This time-lapse video of the Panama Canal [Google Video] compresses one week into 11 minutes. Pretty cool, albeit a bit monotonous after a while…
Time-Lapse Video of Panama Canal
Pac-Man Tattoo
This person’s Pac-Man Tattoo is slightly NSFW… 😉
1980s Games
1980s games is a great collection of 80s arcade games emulated directly in your browser.
I also came across the DOS Games Archive that has collected your favorite classic DOS computer games for free download.
“Living Camera” Uses Bacteria To Capture Image
New Scientist reports that a “living camera” has been developed from bacteria:
A dense bed of light-sensitive bacteria has been developed as a unique kind of photographic film. Although it takes 4 hours to take a picture and only works in red light, it also delivers extremely high resolution.
The “living camera” uses light to switch on genes in a genetically modified bacterium that then cause an image-recording chemical to darken. The bacteria are tiny, allowing the sensor to deliver a resolution of 100 megapixels per square inch.
To make their novel biosensor, Chris Voigt’s team at the University of California in San Francisco, US, chose E. Coli, the food-poisoning gut bacterium. One of the reasons for that choice is that E. Coli does not normally use light – photosynthesising bacteria could have used light to prompt other, unwanted, biological processes.
The researchers used genetic engineering techniques to shuttle genes from photosynthesising blue-green algae into the cell membrane of the E. Coli. One gene codes for a protein that reacts to red light. Once activated, that protein acts to shut down the action of a second gene. This switch-off turns an added indicator solution black.
As a result, a monochrome image could be permanently “printed” on a dense bed of the modified E. Coli.
I think it’s quite fitting that the first image made was that of the Flying Spaghetti Monster… 🙂
Kanadian Korner
Kanadian Korner was allegedly the original name for Bob and Doug MacKenzie’s hilarious recurring SCTV sketch The Great White North, later the basis for the movie Strange Brew. Check out a video of the first episode…
del.icio.us playtagger
You may have noticed that the MP3 Of The Day in the left sidebar now has a “play icon” (
) next to it.
del.icio.us’ Play Tagger allows you to easily play mp3 files directly on your website or blog. Simply include a tiny javascript, and your mp3 links will automatically become playable right on the page. In addition, your visitors will have the opportunity to easily tag and post the mp3 link to del.icio.us. This script is extrememely lightweight, as is the flash movie that plays on demand.
Very cool…
Borat’s Response
In response to the threat of a lawsuit by Kazakhstan (previous post here), Borat (AKA Sasha Baron Cohen) has appeared in this hilarious video. 🙂
NES Covers
Something Awful “Forums user kalocin started up a thread a little while ago asking people for songs that he would then cover using a synthesizer based on the classic nintendo entertainment system’s psg audio system.” The result is 16 retro synthesizer covers available as downloadable MP3s:
- REM – Losing My Religion
- Europe – Final Countdown
- Radiohead – Karma Police
- Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody
- Survivor – Eye of the Tiger
- Led Zeppelin – Stairway to Heaven
- Lynyrd Skynyrd – Sweet Home Alabama
- Led Zeppelin – Kashmir
- Slayer – Angel of Death
- David Pomeranz – Nothing’s Gonna Stop Me Now
- Coldplay – Yellow
- Rick James – Superfreak
- Semisonic – Closing Time
- (Silence)
- Hidden NESmix Intro
- Zero Wing (Opening Theme) (4×4 Remix)
- Tetris (Music A) (Piano Practice)
Definitely worth the download… 🙂
Pat Morita Dead At 73
Actor Pat Morita died yesterday at the age of 73 of natural causes. Morita was best known for portraying the character Mr. Miyagi in four Karate Kid movies, but his career also included numerous TV and movie appearances. I’m quite sad to hear about this… 🙁
TiVo Adds Overlap Protection
In its latest software update (7.2.1, which I have not yet received), TiVo is finally adding Overlap Protection, which will allow you to combat the networks’ extremely annoying practice of making shows run a couple of minutes longer. In the event of a conflict, TiVo used to just refuse to record the next show, but now you will be able to set Overlap Protection options to clip the lower priority program. It’s about damn time…
