What's so weird about the film titled RUSSIAN ARK? It's 90-some minutes long--and shot entirely in one continuous take. The camera--a special digital one--was turned on and never turned off for the duration of the shoot. They had to try four times before they suceeded.
Everyone knows we're in the midst of a new Great Depression. But isn't it a little spooky that so many things from the 1930's are repeating themselves? Such as: a nation, mired in bad economic times, is distracted by a case of multiple births.
Back in the early 1960s, researchers at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab created one of the first autonomous robots. They called it "The Beast." From Popular Science, Sep 1964:
A computer brain and a flexible arm with microswitch fingers enable a robot to "stay alive" at the Johns Hopkins physics lab. Called "The Beast," the wheeled, two-foot high robot "senses" when its batteries are beginning to run down. It then feels its way along a wall until its fingers find an electrical outlet, plugs itself in and gets a revitalizing charge. "The Beast" has no function other than to satisfy the impish sense of humor of the Hopkins scientists.
What phonespell does: "Enter a 6 to 10 digit phone number and we'll show you what words and phrases your phone number spells."
The only semi-meaningful phrase in my phone number was "alpa".
Please don't leave your full number (spelled out) in the comments, even if it is something really cool. We don't want to be responsible for crazy people calling you.
Posted By: Alex | Date: Thu Nov 13, 2008 | Comments (13)
Category: Technology
In a recent post featuring a typewriter advertisement, the discussion turned to the high cost of electronics in past eras.
Check out the price for this early calculator. The ad dates from "the early 1970's," according to the site where I found it. The Online Inflation Calculator says:
"What cost $345 in 1974 would cost $1435.60 in 2007."
A few weeks ago I posted about the Cell Mate hands-free device for cell phones. I suggested that a rubber band would be more practical. 
Back in the early 1960s, researchers at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab created one of the first autonomous robots. They called it "The Beast." From Popular Science, Sep 1964:
Category: Eccentrics, Science, Experiments, Psychology, Technology