General

Most Amazing (and Freakiest) Underwater Photos You’ll See This Week

July 29, 2023 by noemi

I’ve recently taken an interest in diving – just as an observer. Perhaps I’ll try a fun dive in the near future as well. Diving is not all that unknown to me, my dad being an avid diver when I was younger. However, the thought of being deep underwater, unable to swim, darkness enveloping you…enough already!

Then there are awesome videos and photos of cute creatures like Nemo and the likes of him. Corals. That’s more than enough to get even the king of wusses try diving at least once!

For Alex Mustard, a British diver, he does need more motivation. In fact, he recently did something that every other diver might just dream about. Mustard dove between two tectonic plates. I know what you’re thinking – is he nuts? What if those tectonic plates had decided to move just when he was in between them? (I know that is unlikely and probably even a scientifically unsound idea, but I can’t help but think it!)

It seems that his risk was well worth it, though, as can be seen in the amazing photos that he took. ((Source: The Daily Mail))

Beautiful, no doubt, but all I could say when I first saw the photo was “Yikes” – and not a very emphatic yikes at that. More like a frightened little puppy whining…

This one’s a little tamer, but no less beautiful. And for some dramatic effect…

The dive was done in between the North American and Eurasian plates near Iceland. Mustard and his team of divers (you didn’t think he dove alone, did you?) went 80 feet down into the crevice but also went as deep as 200 feet. Yikes.

Hemoglobin in 3D

July 28, 2023 by noemi

Were you always caught up in your biology classes way back when? I remember loving my high school biology class from the get go, only to be thoroughly turned off when the time came for dissecting a frog. I found out – the hard way – that I was not cut out to do anything remotely related to touching/cutting up squishy living things.

Then again, that experience has not totally turned me off molecules and other things that can be rendered on a computer – like this hemoglobin rendition in 3D. Hemoglobin is that “thing” that transports oxygen in our blood. I can’t stand blood, but I can dig hemoglobin. 😉

So these guys from Steffen VFX, a 3D animation studio based in Brooklyn, decided to play around with human hemoglobin – its structure at least – and came up with a 3D model. They worked on this project in tandem with McFarlane Toys.

Now if you think about it, hemoglobin is so minuscule that we can’t see it with the naked eye. That’s where these guys had to do some hard work. From this structure: ((Source: Wikipedia))

They came up with this model which the average person can see and touch: ((Source: Steffen VFX))

Here’s a closer look at the 3D model.

The entire process is detailed in the Steffen VFX blog, if you are interested in the nitty gritty. You will also see photos of the making of the model. The details are a little too intense for me, but the finished product is somewhat of a delight to see, even though it somehow reminds me of fish eggs! 😉 The next time I think about blood and oxygen, I am sure my imagination will pull these images up.

Doctor Who? Doctor Who! Timeline/Infographic

July 28, 2023 by noemi

So many things to watch, but so little time! I will have to admit that I am one of the few who has not watched Doctor Who although I have read tons about it. Who can’t help but read/know about Doctor Who when he is everywhere online?

If you are into the series or if you are waiting for the chance to sit down and watch it (like yours truly), then here is a very useful infographic that can help you figure out some things. This timeline is created by Nathan the Nerd ((Nathan the Nerd)).

Click for a larger image. I don’t need to tell you that there are spoilers up there, do I?

These Photos Will Make Your Jaw Drop

July 27, 2023 by noemi

Taking photos is easy, especially with the high tech cameras one can easily purchase these days. You just turn the device on, point, and then shoot.

Taking awesome photos is a totally different story, though. I don’t know how those guys do it – they must have a special gift within them that they have nurtured and honed over the years. While it is true that the subject does have a huge role to play, there must be something else that makes certain photos as powerful as they are.

National Geographic has a photo of the day section, and true to their reputation, they showcase only the best that one can see. ((National Geographic Photography))

When I first saw this photo, I told myself, “Forget the old saying that pictures say a thousand words!” This photo goes beyond that. It takes the need for words away. It inundates you with all the words you know. It just is amazing.

This photo was taken in Namibia by Frans Lanting, and it shows camel thorn trees in Namib-Naukluft Park. It looks like a painting that only a master can create, but it is a photo!

This one is of the Aurora Borealis in Iceland and is taken by Olgeir Andresson. Doesn’t that make you want to hop onto a plane and go see it with your own eyes?

Taken in California (Bodega Head) by David Liittschwager, this photo of sea grass atop rocks with the lone starfish at the center is nothing less than awesome.

Aren’t these lovely images to take with you over the weekend?

Viper Mark II Wallscape

July 27, 2023 by noemi

Tired of looking at a boring plain white wall at night when you can’t sleep? You’re not alone. I bet that you and I, together with countless other people, have the same issue. It’s difficult enough to amuse yourself when insomnia strikes, but that blank thing of a wall makes things even worse.

That’s why online stores like QM^X are useful. Guess what I found today? A Wallscape^TM that will delight you to no end. A Wallscape^TM is a fancy name for a wallpaper or a decorative sticker for your wall, but depending on the design, you will get your money’s worth. The Wallscape^TM that I stumbled upon today features nothing less than the Viper Mark II.

Battlestar Galactica fans will know that this fighter was the primary attack craft used by the Colonial Fleet in the first Cylon War. This fighter continued to be effectively used against the Cylons when the Twelve Colonies were left behind.

You may never get a life-size replica of the Viper Mark II in your bedroom, but you can always get this Wallscape^TM to help your imagination along. Forty-eight inches of space fighter goodness, with an incredible amount of detail, on your wall – it will be easy to imagine that you are Lee Adama or Kara Thrace as you drift off to beddy-bye land.

The Wallscape^TM is based on the original studio 3D digital model of the Viper Mark II, and it even includes details such as scars from battles. It’s really something that any decent BSG fan will want on his wall. And for $49.95, it is not such a bad deal. That’s a small price to pay for the peace of mind that having a fighter at your disposal in case the Cylons under your bed decide to go on the offensive. 😉

Virtual Fitting Room Courtesy of the Kinect

July 27, 2023 by noemi

Want to bet that before the year is over, we might just have no need to actually try on clothes when we go shopping? If the setup that Russian company AR Door ((AR Door)) is successful in its endeavors – and I don’t see why it won’t be – we could very well see virtual fitting rooms everywhere.

The idea is simple and not new. In fact, I seem to remember a teeny bopper movie from ages ago where the lead character used a similar system. She would merely use her computer to try on combinations of clothes to see which looked good.

What AR Door is doing, though, is far from a mere teeny bopper project. Using software that they have created, coupled with the Microsoft Kinect, they have created virtual fitting rooms for Topshop, a popular clothing chain. Basically, if a customer fancies a dress, she does not have to look for a private fitting room to undress and actually put the dress on. Instead, she only has to stand in front of a huge screen and let the system do the work. The Kinect scans the customer and displays her on the screen. The customer then has to push virtual buttons to try clothes on. And yes, it works with the back as well. (Of course, you have to see how your backside looks in that pair of jeans!)

See the virtual fitting room in action.

I have to say that this is a brilliant application of the Kinect, which I thought was silly when I saw some people playing with it during a tweet-up. I can already imagine the convenience that this setup will bring!