Monday 10 December 2012

Pale Blue Dot

Nasa's Voyager 1 is the farthest manmade object ever sent from Earth. Launched in 1977, it is now 11 billion miles away and has entered the 'magnetic highway'- the point at which it leaves our solar system. Shame Sir Patrick Moore (RIP) will not be around to discover what lies beyond.

In 1990, Voyager turned around to look back towards us, and took a photo of the Earth, a shot where our planet is so small it appears as a Pale Blue Dot. (Have a look below, that's not dust on your screen in that light brown sun beam)

This became the title of a bestselling book by Carl Sagan, and this stunning animation uses his words.

Pale Blue Dot from ORDER on Vimeo.

How many light years is 11 billion miles? Only 0.00187122571. In September, Nasa discovered a tiny galaxy 13.2 billion light years away. Blimey.

Impressive Cup And Ball Juggler / Conjurer / Comedian

Fairly obvious how most of this is done, but fantastic sleight of hand and comedy madness all the same. Yann Frisch won the 'FISM' this year, the World Championships of Magic. It was held in Blackpool. In July. Never knew something like that existed. Why wasn't it on TV? Maybe it was.

Paul Daniels also does some cup and ball juggling. "Say Yes Paul".

Friday 7 December 2012

Mash : Beyonce V Benny Hill - Single Ladies

Thought the original video was hilarious anyway, but this just adds that *little bit* more. Imagine having to learn that weird dance routine in the first place, it just doesn't make any sense, go anywhere and say anything, does it? Oh, apart from the bit where she flashes her ringless finger / hand in the chorus.

Yes, call me old, but those odd-middle-eight-dance-routines that Janet Jackson started in the late 80's have seemingly influenced everyone in that female-singer-but-look-I-can-dance genre, and they have always been shite, and Beyonce has extended that to a full length video of nonsense.

Without the timing of those poor dancers alongside the 'star', those professional dancers that have also spent hours learning these weird bobbins moves, a solo ' performer doing this sort of routine in a local disco would look like someone in need of restraint / help / a bit of a talking too, along the lines of 'can you please stop showing off' or 'have you taken your medication'.

Thanks to mrandrist on B3ta.com for sharing earlier today - yes it's a bit old, but I'd not seen it before.

Thursday 6 December 2012

Earth At Night - The Black Marble

An animation of cloud free photographs taken by a satellite on Earth's dark side, knitted together to reveal our globe radiating its fragile light into the darkness of space.

Found on io9.com

Isaac Newton vs. Rube Goldberg

Or Laws Of Motion & Gravity vs. a comically involved, complicated invention, laboriously contrived to perform a simple operation, usually involving a chain reaction.

All makes sense at around 30secs.

Here is Red Bull's version. **Warning** Includes Free Running.

Found on B3ta.com

Friday 30 November 2012

Facebook Law For Idiots

Can everyone post this on their walls please?

Thanks to Marcelo for sharing.

Thursday 29 November 2012

Central Park Autumn Time Lapse

Smashing. Must've taken ages to make. Anyone fancy a pint?

Fall from jamie scott on Vimeo.

Wednesday 28 November 2012

International Space Station Tour

In her final days as Commander of the International Space Station, Sunita Williams of NASA recorded this extensive tour - its bit like an office farewell really, before her commute home - via the Soyuz Spacecraft.

Tuesday 13 November 2012

Mixing 3D Printing And Sculpture With Real World Objects

*Amazing* Think of the cool surreal sculptures street artists could do with this technique - we'll be discovering art in all sorts of unexpected places, scratching our heads mumbling 'Lego? It's not... is it?". Banksy could do some superb thought provoking stuff that would turn everyday objects into priceless pieces, if he can find strong enough glue. At last, stone masons can accurately fix brickwork and statues, replacing missing limbs, heads other bits on ancient artifacts, but that's boring. 3D print Terminator's robotic hand and stick it on Nelson, add a double bass instead of a bow for Eros and of course, a massive 99 ice cream cone complete with Cadbury flake for Liberty, that's more like it. Cue advertisers..

A sandstone block built from lego, blending real objects with 3d prints from Greg Petchkovsky on Vimeo.

Found on b3ta.com

Friday 9 November 2012

Misheard Lyric Compilation

"Who you gonna call? Those Bastards" As the video makers warn, you will not be able to 'unhear' these..

Found on b3ta.com

Mobile Phone Crashing

Mildly amusing, and tempting to do on a commute..

Found on b3ta.com

Monday 5 November 2012

"824 Stories About Suri Cruise In 6 Years.."

"That works out at roughly 2 or 3 every week, 1 every 2 or 3 days of her entire life".

Watch this - Martin Robbins: Why The Daily Mail is Evil (at The Pod Delusion's 3rd birthday do). The Daily Mail is, by the way, the worlds most popular newspaper online, according to comscore.

Thanks to Pew! Pew! Pew! Lasers! for posting on b3ta.com

Friday 2 November 2012

Harmless Shelf Unit Is Hiding Something Nasty (Not The Titanic Box Set)

If you live in the United States, you MUST have this shelving unit in your front room - it looks like some pretty harmless Ikea model doesn't it? Er, no. This is the USA.

As we all know in the UK, if you live in the USA you need to have guns, and lots of them. Guns to protect yourself, your family, your property and your rights to carry a gun, if someone else with a gun should come near and threaten you, your family, your property - or presumingly, your rights to carry a gun. So why not get more guns that the potential person that should dare do this, and hide them in this shelf. Great idea.

'Where?' I hear you say. Well, watch this video. Hopefully the American owner of such a unit would be able to run to the shelf, remember how to open the arsenal before the American owner of another gun enters the room and wonders why the home owner is suddenly fiddling with their pretty harmless Ikea shelf.

I'd hate to live in a place where you are under such a constant and real threat of being shot, you'd need enough guns in your front room to arm a small terrorist cell.

Thursday 1 November 2012

Really Terrible Star Prize On Bullseye

Two contestants take the gamble on Bullseye and end up really disappointed... after they win.

Thanks to D Styles for spotting this on the TV last night, and for pobblepop for adding the Bullseye Contestants link to my post on B3ta.com

Hobbit Themed Safety Video - By Air New Zealand

Ronseal.

Cassetteboy vs Obama vs Romney

More Cassetteboy here

Wednesday 31 October 2012

Thursday 11 October 2012

Heavy Metal Marching Band Perform "Final Countdown", "Ace Of Spades" and "Enter Sandman"

Marvellous. Try and watch this without smiling, it's Blaas Of Glory performing The Final Countdown at Sonisphere in 2009.

They also do Motorhead's 'Ace Of Spades'

Metallica's 'Enter Sandman'

And just for Wookiee, Bon Jovi's 'Living On A Prayer'

Found on b3ta.com

Star Wars Angry Birds

I'm speechless.

George Lucas is estimated to be worth over $3Billion so why is he flogging Star Wars to death?

"Hi George, got an idea for a TV advert. It's Yoda / Darth Vadar and they talk about our products, and cheapen themselves in the process!"

"Will the younglings like it? Then yes - but can we call it Yodafone?"

"No. That'll take away from our brand. And it's too clever George"

The Star Wars Lego series aside (Appeals to a new generation, gets them interested in a film series that started, what, 30 years ago? And is now a cartoon series on TV too isn't it?) isn't it time Lucas stopped these partnerships (Vodafone / PC World / VW - is that it?), and looked after the Star Wars Brand?

"Both Star Wars and Angry Birds share the instant and irresistible appeal of hands-on fun," said Lucasfilm vice-president and head of studio operations Colum Slevin. "People seem to instinctively know what to do when handed a lightsaber or a bird in a slingshot, so this is a natural combination." Yes Colum, naturally the two go together, just like seeing Darth Vadar in PC World.

Lucas has even allowed part of the film to be used in a teaser advert, without doubt the first of many. Rovio must be rubbing their hands with glee. R2D2 won't be, he's featured as an Egg.

I'm actually dreading what Lucas will allow next. Go Compare adverts? Compare the bloody Meerkat? PPI claims? HALIFAX RADIO STATION ADS!!?? Who is still playing Angry Birds anyway, and who will play this game apart from bored suited commuters on their way to work, who are well aware of Star Wars having watched them in the cinema, then again on TV, then on VHS, then on DVD - then again at the cinema (Don't start me on Jar Jar Binks) then again on the special edition digitally remastered DVD with bonus scenes, then Blu-Ray - and probably, because I know he's working on it, 3-Bloody-D? George, why don't you just make another Star Wars film for flips sake, before episode 1, or after 6 - don't tell me - that'll kill 'the magic'.

See also, New VW Advert Doesn't Have A Star Wars Mention In It - from February 2012

Friday 28 September 2012

A BMW In A Pothole

Not something you see everyday I must admit, so yes, if I was a local resident, I think I'd take my kids along to have a look at it, after all it is a BMW stuck in a pothole by a mini roundabout on the A320.

One local resident helpfully points out that its not actually the first time this has happened, identifying the fact that this particular pothole is bit of a health and safety risk, one that surely Surrey County Council should prioritise and fill in? He goes on to state that 'everyone knows that you are going to get this around this time of year', so it's no wonder that the council in Surrey have paid out more in damage to cars that any other in the UK, over £600k in the last two years. Tsk.

For more information about the hole, and the incident, read the report on Get Surrey.

Exploding Dustbin Full Of Ping Pong Balls

Takes me back to the Chase High School, Mr Rawlings's and the Hydrogen mixing with Oxygen in a tin can experiment that left dents in the ceiling.

Thursday 13 September 2012

Ooh, That Sounds Familiar : 2 : Radiohead "Creep"

It's not very important, but it was recently dawned on me - how much Radiohead's seminal "Creep" sounds like The Hollie's "The Air That Your Breathe".

Infact, so much so that Thom Yorke credits Phil Everley on their version.

 Another to be filed under "Talent Borrows, Genius Steals (Shits Copy)" I suppose.

Radiohead "Creep"

 The Hollies "The Air That I Breathe"


 Uncanny. Only so many notes to go around I suppose.

Also read : Ooh, That Sounds Familiar : 1 : U2 "With Or Without You"


Thursday 9 August 2012

Lake Ice's Cracking Star Wars Impression

The weird sound of ice cracking on a relatively large lake, must have been on a sound engineer's list for special effects for Star Wars?

Saturday 21 July 2012

International Space Station Time Lapse

One of my favourite things on Twitter is getting a tweet when the ISS is coming overhead (Follow Twisst here) and will be visible. Clever stuff. As it speeds across the sky, mostly unnoticed from people below - 'it's a bloody plane, you can't see satellites with the naked eye' etc etc I wonder what they can see below. Must be AMAZING - and watching this video, it clearly is.

View from the ISS at Night from Knate Myers on Vimeo.

Hardest 'Where's Wally' Ever Part 1.

MP And The Army Take Psychedelic Drugs Shocker. Very British Drug Tests In The 1950's

I have no idea what 'Mescaline' is, and I can't be bothered to copy / paste it into Wikipedia to look it up. It's a bit like LSD from the following video - featured Christopher Mayhew MP in a BBC (Daily Mail would LOVE this) documentary that was never ever shown. Humphry Osmond, the 'dealer' coined the phrase 'Psychedelic', but it would take someone in California with a less British plummy accent to add the 'Man' bit in the 1960's.

Here's this SHOCKING FOOTAGE Daily Mail readers.

You think an MP taking drugs on TV presumingly to make a name for himself / get on the 50's version of I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here is shocking? How about the Army? Soldiers! On an exercise! With Guns! TAKING ACID?! "1 hour and 10 minutes after taking the drug, with one man in a tree, feeding the birds.."

Friday 1 June 2012

The World’s First Stereoscopic Reconstruction Of A Painting.

Jan Matejko, Battle of Grunwald - now in 3D. "67 unique characters, each rendered as three-dimensional models, come together to form a clear spatial composition. Depth and perspective appear "within arm’s reach", inviting the viewer into the canvas to experience it from a new perspective"

"The project posed a challenge to animators, who were required to meticulously interpret and recreate the 1878 original and find solutions to problems such as how to depict figures who were partially obscured by those next to them."

Anyone fancy a pint?

Monday 14 May 2012

10,000ft Downhill On Mountain Bike

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!! Another win for Red Bull marketing.

The PeteBox

Stay with this past the Pink Panther theme - this is all recording live and in one take. Very clever stuff, must be a right headache remembering where he's saved all those samples, and getting the timing right.

Reminds me of David Ford's State Of The Union - also using sample loops, recorded in one take (embedding requests denied unfortunately) and Go To Hell which looks even more complicated;

Simon's Cat, Meet Pub Dog

Fantastic little animation, via BBC3 and found on b3ta.com

Monday 30 April 2012

Would 'The Voice' Mentors Have Turned Around For Themselves?

Probably not. Missed this part of the live show, fortunately. Caught the rest of it by accident.

Found on b3ta

Thursday 26 April 2012

Welcome to the Anthropocene

Beautiful Maureen Love. And it starts in the UK too, for a change.

Found on Mashable

Monday 26 March 2012

Perpetual Ocean

Beautiful. Watch it in HD.

"This visualization shows ocean surface currents around the world during the period from June 2005 through Decmeber 2007. The visualization does not include a narration or annotations; the goal was to use ocean flow data to create a simple, visceral experience."

Find out more from Nasa here.

Thursday 8 March 2012

Simon Cowell presents: The DJ X-Factor

"With the world's most credible and respected DJs lining up for an audition and Simon Cowell giving them his valid, undeniable & professional point of view; one man who goes by the name of DJ Facebender is set to rise to superstardom with his impeccable skills and prowess behind the decks."

From the VIVaMUSICLabel

Thursday 23 February 2012

Wednesday 22 February 2012

Cassetteboy vs The BBC News (NSFW)

Destined to be on everyone's Facebook newsfeed in the next 12 hours, it's Cassetteboy vs The BBC News. Follow Cassette Boy on Twitter @Cassetteboy

Thursday 16 February 2012

Worlds Largest Swing

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!! How do you get off?

Monday 13 February 2012

Human Flight

Looks stunning doesn't it - but, I don't think I could jump out of an aeroplane.

Friday 10 February 2012

Winter + Vodka + Norway = Drunk Ice Skating Man

He's back - downing a bottle of vodka, skating on thin ice and diving into frozen Norwegian lakes, it's PĂĄ tynn "Ice skating and shit in NORWAY". Last featured on here exactly a year ago, give or take a day. Surprised Norwegian Vodka Vikingfjord aren't behind this, they should get involved - check out the views. Or Red Bull. Or both, but maybe that's asking for trouble.

Friday 3 February 2012

Pupil Vs Teacher : Rap Battle

Skip to the 1:25 mark, and watch as Mc Blizzard takes on his teacher, Mr Grist in a rap battle. This is no fake, Blizzard has appeared on SB:TV 3 times - watch him in action here. Thanks to both The Badger and Will Posket for sharing, and as the later says, "Kids, this is why you should stay in school".

Wednesday 1 February 2012

New VW Advert Doesn't Have A Star Wars Mention In It

Ah. Sorry, there it is, crowbarred into the end. George Lucas, you can't be short of cash, so why are you allowing this? Isn't it ruining the Star Wars brand?

Tuesday 31 January 2012

On The Piste

Superb, and gets better as it goes on. Extracts from the 1980's BBC documentary featuring a group of novice skiers at Söll. They don't make television like this anymore. Currently in the b3ta popular links, the full documentary can be found on this YouTube channel.

Thursday 19 January 2012

The Bark Side: 2012 Volkswagen Game Day Commercial Teaser

Though I'm a bit bored of the Star Wars characters being used to sell stuff nowadays, this is just brilliant.

Thanks to Rob Kingdom for sharing

Wednesday 18 January 2012

Shell & Ferrari - The Inspirations For Honda's Power Of Dreams Advert?

File under 'talent borrows, genius steals, sh*ts copy" - great advert I'd not seen before, use headphones.

Thanks to Lindsay for sharing (told you I'd steal it)

Tuesday 17 January 2012

Hello... Is It Me You're Looking For?

But not quite as you remember it, and no - Arnie doesn't sing all of it. Class.

Hello from ant1mat3rie on Vimeo.

Thursday 12 January 2012

Eastenders : Bradley Rises From The Grave

Yes this is relatively old, but I hadn't seen it before, and it was made by the same bloke that made "Antony Worrall Thompson in The Lambshank Redemption". It's ever so slightly NSFW.

By the way, have you heard that another TV chef has been seen shoplifting? Yes, Nigella Lawson has been seen running out of Tesco's with two large melons under her coat. *Tumbleweed*

Found on b3ta.com

Tuesday 3 January 2012

Super Massive Lego Machine

Bet it took ages and cost a fortune. Superb.

Found on b3ta