Tucked inside this little robot is an MP3 player with which is the core of its storytelling sensation. The Murasaki-bot was designed by the kids at the Kyoto University’s Robo-Garage and ‘will read you Murasaki Shikibu’s classic and oft-considered oldest novel in existence, The Tale of Genji.’ It was also designed to make subtle movements along with the storytelling like the noblewoman Murasaki would have made well conveying the tale.
There is nothing quite like the future being upon us as robots creeping their way into every notch of life.
Apologies for not posting more regularily. The job hunt has taken me to Houston where I’ve been busy. Here is something to distract you from this though!
In one of those rare cases where life mimics fiction here is a stunning example right out of J.K. Rowling’s ministerial decrees. A graduate student and a clerk were held for five days for possession of ‘research terrorist materials’ which is now against the University of Nottingham’s rules. They were held without charges ever being pressed for five days under the Terrorism Act. To make it even more asinine the graduate student in question is researching Islamic Terrorism.
In a statement issued to the university last week, Sir Colin Campbell says: “There is no ‘right’ to access and research terrorist materials. Those who do so run the risk of being investigated and prosecuted on terrorism charges. Equally, there is no ‘prohibition’ on accessing terrorist materials for the purpose of research. Those who do so are likely to be able to offer a defence to charges (although they may be held in custody for some time while the matter is investigated). This is the law and applies to all universities.”
Sir Colin issued the statement to advise staff to note “additional points” that have emerged since the arrest in May of a Nottingham masters student and a clerk on suspicion of possessing extremist material.
The student, Rizwaan Sabir, who is studying Islamic terrorism, said he had downloaded a copy of an al-Qaeda training manual for use in his MA dissertation and PhD application and had forwarded it to the administrator, Hicham Yezza, for printing. After six days in detention, neither was charged.
Thanks to a new bill in congress one small paragraph would allow distance education colleges and universities to install spy cameras into student’s homes. Of course none of our representatives are objecting to it. Think of the future when almost all education is done from home. George Orwell must be rolling over in his grave.
Tucked away in a 1,200-page bill now in Congress is a small paragraph that could lead distance-education institutions to require spy cameras in their students’ homes…
...The paragraph is actually about clamping down on cheating. It says that an institution that offers an online program must prove that an enrolled student is the same person who does the work…
...But some college officials are wary of the technologies, noting that they are run by third-party vendors that may not safeguard students’ privacy. Among the information the vendors collect are students’ fingerprints, and possibly even images from inside their homes.
“This is taking a step into a student’s private life,” said Rhonda M. Epper, co-executive director of Colorado Community Colleges Online. “I don’t know if we want to extend our presence that far.”...
Its good to know that I’m not the only person in the world who would rather the summer games could take place somewhere else.
HOTELS in Beijing are slashing prices for next month’s Olympics after the expected windfall of visitors failed to materialize, hotels and travel industry executives said yesterday.
Fan Runjun, of travel Website Ctrip.com, said many two to four-star hotels had reduced prices by 10 to 20 percent compared to May and June and some had slashed rates by as much as 30 percent.
The usual pre-Olympic festive atmosphere host cities experience has not yet hit Beijing. In June, the number of visitors to the capital declined by 19.9 percent from a year earlier, according to the Beijing Tourism Authority.
Average room prices in three-star hotels are now down to 400 yuan (US$60) a night from 700 yuan in previous months. Four-star hotels have dropped prices to about 800 yuan a night from 1,500 yuan.
In another beautiful display of reducing the packaging of a product in an innovated way Kamakura-komachi is now storing tofu in balloons. A simple poke of a toothpick and the packaging ‘pops’. The world can take a lesson from Japanese companies on these notes.
Dozens of partygoers at an outdoor rave near Moscow have been partially blinded after a laser light show burned their retinas, say Russian health officials.
Moscow city health department officials say that 12 cases of laser blindness were recorded at the Central Ophthalmological Clinic in the city. The daily newspaper Kommersant reports that another 17 victims have registered at another hospital in the centre of the capital.
Ravers at the Aquamarine Open Air Festival in Kirzhach, 80 kilometres northeast of Moscow, began seeking medical help days after the show, complaining of eye and vision problems.
“They all have retinal burns, scarring is visible on them. Loss of vision in individual cases is as high as 80%, and regaining it is already impossible,” Kommersant quoted a treating ophthalmologist as saying.
The Sayama Forest was the inspiration for Totoro. The bad news is that it is under thread for development.The good news is that over 200 of the top international artists from print to animation are donating artwork for the cause. You, too, can help by donating. Besides, the site contains a wonderful gallery of works that have already been donated.
Brendan Maloney is currently having a show at Arturo’s Bakery & Cafe in Austin, TX. With this being his first photography show its kind of a big deal. I believe the show runs through August so go check it out.
Steve Schofield is a photographer that has a very special gallery. This gallery features otaku ranging from star wars to star trek to who-the-fuck-knows fans dressed in full costume in their homes. Its fantastic.
This McDonald’s billboard in Chicago designed by the Leo Burnett ad agency is so simple its genius.
The giant egg billboard starts cracking and opening up in the wee hours of morning. By breakfast time, the egg has already hatched, and you can see “Fresh Eggs Daily” written on the egg’s yolk.
The egg stays open from 6:00AM till 10:30AM, to indicate the availability of fresh eggs during that time. Once the breakfast time is finished, the egg billboard shuts and stays closed as a whole egg till the next morning.
While browsing the usual blogs this little jewel was discovered. Jon as a grand post featuring a playlist of his top surf songs.
6. “Baja”
by The Astronauts Rock Instrumental Classics, Vol. 5: Surf
31. “Gargantua’s Last Stand”
by Man or Astro-Man? Destroy All Astromen!!
74. “Surfer Girl”
by The Sentinals Surfer Girl
Since the Gulf of Mexico isn’t that good for surfing after experiencing the Pacific Ocean in SoCal I’ll just play this while floating the river in the hill country of Texas next week. Thanks Jon!
Using Bone Conduction technology exhibits can ditch that old tape recorder and headphones in a damn cool way.
People just need to rest their elbows on the railing and cup their ears to be transported back to the night of the terrible air raid on 13th February 1945, using technology called “touched echo”. While leaning on to the balustrade the sound of airplanes and explosions is transmitted from the swinging balustrade through their arm directly into into the inner ear (bone conduction).
The sound is not audible to the people who are not touching the rail.
Officials in Rome, IT are planning on reviving the Circus Maximus with chariot races. Ben Hurrrrrrrr!
“The races will last for three days, starting from October 17, 2009… Chariot racers from around the world are expected to compete,” Franco Calo, one of the promoters, said.
He said the races would be held at the Circus Maximus, an ancient chariot racing venue which is now a park.
Chariot racers are, understandably, far and few between, and anyone hoping to participate will have to take lessons before heading for the starting line.
