Image Inc is a cool little image editing freeware prog that gives you the ability to layer multiple photos over each other to create interesting and artistic composites. Load up two images and a mask and play with the multiple layer settings, opacity and gradients until you come up with something interesting. Sure you can do this in the major editors, but this is a nice little quick and dirty tool if you’re interested in producing different photographic effects quickly and easily. The…
Read MoreMonthly Archives: August 2010
How Facts Backfire – how facts sometimes don’t change our minds
How Facts Backfire is a rather surprising report from the Boston Globe which suggests that people often won’t won’t change their minds even when proved wrong with the facts of a matter. Again, as with many strange things to do with our mind, it’s all tied in with conditionings and the deeper issues of cognitive dissonance, but even so it’s rather alarming in a lot of ways. Facts don’t necessarily have the power to change our minds. In fact, quite the…
Read MoreMichael Paul Smith – model maker extraordinaire
Michael Paul Smith likes making models. Which is kinda like saying Willy Wonka likes chocolate. His Elgin Park collection of 50’s street scenes is just stunning. Really. It also helps that his photography is spot on too, which just makes it all better. Also on Flickr. What started out as an exercise in model building and photography, ended up as a dream-like reconstruction of the town I grew up in. It’s not an exact recreation, but it does capture the…
Read MoreKisai Traffic – the perfect excuse for turning up late…again
The Kisai Traffic watch disguises the hours of the day as a series of city transportation layouts. Because you see, that makes it really easy to read the time. Not. I know we’re suckers for reporting on this type of annoying watch thing, but we can’t help it. They look pretty. Sigh. $169.73. Navigating Traffic will become your forte once you’ve mastered the rules of the road. Take a look at the maps below and trust your instincts. Hours 1-12 are…
Read MoreRemote Control Jammer – be a real pest for a 100 metre radius
This Remote Control Jammer will disable all car, garage door, and other similar remote controls within a 100 metre radius of where you’re standing. Quite why you’d want to do this type of naughty Gizmodo malfeasance is completely beyond our understanding. Because we were brought up properly, to obey our parents and never talk back to someone in authority. Oh yes. $249.99. The portable remote control jammer works on 433MHz. Its designed to block handhold wireless remote controls, including Car remote…
Read MoreWireless Webcam – make like remote movie mayhem
Dear Santa. Please can we have more cool Wireless Webcam products in the sack this Winter? Thanks very much. Its the first wireless webcam with wireless digital transmission, digital video and audio compression technology and USB charging function. Multi-used clip, compatible with both desktop and laptop computer. Using good quality lens, performance is better. Resolution: QVGA (320×240) 15 frames/second. Built-in microphone, synchronize with video playing. Transmission range:10 meters (open space). Built-in high volume Li-ion battery, support 5 hours working after…
Read MoreFlashnote – awesome instant notepad freeware
Flashnote is an excellent and free instant note taker program which lets you write notes in less time than it takes to pick up a pen. Just hit Alt-S on the keyboard (or any other hotkey you set up) and it’s there instantly. Copy in some clipboard text or write in your note and hit Esc to remove the window till next time. Each note is dated and stored in a database, and there’s a great little search function for finding…
Read More25 Photoshop Retouching Tutorials – how to spice up your photos like the pros
25 Photoshop Retouching Tutorials is a nice round-up of tips on how to tweak your photography like the pros do. This cutting out one is particularly cool. There are several tricks and techniques you can adopt and apply via Photoshop, to make your pictures stand up to the mark of professional imaging. From changing colour schemes, textures, lighting and the very form and figure of your subject…Below is a compilation of interesting Photoshop tutorials that really make the difference between…
Read MoreDenmark’s Net-Zero-Energy Home – our homes may have a future as power generators
The Danish Net-Zero-Energy Home shown above may look ordinary but it could transform the way we live in our cheap energy restricted future. The house uses a truck load of high technology allied to cost effective materials like wood to deliver a building that generates more power than it consumes. As you’d expect the building is beautifully designed in that typical Nordic simple style, but alongside the traditional fixtures and fittings you’ll find extensive installations of photovoltaic solar panels, heat pumps, triple…
Read MoreInception – done hard core geek style
Software Engineer A. R. Karthick is clearly a coder with some needs. One of them is to understand how the hit movie Inception works on a programmatical level. So he’s gone and uploaded a hard core geek interpretation to GitHub to pull it all together. Don’t expect to understand unless you code. Just marvel. [Thanks Tom!] Programmatic representation of the Brilliant movie: INCEPTION by the Genius Director THY name is Christopher Nolan! My tribute to Nolan in “C” Language and…
Read MoreOhLife – brilliant email based free daily journal service
OhLife is an absolutely brilliant online diary service. How many times have you said ‘I really ought to start a diary’? Well now you can, and more to the point, for the first time you might actually keep it up. Why? Well for one thing, once you’ve signed up to the free service, every evening at 8pm (your time) you’ll receive an email reminder asking ‘How did your day go?’ Just hit the reply button and write your diary entry and…
Read MorePlatinum 600SS Gold Scale – jeweler’s scales helps turn gold into green
The Platinum 600SS Gold Scale is one of those products which could become very useful now that economic times are tougher all round. We can see penthouse dwellers the world over digging out their heirlooms for a quick weigh and bag, as they contemplate a new life without Dom and Gucci. On the other hand, it’s probably easier to just fire the butler. $49.95. This is the digital scale used by professional jewelers to weigh gold and other precious metals. The scale…
Read MoreCyGlo – cool motion powered LED lit bicycle tyres
CyGlo is a cool new technology for embedding motion powered LED lights into bicycle tyres. The lights can be set into the rim or the main part of the tyre tread and be set to flash or stay on continuously. Once you have the tyres on your bike, you’ll be as visible as an emergency flare in a bear cave to all those other road users around you. The developers have just secured investment cash and a new chairman, and are…
Read MoreiZiNN CJ-3 Nokia N8 clone – Finland cringes after receiving Android love
This iZiNN CJ-3 Nokia N8 clone comes from a Chinese factory far, far away. On the other side of Neverland in fact. And if the Finnish hordes ever find out where it is, there’ll be mayhem and mischief in the streets that night. The thing sports a 3.5 inch capacitive screen, HDMI output, 5.0 megapixel camera and…gasp…the Google Android 2.1 operating system. [Via] Tags: izinn+cj3, nokia+n8+clone
Read MoreSpinning Wheel of Doom – badges show off your l4m3 cred…
These Spinning Wheel of Doom badges (no not badgers, foo’) are apparently designed to show off your geek street cred. Not sure. Not sure at all. $1.90 each. Geek Chic just got Chic-er with this splendid Spinning Wheel of Doom button badge! Tags: spinning+wheel+of+doom, gadget
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