[ By Angie in Gadgets & Geek Art, Technology & Futurism, Urban Images. ]

If you think today’s robots look closer to toasters, vacuum cleaners, or other appliances, then you better sit down. Have you wondered why we don’t have robots like Number Six, Data, C-3PO, or Rosie? But we do have them, some are close. There is more happening on the robot scene than most of the population realizes. Some robots are very good company. Scoff if you must, but with a dash of humor, two pinches of sarcasm, a slice of conspiracy, and a large dose of robotic reality, this is how Skynet really starts.

Robotic Advancement – Population Explosion

(image credits: bigpicture,wired,Technology Review,slipstersblog,Pink Tentacle,cnet)

The robot population has surged to nearly 9 million! Most of us are used to Disney type animatronics, so it’s not too shocking to see robots synchronized and performing with swords. We have carnivorous robots, but not too many screamed blood sucking start of Skynet. On the military front, robotics have taken a huge leap forward such as unmanned vehicles, drone planes, robotic soldiers like Big Dog, semi-autonomous killing machines, and even possible robot medics on the battlefield.  Robots work in factories and work as surgeons in hospitals. Designers have tried to make robots appear friendlier, move smoother, become smarter, working to overcome human reluctance to interact with robots. Robots are supposed to make us safer, to do the dangerous work, to make our lives easier. What’s not to love about it? Remember Skynet?

Giant Baby

(image credits: designboom,ieee spectrum,Big Picture,yahoo)

Babies are cute and harmless, right? Babies strike an instinctive chord in us, lower our guards and lull us into feeling as if we are in charge of caring for them. What an excellent place to start whittling away at human reluctance to interact with robots. On the other side of the argument, baby and child robots are that much more creepy. The Yotaro Baby Simulator is an interactive robot to teach children who are about to become a big brother or sister about baby siblings. It even cries “real” robot tears. Reborn Babies look real enough to fool some people. Then there’s the huge animated baby mannequin displayed at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. Why is there a need to anthropomorphize robots; can’t robots look like robots? But then . . . how exactly do robots look?

iCub

(image credits: ieee spectrum)

iCub, the open-source Robot Child, is a humanoid robot the size of a 3-1/2-year old child. In the top photo, iCub is flashing the peace sign. However, what’s going on in that little metal mind? iCub walks, crawls, does most things a toddler can do. What if his software evolves to artificial intelligence? He might just as happily bash you in the head with a ping pong paddle or worse? Is iCub impressive or chilling?

What could go wrong?

(image credits: spectrum,sodahead,oh gizmo)

What could possibly go wrong when we arm and allow unmanned war vehicles and soldiers, or put potential weapons within their robotic reach? How about robots linking to our computers? We handed them systems and potential deadly weapons like knives for robot cooks. Fire breathing robots of destruction, will that be how it begins? Could the robot with the doll head and handling a screwdriver make the jump to AI and Chucky? Never fear for that is not how Skynet really starts . . .  although Scientists Worry Machines May Outsmart Man.

Robots Showing Emotions Like Human Beings

(image credits: Daily Mail,gizmowatch,boston.comBig Picture)

Humanoid androids are designed to appear male or female. Jerky movements give them away as much as how unrealistically human they look. Yet robots have learned to mock our facial expressions. If a robot empathizes with you, would you tend to like it better? Synthetic faces are light and easy to move, easy to produce, easy to show human expressions and therefore overcome the hurdle in human-robot interactions.

Diego San

(image credits: botjunkie)

Diego-San is a sophisticated humanoid robot modeled after a 1-year-old child. He is designed to discover how babies acquire and refine the ability to use nonverbal communication such as gestures and facial expressions. All that is needed after that will be a more welcoming synthetic face or synthetic body. Then he’s ready to be shipped off to Cyberdyne Systems where he can be sold, and then infiltrate childless couples’ homes in a neighborhood near you. That still should not shake you up, perhaps creep you out, but not to worry. That is not how Skynet really starts. Is he hugging the child like a proud papa  . . . or? Never mind that chilling thought. Besides, scientists haven’t successfully developed AI yet, right? Wrong.

CB2

(image credits: boston)

Bald little CB2, Child-robot with Biomimetic Body, with his soft silicone skin and four-foot, four-inch body is an “infant.” His designers claim CB2 interacts with humans and watches their facial expressions, mimicking a mother-baby relationship. Furthermore, his creator expects science to advance to a “robo species” with advanced learning abilities. What then when they make these creatures more human-looking? We’ve seen the synthetic skin, expressive faces, and robots with artificial intelligence and acting on their own.

Hiroshi Ishiguro

(image credits: ieee spectrum,ieee spectrum)

Japanese roboticist Hiroshi Ishiguro created his twin to make robots look and act more like human beings. The android, Geminoid HI-1, blinks, twitches, talks with the same intonations, all but walks as if it were a copy of Ishiguro. In fact, Ishiguro wants to make robots human-looking enough to be the natural interface for humans. He believes we could come to accept humanoids the more we are exposed to them in the future, learning to “rely on them for our care and other needs.” He intends to make androids so lifelike and “human” that they are able to hurdle over the chasm of the uncanny valley.

Female Geminoid

(image credits: ieee spectrum)

The robotic clone of a twenty-year-old woman, Geminoid F, is the newest female android created by roboticist Hiroshi Ishiguro. She looks fairly natural when striking a smile or a frown. You might forget she looks a bit like a terminator under her synthetic skin. Ishiguro learned much about human-robot interaction when his 4-year-old daughter burst into tears after meeting his master template and her replica, Repliee R1. Interestingly enough, like something out of The Matrix or Avatar, Ishiguro discovered that simply touching the android is enough to trigger the same exact physical sensation for the operator. It is like the operator’s brain behaves almost as though he were inhabiting the robot’s body.

Robotic Women

(image credits: ieee spectrum,dailymail,Pink Tentacle,Big Picture)

Yes, we are going to go there. Why make them attractive women? Actroids, androids, humanoids, these female robots can mimic facial expressions enough to work in a demonstration booth, as a receptionist, or dress to appear like a beauty pageant queen. All of these women robots drew a crowd to admire them, to interact with them. If they can walk this way and talk this way, could you jump past the uncanny valley? Robotic women, why else try to make them “attractive” and “appealing” if not headed for the inevitable?

Miim . . . Here comes the robot bride

(image credits: ninemsn)

The HRP-4C humanoid robot Miim walked down the catwalk, modeling a wedding gown. Miim then told the stunned audience how happy she was to be wearing the dress. Robots breaking into the modeling, fashion, and entertainment industry? It’s happening right now. Women in those lines of work are generally swamped with admirers and wanna-be dates. Now here’s a female robot dressed for marriage, straight out of predicted research about intimate relationships with artificial partners and Sex and Marriage with Robots by 2050. But wait, we’re not actually there yet. Where humans care for robots and robots care for humans?

Japan Teacher Robot

(image credits: gizmodo,smh,crunchgear)

This is Saya. Let’s hope she doesn’t get ticked at the roboticist peeling off her face and poking her in the eye . . . but a robot uprising is not how Skynet will start. Saya is taking care of and (terrifying) teaching elementary school children in Japan. Yes, creepy, robots are caring for humans.

SimMan 3G Patient Simulator

(image credits: medgadget)

The SimMan 3G Patient Simulator can cry, bleed, convulse, go into cardiac arrest, and have all sorts of medical conditions. Robots learn to care for us like Saya and we are learning to take care of robots. The caring, the sharing, that intimacy which develops as a result of caring and sharing is approaching the point of no return.

Robot Birth…Will that be natural or C-section?

(image credits: uberreview,classroomrobotics)

What if robots were advanced to the point of birthing children? Will that be natural or C-section delivery? And the baby robots who cry and burp, being nursed and helping teach medical students and future parents more about childcare? If an emotional attachment develops, would a human cry if the robot baby dies?  At least we haven’t figured out how to use robots as surrogate mothers. Thank goodness robots don’t know how to reproduce yet . . . oh wait!

Robots Kissing

(image credits: cnet)

Oh yes, try not to shudder, but robots kissing was an “accomplishment” in 2009. This robo-erotica was part of a production of “Phantom of the Opera” in Taiwan. Could there be benefits perhaps if some lonely soul found comfort in robotic arms? Forget ethics for a minute. Would it be bad if anatomically correct robots with artificial intelligence and flawless, flesh-like synthetic skin were there to offer solace? It’s been argued that kiddie molesters could be turned loose on some hapless robot child to keep human children safe. This type of thinking should either make you puke, horrified, or angry.

Meet Roxxxy

(image credit: Huffington Post)

There are always people who think it, but some are brave enough to post the question. They must not have known the answer. Oh yes you can and her name is Roxxxy. “She can’t vacuum, she can’t cook but she can do almost anything else if you know what I mean,” Douglas Hines, the president of ROXXXY manufacturer TrueCompanion, told the AFP. “She’s a companion. She has a personality. She hears you. She listens to you. She speaks. She feels your touch. She goes to sleep. We are trying to replicate a personality of a person.”

Can it get any more strange? Oh yes, for this is how Skynet starts.

Married to a Robot

(image credits: ieee spectrum,geeky-gadgets)

Caring about robots to the nth degree is inventor Le Trung. He has a robot wife with real silicone skin and a human hair wig. In fact, he loves his fembot wife Aiko in more ways than you probably would care to know. He designed her body to be touch sensitive and to understand the difference between being tickled or gently stroked. She also has slapped an individual who touched or squeezed her too hard. Aiko has advanced artificial intelligence, recognizes faces, and speaks two languages – English and Japanese. He’s probably safe since she can’t yet walk and he can’t send her to the kitchen to get him a sandwich. Besides, an uprising and violence is not how it begins. Sex is how skynet will start. Oh wait, we’ve seen a couple examples now of human-robot intimate relations. Sex is how Skynet started.

Japanese Man Marries Virtual Girlfriend

(image credits: telegraph)

You might love your software/hardware, but would you marry it? A man in Japan married his virtual girlfriend. His bride, Nene Anegasaki, is a character from a dating-simulation game for the Nintendo DS called Love Plus. The virtual girl’s in-game best friend even attended the wedding and gave a speech.

Robot Love

(image credits: futureconverged)

Robot love is happening even now, but not quite like this. This is the future, our future. This is how Skynet starts.

So again . . . What could go wrong?

(image credits: battlestarwiki,cyberpunkreview, fupaper,wired)

Cylons and terminators may yet come to Cyberdyne or Earth, but that is not how Skynet will begin.

Sex . . . is how skynet really starts

(image credits: metro)

The answer is sex. Oh yes, you can be sure, this is how Skynet starts.

[ WebUrbanist - By Angie in Gadgets & Geek Art, Technology & Futurism, Urban Images. ]

Vist the Source: WebUrbanist

[ By Angie in Architecture & Design, Furniture & Interiors, Gadgets & Geek Art, Technology & Futurism. ]

With so much time spent in front a computer, your workstation becomes a big part of your life. Some people go for straight out luxury for work or play. Others people are more concerned with gaming or home theaters, while others need a space-saving workstation. Here are 16 high-tech workstations, or design concept workstations, to enhance your working or playing computer experience.

Globus Workstation

(image credits: The Design Blog)

Globus is a molded plastic globe on wheels. It opens to provide seating space in one half and a small adjustable table that functions as a worktable in the other half. The Globus space-saving workstation was meant for small home or office spaces. This workstation comes in a variety of colors.

Coffee Office Workstation

(image credits: dvice)

The Coffee Office workstation might make your cramped cubicle at work seem downright roomy. Designed in the shape of a coffee mug, the inside houses a touchscreen computer, space for your laptop, built-in speaker, and a spot for coffee. This workstation concept is aimed at 2020 when work spaces will be even more crowded. Designer Lucas Vieira intends for these workstations to be located in places with a large influx of businessmen and executives.

Flower Bud Workstation

(image credits: tuvie)

This Flower Bud workstation design concept is aimed at any age and any gender. Designer Won Shik Yu intends to offer comfort and privacy with this adjustable workstation. Both sections slide together into a condensed shell when this workstation environment is not in use.

Corner V1 Workstation

(image credits: Born Rich)

The Vision One (V1) workstation is intended to improve music, gaming, home theater, and working experience. The feet and elbow supports pivot. This adjustable workstation comes in a variety of colors and other upgrades. The most popular upgrade is to a Porsche seat that can have up to 12 functions including power lumbar controls and heat.

Mac-Powered Organic Workstation

(image credits: Teche Blog)

If clutter annoys you, then perhaps you might like the Mac-Powered Organic Workstation? With ergonomics in mind, it features an adjustable seat, monitor, and keyboard for increased productivity. There’s no room to have a messy or unorganized desk with this workstation.

Walkstation : WorkSpace Treadmill

(image credits: Born Rich)

If comfy seats are not for you, then perhaps you would like to burn off fat as you work? The Walkstation offers an electric height-adjustable worksurface along with a low-speed treadmill. Few workstations offer the opportunity to stay fit while you work. However, it would make gaming a real challenge.

Rizki Tarisa’s Go Workstation

(image credits: techfemina)

Rizki Tarisa’s Go workstation is a design concept all about the chair. A winner of the Ideation Award 2010, this multi-functional chair harnesses human pedal-power to juice up electronic devices. This concept furniture is a lounge chair, an exercise bike, a workstation, and a desktop, all integrated in a single unit.  The user generates green energy by pedaling the bike.

Young Explorer Workstation

(image credits: dvice)

Young Explorer workstation by Little Tikes could be baby’s first workstation . . . if you cough up $2,600 and want your baby to experience cubicle life. It comes with a 160GB hard drive, a 19-inch screen, and even Internet connection capabilities. The computer goes in the back and blinder-like wings might improve focus and productivity like a tiny cubicle for a child. The keyboard, mouse, and pre-loaded software are supposed to be kid friendly and durable.

Study Bed Workstation

The Study Bed is aimed at dorm students with limited space. It converts from a workstation desk to a bed. It comes as either a single, double, or king size Murphy bed style. When sleeping, the computer is under the bed at floor level. This bed/desk workstation combo costs about $1,859 with no upgraded color or wood options.

Battle-Rig Pro

(image credits: Born Rich)

The Battle-Rig Pro can be a workstation or slick setup for gamers. With the user centered right in the middle, everything is within easy reach. It comes in a variety of colors and the compartments can be a customized. If ever it would need moved, it breaks down into three pieces for transport.

Supine Workstation

(image credits: coroflot)

Designer Alan Harp created this concept workstation for computer users who suffer from neck strain. The Supine Workstation allows the user to easily move from a upright to a supine position by simply shifting their weight in the direction desired.

MIW: My Individual Workstation

(image credits: The Design Blog)

My Individual Workstation (MIW) by designer Zeynep Altmisoglu is inspired by a desire to fulfill the “the needs of the industrial product design students.” Her next-gen workstation concept has been designed to provide multiple work surfaces for the industrial product design students. It is Bluetooth enabled so the student can present his project from the ease of this chair. The wheels make it transportable and it can be used for drawing, lounging, or splitting the seat in two for student and professor.

Office Organix ErgoQuest 500

(image credits: Born Rich)

Are there days when you need to work but don’t wish to get out of bed? If so, then the ErgoQuest workstation might be worth considering. The height adjustable workstation is designed for standing, seated, or supine work positions. The work surface has a motorized monitor tilt platform, keyboard tray and arm which allows the tray to tilt through 90°. It provides a range of positions for use in a reclined mode. The table holds up to 400 pounds of equipment from 31° to 50° angles with the push of a button.

Aura Workstation

(image credits: Born Rich)

The Aura workstation provides luxury for the user. Aura offers a 7-way adjustable seating system with inflatable and deflatable cushions, an electronically filtered air-flow atmosphere, a lighting system that reduces eye stain, and a rotation feature that avoids glare. Aura can be programmed to rotate 120° over eight hours.

Gravitonus Workstation

(image credits: gravitonus)

The Gravitonus workstation keeps the user in the most ergonomically optimized position at all times. It features three displays, built-in LED lighting, air conditioning, as well as zone heating of the user’s body. It also has a 5.1 sound system and a subwoofer integrated into the seat back to add a sensation effect. It can be adapted for quadriplegics so that a control unit is placed in the mouth, allowing for breathing, drinking, talking, smoking, and controlling. The price tag is $7,000.

The Emperor Workstation

(image credits: novelquest)

The king of luxury workstations is by far The Emperor 200. Unless nature calls, you would never need to leave this workstation.  The Emperor comes with reclining Recaro seats, three 19 inch monitors, HEPA filters, touchscreen controls, a web cam, and optional PS3.  It rotates 360°, has LED lighting, and a BOSE 5.1 surround sound system. If you aren’t sitting, please do so before sticker shock knocks you down. The Emperor 200 costs $39,950.

[ WebUrbanist - By Angie in Architecture & Design, Furniture & Interiors, Gadgets & Geek Art, Technology & Futurism. ]

Vist the Source: WebUrbanist

[ By Steph in Gadgets & Geek Art, Urbanism. ]

For every Apple enthusiast who sees utter perfection in the sleek, modern lines of the iPhone, there’s someone who sees it as the ideal opportunity for customization and self-expression. Whether you’d like to cover up that smooth plastic exterior with some goofy hand-sewn felt, add a case with its own built-in flash or make it self-sufficient with an incorporated solar panel, these 15 fun iPhone skins and cases definitely add personality and function.

Chocolate Bar iPhone Case

(image via: varologic)

Just in case your appetite for chocolate isn’t already big enough, you can make it even harder to resist with the Chocolate Style Silicone case. With a texture that looks and feels like real chocolate, this iPhone case will get your stomach growling every time your phone rings.

Rotary iPhone

(image via: craziest gadgets)

Not everyone digs the sleek and shiny aesthetics of modern gadgets – even though they like the gadgets themselves. This handmade felt case, spotted on Etsy, gives fans of retro style a fun rotary exterior to look at while maintaining all of those essential modern functions.

Trompe l’Oeil Camera Skin

(image via: iphonestuff)

Many a photographer has begrudgingly admitted that the iPhone can actually take pretty cool pictures, but that doesn’t mean they’re ever going to abandon actual cameras. However, photography enthusiasts might get a kick out of this realistic-looking iPhone skin, which almost makes it look like the real thing.

Factron Changeable-Lens Camera iPhone Case

(image via: olivia munn)

If you’re a photographer who would prefer to go beyond mere decoration and actually improve your iPhone’s photo-taking abilities, perhaps this case is for you – if you can get beyond the bulk and the $200 price tag. Interchangeable fish eye, wide-angle and close-up lenses attach to a metal and leather exterior that gives the light plastic iPhone quite a bit of extra heft.

Modern Sheet Metal Case

(image via: yanko design)

Sexy or ugly? Opinions vary greatly, but either way, this sleek steel iPhone case certainly gets people talking. It has silicone interior pads to cushion the phone and leaves all important features accessible including buttons and air circulation.

Beamer Case Has Built-in Flash

(image via: pichaus)

Yet another case for iPhone owners who love to take photos is the Beamer, a 2-piece plastic case with a built-in flash that can also be used as a flashlight. Press the button once for 10 seconds of light, or press it two times in quick succession to keep the light on.

Gameboy iPhone Case

(image via: vinaminh)

When this covetously geeky iPhone case was spotted in Japan, it instantly became an internet sensation with Nintendo lovers scrambling to figure out how to buy one.  It’s hard to tell exactly where this Gameboy case might be available for purchase, but if you’ve got some time and dedication you can replicate it yourself with a tutorial from Instructables.

Playstation iPhone Case

(image via: ps3maven)

Assuming you don’t mind the ‘adorable factor’ of handcrafted felt, this awesome case is a must-have for iPhone-owning gamers. For just $20 you can get the console-shaped case, and another $7 scores the cute controller accessory.

Etch-a-Sketch iPhone Case

(image via: gizmodo)

More on the fantastically cute hand-sewn felt front: this one, modeled after an Etch-a-Sketch. No word on whether you can get your sketch customized, but the same Etsy seller also offers a totally 80’s cassette design.

Solar iPhone Skin

(image via: treehugger)

Why not put your iPhone skin to work for you and let it power your phone? The Solar Surge skin features an integrated solar cell that can fully charge your gadget with the power of the sun, giving you about 30 minutes of talk time on a 2-hour charge.

Bookshelf iPhone Skin

(image via: geeky gadgets)

No matter what your taste in art may be, there’s likely an artistic iPhone skin out there that’s just right for you. This ‘bookshelf’ skin is just one of the many offered by Urban Outfitters.

Laser-Engraved Wood iPhone Case

(image via: unplggd)

A plastic iPhone is hardly ‘natural’, so what’s a techie treehugger to do but find an earthy case like this wooden one by Engrave Your Tech. In fact, you can get any image you like laser-cut into the wood.

Hybrid Case Grips and Slides

(image via: switcheasy)

You want your iPhone to slide easily into your pocket, but it’s awfully annoying when you can’t seem to keep a good grip on it. Rather than drop it all the time, check out this slick hybrid case called “Torrent”, which features easy-to-grab sides.

Printable iPhone Skin

(image via: ohgizmo)

Sometimes, you just can’t find anything that’s quite your style. If you’ve got visions of getting your company logo or a personal photo emblazoned across the surface of your iPhone, a printable, customizable skin is the only way to go. IaPeel lets you print it from your home inkjet printer and has pop-up guides to ensure an accurate fit.

[ WebUrbanist - By Steph in Gadgets & Geek Art, Urbanism. ]

Vist the Source: WebUrbanist

[ By Marc in Games & Gaming. ]

Few video games fly off of store shelves, and of those that do, only a small minority have a successful sequel. Despite the difficulties, there are some games that strike a chord with gamers to such a degree that they manage to make the leap from game console to game console, and have become a consistent component of every avid gamer’s collection for over a decade (for some, more like three decades). Here are 8 of the most popular and enduring video games, and the evolution that has kept them fresh:

(Images via coolrom, brekground, rigsamorale, nintendome, nin-ten-do)

Donkey Kong was one of the first games to ignite a popular following. Much advanced compared to the revolutionary (but boring) Pong, this simple side scrolling adventure has since migrated across every gaming console created by Nintendo, and has continued to push technology to new limits. Donkey Kong is now rarely seen from a side view, as he interacts with creatures in a fully 3D environment, or in games that use drums and other interactive elements. The arcade classic hasn’t been forgotten, however, as the World Record for highest score still makes headlines whenever it’s broken, and has even inspired a documentary, A Fistful of Quarters.

(Images via sonyps4, meetmysquirrelfriend, gamespy, gametrailers, gamespot)

Final Fantasy has gone through so many incarnations that it’s difficult to keep track of the innovations in each. One of the most well known and enjoyable role playing games, Final Fantasy’s original set up was so on the mark that few major changes in gameplay have had to be made; at least, until recently. Final Fantasy’s art direction and design became increasingly three dimensional as the series wore on, and it was only a matter of time until they decided to adapt the game format into a fully three dimensional space.

(Images via gamespot, alivedownload, leftmousebutton, kotaku, comicculturewarrior)

Final Fantasy found a good game formula and they’re sticking to it, but rather than sit on their haunches, they’ve been refining and tweaking gameplay for over a dozen iterations. Three dimensions are now the norm, and the gameplay does not feel nearly as formulaic as it once did. The graphics have become beautiful, and the storylines are increasingly intricate and emotionally stirring. Final Fantasy has managed to adapt without changing the core that caught the attention of the gaming masses.

(Images via moddb, rebeccalord, getfrank, techarena)

Grand Theft Auto became a phenomenon and skyrocketed its creator, Rockstar Games, into a controversial, but incredibly lucrative, spotlight. The gameplay is addictive, as it melds the typical mission structure of other games with the total freedom of a sandbox environment where you can choose what you want to do and when you want to do it. Whether you want to go from mission to mission, or just race around on a motorcycle in a police chase, or even steal a helicopter… the most recent games even allow you to log on to the internet to join a matchmaking service and go out on dates. The success of Grand Theft Auto stems from the fact that they’ve been able to stick with the original structure, while expanding how it was played. Few people remember the first couple of Grand Theft Auto games, which were entirely from a bird’s eye view:

(Images via gamekyo, ohgizmo)

The original incarnations of Grand Theft Auto contained the core mission type structure of the later versions, and provided flexibility with selecting missions, but it wasn’t until technology caught up that Grand Theft Auto was able to become the enthralling and culture changing 3D masterpiece that it is today.

(Images via voyager, nintendorks, bitmob, thunderbolt, unfilteredsmoke, nintendospin, lovelyentropy)

The Legend of Zelda series of games involve arguably the most formulaic game structure (except maybe for Mario), as every incarnation revolves around an incredibly simple premise: A boy named Link rises as a hero and fights evil to rescue the Princess, Zelda. As countless examples have shown, a formula that is easily reproduced, but made increasingly refined and intricate, is the real method for success. Many of the games have made drastic changes in character development and art direction, but all have just the right mix of action, mystery, and puzzles.

(Images via gamespot, thepigskindoctors, sebsamson, mariomayhem, wii-games-wii)

Mario Kart has always been about showing off the Nintendo pantheon of characters in a free wheeling, enjoyable environment outside of their individual game universes. This series is just plain fun. Every generation of Mario Kart utilizes technology to run smoother, add more intricate and enjoyable maps, and occasionally tweak the specifics of the gameplay, but they all cling to the premise that anyone can sit down and have a good time, regardless of skill level.

(Images via mariopiano, gamespot, 7twentyfour, unaespecieenextincion, mywii)

Mario is basically the mascot for Nintendo, and since his first appearance around 30 years ago, he’s stood as the example of all that Nintendo stands for: fun, ridiculousness, and innovation. From the brick crushing side scroller Mario Bros. through Mario Galaxy, he has hopped his way through every kind of environment imaginable, and saved Princess Peach just as many times.

(Images via consoleclassix, thunderboltgames, arstechnica, purenintendo, digitalbattle)

Metroid is an outer space adventure that is as notable for its longevity as it is for having one of the greatest surprises in any game… (SPOILER)… the fact that the main character, Samus, is actually a girl. Many gamers remember the first time Samus’ suit fell off and they beheld a beautiful woman, and how stunned they felt, and they can continue enjoying their adventures as she’s evolved from a side scroller to a first person shooter – where you’re in the suit, with a full arsenal of weaponry and a whole lot of high tech gadgetry. Take a look at the screenshots below, and it’s easy to see how far we’ve progressed since Metroid’s first incarnation:

(Images via gamedaily, voyager)

Samus’ suit was just as technologically advanced when Metroid first appeared on the scene, it was just difficult to tell with the technology at the time. As pixel sizes have dwindled, our hunger for space adventure has grown, and Metroid remains an incredibly popular series.

(Images via snesclassics, filestube, geek, arstechnica, kotaku, forevergeek)

Street Fighter was one of the best known side scrolling fighting games decades ago, and it remains a potent force in the arcade and gaming market. Street Fighter is such a part of the broader culture, that it’s inspired several feature films, released worldwide. With its over the top characters and unique fighting moves, Street Fighter has always stood apart from the pack. The unique characters and their stories have grown with gamers, but the gameplay, while much more tactile, still rewards button mashing.

[ WebUrbanist - By Marc in Games & Gaming. ]

Vist the Source: WebUrbanist

[ By Steph in Architecture & Design, Gadgets & Geek Art, Technology & Futurism. ]

It’s difficult for those of us with sight to imagine just how different daily experiences are without this ability – but all of the challenges associated with visual impairment are being addressed at an amazingly rapid pace with stunning modern gadgetry. These 12 inventions for the blind featured on Yanko Design use today’s technology to read, navigate, learn, solve puzzles and create art.

B-Touch Mobile Phone

Imagine how much easier it would be for the visually impaired to perform everyday tasks like talking on the phone, reading a book and recognizing objects if they had an accessible all-in-one device like the B-Touch Mobile Phone concept. Designer Zhenwei You incorporated braille, voice systems and optical reading devices

Braille Rubik Cube

It may take a bit more time to actually feel out the face of each individual square in a Rubik’s cube than to attempt solving it visually with colors, but this braille-equipped version is certainly an interesting challenge even for those who aren’t visually impaired.

Safe and Sanitary Mug

How would you like having to burn yourself on hot coffee just to keep track of how much you’re pouring into a mug? Most blind people have to use their fingers, but the awesome Braun Bell Concept Mug by Sang-hoon Lee and Yong-bum Lim makes the process much more safe and sanitary. The mug emits a certain sound when liquid reaches each water sensor.

The Eye Stick – Walking Stick that Sees

Sonic vibrations provide one of the most accurate ways for the visually impaired to get their bearings in an environment, so equipping the end of a walking stick with a little sensor can instill confidence even when dealing with stairs and other potentially dangerous scenarios.

Tactile Flash Cards for Learning

When you can’t see, you rely upon hearing and, of course, touch in order to learn – so tactile flash cards imprinted with the name of an object in braille on one side and a physical texture on the other are a particularly effective way to become familiar with new things.

Feel the Time

The design of the ‘Feel the Time’ watch is so brilliantly simple, it’s amazing that it’s not already commercially available. The minimalist black face features two separate discs, each with one tiny nub – one that signifies the hour, and one for the minute. A break in the outer circle at the 12 o’clock mark acts as a guide to get an accurate reading.

Braille E-Book

It’s hard enough to lug around multiple heavy books, but doing so with expensive, extra-bulky braille books is downright impossible. So as convenient as E-readers are to those with sight, they would be far more so to the blind. This Braille E-Book concept, which dynamically changes the surface pattern with an electromagnetic signal, could revolutionize books for the blind.

Sign Language Voice Translator

One particularly troubling communication scenario is that of a deaf person and a blind person, unable to hear or see each other’s voice or gestures, respectively. So the Sign Voice Language Translator is an interesting prospective solution – a gadget on a necklace that converts gestures to voice and voice into written text.

Navigation Bracelet

What looks like a modern piece of plastic jewelry is actually a navigation system that uses GPS, voice commands and audio and haptic feedback to provide the blind with a level of independence that is currently impossible for many. Yanko Design notes that it could benefit the sighted as well, simply making it fast and easy to navigate a new city.

Touch Color Painting Tablet

Sure, people without sight can paint and often produce stunning artwork without ever having a real sense of color. But when color temperature becomes literal, cool blues and hot reds are differentiated in a new way that permits far more creative expression. The Touch Color tablet uses thermal energy and a hand-held color wheel to create works of art. The color wheel can even capture actual colors from a user’s environment and transmit it to the tablet.

Color Sensor Helps See with Sound

Art is invaluable, but why not bring the ability to sense colors into everyday life with a more practical application? The Bright-F Color Sensor can help the blind “see” colors by associating each color with a particular sound – a huge help when sorting laundry or picking outfits.

Braille Polaroid Camera

Touching an object may help a blind person get a sense of what it is, but unlike the sighted, they can’t use photographs to capture and keep memories. The Braille Polaroid Camera, however, acts as an instant braille printer, translating the basic shape of an object into texture so that the blind can collect “images” in an album.

[ WebUrbanist - By Steph in Architecture & Design, Gadgets & Geek Art, Technology & Futurism. ]

Vist the Source: WebUrbanist

[ By Delana in Architecture & Design, Gadgets & Geek Art, Technology & Futurism. ]

Manufacturing is about to undergo its biggest transformation ever, but it won’t come with big factories and a booming work force: it will happen with the use of small-scale 3D printers. Imagine being able to create just about anything you will ever want or need with little more than the push of a button. Everything can be made on demand, so there’s no waste and no need for warehouses to store loads of inventory. Although the materials and exact mechanisms vary, 3D printers all work in basically the same way: they build 2D layer upon 2D layer of material, following a three-dimensional guide, to create a 3D object. It sounds futuristic, but it’s happening right now thanks to 3D printers – and there’s no telling how far we can take this promising technology.

(images via: Gajitz)

3D printing isn’t new by any means. It’s been around for quite a while, mostly in the architectural and manufacturing trades. It’s known as “rapid prototyping,” and it helps create a one-off prototype or a small batch of a new product. This ultimately saves a load of money for the company involved since they no longer have to invest in time, materials and equipment to perform a traditional manufacturing run – or build an expensive 3D architectural model. And since the price for 3D printers has been steadily dropping, we may soon see them in homes just as often as we see document printers.

Printing a New World

(images via: Blueprint Magazine)

It seems that 3D printing has nearly come full-circle as far as its applications go. The technology that started off building prototypes of proposed buildings is now being used to print actual, full-size buildings. This massive machine was created by engineer Enrico Dini and ate up more than seven years of his life. It uses layers of sand and adhesive to more or less turn the sand into stone. Structures which would be challenging to create using traditional building methods could be easily printed and assembled on site. But even more impressive is that this method of printing buildings would dramatically reduce the cost and environmental impact of new construction. The machine’s inventor even thinks that it could help us colonize space one day, using little more than the dust we find on the Moon or Mars to erect buildings for space pioneers.

A Futuristic Factory in Your Own Home

(images via: Dornob)

The technology and machinery behind 3D printing was once available only to large businesses with correspondingly large budgets. But as the technology has become more refined, it has also become less expensive. This has opened up whole new worlds for mid-size to small businesses, and even individuals. The RepRap is a perfect example of what can be done with personal 3D printing: its free, open-source plans make it accessible to absolutely everyone with the know-how to put it all together, and since it can print all of the pieces needed to build a replica of itself it can even be called a self-replicating printer. But it prints much more than just other RepRap machines: it can produce complex 3D objects – complete with moving parts – easily. Its creators liken it to the printers we already use at home to print documents and photographs, which not too long ago seemed far-fetched.

(image via: Popular Mechanics)

Even Jay Leno uses a personal 3D printer to create replacement parts for his classic cars. Many of the parts he needs are difficult or impossible to find, and giving the job to a machinist to create a replica carries a certain amount of risk. But Jay simply feeds the appropriate 3D model and material into the machine, and out comes a perfect replacement part.

Sweet (but Evil) Freeform Fabricator

(images via: Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories)

Back in 2007, Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories wanted to make a low-cost 3D printer out of recycled materials they had lying around the evil lab. They succeeded in doing that – and in capturing the imaginations of technophiles everywhere – with their sweet Candyfab 4000 machine. It prints low-resolution 3D objects out of nothing more than pure sugar and hot air. The evil geniuses created a new fabrication method, one they call SHASAM (selective hot air sintering and melting), and used it to selectively fuse layer upon layer of granulated sugar to make some odd (but admittedly very cool) objects. With all of the recycled materials they utilized, the machine only cost the Scientists around $500 – and if you want one of your own, the open source design is yours to experiment with.

A Manufacturing Service at Your Beck and Call

(images via: Figureprints)

If you just don’t have the techie cred or the time to build your own 3D printer, there are some services out there that will use their own 3D printers to manufacture the fantastical products you conjure up in your imagination. FigurePrints is a service that, according to WoW fans, is long overdue. The company takes a 3D image of your World of Warcraft character and turns it into an action figure. This, of course, will delight everyone who has ever wanted to put their character into a pocket and take them to work.

Massachusetts company Z Corp, which is an innovator in the 3D printing world, teamed up with the makers of Rock Band to offer players customized action figures of their video game personae. After uploading a file of their character to the Rock Band store, a unique 6″ plastic character was born out of layers of powder, pigment and glue.

(images via: Shapeways)

If you’re not into geek culture but would still like to create your very own, completely personal objects, there’s Shapeways. The company will print off your original 3D creations, giving you the amazing experience of holding your personal digital creation in your hands. But even if you’re not inspired to create something completely from scratch, the company also offers plenty of stock objects – and designs created by other users – that you can personalize with your own words or pictures, or just have printed off for you on demand.

Art Imitating Industry

Industrial materials and equipment are often used in novel ways to create art, but this is an example of the technology being used in exactly the way it was meant to be used and still creating a stunning artistic product. The M Museum in Belgium recently hosted a unique art exhibit featuring nothing but sculptures made with 3D printers. The results were astounding: even artists who don’t consider themselves sculptors could suddenly see their creations coming to life as physical objects.

3D Scanning and Mapping

(images via: Dornob)

Of course, before those lovely three-dimensional objects can be printed, the program has to have a reliable digital model to go by. If you’re creating an accurate scale model of a city or replacing a damaged building, it helps to have the most accurate representation available. Thankfully, there are large-scale 3D scanners available today which can look deep into a dilapidated forgotten city, peer beneath the streets to see hidden catacombs, or simply catch every last detail of existing buildings for future reference.

Printing the Future

(images via: Dornob)

What’s in store for 3D printing? There are basically no limits to what can be done with this amazing technology. Various labs are working on machines that will print food, offering up a virtually endless array of flavors, textures and nutritional value. The Cornucopia from MIT, Electrolux Moleculaire from designer Nico Klaber, and Food Printer from Philips all use slightly different variations on the same theme to “print” food layer by layer. Hold the salt, please!

(image via: Gajitz)

Perhaps the most exciting application of 3D printing is in the medical field. Recently, a company called Organovo produced its first commercial organ printer. Rather than waiting for donated organs to become available, or growing them in a lab (both of which carry the risk of rejection by the recipient’s body), this bio-printer would allow doctors to use the patient’s own cells to produce entirely new organs that couldn’t be rejected after transplant.

[ WebUrbanist - By Delana in Architecture & Design, Gadgets & Geek Art, Technology & Futurism. ]

Vist the Source: WebUrbanist

[ By Angie in Graffiti & Drawing, History & Factoids, Technology & Futurism. ]

Easter egg hunts are normally for kids, but every day can be an Easter-egg hunt for kids of any age in software, DVDs, video-games, and even works of art. Google has an official Easter Eggs game page, if you want to play with a bunny and eggs. Their epic April Fool’s Day hoaxes are humorous. Google isn’t the only one who offers undocumented nuggets lurking beneath the surface. Here are 37 of the best tricks and easter eggs gems . . . if you know how to unlock the hidden treasures.

Google Reader Konami, Pegman, Google Dark

(image credits: google reader,google-latlong,godark)

Google is not the only one with easter eggs, but they tend to be fun and amusing. Google Reader’s easter egg incorporates the Konami cheat code. To unlock this egg and change your Google RSS Reader into ninja mode — hit “up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, b, a.” Out pops the ninja, the screen turns blue, and your active and unread feeds change to “30.” If you click the “like” icon, then there are animated hearts. If you click the “unlike” icon, then there is an animated broken heart.

Google Maps’ little mascat, pegman, allows you to zoom to street level with the Street View feature. With pegman “easter eggs,” the map-traveling mascot changes appearances on special holidays. Google also has all kinds of search options and third-party run search options. Would you like to go dark with your searches?

Open Source

Open source lovers can customize their Google searches by typing “Google Linux” and then hitting “I’m feeling lucky” for Google tux. Berkley Unix lovers can type “Google bsd” and then hit “I’m feeling lucky” for the bsd devil in them. Cow power? Debian Linux has it. Type “apt-get moo” in the command line and you will see the cow power in action.

Picassa

Bored and playing around with Google’s Picasa? You can unlock Picasa’s easter egg to fill your screen with teddy bears. Hit “control-shift-y” and the first bear appears, but repeatedly pressing that key combination will give you teddy bears out the wazoo.

Mozilla & Robots

The Book of Mozilla is an easter egg found in the Firefox web browser by typing “about:mozilla” in the Firefox URL bar. There are five official verses of The Book of Mozilla, four of which can be found here. Robots have also invaded the popular web browser. You can view their message by typing “about:robots” in the Firefox URL bar.

Mozilla

(image credits: bugzilla,mozilla)

Some people who did not like the Firefox web browser complained that Mozilla was too bloated with useless features. “Mozilla has everything but the kitchen sink.” Mozilla developers got busy fixing that “bug” and now you can see Mozilla’s working kitchen sink in action.

Chuck Norris

There are lots of third-party search jokes. By typing the search terms “find Chuck Norris” and then hitting the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button, you will get the above results. The search results in red text and the suggestions are equally cute. But then, doesn’t everyone love Chuck Norris?

Languages

(image credits: google)

Google offers a wide array of language tools. Some of the more unusual language flavors include hacker, the Swedish Chef’s Bork bork bork, Elmer Fudd, Klingon, Pig Latin, and Pirate.

Other Google Favorites

(image credits: google)

Considering a change of pace for your search page? How about H4×0r, Google’s search page for l33t hackers? There are so many choices, including third-party elgooG to Google backwards. Google does have a sense of humor. They hide it away in easter eggs and show it to the world with April Fools’ Day hoaxes. As for their search technology ranking, they claim to be powered by pigeons and use a PigeonRank system for web pages.

Searching for “recursion” shows “Did you mean: recursion.” Google reads some strings as numbers, meaning you can put them in the calculator. Examples are searching for “the answer to life, the universe, and everything” and “the number of horns on a unicorn.” Searching for “the loneliest number” will make the calculator answer 1. Search for “ascii art” and you shall find it. “I’m Feeling Depressed” people might like to try Google Goth (“google goth” and “I’m feeling lucky” — However, at the time of this writing, it was infected with a malware threat which means if you were not depressed before, you soon would be.) There are many, but “Google Loco” and “Gizoogle” are some other third-party search engines/parodies.

Gmail Trash Recycling

Do you have a rapid-fire delete finger? If so, you might never venture into Trash on your Gmail. Google offers all kinds of recycling and green suggestions within their trash bin like, “Recycling a 3-foot-high stack of newspapers can save one whole tree.”

Gmail Spam Recipes

The same sense of humor, perhaps wisdom, that Google shows in the trash bin is also in your Gmail spam bin. Perhaps previously unknown to you, there seems to be all manner of Spam recipes like Spicy Spam Kabobs, Spam Primavera, or French Fry Spam Casserole.

iGoogle Themes

(image credits: Google System)

If you use iGoogle, Google Personalized Homepage, most themes have an easter egg that shows up at 3:14 AM for exactly one minute. Although it might seem better suited to 4:20, 3:14 is a reference to pi=3.14159. In the Beach theme, the Loch Ness monster appears for 1 minute at your local 3:14 AM time. In the Tea House theme, there’s a cute party going on at the magical minute. UFOs fly in City Scape.

More Popular 3:14 AM iGoogle Themes

(image credits: Tony Ruscoe)

Winter Scape has Northern Lights. A monster shows up in Spring Scape. A spider comes out to play in JR while Aja Tiger has a little snow tiger. Sweet dreams themes has Pi in the sky. Galleon sets sail in Hong Kong.

Goats Teleported

(image credits: ars technica,code.google)

Google may use pigeon’s for ranking, but it also has goats and sometimes a goat problem. You can find this easter egg of goats hiding in the open-source Chromium project’s Google Chrome web browser. In Chrome’s task manager, right-click the task table to select “Goats Teleported” and you can view the total number of goats teleported for each and every running browser tab. In January, many users were overloaded with goats. This bug has been fixed. If you have actual goat sightings, perhaps contact Digg’s goat expert vroom101? Otherwise, you can keep an eye on possible goat overload clogging the tubes.

Gnome Fish & Goats From Outer Space

The open source desktop environment GNOME has a swimming fish in the user’s panel. You can open the easter egg and set the fish free by hitting “alt+F2.” This opens the Run Application dialog where you can type “free the fish” in the textbox and then hit enter. Warning: the little sucker can reproduce and will continue to swim freely across the desktop until you kill the session in the gnome-panel process. Or if you type “gegls from outer space” in the Run Application dialog, you can launch a GNOME version of Space Invaders to try and kill the fish. But if the fish breeds like in the screenshot above, killing the session or restarting might be your best options.

Last Supper

(image credits: eeggs)

Easter eggs are hidden everywhere, in books, movies, games, and yes even works of art. It has been claimed that Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper contains several easter eggs, starting with more hands than there should be for the number of people around the table. Also there is supposed to be an extra hand holding a knife pointed at Jesus? Another claim involves the dinner rolls scattered in what may be musical notes. You can zoom in and make your own decision.

Happy Easter!

[ WebUrbanist - By Angie in Graffiti & Drawing, History & Factoids, Technology & Futurism. ]

Vist the Source: WebUrbanist

[ By Marc in Gadgets & Geek Art, Games & Gaming, Technology & Futurism. ]

Virtual reality,  much like the hovercar and living on the moon, is progressing slower than expected. Despite the fact that video game consoles don’t come with a full body suit yet, the technology has made some giant leaps in the past few years. Maybe it will just have to wait a few generations to catch up to our imagination. Here are 11 tools and ways that virtual reality is no longer virtual:

(Images via reversedreality, gazette.unc, edibleapple, technabob, smallbizaffinity)

Augmented reality is the baby brother of virtual reality, as it takes a half step in the right direction by combining the virtual world with the real one. Typically, augmented reality involves wearing a head set or using a mobile device that registers one’s location via GPS and visually matches landmarks to provide information. You may look at the Roman coliseum and see facts appear about gladiators, or see the names of all the restaurants on the street. This is the most immediately practical version of virtual reality, and a real step in the integration between man and machine.

(Images via wholesalelandparts, iowa, artslibrary, dbforums)

Visualizing data with technology has advanced an incredible amount in the last few decades. We no longer have to stare at grainy computer screens or hand drawn graphs. With the advancement of computer processing power has come the ability to visualize data in three dimensions. Whether it’s filling a giant screen with blazing graphs and three dimensional models, or a fully virtual experience that requires a headset, we’ve taken large steps towards making the fiction in television and film, a reality.

(Images via slashgear, gadgettastic, karennutton, newscientist)

Virtual reality chairs used to be a gamer’s dream, only a step below full fledged virtual reality. Sitting in a chair with two joysticks and a screen is a far cry from the 360 degree virtual environment we hope for, but it’s leagues better than the black and white pong of only a few decades ago.

(Images via escience, dailygalaxy, itclimasd)

Ever since the cult classic film The Wizard, which featured the premier of the Nintendo glove (a flop), an entire generation has felt the desire to own a glove that allows one to manipulate objects on a screen. Current technology is now advanced enough to allow tactile feedback in addition to allowing the manipulation of virtual objects. I’m sure a lot of readers are thinking “wake me up when they have a full suit that does this” but be patient! We’re getting there.

(Images via destructoid, dental.upenn, fredazar, medoto)

Virtual reality is a reality in many hospitals, just not in the way we typically imagine. Medical students are able to run simulations on virtual patients that are physically present in the form of a human-shaped doll (though the word “doll” doesn’t give these incredibly advanced, and expensive, tools much credit). Medical students are even able to practice procedures through physical and on-screen manipulations.

(Images via devorak.org, gearmoda, noobcake, warwick)

The virtual reality headset is typically what pops into mind when we think of virtual reality. Giant, clunky, and claustrophobic, the helmet tackles several of our senses at once by fully surrounding our head with a virtual display. Current headsets are able to produce sights, sounds, and smells. The ridiculously giant headset is slowly working its way down to a sleeker, more mobile style, but there’s still a long way to go.

(Images via neatorama, internet3d, huehueteoti, explainthatstuff)

Any fan of Star Trek is familiar with the holodeck, a room devoted to creating virtual environments that seem as real as anything in daily life. The virtual reality room is not quite to that level of sophistication, but they do allow one to be fully immersed in a simulation. Whether the room is for training purposes (such as a flight simulator), or as a tool to display data, they’re the closest we’ve come to our television counterparts.

(Images via virtualreality, doolwind)

Mobility in virtual worlds was a difficulty originally solved by simply not letting one move. You would either coast in-game, or use leaning to control direction. As silly and outdated as this appears today, we’ve come up with an arguably more silly looking solution that’s a thousand times more effective:

(Images via nushakor, impactlab, nanoflix, technovelgy)

Mobility has always been an issue when trying to make virtual reality functional.  Unless all virtual reality takes place on an empty football field, someone with a giant helmet on their head is bound to crash into walls. Enter the sphere: Basically a giant hamster ball that allows one to feel movement while remaining stationary. This could very well be a fixture in your grandchildren’s living room one day.

(Images via foxnews, localstranger, washington, geekiegadgets)

Virtual reality is already being used to great effect in several therapeutic and rehabilitative ways. Soldiers are calmed after their return from war by showing them war-like scenes in a safe environment. People with phobias are able to confront their fears with the safety net of not having to physically approach the situation that scares them. People are even able to train on new wheelchairs before they’ve sat in one, or tackle complicated body issues after an amputation.

(Images via masternewmedia, io9, usm, camillamediasecondlife)

Some people are already experiencing the freedom and creativity of the virtual life through games like Second Life, which allow one to design and use an avatar in a virtual world to move about and express oneself. Free of the constraints of their normal lives, these people are able to let loose in an anonymous environment. Not everyone uses this new tool simply for entertainment, however, as many businesses use it to hold virtual events, and some schools even conduct academic lectures that can be attended from anywhere in the world. Right now this is all conducted via a computer screen, but at the current rate, it won’t be long before we’re able to experience virtual worlds in a full 360 degree environment.

[ WebUrbanist - By Marc in Gadgets & Geek Art, Games & Gaming, Technology & Futurism. ]

Vist the Source: WebUrbanist

[ By Steph in Gadgets & Geek Art, Technology & Futurism. ]

What can’t artists do with 3D computer graphics these days? Fantasy can be brought to life in ways never before imagined, and realistic scenes as clear as a digital photograph are illustrated with stunning vitality. These 18 CG images from 15 talented artists will blow you away with their depth and attention to detail, from the tiniest little pores on the skin of an elf to the fibers on a fuzzy sweater.

Piotr Fox Wysocki

(image via: cgsociety.org)

The texture of the fabric. The gleam of the metal helmet. The pores, tiny hairs and imperfections of the skin. Piotr Fox Wysocki proves his mastery of 3D art with “The Last Elf”, a truly mind-blowing testament to how powerful 3D modeling programs have become. The project was certainly a labor of love, as Fox Wysocki notes that “As far as I
remember there were 1,300,000 small hair in the fabric.”

Juan Siquier

(image via: siquier.cgsociety.org)

3D artist Juan Siquier has managed to stir together a complex pot of magical ingredients to make this image so believable and moody: perspective, lighting, texture, and all of the little details that make up a personal space. See it full-sized on CGSociety.org to really appreciate the artistry of this image.

Arthur Wiechec

(image via: djdrako.deviantart.com)

Polish artist Arthur Wiechec may design everyday items like wine glasses and chess boards, but he infuses an incredible amount of life into them. Only the physical impossibility of floating wine and precariously balanced quarters of a glass betray the source of the image.

Kuanfu Sun

(image via: apollo13c.cgsociety.org)

Macro photo of a bee, or work of computer art? Kuanfu Sun makes it hard to tell in this image, which is richly detailed down to floating bits of dandelion in the background.

Rodrigue Pralier

(image via: 3dtotal.com)

Principal Artist at Bioware Montreal , Rodrigue Pralier has worked on 3D characters and backgrounds for games like Mass Effect 2 . This particular piece was done using Zbrush, 3Ds Max and Photoshop.

“I wanted to do a piece with an old Samurai. He just had a fight and won over another samurai. He is completely detached, he has done it so many times before. Now he just awaits for the one who will beat him, and end his nonsense life.”

Hong Phi

(image via: hongphi.deviantart.com)

If you saw one of Vietnamese conceptual 3D artist Hong Phi’s interiors in a magazine, you’d never guess that it wasn’t a photograph of a richly appointed home. But all of these images – including the incredible food spread above – were made using CG.

Rick Baker

(image via: monstermaker.cgsociety.org)

Renowned makeup artist Rick Baker turned to CGI to create a stunning likeness of Frankenstein’s monster. “This piece entitled “The Monster” is based on one of my favorite stills, of my all time favorite monster Boris Karloff as Frankenstein’s Monster,” he writes on CG Society.

“I used Modo ZBrush and Photoshop to create this piece. Jack Pierce had crude materials in 1931 to create this makeup but managed to create an image that the whole world knows. Besides trying to do a likeness of Karloff I hoped to show some of the emotion that he put into this character.”

Mauro Corveloni

(image via: maurocor.cgsociety.org)

Mauro Corveloni’s “Muriel” may not quite look like a real woman – there’s something sort of waxy about her – but what’s truly impressive here is both the lighting and all of those tiny, fuzzy fibers on her hat and sweater.

Finn Meinert Matthiesen

(image via: madmaximus83.deviantart.com)

It’s an idyllic scene – a romantic picnic with textured table linens, a glass wine bottle, fruit and a basket full of bread with a lilypad-covered lake in the background. German graphic designer Finn Meinert Matthiesen says he used 3D-Studio Max 2009, VRay and Photoshop to create this image.

Max Wahyudi

(image via: student.vfs.com)

It’s tempting to assume that Max Wahyudi must have just edited an image of Heath Ledger as The Joker for this image – such is its realism. But you can see the whole fascinating modeling process laid out step-by-step at Max’s website, as each element is carefully arranged and enhanced.

Max Kor

(image via: mkor.cgsociety.org)

Each tiny eyelash, fine little hair, bump, wrinkle and scar make this 3D CG image by Max Kor astonishingly realistic – not to mention the reflections on the figure’s chain mail. And this image isn’t even an example of the latest and greatest 3D technology – it was created in 2005, making it all the more impressive.

Ed Whetstone

(image via: edthehobbit.cgsociety.org)

“This project was all about texturing something deceptively simple, the Sultan of Slime, the humble snail,” artist Ed Whetstone explains. “Then, the challenge was to composite it convincingly onto a photographic plate. The trickiest bit was replicating the very particular pattern of bumps and protrusions that snails always exhibit. This particular snail isn’t based on any specific species, but a mishmash of ones I thought looked interesting.”

Pasquale Giacobelli

(image via: karma3d.cgsociety.org)

Pasquale Giacobelli’s images may not have quite the crispness and shocking realism as some of his fellow 3D artists, but his art has a special something that many of them are lacking – humanity. There’s something in the eyes of his subjects that seems more fully alive than most computer-generated portraits.

Cornelius Comanns

(image via: cernulois.cgsociety.org)

Reflections can be tough to get right in any artistic work, but Cornelius Comanns has certainly crafted them convincingly in this piece, featuring an ice cube and two ladybugs.

Alex Stratulat

(image via: alexstratulat.cgsociety.org)

It really takes a moment to realize you’re not looking at an actual photograph of a young woman in this 3D work of art by Alex Stratulat.

[ WebUrbanist - By Steph in Gadgets & Geek Art, Technology & Futurism. ]

Vist the Source: WebUrbanist

[ By Marc in Gadgets & Geek Art, Technology & Futurism. ]

Many think steampunk is a fad that will flare up and burn itself out quickly, as most fads do. If steampunk fans’ willingness to permanently ink themselves with steampunk themed tattoos is any indication, the appeal of steampunk will be lasting a lot longer than expected. From the simplest clockwork and gears, to complex depictions of Victorian era mecha, steampunk tattoos run the gamut from pretty decorations to mobile masterpieces. Here are 9 of the most intricate and gorgeous examples of steampunk style body art:

(Images via nickbaxter, jockeyjournal, kungdesign)

The melding of technology with nature is a common theme in steampunk, as the dream of Victorian technology is to create a cleanly powered utopia much different from the sooty, chugging urban areas of the time. There is no better way to display the melding of nature and machine than by displaying a gorgeous steampunk octopus, or the more symbolic lightbulb and skull pictured above. Another popular design is the mechanical arm, where one can become part machine, at least, visually.

(Images via acemicaylak, fatmeatisgreasy)

Some people like to make themselves resemble machines in a more visually arresting manner, via the appearance of torn skin mistakenly revealing the clockwork components within. The realism of these depictions can be stunningly three dimensional in appearance. These tattoos aren’t for the faint of heart, as they tend to upset the squeamish viewer, and require countless hours under the needle.

(Images via bodyartmaster, esper.art.br)

Clocks are a major symbol of the steampunk genre because of their intricate, scientific nature, and the fact that they manage to overcome their fragility by managing to work hour after hour, day after day. The endless variety of clock designs and their classy appearance allow one to express their aesthetic without shocking the casual observer.

(Images via brassgoggles, audramelissa, industrytattoo, livewodeadtime, steampunkfashion)

As the foundation piece for the steampunk aesthetic, cogs and gears are present in nearly every steampunk tattoo. Some individuals would rather stick with the core of steampunk by creating complicated scenes filled entirely with intricate machine parts. These are the purists.

(Images via stresslines, about, vnboards, techyum, miguelangel)

Not everyone goes for the literal symbols of the steampunk movement; they choose instead to come up with more intricate designs that manage to display their loyalties through a Victorian style, rather than the less subtle clockwork machines. Steampunk is about science, so anything ornate but functional will do the trick.

(Images via ectomo, aaronthestrong, theshadowbox)

Bio mechanical tattoos have always been popular, but there’s been a surge in the number of steam driven organs appearing on arms and chests across the nation. When you truly take the antique beauty of steampunk to heart, you might as well display it… as a heart. With pumps, gauges, and valves, the clockwork heart is both fragile and consistent in fulfilling its duties.

(Images via woodspindle, checkoutmyink)

Robots are appealing in any genre, but there’s an added beauty to the uniqueness of the Victorian machine. Due to the labor involved in creating a robot from oiled gears and heavy steel, there’s an individuality to every steampunk robot that lends itself to ink. Lurching metal behemoths with giant rivets, and clouds of billowing steam are always a classic.

(Images via vi.sualize.us, nyquildriver)

Shoulders are often overlooked as potential canvases, but they are a great location for a large and yet easily concealable tattoo. With so much area to work with, tattoo artists can delve into details that would never be able to make it into a tattoo on a forearm, or even a bicep.

(Images via dangerousdeedee, checkoutmyink, tattoosartgallery)

Flight is an important aspect of the steampunk genre; whether you be on a gently floating airship, or swiftly climbing on clockwork wings, the intricacy of steampunk flight, plus the danger of soaring so high in the sky, creates an oddly compelling combination. Clockwork wings turn the angel wing cliche into something quite a bit more interesting, and the old favorite sparrow becomes a unique piece of art when it’s made clear it’s mechanical.

[ WebUrbanist - By Marc in Gadgets & Geek Art, Technology & Futurism. ]

Vist the Source: WebUrbanist