Sep 11 2009 9/11: The World Trade Center From Space

This is a picture of the World Trade Center after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, taken by current commander of the International Space Station at the time, Frank Culbertson. Damn, has it really been eight years? Remember.

The World Trade Center Terrorist Attack from Space [gizmodo]

Jul 28 2009 Printing Press Gets TRON-ified, Glowy

Geekologie Reader Jason went and decked out an oldschool printing press TRON style (to celebrate the anniversary of the film earlier this month) by adding some glow in the dark tape. This is an animated gif, so if you give it a minute it'll automatically switch between lights on and lights off mode. Personally, I only like printing in the dark. Somebody get the switch. Now, who's ready to create some headlines? Feka dlawe wewa pinme awqiro bglkuv sweey. Success! Now rubber band and bag 'em, boys, it's raining out. Who just touched my butt?

DIY Friday: Pimp My Press [printeresting] (with several more animations)

Thanks Jason, now let's start our own newspaper!

Jul 27 2009 Fire Eater: 30th Anniversary Pac-Man Zippos

Let's face it, Pac-Man and fire go together like virtually anything else and fire: perfectly. And even if you gave up the rock years ago, there's still other stuff to light to light, am I right? Of course I am. Enter these 30th anniversary Pac-Man lighters. Available in three different styles, they'll be available this November for an undisclosed sum of amount. So start saving. In the meantime, start your fires the old fashioned way: by making napalm out of gasoline and Styrofoam AND LIGHTING IT WITH A BULLET. I was a Boyscout, I learned things.

Hit the jump for a close-up of the model that looks like the game screen.

Continue Reading " Fire Eater: 30th Anniversary Pac-Man Zippos "

Jul 21 2009 American Robots Are Celebrating Today

Be quiet for a second. You hear that? It's your Roomba singing "Oh Happy Day" because today marks the 25th anniversary of the first robotic death in the United States. That's right -- on July 21st, 1984, a factory worker was crushed to death by a robot in Jackson, Michigan. A moment of silence, please. Now, a moment of yelling. I HATE YOU YOU STUPID METALLIC ASSASSINS I WANT YOU ALL TO DIIIIIIIIIE! DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE, GHAAAAAAA!!! Okay, so I think I just popped a blood vessel. Also, a boner. Yelling makes me so hot!

July 21 [wordiq]

Thanks to Mike, who will be holding a candlelight vigil/Roomba burning party/kegger tonight in honor of the first U.S. victim.

Jun 10 2009 Japan Completes Life-Sized Gundam Statue

Nice Japan, a giant freaking Gundam -- I was tired of living anyways. You know, you're really flirting with fire here. Like that time I tried to make out with a candle and almost set my nacho ablaze.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the mecha anime/manga/toy/video game franchise, this 18-meter-tall (59-foot-tall) RX-78 has been erected.

Fifty points on the Gundam statue will emit light, and mist will shoot out of 14 different points on the statue. The 1/1 scale Gundam boasts a moveable head and a continuous stream of oh-man-this-is-so-damn-cool.

Now I'm not saying this thing is gonna come alive, go rogue, and destroy Japan, but it is, and my schoolgirl panties better ship before it does.

Hit the jump for a couple more shots and a couple links to massive picture galleries.

Continue Reading " Japan Completes Life-Sized Gundam Statue "

Mar 9 2009 The Compact Disc Turned 30 Yesterday

That's right, March 8th marked the "historic demonstration of the first CD prototype codenamed 'Pinkeltje' on March 8th, 1979." Well congratulations, compact disc, I almost forgot you were still here.

While many would argue that the CD is on its way out in favor of smaller, highly portable MP3 files, the disc has definitely left a lasting mark on the industry. To date, over 3.5 billion audio CD players have been sold alongside 240 billion discs.

Damn -- that's a lot of discs! That's almost a quarter of a trillion dollars. And a trillion dollars, my friends, is how much money I have in the bank. It barely fits! Just sayin', bling bling, money ain't a thing. I'm talking skating rink ice. Ladies?

Compact Disc turns 30, MP3 doesn't bother to send a gift [engadget]

Thanks to Julian, who still buys tapes because he's smart enough to understand that technology comes in cycles.

Nov 24 2008 $450,000 Watch Features Real Moon Dust

The DNA Moon Dust Watch from Geneva watchmaker Romain Jerome was created to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the moon landing is limited to a not-so-limited edition of 1,969 (get it, because of the year?).

'The case of the watch is made with steel melted with fragments of the Apollo 11.

'The dial and face is made from minerals that include real dust from the moon - this is a world first. The moon dust had been melted into it.

Each piece will run between $15,000 and $450,000, depending on the amount of moon dust (cheap bastards didn't even use cheese) and Apollo metal included. Some of the straps are even made from the fibers of a spaceshit! Wait, I meant suit, spacesuit. Anyway, this is a total ripoff. I bought an authentic angel dust watch from a tweaker for only $20. Whee, ants are crawling under my skin!

The watch that is out of this world: Timepiece made from moon dust will cost £300,000 [dailymail]

Thanks to Uncle Eccoli, who doesn't need a moon dust watch to know it's time to party.

Oct 17 2008 Modular Plastic Vroom Vroom: A LEGO Ferrari

Apparently LEGO made a Ferrari to promote LEGO World in Holland. Per the google-y translated article:

The Lego tends to be quite creative in their communication. Since the adhesive ground up operations in buildings. To promote the event Lego World in Holland was no different. The presenter of children's programs Leon Krijgsman parade through the streets of Amsterdam with a Ferrari made of Lego.

The "toy" in actual size was mounted with 80 thousand pieces, celebrates the anniversary of the famous brand of toys and will be exposed in the event which runs from 16 to 23 this month.

That made no sense but who cares, it's a LEGO Ferrari with 80,000 pieces. Wow. But the question remains: does it run? Ha, of course it does, it's built out of freaking LEGO.

Hit the jump for two more.

Continue Reading " Modular Plastic Vroom Vroom: A LEGO Ferrari "

Sep 25 2008 Google Makes Google Timeline For Birthday

To celebrate its 10th birthday, Google went and made themselves a little interactive timeline so interwebbers like ourselves can see the company's progression from no-name to world dominatrix. What does the future hold for Google? How the hell should I know, I'm no fortune teller. But I am a bank teller -- come hold me up!

10th Birthday [google]

Thanks Pi Kappa Phi, I drank all your beer.

Sep 23 2008 Penny Gets First Change(!) In 50 Years

To commemorate the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth, the U.S. Mint is redesigning the penny and releasing four new designs. That's them in the picture.

The designs show milestones in the life of the 16th president: the Kentucky log cabin of his birth, his youth working as an Indiana rail splitter, his service at the State Capitol in Illinois, and his effort to preserve the union during the Civil War as depicted by a half-finished image of the U.S. Capitol dome.

The first of the coins debuts Feb. 12, with the others following in three-month intervals. The release date, besides being Lincoln's birthday, comes a century after the production of the original Lincoln cent in 1909.

Eh, I would have gone with a more traditional image -- like standing over a dead bear with a plasma rifle, puffing on a stick of dynamite. You know, the classic Lincoln pose.

New Lincoln penny designs unveiled [cnnmoney]

Thanks to Alex, who thought these were the new Lyle Lovett pennies.

Apr 16 2008 I Am Sad Today

While we always have a good time and joke around here on Geekologie, I'd like to take a minute to be serious.

Today marks one year since the Virginia Tech tragedy. It seems like yesterday. I was on my way to campus when my wife (who was starting a new job on campus that day) called me and told me to get back home. Someone in her office was listening in on the police channel, so they had a pretty good idea of what was going on. We both received our bachelors and masters degrees from Virginia Tech (finished last spring), and have remained in Blacksburg and work for the school. A lot of people in the community continue to struggle. Please take a minute to remember the victims, their families, and all those still trying to cope.

R.I.P. Ross A. Alameddine, Christopher James Bishop, Brian R. Bluhm, Ryan Christopher Clark, Austin Michelle Cloyd, Jocelyne Couture-Nowak, Kevin P. Granata, Matthew Gregory Gwaltney, Caitlin Millar Hammaren, Jeremy Michael Herbstritt, Rachael Elizabeth Hill, Emily Jane Hilscher, Jarrett Lee Lane, Matthew Joseph La Porte, Henry J. Lee, Liviu Librescu, G.V. Loganathan, Partahi Mamora Halomoan Lumbantoruan, Lauren Ashley McCain, Daniel Patrick O'Neil, Juan Ramon Ortiz-Ortiz, Minal Hiralal Panchal, Daniel Alejandro Perez Cueva, Erin Nicole Peterson, Michael Steven Pohle, Jr., Julia Kathleen Pryde, Mary Karen Read, Reema Joseph Samaha, Waleed Mohamed Shaalan, Leslie Geraldine Sherman, Maxine Shelly Turner, Nicole Regina White

:,(

Apr 2 2008 Space Invader Pillows Will Invade Your Dreams

HAHAHAHHH!! Did you read that title I wrote? Do you get it? Because I don't. I asked my roommate if he thought it was funny but he just swung his bong at me. So I guess it's not. Oh well. Anywhichway, these are 30th anniversary Space Invader pillows. They're available for pre-order (shipping in July) and cost $30 each. Now don't get me wrong, I love Space Invaders, but I don't know if I need them in bed. I mean what if one of those little alien bastards tries invading your ear while you're sleeping? Then what? You gonna blast yourself in the head to get him out? Because I've got the feeling that'd f*** your brain up. Bad. Not that I care about my brain all that much, but my ears? Jesus, I've got great looking ears.

Space Invaders 30th Anniversary Pillows [albotas]

Mar 20 2008 The Eiffel Tower's New Celebratory Party Hat

To celebrate the Eiffel Tower's 120th anniversary as one of the world's most recognizable phallic landmarks, it's going to don a temporary party hat designed by architectural firm Serero.

The design is based on a generative script, creating branches out of the primary structure of the tower. Inspired by the structural concept of Eiffel of three-dimensional cross bracing beams, the script unfolds along curved lines the “DNA” of the tower. The script used the existing structure at the top of the tower ( a 10 by 10 meters cube) to generate 3 structural weaves, which are interconnected. These layers are combined to create a woven complex, which is based on the redundancy and the non-repetition of patterns to increase its structural performance. In opposition with modern engineering (based on the concept of repetition and optimization), the project for the Eiffel tower extension is based on an alternative model of high performance.

Cool, I guess. What better way to celebrate a landmark than building it an awesome party hat? I can't think of any. I suggest we do something similar for the Statue of Liberty's upcoming 125th anniversary. Based on her pose, I'm thinking it'd be pretty easy to make Lady Liberty look like she's funneling a beer.

A ton more pictures of the tower's addition after the jump.

Continue Reading " The Eiffel Tower's New Celebratory Party Hat "

Mar 12 2008 LEGO Guide Features Every Set Ever Made

In celebration of LEGO's 50th anniversary the company is releasing a collector's guide that will contain every set ever made from 1958 to 2008. Which is about 8,000 sets. OH YEAH! Each will be categorized by year of production and will have a rating from 1 to 6 LEGO blocks depending on its rarity. The book is dropping in Germany in a few months for about $35, and it should make its way to North America later in the year. I for one can hardly wait to get my hands on a copy. All those delicious plastic models to feast my little eyes upon. Man I'm so excited I could shit a LEGO brick! Uh oh, that was no LEGO.

All Encompassing LEGO Collector's Guide [ohgizmo]