Friday, October 30, 2009
20 Amazing Pumpkin Carvings
Collection of unusual and creative pumpkin carvings just in time for Halloween.
Homer Pumpkin
3D Pumpkin Carvings by Scott Cummins
Space Invaders Pumpkin
Iron Man Pumpkin
Terminator Pumpkin
Transformers
Ratatouille and Indiana Jones
Joker Pumpkin
Cannibal Pumpkin
New Moon and Yoda
Dwight Pumpkin
Super Mario Pumpkin
Darth Vader Pumpkin
Eve and Wall-E
mental_floss Blog » Painting in Gold: Gustav Klimt
At the request of readers Melanie & Johnny, today’s “Feel Art Again” features Gustav Klimt (1862-1918). The Austrian artist overcame poverty in his youth to create paintings decorated with gold leaf, such as “Adele Bloch-Bauer I” (above left) and “The Kiss”(above right).
1. Adele Bloch-Bauer, depicted in the painting above left, was the only person to be the subject of more than one Gustav Klimt portrait. His first painting of Bloch-Bauer, which measures 138 cm x 138 cm, took 3 years to complete and is considered the Austrian Mona Lisa. It was acquired in 2006 by Ronald Lauder
, of the Estee Lauder fortune, for $135 million after a protracted legal dispute, which stemmed, in part, from the Nazi seizure of the portrait during WWII. The painting is featured in 3 documentaries: The Rape of Europa (2006), Stealing Klimt (2007), and Adele’s Wish (2008).
2. Klimt, who never painted a self-portrait, stated, “I am less interested in myself as a subject for a painting than I am in other people, above all women…” The artist was renowned for his womanizing and fathered at least 14 children.
3. Klimt and his brother, Ernst, inherited their artistic abilities from their father, who was a gold engraver. The two brothers attended the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts and, with their friend Franz Matsch, took commissions as the “Company of Artists.” After the death of both his brother and his father in 1892, Klimt assumed financial responsibility for his siblings and his brother’s family, but was unable to paint for almost 6 years.4. In 1894, Klimt was commissioned for three paintings for the ceiling of the Great Hall at the University of Vienna. The paintings—titled “Philosophy,” “Medicine,” and “Jurisprudence”—caused an uproar, with some critics declaring them “pornographic.” In total, 87 faculty members protested the paintings. The controversy even became the first cultural debate to land in front of the Parliament of Austria; only the education minister stood in Klimt’s defense. In the end, no action was taken and the paintings remained, although they were later destroyed by retreating SS forces in May 1945.
5. Klimt helped found the Wiener Sezession (Vienna Secession), of which he became the first president. Their basic principle: “We do not recognize any difference between great and minor art, between the art of the rich and that of the poor. Art belongs to all.” Supported in their efforts by the government, they were able to lease public land to erect an exhibition hall.
Larger versions of “Adele Bloch-Bauer I” (above left), “The Kiss” (above right), and “Wasserschlangen (Freundinnen) II” (below) are available.
Fans should check out the iKlimt and Klimt Gallery web sites; the Klimt collections on Zeno and Wikimedia Commons; the Tate’s 2008 Klimt exhibition; the Klimt portfolio, One Hundred Drawings; the books Gustav Klimt: 1862-1918 and Gustav Klimt: Art Nouveau Visionary; the movie Klimt (2006), starring John Malkovich; and the photo series “La esencia de Klimt.”
“Feel Art Again” appears three times a week. Looking for a particular artist? Visit our archive for a complete listing of all 250+ artists that have been featured. You can e-mail us at feelartagain@gmail.com with details of current exhibitions, for sources or further reading, or to suggest artists. Or you can head to our Facebook page, where you can do everything in one place.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Motorola DROID finally official, coming November 6th for $199 « Boy Genius Report
Motorola DROID finally official, coming November 6th for $199
by Michael Bettiol on October 28th, 2009 at 10:24am
Filed under: Android, Breaking News, CDMA, EV-DO, Handsets, Motorola, Press Release, Verizon 37 Comments
Being the only people on the planet with a Motorola Droid not under armed guard was one hell of a ride, but come November 6th we’re going to have a lot of company as that’s the day Verizon Wireless will be selling the Motorola Droid. To go for $199.99 on a 2-year deal, the DROID is one hell of a steal considering that its specs include a 3.7″ WVGA capacitive display, sliding QWERTY keypad, 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and dual-LED flash, 720×480 video capture at 24 fps, GPS (the DROID is the first device to feature Google Maps Navigation which provides free turn-by-turn voice navigation), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Exchange support, 6.4 hours of talk time and a pre-installed 16GB memory card — all running on top of Android 2.0. Not enough? Yes, ladies and gentlemen: Motorola is back. Hit the jump for the press release and a couple high-res pics.
Hello Humans: DROID by Motorola Arrives Next Week
Verizon Wireless DROID By Motorola: World’s First Smartphone with Android™ 2.0
October 28, 2009
BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. – High-speed Web browsing, voice-activated search, customizable large screen, access to thousands of Android applications and hundreds of widgets and the best 3G mobile network in the country: DROID by Motorola arrives on Nov. 6.
Verizon Wireless, the company with the nation’s largest wireless 3G broadband network, and Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT), a pioneer in the mobile industry, today unveiled DROID by Motorola, the first smartphone powered by Android™ 2.0. DROID by Motorola features the brainpower and breakneck speed of a modern smartphone, designed to outperform where other smartphones fall short.
“We’re proud to work with Verizon Wireless and Google™ on the first smartphone to feature Android 2.0,” said Sanjay Jha, co-chief executive officer of Motorola and chief executive officer of Motorola Mobile Devices. “DROID by Motorola delivers a rich consumer experience with warp-speed Web browsing, a mammoth screen, and Motorola’s expertise in design and voice quality. Combined with Android’s open, flexible graphical user interface and the power of Verizon Wireless’ 3G network, DROID is a smartphone that simply doesn’t compromise.”
“This is an exciting announcement for Verizon Wireless, as the DROID by Motorola is the first device that we are bringing to market under our ground-breaking strategic partnership with Google,” said John Stratton, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless. “DROID by Motorola gives customers a lifestyle device with access to more than 12,000 applications that will help them stay in touch, up to date and entertained, using the best 3G network in the country.”
DROID by Motorola has a solid exterior, intelligent interior and is one of the thinnest full-QWERTY slider phones available. It is a no-fuss, high-tech, location-aware, voice-recognizing, over-the-air updating, multi-tasking machine – and it is available just in time for holiday wish lists.
With DROID by Motorola, you can:
- Zip through the Web: Access the Internet at 3G speeds via the nation’s largest and most reliable 3G network or from any Wi-Fi hotspot. The multi-window HTML browser with a massive processor delivers the Web the way you expect.
- See it all in cinema-style: View the Web, e-mail, Google Maps™, videos and more in widescreen on a brilliant 3.7” high-resolution screen. Boasting a width of 854 pixels to reduce the need for side-to-side panning and more than 400,000 pixels total, DROID has more than twice that of the leading competitor.
- Run multiple applications at once: Customize your DROID with thousands of applications and hundreds of widgets available on Android Market™. Toggle back and forth between up to six applications at a time to juggle the universe and your apps.
- Perform Google Search™ at the speed of sound: Simply tell DROID what you’re looking for using voice-activated search, and it will serve up Google search results based on your location. If you want more, simply type what you’re looking for into the search bar on the home screen and DROID will also search content on your phone, such as apps and contacts, and the Web.
- Capture moments: Snap digital camera-quality photos with a 5 megapixel camera loaded with the works, such as a dual-LED flash, AutoFocus and image stabilization, or capture your friend’s antics in 16 million colors with DVD-quality video capture and playback. Store it all on the included 16 GB memory card, so you always have it on hand.
- Multi-task like a master: Keep tabs on all your messages with integrated Gmail™ and Exchange e-mail pushed directly to you, but don’t let them get in your way. With the handy Android notification panel, go straight to the message or simply ignore it, and get back to the task at hand. And, a smart dictionary learns as you type and automatically includes your contacts.
- Get where you need to go with Google Maps Navigation (Beta): DROID is the first device with Google Maps Navigation, providing turn-by-turn voice guidance as a free feature of Google Maps. It’s powered by Google and connected to the Internet. Use voice shortcuts and simply say “Navigate to [your destination],” and you’ll be on your way. See live traffic, use Street View or satellite imagery to view your route, and get access to the most recent maps and business information from Google Maps without ever needing to update your device.
Pre-loaded Applications and Enhancements to Google Mobile Services:
- Google Maps: With layers in Google Maps, view geographic information, such as My Maps, Wikipedia, and transit lines, right on the map.
- Gmail: Multiple accounts support and undo for common operations.
- YouTube™: One-touch recording and playback from homescreen widget or app, one-touch sharing with friends, and the ability to view your own uploaded videos and high-resolution videos.
- Google Talk™: Easily switch between chats, search your chat history, and preview pictures and videos sent by links.
- Android Market: Browse and download applications created by third-party developers.
- Calendar: Ability to see who has R.S.V.P.’d to your meeting invitations.
- Facebook: Syncs Facebook contacts to your address book, and a live widget gives the ability to update status and view latest updates from friends.
- Amazon MP3 Store: Download the latest tracks over the air.
- Verizon Wireless Visual Voice Mail: Delete, reply and forward voice mail messages without having to listen to prior messages or voice instructions.
Pricing and Availability:
- DROID by Motorola will be available in the United States exclusively at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online on Friday, Nov. 6, for $199.99 with a new two-year customer agreement after a $100 mail-in rebate. Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted.
- Experience the all-new DROID by Motorola at www.droiddoes.com.
- To get the most from DROID by Motorola smartphone, customers will need to subscribe to a Nationwide voice plan and an Email and Web for Smartphone plan. Nationwide voice plans begin at $39.99 for monthly access for 450 minutes and an Email and Web for Smartphone plan is $29.99 for monthly access.
- For additional information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.
Tags: 5 megapixel, amazon, Android, Android 2.0, CDMA, droid, EV-DO, ev-do rev. a, google, Google Maps Navigation, GPS, Motorola, QWERTY, Sholes, Shules, slider, Tao, touchscreen, Wi-Fi, with Google
�
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
20 Strange, Rare and Exotic Endangered Species | WebEcoist | Green Living
20 (More) Strange and Exotic Endangered Species
By Ecoist in Animals & Habitats, History & Trivia, Nature & Ecosystems, Science & Research
The bladder-chewing guppy not enough for you? Can’t stop thinking about exploding ants, boyfriend-devouring she-monsters of the sea and blood-spurting lizards? Don’t worry – terrifying oneself is a common ailment of the intertubes. Unfortunately, there is no cure…but there is more to learn! Reader, prepare thyself. Your eyeballs are about to be flooded with some of the strangest, creepiest, crawliest endangered creatures on the planet. Warning: content best consumed as far away from bedtime as possible.
Mexican Walking Fish
(Image via dillheady)
The Mexican walking fish is on the verge of extinction. It’s a caecilian (more about that in a bit), and it lives in – where else? – the waters off Mexico. It’s also important because it will be the only cute animal in this entire post. Awww. It really is cute, isn’t it? It’s always nice to start things off gently. Digital foreplay, if you will.
Goliath Bird Eating Spider
(Image via cirrusimage)
Only the biggest spider on earth, this plate-sized bird-gnawing beast actually prefers to feast on smaller fare, like bats, bugs, and annoying children. In other words, the bird-eating spider rarely eats birds. Sure. Anyway, like its tarantula cousin below (the whistling spider) the Goliath or bird-eating spider is at risk due to its Amazonian habitat destruction. Though tarantulas are scary, they’re fairly harmless to humans.
Whistling Spider
(Image via arachnoboards)
Here, human human human human. Good human! The whistling spider is able to emit a distinctive whistle by rubbing its legs together. What, you thought spiders had lips? How else would they whistle! It’s a vital part of its native ecosystem and while it is not critically endangered, habitat destruction puts this important species at risk.
Chinese Giant Salamander
(Images via xinhuanet and ZSL)
Something tells us these giant salamanders were never called for in any witch’s recipe. Seriously, look at that thing! That lives under some people’s porches! The United States is also home to a giant salamander called the Hellbender, and it’s…well, the name fits. However, it is not as endangered as the shockingly strange-looking Chinese cousin. The Chinese giant salamander can grow to be nearly six feet long.
Lord Howe Island Stick Insect
(Images via cane toad warrior, aqob and the Age)
Delightfully crisp! Kidding, kidding. There are hundreds of stick insects, but the Lord Howe Island stick insect is by far the most critically endangered of all of them. It can grow to five inches in length; but don’t worry, it’s not poisonous. Just crunchy.
Weta
(Image via basenotes)
Think of this cheery critter as you would a common mouse: not terribly enjoyable to have underfoot, but vital to the ecosystem all the same. The weta is native to New Zealand and while it’s something of an icon thanks to Peter Jackson, non-native species, pest eradication and general ugliness (which really can’t be helped now, can it?) have all contributed to the sad plight of the weta. There are actually over 70 species of weta, with 16 being endangered or at risk. The giant weta was thought to be extinct, but a new population was recently found. They aren’t the cutest bugs around, but they are harmless and besides, they put up with your mug, don’t they?
Giant Water Bug
The inspiration for Alien? The palm-sized giant water bug possesses a syringe-like tooth that bores into its prey, injects a toxic venom that liquefies the animal’s insides, and then…meat’s back on the menu! One of the favorite treats of Giant Water Bugs that live in the Amazon is the piranha. If that tells you anything. Why would we want something so bad ass to go extinct? It’s not like other animals are waiting around to eat piranhas.
Frigate Island Beetle
(Image via Endangered Ugly)
Put anything in a place where it’s hot and wet 99% of the time, and it will grow. Whether it’s a fern, a vine or a dear-Jeebus-that’s-horrifying beetle, things just come bigger in the tropics. The seriously endangered and geographically unique Frigate Island Beetle is no exception. It’s the largest of the tenebrionid beetles and the most at risk. If you ever leave the internet long enough to visit Frigate Island and you pick up a beetle and it stains your hands and clothes with a “musky” scented purple ink, put that little guy somewhere safe! You’ve just happened upon a Frigate Island beetle.
Giant Palouse Earthworm
(Image via ecoscraps)
At lengths of up to one foot, the Giant Palouse is the largest earthworm on earth. It’s quite harmless, but unfortunately it’s endangered all the same. It lives in Eastern Washington State and Idaho and was thought to be extinct until 2005, when a student discovered a living specimen. Previous sightings hadn’t happened since the 1980s. Part of the reason it’s so hard to find the Giant Palouse? They burrow 15 feet into the ground.
Giant Coconut Crab
(Image via kottke)
This is not shopped. This is not a hoax. That is a giant crab on a garbage can. They’re native to Guam and other Pacific islands. Coconut crabs aren’t endangered, per se, but due to tropical habitat destruction they are at risk. In WWII, American soldiers stationed in the Pacific theater wrote home with tales about entire atolls being covered in the armor-plated giants. These crabs can crack a coconut in one swipe; but they’re generally too slow to be very dangerous to humans. Children pass lazy afternoons by picking the crabs off tree trunks and watching them crash to the ground; it’s reportedly great fun. And kind of messed up.
Crinoid Snapping Shrimp
(Image via divegallery)
The tiny Crinoid snapping shrimp is the tiniest of all the snapping shrimp, and the only one that is endangered. The snapping shrimp is often called the pistol shrimp because it comes with its very own “gun” by which it makes a loud cracking, shooting noise. It really only shoots air, but the stun gun is enough to knock out prey foolish enough to swim past.
Honduran Ghost Bat
(Image via wonderful world of animals)
The Honduran ghost bat is not officially endangered, but many American ecologists consider it to be threatened due to rainforest habitat destruction and climate change. It is unique, both for its tiny size (just a few centimeters) and its pale coloring.
Mallorcan Midwife Toad
(Image via arkive)
The Mallorcan Midwife toad…is a dude. In a gender-bender twist that seems to occur a lot in the frog world, this toad swaps child-bearing and child-rearing duties. The father serves as a surrogate for the tots until they hatch, and even cares for them after. Mom, meanwhile, hunts and generally stays out partying every night. Females will even compete with each other for mating rights, much like males of other animal species.
Quacking Frog
(Image via liquidghoul)
The quacking frog makes a sound that is just like a small duck. Go on, listen! Unfortunately, like many frogs, the quacking frog is endangered. Scientist are particularly concerned when frogs disappear or show signs of stress, because frogs are considered indicator species.
Glass Frog
(Image via about:blank)
The glass frog is endangered, as well. And absolutely stunning, so it would be a shame if we let it die out. Note the visible organs in this beautiful specimen. Unfortunately, with tropical rainforests in Central and South America threatened (in some places, the problem is actually worse than it was in previous decades), the glass frog may go extinct.
More Legless Amphibians: the Icthyophis Kohtaoensis
(Image via Berkeley)
There are actually a number of legless amphibians, but some of the strangest ones have tentacles sprouting from their heads. They’re known as caecilians, and some of them have some really unusual physical adaptations for a number of functions (the Mexican Walking Fish at the top of this post is just one). One caecilian has a protruding tail-like limb that enables external fertilization, for example. Though they look like soft worms, they have rows of very sharp teeth. There are over 120 species of caecilians around the world that have been discovered so far, but many of them are endangered and we don’t know much about them.
Komodo Dragon
(Image source)
Threatened by both volcanoes and humans, this fascinating prehistoric relic is endangered. At 10 feet and 330 pounds, it is the largest lizard in existence. They have poor hearing and cannot run very fast for very long, instead relying on their sharp eyesight and powers of stealth to hunt. It possesses serrated teeth and has nasty attack habits, preferring to jab at the feet or drag its prey along for a bit before finishing off the deed. If an animal is lucky enough to get away, it will soon die from massive infection thanks to the komodo’s specialized bacteria. Komodos will eat nearly anything, living or dead, including their own young. Unlike the great cats, they will also eat nearly all of their kill, even the intestines, although they do swing those around to expel the feces first as they really don’t like excrement. For this reason, baby komodos roll themselves in feces to avoid being eaten.
Kagu
(Image via tropical birding)
A rare New Zealand bird, not much is known about the enigmatic Kagu. It is flightless, though its wings are large; it is a forest-dweller, though its markings are oddly light in color. Very few remain and scientists know little about its preferences and habits. We do know that it possesses “nasal corns” unlike any other bird. For reasons unknown, the kagu also has one-third the red blood count of other birds. Scientists have had a difficult time classifying this rare and unusual bird.
Hairy Nosed Wombat
(Image currumbim)
Though it looks similar to the standard wombat, the hairy nosed wombat possesses some unique features. Among the rarest mammals in the world, it has a backwards-opening pouch and is the largest burrowing herbivorous mammal known to humans. The other oddity of the hairy nosed wombat is that its teeth continue to grow throughout its life – now that’s long in the tooth!
Striped Rabbit
(Image via University of Alberta)
Only discovered within the last decade, the striped rabbit is considered a bit of a scientific novelty owing to its unusual markings. It comes from a region of Burma that has revealed many unusual species previously unknown to scientists, including a miniature deer. Pictures are scarce.
New to WebEcoist? Click here for the RSS feed and view the archives and galleries. Also be sure to visit WebUrbanist and see architecture, interiors, fantastic furniture and more designs at Dornob and find great gadgets, strange science and tech with a twist at Gajitz
.
