brian r stuckey » weird

What would Mario sound like with real sound effects?

Brian Stuckey — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 23:40:49 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

Netflix says Poltergeist is like Desperate Housewives

Brian Stuckey — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 15:52:31 +0000

I’m a huge fan of Netflix’s Watch It Now service and the other night, I watched Poltergeist. The next time I signed in on my Apple TV, it showed me similar movies that I may also like. Somehow, it thinks that the 1980′s Steven Spielberg movie is like that crappy ABC show. They must know something I don’t….

225 South 6th Street is….pink?

Brian Stuckey — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 02:32:58 +0000

Here is an odd discovery. For the last several hours, 225 South 6th Street a.k.a. Capella Tower has been glowing pink. Normal, the crown on top of the building glows a vibrant cool white. The only time I’ve seen this color is when the HID lights are warming up. Is this intentional?

(sorry for the bad photos – I didn’t feel like going outside)

Things I’ve learned

Brian Stuckey — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 05:00:30 +0000

Forgetting your sister’s birthday says bad things about your priorities
Forgetting your twin sister’s birthday says bad things about your cognitive abilities
Wassabi peas do not constitute “dinner”
You can subconsciously turn off your alarm clock
Making toasted marshmallows over the stove is fun until they hit the burner, start on fire, cause lots of smoke and set off the fire detectors
Mitch Hedberg wasn’t kidding when he called it the “the emergency make the car smell funny lever”
When you’re a pedestrian and taunting cars, make sure to do it on a one way street with cars moving away from you.
People are stupid and, no matter how hard you try, that will never change
When laughing at other people, “use your inside voice”
Your musical guilty pleasures are not secret when you have iTunes sharing on
Do not download music between 1AM and 7AM. See Above.
While you might call yourself a “nerd” in the self-empowering sense, everyone else is using the traditional definition
Apparently people can wake up in the middle of the night screaming in a foreign language
Things made with cranberries rock. However, cranberries on their own taste like ass.
Forgiveness is easier to get than permission
#15 only works if it used sparingly
In practice, the difference between malice and stupidity is very small
When your hair stylist / barber tries to make small talk – don’t bring up politics.
People don’t go to your website for content. They go to it to see stupid videos, images, and top 10 lists.
No matter how hard you try, the world will never see the true harm of donating to the Salvation Army. Moreover, they don’t care that they are supporting a bigoted religious organization and there are better places to donate to.
0.99999… does equal one and no matter how hard you try, you cannot convince some people of this
You realize a sink full of water is an astonishingly large quantity when the trap below your kitchen sink breaks open and you have to clean it up.
The finger guard is on the paper cutter for a reason. In unrelated news, I don’t think I am allowed to use the paper cutter again.
When heavily medicated on Sudafed, it is advisable to keep to yourself.

by me – will be updated as I learn more

Mechanical Computer Basics

Brian Stuckey — Wed, 19 May 2010 23:56:38 +0000

YouTube user gwz40 uploaded a series of fascinating videos on mechanical computers and how they were used in in the US Navy for controlling projectiles fired from one moving ship to another moving target. The movies were produced as part of a US Navy training program and illustrate the basic components that are used inside a mechanical range fire control computer. Each mathematical operation is translated in to a mechanical component and the components are combined to provide a desired calculation based on (up to) 25 inputs. Basic geometric shapes are used for shockingly complex operations.

After watching the videos, it is amazing to think that these devices, built in the 1920′s achieved such precision. Calculations were not preformed by hand, but by the contours of a gear that was precision ground by a machinist. (More info below the videos)

Video #1: Basic Mechanisms in Fire Control Computers Part 1 (3 sections)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video #2: Basic Mechanisms in Fire Control Computers Part 2 (4 sections)

Click here to view the embedded video.

I believe the machine show in the video and the photo on this site is the Mark 1 computer. From Wikipedia:

The Mark 1, and later the Mark 1A, Fire Control Computer was a component of the Mark 37 Gun Fire Control System deployed by the United States Navy during World War II and up to 1969. It was used on a variety of ships, ranging from destroyers (one per ship) to battleships (four per ship). The Mark 37 system used tachymetric target motion prediction to compute a fire control solution. Weighing more than 3000 pounds (1363 kilograms), the Mark 1 itself was installed in the plotting room, a water tight compartment that was located deep inside the ship’s hull to provide as much protection against battle damage as was possible.

Essentially an electromechanical analog computer, the Mark 1 was electrically linked to the gun turrets and the Mark 37 gun director, the latter mounted as high on the superstructure as possible to afford maximum visual and radar range. The gun director was equipped with both optical and radar range finding, and was able to rotate on a small barbette-like structure. Using the range finders, the director was able to produce a continuously varying set of outputs, referred to as line-of-sight (LOS) data, that were electrically relayed to the Mark 1 via synchro motors. The LOS data provided the target’s present range, bearing, and in the case of aerial targets, altitude. Additional inputs to the Mark 1 were continuously generated from the stable vertical, a gyroscopic device that reacted to the roll and pitch of the ship, the pitometer log, which measured the ship’s speed through the water, and an anemometer, which provided wind speed and direction.

Image from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thewayofthegun/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

Wikipedia Entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_I_Fire_Control_Computer

Apple Keyboard + UV Light

Brian Stuckey — Sun, 09 May 2010 05:55:02 +0000

I have a question for all material scientists & plastic experts. I have an Apple wireless keyboard and a near-UV LED flashlight. As one would expect, many things fluoresce: tee shirts, white paper, etc. What is odd, is that only some of the keys on my keyboard do this. I would expect this to be an all-or-none type deal but specifically the F,J, arrows, Cap locks, function, alt, control and return keys glow while the others do not. Under normal light these keys look identical and feel the same.

Why would Apple use a different material for these keys? (My wired Apple Keyboard does the exact same thing.) Does anyone know why there is this difference?

The unusual keys:

J
F
Cap Lock
Fn
Control
Alt / Option
Enter / Return
arrow keys

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Flashlight: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.10709
The Keyboard: http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC184LL/A?fnode=MTY1NDA1Mg&mco=MTMzNzg5MDM

Segmentus clock concept

Brian Stuckey — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:38:52 +0000

Segmentus clock (concept)

By Art Lebedev – $n/a

http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/segmentus/

From the guy who brought us the Verbarius clock comes the Segmentus. (Is anyone else noticing a naming pattern here?) This concept clock was built to address the challenge of creating a digital clock with hands. While clocks have addressed this challenge before, this one brings the usual Art Lebedev polish to the final product. The only thing I want to know is how noisy would this be to operate? With dozens of little motors and mechanical parts, this might not be a clock that you would keep in your bedroom.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Creepy animated rabbits

Brian Stuckey — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:39:31 +0000

This is a commercial for the Sony Bravia LCD series TV. It features a bunch of creepy little clay rabbits animted throughout a generic large city, in vivid pulsating colors, set to the Beatles Rolling Stones’ song She’s a Rainbow. Just watch it and pass it on.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Background info from Gothamist

http://gothamist.com/2007/10/04/video_of_the_da_118.php

Those geniuses at Fallon London are at it again for Sony BRAVIA. First they had the bouncing balls in San Francisco, then the tower of paint in Glasgow, and now bunnies on the streets of Manhattan. Fair warning – if for some reason you’re scared of bunnies, don’t watch this video. The advertisement, titled “Play-doh” features 200 plasticine bunnies hopping around and a large 30 foot bunny in Thomas Paine Park in Lower Manhattan.

The ad’s director said it was technically the most difficult thing he’s done, “It is an incredibly difficult situation to control. You have New Yorkers wandering through frames and you have no say over it because we’re doing it for real.” It took 2.5 tons of plasticine, 40 animators three weeks to choreograph the bunnies, and 100,000 images for the 60-second spot. The ad, which was filmed over three weeks this summer, also features a crashing wave, a whale, and lots of New Yorkers.

More facts according to Coloribus:

http://www.coloribus.com/adsarchive/tv-commercials/sony-bravia-play-doh-508151/

Released: October 2007
Advertiser: SONY SONY
Brand name: Sony Bravia Sony Bravia
Agency: FALLON FALLON
Country: United Kingdom United Kingdom
Category: Home electronics & audio-visual Home electronics & audio-visual
Awards:

DGA Awards DGA Awards
Eurobest 2007 Eurobest 2007
Eurobest 2007 Gold Eurobest 2007 Gold
BTAA 2008 BTAA 2008
BTAA 2008 Gold BTAA 2008 Gold
BTAA 2008 Silver BTAA 2008 Silver
BTAA 2008 Bronze BTAA 2008 Bronze
Andy Awards 2008 Television Gold Andy Awards 2008 Television Gold
Andy Awards 2008 Andy Awards 2008
ADC Awards 2008 Craft Gold ADC Awards 2008 Craft Gold
ADC Awards 2008 TV Silver ADC Awards 2008 TV Silver
ADC Awards 2008 Craft Merit ADC Awards 2008 Craft Merit
One Show 2008 Awards TV Bronze One Show 2008 Awards TV Bronze
D&AD 2008 TV & Cinema Direction Yellow Pencil D&AD 2008 TV & Cinema Direction Yellow Pencil
D&AD 2008 TV & Cinema Animation Yellow Pencil D&AD 2008 TV & Cinema Animation Yellow Pencil
Clio 2008 TV Gold Clio 2008 TV Gold
Clio 2008 TV Bronze Clio 2008 TV Bronze
Cannes Lions 2008 Film Gold Cannes Lions 2008 Film Gold
London International Awards 2008 TV & Cinema Silver London International Awards 2008 TV & Cinema Silver
London International Awards 2008 TV & Cinema Gold London International Awards 2008 TV & Cinema Gold
Epica Awards 2008 Film Gold Epica Awards 2008 Film Gold

RGB LED Cubes. Wow.

Brian Stuckey — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 12:06:45 +0000

Original Concept / Unknown Designer

This will get your attention:

Now, go buy the kit: eightCubed

More information after the jump:

Apparently there is a whole community of people devoted to building LED sculptures that I didn’t know about. I admire the skill of anyone who can assemble this – it is a stack of LED’s – 512 in the above photo – that are held together using only their leads. Did I mention that each LED has 4 leads coming out of it? That is an amazing number of connections and effort.

The good news: You can download the schematics and the software to build on yourself

The better news: You can buy a 4x4x4 cube from Hypnocube.com and VisualCube.org and save yourself a massive headache.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Who wants to get me one for a birthday present?

Resources

Mini Cooper 3D print ad / Augmented Reality

Brian Stuckey — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 04:27:37 +0000

This is simply the coolest print ad I’ve ever seen. Print out the ad http://mini-cabrio.ar-live.de/res/anzeige.pdf and then go to http://www.mini.de/webcam. You will have to work through some German language installers but it is worth it. Once that is done, click on “USB Video Device” or similar to begin!

Click here to view the embedded video.

(Sorry, Windows only, folks! I had to record this one in VMWare)

E-ink watch concept / Tima Watch

Brian Stuckey — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 14:00:25 +0000

by Julien Bergignat

This is a neat watch concept by industrial designer Julien Bergignat. The display looks sharper than any e-ink based display I’ve come across but the strong formal elements in this rendering make up for any criticisms I can come up with Given the flexible nature of this medium, I don’t see why something like this would be difficult to produce. It is functiaonally a braclet with an e-ink display wrapped around it. If one with sufficient resolution can be produced for the hands, I think this woud be easily produced. If Esquire can do it – why not a watch manufacturer?

Esquire example after the break:

EDIT:

TrendHunter.com has a better write up than I do. Check it out:

http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/transformer-epaper-watches-luxury-tima-displays-both-digital-and-analogue-t

Odd discovery – Post-Its glow in the dark.

Brian Stuckey — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 04:51:01 +0000

I discovered that, under some conditions, 3M Post-Its glow. They don’t simply glow, but they exhibit phosphorescence. I did not expect that.

I discovered that basic 3×3 post it notes actually exhibit this when they are hit with my 432nm (bight blue) laser. The exact Post-Its I used are here: http://www.amazon.com/Post-Notes-Colors-Sheets-654-14AU/dp/B0002DOC68/ref=pd_sbs_op_6

See the video after the jump

Click here to view the embedded video.