Oddity Central

Oddity Central

Norwegian Teen Tattoos McDonald’s Receipt on His Arm as a Dare

Posted: 31 Mar 2014 04:52 AM PDT

When 18-year-old Stian Ytterdahl's friends dared him to get a tattoo, they gave him only two options to choose from – Barbie on his buttocks or a McDonald's receipt on his arm. They're both terrible, but I suppose you can't blame Stian for choosing the latter.

"Some of my mates thought I had been a bit too active on the ladies front recently and wanted to punish me," he said. "When we were in the restaurant on Monday, they said I had to tattoo a Barbie doll on my bum, or the receipt on my arm." Incidentally, this is the teenager's first tattoo ever, covering most of his lower right arm. There's a large McDonalds logo at the top, followed by a list of items he ordered off the menu – a cheeseburger and four added toppings.

Stian, from Lørenskog in Southwest Norway, also said that his parents were not at all pleased with the turn of events. "I got an email from my dad that wasn't entirely positive, saying: 'What on earth have you done?! Do you think you are coming home with that!? Your mother has had a break down.'" Stian's parents got to know about the tattoo from a report in the local newspaper and they were devastated.

Lørenskog: Stian tatoerte McDonaldskvittering på armen.

Microscopic Wonders – Incredibly Detailed Castles Etched onto Individual Grains of Sand

Posted: 31 Mar 2014 03:43 AM PDT

Artist Vik Muniz is almost a regular here at OC. We first wrote about his art made from domestic and industrial junk in 2010. Then, in 2012 he was back with his recreation of classic paintings using torn magazine scraps. Now, in collaboration with artist and MIT researcher Marcelo Coelho, Vik has taken then opposite approach to his previous art forms. While his older, gigantic art could only be admired from high above, his latest work is microscopic – a series of sandcastles etched onto individual grains of sand.

Vik said that earlier he had the opportunity to work on an environmental scale. Around that same time, he thought of "going the opposite way around and actually making things so small that it would create a similar impression. They would be so tiny that they could only be imagined, they could not be seen." When Marcelo was first approached by Vik, he thought it was a joke. "He came to me and said, I want to draw a castle on to a grain of sand. I think the sheer impossibility of that is what excited me."

Vik and Marcelo spent four long years on trial-and-error experiments before they could successfully create the tiny, magnificent drawings. Each piece of art is less than half a millimeter in size – an inconsequential fleck of sand to the naked eye. Together, they devised a process involving both antiquated technology and innovative visual tools. Vik first created the sketches using a camera Lucida – an optical superimposition device from the 1800s that uses a prism to turn images in front of the viewer into projections on paper. Using this technique, he was able to trace the tiny castles.

sand-grain-castles

Steady Handed Chinese Man Balances Eggs on Needle Points

Posted: 31 Mar 2014 02:33 AM PDT

Cui Juguo, from Changsha city in China's Hunan Province, holds the Guinness World Record for a very unique feat – he can perfectly balance eggs on small needles. As a person who frequently breaks eggs just by holding them, I think what Cui can do is phenomenal!

In the video footage below, Cui demonstrates how he can balance an ostrich egg on a needle point but as you can see in these photos, he can pull off his balancing feat with any kind of egg. "Ostrich eggs are largest in the world and I can balance them on a pin. No one else could do this," he said. "I set a Guinness World Record on August 19, 2011, and I am still the record holder."

Cui has been practicing the balancing act for about 6 years now, and it takes him a mere 10 seconds to put everything in place. He used to be a truck driver and he developed the unique skill to counter sleepiness on the road. "I often take several eggs with me on the road," he said. "Once I felt sleepy, I would pull over and start to stand the egg on the needle point."

Cui-Juguo

Dornob | Design Ideas Daily

Dornob | Design Ideas Daily

Luminous Glass and Wood House is a Jewel in Tokyo’s Valley

Posted: 31 Mar 2014 08:00 AM PDT

tokyo double circular ring house

Todoroki, Tokyo’s only valley, is the beautiful setting for the house called the Double Circular Ring. The house blends modern function and traditional materials in a kind of spectacular sight that blends in with its lush green surroundings.

double circular house lit from inside

staircase and kitchen

The interior of the home is free of walls other than those surrounding private areas like the bathrooms; a compartment-style kitchen also sits in the middle of the first floor. Designed by Fujiwalabo Architects, the home was meant to feel free and breezy. The anchoring visual structure in the home is the central staircase.

under stairs storage

storage corridor

The staircase maximizes the interior space of the home by doubling as storage. Drawers and shelves fill the space beneath the stairs; additional storage lines the walls of the home’s corridors.

light filled corridor

bathroom and exterior curtains

Glass walls make up nearly all of the home’s exterior. When lit from the inside, the home looks like a glittering jewel in the midst of this residential neighborhood. The residents have the option to pull interior curtains closed, blocking their daily activities from the eyes of passers-by and providing a sense of privacy and security.

Undulating Wave-Like Desk Weaves Through Modern Office

Posted: 30 Mar 2014 02:00 PM PDT

Superdesk 1

A white resin ribbon cuts a curving path through an office for a digital creative agency, seating all 125 employees and rising into occasional arches filled with storage niches. Finished in a gleaming gloss like a surfboard, the ‘Superdesk‘ eliminates the need for cubicles and creates semi-private spaces for meetings.

Superdesk 2

Superdesk 3

Designed by Clive Wilkinson Architects for New York City-based The Barbarian Group, the structure turns furniture into architecture, complete with roofs, dividing up a large warehouse-like space into smaller and more intimate sections.

Superdesk 4

The arches direct foot traffic through the space, while the continuous design creates a dialogue between different divisions of the company, an effect that architect Wilkinson describes as “making a village within a building.”  Benches and additional tables are built into the rooms-within-rooms created in the areas where the white desk surface is raised.

Walyou

Walyou

Link to Walyou

How To Save A Wet Phone Or Tablet

Posted: 31 Mar 2014 07:00 AM PDT

how_to_dry_a_wet_phone

We’ve all had our close calls or straight up terrible moments thanks to the unfortunate combination of liquids and gadgets, but here’s a few ideas on how to save them. Never mind the old tales like “sunlight” or “rice”, as they don’t work. This is just the real deal.

This handy step-by-step guide emerged at CNET, and details how to (maybe, hopefully) save your phone from the hazards of water and other liquids before you just give up and assume all is lot. Without any further introduction, this is what you should do:

Step 1. Turn off your phone. This needs to be done right away, before anything else happens, even drying with a towel or shirt, to cut the power before any water has a chance to hit the circuitry and short circuit it.

Step 2. Gadgets should be dried using a lint-free towel, with special attention to ports, speakers, and microphones. Disassemble any parts — like the SIM card and battery — and dry those too.

Step 3. Put everything (still disassembled) in a zip-top storage bag along with some silica gel packets (you should go and get some right away). They are extremely efficient at absorbing moisture, and can bout both online and at stores.

Step 4. Wait 72 hours. Use older phones or (gasp!) a PC in the meanwhile if you just GOT to check Twitter.

Step 5. Power your phone back on. Your phone should hopefully now be back in business. Good luck!

Some final notes, though, step one is the most important: you have to be quick, because you can dry a phone but not undo a short-circuit. Act fast.

Second, whether or not you manage to save your phone, your warranty will be void, as there’s an indicator that changes color when its hit by water (on the iPhone 5s, for example, it’s right by the SIM card).

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about Samsung's pre-orders for the NotePRO and TabPRO, and the leaked images of LG G Pad 8.3.

Spine-Chilling SociBot-Mini Wears Whatever Face You Want

Posted: 31 Mar 2014 06:30 AM PDT

SociBot-Mini

In John Woo’s Face/Off, the characters played by Nicholas Cage and John Travolta changed their faces to look like each other, but SociBot-Mini takes things even further, as it can assume any face its owners want it to.

Will Jackson of Engineered Arts, a firm based out of Penryn, UK, developed SociBot-Mini with the help of his colleagues. In the past, a lot of robotics companies went for a human-like design, and even though SociBot-Mini follows that trend, this robot does it in a hair-raising manner.

As Jackson explained, “Today’s computer interfaces have moved on very little from the typewriter. We have social software and a social Internet, but we don’t have social hardware.” With that in mind, he proceeded to creating a robot with a transparent plastic face, mouth, eyes and nose contours. The human-like face is emphasized by backlighting and is furthermore enhanced by a projector.

The 60-cm tall robot features a depth-sensing camera that makes it capable of capturing and recognizing gestures. Still, SociBot-Mini does more than just predicting your mood, as it can also estimate your age.

Even SociBot-Mini‘s developer admits that “It’s as spooky as all hell. We’ve tried it with a couple of our telecommuting colleagues in meetings and when it suddenly turns and joins in the conversation as our colleague Dan, and with his face, it is quite amazing. But you get used to it quickly.”

Tony Belpaeme, a researcher at Plymouth University in the UK, pointed out that SociBot-Mini might represent a gold mine for marketing firms: “Two dimensional video conferences are quite impoverished experiences. There is still something missing and so we prefer to meet real people. So the more you can bring that 2D experience into the 3D physical space the better the interaction will flow. Having a robot in which your face is projected, carrying all the right expressive signals, will provide an immensely strong presence, even though it will seem uncanny at first.”

Jackson plans to launch a campaign on Kickstarter, and there are plenty of spooky applications he could promote for SociBot-Mini, including trick-or-treating on Halloween, bringing people back from the other side by projecting their face on this robot, and creating the impression that long-distance partners are in the same room. These are only some of the creepy uses SociBot-Mini could have, but I’m sure that people would come with more ideas if this ever hits the market.

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How to Maintain Your Hybrid Vehicle

Posted: 31 Mar 2014 06:00 AM PDT

Hybrid car 1

Owning a hybrid car means you reap the benefits that come with having an efficient vehicle that uses a combination of fuel and electricity. As with any car, hybrid drivers need to follow their owner's manual to ensure maximum performance and longevity. The manual should include a schedule for regular maintenance as well as upkeep procedures that are unique to hybrids. Examine this list of seven ways to ensure you're doing a good job of maintaining your hybrid car and its systems.

Image via Wikimedia

Focus on Tires

First, consider putting tires with low rolling resistance on your hybrid. These special tires don't grip the pavement with as much strength as other tires. That means there's less work for the engine to do in getting the vehicle moving. Tires with low rolling resistance also are less demanding on the engine during acceleration and let you maintain your speed for longer periods of time when you're cruising. The bottom line is that changing to these tires improves your hybrid's fuel efficiency.

Next, put yourself on a schedule that requires you to check your hybrid's tire pressure at least once a month. If your tires aren't inflated to the recommended pressure, give them more air and watch your gas mileage improve right away.

Change the Oil and Filter

Whether you drive a traditional automobile or a hybrid, oil changes and replacing the air filter are important aspects of the car's routine maintenance. These days it's not just hybrid vehicles that bank impressive fuel efficiency.

The new Mercedes GLK class SUV is rated for 33 miles per gallon on the highway – a far cry from its bulky ancestors. While the manufacturers of many traditional vehicles, including Mercedes, recommend changing the oil every 3,000 miles or so, hybrids usually need an oil change every 5,000 miles. It all depends on your driving habits and the road conditions. Make it a habit to check your oil often and replace it when it begins to get dirty.

If you want to change the oil yourself, remember that many hybrids have different oil weights, so check the specifications of the recommended oil before heading to the store. Another consideration for the do-it-yourself crowd: Because hybrids have a gas engine and electric motor, you need to be careful to avoid touching parts that could shock you. Typically, those wires and parts are encased in bright orange covers to warn you of the potential danger.

Keep Tabs on Your Brakes

Like any vehicle, a hybrid has a brake system that needs routine checks. These vehicles use a type of brake that's different from other cars on the road. Regenerative braking captures the kinetic energy that would otherwise be lost as it turns into heat when you slow down. Not only do the brakes collect the energy, but they use a complex system to convert it into electricity that increases your battery's charge.

Because there's less heat produced when a hybrid slows down or stops — the brake pads, rotors, and other elements of this system last much longer than they would on a traditional vehicle that relies exclusively on friction to brake. Hybrids do have traditional braking as a kind of alternative that kicks in when regenerative braking doesn't give enough stopping power. So, it's important to have the entire braking system checked on the schedule your owner's manual recommends.

Monitor the Battery Pack

Image via Wikimedia

Batteries for hybrid cars are far more expensive than batteries found in non-hybrid vehicles. They can cost upwards of $2,000. Because of the key role they play and the expense, batteries for hybrids are made to last for most of your car's life. Still, the ability of a hybrid to deliver exceptional fuel efficiency relies on optimal performance from the battery. In some cases, hybrids need to have their batteries conditioned or even rebuilt. Through this process, the battery can regain some of its capabilities.

While traditional cars rely on engines to give them maximum power, hybrid systems rely more strongly on power generated from the battery. For this reason, it's important to think about the impact an aging battery has on your hybrid's fuel efficiency and decide if it's time for a rebuild, a conditioning process, or even a new battery.

Fuel Injector Cleaning

Gasoline vapors leave residue in the fuel injector. These deposits can form a hard varnish that may eventually clog the injector and compromise its performance. One way to combat this problem is to clean this part of your car to reduce build up. Though this is a process you can do yourself, it requires some specialized tools such as a fuel catalyst. For this reason, you may find it's more cost effective to let a professional handle the cleaning process.

Schedule Tune-Ups

Make sure you take your hybrid to a mechanic who has the experience and specialized training for working on hybrids. These vehicles have a complex drive train that brings the transmission, electric motor, and gas engine together. So, a mechanic needs to know how to handle these interconnected elements to avoid creating problems. A tune-up may include changing spark plugs, replacing the transmission fluid, and checking major systems for potential problems. Adhering to the recommended schedule for tune-ups decreases the chances you'll encounter more serious problems in the future.

Evaluate Cargo for Unnecessary Weight

Image via Wikimedia

From time to time, it's a good idea to look at how much extra load your hybrid is carrying. The more weight your car carries, the harder it has to work to move. For this reason, avoid leaving heavy items in your car, on your car, or in the trunk.

Common items people keep in their vehicles that add weight and reduce fuel efficiency include tools, donation items, and baby equipment such as strollers. It's one thing to put these items in your hybrid for a single trip. It's another thing to carry them around with you all the time. Promptly remove bikes you attach to the top or back of your vehicle once you're done with them since they add weight. By evaluating your cargo on a regular basis, you'll ensure you're getting the best fuel efficiency possible.

By performing the proper maintenance, you extend the life of your hybrid and enhance its ability to provide outstanding fuel efficiency. Failing to follow the recommended maintenance schedule puts your car's sophisticated systems at risk, creating potential problems that impact gas mileage and overall performance.

 

Google Now Might Soon Include a Bill Reminder

Posted: 31 Mar 2014 05:30 AM PDT

Google Now Bills

The search giant seems to have made a goal from helping people better organize their lives. As a consequence, the future updates of Google Now might include reminders for paying bills.

Google Now already provides current updates (hence this service’s name) on weather, sports team results, birthday reminders, stock prices, flight information and transport data for getting to work or back home. As of late, Google Now even offers quick access to track and trace services, assuming it found in your Gmail account a tracking number. Of course, there are plenty of other everyday life aspects that could be integrated in this service, and the Google Now bill reminder is only one of them.

Energy suppliers, ISPs and a whole lot other types of companies made the switch from paper to electronic bills a while ago. Assuming that your customer account includes your Google e-mail address and that you get e-mail reminders when the bills are issued, Google Now might be able to detect these e-mails and provide you with notifications in the form of cards.

The Google Now bill reminder would most probably display information in a minimalistic manner, typical for most of the search giant’s services. After all, all that people need to know is the name of the service provider, the amount of the bill and the due date.

This has a great potential of becoming something really big if Google decides to integrate Google Wallet in the reminder cards. That way, people could make payments a lot easier and their lives would become even better, all thanks to Google. A simpler and less impressive option would be to link to the service provider’s website in the Google Now cards, in order to pay the bills.

The way I see it, a bill reminder integrated in Google Now could be of great help for common people, and even more so for companies. In the case of the latter, bills represent a more pressing matter, not to mention that they imply larger amounts of money. Currently, it isn’t even certain whether the tech company will implement a bill reminder in Google Now, but the code snippets found by Android Police suggest that. We all have to wait and see how Google means to play this card, and an official announcement shouldn’t take long.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about the Google Now Launcher and the introduction in 2012 of Google Now, Siri’s nemesis.

Head In A Jar: The Creepiest April’s Fool Prank Ever

Posted: 31 Mar 2014 05:00 AM PDT

headinajar-1-600x399

Today’s April’s Fools, so here’s a last second prank in case you wanted to partake but didn’t plan ahead. You only need a printer, and a jar. Enjoy!

By using this handy tutorial at Instructables, you too can get your own head in a jar right on time to play a prank at school or the office. As they explain on the website, the procedure is simple: “Using a photo editor, two pictures are blended together to create flat image of a head, which is then laminated and submerged in a jar. When the flattened image in inserted into the curved jar, along with the distortion from the water, gives the illusion of a decapitated head in a jar of preserving fluid.”

Got any other special plans for today? Let us know in the comments section below!

Source: Nerd Approved

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter and Read more on Walyou at Photoshop Prank Gets People Waiting for the Bus Into Nearby Ads and The Most Evil Office Pranks.

 

AirBulb Is a Smart LED Light Bulb with a Wireless Speaker

Posted: 30 Mar 2014 12:45 PM PDT

AirBulb Smart LED Bulb with Wireless Speaker

When Edison, Swan and Maxim each invented their version of light bulb, they probably even couldn’t conceive that someday a closely related device would also include a wireless speaker.

Avantconcept, the Hong Kong company who developed the AirBulb have a pretty simple motto for this product: “Where there is light, there is music.” I beg to differ, as some people prefer listening to music in the dark, not to mention that there are plenty of illuminated spaces that are dead silent. However, the motto clearly refers to the two functions of AirBulb, respectively smart lighting and audio, that were cleverly brought together in a space-saving device.

Since this device is at the same time an LED light bulb and a speaker, the fact that it has the potential of saving people a bit of space will definitely come to mind first, but this is far from being the only good thing about AirBulb. The LED light bulb features color temperature control, not to mention that it also can be turned on and off or dimmed via an iOS or Android app.

The incorporated speaker is wireless, meaning that it can stream music from smartphones and tablets to which it connects via Bluetooth LE 4.0. The smart LED light bulb, on the other hand, has various flashing patterns, and can notify people of any incoming calls. Avantconcept also included alarm and timer modes, which were borrowed from Hi-Fi audio systems. All of these are very useful features, especially considering that they are all offered in a single product.

Installing the AirBulb is rather simple. After screwing it in the (presumably E27 or E14) slot, users need to install the companion app either from the iTunes App Store or Google’s Play Store. Next, they need to pair the smartphone or tablet with the smart light bulb and start playing with AirBulb’s settings. All in all, this smart lighting gadget seems bulkier than other smart bulbs, but considering its added functionality, I’m willing to turn a blind eye on that.

The developers of AirBulb started a Kickstarter two weeks ago, and the whole thing had 28 more days to go at press time. Early birds had the chance of securing an AirBulb for $59, but unfortunately all those spots are gone. The other backers need to provide $69 in order to get their smart bulb, in case the project gets funded.

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