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Josefa Garcia Rojas walks through the eerily barren streets of Potosi, a small Venezuelan city where she lived most of her 84 years, amid the skeletons of trees and groups of curious onlookers. This is the first time she's stepped foot here since she and a thousand other residents were forced to flee their homes to make way for a hydroelectric dam being built to block the water of a river that ran through town. It's been 26 years since then, but due to an unprecedented drought in the region, Petosi has reemerged from the murky depths. While it may bring some nostalgic comfort to Josefa and others to see the town's old church once again--there's the creeping sense that all is not well.

/via treehugger

duiPhone by Tellart from Tellart on Vimeo.

The duiPhone will let you know for sure whether you should hand the car keys to a friend after a long night in the bar…

h(y)r | sweet little online mag featuring a whole host of goodies. Go to features, product then matt jensen to see my boy matt putting together some goodness for you fixie crew. He does plenty of tasty furniture also, watch this space I will dig up more pics...

Thou software unlock is still looks agonizingly far away, the guys over over at Brando came up with a simple hardware unlock solution for you 3G iPhone, that doesn’t even requires you to scratch your sim!

The Vader Project , a "reimagining of the iconic Darth Vader helmet by some of today's hottest pop and underground artists", was recently on display at Star Wars Celebration Japan. A lot of them are pretty cool. says Geekologie... understatement of the decade I say - best thing on the interwebby I've seen this year. And that is a big statement.

She quizzed him and found that his experience had the hallmarks of synaesthesia: a trigger through one sense was giving rise to a sensory experience in another. It was automatic and her visitor had experienced it as far back as he could remember.

via New Scientist

BeatMaker introduces a new generation of mobile instruments and music creation software. Inspired by hardware beatboxes, loop samplers and software sequencers, it combines them to turn the iPod into a unique, inspirational software instrument.

Chemists in Japan report development of the world's first DNA molecule made almost entirely of artificial parts. The finding could lead to improvements in gene therapy, futuristic nano-sized computers, and other high-tech advances:

No S**t

If you want a simple approach to the division of time (the day in this case) feel free to try the free ProgressClock™. This clock simplifies time by showing the elapsed percent of the day.

Its been done before I know, but this is a nice version.

(image from funmint)

I can't believe that this Faile Print hasn't sold out yet! Go get it! (I got mine. 25 colour print, who can resist?)

Tender Forever

25 Color Relief Print
Somerset Satin 300g
28 x 32 Inches
Edition of 315
Stamped and Numbered
Signed, Faile 2008

The Buy Now print features a 25-color relief print on a 300 gram Somerset Satin paper. The print was made using magnesium plates, registered, inked, and printed on a hydraulic press. This is the image that was used to create the TATE Modern piece. On view now, through August 25th.

A performance artist has created a robotic crawling japanese business man. This is supposed to symbolize the crash of the asian economy. It means something else to me. But make your own minds up.

If you have read many of my posts over the years you will be aware of my love for Earth Ships. This is a great interview with a key figure in that scene: Michael Reynolds.

If only the Planning Department down here in the Westcountry had slightly broader minds...

via MIT

Now you know why the singularity has also been called the rapture of the geeks.... According to this report its not going to work out as planned. But I still have high hopes!

Power-Ply 380 Roof Integrated Photovoltaic (RIPV) module is designed for flat roof applications and is easily installed over TPO, PVC, EPDM, Modified, and Built-Up roof systems. Its unique design combines high-efficiency cell technology with direct roof application to maximize energy generation for a given roof area. In addition, it eliminates the need for racking systems or other mounting structures that penetrate the roof, resulting in faster installations and less distractions for building owners.

These stones are real and known to mortals as Trovants.

Near a village, just south of central Romania a number of stone formations with alien features lie dormant, witnesses to the passing of time; that is – until it rains. Not long after the last drops of water fall, they begin a multiplication process. Small oval or round blain-like forms appear on the upper part of them, and they start to increase in size.

University of California, Berkeley, scientists, however, have found a welcome reason to delve into your genetic heritage: to find the slight genetic flaws that can be fixed with remedies as simple as vitamin or mineral supplements.

Drugs that encourage the growth of new neurons in the brain are now headed for clinical trials. The drugs, which have already shown success in alleviating symptoms of depression and boosting memory in animal models, are being developed by BrainCells, a San Diego-based start-up that screens drugs for their brain-growing power. The company hopes the compounds will provide an alternative to existing antidepressants and says they may also prove effective in treating cognitive disorders, such as Alzheimer's.

Considering how little attention the PS3's motion-sensing functionality currently receives, we're not inclined to think that Sony's making an even deeper push into the Wii's territory, but a site called Playstation Lifestyle says that Sony conducted focus-group testing on a controller similar to the Wiimote earlier this year. Apparently the device was mounted on a foot-tall mini-tripod, and was demoed with tennis, fencing, and paintball mini-games, as well as used to play Quake on a laptop. That's not to say that Sony's ever going to bring this stuff to market, but it would certainly be interesting if it did -- and coupled with those persistent Xbox 360 remote rumors, the gaming landscape could suddenly be overrun with people miming tennis.

I caught this on Greenbang today:
According to sites that watch all things Apple, the company has filed a patent which hints that iPods and iPhones might be up for the solar treatment in the future. I can see it happening. And I want one.

It was a wood burning oven that catches the combustible fumes from the wood coals, condenses any moisture, then feeds the fumes into the engine to make it run.

If this is for real I might have to do it to my Bay Window Bus if fuel keeps going up the way it is...

A new manufacturing process could mean improved efficiency for solar cells. The technique, which is being pioneered by researchers at the University of California, San Diego, results in “hairy” solar cells.

The hairs are visible only on the microscopic level. They’re actually nanowires: tiny silicon or metallic structures used to complete very small circuits.

A Nature News article describes the initial plans for an ambitious effort to begin mapping the complete human proteome: the set of all human proteins expressed in all of our cells at all points during our development and adult life.

This is a project of vastly greater magnitude and complexity than the sequencing of the human genome. Unlike the genome, which remains essentially static between cell types and over time, the proteome is tremendously dynamic, changing constantly in response to cell-cell signalling and environmental stimuli.

via

LifeStraw® water purifiers have been developed as a practical way of preventing disease and saving lives, as well as achieving the Millennium Development Goal of reducing by one-half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe water by the year 2015

I say.. Lets start giving 'em out ASAP. Start in Burma.

Councils across Britain are to start using lie detectors to catch benefits cheats claiming money they are not entitled to.

It is hoped the 'voice-risk analyser' system, which monitors speech patterns, could save taxpayers tens of millions of pounds.

The device looks for changes in the sound of a claimant's voice, a sign they might not telling the truth.
Officers using then are able to ask for further evidence to support any claims highlighted as being suspicious.

15 councils currently have access to the machines which are expected to be rolled out nationally.

Seems pretty heavy. It'll be finger up the bum next!

MAKE @ RobotBusiness 2008 Segway RMP - video powered by Metacafe

A little peek at the what is supposed to be the new Segway personal transport device. Its got more styles than the present contraption I'll say that much. It appeared at RoboBusiness - there isn't any information available about it at this time other than it "might" cost up to $50k and it can move in any direction (omnidirectional wheels, but the term was hyperdirectional?)

Concern about the potential health effects of bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical widely used in consumer plastic products, is growing, following the release this week of a draft report from the US National Toxicology Program (NTP). That report says there's "some concern" about the potential negative health effects of BPA on infants and children and calls for more research to determine just what the risks of BPA exposure might be.

This has been bubbling under for a while now, and I for one have been trying to switch to metal containers...

Swift Wind Turbine is a quiet, rooftop mounted wind turbine. Unlike some designs you've seen previously, this one has an outer ring and five blades. The outer ring acts as a diffuser -- the wind travels down the blades and is dispersed along the ring, therefore eliminating noise and keeping the turbine quiet. The company estimates a noise of less than 35 decibels for all wind speeds. The 7 foot diameter ring needs a roof line clearance of a couple feet and in good winds, can generate up to 2000 kWh of power (1.5 kW @ 14 m/s).

check their slightly wiffy flash site here

via

I need to lay my hands on this little chap. He rolls around making beats, sampling himself and doing it again. He gets robot of the month award for sure.

What it does? Basically:

* Navigate around, collect some data, avoid obstacles, until it
* Finds something "worth playing on" (a single isolated object or a wide flat surface that it can find an angle onto)
* Snakes into place
* Plays some beats on what it have found, and samples this, checking it has a "good sound"
* Based on data collected in the area, and sample just made, then compose a little rhythm, and plays this along with the sample

SILLOF is a dude that takes Figure Modification to another level. I am really into his WWII mods at the moment, but it is all worth a peek.