first place... Going a little more hi-tech, here's David Hockney talking to the Times on why iPhones are the future for art - there's something of a Movement Proper developing here, methinks.
However, the ever upward quest to apply technology everywhere can have... not wholly edifying consequences. Into which category, I firmly place the USB Microwave. I defy you to find this useful, or even remotely appealing.
We all know that banks aren't as safe as they used to be, but old-tech has its own drawbacks: witness this Israeli woman scouring rubbish dumps to try and find her mother's old mattress, within which was stored c$1m. Ah, 'hidden beyond the wit of any thief', eh?
In pretty pictures news, The Times has this cloudspotter's guide, of which I particularly like 4: Fallstreak Hole. Wired continues the meteorological theme with what lightning teaches us. Wired (UK), on the other hand, has this photo essay on a former diamond mine that's now a ghost town, which appeals to my appreciation of the aesthetics of the Decay of Things™.
I've been following news on oil, on and off, for a while now, and aside from noticing that petrol over here has once again breached £1/litre, there seems to be a general upward trend in media coverage of the stuff, too: the Telegraph asked whether the West's love for oil is receding for good (uh, no), whilst the Beeb reports that demand for oil this year looks set to exceed initial projections. Teh Grauniad has this piece on the prospect of prices hitting $250/barrel and, related, this article about increased coal demand, whilst the Times covered oil's year high (to date) of $71.42.
In another one of those 'old(ish) media meets new media' stories, Wired reports that Ridley Scott is planning to make a Blade Runner inspired web-series called Purefold, a series of short films set a couple of years in the future. That just reminds me of Max Headroom, and 20 Minutes Into the Future ;-P
The Telegraph ran a Life Imitates Art story about a blackbird terrorising workers in San Francisco, which follows on from that same paper's story about how Mockingbirds can bear grudges. Freaky.
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ms_katonic is to blame for getting me hooked on Learn to Fly - launch penguin down ramp, collect money for distance covered, buy upgrades to fly further, repeat. ms_katonic also linked to Hedgehog Launch, which takes the concept a little further.
And finally, a couple of videos: the Beeb has a skateboarding Bulldog, whilst YouTube has this awesome piece of stop motion animation with Post-It Notes and a real live person. Work. Of. Art.
However, the ever upward quest to apply technology everywhere can have... not wholly edifying consequences. Into which category, I firmly place the USB Microwave. I defy you to find this useful, or even remotely appealing.
We all know that banks aren't as safe as they used to be, but old-tech has its own drawbacks: witness this Israeli woman scouring rubbish dumps to try and find her mother's old mattress, within which was stored c$1m. Ah, 'hidden beyond the wit of any thief', eh?
In pretty pictures news, The Times has this cloudspotter's guide, of which I particularly like 4: Fallstreak Hole. Wired continues the meteorological theme with what lightning teaches us. Wired (UK), on the other hand, has this photo essay on a former diamond mine that's now a ghost town, which appeals to my appreciation of the aesthetics of the Decay of Things™.
I've been following news on oil, on and off, for a while now, and aside from noticing that petrol over here has once again breached £1/litre, there seems to be a general upward trend in media coverage of the stuff, too: the Telegraph asked whether the West's love for oil is receding for good (uh, no), whilst the Beeb reports that demand for oil this year looks set to exceed initial projections. Teh Grauniad has this piece on the prospect of prices hitting $250/barrel and, related, this article about increased coal demand, whilst the Times covered oil's year high (to date) of $71.42.
In another one of those 'old(ish) media meets new media' stories, Wired reports that Ridley Scott is planning to make a Blade Runner inspired web-series called Purefold, a series of short films set a couple of years in the future. That just reminds me of Max Headroom, and 20 Minutes Into the Future ;-P
The Telegraph ran a Life Imitates Art story about a blackbird terrorising workers in San Francisco, which follows on from that same paper's story about how Mockingbirds can bear grudges. Freaky.
ms_katonic is to blame for getting me hooked on Learn to Fly - launch penguin down ramp, collect money for distance covered, buy upgrades to fly further, repeat. ms_katonic also linked to Hedgehog Launch, which takes the concept a little further.And finally, a couple of videos: the Beeb has a skateboarding Bulldog, whilst YouTube has this awesome piece of stop motion animation with Post-It Notes and a real live person. Work. Of. Art.
