Anjis Place

Why is the Sky Dark at Night?

anjik — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 18:07:41 +0000

Dancing Merengue Dog

anjik — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:05:10 +0000

This dog is an accomplished merengue dancer.

Monstrous Wildlife: Graboids

anjik — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:02:24 +0000

Here’s a nice video on graboids. If you only know about these land sharks from old skits or classic cartoons, filmmaker Frank Robnik put together this nicely animated piece that dispels many misconceptions about these misunderstood creatures. Great score by Sebastian Birkl, too!

10 Websites With Really Cool Inventions You Don’t Know About

anjik — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:05:23 +0000

Popular Science

The site’s tagline reads – The Future Now. Popular Science brings new technology and science news as it is happening right now. Most of it is on the cutting edge. If it all sounds too serious, do a bit of crystal gazing on This Week in the Future. But their richest resource can be mined from their 137 year old archived collections made available for free browsing.

New Scientist

The New Scientist website is all about scientific discovery, and its industrial, commercial and social consequences. It is one of the most popular destinations for those interested in cool inventions and innovations. The patent news blog which made for interesting reads on new cool inventions though has been discontinued. The best bet is to follow the news or use the search feature.

Sci-Tech Today

Sci-Tech Today brings current news from many areas of human scientific development. As a reader interested in cool inventions, you might like to check out topics headlined under Innovation. I just read a piece and found that a glass first manufactured in 1962 is on the cusp of becoming a multi-million dollar business now, fifty years later. Were you in the know about Gorilla Glass?

Seed Magazine

Are you looking for a better material? Did you know that there is a unique consultancy that displays a library of innovative new materials that anyone can use for research? Read about such innovations and cool inventions on this online magazine that covers technology and how it impacts business, design, and even politics.

Toxel

You might like this blog after reading all the serious stuff in the previous ones. The blog on cool inventions collates inspirations and innovations from around the websphere and presents it for quick reading but with lots of photos. Check out the mention on the Shark Inspired Personal Watercraft.

Inventor Spot

Inventorspot.com is not only about the guy who likes to read up on latest inventions, innovations and interesting ideas, but also for the wannabe inventor. Inventors can check out the well listed resources for their kind like the InventorPages directory. Then there’s the Inventor’s Forum for all kinds of chit chat.

But as an interested reader, I would check out the Inventor Gallery where lots of cool (and crazy) inventions are arranged around categories.

Invention Reaction

Inventionreaction.com is very similar to the above website in that it provides all the regular dope on inventions from around the world. An interesting read in the Invention Timeline which chronologically lists groundbreaking inventions since the early millennia. You can then balance your reading of the latest cool inventions with a few from the funny and weird inventions list. How about the Defendius Door Chain as a home security system?

Invent Now

Kids are instinctively inventive. That’s what InventNow.org comes forward to prove with its gallery of inventions that have been submitted by kids. The website also includes games, message board, contest and other activities. You can search for cool inventions by kids using the search or go through them in the Gallery. You have to move a conveyer belt to look at each one of them.

Invent Help News

Get invention and technology news in the form of free detailed articles which also link to the main sources. The news comes from a variety of fields, from advertising to fashion inventions. How about a Smart Mirror if you have a phobia about shopping on your own.

Why Not

Whynot.net is about asking questions and generating ideas, some of which will hopefully spark inventions. The community powered website works like an open discussion board where you can post your ideas and get support and inputs from members. Like one of the ideas points to the YouTube video of a machine that converts plastic into oil. The website is less about illustrations and more about enlightened ideas and discussions.

Then there are the websites that help you scour the patents that get filled every day. A web resource like Patent Storm gives you the whole shebang but may be dull as dishwater for the casual reader. But Patently Silly might help to bring the sense of absurd back with a funny look at some cool inventions.

The Monk & The Monkey

anjik — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 18:57:51 +0000

A determined young boy, Ragu, is sent by his master on his final quest to become a monk.

Amazing Live-Action Spot for Microsoft’s Halo Reach!

anjik — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 00:46:20 +0000

Remember that awesome short live-action teaser that Microsoft made for Halo 3
: ODST last year, following a group of soldiers and one young kid who becomes a member of the ODSTs? Well, to top that off, Microsoft has delivered another incredible new teaser trailer for the upcoming game Halo Reach (which goes on sale September 14th) that was made in live-action using actual actors. They’ve been featuring a couple of these as commercials already, but they weren’t that amazing, however this last one kicks some serious ass and gives us yet another taste of what it will (hopefully one day) be like to see a Halo film in its entirety. Watch this!

Check out Noam Murro’s live-action teaser for Microsoft’s Halo Reach:

New Trailer for ‘Tamara Drewe’ with Gemma Arterton

anjik — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 17:40:06 +0000

Anyone getting a bit tired of Gemma Arterton yet? No, no, no, she’s way too pretty for that to happen! Yahoo has debuted the trailer for Stephen Frears’ Tamara Drewe, a British comedy starring Gemma Arterton based on a comic strip in the UK. It looks pretty good, something that any writers out there will definitely get a kick out of. Plus, I don’t think many people would turn down watching a kinky Gemma Arterton screwing the whole village, right? Anyway, I’m sure I’ve said enough to get you to watch this new trailer, so check it out below!

Watch the official trailer for Stephen Frears’ Tamara Drewe:

You can also watch the trailer for Tamara Drewe in High Definition on Yahoo

A young newspaper writer (Gemma Arterton) returns to her childhood home in the English countryside.

Tamara Drewe is directed by Oscar nominated British filmaker Stephen Frears, of many great films like Dangerous Liaisons, The Grifters, Mary Reilly, High Fidelity, Dirty Pretty Things, The Queen and Chéri most recently. The screenplay was written by Moira Buffini (The Enlightenment) and was based on a comic strip series (as a graphic novel) by Posy Simmonds first published in 2005 by The Guardian. Sony Pictures Classics is bringing Tamara Drewe to limited theaters starting October 8th this fall.

Vertical Drop Heroes!

anjik — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:22:06 +0000

Vertical Drop Heroes! by Nerdook is platforming meets action meets Plinko. The goblins have captured the princesses and, in a remarkable bit of foresight, have also rounded up and locked away every single hero the land has to offer, leaving the king with no choice but to turn to you for help. The game is played on a vertical field where you start at the top and work your way downwards, collecting treasure, trouncing enemies, and rescuing your fellow heroes along the way. At the bottom of most levels you’ll find a key that will let you access the temples where the princesses are being held… or you might find a super powered monster looking to eat your face.

Move with [WASD] or the [arrow] keys, and activate whatever special powers you might have with the [spacebar]. In the beginning, the only special ability you have as boring ol’ you is “try not to die”; you can kill some enemies by jumping on them, but for stronger foes you’ll need to bring out the big guns by rescuing heroes more qualified than you. To rescue a hero, stand on top of their cage and press [down]; doing so will actually transform you into the hero and grant you their abilities. Just be careful since a single hit will make you lose those sweet new skills and turn you back into Generic Guy Who Runs Away A Lot, and too many hits means death. (So be sure to keep an eye out for red health potions!)

You can unlock various abilities for each class that you can set before you start a new level. The Ranger, for instance, has a Hydra Arrow technique that allows three arrows to be shot at once, while the Mage has a Soul Rip spell that will destroy every enemy on screen. (And presumably makes you really unpopular at parties.) Although nifty, these abilities usually eat up a lot of your limited pool of mana, so use them wisely. When you’re done with Story Mode, you can also check out Survival Mode, and even 2 Player Mode, which allows you to duke it out with a friend at the same keyboard, or with the computer AI.

Hasbro’s New Masterpiece is the Star Wars AT-AT Vehicle Toy

anjik — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:10:11 +0000

The Battle of Hoth in Stars Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back is one of the most memorable battle sequences in cinema history. The battle sequence has been widely appreciated for its scale, stunts, special effects, and nail biting suspense.

Set against a backdrop of the snow-white arctic world, the forces of good and evil clash as the Galactic Empire looks to destroy the Rebel Alliance’s secretive Echo Base that is located on Hoth. The Galactic Empire’s attack force consists of a fleet of AT-ATs: large, four-legged armored walkers commanded by Major General Maximillian Veers.

Thirty years after, Stars Wars V opened to critical acclaim and commercial success, Hasbro (the guys who created Transformers) has unveiled the all new Star Wars Deluxe AT-AT Vehicle (toy) at the 2010 New York Toy Fair. Our first reaction when we saw it: awesome!!

In the movie, the armored walkers were nearly indestructible and the Rebel Alliance suffered heavy casualties due to the AT-AT’s attacking force. Inspired by their size in the movie, Hasbro has created one of the biggest AT-AT toys ever made. The Deluxe AT-AT Vehicle measures more than 24 inches long and 12 inches wide. The toy can hold up to 20 Star Wars figures with the head of the toy being able to contain no less than six action figures.

If the size of the AT-AT toy impresses you, the detailing that Hasbro has put into its design will blow your mind away. The first thing you will probably notice is that Hasbro’s AT-AT looks exactly like a replica of its screen cousin. The grooves and lines on the body reflect fine workmanship; the legs of the toy are well articulated allowing you to fashion various poses with the toy.

When you flip open the head, there is transparent screen radar that would allow the captain of the AT-AT to monitor movement around the armored walker; just like in the movie. The sides of the body open up revealing a multi-level command centre of the demolition machine. There is more to this toy than just its cool bodywork. It also contains red LED lights along with sounds and phrases from the movie. What makes this Hasbro piece-of-art a must have toy is that it also contains a pop-out speeder and a 3.75 inch action figure.

The Star Wars Deluxe AT-AT Vehicle is set to hit the markets on August 1 at the rate of $108.99.

CERN Choir Sings “The Particle Physicists’ Song”

anjik — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:45:43 +0000

The late British comedy duo Flanders and Swann once popularized a song called “The Particle Physicists’ Song.” Here a performance of it by the official choir of CERN — the European Center for Nuclear Research.