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31 October, 2006

Hidden Blade - The Pilotless Modern Aircraft

AircraftChina Aviation Industry Corporation (CAIC1) has recently unveiled a conceptual model of a pilotless combat aircraft during the 6th International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition held in South China’s Zhuhai.

The aircraft “An Jian” or hidden blade is being designed by CAIC1's Shenyang Aeroplane Design Institution for future aerial combat, according to an introduction by CAIC1. This aircraft sure reminds me of the one in “Broken Arrow”!

This pilotless aircraft offers many advanced roles such as reconnaissance, electronic jamming, intelligence-gathering and even combat roles. For the past 10 years, with the advancement of artificial intelligence technology, information and communication technology, satellite navigation and the rapid development of modern technology has made the development of unmanned combat machines a reality. For example, during the war Afghanistan, US deployed Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) which launched several Hellfire missiles against human targets in the Zhawar Killi region in eastern Afghanistan, an area suspected to host extensive al Qaeda tunnel complexes!

Link & Image: QianLong
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Nanotechnology Art

Nanostructures.Ghim Wei Ho took this beautiful picture of nanostructures with a scanning electron microscope. This nano-flowers image is an example of a number of different morphologies that have been produced using chemical vapor deposition. I don’t actually understand what I have just written but do have a look at the excellent gallery of images anyway.

Link & Image: Nanotechnology Now
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Ocean side apartments

Ocean side apartments.Located at Prickly Bay, these apartments are the ultimate in Caribbean Ocean side living. Each residency is equipped with modern conveniences and lush interiors. In addition to a unique architecture which replicates the sleek form of a yacht, it also provides an unprecedented view of the surrounding stretch of water from its interior. This gives the illusion of living on a boat. Love the design.

Link & Image: Prickly Bay via The Cool Hunter
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Solid gold calendar

Solid gold calendar.This solid gold calendar is created by Japanese jeweler Ginza Tanaka to mark the coming of the year 2007. It is made of 6 kilograms of gold and measures 42 cm by 67 cm.

On the back of the calendar is an image of historical Japanese military commander Takeda Shingen (1521-1573), who is believed to have produced the first gold coins in Japan. Since the calendar was printed on a sheet of pure gold, the front face is shiny and serves as a mirror.

With a price tag of US $171,000, it is designed only for the rich.

Link & Image: Mainichi Daily News via Japundit
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Boeing's laser-equipped 747-400F ready for testing

Laser weapon.Do you remember the scene from Independence Day where buildings were destroyed at an instance by a powerful laser weapon? Looks like we are not too far from it after all!

On Friday, the US Missile Defense Agency rolled out an airborne laser aircraft, the latest development in a missile-defence system that was once ridiculed as a Star Wars-style fantasy.

In a ceremony at Boeing's integrated defence systems facility in Wichita, the agency announced it was ready to flight test systems on the ABL aircraft, a modified Boeing 747-400F designed to destroy enemy missiles.

Its director, General Henry "Trey" Obering III, evoked the Jedi Knights vs Evil Empire saga. "I believe we are building the forces of good to beat the forces of evil ... We are giving the American people their first light sabre."

Link: The Independent via Engadget
Image: Engadget
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Humongous Double Ninth Cake

Double Ninth Cake.Six chefs made this humongous Double Ninth cake in a hotel in Suzhou, China, taking a total of 12 hours to complete. This 4.5 meter by 3.3 meter cake which weighs a whopping 729 kilograms is a kind of sweet snack made out of glutinous rice.

The Double Ninth Festival which arrives on the ninth day of the ninth month according to the lunar calendar can be traced back to the Eastern Han Dynasty. It was celebrated in ancient China in memory of a young mythical hero named Huan Jing who defeated an evil dragon. Later on, people began eating Double Ninth cakes during the festival to wish for a peaceful and prosperous life.

In 1989, the government turned the festival into Senior's Day to give it a new significance.

Link & Image: XinHua
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World Longest Hands & 2nd Tallest Man

HandsHussain Bisad, born in Somalia,is 7 feet 8.9 inches tall - making him the second tallest living person in the world. If that is not amazing enough, his hands from wrist to tip of his middle finger measures 10.59 inches or 26.9cm - making him the man with the world's longest hands. But if you want to meet him - or his hands - you'd have to travel to The UK to see them. Maybe he should join the NBA?

Link & Image: The Longest List of The Longest Stuff At The Longest Domain Name At Long Last

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French Town for sale at a price of $326,619

TownDreaming of getting your hands on a small island but can’t seem to be able to afford it? Why not buy a town instead? An entire French town is now on sale for just $326,619! Here’s a quick overview of the town:

This small Provencal village was built on the ruins of a Roman settlement. There are 5 buildings in total, each one having its own pet name - "La Cantinette", Le Pavillon "Nid d'Amour", "Le Rocher", "La Grotte" and "La Cuisine d'ete".

Don't be fooled into thinking that this place is large - it's not. But it is complete and private. The next village is only just down the road, so there is life nearby!

In total there is about 150 m2 of living space and land of 5,000 m2. You'll enjoy sitting under the tea trees in the summer - being on the border of the Drome Provencale, sunshine is something that you'll have to get used to!

Just a suggestion.. are there any nearby towns also on sale? Buy them all, and you have very own city!

Thanks, JH !

Link & Image: Vefuk via Random Good Stuff
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30 October, 2006

Celebrity Star Wars

Photoshop contest.Worth1000 has a photoshop contest where celebrities are transformed into Star Wars characters. This includes Tom Cruise as Chewbacca, Gandhi as Yoda, David Letterman as C-3PO and more. View the hilarious gallery from the following link.

Link & Image: Worth1000 via Presurfer
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Mammoth Chinese Watermelon

Chinese watermelon.This Chinese watermelon is unveiled by a farmer in Xiangfan, Hubei Province, China. It stands at 1.15 meter tall with a “waistline” of 1.12 meter and weighs 51 kg. Wow, what a monster! I am sure this farmer will fetch a pretty hefty price for it if he sells it at eBay.

Link & Image: Weird Asia News
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Most Extreme Superyacht

Superyacht.Craig Loomes Design came out with this design which is considered to be the world’s most extreme superyacht. Although this 148-meter yacht looks like something out of science fiction, like something out of Star Trek, it already has both a pedigree and a working model. It may not be the fastest but with sprint speed of 50 knots and a cruising speed of 40 knots, it will be the fastest superyacht design ever conceived.

In addition to the master suite which extends to 3 decks, this 148-meter hull also houses split-level luxury staterooms for up to 28 guests.

There are also accommodation for 11 personal staff and a crew of 48. Public rooms include observation lounges in the cross decks that link the center hull and side hulls-just the place to have drinks, do yoga and watch dolphins playing beneath you. There is a swimming pool, hot tub and plenty of room for sunbathing.

Other facilities include a grand piano and bar, a helicopter pad, a grand hall and an internal harbor. A range of tenders is carried in garages built into the side and main hulls with the remainder of the side hull area given over to stowage and crew requirements.

Craig Loomes design has already identified shipyards that can construct such an unusual design.

If I have deep pockets, I would surely get one of these, name it USS Enterprise and perhaps make a movie out of it too.

Link & Image: Yachting Magazine
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Yet another record set by Takeru Kobayashi

Takeru Kobayashi.Following Takeru Kobayashi’s amazing feat at the World Lobster Eating Challenge, he has broken another 2 records. This marks his third straight win at an eating contest, setting a new world record in the process.

Kobayashi ate 97 of the small square hamburgers in 8 minutes at the third Krystal hamburger-eating contest at Chattanooga, Tennessee. That beat the previous record of 69 burgers, which he set at the first Krystal contest in 2004. Joey Chestnut of San Jose, Calif., came in second place Saturday by eating 91 hamburgers, and Pat Bertoletti of Chicago ate 76.

Kobayashi also holds the title of hot dog-eating champion, after eating 49 hot dogs in 12 minutes at the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest at Coney Island, New York.

You should try eating this or this, Kobayashi!

Link & Image: Tennessean
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Thousands of ‘I, Robots’ Enter Korean Homes

robotsA child orders a robot to turn on the TV through an embedded clicker. Does it seem familiar? This is not a scene from the scientific-fiction movie, but a reality in South Korea.

These futuristic robots have three basic functions of sensing, processing and acting – commonly found in robots developed in recent years. But what makes them unique is their ability to update their sensing and processing functions by using internet connections and hence programs can be renewed daily. As these functions are outsourced, the prices of these smart robots are made more affordable.

The high-end models of the robots can recognize human voices to follow instructions. Other models enable people to give orders via a remote controller or a touch-sensitive screen. Various applications, such as reading books for kids, ordering food or connecting to the Web are installed and updated via the internet daily.

To test out the feasibility of having such network-enabled robots in Korean households, Korea’s Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC) and KT - the country's largest ISP - is conducting a trial which involves deploying a thousand robots comprising of five sorts of wheeled models in homes wthin three cities - 700 in Seoul, 200 in Kwangju and 100 in Taegu - by mid-November. Additionally, two types of robot will be placed in airports, train stations and robotic exhibition halls in Seoul and its vicinity. All the home and public automatons will be operated through Nespot, the wireless connectivity services provided by KT’s hotspots.

Although the government’s plan seems promising, some experts point out that the government’s high expectations on the network-empowered robots are premature because they are far away from a commercial premiere.

The result of this trial is still to early to predict, but I sure wouldn’t mind having a network-enabled robot in my home!

Link & Image: Hankooki
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29 October, 2006

When a man meets a beautiful lady

Expressions.Many of us are used to the expressions that a man displays when he sees a beautiful woman. To be honest, which perfectly normal guy can resist the beauty of a gorgeous woman? Here's some facial expressions exhibited whenever a man meets a beautiful woman – such as an affectionate smile, or having a very amazed or stunned look - even in the animal kingdom!

Click on the image for a larger view.

Link & Image: XinHua
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A 60 acre web of mystery

Spider web.If the thought of tens of millions of tiny spiders spinning a web 24 hectares - 60 acres - in size and crawling all over it scares the wits out of you, you might want to tread carefully over the following. Because that's exactly what happened last month on a farmer's field near McBride, about 220 kilometres east of Prince George. For reasons that area scientists don't really understand, millions and millions of tiny black spiders called Halorates ksenius - they have no common name - became trapped in Russell Jervis' clover field and started spinning webs.

Link & Image: Flat Rock via Reddit
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A new hairbrush?

A brush.A new hairbrush?

Image: LinksDaily
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A different kind of ice

The diamond anvil used to create the new substance.Do you know that there are a total of 17 different forms of ice? And researchers have just discovered one more.

Researchers looking for better ways to make and store hydrogen have accidentally discovered an entirely new kind of ice. Made of molecular oxygen and hydrogen, the highly energetic and as-yet-unnamed compound currently exists only under rarefied laboratory conditions.

It is different from the 17 known forms of ice, but researchers think its discovery could advance understanding of the nature of water under extreme conditions, such as in the interior of planets and even inside nuclear reactors. It also might help to spawn new rocket fuels.

Link & Image: Science
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Fast food cellphone straps

Fast food cellphone straps.These fast food cellphone straps are designed for the fast food enthusiasts. They might look delicious but please do not eat. Unless you can digest plastic that is! More variety can be found at Pcnews.

Link & Image: Pcnews
Previously: Japanese golden poop cellphone charm
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28 October, 2006

Near-fatal derailment

DerailmentRemember the scene in Spiderman 2 whereby Spiderman was fighting against Doctor Octopus and how he saved the train from falling off a raised overpass? On Friday, a similar scene was found in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - without our superhero and Doctor Octopus! Here's a summary of the incident:

Workers stare in disbelief at this near-fatal derailment in Kuala Lumpur. The train carriage hangs off the end of a raised overpass at a local station after failing to stop. There were no reports of casualties or injuries in the accident, officials said.

Link & Image: Metro
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World's first observation wheel built on a bridge

Observation wheel built into a bridge.The construction of the “Tianjin Eye” will be completed sometime next year. The observation wheel will be attached right in the middle of the Chihai bridge with cars passing by on both sides. It is the most technically challenging bridge ever built.

It has a diameter of 110 meters and will carry 48 sealed and air conditioned passenger capsules attached to its external circumference. Each capsule will be capable of accommodating 8 persons. One revolution takes about 30 minutes to complete and upon reaching its peak, one will be able to view the surrounding area up to a distance of 40 km.

It will be the world's first and only wheel being built on a bridge and is set to become a major landmark and tourist attraction in the city of Tianjin, China.

Link & Image: XinHuaNet
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World's most expensive bottle of liquor

A bottle of tequila.How much does the world’s most expensive bottle of liquor cost? A whopping US $255,000! The picture shows a bottle of tequila in solid platinum and white gold which was unveiled in Mexico City on October 26, 2006. This bottle of liquor was purchased by a private collector on July 20, 2006. As a result of this sale, the Tequila Ley .925 company broke the Guinness World Records for the most expensive bottle of liquor sold.

Link & Image: Yahoo News
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Ugliest fish

Fathead.This is a picture of a Fathead (genus Psychrolutes) caught at a depth of between 1013 meter and 1340 meter on the Norfolk Ridge, north-west of New Zealand. The scientists called this fish ‘Mr Blobby’.

Link & Image: Australia Museum Online via Neatorama
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Fried Coca-Cola

Fried Coca-Cola .If Coca-Cola is one of your favorite drinks, you will love these -- fried Coca-Cola.

Abel Gonzales, 36, a computer analyst from Dallas, tried about 15 different varieties before coming up with his perfect recipe—a batter mix made with Coca-Cola syrup, a drizzle of strawberry syrup, and some strawberries.

Balls of the batter are then deep-fried, ending up like ping-pong ball sized doughnuts which are then served in a cup, topped with Coca-Cola syrup, whipped cream, cinnamon sugar and a cherry on the top.

"It tastes great," said Sue Gooding, a spokeswoman for the State Fair of Texas where Gonzales' fried Coke made its debut this fall. "It was a huge success."

Link & Image: ExtremeTech
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Sketch furniture

Sketch furniture .Front Design has developed a method to transform free hand sketches into real pieces of furniture. Motion capture technology records lines drawn in the air then translates them to a 3D file. Using this file, a laser solidifies liquid plastic, layer by layer, resulting in a physical prototype of the original sketch. What an incredible technology. Watch it in action from the following link.

Video: YouTube
Link & Image: Front Design via Core77
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Mathmos Thaw

Mathmos Thaw.Here’s an odd candle that defies the saying “fire and ice don’t mix”. Apparently, the Mathmos Thaw allows you to create a wall of ice around what would otherwise be a very boring-looking candle. A built-in mold allows you to fill with water, freeze, and then pop a candle into it. The ice then becomes a unique melting shade for a tea light whilst the melted ice flows back into the mold.

Link & Image: Mathmos via Popgadget
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27 October, 2006

Shaolin Kungfu - Flying Needle that pierces through glass

Fu Fei Hong.Shaolin is renowned for its martial arts prowess and fighting abilities. Apparently, a 26-year-old martial arts instructor - previously from Shaolin - is able to throw a needle powerful enough to pierce through a 2 millimeters thick glass. Fu Fei Hong studied martial arts in Shaolin for 14 years since the age of 10. Determined to create a new skill, he started practicing this “flying needle” skill since the age of 14. In order to master this skill, he had to keep throwing needles everyday - with a highest record of throwing over 5,000 needles in a day. With his current skills, he has a 80% chance of successfully casting a needle that pierces through the glass.

Link & Image: China News
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Model attacked by Shark

Shark AttackA model, Renata Foucrehe was being attacked by a shark during a Bahamas photo shoot.The 26-year-old was posing as a mermaid when a normally placid reef shark bit her.

Photographer Todd Essick admitted the Bahamas shoot, for a coffee table book of nubile women surrounded by sea life, was 'pushing the envelope'. Miss Foucre said during an interview: 'I'm not sure I will ever do that again. The shark definitely clamped down on me.'

Link & Image: Metro
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"Cool" Bar !

Ice Bar.The Ice Bar in Melbourne, Australia, is one of the most unique and exotic venues one can possibly dream of. It offers patrons an experience and environment of sub-zero temperatures where they are confronted by a décor made entirely of ice and surrounded by exquisitely carved ice sculptures. By spending US $22.5, one can sit on the bench cushioned with Kangaroo skin and enjoy a free glass of Vodka or Cocktail in this "cool" bar for half an hour!

Link & Image: ChinaDaily
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Amazing optical illusions at subway

Art.Walking in subways or underground train stations is an important part of everyday life of daily commuters from all over the world. Most subways tend to be filthy and unappealing from an aesthetic point of view, but there are also some that are decorated with beautiful works of art to create an aesthetically appealing environment for daily commuters or visitors. For instance, the optical illusions by Toronto artist Panya Clark Espinal help to bring some life to the stations in Toronto - something the residents can be proud of!

Thanks, Kelvin !

Click on any of the images for a larger view.

Art.Art.Art.Art.Art.Art.Art.Art.Art.Art.Art.











Previously: Julian Beever’s Chalk Art
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World's biggest solar plant

Solar panel.Australia will be building the world’s biggest space-age solar power station by making use of high performance solar cells originally developed to power satellites. A company called Solar Systems, based in Melbourne, Australia, will be constructing this 154 megawatt station which costs a total of US $3.2 million. In addition to being able to meet the needs of 45,000 households, the company claims that it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 400,000 tones a year. The project will start in 2008 and will reach full capacity by 2013.

Link & Image: Cosmos
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A Mickey Mouse toy that pacifies babies

Mickey Mouse toy.Having problems comforting a baby when he/she is crying? A cute Mickey Mouse toy invented by a Japanese toy company will be pretty useful in this case. It is capable of producing sounds heard by the baby while still in the mother’s womb as well as some soothing music that will pacific the baby. This product will hit the market in February 2007 and will sell at US $43 each.

Click on the image for a larger view.

Link & Image: XinHuaNet
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Coins don't smell, you do

Coins.Ever wondered what is causing the musty, “metallic” odor you smell after handling coins or touching metal objects? It’s all due to a type of human body odor.

A new study finds that the smell of iron is, ironically, a type of human body odor, created by the breakdown of oils in skin after touching objects that contain the element.

"That we are smelling the metal itself is actually an illusion," said study team member Dietmar Glindemann of the University of Leipzig in Germany.

Scientists think it works like this: When touching objects made of iron, perspiration from skin causes the iron atoms to gain two electrons. The doubly negative iron atoms react with oil in skin, causing them to decompose, forming 1-octen-2-one.

Because blood contains iron, rubbing blood over skin produces a similar metallic smell, the researchers said.

"That humans can 'smell' iron can be interpreted as a sense for the smell of blood," Glindemann said.

Link: LiveScience via A Welsh View
Image: Thomas Hawk
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World's first sun and wind-powered ferry

Ferry.A company called Hornblower Yachts has plans to construct the world’s first sun and wind-powered ferry. Each of the two ferries will cost between US $6 million and $8 million. 50% of the ship’s power will come from the sun and wind while the other 50% will come from diesel fuel — and will emit half the pollutants of a similar sized conventional ferry.
The slickest feature? The triple-hulled vessel will have a 45-foot high retractable wing covered in solar panels that can generate 20 kilowatts of electricity to help take the load off the two diesel engines. The wing also generates some 170 hp on its own as a sail. When conditions get hairy and the wind hits 30+ knots (that's when many sailboats start to de-mast), the wings fold up, all beetle-like, and the ferry operates like one of its older counterparts. All this is based on a similar ferry that's already been in operation in Sydney for a couple years.

Link & Image: WaterLog
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26 October, 2006

Boot bag

Boots bagHere's a bag suitable for both men & women - except that guys will be wearing it, whereas the ladies will be holding it! This proves that there's more than one way in using an item.

Link & Image: SwissMiss
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Cool Javascript

Java ScriptCheck out this cool Javascript trick that performs some interesting animation. Try it out for yourself!

Link & Image: Hemmy.Net
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Halloween Pumpkins

Pumpkins.Running out of ideas for Halloween? Why not spice up this Halloween by creating a Jack-O-Lanterns (left image) or the Dalek-pumpkin (right image)!

Link & Images: Squirl (Jack-O-Lanterns) & EvilMadScientist (Dalek-pumpkin) via Neatorama
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Baby in a Pizza

Pizza BabyAre you looking for cute, cozy clothings for your little darling? Why not try out the new pizza slice costume for babies! However, as a gentle reminder for pizza lovers: Please refrain from taking a bite at these cute pizza babies!

Link & Image: SwissMiss
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Cute Doraemons

Doraemons.Feeling bored in the office? Why not find some Doraemons to brighten up your day! Of course, it would be even better if each of them has a 4th dimentional pocket from which glorious technological marvels can be withdrawn. Maybe they can help to create great gifts for this coming Christmas?

View the full photoset from the following link.

Photoset: Spluch / Flickr
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Human brush for Chinese Calligraphy

Human CalligraphyChinese calligraphy is an art form, and calligraphers are highly respected. There are several styles of writing: Seal, official or clerical, regular, running or semi-cursive, and cursive. Each one has its own characteristics and purpose.

A group of university students wanted to try out a new method for Chinese calligraphy writing – inverting a lady wrapped in white cloth and using her hair as a brush! The first student helped to support her upper body, whereas another one hung on to her legs. The poor lady’s hair and face was smeared with messy ink as the “strong” guys struggled to use her as a brush for Chinese calligraphy writing on the paper laid on the ground, knocking her head against the ground at times. Ouch, that must be awfully painful!

Critics were not impressed by their “innovate method”, and further commented that their Chinese calligraphy was a complete mess! Personally, I am against what they did. That's no way to treat a lady.

Link & Image: Sina
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25 October, 2006

Creative commercials

Toyota commercial.Following a collection of creative advertising campaigns, Pronet Advertising has compiled a list of 13 creative commercials. These are definitely not the dull and boring type. You might have seen some of them already but it is still fun to watch.

Link & Image: Pronet Advertising
Previously: Cool Honda Civic Advertisement, Perception Of Beauty Distorted
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Belle, the voice messaging Echo Bot

An Echo Bot.Meet Belle, an “Echo Bot”. She's savvy, sassy, and for a one-eyed alien/three-legged octopus she's pretty sexy. Belle is basically a voice recorder which allows you to record your message up to a maximum of 10 seconds. In addition, this recording will be played back to the next person who walks past.

Belle's three tentacle-like legs are made with a bendable wire embedded within her plastic casing so you can twist, twirl and curl her into whatever poses you like. Each leg also has suction cup foot so you can stick Belle to a variety of surfaces and sneaky hideaways.

She is battery-operated and cost US $19.

Link & Image: Gizoo via Shiny Shiny
Previously: Nabaztag - A Smart Rabbit
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Animated navigation system

Animated navigation system.A small 3D animation company called Heiwa-Alpha based out of Toyko Japan created a pretty unique animated navigation system. In it, a turtle carries a small village on its back while crawling along at a slow pace. Navigation is achieved by clicking on the various buildings. Cute! Oh, and do remember to switch on your speakers to listen to the tranquil music while browsing the site.

Link & Image: Heiwa-Alpha via Notcot
Previously: 'Clickless' Navigation System
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This iPod user rocks

Alberta Indian.A Google Earth spotter nicknamed Supergranny spotted this rock formation dubbed the Alberta Indian in Alberta, Canada which resembles a Native American in headdress listening to an iPod.

The rock formation's "face" measures about 255m across and it’s about 225m long. The feature which resembles an iPod earphone is actually a road leading up to what one Google Earth spotter who is knowledgeable about the region says is a natural gas wellhead. In the Google Earth forum, the person names the well as Piper Medhat 6-20-12-1.

Click on the image for a larger view.

Link & Image: The Sydney Morning Herald
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Big Mac Pumpkin

Big Mac Pumpkin.Do you like Big Mac? Here’s one for you to laugh at -- a Big Mac made from pumpkin. Looks just like the real thing. Well, almost. Cool!

Link & Image: Bits & Pieces
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Welcome to beard society

Beard Society.The beard association in Egypt has been established for 19 years and hence they have organized a most attractive looking beard contest to commemorate the association’s birthday. Hey guys, if you’re lazy to shave your face, here’s a good excuse!

Link & Image: Ynet
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Amazing Culinary Skills

Using a lady’s back as a chopping board.The latest Culinary Olympics - an international cooking event that would cross language barriers and communicate world trends in cuisine was held in China’s Shun De recently. Around 2000 renowned chefs from 25 countries around world gathered together for this event to display their fine culinary skills. Some highlights of the event included:

  • Using a lady’s back as a chopping board
  • Slicing meat which is placed on top of a balloon
  • Slicing beancurd with chef being blindfolded – sliced beancurd is as fine as thread!
  • Cutting up a potato to a length of over 70 meters
  • Carving beancurd soaked in water

Cutting on balloon.33,000 visitors were also queuing up for some 1.5 ton soup prepared in a 1.6 meters tall and wide pot. Besides the magnificent display of skills mentioned above, as many as 122 dishes were also being carefully prepared. Boy, how I wish I was there to eat to my heart’s content!

Click on any of the images for a larger view.

Sliced beancurd.All dishes.Link & Image: FsOnline & NanFangDaily
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24 October, 2006

Vote for the Next 7 Wonders of the World

Neuschwanstein Castle.History lovers are now invited to participate in the selection of a new list of seven wonders of the word. The only criterion for the new list is that the newly selected landmarks must be built or discovered before 2000.
An original list of nearly 200 sites nominated by the public was narrowed to 21 by the organizers and experts, including the former director general of Unesco Professor Federico Mayor.

About 20 million votes have already been lodged, including many from India, for the Taj Mahal; China, for the Great Wall and from Peru for Machu Picchu, the fortress city of the Incas.

The vote is organized by a non-profit Swiss foundation called New7Wonders which specializes in the preservation, restoration and promotion of monuments and the results will be announced on July 7, 2007, in Lisbon.

Votes can be made online, at the following link.

Link: New7Wonders via Yahoo News
Image: Neuschwanstein Castle
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The printed organism

Jacket inhabited by a Printed OrganismFriends, Hosts and Parasite, by Mouna Andraos and Sonali Sridhar have designed a jacket inhabited by a Printed Organism, that appears and grows on the garment only when it is being worn for long enough.

When you wear the cotton jacket, the pattern, like a parasite or a wine plant, slowly comes to life as color until it reaches full visual bloom. When the jacket is removed again, the organism slowly dies out until it fades into a seamless printed pattern. The human body acts as a host and provides a support structure for the organism to grow on.

The printed organism is created using thermo-chromic inks and is electrically controlled through conductive wire threaded directly on the fabric of the jacket.

Link & Image: Friends, Hosts and Parasite via We Make Money Not Art
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Purple polar bear

Polar bear.Ever seen a purple polar bear? This 14-year-old bear called Pelusa which can be found at Mendoza zoo in Argentina, used to have white fur which turned purple after receiving treatment for a kind of skin disease.

Thanks, Kelvin !

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Cute crying angels

Why are babies so cute even when they are crying? Personally, I find that the following description from Indian Child seems to answer it all.

Cute baby pictures make some of the most attractive pictures on earth. Cute, cuddly and picture perfect – hardly anyone can claim to look at this small angel and not melt at once!

Not only does everyone want to feed them, hold them and take care of them, but when youngsters watch babies or wonderfully cute pictures or posters of babies, they also yearn to have some of their own.

Of course, part of a baby’s charm is that it is innocent and wholesome. There is no prejudice or hatred or fear in a baby’s heart, nor does the child make value judgments. No one can possibly find a more accepting or complete person than a baby.



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Strange Statues around the World

Statues.Isn't the human creativity amazing? Here's a quick look at statues around the world, and you'll see some fascinating statues that represent modern or even classical art.

Thanks, Victor !

More from the following link.

Link & Images: Haha
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Cockroach Cake

Cockroach cake.Ever seen a gigantic cockroach of this size? Cockroaches inspire mostly loathing and fear, but this cockroach is edible! This pest is made from chocolate – which makes it suitable as a birthday cake, but I don’t think I would want to have one for my birthday party! It wouldn’t be wise to freak out your guests... unless they are into bugs!

Click on the image for a larger view.

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23 October, 2006

Stools, benches and loungers made from paper

Paper softseating.Making useable stools out of cardboard is already an incredible feat. But now, a company named Molo Design has come up with stools made entirely of paper.

Paper softseating is made entirely from unbleached brown kraft paper, utilizing a flexible honeycomb structure to fan open into stools, benches and loungers. Each of the sizes and types of softseating can compress like a big book for storage. The elements can be used as seating, low tables, or even stacked playfully as building blocks.

Paper softseating is 100% recyclable even though they are not made from recycled paper.

Link: Molo Design via Treehugger
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Amazing coin balancing photos

Blah Bleh blog.Blah Bleh blog has an amazing collection of coin-balancing photos. The photoset includes coins balancing on their edges in a neat row, coins stacking up in a zigzag manner, multiple coins on its edges stacking atop each other, etc. Incredible!

Link & Image: Blah Bleh via Boing Boing
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Cute vegetable cutleries

Vegetable cutlery.Peter Marigold designed these fabulous vegetable cutleries. The next time you need to use a fork, just grab any vegetable and stick a fork into it. They are definitely not of practical use but great for having some fun. And it makes for a great conversational piece too. I absolutely want a set!

Vegetable cutlery.Link & Images: Peter Marigold via Swissmiss
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Automobiles for the young

Automoblox.It's best to expose our impressionable young girls to car culture as early as possible to cultivate their interests to sports racing .. that is if you want them to be the next Danica Patrick. Automoblox's new limited edition pink sportscar does just that - provided she prefers it rather than the all time favourite Barbie doll.

Streamliner.Okay, to be fair to the boys, we've sourced for a sportscar suitable for the next Michael Schumacher. Meet the PLAYSAM car - a simple and pure design that possess the gesture of the automobile like no other PLAYSAM Streamliner. Now gentlemen, it's time to start your engines!

More of such cars can be found on the following link.

Pink Sports Car: Automoblox via Autoblog
PLAYSAM Streamliner: Fitzsu via Presurfer
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Cloak of Partial Invisibility

Cloaking deviceCamouflage might be useful in hiding one from the enemy, but what about a cloaking device? Scientist are researching on a cloaking device that can reroute certain wavelengths of light, forcing them around objects like water flowing around boulders in a stream. To creatures or machines that see only in microwave light, the cloaked object would appear nearly invisible.

"The microwaves come in and are swept around the cloak and reconstructed on the other side while avoiding the interior region," said study team member David Smith at Duke University's Pratt School of Engineering. "So it looks as if they just passed through free space."

The device only works in the microwave range of light, so cloaked objects are still visible to humans. Also, it only works in two dimensions and only for microwaves moving in a plane. A three-dimensional invisibility cloak would hide an object completely.The microwave cloak is also slightly reflective and casts a partial shadow.

It may be a matter of time whereby this device is refined to work in three dimension space and cloaked objects appear invisible to humans, but I do hope it will be used for a good cause.

Link & Image: LiveScience
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Skeleton Bike

Need a really cool bike suitable for a Daredevil like you? Take a ride on this ground-up custom bike. Trust me, everyone who saw it loved it, and soon all men, women and children will be asking to pose with it for pictures.

Link & Image: Funhight
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22 October, 2006

Creating art from dirt

Dirt art.Scott Wade, a 47-year-old artist, creates art from an unlikely material, dirt. His art pieces are created on the windows of his dirty Mini Cooper and his wife’s dirty Mazda. Yes, dirty but beautiful! I am not sure how long it takes to accumulate that much dust to create his masterpieces but it does give one a good enough reason not to wash their car regularly. I wonder what other materials one can use to create art?

A gallery of these impressive art pieces can be found on the following link.

Link & Image: Scott Wade via The Sun
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Stone circles

Stone circle.Teaching your kids about the different kinds of shapes? How about trying this site which features a number of photos on circles formed from various objects like rocks, sticks and leafs? I especially like this photo in particular where the rocks form half a circle while its reflection in the water forms the other half, thus forming a full circle.

Made from the pumice stones that form the shores of Lake Taupo. Pumice, being soft, could be threaded on a bent willow stick to make an arch, which when reflected in the water completes the circle.

More images from the following link.

Link & Image: Martin Hill via Arbroath
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Sand storm

An approaching sand storm.Is that a scene from a Hollywood blockbuster? No, it is a real life picture of a sand storm in Iraq. The first thing that comes to mind for any people standing in the path of the approaching storm must be to run for cover as it must be overpowering having to stare at it barreling towards you, especially if it was your first.

More images from the following link.

Link & Image: Sand Storm
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US$20.96 million gem

DiamondA stunning bright yellow 100-carat diamond was unveiled in London for the first time in the world. This gem is so rare that experts estimate that it could fetch a hefty price tag of US$20.96 million. Named as the 'Dream Diamond', it is being sold by the Graff diamond company, which says it is likely to be bought by a gem collector, investor, or a celebrity.

Although most diamonds are clear, occasionally the combination of heat and pressure that forms the stone along with certain minerals in the rocks can produce colored versions. Purple, blue, pink, yellow, green and red diamonds all exist, although they are extremely rare.

Because this South African glittering gem is of a particularly vivid color with an enormous size, hence it makes even rarer than other rare 'canary yellow' diamonds. Currently, the most famous and valuable yellow diamond is the Tiffany Diamond, which is still on show in the Fifth Avenue flagship store in New York. This 287.42 carat stone was acquired by Charles Tiffany from the Kimberley Mines in 1878.

Link & Image: XinhuaNet
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Nintendo Undergarments

Mario underwear.Check out these cute Nintendo underwears with cheeky text such as "bigger is better" , "I scored with the princess". And not forgetting the controller pad - I wonder what it's used for?





Mario underwear.
Thanks, CRAZY J !

Link: Crazy Japan
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21 October, 2006

Hair gel that makes your hair glow

Voltage Self-Illuminating Hair Gel.Watches that glow in the dark are quite common nowadays. How about hair that glows in the dark? It is classified as a “temporary hair colour” and that’s good news for those who enjoy going to parties, discos, etc. Turn down the lights and turn up the fun!