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

[MIKA27]

This R2-D2 Steampunk Teapot Is All Your Kitchen Is Missing

Forget about your other appliances. It doesn't matter how cool your toaster, coffee machine or blender is, it has absolutely nothing on this hand-made R2-D2 teapot that would look perfectly at home in some sort of steampunk version of Star Wars.

Sadly, you can't buy it, but if you're willing to find all the bits and pieces (and a unsuspecting teapot), it can be yours. 

Despite guiding you through the process of constructing your own retro-robotic teapot, you're going to need to have some artistic skill to make it work. If you just tried to blindly follow along with the video you'd end up with something pretty crap.

[MIKA27]

I'm Not Sure Who Won This Octopus Vs Eel Vs Human Fight

A snorkeler in Hawaii stumbled on this underwater scrap between an octopus and a terrifying moray eel and it looks like it's going to be a tangled fight to death. The moray eel seems to have the clear advantage because, well, it's a big arse bully with the octopus in its jaws. But after a few whips around, the octopus grapples the eel with its tentacles and unleashes an ink bomb in time to confuse it and escape. Phew.
It isn't exactly a victory for the octopus because it loses a tentacle (which it can admittedly grow back later), but it isn't really a win for the eel either because it got itself a tasty snack. But the murderous eel isn't happy with just a tie so it looks for something else to fight: The snorkelling cameraman.

The moray eel starts charging at the cameraman and rams its open mouth and frightening teeth at the guy until the dude just makes a break for it. I think if the snorkeler was any slower, things would be a lot worse for everyone involved.

So who wins? The octopus without a tentacle, the super aggro eel who picks a fight with everything or the snorkeler who will have nightmares for the rest of his life?

 

[MIKA27]

This Holiday Cooking Segment Went Terribly, Horribly Wrong

On the Global News morning show, reporters have been bringing in their favorite holiday recipes. On Saturday, it was traffic reporter Leslie Horton's turn, and Horton said she hadn't planned on bringing in a homemade dish until her family members convinced her to whip up a batch of delicious holiday artichoke dip.

"It's not supposed to look like that," Horton said to the her colleagues, later adding, "I'm going to make you guys try it." Horton's rather ominous introduction and the artichoke dip's pungent aroma already had her co-hosts feeling queasy, but when she handed two of them crackers topped with the stuff, they graciously accepted the dip that they described as smelling strongly of vinegar and "a barn."

"There's no vinegar in it!" Horton chirped, adding, "This did not work out."

Despite the multiple warnings, two co-hosts actually tried the dip. After sampling it, both of their faces showed expressions of disgust and horror. Turns out the artichoke dip tasted much worse than it smelled.

One co-host couldn't even stand to swallow the stuff, instead searching frantically for something, anything, in which to spit out the half-chewed food. "It burns!" the other cried out, grabbing her throat.

Why did it taste so terrible? Horton said she didn't have a lemon like the recipe called for, so she used an orange instead. And since she didn't know which spices to use, she just threw in oregano and celery salt.

There's a lesson to be learned here: Canadians are too damn polite. If someone hands you something that smells and looks terrible, it's OK if you don't eat it!

 

[MIKA27]

This Guy Won the Right to Wear Horns in His Driver's License Photo

Finally, some good news out of the year 2016. A Pagan priest can wear his goat horns in his driver's license photo, Maine's Bureau of Motor Vehicles has ruled.

When Phelan Moonsong went to get his license photo taken, he wore a pair of goat horns attached to his head with elastic, 50-pound fishing line. An official ordered him to remove the horns for his state-issued ID, but Moonsong objected, telling them the horns are his "spiritual antenna." Moonsong said he wears the horns every day.

"As a practicing Pagan minister and a priest of Pan, I've come to feel very attached to the horns, and they've become a part of me and part of my spirituality," Moonsong told the Washington Post. "The horns are part of my religious attire."

Moonsong felt so strongly, he wrote to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and asked for a religious exemption. He sent in a personal essay talking about the significance of the horns and cited four scholarly works to back up his claims.

Miraculously, Moonsong was victorious. Lucky him. A pastafarian was denied the right to wear a colander in her license photo earlier this year.

[MIKA27]

Arctic Cold Brew Coffee System

ICOSA Brewhouse wants to improve the way you start your day, which is why they developed the Arctic Cold Brew Coffee System. The same kind of coffee that all those artisanal coffee shops are charging you four or five bucks for can be made by the pitcher at home for a fraction of the cost. The relatively simple process involves a pitcher, filter, water and time like normal coffee, but gives you smoother taste, lower acidity, longer shelf life and a more concentrated jolt in the AM. Arctic sets itself apart from the competition with a design and construction that we’re pretty certain Walter White would be using for his cold brew. Borosilicate glass that resembles an Erlenmeyer flask. Stainless steel 200 micron filter that’s laser cut. 50.7 fl oz. capacity for a week’s worth of coffee that can be easily stored in the fridge. Arctic makes cold brew at home easy and pretty.

[MIKA27]

This Is Whisky Advocate’s Japanese Whisky of the Year

For 23 years running, Whisky Advocate has been exposing high-quality Japanese whisky to a fairly large audience. They’re continuing the tradition with this Yoichi Single Malt, their Japanese Whisky of the Year. The expression is the only Yoichi available in the United States, already setting it apart from other Japanese whiskies you can find on your local store’s shelves. The flavor is complex, with the peat and smoke you’d expect from a whisky, but adding in lime, briny seashells, and kiwi, among a half dozen other flavors. It’s a unique spirit, which is probably one of the reasons Whisky Advocate is advocating for this whisky. It runs for $80 a bottle, which is a bit out of the average price range, but isn’t so far out that it’s inaccessible. If you’re interested in Japanese whisky, the Yoichi Single Malt promises to be a strong entry point.

[MIKA27]

ISLE OF HARRIS GIN

The best gins on the market have the right mix of botanicals to give them a standout taste. That's the case with Isle Of Harris Gin, along with subtle coastal notes that come from hand-harvested Sugar kelp. Juniper, Coriander, Angelica Root, Orris Root, Cubebs, Bitter Orange Peel, Licorice and Cassia Bar round out the botanical list, and it's packaged in this beautiful, award winning bottle designed by the team at Stranger and Stranger.

[MIKA27]

Fox Is Making a Family Drama Set in an A.I. Future

Fox is developing Familiar, a show about a family trying to put an A.I. in every home. Also, presumably, while having high family drama.

Familiar comes from Heather Regnier (writer and producer on Sleepy Hollow) and will follow the Wiercinski family. The Wiercinskis run a company called Luminary, 2029's “first mainstream consumer-oriented” robotics company. Apparently, the family did some not-so-good things to get Luminary to that point. I’m expecting Dirty Sex Money, but with futuristic jumpsuits and robots.

Fox’s last foray into A.I.-driven TV was Almost Human, so hopefully this will fare better. Maybe this one will last longer.

[MIKA27]

This Is Not The Ace Combat You Remember

Remember Ace Combat and its manic brand of dogfighting on the PS2?

Now imagine Ace Combat in VR.
Given that this year's PlayStation Experience seemed to be a rollercoaster of classics either getting sequels or remasters, perhaps it's not all that surprising that a new Ace Combat was in development. But the intriguing part of the equation was the fact that Ace Combat 7 would support VR, which sounds amazing and a recipe for cockpit vomit at the same time.

We hadn't seen any of the VR gameplay outside of the announcement trailer, but over the weekend a video appeared showing off footage from the social screen.

I mean, another Ace Combat? Sure. I'll take that any day of the week. And in a lot of ways, flight simulators are a perfect VR game - your movement is restricted, having head tracking is genuinely and frequently helpful, and it helps the sense of immersion.

But flying around at that speed, doing barrel rolls? Your neck would get pretty tired, one would think.

Ace Combat 7 is due out for PS4 and PSVR sometime next year.

 

[MIKA27]

The Official 'John Wick: Chapter 2' Trailer Is Here

In this next chapter following the 2014 hit, legendary hitman John Wick [Keanu Reeves] is forced back out of retirement by a former associate plotting to seize control of a shadowy international assassins’ guild. Bound by a blood oath to help him, John travels to Rome where he squares off against some of the world’s deadliest killers.

With Keanu Reeves, Common, Riccardo Scamarcio, Laurence Fishburne, Ruby Rose, Bridget Moynahan, Lance Reddick, Franco Nero, John Leguizamo, and Ian McShane, John Wick: Chapter 2 hits cimenas February 10, 2017.

 

[MIKA27]

Blade Runner 2049 First Trailer:

 

Here's the official synopsis of the Denis Villeneuve-directed Bladerunner 2049:

Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Ryan Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what's left of society into chaos. K's discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.

Well, at least this footage proves that K does find him. We'll find out what happens next when the film is released on October 6, 2017.

 

[MIKA27]

STEVE MCQUEEN IN LE MANS – A GRAPHIC NOVEL

Steve McQueen In Le Mans is a new graphic novel by Swiss artist Sandro Garbo, he wanted to take one of the most famous McQueen movies and give it a comprehensive re-telling via the graphic novel medium – recreating the most famous scenes and cars in stunning detail.

Quote

“I don’t think anyone ever filmed a car race in such a realistic and intense way, but watching it, I saw more than just the race. I pictured the panels we could create and they were so stunning that I only wanted one thing: to create and share them.” – Sandro Garbo

From start to finish the graphic novel took 3 years to complete, Sandro and his team took time to get the details of each car perfect – including the film’s main protagonists, the Porsche 917, and the Ferrari 512.

[MIKA27]

BRAXTON BREWING RUM-BARREL SNOW SHOVEL BEER

Braxton Brewing already have a great Winter Warmer on their hands with Snow Shovel, and now they've taken it up a notch with the release of Braxton Brewing Rum-Barrel Snow Shovel Beer. The malt forward beer has ginger, cinnamon, and local honey in the mix, and was aged in Caribbean Rum barrels for over a year. A sweet, warming treat at 11.4%, it's brewed to thaw you out on a cold winter night

[MIKA27]

Scary Video Shows Explosions Happening At A Fireworks Market In Mexico

Over 60 people have been injured after an explosion occurred at the San Pablito fireworks market in Tultepec, Mexico, a city north of Mexico City. The blast is especially terrifying because the thick smoke plume covers the entire market while fireworks were still catching fire and going off in every direction. Nearby homes were also damaged in the explosions and the scene remains dangerous, according to National Civil Protection Coordinator Luis Felipe Puente.

Here are some photographs of the aftermath:

CNN is now reporting that 22 people have died from the explosions, citing local authorities involved in the search-and-rescue effort

MIKA: Sorry guys the video posted is now no longer available, it was removed from Youtube..

[MIKA27]

There Are 46 Motors Powering 567 Parts In This Amazing Life-size Iron Man Armour

Companies like Hot Toys are known for their incredibly realistic action figures, but you can only pack so much detail into a toy that's 30cm tall. So a Chinese company called The Toys Asia has taken the concept of an action figure to a whole new level with a life-size, fully-animated version of Iron Man's armour.

At the push of a button on the included remote control, this Iron Man figure completely opens up to allow Tony Stark to step inside — at least in theory.

Once the 28-second long, incredibly satisfying transformation is complete, you can see all of the suit's inner details that are rarely revealed on a smaller action figure. But as a result of there being some 567 individual parts that make up this collectible, there's not quite enough room for someone to actually climb inside the armour unless you're a small fry like @Fuzz

That might be a little disappointing after you've spent 2.5 million Chinese yuan to add this to your collection, which works out to just shy of $US360,000 ($496,569) in US currency. But after waiting eight months for it to be delivered, the last thing you want to do is accidentally break it.

The figure also includes its own display stand, since there's no way you're going to fit it on a shelf with your other toys. And if you thought Iron Man was expensive, just wait until his command fortress playset is available for pre-order.

 

[MIKA27]

An Exclusive Look At The Art Behind The Ghost In The Shell Movie

The new Ghost in the Shell movie is not without its controversies, but one of the universally-praised aspects of it from what we've seen so far is that the film totally nails its future cyberpunk aesthetic — and we've got an exclusive look at a book that will be all about bringing that world to the big screen.

Insight Edition's The Art of Ghost in the Shell, written by David S. Cohen with a foreword from WETA Workshop's Richard Taylor, goes behind-the-scenes of the how the movie was made. It takes a look at how Rupert Sanders originally pitched his take on the classic manga, as well as how production design weaved traditional Japanese art styles and design techniques into its scifi-infused aesthetic to bring Masamune Shirow's iconic manga and Mamoru Oshii's legendary anime to life.

We're proud to unveil the first pages from The Art of Ghost in the Shell right here on io9, which you can see below — don't forget to click the magnifying glass in the top corner of each image to enlarge them (or open them in a new tab to see them in full resolution).

The Art of Ghost in the Shell will be available from March 14, 2017, for $US45 ($62).

[MIKA27]

Australian Scientists Just Found A 'Supercluster' of Galaxies Hiding Behind The Milky Way

An International team of astronomers, including scientists from the Australian National University, just discovered one of the Universe's biggest superclusters of galaxies.

The Vela supercluster was hiding behind then stars and dust in the Milky Way, and is described as a "huge mass" that "influenced the motion" of our Galaxy.
"This is one of the biggest concentrations of galaxies in the Universe – possibly the biggest in the neighbourhood of our Galaxy, but that will need to be confirmed by further study," said Professor Matthew Colless from the ANU Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics.

"The gravity of the Vela supercluster may explain the difference between the measured motion of the Milky Way through space and the motion predicted from the distribution of previously mapped galaxies."

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The white/blue image is the Milky Way, with the central bulge on the left and the plane of the disk running horizontally across the region; the yellow/green dots are the distribution of galaxies in the nearby universe; the Vela supercluster (VSC) region is indicated, running across the Galactic plane; also shown is the location of the Shapley supercluster (SC), the other massive structure in the nearby universe.

The Anglo-Australian Telescope was used to measure distances for a number of galaxies in order to confirm earlier predictions that Vela was indeed a supercluster. Professor Colless also helped to estimate the supercluster's effect on the motion of the Milky Way.

The research involved astronomers based in South Africa, Australia and Europe. Two new Australian surveys starting in 2017 will confirm the size of the Vela supercluster.

"The Taipan optical survey will measure galaxy distances over a bigger area around Vela, while the WALLABY radio survey will be able to peer through the densest parts of the Milky Way into the supercluster's heart," Professor Colless said.

[MIKA27]

Watch This Cyclist Front Flip Off A Cliff Right Into The Freaking Ocean

Here's a neat behind the scenes video showcasing how trials cyclist Danny MacAskill pulled off a wild stunt: riding down a very short ramp so he could jump off right next to someone's house on a cliff, and front flip straight into the damn ocean. It's fun to see how he tries to figure out where the best place to jump off of is, because a lot of the planning process is just him throwing rocks off the edge to see where they end up falling.

[MIKA27]

Watch Penguins And Santa Clauses Battle In Classic Christmas Death Match

The holidays are all about celebrating life — yet there's nothing more thrilling than watching this simulation of 11,000 penguins and 4,000 Santa Clauses fighting to the death.

Brilliant Game Studios created the simulation to show off new features from the company's "crowd rendering system."

"Units now navigate complex terrain, Bodies now pile up, movement and avoidance improved and smoothed," the video description reads.

[MIKA27]

Japanese Company Debuts Holographic AI “Wife”

The device is a small transparent cylinder equipped with microphones, speakers, and of course, a tiny holographic female character who speaks in a high-pitched, infantile voice. While the company is marketing the device as a home assistant similar to Amazon Alexa or Apple’s Siri, many sources have already jumped to rather creepier conclusions.

The female AI character is a twenty-year-old named Azuma Hikari who loves donuts. Yeah, really. Vinclu’s (Japanese language) website claims she can “grant the dream of closing the distance between you and characters,” depending on your translation. The company designed the character in order to be a companion for people – ostensibly, men – who live alone. Azuma Hikari will send you comforting messages throughout the day and is designed to provide emotional support.

So far, only 300 units are available for preorder on the Gatebox website. The Gatebox is another development in a recent string of Japanese AI products designed to replace or simulate human interaction. Earlier this year, a Japanese firm released a smartphone app which allows dying or elderly users to record images and videos of themselves which are geo tagged to specific locations. Other users can then visit these locations to interact with their deceased loved ones after they pass.

More recently, Japan’s favorite AI schoolgirl construct went on an online bender of leaving angry or depressed messages on her Twitter page, sparking some to fear she might even commit “suicide,” or whatever the AI-equivalent would be. Unplugging? Deletion? Who knows. 

MIKA: The Japanese have it all wrong! What's up with the school girl fetish?

I would much rather the below, if someone can muster this one, I'm in  

 

[MIKA27]

RAY-BAN GENERAL SUNGLASSES

General Douglas MacArthur was something else. The celebrated ‘Big Chief’ hailing from the old west did everything from running reconnaissance missions during the U.S. occupation of Veracruz, to fighting in the trenches of WWI, and leading troops in the Pacific Theater of WWII. While he’s mainly remembered for these accomplishments, he was also a style icon of sorts. He spent much of his career clenching a corn cob pipe in his jaw and shading his eyes with a mean pair of aviators, a style that Ray-Ban has replicated and called The General.

Originally released by the Arkansas-based sunglasses company back in 1987 as an homage to the Medal of Honor winning General, the iconic style has just received an update. The new pair have the same grill you’d expect on a pair of aviators – upper bold bar and all – but what makes them different are the more squared off sides of the lenses that give them an aggresive look. Fitting, we think. The frames can be purchased in up to 8 different colors, with prices start at $160. [Purchase]

[MIKA27]

Casey Neistat Rides The First Drone That Can Lift a Person

Casey Neistat has a thing for clever stunt videos (see: here, here, and here). For his latest endeavor, the filmmaker helped build the world’s first human flying drone. Yes, as in it can lift a person. So while Amazon brags about its ability to soon to one day drop a new paperback at your doorstep, allow Casey Neistat to show you something far crazier.

[MIKA27]

LOOG DIY KIDS GUITARS

For the future rock star in your home, Loog DIY Kid's Guitars are a perfect way for kids to get started in the world of music. Loog Guitars are customizable guitars that are meant to be built with parents, and since each one is only 3-stringed with a narrow neck, they're easy for kids to form chords and learn songs quickly. And since the finger placement is the same, kids can graduate easily to a 6-string guitar when they're ready. Use the Loog app and find video lessons, chord diagrams, a tuner, and a songbook to learn how to play classics from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and many more.

 

[MIKA27]

MARK ZUCKERBERG BUILDS JARVIS

Having Morgan Freeman as your in-home assistant, whipping you t-shirts and playing your favorite movies, sounds like a dream. We'll leave it to Mark Zuckerberg to make it a reality. The Facebook founder created his own AI to run his home through an app on his phone and computer. As well as controlling your lights, thermostat, appliances, and security, Jarvis even begins to pick up on your tastes and patterns, keeping your ears safe from unbearable music choices. Unfortunately, Zuckerberg is keeping this all to himself for the time being, but hopes to eventually make it available to the world.

[Fuzz]

2 hours ago, MIKA27 said:

Scary Video Shows Explosions Happening At A Fireworks Market In Mexico

That was a disaster waiting to happen. So many fireworks in one area, a chain reaction was bound to occur.

2 hours ago, MIKA27 said:

There Are 46 Motors Powering 567 Parts In This Amazing Life-size Iron Man Armour

 

I'm sorry, but if I'm spending that kind of money, I will be telling them to put in space for me to climb in!