Foreign Flick Fridays

This week I've decided to do a documentary.  Here's a brief description below.  Who doesn't love a good documentary about Kung-Fu.  As you all can see I didn't do the Monday Review like I was going to originally.  I think out of sheer laziness... hehe.  I'll get around to it although sometimes I think that I don't really have much to say about some movies....

Needle Through Brick

A documentary about the struggle for survival of traditional art and culture in the face of a rapidly changing and modernizing world told from the perspective of time-honored Chinese Kung-Fu masters.

 

USB Turtle Optical Mouse

Haha, I don't know if I would be embarrassed to use this in public. Just like my duckie earphones my cousin Grace got me, but surprisingly I DO use my duckie headphones! So maybe I would.... :P

USB Turtle Optical Mouse: "

I swear turtles are quickly becoming the new frogs. Before there were tons of frog themed household items, but turtles being just as lovable, are quickly catching up. This Tortoise Turtle USB Mouse is one way to show your love for the little guys. For being a novelty mouse it still looks comfortable to use, which is definitely not always the case.

The turtle has all the usual features, it’s USB powered, has a scroll button as well as the typical 2 buttons. It’s also, thankfully, an optical mouse. It says it’s comfortable for both right and left handed use, but being a left handed person I can’t say that I’ve ever had the urge to use the mouse with my left hand. It’s currently in stock and ready to be shipped, all you have to do is pay the $15.99 charge. You can find it through Source Square.

Foreign Flick Fridays

I haven't watched a lot of French films but this looks a little interesting.  Maybe I should do a Friday Flick Review post on Mondays....  sounds like a plan.


Une Aventure

Cecile and Julien begin their new life together.  Julien works long hours in a video library, a world full of pictures.  Coming home late one night, he encounters a young, beautiful, disturbing woman in front of his building.  She seems lost, as if in a dream.  She mumbles something to him, like a call for help, and vanishes.  Since this strange encounter, and maybe for the first time in his life, Julien is confused, becoming obsessed by the mystery.

PSHHH.

Ha ha! Saw this on a blog I'm following. I don't know why I found this so hilarious but I did.... I love Winnie the Pooh.

PSHHH.:

Bad Bear!

Bear is so not not allowed on the bed.

Apparently someone pushed back the covers to create himself a little nook.

It just happens to be the same size as Bear!

Bad Bear!

China to build ginormous buses that cars can drive under

Wow, I guess with that many people in China you have to figure out how to control congestion. Hehe.

China to build ginormous buses that cars can drive under (video): "

Seriously, this is the future that China's envisioning: huge friggin' buses engulfing smaller cars on the road. Despite the silly picture and the eccentric '3D Express Coach' branding, this cunning project by Shenzhen Huashi Future Car-Parking Equipment actually makes sense. The idea is to make use of the space between regular-size cars and bridges, thus saving construction costs as well as minimizing congestion impact by allowing cars to drive underneath these jumbo buses. Fancy hitching a ride? You better start planning your move to Beijing's Mentougou district, which is where Huashi will commence building its first 186km of track at year's end. For now, enjoy the Chinese demo video after the break (translation text at source link).

Continue reading China to build ginormous buses that cars can drive under (video)

Hiroshi Ishiguro creates his creepiest robot yet, the Telenoid R1 (video)

Eeeesh, that is creepy as hell!

Hiroshi Ishiguro creates his creepiest robot yet, the Telenoid R1 (video): "

Sure, creating freakish humanoid clones is Hiroshi Ishiguro's primary hobby, but his latest work takes a couple steps outside the Uncanny Valley. The Telenoid R1 telepresence robot trades extremities for an androgynous doll-like body, which researchers at Osaka University and ATR describe as 'soft and pleasant' but strikes us as something we'd see crawling out of the depths of hell on stump-like arms. (Perhaps Ishiguro was going for Casper the Friendly Ghost.) The $35,000 prototype transmits both the voice and head motions of a remote operator, allowing dutiful Japanese individuals to visit their elders via internet-equipped PCs, and a final version will actually go on sale later this year for around $8,000 should said elders agree with the latest in puffy white design. Watch a sample visit after the break.

Foreign Flick Fridays

I had seen this film years ago when I was in high school.  It's a classic story of greed and family loyalty.  Some liken it to Shakespeare's King Lear.  I haven't read any Shakespeare in years so I suppose I should add that to my summer reading list after watching this movie again.  I am  a big advocate of watching films and especially reading books over again some years later as  your views and experiences alter the way you see or read the story.  This is a long film so I suggest you get into your most comfy jammies and make the big bag of popcorn for this film.  Below is a brief description of the film.

Ran

Akira Kurosawa's brilliantly conceived re-telling of Shakespeare's King Lear magically mixes Japanese history, Shakespeare's plot and Kurosawa's own feelings about loyalty in the epic masterpiece, RAN.  Set in 16th century Japan, and aging ruler, Lord Hidetora (Tatsuya Nakadai), announces his intention to divide his land equally among his three sons.  Hidetora's decision to step down unleashes a power struggle between the three heirs when he falls prey to the false flattery bestowed upon him by the two older sons and banishes the youngest for speaking the truth.  That ruthless betrayal ultimately drives Hidetora insane, destroying his entire family and kingdom.  Deep human emotion and outstanding acting combine to create one of the most acclaimed foreign films of all time.

Blow-Up GoCrib

I would definitely put this on my registry if I were having a baby... or if I were to ever have a baby.... ahem.

Blow-Up GoCrib: "

The first thing you have to learn to do as a parent is to blow up random objects. Actually, you might want to start practicing before you have kids to work those lungs out a little. You can’t afford to not be prepared for these sorts of things. Those of you that had blow-up chairs in high school will have a small amount of an edge. The rest of you though need to really get to working on this sort of thing. Of course for this particular blow-up crib they were nice enough to include a pump. Don’t let that make you think you can get lazy though, there will come a day when you’re stuck blowing up a whole assembly line of pool toys.

If you’re a parent that prefers to take your baby into the great outdoors then you know sometimes it gets challenging. One way to make sure your baby stays right where they should be is to pick up this GoCrib. It’s a mesh crib that’ll let them play outside without you worrying about any sticks or leaves getting jammed into their mouth. The whole thing will fit directly into a handy little book bag. Once your child has gotten older, the mesh sides unzip to give them a little fort to play within. To purchase the Guava Family GoCrib it’ll cost you $249 through Amazon.

Mini Cupcake Factory

Oooh, this looks like fun...

Mini Cupcake Factory: "

Cupcakes seem to be all the rage these days, as they offer a different kind of pastry appeal to the masses. Even weddings have evolved to shun the traditional wedding cake, relying on cupcakes instead to keep guests happy. Well, if you have a penchant for whipping up something delicious in the kitchen, how about giving the Mini Cupcake Factory a go? Retailing for just $19.99 a pop, they will definitely appeal to the geek since it is small and cute, featuring an extremely high crust-to-cake ratio thanks to its small nature. Featuring an outer layer of extra caramelized batter, it will soak up some of the oil during the baking process. The cupcakes themselves will cook in a mere 5 minutes, and if you throw in the time spent mixing and heating the cupcake pan, it takes a grand total of just 10 minutes. Each round of cooking will net you 7 cupcakes in total. Hungry already?

Float Table uses magnets to make magic hovering effect

This is really cool looking but I don't know how the hell I would dust this thing...

Float Table uses magnets to make magic hovering effect: "

This is the Float Table, and it combines some of the best technology from the seventies and the eighties, along with yet-to-be-invented hover technology.

As you can see, the Float Table has that brown wood look that was so prevalent in the disco decade. The rotary phone is also a nice touch. As for the eighties, it certainly has that Rubik’s Cube thing going on.

According to my Source, those cubes are held together by the power of magnets. These attracting and rebelling forces somehow work together to appear like blocks floating in air, but still stable.

By the way, there are steel cables attached to the blocks to keep this structure from completely falling apart. I guess that you can’t see the cables in this picture. I’m also told that this is so you can shape the Float Table into whatever you want. I really wish that I had some pictures of that, as I would have attached them to this post.

I wonder if it is possible to shift this Float Table into something that looks more like an actual table with legs. I also wonder how much weight the table can hold.

Well, this is a concept piece of furniture as of now, but you never know. I don’t even know if this thing actually works, or if this is some complicated mock-up.

Motorola takes another shot at the iPhone 4, says Droid X is 'no jacket required'

Hehehe, and the advertising jabs are in full swing....

Boy Steve-O sure knows how to step on people's toes.....

Motorola takes another shot at the iPhone 4, says Droid X is 'no jacket required': "

Well this is getting good. Motorola was one of the first to take a subtle swipe at Apple's iPhone 4 antenna dilemma with an ad saying you could hold the Droid X 'any way you like,' Apple came right back with a video purportedly showing the Droid X suffering similar attenuation issues when held in the right hand, and now Moto's responded with this cheeky ad that plays off Apple's free iPhone case solution by saying the Droid X can make calls 'without a bulky phone jacket.' Yeah, it's pretty good -- particularly because unlike most other phones, we haven't been able to death grip the Droid X with any noticeable effect on 3G reception. (Although, truth be told, we can drop the WiFi signal by a few bars pretty easily.) Either way, we're certainly enjoying this little slice of swagger from Moto -- check a larger version after the break.

Continue reading Motorola takes another shot at the iPhone 4, says Droid X is 'no jacket required'

Foreign Flick Fridays

As a suggestion from my cousin Miss Audrey Allure, (see blog link on side), I have decided to do Friday as the foreign film night.  That way those of you who would rather stay home and watch an interesting flick can check out some of the selections I have made.  I know I haven't kept up with this but now that I have more idle time to kill I will keep up with my posts more often.  Since I am two days late I will post this film for you to enjoy.  I have not watched in full the original Spanish version of this movie yet but I did see the version with Tom Cruise.  I liked the storyline of the movie but am not a big Tom Cruise fan to begin with so it was a little painful to watch him acting for a whole feature film.  It stars one of my favorite actresses Penelope Cruz, she was in the English version as well.  Below is a a brief description of the movie.

Abre Los Ojos

Eduardo Noriega is a rich womanizer who prowls the parties and bars of Madrid, intent on bagging chicks.  But when Noriega falls for the beautiful Sophia (Penelope Cruz), he's the one who's bagged.  It looks like a happy ending until a jealous (and unstable) old girlfriend, Nuria, cajoles the young stud into taking one last drive with her.

Cow Wash, It’s Brand Moo

This has got to be one of the funniest things I have seen in a while.

Cow Wash, It’s Brand Moo: "

I think this is the first time we’ve ever reported about a gadget especially for cows, introducing the Cow Wash, it does exactly what it says.

The Cow Wash is created by Swedish firm DeLaval and they have sold over 30,000 which must amount to a serious number of clean cows.

I did find the cow wash somewhat amoosing but it does offer some serious benefits:

• Increased milk production due to improving the cows blood circulation
• Stops the spread of disease
• Makes cows happier

The cow certainly looks content in the picture above. To see the cow wash in action check out the video.

Haha!

I think I would go into diabetic shock after this.  Something really disturbing about this...  The worlds largest gummy bear.

Honda will bring plug-in hybrids, full EVs to United States in 2012

Although I'm not a big Honda fan I think it's kind of cute.... Not as cute as my Mini but I'll give Honda props for trying. Hehe.

Honda will bring plug-in hybrids, full EVs to United States in 2012: "

Though they probably won't look anything like Honda's adorable EV-N, the Japanese automaker's got some new technological vehicles up its sleeves -- in a speech today, Honda CEO Takanobu Ito formally announced plans to produce a plug-in hybrid competitor for Toyota's flashy new PHEV Prius by 2012, which rumor has it will sport an estimated fuel economy (when it's using fuel, we assume) of roughly around 140 miles per gallon. Better still, a completely battery-powered electrical vehicle will also go on sale by 2012, and you won't have to fly to Japan to try them out, as they're slated for the States as well. Hydrogen fuel cells are apparently still Honda's long-term solution, though the FCX Clarity received only a passing mention. In the short term, Honda's still circling the wagons around part-gasoline systems like the Civic (which will receive a Li-ion battery pack) and the Fit Hybrid, destined for Japan this fall.

Watermelon cooler push cart: perfect for those sultry North Carolina summers

Ah ha ha ha! This is hilarious! I don't even know how to feel about it, it's just too funny!

Watermelon cooler push cart: perfect for those sultry North Carolina summers: "

Crazily enough, the device you're staring at above -- jaw solidly on the floor, we're sure -- is real. As in, you can purchase one for you and yours. So far as we can tell, this here watermelon cart (priced at ¥19,950, or a whopping $231) serves to keep your voluptuous fruit cool when being transported from market to mouth, but everything beyond that is lost in translation. What's curious, however, is that this seems like a device created and sold exclusively in Japan. If we had to bet, though, we'd say it was originally dreamed up by a farmer in eastern North Carolina -- you know, the home of watermelon Cook-Out milkshakes, an official watermelon license plate and roads where chop-top school buses are frequently used as watermelon hauling machines.

Kokonatchi bots are really, incredibly excited about your Twitter stream

Hehe, these are so cute.

Kokonatchi bots are really, incredibly excited about your Twitter stream: "

Just when we were about to give up hope in ever finding a convenient way to check out Twitter-happenings, some students at the University of Tokyo and Waseda University have come to our rescue. Their bizarre creation is the Kokonatchi, a cuddly, gyrating robot of sorts, much in the vein of Nabaztag, that flashes multicolor LEDs and wiggles in an adorable seizure when you've got a new Tweet to look at. We're a little unclear on the software side, but it appears you can assign certain alerts and even spoken words to certain Tweet-ers or Tweet-agories. They'll be retailing this fall for around $45 a pop, and you can check them out in action after the break.

Continue reading Kokonatchi bots are really, incredibly excited about your Twitter stream

Evil Fortune Cookies

Haha, it figures I would find this funny.....

Evil Fortune Cookies: "

Not sure I’d class these as a gadget but they’re sold at Think Geek and surely good for a laugh, “Cookie Misfortune Evil Fortune Cookies”.

See, Cookie Misfortune Evil Fortune Cookies look just like the real thing because, well, they are the real thing. However each of the 10 cookies contains a mean, evil, funny, or depressing fortune. The wrappers are blank, encouraging you to prank friends, family, coworkers, strangers, anyone! Cookie Misfortune Evil Fortune Cookies also make great gifts to encourage creative anarchy in others. Like syphilis, but funnier and more tasty, Cookie Misfortune Evil Fortune Cookies are the gift that keeps on giving.

You can buy your own Evil Fortune Cookies from Think Geek for $9.99.

HTC fires back at Apple antenna demo with percentage pew-pew

Did Apple think they wouldn't get a crapload of backlash from the other manufactures???

HTC fires back at Apple antenna demo with percentage pew-pew: "

Apple's Friday press conference may have left a bad taste in some rival handset manufacturer's mouths, but not all of them are taking Cupertino's derision of their devices seriously -- HTC's Droid Eris was arguably the most effected by the grip of doom, its bars dropping to zilch when held, but the Taiwanese company keeping any controversial opinions to itself for now. Instead, it's sharing a simple percentage to help clear the air. Whereas Apple claimed over 0.55 percent of customers called AppleCare with reception-related complaints, HTC's Eric Lin told Pocket-lint the Droid Eris technical support rate was 0.016 percent, nearly thirty-four times lower -- though even with a seven-month head start, we have to wonder if the Eris sold close to three million by the time Verizon brought the axe down.