Welcome to

Very detailed anarchist action figure and box art placed in a local Target store (also called “shop dropping”) from artist Packard Jennings - [via] Link & more @ the NY Times.

Related:

A day at the mall - Link.

[Read this article] [Comment on this article]

Originally from MAKE Magazine on December 24, 2007, 4:00am

Jason writes -

High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography is the process of taking several images at different shutter speeds and combining them into a single photo that contains no washed out or underexposed areas.  The result is a surreal, almost too perfectly lit photograph that contains a high level of detail throughout the image.

uilt-in HDR photo merging tool which produces some incredible results without too much effort.  The image above, from Ryan McGinnis’ excellent Photoshop HDR tutorial, is pretty surreal.  It reminds me of a high-res rendering from a video game.

If you’re using the GIMP, you can get similar results by carefully masking and merging layers, or you can download and use the exposure-blend plugin which will simplify the process a little.  Below are links to both processes - you can see which works best for you.

Whatever package you use, the important thing is to use a solid tripod and only adjust the shutter speed between shots.  For the best results, you’ll also want to set your camera to RAW mode.
More:

• How to Create Professional HDR Images in Photoshop - Link
• HDR photos with the GIMP - Link
• Using the GIMP exposure-blend plugin - Link

[Read this article] [Comment on this article]

Originally from MAKE Magazine on December 25, 2007, 2:00am

A new facsimile edition of the 14th century Holkham Bible was recently published by the British Library. Last week’s Time Out London featured a fascinating (and, frustratingly, offline!) article on the Bible, which was drawn by a cockney who started off to produce a pamphlet and quickly expanded out to produce a mammoth retelling of the life of Christ, cheekily inserting himself into many of the illustrations. It features Mary being ribbed for getting knocked up, Noah reeling with drink, an Jesus (residing among the cockneys of Paternoster Row) literally reassembling a lad who falls off a roof and falls into many pieces. London barmaid and bankers are sent to hell, and many other elements that are emblematic of life in 1330s London.

Link

Originally by Cory Doctorow from Boing Boing on December 24, 2007, 10:57am

Google
Weather

Here’s a radio modem using an “iPod” FM Transmitter and a regular FM receiver. Using the programs provided, you can send messages between two computers at 9600 bps - Link.

[Read this article] [Comment on this article]

Originally from MAKE Magazine on December 21, 2007, 6:00am

Neat (and cheap) way to store stuff using PVC pipe - Link.

Related:

PVC Light box / light tent - Link.

Portable PVC conduit antenna mast - Link.

DIY PVC multiple guitar stand - Link.

More DIY Musical Instruments: PVC Recorder - Link.

Low power LED PVC flashlight - Link.

PVC Sprinkler water toy - The KidWash! - Link.

HOW TO - Make a PVC bike rack - Link.

More PVC - Link.

[Read this article] [Comment on this article]

Originally from MAKE Magazine on December 21, 2007, 8:00am

Webcam + cardboard = joystick!

[Read this article] [Comment on this article]

Originally from MAKE Magazine on December 22, 2007, 11:00am

Patricia Piccinini’s “Nature’s Little Helpers” - amazing! Link.

[Read this article] [Comment on this article]

Originally from MAKE Magazine on December 22, 2007, 2:00am

flickr.com/photos/bre/2131807572/” title=”A Calendar Laser Etched Into Fingernails by brex, on Flickr”>

Martin and I engraved a calendar on our fingernails. As the months pass, we’ll cut them off!

[Read this article] [Comment on this article]

Originally from MAKE Magazine on December 23, 2007, 5:32pm

MAKE Flickr photo pool member’s unboxing and assembly of the monome 40h kit - Link.

[Read this article] [Comment on this article]

Originally from MAKE Magazine on December 22, 2007, 5:00pm

ach! - Link.

[Read this article] [Comment on this article]

Originally from MAKE Magazine on December 20, 2007, 2:00pm

Tim writes -

Well, after seeing the many houses dancing to Trans-Siberian Music, I decided it was time to do the same to my house. The problem is that I currently live in Hong Kong and in a 52 story building. Instead I wired up my living. At first the project was going to simply be mood lighting, but then I added DMX to my controller and Vixen Lights and this is what I got. The projects uses 96 SMD RGB LEDs (how is the for acronyms?). There are six TI TLC5940 16 ch controller chips on a custom board I made myself. There is a Parallax Propeller controlling the whole thing. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

DMX controlled bookshelf - Link.

[Read this article] [Comment on this article]

Originally from MAKE Magazine on December 21, 2007, 5:00am

Lendorff Kaywa’s Space Invader AND QR code scarf. I really like the idea QR codes on knitted things… - [via] Link.

[Read this article] [Comment on this article]

Originally from MAKE Magazine on December 21, 2007, 4:00am

Frank writes -

I connected a Wii Nunchuck controller to an Arduino, which takes the data from the controller’s I2C data bus, decodes it, and send the data to the robot with a radio transmitter. Charlie uses a radio receiver to get the data, and it will control the drive servo system and the pan tilt servo system using the data. The Nunchuck has a 3 axis accelerometer, a joystick, and 2 buttons, it is absolutely awesome to use with a RC robot like this.

Wii Nunchuck Controlled Robot - Link.

[Read this article] [Comment on this article]

Originally from MAKE Magazine on December 20, 2007, 9:00pm

Interesting concept video of chairs that follow you around in the library…

[Read this article] [Comment on this article]

Originally from MAKE Magazine on December 20, 2007, 5:00pm

Originally from BLDGBLOG on December 24, 2007, 9:52am

Originally from BLDGBLOG on December 24, 2007, 9:52am

The Washington Post reports today that the FBI is launching a $1 billion project to build the world’s largest database of individuals’ physical characteristics. The effort would give the American government unprecedented abilities to ID people here and overseas. Snip:

Digital images of faces, fingerprints and palm patterns are already flowing into FBI systems in a climate-controlled, secure basement here. Next month, the FBI intends to award a 10-year contract that would significantly expand the amount and kinds of biometric information it receives. And in the coming years, law enforcement authorities around the world will be able to rely on iris patterns, face-shape data, scars and perhaps even the unique ways people walk and talk, to solve crimes and identify criminals and terrorists. The FBI will also retain, upon request by employers, the fingerprints of employees who have undergone criminal background checks so the employers can be notified if employees have brushes with the law.

“Bigger. Faster. Better. That’s the bottom line,” said Thomas E. Bush III , assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division, which operates the database from its headquarters in the Appalachian foothills.

Originally by Xeni Jardin from Boing Boing on December 21, 2007, 11:07pm

Here’s George W. Bush’s marvelous cover of REM’s “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine).” George’s vocal stylings remind me of his father’s excellent collaboration with Emergency Broadcast Network, the 1991 cover of “We Will Rock You.” Link to “End of the World,” Link to “We Will Rock You.” (Thanks, Vann Hall and David Fox!)

Originally by David Pescovitz from Boing Boing on December 21, 2007, 8:16pm

The Smart Car is coming to the United States! And very soon too. The little car that could, manufactured by Daimler, is expected to join the ranks of available subcompact vehicles in the US in 2008, and hopefully, convince more people that when personal transportation is concerned, bigger is most certainly not better.

(more…)

p://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/Inhabitat?a=xw6Mg6″>

Originally posted by Jorge from INHABITAT, ReBlogged by Steve on Dec 20, 2007 at 09:24 AM

Originally from Eyebeam reBlog on December 20, 2007, 8:24am