STUFF: News, Technology, the cool and the plain weird

[MIKA27]

VOZZ RS 1.0 MOTORCYCLE HELMET

Vozz Helmets is proposing a reinvention of the common motorcycle helmet design — instead of pulling it over your head and using a chin strap, the helmet splits vertically in two parts that pivot around a hinge and then locks in place with a little pressure.

This design has actually been around since 2005, but it has taken several years for the idea to hit the production stage. The concept allowed for a redesign of the helmet’s underside, resulting in more chin protection. It’s said that once the helmet locks into place, it will fit perfectly and it can’t be accidentally removed. The tighter fit and more chin coverage means less air can enter from under the helmet, resulting in less aerodynamic lift at higher speeds, and more heat insulation for a warmer ride. And in the event of an accident, the helmet can be separated into two parts, making it possible to remove the helmet without moving the neck or applying any pressure to the head. The helmet is available in three different shell sizes, and they will become available on December 23. [Purchase]

[MIKA27]

FERN & ROBY CUBE SPEAKERS

A timeless look that is only matched by the sound quality they produce. That description fits these bookshelf Cube Speakers from Fern & Roby. Each pair is constructed using heart pine beams salvaged from a late 19th-century Virginia factory. Each section of beam has characteristics that make every speaker unique. Inside each speaker lies an Alpair 7 Gold Driver by MarkAudio, which delivers the widest frequency range in its size class. Made in the USA and certain to catch the eye and ear of anyone that crosses their path.

[MIKA27]

HIGH WEST YIPPEE KI-YAY RYE WHISKEY

When a distillery known for their blending skills surprises fans with a limited release, it's worth noting. That's just what High West Distillery in Utah did withYippee Ki-Yay Rye Whiskey. The juice itself is their Double Rye finished in Syrah barrels from Santa Maria, CA and Vermouth Barrels from Madera, CA. The result is a great pour that's sweet but not too sweet, great in a cocktail or over ice. Available only at the distillery in Utah, at least for this first batch.

[brschoppe]

It Seems So Obvious Now: Salt-Infused Asphalt Could Keep Roads Ice-Free

When winter finally starts dumping snow and ice on roads, cities fight back by spreading tons of salt to melt the slippery hazard. But what if roads already had salt built right into them? They’d be able to prevent slick conditions from occurring, well before the risk of an accident.

A team of researchers from Koc University in Turkey mixed salt potassium formate — which has already been studied as a potential eco-friendly deicer — with a water-repelling polymer called styrene-butadiene-styrene. That mixture was then added to bitumen — a key ingredient in asphalt — resulting in a material that was still strong and durable, but had the added ability of preventing ice from forming.

In lab tests, the new asphalt mix released ice melting salts for almost two solid months, but in real world applications that could easily be stretched to years because the vehicles driving on the material would slowly wear it away, revealing salt-dense layers beneath. It sounds like a car would be subject to the rigors of salt and corrosion all year round as a result, but that’s arguably better than sliding into another vehicle on a cold snowy morning before the plows have worked their magic.

I could see some snow plowing union (ACSME) buying the rights to this so it never sees the light of day (if it does really work). If this would ever see the light of day, it could save some of the communities near me thousands if not millions in salt and possibly plowing cost. Also, the paving companies would be out of a lot of work too. It is not like we couldn't dedicate that money to other areas of our failing infrastructure.

[MIKA27]

85 People Still Missing Following Another Industrial Disaster In China

Eighty-five people are still unaccounted for a day after a bizarre landslide struck the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen. Experts say the landslide was not a natural disaster, but rather a human-made catastrophe triggered by the excessive piling of industrial waste.

Aerial drone images showed large swaths of red mud piled on top of crushed buildings Chunks of concrete, steel, and glass can be seen strewn across a vast area. Mobile phone footage captured the moment the landslide ploughed through the city like a tsunami.

One harrowing video shows an entire building collapsing under the weight of the mud and debris:

The landslide, which struck yesterday morning, hit 33 buildings in Shenzhen, a highly populated boomtown that’s located across the mainland border from Hong Kong. Back in the 1980s, Shenzhen was a small fishing village, but like other Chinese towns in the special economic zone, it was quickly developed and converted into a bustling city.

The debris field from the disaster covers a vast area measuring 380,500 square metres. In addition to destroying buildings, the landslide also caused a natural gas pipeline to explode.

In the minutes and hours following the landslide, seven people were pulled from the rubble with minor injuries. The mud is up to 10m thick in some places, making rescue attempts difficult. Hundreds of rescuers are feverishly looking for anyone who might have survived.

Officials say the construction debris, which had been piling up on a steep hillside for two years, had loosened following heavy rain. The 101m-high hill contained excavated soil, bits of cement, and other construction waste.

“Because the mound was very large, and the angle of its slope was overly steep, this led to it losing stability and collapsing,” noted China’s Land and Resources Ministry in a BBC article.

The Chinese premier has now ordered an investigation. The landslide comes just four months after a series of huge explosions at a warehouse filled with chemicals in Tianjin killed at least 50 people. Rapid industrialisation, along with weak industrial safety and zoning laws, are cited as among the major causes of both disasters.

[MIKA27]

ACER PREDATOR Z35 ULTRAWIDE HD GAMING MONITOR

Acer is well-known for creating high quality laptops for cheap, but the company also delves into accessories, motherboards, and monitors. Their newest monitor, the Acer Predator Z35, is an UltraWide HD, 35-inch gaming monitor that’s built with a curvature of 2000R.

It features a 21:39 inch ratio with 2560 x 1080 resolution. It features NVIDIA G-SYNC technology, Ultra Low Motion Blur technnology, and the ability to overclock it to up to a 200Hz refresh rate for incredibly smooth gameplay. With its wrap-around field of view, players have an increased perceived area of vision for fuller immersion into their games. The monitor also includes powerful audio with two 9W speakers and DTS sound. What’s more, the monitor looks incredibly cool, with an edgy design and Underglow, which provides an LED glow underneath the front of the monitor. The monitor comes with a heavy price tag of $1,199. [Purchase]

[MIKA27]

VOLLEBAK CONDITION BLACK JACKET

Staying warm while snowboarding, downhill mountain biking or skiing down a mountain is tough. When you pair high speeds with high altitudes, the results can be chilling. With that in mind, Vollebak has designed the Condition Black Jacket, built for indestructability and to increase your chances of survival if something goes wrong while you’re stuck on a snowy mountain.

The jacket comes equipped with 19 ceraspace panels to help limit body heat loss, as well as magnetic Survival Pockets that help you stay in the fetal position, keeping your core organs and vital arteries warm. The jacket comes with glow in the dark instructions printed on the jacket for when your brain starts to shut down and it’s harder to think. The only material harder than ceraspace material is diamonds, and it’s abrasion resistant, water repellent, heat resistant and flexible. On the inside of the jacket, you’ll find thick fleece for added warmth. It’s available now for $1,118. [Purchase]

[MIKA27]

Nautilus Houseboats

Nautilus Houseboats are specialized in the development and construction of innovative design houseboats for a modern lifestyle. The idea of living on the water used to be for people seeking freedom and adventure outside conventional society, but these days, houseboats aren’t just for renegade captains. A houseboat lets you experience the world and have your own home wherever you go, with the same comfort as in your dream home on land. Nautilus offers 4 distinct models according to your needs and family size, you can choose from various equipment options and floor plans, giving you the opportunity to build a boat according to your wishes and budget.

[MIKA27]

COMME DES GARCONS AMAZINGGREEN

A powerful fix of leaves and smoke, Comme Des Garcons Amazinggreen lives up to its name. The natural spray is made from palm tree leaves, jungle leaves, ivy leaves, green pepper, dew, orris roots, coriander seeds, vetiver, white musk, smoke, and something called "Gunpowder Accord", which we imagine smells something like the first few seconds of a civil war-era battle. Arrives in a green bottle with offset sprayer.

[MIKA27]

Sad Man Sues Game Company After Losing Wife And Job To Fallout 4 Addiction

It sounds like a viral marketing project. A Russian man is suing Bethesda Game Studios after he went on a three-week-long Fallout 4 binge, a confusing decision that led to his boss firing him and his wife leaving him. Heck, it might be a viral marketing project.

And yet, there is paperwork. “If I knew that this game could have become so addictive, I would have become a lot more wary of it. I would not have bought it, or I would have left it until I was on holiday or until the New Year holidays,” said the 28-year-old Siberian in a statement. He wants 500,000 roubles ($9765) for the emotional distress that this ordeal has caused him. Meanwhile, the law firm representing him said they were going to “see how far we can go regarding this case.”

That’s not a bad strategy for anything in life. Except for Fallout 4, in this case. It’s probably safe to say that the plaintiff had some other issues with his work and home life that might’ve led him to play a video game for 21-days straight while forgoing food and sleep. Beware of that Fallout 4 business, though. It seems dangerous on a number of levels.

MIKA: Sad..? More like Pathetic IMO. A close friend of mine took an entire week off for this game and I seriously don't get it?

I love games but I could never take an entire week, let alone 3 weeks off... Oh well, each to their own.

[MIKA27]

The Six-Year-Old Me Is Drooling Over These Super-Detailed Masterpiece Machine Men

Few people seem to remember, but the Machine Men (known as Gobots in US) were some of the first transforming robot toys to hit Australia. Hasbro’s Transformers eventually dominated the market once they arrived, but many of us still would rather have an F-15 fighter jet leading the good side, than a boring truck.

The folks at 52toys got some updated shots of Action Toys’ Machine Men revival, featuring larger and far more detailed versions of some of the line’s more popular characters like Leader-1 and Cy-Kill.

Despite steep price tags, the re-released and upgraded Masterpiece versions of popular Transformers toys were readily snatched up by nostalgic collectors. So it’s about time for the Machine Men to enjoy a renaissance too, and Action Toys is giving us as good a reason as any to make room for them next to your Transformers when these are all available come February.

[MIKA27]

We're One Step Closer To Being Able To Regrow A Lost Tooth

We’re one step closer to being able to regrow a lost tooth, thanks to a new study showing it’s possible to grow multiple teeth from a single root. These teeth can then be implanted to become fully functional. Thus far it has only been tested in rats, but it could lead to a potential revolution in human dental care.

When the body begins to develop teeth, the epithelium (skin) dips inwards into the mesenchymal region — an area filled with unaffiliated cells that can develop into many different things, including arteries, ligaments, and bone. In this case, it develops into a “tooth germ”, a little bud that sends out waves of signals, in the form of signalling proteins, which will cause the cells to develop into a functioning tooth.

These signalling waves do not happen correctly for everyone. Plenty of people are born a tooth short, and many more lose teeth over the course of their lives. That’s why the latest results of research conducted by Tokyo Medical and Dental University and the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology is so exciting. They removed these tooth germs from developing mice, and kept the germs alive. At different points during the germs’ development, the researchers took a little nylon thread, looped it around the bud, and split it in two.

The bud could stop growing, or it could grow into something functionally useless. If the germ was split at 14.5 days of development, they found that each germ developed its own signalling centre, which sent out waves of signalling molecules and allowed each tooth to develop.

When the researchers transplanted the developing germs into the jaws of mice, the teeth came in and “restored physiological tooth functions, including mastication, periodontal ligament function and appropriate responses to noxious stimuli”. Noxious stimuli is any stimulus that could cause damage — even if it does not actually cause any damage. In other words, if you scraped or poked the teeth, or the rat bit into something hard with the teeth, it would react just the way rats with natural teeth did.

So one day, we might be able to go through “teething” as adult.

[MIKA27]

A World Coffee Shortage Is Inevitable

In the coffee-world, there’s been quiet rumblings of a shortage brewing for a while now. And yet, despite the threat, it hasn’t hit quite yet — but that doesn’t mean it’s gone away.

A brand new global coffee production report is out from the Foreign Agricultural Service with some seemingly confusing news: Brazil, the world’s foremost coffee supplier, lost almost five million bags of coffee due to the country’s punishing drought. Yet at the same time, globally coffee production is just slightly up and looking to stay up through the upcoming season. What’s going on here?

Brazil isn’t just the world’s leading supplier of coffee; they’re the single-source for about one-third of all the world’s coffee. Even at drought levels, they’re still churning out about 50 million bags — the number two country (Vietnam) barely makes it to half of that. Typically, with such a heavy market domination, any drop in Brazil’s coffee supply means a significant hit to the world at large, just as any rise would result in a global surge.

But something odd is happening: If you look at the world at large, we haven’t yet hit that anticipated shortage yet. In fact, world coffee totals are actually coming in at slightly above last year.

How did that happen? Essentially, three countries are having unexpected surpluses, due to unusually perfect coffee-growing weather. Honduras and Indonesia both are looking at record-breaking years, and Vietnam (the number two supplier in the world) is turning out an extra 2 million bags of coffee.

All three countries together can make up for, and just slightly exceed, the loss from Brazil — at least for the moment. But don’t expect to keep seeing those exceptional results. It just doesn’t make sense that every year will be a record-breaking one. Meanwhile, global coffee-consumption is also steadily-rising. Taken together, this means we may have dodged the global coffee-shortage for a little while longer. But it is, inevitably, coming.

[MIKA27]

Ancient Tablet Looks Like Cell Phone With Cuneiform Keys

Archaeologists digging in Austria found an ancient clay tablet that looks like a cell or cordless phone with keys etched with cuneiform characters that would imply it originally came from Mesopotamia. What is it? Is it evidence of an advanced civilization or time travel?

The tablet was reportedly found earlier this year by archaeologists digging in Fuschl am See, a city in the Austrian state of Salzburg. There’s not much information on what the researchers were digging for in this region but it probably wasn’t cuneiform tablets. Yet that’s what they found. Even more shocking, the tablet strongly resembles the cell phones they were most likely using to take pictures of it.

The tablet was dated to around the 13th century BCE. By that time, the Sumerian writing style known as cuneiform had already been around for a few thousand years. Cuneiform tablets aren’t unusual – an estimated 2 million have been excavated. The language was a mystery until the 19th century when its code was deciphered.

However, this particular tablet is unusual for a number of reasons. First, it was found in Austria, not Iran or one of the other modern countries that was once Sumer or Mesopotamia. The only cuneiform object found further away from there is the controversial Fuente Magna Bowl, which was discovered in Tiahuanaco in modern-day Bolivia. Since there’s no evidence that the Sumerians visited this ancient pre-Columbian city, how did the bowl or the knowledge of cuneiform get there?

The Fuente Magna Bowl

By cell phone, of course! A controversial theory proposed by author Zecharia Sitchin is that aliens known as the Anunnaki came from Nibiru (the rumored Planet X beyond Neptune) and created the Sumerian civilization. The tablet looks surprisingly like a modern phone, with the 12 keys, a display and a ‘talk’ button. Could these extraterrestrials have tried to introduce the Sumerians to a phone-like communications device, only to find they weren’t ready for it and dialed them back to a stylus and clay tablets?

It would be interesting if some cuneiform expert could translate the characters on the ancient phone (unfortunately, Google translate does not yet recognize cuneiform).

Did some Anunnaki accidentally leave his phone in Austria? Probably not. The archaeologists believe the tablet was most likely brought there by traders from Earth.

Is the tablet’s resemblance to a modern cell phone just an odd coincidence, a hoax or evidence of time travel or alien contact? If only some phone hacker knew cuneiform.

[MIKA27]

TAG HEUER MONACO REISSUE WATCH

When it was launched in 1969, the Heuer Monaco was among the most revolutionary timepieces available, with innovations like the Chronomatic Calibre 11, the the first automatic chronograph movement offered for sale, and the first water-resistant square case making it the perfect choice for Steve McQueen in Le Mans.

Now you can celebrate this legacy with the Tag Heuer Monaco Reissue Watch. It shares the same 39mm case, 6 o'clock date window, vintage Heuer logo, and aforementioned Calibre 11 movement and water-resistance as the original, while updating the domed plastic crystal with sapphire and adding larger lugs, an open case-back, and perforations to the black calfskin strap.

[MIKA27]

The Comic Book Story of Beer

The Comic Book Story of Beer is a new book that brilliantly teaches you the history behind your favorite sudsy beverage without getting you bored. The lushly illustrated graphic novel tells the story of the world’s favorite beverage from 7000 bc to today’s craft brewing revolution. An endlessly entertaining and assiduously researched chronicle, that all beer, history and comic book nerds can enjoy.

[MIKA27]

WOODFORD RESERVE HOLIDAY BOURBON

If you're sipping it neat or mixing into some egg nog, the holidays should always include some Woodford Reserve. And now you've got a reason to grab a fresh bottle of this Woodford Reserve Holiday Bourbon. Featuring artwork from Louisville artist Thomas William Foerster, it paints a snowy setting outside the Woodford Distillery in Versailles, Kentucky. The same great juice but in a limited edition bottle that sets the scene for several chilly evening pours this winter.

[MIKA27]

Crew Member Reportedly Killed On Set Of New Resident Evil Movie

There is, unfortunately, more grim news from the set of Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, where a crew member was reportedly crushed to death earlier this month. A stuntwoman who’d been injured also recently said that her injuries will cost her an arm.

South African website IOL reports that a resident of Cape Town, South Africa named Ricardo Cornelius was crushed by a US army issue Hummer on the set of the upcoming movie—which is being filmed in South Africa. As a crew member, Cornelius was apparently responsible for rotating a small platform that held the Hummer, but on December 3rd it tilted and the vehicle landed on him. He was reportedly rushed to the hospital, but he died of his injuries hours later.

His wife of just one year, Shafiefa Cornelius, told IOL that, at first, one of her husband’s colleagues called her and suggested that he wasn’t hurt all that badly. They suggested that Ricardo would have to stay in the hospital for “a few days.” Later that day, however, someone personally showed up to escort her to the hospital.

“At the hospital, doctors said they had to take him into theatre as soon as he arrived,’ she told IOL. “His heart stopped and they were fighting for his life but managed to revive him again. The doctors said his lungs were completely flat and he was bleeding a lot.”

“I held his hand and I told him not to leave us because we need him and he is a strong man,” she said. “We were with him for about an hour, then he died.”

When Shafiefa spoke to IOL, she went on to claim that the company Ricardo worked for directly, All Access Crew, compensated her, but nobody’s been in touch with concrete information about the incident. She apparently doesn’t know anything beyond the basics.

“No one can tell me what happened,” she told IOL. “I need closure. His colleagues who I spoke to blocked me on WhatsApp. None of the bosses have even contacted me to tell me what happened.”

I’ve reached out to the movie’s production company and Capcom to find out if this has changed and, if not, what’s going on. As of writing, they had yet to respond.

This isn’t the first major accident to occur on the set of Resident Evil: The Final Chapter. Earlier this year, stuntwoman Olivia Jackson—film star Milla Jovovich’s stunt double—was involved in a horrific motorcycle accident that nearly took her life. She suffered extensive injuries to her face, neck, back, and arms and was comatose for two weeks afterward.

In an update on Facebook she recently explained that one of her arms will have to be amputated:

“My left arm is paralyzed and is going to have to be amputated. It breaks my heart...mainly because I won’t be able to ride MX again, but also because of my work and all the huge changes that will [have] to take place in the energetic life that I love.”

[MIKA27]

This Is Why You Have A Backup Parachute

Ever been tempted to shoot your parachute with a flare gun mid-flight? Well, this is what will happen if you do.

It looks like Brianne Thompson does this on purpose, I guess demonstrating what would happen if a ‘chute was ever hit by flaming debris. Thank god for backup ‘chutes!

[MIKA27]

The Inevitable BB-8 Ice Sphere Mould Is Finally Here

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is finally in theatres and toppling box office records day to day, but that’s not going to stop Disney from squeezing even more money from fans on the merchandising side. Besides, BB-8 seems tailor-made to be turned into an ice sphere.

This silicon ice sphere mould from Kotobukiya can be used to make a perfect frozen replica of BB-8 that’s sure to impress your Star Wars-loving guests at your next party. But you can pour everything from melted chocolate to cake batter in there if you really wanted. You’ll just have to wait until March because the mould is only available for pre-order right now for $US14 ($19).

[MIKA27]

Giant Squid Captured Live on Video in Japanese Marina

Did the Kraken come to visit little boys and girls in Japan on Christmas Eve to leave coal in their stockings for eating sushi? No, but a real giant squid did and a video camera operator just happened to be there to capture this extremely rare sighting as a Christmas gift to the rest of the world.

The giant squid (Architeuthis) was spotted by people on a pier in Toyama Bay on Honshu, Japan’s main island. This specimen was small for a giant squid, measuring an estimated 3.7 meters (12.1 feet) long. Female giant squids are larger than the males and can reach 13 meters (43 feet) in length.

The size didn’t disappoint the witnesses who knew they were very privileged to be seeing this event. It was only in 2004 that the first photograph was taken of a live giant squid in nature and not until 2012 was a live giant squid captured on video.

The giant squid swam close to the surface as well as underneath boats in Toyama Bay for several hours. That was long enough for someone to record it using a submersible camera, possibly only the third time a live giant squid has been filmed. Even better, the owner of a local dive shop had time to put on some gear and jump in with the squid.

Akinobu Kimura, owner of Diving Shop Kaiyu, managed to get up-close and personal with the creature before he realized what he was doing.

My curiosity was way bigger than fear, so I jumped into the water and go close to it. This squid was not damaged and looked lively, spurting ink and trying to entangle his tentacles around me. I guided the squid toward to the ocean, several hundred meters from the area it was found in, and it disappeared into the deep sea.

Yuki Ikushi, the curator of Uozu Aquarium in Uozu, Toyama, said that while giant squids are occasionally caught in fishing nets in deep water, they’re rarely seen in the shallow waters of the marina.

Whatever the reason why this Kraken showed up, it was a great Christmas present for the people who had the opportunity to see it.

[MIKA27]

The Essential Scratch & Sniff Guide

The Essential Scratch & Sniff Guide to Becoming a Wine Expert is a fun yet educational way of learning how to detect subtle scents in your wine like an expert. In the first book of its kind (yes, it really is scratch and sniff), you´ll be able to discover for example the difference between a Syrah and a Sangiovese, and sniff your way through the basic components of wine: fruits, wood, and earth.

[MIKA27]

STONE + SIERRA NEVADA NXS IPA

California is the headquarters of the best hoppy beer on the planet. That also happens to be the state that Stone Brewing and Sierra Nevada call home. And now, the two breweries have finally collaborated for Stone + Sierra Nevada NXS IPA. Making NXS involved brewing two batches of IPA. The first batch was split in half, with 50% being aged in gin-infused bourbon barrels and the other half aged in rye whiskey barrels. Batch number two was a fresh IPA, which was blended together with the first batch to make a hopped up IPA unlike any you've tried before. Leave it to two of the pioneers in craft beer to join forces and create yet another IPA we can't get enough of.

[MIKA27]

Ford Wants To Turn Your Car's Back Wheel Into A Batpod

A patent filed by Ford a few weeks ago reveals a rather unorthodox alternative to throwing a bicycle in your boot. Like the Batpod that ejected from the Batmobile in The Dark Knight, the back wheel of your car could quickly transform into a self-balancing electric unicycle.

The design resembles the one-wheeled self-balancing RYNO. The seat, handlebars, battery, and upper section of Ford’s self-propelled unicycle would hide in your vehicle’s boot until, say, you needed to complete the last kilometre of your commute in a crowded city, or just wanted to go for a joyride.

The vehicle would also feature an automated jack system so that raising your vehicle and popping the back wheel off would be a lot easier than it is now when it comes to changing a tyre. And presumably there would be some built-in system to make it easier to merge the wheel with the upper portion of the unicycle because neither part would be particularly light or easy to carry.

Don’t go running to your local Ford dealer demanding this feature just yet, though. A filed patent is a far cry from an actual product, and there’s no indication that Ford even has a working prototype yet. The company just wants to make sure that no one else, not even Batman, can offer this feature on their rides.

[MIKA27]

Climbing The Christ The Redeemer Statue In Brazil Is Totally Crazy

Here’s a crazy way to celebrate Christmas: go to Brazil and climb up the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro and check out the crazy view of the city and its beaches on the shoulder of Jesus Christ. Don’t mind the fact that the statue’s shoulder slopes down and that there’s nothing to hold on to though!