Daily Bits

Happy Birthday, Mr. Bunsen Burner!

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What’s the best way to start your morning? Aside from a cup of freshly brewed coffee, that is.

A few minutes after I got up, I did what I normally do – I turned the laptop on. And I was greeted by a colorful sight – today’s Google Doodle, paying tribute to Robert Bunsen. For sure, this name is familiar to everyone who has taken at least one chemistry class. The German chemist was born on March 31, 1811, making today his 200th birthday!

Many a chemistry student probably struggled (and still struggles) with all those contraptions in the lab, and of all those contraptions, the Bunsen Burner is one of the most memorable. So today, Google has decided to remind everyone of this great scientist by creating the Doodle.

After the disappointing Harry Houdini Doodle a week ago, this one is definitely an improvement. As far as I can see, it is not interactive, but it does have some animation. Upon opening Google’s home page, you see a set up that you can normally find in a chemistry lab.

Bunsen1

The liquids in the image move through the tubes and the containers, to add to the Doodle’s appeal.
Bunsen2

It’s still not one of the best that Google has come up with, but I suppose it will do. In any case, chemistry enthusiasts might get a kick out of it.

DIY Super Mario Coin Block

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Every person who has played Super Mario has probably dreamed about having real life versions of some of the items found in the game. What better item to have in real life than the coin block that spits out coins when hit from the bottom? I mean, come on, we could all use a few extra coins here and there.

An Instructables member, who goes by name brunoip, has created a do-it-yourself Super Mario coin block and by golly, it works!
Real-life-coin-block
At first glance, the box may seem unassuming. Indeed, the main material that was used to create it can be described as “blah”: cardboard. If you gut this thing, though, you’ll find some interesting things inside:

  • An mp3 player
  • A servo motor
  • A couple of circuit boards

The mp3 player gives you that oh-so-familiar sound that the box in the game makes when coins pop out. The other elements give you the possibility of gaining real coins when the box it tapped. Here is the block in action.

You’re probably reeking with envy now – wanting your very own coin block. If you have the time and the skill, you can actually make one for yourself. The brilliant Super Mario fan who is behind this project has provided all the information that is necessary to make a real life coin block. ((Instructables)) And if you’re just that good, then why not create more than one and give them away? I am pretty sure that this coin block can come in handy. You even get to choose what currency to use!

Need a Girlfriend? Cloud Girlfriend Is the Answer!

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Calling all the Howard Wolowitzes ((The Big Bang Theory)) and Morgan Grimeses ((Chuck)) of the world. A new web site is launching soon, and it promises all the lonely men of Facebook all the benefits of a virtual girlfriend. Dubbed Cloud Girlfriend – The Social Network Girlfriend, this site just might be the answer to the prayers of those men who have been desperately wanting to change their status to “In a relationship with —” on Facebook.

So how does it work? From what can be seen on the site, there are only four steps to the perfect relationship.

  1. Define your perfect girlfriend.
  2. The site will bring her into existence.
  3. Connect and interact with your perfect girlfriend (who has been brought into existence by the guys at Cloud Girlfriend) on Facebook, or whatever your preferred social network may be.
  4. Enjoy a public long distance relationship with your girlfriend.

I kid you not – take a close look at the screen shot below or simply visit Cloud Girlfriend.

Cloud Girlfriend

You won’t be able to do anything on the site except to sign up for when they launch. ((Yes, I did sign up to see if it will work.)) And when you do sign up, you get this message.

Invites

I suppose that if you were to sign up, the assumption is that you will also have at least seven other friends who would want to sign up! (Oh yeah, if you do decide to sign up, do you mind using that link in the image so you can be my referral?)

Going back to the “perfect girlfriend” – believe it or not, there is going to be a real person behind the creation. I guess there is no going around that – I don’t think there is a program smart enough to be the perfect girlfriend. 😉

Do you think that this site will gain traction once launched? More importantly, do you think it will last? Personally, I am wondering if it can be an alternative to playing The Dating Game on Facebook. Oh, and why is it only about girlfriends and not boyfriends???

DIY Turing Machine

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Now why would anyone want to build a working Turing Machine with scrap metal? I wouldn’t know the creator’s real reason, but if I think “Just because I can” is a darned good answer.

Let’s go back a bit in time and refresh our memories about the Turing Machine, which was created by English mathematician Alan Turing. Wikipedia tells us that the machine is “a theoretical device that manipulates symbols on a strip of tape according to a table of rules. Despite its simplicity, a Turing machine can be adapted to simulate the logic of any computer algorithm, and is particularly useful in explaining the functions of a CPU inside a computer.”

The name Turing may also ring a bell because of the Turing Test, which is the basis of measuring artificial intelligence. Think robot movies!

Anyhow, a guy named Jim MacArthur has showcased his hardcore DIY skills when he created his own Turing Machine from scrap metal, and he uploaded a video on YouTube earlier this month. His short description of his creation:

This is a mechanical universal Turing machine (given an infinite track). It uses ball bearings as its memory and has no electrical components, other than a small motor used to drive it. This is a quick overview video filmed at Maker Faire UK 2011.

What’s the use of this machine? Not much, especially if you are not into computer science, but MacArthur still deserves kudos for drumming this up! Think you can one up him?

Last Night Never Happened: An App to Delete Your Boo-boos

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Last Night Never Happened

Upon waking up today, I saw a friend’s status on Facebook: “To the 2 strangers I called last night, and have no recollection of what we talked about, I am very sorry.” Now I don’t know what that was about, but it reminded me of so many incidents wherein people got so wasted that they had no recollection of the events of the previous night. I am sure that you are no stranger to such events as well, and that, in the morning, you wished that there was a way to undo things.

But wait – there is an app for that! At least for deleting written evidence. Developed by So Soho Holdings Limited and 22seeds, the iPhone app is being dubbed as “the world’s first morning-after app” and seems to hold some potential. The idea is rather simple: once you wake up from your drunken stupor and realize that you have posted some things on Facebook and Twitter that you would rather not have posted, you can launch the app and delete those posts. Oh, and you can delete photos as well.

The graphical interface is simple – specially designed for people still suffering from a pounding head and blurry vision. There are also idiot-proof measures so that you don’t end up deleting more than you actually want to. (You never know – in your earnest desire to get rid of humiliating evidence, you might accidentally delete “legitimate” data.)

If you are ALWAYS in control when it comes to your social network accounts, then forget the app. Then again, I have a strong feeling that you will find this app very handy. Get it from the iTunes store for $1.99.

Books2Barcodes: Books in QR Codes

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Have you ever heard of QR codes? They’re barcodes in two-dimensional form, and they are fast gaining popularity. They have been around for a while, and some people have even resorted to using QR codes for their tombstones!

I just discovered a more “intelligent” use for QR codes, though. A group of archivists, engineers, and library scientists have put their heads together to start a project called Books2Barcodes. Basically, their goal is to convert classic works to QR code form. People can then easily access the books via their web site.

The thing is, you will need a barcode-scanning app to read the QR codes and re-convert them to text that you can actually read. Practically any mobile phone with a camera and the app installed can do this for you. Here’s an example – parts of Lewis Carroll’s The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland.
Alice in Wonderland QR Codes

Obviously, no human can make sense of those images, but with the tools mentioned above, it is no issue. I know what you might be thinking – what is the advantage of converting books to QR codes, only to have to re-convert them to readable format? The brains behind the project state:

“…to make the classics of yesterday accessible to today’s technology. Although the task of converting books to barcodes is difficult, time-consuming, and impossible to automate, we believe this cultural contribution is necessary, regardless of the logistical difficulties.”

One possible advantage I can see is regarding storage – this format may take less space, but I am not sure. In any case, if you are interested in reading some classics in QR code form, check out the other titles at Books2Barcodes.