July 11, 2006, 10:19 PM CT

Photoshopping Contest

One day on the Worth1000 photoshopping contest.

The rules of this game are thus: Your image should be something that would shows pop culture icons as twisted evil monsters in any medium (i.e. cartoons, children's books, children's television shows, etc.). Text is allowed on images if it is a natural part of your image (i.e. the text on a book). It can be anything within reason, so long as it's clean. As always, quality is a must. We'll remove poor images no matter how much we like you. You'll have 48 hours for this contest, so make your submissions count.........

Posted by: Gina      Permalink         Source

July 11, 2006, 8:51 PM CT

Taking the Mickey

In a similar vein to the Ramones bears by Toxic Teddies and the Sex Pistols Kubricks by Medicom, here's another take on the punk toy theme. This time it's Japanese brand ROEN who have teamed up with Medicom and Disney, creating a Mickey Mouse figurine based on the iconic London Calling sleeve photo of Paul Simonon.

Currently it's not available outside Japan but with a bit of luck and fast action you might be able to get the figurine on eBay for around $50.

Sure to be a future collectible. Wonder what's next, Buzzcocks beanie babies?.........

Posted by: Gina      Permalink         Source

July 9, 2006, 8:13 PM CT

Microsoft "iSoft" VS Apple iPod

Apple has had total control of the handheld MP3 market since the birth of iPod in 2001. Competitors are not giving i though and are coming out with their handheld MP3 devices to go against iPod all the time, but none of them really ever take the lead at the moment. We have seen Sony trying hard to take the lead against Apple but failed, what to say with Microsoft? I'm sure some of you have heard about Microsoft is going to come out with their latest high-end handheld MP3 devices which will be the "iPod killer".

As heard from the rumors, the secret weapon device will only be announced in November. It should be the right time for Christmas when it reaches the market with glory. It should be a good news but what Apple has in hand? Apple is going to come out with the next model of iPod and probably will hit the market at the same with so-called Microsoft iPod Killer. According to rumor, the former head of XBox division will be in charge of this project, Robbie Bach. Will the Microsoft new music player break into this market in the same way that the XBox broke into the video game market?

We heard that Microsoft new portable media player is going to have a built-in wireless communication capability for music downloading. A Wi-Fi function could also enable localized ad transmission and ad hoc short-range networks. I'm very sure during the next released of new iPod model, Apple won't miss these two capabilities as well. If they come out with Bluetooth headset, then Microsoft iPod Killer will turn out to be Microsoft iPod Loser. The new device is definitely going to have a larger screen size than the current iPod but will it be thinner and lighter as well?........

Posted by: Gina      Permalink         Source

June 25, 2006, 3:18 PM CT

Light Pick from Santa Cruz Wells

Light Pick is a nice cool gadget from Santa Cruz Light Wells, it's a metronome and a guitar pick, all-in-one. It has a features called "Kick The Light Pick" that gives light on the down stoke when picking adjacent string sets. This means that those who play fast just between two strings will be able to play even faster than before!.

Light Pick has three modes of operation: blink mode, metronome mode and hold mode. When it is in hold mode, it will automatically turn off when your thumb is removed from the contact screws for more than 16 seconds. When it is in metronome mode, the Light Pick acts as a metronome, you can set the tempo, as well as the number of beats per measure and the light will flash accordingly. Blink Mode is primarily used as a visual light display, it flash as per the tempo that you set. The LEDs are synchronized to the music or can be set up to flash at random. Price: USD60.........

Posted by: Gina      Permalink         Source

June 25, 2006, 0:10 AM CT

Cheap Thrills

This the sort of saturation advertising I'm exposed to driving around town. Maybe I'm more sensitive to it given the nature of my job. Personally, I find this particular image cheap and sleazy. No class.

It's Brittany Spears, looking like a cheap star, at the door of a hotel room. In the background lurks the shadowy image of a pensive young bloke, wet behind the ears. The caption under his baby face reads, Do you dare ? (click on image).

Mate, my advice to you would be, don't do it ! Or if you must, at least organise some protection, before engaging in any thrill seeking !........

Posted by: Gina      Permalink         Source

June 22, 2006, 9:33 PM CT

Music Enhances Intelligence

A recent volume of the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences takes a closer look at how music evolved and how we respond to it. Contributors to the volume believe that animals such as birds, dolphins and whales make sounds analogous to music out of a desire to imitate each other. This ability to learn and imitate sounds is a trait necessary to acquire language and scientists feel that many of the sounds animals make may be precursors to human music.

Another study in the volume looks at whether music training can make individuals smarter. Scientists found more grey matter in the auditory cortex of the right hemisphere in musicians compared to nonmusicians. They feel these differences are probably not genetic, but instead due to use and practice.

Listening to classical music, particularly Mozart, has recently been thought to enhance performance on cognitive tests. Contributors to this volume take a closer look at this assertion and their findings indicate that listening to any music that is personally enjoyable has positive effects on cognition. In addition, the use of music to enhance memory is explored and research suggests that musical recitation enhances the coding of information by activating neural networks in a more united and thus more optimal fashion.........

Posted by: Gina      Permalink         Source

June 21, 2006, 10:30 PM CT

Dancing Science

Emily Jacobs-Palmer finds some of today's political and social attitudes toward science appalling. "I want to live in a world that respects researchers and values our work," says the molecular biology and biochemistry major, a senior at Wesleyan University. To create such a world, however, Jacobs-Palmer believes science must become more accessible-more comprehensible and interesting-to the general public.

It never occurred to her that one path to that goal might be through dance. Then she met Liz Lerman, winner of a MacArthur Foundation "genius" award and founder of the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange. Lerman was spending the year as an artist-in-residence at Wesleyan, while she choreographed Ferocious Beauty: Genome, a dance about the human genome.

One of Lerman's artist-in-residency projects was an HHMI-supported symposium on science and dance, in which Jacobs-Palmer participated. "Before that, the last way I would have thought to present science to the public was through dance," Jacobs-Palmer remarks.

Wesleyan, a small, private university in Middletown, Connecticut, led in commissioning the genome dance project after Pam Tatge, director of the university's Center for the Arts, saw Lerman's troupe perform. Lerman, known for her choreography of political and social issues and her intergenerational troupe of dancers, mentioned her desire to do a dance based on the human genome. So Tatge introduced her to Laura Grabel, a professor of biology who was then dean of natural sciences and mathematics at Wesleyan. Grabel danced professionally herself while she was in graduate school and as a postdoctoral fellow, and she was intrigued by the idea of using dance to communicate science to the public.........

Posted by: Tom      Permalink         Source

June 20, 2006, 9:02 PM CT

Consumers Don't Pardon Advertisements

A new study from the recent issue of the Journal of Consumer Research shows that the more consumers are absorbed in the narrative flow of a story - a process known as transportation - the less likely they are to respond positively to the intrusion of advertisements. These findings have interesting implications for advertisers, a number of of whom pay more for "premium" ad placement that may actually deter consumers.

"Media create the audience for most advertising. Consumers come to a medium for its content," explain Jing Wang (University of Iowa) and Bobby Calder (Northwestern University). "If the ad interrupts the transportation experience, this in itself creates a negative experience associated with the ad,".

When the story is personally relevant to the reader, these effects are increased. On the other hand, ads that are relevant to the reader's personal goals are deemed the most intrusive. However, absorption in a narrative does not always cause the reader to view ads negatively. The scientists found that absorption in a story can enhance the effect of advertisements - if they appear after the story has ended.

"Transportation can have both negative and positive effects on advertising," write the authors. "If an ad does not interfere with this process, say by occurring after the story is completes, the positive experience of transportation will be associated with the ad."........

Posted by: Gina      Permalink         Source

June 20, 2006, 8:27 PM CT

MEGA Screen MP3 Player

Don't be intimidated with the name of this MP3 Player, with such good words like Super, Talent and Mega included in the name you'd expect an outstanding player, sadly, the outcome is not what the name describes.

It is good in almost all aspects that serious MP3 buyers are interested: small, light, great display, high capacity for a flash player 2GB, MP3/WMA playback, FM reception, image viewing. BUT when it comes down to the actual usage of the player (functionality), the software is icky and inferior when comparing to rest of mp3 players, or so they say.

XYZComputing has an in-depth review of the Mega Screen MP3 player made by SuperTalent.........

Posted by: Gina      Permalink         Source

June 20, 2006, 7:13 PM CT

Tap Them with Your Fingers

No this is not a funky mouse pad neither it is a toy.....but a compact version of the good old drums. They have nothing in common with the old drums, except for the fact that they give out the same kinda beats complete with snare, high hats' zingy sound and the clinky tom toms, in short great music.

You have to put your fingers to use to rock these drums since these are 'Finger Drums'. All you have to do is just tap your fingers to hear the 'incredible' music from the inbuilt speaker unit on the top of this thing. The touch sensitive pad features the picture of a drum station packed with all possible requirements including a snare, high hat, three tom toms, a base drum and two cymbals.

You just have to tap the particular instrument to hear the sound. Seems a funky piece of entertainment for those who always wanted to be a rock star but couldn't afford the huge drum set, this one comes really light on the pockets as it's priced at just $32. So get yours and try on your musical powers.........

Posted by: Gina      Permalink         Source

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