3d illusion arts: December 2014

Oddity Central

This Military Armored Vehicle Is the Safest Taxi in Russia
El Rodafonio – The Craziest Musical Contraption Ever Created
Chinese Athlete Has Sights Set on Butt Skipping Record

This Military Armored Vehicle Is the Safest Taxi in Russia

Posted: 31 Dec 2014 01:23 AM PST

Russia’s newest taxi is unlike any other you've ever seen – it's actually an armored reconnaissance vehicle that's been modified to roam the streets of St. Petersburg just like any other cab. Although it has been painted red, its military design and deactivated turret gun machine can hardly be camouflaged and the vehicle never fails to grab attention every time it passes by.

The BRDM-2 Combat Command and Reconnaissance Vehicle was manufactured in the Soviet Union between 1963 and 1989. Well known for its ability to negotiate any kind of terrain, the BRDM was armed with a 14.5 mm Vladimirov heavy machine gun and a 7.62 mm Kalashnikov's tank machine gun.

The BRDM's current owner has long since wanted to use it as a taxi, but city authorities refused to grant a permit at first. After a long licensing campaign, the authorities finally gave in, with certain conditions. They asked that the vehicle's camouflage pattern be changed to something more civilian. That's why the owner chose red, in order to differentiate it from the standard yellow taxi color. The BRDM taxi is also prohibited from entering certain streets in the historical center of St. Petersburg, owing to its large size and weight.

Posted: 31 Dec 2014 01:11 AM PST

The street theatre scene in Barcelona was completely transformed in 2010, with the invention of the Rodafonio – perhaps the weirdest musical contraption in the world. Created by renowned designer and musician César Alvarez Bayer, it consists of a gigantic wheel that's four meters high and only 15 cm wide, like a huge waffle iron.

The wheel can accommodate a crew of five – the members of the Catalan music band 'Factoria Circular'. Three musicians sit inside the wheel in their respective metal circles, playing their musical instruments – a guitar, a saxophone, and a set of drums – to various tunes, while occasionally spinning inside the giant wheel. The other two members are actors who pedal the wheel into motion, bringing the huge mechanical device to life.

Posted: 31 Dec 2014 12:47 AM PST

Butt skipping is like a bizarre cousin of jumping rope – it involves bouncing up and down on your behind while twirling a rope underneath. The relatively lesser-known sport has gained prominence in south east Asia ever since a Japanese athlete took the world title in 2006. Now, Chinese gymnastics expert Yi Zhihua has set his heart on becoming the world champion.

20-year-old Zhihua wants to beat the world record of 166 butt skips in one minute and says he's nearly accomplished the feat during training. "I'm up to 152 per minute – you have to get through the pain barrier but after that when your butt is numb you can really notch up the numbers," he explained. "I am pretty certain I will have it cracked within the week and will start the New Year as the world champion."

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Dornob | Design Ideas Daily

Spanish Home Spreads Out in 5 Sections Across the Landscape

Posted: 30 Dec 2014 08:00 AM PST

House & Studio YC in Barcelona from architectural firm RTA-Office takes on a hub-and-spoke form with five volumes arranged around a small central hallway. The vaguely star-shaped home is located in a mountainous region where its muted colors and enormous windows help it blend into its surroundings. Each volume stands on its own, connected to the others only through the central hallway. Read more…

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Walyou

Concept Art for a Very Different Toy Story 3

Posted: 31 Dec 2014 04:27 AM PST

Anyone with a shred of emotion and/or love for animated films has seen Toy Story 3. But the story we all know and love, considered by many to be the best animated film of all time? It could have been very different.

Below, you can find key frame and concept art, as well as character designs from Circle 7′s Toy Story 3 that were created by Jim Martin and Shane Zalvin. In that version, written by Jim Herzfeld (“Meet The Parents”) the other toys become concerned when Buzz Lightyear starts to malfunction and decide to ship him to the Taiwanese that originally built him in the hopes they they could repair him.

Soon after, Woody and the rest toys are shocked to learn that there has been a massive recall on all Buzz Lightyear toys. Fearing that Buzz will be destroyed Woody and his gang (Rex, Slinky, Mr. Potato Head, Hamm, Jessie, and Bullseye) head off on a rescue mission. Over in Taiwan, Buzz is making new friends with other toys that have been recalled.

Images via Imgur

For a bit more alternative art with a take on the wonderful universe Pixar has created, check out these Minimalist posters or these Star Trek characters in Pixar style.

Microsoft Ditches IE for the Spartan Browser in Windows 10

Posted: 30 Dec 2014 12:26 PM PST

In the Redmond giant’s next version of Windows, Internet Explorer’s place might be taken by a lightweight browser, suggesting that Microsoft is ready to let go to its 19-year old piece of software.

Microsoft said over and over again that Windows 10 will be built from scratch, unlike 8 and 8.1, which were some sort of incremental updates to 7. To emphasize the fact that it’s starting over, the corporation dumped the 9 and jumped straight to 10. Now, reports claim that Microsoft will make even more drastic changes and will get rid of IE in favor of a new browser, codenamed Spartan. I hope they chose this name because it inspires strength, not because of the behavior it could determine users to have.

Not long ago, there was a joke about IE only being useful for downloading Firefox or Chrome. Microsoft has tried and tried to make Internet Explorer a modern browser, but it obviously couldn’t keep up with the times. Instead of bringing user another insignificant update, the company has decided to create a whole new browser, in an attempt to boost productivity.

“Productivity is the only thing that matters for the individual, the organisation or the entire economy,” said Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO, in an interview with the Telegraph. “The core driver of the use of technology is to create fulfillment in individual lives and drive economic gain for entire companies and entire economies.”

Microsoft won’t dismiss IE 11 entirely, as the Spartan Browser will be shipped alongside it. However, considering how much the world is looking for a change, it’s pretty clear who people will favor, in case they don’t go straight for Firefox or Chrome. A lightweight browser that doesn’t have much of an impact on CPU and RAM could be the best way to increase Microsoft’s share in the browser market.

The general consensus is that Microsoft will showcase the Spartan Browser as soon as January, when a Windows 10 keynote is scheduled. Hopefully, Spartan will also be more secure than its fellow browser, which has often been avoided precisely because of that.

I, for one, am not that impressed neither with Chrome, nor with Firefox, and am indeed one of those guys who use IE only to download its replacement. In this case, I’m talking about (an older version of) Opera, one of the most innovative Web browsers out there (but a terrible RAM hog, unfortunately), whose Presto engine has been abandoned in newer versions in the favor of WebKit, which is also used in Chrome.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about Cortana’s jokes on Siri’s size, or the new Microsoft Remote Desktop app for Android.

Optical Illusion of The Day: Snowboarder Walking on the Moon Optical Illusion

Snowboarder Walking on the Moon Optical Illusion

Posted: 30 Dec 2014 10:57 AM PST

Today is Tuesday, which means it is the second day of the week, and hopefully things are going well for everyone. How many of you love to watch the moon when its full? Back in 1969, Neil Armstrong, and some other astronauts, walked on the surface of the moon, and people have been curious about it ever since. Today's optical illusion is all about a snowboarder who walked on the moon, but unlike Armstrong and the others, this young man is literally walking on the moon or at least, using it for a stepping stone. How tall would you have to be in order to use the moon like a stepping stone? If given the chance, would you all walk to step on the moon or at least, on the surface of the moon?

How would all like to see another great optical illusion involving the moon? Take a look at this young woman holding the moon, and she too is gigantic sized! However, is this young woman a goddess because there is something unearthly about how she looks especially with the veil. Well, today is Tuesday, the week is still getting started, and hopefully, the rest of the week leading up to New Year's Day is a good one for all of you!

The post Snowboarder Walking on the Moon Optical Illusion appeared first on Mighty Optical Illusions.

Oddity Central

Jack Daniels Names Newborn Son Jim Beam
Bizarre Open-Air Urinals Spark Criticism in Australia
Scientists Use Calvin Klein Perfume to Attract Jaguars

Jack Daniels Names Newborn Son Jim Beam

Posted: 30 Dec 2014 03:50 AM PST

Giving babies weird names like ‘North West’ and ‘Blue Ivy’ has always been a celebrity thing, but it looks like ordinary people are joining in on the trend as well. The Leathers family from Louisiana for instance, name their kids after alcoholic beverages. Keeping up the tradition is new father 'Jack Daniels' Leathers, who has recently named his baby boy 'Jim Beam'.

Jack, 31, and his wife Lydia, 23, said that they decided early-on in their relationship that they wanted to continue the whiskey-name tradition that Jack's parents had started. "My parents decided they wanted to name their son something to make their parents mad," Jack explained. "And, at the time, my dad was drinking Jack, which he enjoyed. My mom said, 'Why not?'"

Posted: 30 Dec 2014 03:11 AM PST

After nearly a decade of trying to manage public urination in a busy nightclub strip, Australia's Gold Coast City Council finally hit upon an idea – temporary outdoor urinals. The loos are primarily aimed at drunken men who tend to relieve themselves in front of businesses and in alleyways. But the ingenious solution has sparked disgust among locals, who find the urinals ugly and offensive.

According to councillor Lex Bell, these urinals are the only way to manage the problem of public urination that has plagued Cavill Mall and Orchid Avenue in Surfer's Paradise, southeastern Queensland. Authorities simply do not have the manpower to fine all the people who urinate in public in these areas and don’t have the authority to arrest them.

"We cannot arrest such people – we don’t have the power, so the thought was if we put urinals in places where the inebriated people have to stagger past, they may well use them. When people are staggering from nightclubs, they won’t seek out public toilets – even if they are there,” he explained.

Photo: Twitter

Posted: 30 Dec 2014 02:56 AM PST

While camera traps have been used in ecological research for decades, luring animals towards these traps requires constant innovation. And you'll never believe what they're now using to attract wild jaguars – Calvin Klein Obsession for Men!

According to Miguel Ordeñana, a biologist with the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles and an expert on camera traps, the idea belongs to a Bronx Zoo researcher who tried a bunch of different scents before discovering the jaguar's affinity for Calvin Klein. What's special about the cologne is that its two main ingredients – civetone and vanilla extract – create a combination that's irresistible to these big cats.

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Dornob | Design Ideas Daily

Multiple Personalities: Homespun But Elegant Furniture Set

Posted: 29 Dec 2014 02:00 PM PST

It's a favorite exercise of designers to pair two materials that seem to be completely unrelated and to explore the way they interact with one another. Belgian designer Robin Berrewaerts has carried out this exercise using yellow pine wood and concrete. The two are not often seen together, as yellow pine is most often used to make plywood and dimensional lumber. Read more…

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All-Glass House Can Cure Fluorescent Lighting Overload

Posted: 29 Dec 2014 08:00 AM PST

There's really no debating the benefits of natural light. Being exposed to moderate amounts of sunlight can have tremendously positive effects on your mind and body. But when most of us work in dark cubicles and come home to dimly-lit homes, we aren't getting enough of those beneficial rays. Photon Space is an all-glass home from a UK glass engineering company called Cantifix. Read more…