Weird

NOKIA rubber boots

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For some people around who are not aware of it, finnish company Nokia also does rubber boots. Well actually I don't know if they still do that but before entering into the phone business, they manufactured pretty cool rubber boots like the following one (lady walking boot). Have a look at the old logo, I don't understand why it's written nokian? but a finnish friend attested that it's true. (found here) You can also check here for more contextual Nokia rubber boots (it's a finnish website about a geological trip).

Update! Janne from http://www.schizoblog.net tells me that " Nokia made rubber boots and cables before it got to the phone business. Company also manufactured tyres for cars. Nowadays there's a company called "Nokian renkaat" (Nokia Tyres) which continues the tradition of original compaby. Yet, it's totally different company. There's same kind of arrangements with the old rubber boots section of the company and it's called "Nokian jalkineet" (Nokian footwear): http://www.nokianfootwear.fi/nen It's independent company and it got nothing to do with the Nokia. So, now you know why the company is called "Nokian" (because it's not the Nokia :-))." Thank you Janne!

Monkey prefers playing video games over grooming!

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Washburn, D. A., and D. M. Rumbaugh. 1992. Investigations of rhesus monkey video task performance: Evidence for enrichment. Contemp Top Lab Anim Sci 31(5):6–10.

In this paper, the authors describe an empirical study of apes playing video games using the joystick I already pointed out here. A surprising result is the fact that apes preferred playing video games overs grooming!

Here is what they found (actually this summary is described in this paper)

How can one determine whether a monkey enjoys a computer task and whether the task improves psychological well-being? First, we examined each animal’s preference for engaging the joystick tasks relative to other favored activities. We found that playing the specially designed computer games is a highly preferred activity for the nonhuman primates, occupying a substantial portion—over 9h per day, on average—of each animal’s daily time budget (Washburn & Rumbaugh, 1992). The monkeys choose to engage in the tasks even when other attractive manipulanda and activities are available. The activities that get replaced in the daily repertoire are predominantly maladaptive and stress- or boredom-related behaviors, such as stereotypy, overgrooming, and aggression.

Inflatable Big Screen for the Ultimate Pool Party

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An interesting device (!) to host outdoor film in a big, high-quality way (as said by the website). It's an inflatable screen that works as an outdoor theater system.

you can make the most of your pool or patio by bringing up the lights on movies and video games. Originally developed for resorts and private golf clubs and now the new trend in outdoor living, it’s a complete, easy-to-use widescreen home entertainment system.

Maybe they should complete it with nice project I saw at IDI last week: CICCIO. Designers of this inflatable screen could allow users to interact with their TV by throwing stuff on it like on this CICCIO project:

Scream: a software application to facilitate screaming.

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(via) Scream by deprogramming.us ( a cool bunch of folks, check their philosophy on runeme-org):

Scream sits quietly in your computer's system tray and automatically springs into action when it detects a scream.

Scream disturbs your Windows interface. But it isn't aimed just at computer frustrations. In a world where "anger" is paired with "management," Scream encourages the return to prominence of the lost art of screaming. As Howard Beale said in 1976, "I don't have to tell you things are bad.... all I know is that first you've got to get mad." But whereas Howard advised his viewers to turn their television sets off to get mad, Scream proposes that you leave your computer on.

Scream can be used in private. Or public. It can be used at home, at work, or on the street; at a Fluxus-style Scream-in; at the mall or at your favorite cafe. When your throat gets tired, Scream can double as an unusual music visualizer - or as a new approach to desktop filmmaking. Use Scream to start a meme. Or simply as a random act of deprogramming.

Scream - The Screaming Enhancer. (Also indicated for use with door slams, domestic disputes, and police helicopters.)

Besides, there is a social scream tool bound to share you screm à la del.icio.us!

Scream Themes utilize the web page bookmarking system in del.icio.us to create bundled themes you can scream at on your own or share with friends. Especially useful for launching at Scream-Ins. Join the anti-social bookmarking revolution!

Sports cars in contrast to other categories of cars are strong social reinforcers

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Read in wireheading:

Cultural objects modulate reward circuitry by Erk S, Spitzer M, Wunderlich AP, Galley L, Walter H.

Using event-related fMRI we investigated the rewarding properties of cultural objects (cars) signaling wealth and social dominance. It has been shown recently that reward mechanisms are involved in the regulation of social relations like dominance and social rank. Based on evolutionary considerations we hypothesized that sports cars in contrast to other categories of cars, e.g. limousines and small cars, are strong social reinforcers and would modulate the dopaminergic reward circuitry. Twelve healthy male subjects were studied with fMRI while viewing photographs of different car classes followed by an attractivity rating. Behaviorally sports cars were rated significantly more attractive than limousines and small cars. Our fMRI results revealed significantly more activation in ventral striatum, orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate and occipital regions for sports cars in contrast to other categories of cars. We could thus demonstrate that artificial cultural objects associated with wealth and social dominance elicit activation in reward-related brain areas.

A cell phone to shut down tvs (cell phone b-gone)

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(via) Some people thought that the tv b-gone (this device that allows you to turn off virtually any remotely-controlled television) was too easy to spot. That's why geeks disguised this product into a cell phone:

I was at a sports bar having lunch with some co-workers one day, and we were passing around the TVBG, scoring a few kills as we could and I got to thinking..."How can I hide this thing more effectively, but increase the accuraccy?" A few dozen wacky ideas came to mind...Mount the IR transmitter doodad on my glasses, with cleverly concealed wires running down to the device...modify the case and make it look like a wristwatch...and then somebody's mobile phone rang.

Snail mail versus ADSL

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After the pigeon-empowered internet, the same group of israelian geeks moved forward on the battle snail mail/email by showing that snails could be faster than ADSL:

The system called SNAP (SNAil-based data transfer Protocol), uses biological carriers, and, for the first time, taking advantages of the unique merits of the wheel for data transfer. (...) ystem architecture: the system is constructed of a back end - a carriage, Ben-Hur movie style, which is made of a yoke made of light Balsa, and outfitted with two huge wheels - 2 DVD wheels, 4.7 Giga each. The front end, to which the carriage is harnessed consist of a Giant snail (Achatina fulica), known also as Giant African Snail (Africans are the runners ).

What's next?

Pigeon-Empowered Wireless Internet

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Nice story: some folks conducted a test to compares ADSL and Pigeon Enabled Internet, the pigeon enabled internet seemed to be faster.

A group of several dozen Internet addicts from Israel and abroad, gathered in the large grass field of the OHALO Center near the Sea of Galilee. The purpose of the gathering was to try and improve Wi-Fly - pigeon-empowered wireless internet and to confront this technology against ADSL. The participants sent 3 homing pigeons to 100 km distance, each carrying 20-22 tiny memory cards containing 1.3 GB, amounting in total of 4 GB of data. (...) "Improving the method was achieved by changing the medium on which the message is stored and carried by the pigeons, from paper (as required by the original protocol) to Memory Flash Cards" , said Ben Bassat. Replacing the old analog content transfer by digital one, enables the pigeons to transfer data faster than ADSL, and to achieve what apparently looks as pigeons' record in data transfer to a given distance.

A pet umbrella

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(via) Terrific gadget: the pet umbrella

The Pet Umbrella keeps your pet dry and comfortable in rain, sleet or snow. Features include a clear oblong arc trimmed with classic plaid waterproof fabric and ergonomic, angled handle with padded comfort grip. An umbrella leash with hook attaches easily

Swat team plans monkey business

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Via ananova:

An elite American Swat team wants to train a small monkey as the ultimate reconnaissance tool. Wearing a bullet-proof vest, video camera and two-way radio, the capuchin monkey would be able to get into places no officer or robot could go.

"Everybody laughs about it until they really start thinking about it. It would change the way we do business," Said Mesa Officer Sean Truelove.

Truelove, who builds and operates tactical robots for the suburban Phoenix, Arizona, Swat team, wants to train the monkey for special ops intelligence work. The tiny primate with puzzle-solving skills, could unlock doors, search buildings and find suicide victims on command, he said.

A grant proposal with the Department of Defence under the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency has been filed. The Swat team is looking for about £60,000 to purchase, train and care for the monkey over a three year period.

Executive Laptop Steering Wheel Mount

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A very tricky tool: the executive laptop steering wheel mount:

Mount your laptop or notebook to your car's steering wheel and catch up on all your work while parked for extended periods at a location. Ideal for outside field sales and service professionals, real estate executives, students, etc. Arkon's Executive Laptop Steering Wheel Mount will hold ALL portable laptops up to 10 Lbs. in weight. A ball point pen included conveniently attaches to the underside of the base of the mount. The laptop steering wheel mount is very portable. It conveniently folds up and can be stored under the seat while not in use.

IMPORTANT NOTE & SAFETY WARNING: THIS PRODUCT IS ONLY FOR USE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PARKED AND THE IGNITION IS TURNED OFF. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE A VEHICLE WITH MOUNT ATTACHED TO STEERING WHEEL. DEATH or INJURY TO YOURSELF AND OTHERS WOULD OCCUR. ARKON RESOURCES, INC. ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY OF LIABILITY IF THIS SOLUTION IS USED IN ANY OTHER CAPACITY THAN DESCRIBED HEREIN.

Home-made slot machines

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The Under the Pier Show presents very nice experience of crazy slot machines and simulator amazingly modified. The folk shows his collection of home-made slot machines and simulator, on Soutwhold Pierre in Suffolk (UK). Nice hacks! My favorite is the Microbreak (even though the gene forecaster or the autofrisk are great too).

Simply sit on the chair and the carpet tips and rocks as you watch a TV animation of your flight and coach transfer, ending up on a tropical beach. At this point the TV lamp swings up, shining a heat lamp in your face. After soaking in the heat, you’re whisked home again, the whole experience lasting less than 3 minutes