02004-12-22 | Uncategorized
…the awesome, gigantomongous, french-fry-esque pipe organ at the back of the hall. It’s comprised of more than 6,000 pipes, only a portion of which are visible. Some are conical and made of metal, others are shaped like long, slender boxes and are made of wood. The pipes range in size from ballpoint pens to palm trees.
The organ wasn’t played last night, but I’m told that when it debuted privately to a group of pipe organ professionals earlier this year — they all removed their shoes so they could feel the deep bass vibrations in the floor. A couple friends mentioned that when the LA Phil played Richard Strauss‘s ‘Also Sprach Zarathustra’ (opening theme to 2001: A Space Odyssey) a while back, this thing emitted gut-liquefying bass notes that remind you why that piece of music was selected to open a sci-fi film in the first place. That uber-low opening note doesn’t kick you in the innards on a recording the way it does from a huge pipe organ in an acoustically rich venue.
(Via BoingBoing.)
Note to self… must attend concert with organ at the Disney Hall! The ability to emit those amazing low notes is what makes organs so beloved in church music. Imagine a time before music was over-familiar. You visit the city and attend mass at the big city church. The low notes of the organ would make you feel the presence of God, wouldn’t it?
02004-12-22 | Uncategorized
Next year’s World Expo in Aichi Prefecture won’t allow participants to use regular taxis on the grounds, so Yahama has designed this pedal-powered hackney with an electric motor-assist. And if I’m not mistaken, those look like solar panels on the top—that would be eco-licious.
Story (Japanese) [NikkeiJP via SorobanGeeks]
(Via Gizmodo.)
I remember standing at a railway station in the South of India at the end of 1978, looking over the mass of bicycle-rickshaws and having the following thoughts. Do I not pick the guy with the giant elephantiasis legs because I feel sorry for him and don’t want him to pull me and my little bag, or do I pick him because I feel sorry for him and thus give him work – I can always tip him well…
In any case this modern pedal Taxi looks a lot more comfortable. Ah, how quiet Manhattan would become with these!!
02004-12-22 | Uncategorized
Hyundai’s two-dimentional NTT concept will be featured at the Greater Los Angeles show in January, along with ten other concepts from 11 design studios as part of the show’s ‘Design Los Angeles’ competition. The theme for studios was to create…
(Via Jalopnik.)
The question is, are the designers out of touch or would we really like something like this?
02004-12-22 | Uncategorized
Taiwanese OEM vendor Digimaster is releasing this SD Card that also has a USB 2.0 interface on the flip size, meaning you can use it in devices that support SD (cameras, phones, PDAs, etc.) and then flip it around and put it in a laptop or PC as a flash drive. And if I did the currency conversion correctly, the 256MB version will be only $40 or so.
(Via Gizmodo.)
Cool, one less cable (connecting cameras with computer) to carry.
02004-12-21 | Uncategorized
My conversation with Jamie Bonk is available at New Age Reporter.
