Satellite Image Wallpaper
My buddy Ryan forwarded me a link to several sets of great wallpapers for your desktops comprised entirely of satellite images of our beautiful terrestrial sphere.
Musical Automatons
Godfried-Willem Raes has invented a large assortment of automated instruments. His compositions include such works as “GeroSire” (for gesture controlled siren-robot and a nude player), and “TransiTrance” (for robot orchestra and nude performers), and his instruments include such fascinations as Klung (an automated anklung), Autosax (duh, an automated saxophone), So (an automated sousaphone), and Vox Humanola (an automated barrel organ). Apparently, his inventions are MIDI controllable, which opens up a number of possibilities. Imagine composing a score in a program like Sibelius or Finale, and having a real instrument play it back!
CSound
Until last week, I had never heard of CSound, a programming language designed in 1985 for synthesizing sounds and signals. As I read the Engadget article, I discovered that Brian Eno, Richard James (aka Aphex Twin), Trent Reznor (aka Nine Inch Nails) and many others have been using CSound for years. With free downloadable programs for Windows, Mac and Linux, and the tutorials below as a guiding framework, aspiring musicians, producers, and the like should have no trouble getting their computers to beep, squeal and squawk like an ARP.
Part one via Engadget
Part two via Hack A Day
Visit the CSound site
Circuit Bending
Circuit Bent Roland TR-505, originally uploaded by romanedirisinghe. I found a great site on circuit bending, which Wikipedia defines as “the creative short-circuiting of electronic devices such as guitar effects, children’s toys and synthesizers to create new musical instruments and sound generators.” Never mind that it’s potentially hazardous, and could kill you, but the results are pretty awesome. A few months back I picked up a used Roland TR-505 drum machine, circuit bent by the guy who sold it to me. I think I paid around $75 for it, and man is it cool. Not only can I get the standard sounds out of it, but a few flips of some extra switches allow some otherworldly percussive sounds. Interested? Check out a full circuit bending tutorial at anti-theory.com I’ve just uploaded an MP3 of my circuit bent TR-505 (MP3, 1.51 MB).
Google Maps + GasBuddy = Cheap Gas
Google Maps + GasBuddy = Cheap Gas
It’s a great way to compare gas prices.