1974 was such a terrible year for interior
design, you'd be hard pressed to select the
absolute worse.
This has not fazed the creators of the web
site, Eurobad '74. They have selected some
of the finest images available from the
wasteland of European awful interiors.
Click on the images, if you dare.
design, you'd be hard pressed to select the
absolute worse.
This has not fazed the creators of the web
site, Eurobad '74. They have selected some
of the finest images available from the
wasteland of European awful interiors.
Click on the images, if you dare.
Once again an invaluable research link appears on the Net. This time it's the
Roadside America's tracking chart of US Muffler Man statues.
Those giant figures holding axes, mufflers, and air are scattered around the
country, and clicking the image to the left will get you to a US map of currently
reported muffler men with detailed descriptions, accessories, and preview
images.
The strange folk art icons grew out of replicas of Paul Bunyan made by
International Fiberglass in 1962. In the mid-70s the business changed, and the
molds were all destroyed.
A number of the figures were female, and closely resemble Jackie Kennedy. The
"Country Bumpkin" series was a dead ringer for Alfred E. Newman.
The Roadside America site features an article with the man who ran the company
that produced the ubiquitous Muffler Men.
Roadside America's tracking chart of US Muffler Man statues.
Those giant figures holding axes, mufflers, and air are scattered around the
country, and clicking the image to the left will get you to a US map of currently
reported muffler men with detailed descriptions, accessories, and preview
images.
The strange folk art icons grew out of replicas of Paul Bunyan made by
International Fiberglass in 1962. In the mid-70s the business changed, and the
molds were all destroyed.
A number of the figures were female, and closely resemble Jackie Kennedy. The
"Country Bumpkin" series was a dead ringer for Alfred E. Newman.
The Roadside America site features an article with the man who ran the company
that produced the ubiquitous Muffler Men.
Make Magazine Digital Hourglass
Make Magazine is a digest-sized periodical that models itself after the science and mechanical magazines of the 40s and 50s
"when everyone built things". It espouses the concept of Mods, Bends, and Hack, usually on the cheap. Everything from cigar-box
electric guitars to "the world's largest MP3 player".
It is a lot of fun to look at, as is their web site (click images above). They make extensive use of Flicker image posts for step-by-step
examples. They also have a podcast and a video podcast. The videos are very cool - six minute vids of how things are made - like
golf clubs or fiber optic cable. This is a great use of portable video.
The magazine seems slightly subversive, urging you to tear apart toys, cameras, CVS disposable camcorders. But it is highly
creative, often suggesting ways to recycle old radios and VCRs. Their basic premise: Everyone Is Creative".
Make Magazine is a digest-sized periodical that models itself after the science and mechanical magazines of the 40s and 50s
"when everyone built things". It espouses the concept of Mods, Bends, and Hack, usually on the cheap. Everything from cigar-box
electric guitars to "the world's largest MP3 player".
It is a lot of fun to look at, as is their web site (click images above). They make extensive use of Flicker image posts for step-by-step
examples. They also have a podcast and a video podcast. The videos are very cool - six minute vids of how things are made - like
golf clubs or fiber optic cable. This is a great use of portable video.
The magazine seems slightly subversive, urging you to tear apart toys, cameras, CVS disposable camcorders. But it is highly
creative, often suggesting ways to recycle old radios and VCRs. Their basic premise: Everyone Is Creative".
We've all used the collaborative web encyclopedia, Wikipedia. Now thre's a collaborative
art site, Pixelfest. This site by The Man In Blue allows you to choose from a palette of
colors, then alter a pixel at a time to further the art that is being created.
It's fun to play with, and there is a discussion group that talks about the art's progress.
Even more fun is to watch the Flash animation of the image - contributors can overwrite
pixels (once a day) so you can watch a high speed evolution of the work.
The image at left takes you to the artwork contribution page. Click here to watch the
animation.
art site, Pixelfest. This site by The Man In Blue allows you to choose from a palette of
colors, then alter a pixel at a time to further the art that is being created.
It's fun to play with, and there is a discussion group that talks about the art's progress.
Even more fun is to watch the Flash animation of the image - contributors can overwrite
pixels (once a day) so you can watch a high speed evolution of the work.
The image at left takes you to the artwork contribution page. Click here to watch the
animation.
Technology continues to spawn products and services that push the feature
envelop. One such service is Pandora, a web site with a unique mission.
Pandora is a licenced service created by members of the Music Genome Project.
The members of the project listened to over 10,000 artists representing hundreds of
thousands of songs.
The goal was to create specialized "radio stations" customized for a specific
listener. When you try out Pandora, you list either a favorite artist or song. The web
site then creates a radio station play list that includes that song or artist.
Pandora gets interesting when it begins playing tunes that it determines are similar
to those that you already like. You can listen or skip a tune, and also vote for songs
that yo like or do not like. This "voting" instructs the software to modify your "station"
to suit your musical tastes.
You can create 100 different "stations". Currently, it supports mostly pop music. It is
free, but will eventually gravitate towards a free-or-ad-supported model. Try it out, it
is unlike anything you have every heard.
www.pandora.com
envelop. One such service is Pandora, a web site with a unique mission.
Pandora is a licenced service created by members of the Music Genome Project.
The members of the project listened to over 10,000 artists representing hundreds of
thousands of songs.
The goal was to create specialized "radio stations" customized for a specific
listener. When you try out Pandora, you list either a favorite artist or song. The web
site then creates a radio station play list that includes that song or artist.
Pandora gets interesting when it begins playing tunes that it determines are similar
to those that you already like. You can listen or skip a tune, and also vote for songs
that yo like or do not like. This "voting" instructs the software to modify your "station"
to suit your musical tastes.
You can create 100 different "stations". Currently, it supports mostly pop music. It is
free, but will eventually gravitate towards a free-or-ad-supported model. Try it out, it
is unlike anything you have every heard.
www.pandora.com
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` Who says murderous dictatorships can't produce art? Wallpaper has a feature called "North Korea Meets Las Vegas" highlighting
the photographic work of Andreas Gursky. He is known for producing sweeping panoramas of convenience stores, hotels, or large public
areas. Not a pure photographer, Gursky will edit images to remove walls or combine elements for greater visual impact.
The North Korean political demonstration above consists of real soldiers in array. The people in the stands holding cards to create the wid
eimage is also real, they just did not happen at the same moment.
Gursky is fascinated with such designs because unlike computer-generated images, these pictures contain real flaws and changes
created by real people doing synchronized things (or else!).
the photographic work of Andreas Gursky. He is known for producing sweeping panoramas of convenience stores, hotels, or large public
areas. Not a pure photographer, Gursky will edit images to remove walls or combine elements for greater visual impact.
The North Korean political demonstration above consists of real soldiers in array. The people in the stands holding cards to create the wid
eimage is also real, they just did not happen at the same moment.
Gursky is fascinated with such designs because unlike computer-generated images, these pictures contain real flaws and changes
created by real people doing synchronized things (or else!).
One of the best (and simple) web applications yet - sort
of the opposite (in philosophy) of everything Microsoft
creates,
The Tada list is a to-do list (or lists) of anything at all -
things to do today, long-term projects, etc. Free.
The list can be accessed from any computer, and
shared for simple project management. I am hooked.
Tada List at 37Signals
of the opposite (in philosophy) of everything Microsoft
creates,
The Tada list is a to-do list (or lists) of anything at all -
things to do today, long-term projects, etc. Free.
The list can be accessed from any computer, and
shared for simple project management. I am hooked.
Tada List at 37Signals
Blink author Malcolm Gladwell now has a
blog. Click the photo to read it.
blog. Click the photo to read it.