While it’s probably been replaced by the internet as the most common procrastination tool at work, I still think that Solitaire, at least the version included with Windows over the years, has to be the most played video game of all time. In fact, unless you’re completely incapable of stacking cards, everyone who sees this post will probably instantly recognize where this art piece drew its inspiration. It was created by a design duo known as Skrekkøgle who, for whatever reason, decided that the mesmerizing falling cards animation when you win a game would make for a great 3D sculpture. And from the looks of it, they were right.
The piece was made from over 1,000 cards which were printed and pasted onto black foam boards and then taped together. To really recreate the effect though, they had to do a lot of planning and strategically cut certain arcs of cards where they intersected with others. Calculating the logistics almost seems like it’s worthwhile recreating the whole thing in a 3D animation package first, though I’m not exactly sure what approach they took. Sadly, given the work that went into its creation it looks like it’s a one-off piece. So if you want your own, you better get started cutting out little foam boards.
When it comes to naturally enhancing the sound of the iPhone’s built in speaker, the Wave Cradle is certainly one of the more simpler and subtler designs we’ve come across. But it also makes you wonder if it’s just too simple to even be considered a serious product. As you can see, the cradle, which is made from aircraft grade aluminum, features a “built-in acoustic curvature” that’s designed to redirect the sound coming from the iPhone’s own speaker towards the listener. Because it’s then not being directed into a desk or floor where it can get muffled, the sound is apparently crisper and louder. I’m inclined to believe it does work as advertised to a degree, but am finding it hard to justify the $26.50 price tag when a gently curled piece of card stock would probably be just as effective.
I’m a notorious finger drummer. Particularly when I find something to drum on that produces a really good sound. So my sympathies to my friends and loved ones because this new TableDrum app basically makes any surface sound like a professional drum kit. To be more specific, the app works like a drum pad but instead of tapping the screen to trigger samples, it uses the microphone to listen for taps from your fingers. It’s smart enough to distinguish between 4 different sounds too. So the sound of your finger tapping the dinner table could be used to trigger a high hat sound, while the clink of your fork on your glass could trigger a kick drum sound.
It’s quite easy to use, and ‘teaching’ the application what sounds trigger what samples is as easy as tapping away for a few seconds while it listens and learns. The video they’ve included on their website does a great job at showing just how well it works.
I’ve been playing with the app for the past half hour and am pretty impressed with it. I mean it’s not perfect, but it does a more than adequate job to justify its current sale price of $0.99 on the iTunes App Store. Regularly it’s $3.99 which is a little high given additional drum kit sounds are only provided as an in-app purchase. But if you’re the type who likes to whip out a new app that will impress your friends, you’ve found this week’s fodder.
I’m a proponent of larger savings. You obviously tend to get more for your money that way, so it’s cool when you come across a deal that’ll have you save almost $800 on the base price. The Dell XPS 8300 is a desktop system which can configure all the way up to the $2k+ region (so can anything, sure, but this is Dell we’re talking about…). But today with this saving, you can have this $1,991 bundle (yes, a bundle) for $1,199. Here’s what’s in the package:
Features Core i7 processor, 8GB RAM, Blu-ray burner, 2TB HDD, Bose Companion 2 Series II speakers and 24-inch Dell ST2420L LCD Monitor. It has an angled chassis and sleek black/white design, black bezel, tilt-back design with top-recessed tray, integrated 7.1 with THX TruStudio PC sound, 460W power supply and Windows 7. Also Includes 2 year warranty, Wireless card, and more.
Bikes designed for off-road trail riding feature thick tires and robust suspension systems to cushion the rider from all the bumps and vibrations they encounter. But road bikes, which are designed to be low-profile and light, are lacking such amenities. And unless you exclusively ride on a perfectly smooth track in a velodrome, you’re still going to encounter pot holes and other bumps on a road. The traditional bike design we all know and love features a triangular rear frame, which unfortunately is quite effective at transferring vibrations and bumps from the road to the rider. Which can lead to fatigue and soreness. So inventor Lou Tortola (who hails from my hometown) started to rethink the traditional road bike design.
What he came up with was a pretty simple, but radical improvement on their design. Instead of keeping the bike’s overall diamond geometry, he replaced the rear part of the frame with a set of circular rings. It changes nearly nothing about how the bike goes together or how it operates, but has a dramatic effect on how it rides. With the RoundTail frame, vibrations and shocks from the road are transferred to the two metal circles, where the energy follows along their circumference until dissipated. Instead of traveling up to the rider. In tests, the RoundTail frame has been found to absorb 60 times more vibrations from the road than a standard frame, allowing riders to spend more time riding before they start feeling any discomfort.
The iPad isn’t loud enough to compete with your average home stereo setup, but I think it’s adequate enough for personal use, or even with a small group. Logitech doesn’t think so though. In fact they feel that all tablets are severely lacking in the sound department, and so have created a clip on speaker to significantly improve their oomph.
Powered by a built-in rechargeable battery that’s good for up to 8 hours of use in optimal conditions, the Tablet Speaker attaches to any tablet with a rubberized clip. So while all the product shots show it in use with an iPad 2, it should also work with its competition. To maximize battery life it forgoes the popular wireless Bluetooth connection option in favor of a simple 3.5mm audio cable that connects to your device’s headphone jack. It looks like it’s going to add a bit of weight to whichever tablet you use, not to mention some unnecessary bulk. And with a price tag of ~$60(EUR 39.99) it will cost you roughly as much as a pair of low-end, over the ear headphones. Which might be a better investment.
I like the idea behind hammocks, and swaying back and forth can certainly add an extra element of rest and relaxation when kicking back. But I can’t say I find them the most comfortable place to sit or lay down. Maybe I’ve just never found the ‘right’ hammock for me. And I now doubt I ever will because my mind is fixated on Le Beancock Beanock instead. No one’s going to argue that a bean bag chair isn’t comfortable, so combining one with a hammock is a stroke of genius.
Made of durable fabric (with a fireproof option) with reinforced metal eyelets in the corners, Le Beancock Beanock comes in two sizes supporting weights of 220 lbs. up to 440 lbs. So the larger version should be able to comfortably and safely hold 2 occupants. They also come completely flat-packed to reduce shipping charges, requiring you to locally source your own chains for hanging and beans for stuffing. Oddly enough that essentially means you’re paying for an empty fabric bag, which will cost you $568.40 for the larger model, and $284.20 for the smaller.
*Oops. Sorry about the name mixup. Lesson learned about writing in the early morning before my eyes have remembered how to focus.
While your teenager might frown on having a GPS tracking device strapped to their neck, there’s nothing your pets can do about it. So the Tagg system is yet another GPS + cellular based solution that allows you to keep tabs on your animal if you’re the type who just lets them roam the neighborhood. The tracker itself is lightweight, but still designed for dogs and cats over 10lbs. And it can be worn 24/7, even while swimming. The battery’s good for up to 30 days, depending on your pet’s travels and usage patterns, and it can be easily recharged with an included base station.
Besides keeping track of where your pet has been and allowing you to see their meandering route on a map when logged into their website, the Tagg system also allows you to setup virtual perimeters. When your pet leaves this pre-defined area you’ll receive text or email notifications, depending on your preference. The Tagg also lets you know when the battery is nearing depletion so you can charge it up before it’s completely dead, and there’s a trip button allowing you to temporarily suspend alerts and notifications when you’re intentionally outside your perimeter. Available come September for $199.99 which includes a year of cellular service. Though I can’t seem to find what the service costs after that.
That paperless office we’ve been promised is still no where in sight. And if you feel a little guilty about the sheer quantity of printed material you or your office produces, a charitable organization called Plant a Tree promises to plant 1 tree in an endangered forest for every 100 pages you print. With the funding for this project coming from selling ad space, which appear in the footer of every single page you print.
To make the system work the user downloads and installs a special Print a Forest program on their PC, which creates a virtual ‘Print a Forest’ printer that they send every document too. The program keeps track of how many pages are printed from a given printer, and inserts ads on the bottom of every page. So a constant internet connection is required. After printing to the ‘Print a Forest’ app you’ll then need to choose the actual printer you want to print to, so the system does add an extra step. But when you crunch the numbers, on average for every single tree that’s cut down to make paper, 75 new trees will get planted. (Assuming everyone using the paper also uses Print a Forest.)
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