Tag Archives: lights
Alt-week 5.4.13: Atacama’s mystery skeleton, move to Mars, and lights out for Herschel
Alt-week takes a look at the best science and alternative tech stories from the last seven days.
Well, here we are. It’s happening. We’re officially talking about setting up a human colony on Mars. Not only is this very real, it’s something you can be part of. You don’t have to leave the planet to get your extra-terrestrial fix though, as our two other stories demonstrate. This is alt-week.
cutting-edge R&D | Check Out the San Francisco Bay Lights in 4K Glory
Now you can enjoy San Francisco’s stunning Bay Lights from a bird’s eye view, in stunning 4K definition.
Gadget Lab
San Francisco’s Bay Bridge lights up with 25,000 computer controlled LEDs
For decades, tourists have gaped at San Francisco’s brightly colored Golden Gate Bridge, often overlooking the Oakland-connected Bay Bridge’s less flashy looks. Luckily, the old bridge is being gussied up for onlookers — Artist Leo Villareal has kitted out the 1.8-mile span with over 25,000 computer controlled LEDs. “My inspiration comes from the motion of the bridge,” the artist explained, describing how he designed the display. “I’m interpreting all the kinetic activity around the bridge: the traffic, the motion of water, the sky — it’s such a rich environment to draw upon.” “The Bay Lights” project will illuminate the bridge for the next two years, silently shining carefully programmed patterns of light across the water of the bay. Sound gorgeous? Consider it just one more reason to visit the City by the Bay.
[Thanks, Charles]
Via: NY Times
Source: The Bay Lights
ROCCAT ISKU FX keyboard ships worldwide, lights up gaming for $100
ROCCAT’s ISKU FX keyboard intrigued us back in the summer by adding some synchronicity to the usual gaming keyboard formula. We’re glad to hear, then, that it’s shipping just as much of its audience will get the games that should be its match. Players in multiple countries can pick up the ISKU FX this week at prices of either $ 100 for Americans or €100 in European countries like ROCCAT’s native Germany. For the money, they’re getting both 16.8 million hues to choose from as well as Philips Ambilight-style flashes in supporting games — and the familiar control over a ROCCAT mouse if they’re not always in the mood for an elaborate show. The ISKU FX might not lure in those who already have serious input at hand, but it could be the right complement to a new PC.
Continue reading ROCCAT ISKU FX keyboard ships worldwide, lights up gaming for $ 100
Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals
Source: ROCCAT
Visualized: pedal power lights Christmas trees the eco-friendly way
When many are increasingly conscious of how their lighting impacts the environment, Christmas tree lights can feel like giant bundles of excess energy consumption. We’re not advocating that anyone shelve a centuries-old tradition, but we’ve noticed a growing trend towards alternatives that help save the Earth… at least, if you don’t mind cutting a tree down. Take Electric Pedals’ two new trees outside London’s Southbank Centre, for example: ten pairs of pedals keep the Vivid Design Works installation shining through energy ‘donated’ by visitors. We’ve also seen an even larger pedal-driven tree in Beirut, Lebanon, and we’re certain that others are lighting up the night as we speak without consuming more of the world’s resources. The concept isn’t new, as there’s been foot-powered trees in recent years — we’d just like it to see it spread.
Filed under: Household
Scrap metal gets new life as robot night lights
Avitzur’s "Throttler " sculpture was made from a discarded marine throttle, pump, wing nuts, and a refrigeration accumulator.
(Credit: Tal Avitzur )
Tal Avitzur is obsessed with collecting what he calls “retro junk.” The California artist spends hours sifting through scrapyards to find parts for the whimsical robots he dreams up.
At his Talbotics studio in Santa Barbara, Avitzur has created dozens of bots that are creepy, cute, alien, or just plain bizarre. Many are more than just ornamental — they work as night lights, illuminating dark rooms with their otherworldly LED eyes.
Some of his “Talbots” feature unexpected parts like vacuum cleaner motor housings, dolls, winches, clutches, floor polishers, meat grinder blades, taxidermy animal eyes, and old boat fittings.
“Some unusual parts that I recently acquired are an aluminum dental mannequin head, a dark room enlarger lamp, and a wooden foundry mold from the Pennsylvania railroad,” Avitzur says.
“I seem to use a lot of old vacuum cleaners, floor polishers, power tools and kitchen appliances. I think the designers of the vintage vacuums and tools, back in the 1940s and 1950s, would rather have been creating rocket ships and robots, and expressed these desires in their designs.”
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Crave: gorgeous gadgets and other crushworthy stuff. – CNET
