Oct 30 2009 Making Not So Beautiful Music Together

Ever wanted a toilet seat that looks like a guitar? It's not high on my list of priorities either, but if you already have every other thing in the world maybe it's time for one. Jammin' Johns come in guitar and piano varieties and will set you back about $180. They go perfect in music themed bathrooms. Which -- oh God please tell me you don't have a themed bathroom. Unless it's beach themed, those are fine. I love the little shell soaps!

Hit the shot for another guitar and a shot of a piano.

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Oct 12 2009 Kill It With Fire!: A Robotic Talking Piano

This is a piano, which, through the use of the black magic and robotics, is able to speak in one of the scariest voices I've ever heard. Well, besides the one that comes attached to the figure that sneaks into my room at night and tells me to write dirty things on the internet. I think it's my uncle!

Youtube

Thanks to J.D., Rodger and Alexandra, who are already planning to push this thing out a window.

Aug 24 2009 Eye Candy: Beautiful Dancing Smoke Video

This is a video created by Esteban Diácono to the music of Olafur Arnalds' Ljósið using "Adobe After Effects, particular v2, soundkeys and a little starglow". It's basically a bunch of smoke dancing around. But not like that shit in Lost!

i first imported the audio and set up 2 sounkeys layers, one for the piano and one for the strings. Then i worked the particles and the particle subsystem and linked things like the emission, the turbulence, the velocity, the spin amplitude and the strenght of the fields to the soundkeys outputs. Then i set up the colors with 2 different palettes, and well, after that there was a lot of trial and error in order to achieve what i was looking for. There's a lot of randomness involved in here, so there was also a lot of luck, of course.

I don't really understand any of that, but what's new? The important thing is that you just got paid for watching a three and a half minute video at work. High five!

The most amazing, beautiful and realistic piece of computer art I have ever seen [thenextweb]

Thanks to Andrew, who once inhaled some of that smoke and got all high as a kite and forgot to catch the bus.

Feb 5 2009 Baby Born With 12 Developed Fingers, Toes

Kamani Hubbard was recently born with 12 fully developed (and functional) fingers and toes. I'm jealous -- I was born with a nubbin next to my left pinky and they cut it off at birth. But the nipple on my back is still there. Nice one, doc.

"It's merely an interesting and beautiful variation rather than a worrisome thing," said Dr. Michael Treece and St. Luke's Hospital Pediatrician. "I would be tempted to leave those fingers in place. I realize children would tease each other over the slightest things, and having extra digits on each hand is more than slight. But imagine what sort of a pianist a 12-fingered person would be. Imagine what sort of a flamenco guitarist. If nothing else, think of their typing skills."

"I just want him to see what greatness will be in store for him," said the baby's proud father.

Greatness, huh -- like being an illustrious blogger? I AM TEH L337 P4WNR OF INTERWEBZ!

A couple more pictures of the mad digits after the jump.

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Mar 26 2008 Finger Piano Toy Came With Kid's Magazine

Shougaku Ichinensei, a Japanese magazine for 1st graders, always comes with a special learning toy, and this month it was an awesome Finger Piano. Here's the video. I'm not sure, because it's hard to hear the music over the noise of it being banged against the table, but I think it's someone having a seizure trying to play When the Saints Go Marching In. Still, a fun little gadget, I know I'd be stoked if I was in 1st grade and got something resembling a Power Glove. I mean WTF Highlights? Where were you on this? You didn't come with shit but paper cuts and those damn hidden picture games on the back.

Another video after the jump proving beyond the shadow of a doubt it's practically a fully functional piano you wear on your hand.

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