A "Spider-man" suit that enables its wearer to scale vertical walls like the comic and movie superhero could one day be a reality, according to a study. Natural technology used by spiders and geckos could help a human climb the side of a building or hang upside down from a roof, the analysis suggests. The findings are published in the Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter. Both spiders and geckos possess tiny "hairs" that allow them to stick to surfaces. Some studies suggest that geckos can hold hundreds of times their own body weight.

In 2002, US research suggested this adhesion in geckos was due to very weak intermolecular forces. These are produced by billions of hair-like structures of different sizes that are arranged in a hierarchical structure on each gecko foot. The intermolecular "van der Waals" forces arise when unbalanced electrical charges around molecules attract one another. The cumulative attractive force of billions of gecko hairs allows the reptiles to scurry up walls and even hang upside down on polished glass.

Size effect

Professor Nicola Pugno, from the Polytechnic of Turin, Italy, has calculated how sufficient stickiness could be generated in the same way to support an adult human's body weight. But the bigger the surface that needs to stick, the lower its adhesion strength. So a glove able to fit a man's hand, and covered with artificial gecko hairs, should not be as sticky as a gecko's foot. Luckily, the gecko only uses a fraction of the theoretical stickiness available through van der Waals forces. "Some researchers were able to measure a [theoretical] adhesion strength 200 times higher than the adhesion strength in the gecko. But between theory and practical applications there is a large gap," said Professor Pugno.

"If we are able to make a surface a little bit stronger, so that the size effect vanishes, we might be able to make a suit with the same adhesion as a gecko." The Turin-based researcher proposes that carbon nanotubes could be used as an artificial alternative to the gecko's hairs. Carbon nanotubes are tiny cylinders of carbon that measure just a few billionths of a metre across. They are ultra-strong and can be organised into larger fibres.

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Man Continues Counting To One Million

Jeremy Harper in Birmingham, Alabama has been counting to a million on a live web cam. You can see it on the MillionCount web cam. Harper does take breaks to sleep and use the bathroom. After making his way to 750,000 Jeremy blogged that his general mood was that he was "almost done."

AS I mentioned in the late night cookie last night, today is a big day. 750 thousand. When I reached the 250K mark, I was excited and knew that I had made a good start int he count. I was confident that I would finish. Of course, 500K is the half way point, and that's exactly how I felt - half way done. Part excitement, part nervousness. Now, 750K hits today and my general mood is "almost done." The finale party is no longer just an idea - it's a chore to get planned because it's so close. Time seems to be running out.

And, as excited about reaching one million, I'm actually very scared about the feeling that I will have that night when the cameras are off, no one can make me do the chicken dance, and I don't have any more numbers to count the next day...

The most surprising thing about the count to a million is that Jeremy's employers actually gave him time off to do the count which is estimated to take several months. The website says Jeremy Harper "works for a local software company that gave him time off to complete this project." Here is a video of Jeremy talking to CNN.


Direct video link

Posted on August 21, 2007
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Couple Wins Scholarship for Wearing Duct Tape to Prom

High school students Adrienne Beiler, Salisbury, Pa., and Zac Cupler, Grantsville, Md., wore prom outfits made from duct tape on their prom night. They were not the only crazy couple wearing duct tape to prom because Duck brand duct tape was running a Stuck at Prom scolarship contest. Duck says more than 180 couples from 43 states and three Canadian provinces enterted the contest. Adrienne and Zac's entry wasn't pretty but they won a $6,000 college scholarship for their sticky effort. A press release from Duck says the couple used 40 rolls of duct tape.

Beiler was convinced to participate in the contest by her home economics teachers, who suggested Beiler could use her love of sewing to fashion the ensembles. "We worked on the dress and tuxedo for about a year and used around 40 rolls of duct tape," said Beiler. "We came up with a design we thought would be pretty off-the-wall and just ran with it."

The couple used brown, pink, orange, green and yellow duct tape to create the flowery Southern belle dress and traditional suit. Weighing in at 25 pounds, Beiler’s three-piece dress included a hoop skirt with multiple layers of colored duct tape and textured flowers. Cupler's brown suit and hot pink shirt complemented his date's ensemble. Both were accessorized to complete the look of the outfits - Cupler sported a hat and cane, while Beiler carried a duct taped parasol and handbag.

When they arrived at the prom, the reactions were those of excitement and curiosity. "Everyone loved our outfits and thought they were amazing," said Beiler. "They couldn't believe the outfits were really made with duct tape," added Cupler.

All we can say is that duct tape makes really awful prom attire. You can see all of the Stuck at Prom entries at www.stuckatprom.com.

Posted on July 11, 2007
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Aussies Love Cat Poo Coffee

Reuters reports that Australians love a new imported coffee called Kopi Luwak. The coffee is also known as cat poo coffee because it made from cofee beans that have been excreted by will civet cats in Indonesia.

Cafe-crazy Australians in the last decade have embraced coffee in all its forms, but they've saved the most expensive -- and excremental -- for last.

Kopi Luwak, made in neighboring Indonesia from coffee beans excreted by native civet cats, is reputedly the world's rarest and most expensive coffee, painstakingly extracted by hand from the animals' forest droppings.

When roasted, the resulting beans sell for around $1,000 a kilogram ($450 a pound) and brew into a earthy, syrupy, coffee acknowledged by connoisseurs as one of the world's finest.

Despite the closeness of the coffee's home on the islands of Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi, Australia's first civet cat brew has only just gone on sale in Queensland state, selling for A$50 a cup at the Heritage Tea Rooms, west of Townsville.

Those of you familiar with the deadly Sars outbreak will remember that the Sars outbreak was linked to civet cats. The coffee certainly doesn't sound very appetizing or safe but apparently it is both delicious and safe. The article says reactions to the coffee are 99% favorable. The coffee is expensive and costs $50 (Australian dollars) per cup.

Posted on May 21, 2007
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Signs in England Village Tell Drivers to Ignore Satnav Directions

The Daily Mail reports that the village of Exton in England had to put up special signs warning drivers to ignore their satellite navigation systems (satnav). The directions provided by the satnav were sending drivers of large cars and trucks on roads in Exton that narrow to just 6 feet wide. The result was very frustrated drivers and continued damage to Exton's "hedgerows and verges."

Owing to a fault in the electronic information system, many drivers are sent through the Hampshire hamlet only to find the lane narrows to 6ft and they get stuck.

Villagers hope that the signs will spare them, and HGV drivers, any further grief, and stop the destruction of hedgerows and verges in Beacon Hill Lane.

Brian Thorpe-Tracey, whose property borders the lane, said he had regularly had to rebuild cobbled kerbs as well as help stuck vans to reverse.

The 49-year-old company director said: 'The problem mushroomed overnight with the advent of satnav.

'About two years ago we noticed a real increase in drivers using the lane. Vehicles are getting stuck and having to reverse back up, damaging the wall and fence. There's even a piece of metal embedded 12ft up in a tree which looks like it's come off a lorry.

'When I've asked drivers why they are using the lane they say they are just following satnav.

The article says the situation has greatly improved since the signs telling people to ignore the satnav system were installed.

Posted on May 12, 2007
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The Case of the $67 Million Pants

Judge Roy Pearson is mad as hell and he's not going to take it anymore. He's suing his dry cleaners for $67 million for losing his favorite pair of pants. The pants were part of his favorite suit that he wanted to wear for his first day on the bench.

A Washington D.C. dry cleaners says its their business a long-time customer is taking to the cleaners. A $10 dry cleaning bill for a pair of lost trousers has ballooned into a $67 million civil lawsuit. Plaintiff Roy Pearson -- himself a local judge in Washington D.C -- says in court papers that he's been through the ringer over a lost pair of prized pants he wanted to wear on his first day on the bench. He says in court papers that he has endured "mental suffering, inconvenience and discomfort.''

He says he was unable to wear that favorite suit of his first day of work. He's suing for ten years of weekend car rentals so he can transport his dry cleaning to another store. The lawsuit is based in large part on Pearson's seemingly pained admission that he was taken in by the oldest and most insidious marketing tool in the dry cleaning industry arsenal. "Satisfaction Guaranteed." Pearson did not return numerous calls from ABC News for comment. It's the kind of lawsuit that makes liability reform advocates' temples throb.

"People in America are now scared of each other," legal expert Philip Howard told ABC News' Law & Justice Unit. "That's why teachers won't put an arm around a crying child, and doctors order unnecessary tests, and ministers won't meet with parishioners. It's a distrust of justice and it's changing our culture. The civil trial, set for June, has the scope of a John Grisham courtroom thriller and the societal importance of a traffic ticket. Pearson plans to call 63 witnesses. Defending themselves against the suit -- for two years running -- are Korean immigrants Jin and Soo Chung and their son, who own Custom Cleaners and two other dry cleaning shops in the Fort Lincoln section of Washington D.C.

The ABC News Law & Justice Unit has calculated that for $67 million dollars Pearson could buy 84,115 new pairs of pants at the $800 value he placed on the missing trousers in court documents. If you stacked those pants up they would be taller than eight Mount Everests. If you laid them side by side they would stretch for 48 miles.

This analysis is totally missing the point. All the new pants in the world can't make up for one special pair of trousers. Judge Pearson is being too generous with those dastardly dry cleaners. Clearly, they intentionally "lost" his pants as some kind of sick practical joke to ruin his first day at a new job. He should be suing them for $67 billion, not $67 million.

Posted on May 1, 2007
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A New DUI Record

A woman reportedly had a .47 blood alcohol level when she crashed into two cars in Washington state. Officials think she's broken the record for the highest blood alcohol level ever recorded in the state.

A woman arrested following two car crashes last week registered a .47 blood-alcohol content on a breath test - nearly six times the legal intoxication threshold and possibly a state record. Deana F. Jarrett, 54, was taken to Evergreen Hospital as a precaution following her arrest April 11, the Washington State Patrol said Wednesday. No one was injured in the accidents.

Jarrett blew the .47 on a portable breath tester after she collided with two other vehicles in quick succession, the patrol said. A check of all 356,000 breath tests administered since 1998 in Washington turned up only 35 above .40 - and none of those was higher than .45.

The legal intoxication threshold in Washington is .08. Jarrett did not appear to have a listed phone number, and it was not clear if she had obtained a lawyer.

Ms. Jarrett needs a doctor at this point before she needs a lawyer, in our opinion. Her test showed that her blood was almost 50% alcohol. How is that even possible? How is she even alive? We think she needs some kind of major medical intervention immediately. Oh yea, and no more driving.

Posted on April 19, 2007
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Swiss Army Briefly Invades Liechtenstein

The BBC reports that a unit of the Swiss army briefly invaded Liechtenstein before realizing their mistake and turning around.

A 171-strong Swiss company got two kilometres into its neighbour before realising the mistake and heading back.

Liechtenstein authorities made light of the intrusion, saying they only knew about it when the Swiss told them.

In 1985, the Swiss had to pay Liechtenstein compensation when rockets fired by its army went astray and set a forest ablaze.

Tiny vulnerable Liechtenstein does not have a military to defend themselves. According to the Wikipedia entry Liechtenstein once had an army of 80 men but they disbanded it in 1868. The BBC says Liechtenstein has tried to play down the incident. A spokesman for the Liechtenstein authorities said, "It's not like they invaded with attack helicopters." The headline of the New York Times story for the Swiss incursion into Liechtenstein is, Swiss Accidentally Invade Liechtenstein. (via Daily Intelligencer)

Posted on March 3, 2007
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Wear Your Remote on Your Head

American Inventor Spot reveals an unusual way to reduce the amount of time you spend looking for that lost remote. You simply wear them on your head with a contraption called the Remote Wrangler that uses velcro to let you stick the remotes to your head. It should be easy to find your remote if it is stuck on your own head.

The Multimedia Remote Control Wrangler (aka Remote Wrangler) has taken a novel approach to remote control storage that will be sure to take the world by storm, head first. It will certainly win the hearts (and heads) of those frustrated consumers who have had enough and are ready to regain control over their lives and remote controls. No more digging under seat cushions through Cheetos and Fig Newton crumbs searching for the remote you had just 5 minutes ago. All your controls are now only a head scratch away.

If you can get past the slightly unusual concept of storing devices on your noggin, you may grow to appreciate the ease of using the Remote Wrangler. Keeping comfort and accessibility as the main focus, remote controls (and practically any small handheld device) can easily be attached (and detached) with a Velcro-like material. Made from a stretchable fabric, the headpiece comfortably conforms to the face and feels like a second skin, minus the acne. As an added benefit, a surprisingly quiet and effective battery powered and remote controlled temporal massager is built into the headpiece

What would Dr. Robert Adler have thought about the remote wrangler? A key wrangler and wallet wrangler might be useful as well. If everything is stuck to your head you will never lose it. (via Sci Fi Tech)

Posted on February 28, 2007
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Year of the Pig: Nothing But Trouble Ahead

It looks like the The Year of the Pig is going to be a total disaster, according to Chinese astrology experts.

Sunday marks the start of the Chinese New Year and it's a lucky one for those starting out in life. But the rest of us are in for a rough ride. Expect epidemics, disasters and violence in much of the world. "The Year of the Pig will not be very peaceful," said Hong Kong feng shui master Raymond Lo. Feng shui is the ancient Chinese practice of trying to achieve health, harmony and prosperity by using specific dates, numbers, building design and the placement of objects.

The pig is one of 12 animals (or mythical animals in the case of the dragon) on the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac, which follows the lunar calendar. According to Chinese astrology, people born in pig years are polite, honest, hardworking and loyal. They are also lucky, which is why many Chinese like to have babies in a pig year. "Any children born in The Year of Pig will receive help from others throughout their lives," Lo said. Ronald Reagan was a pig. So are Arnold Schwarzenegger, Woody Allen and Elton John. Not to mention Hillary Rodham Clinton.

But a word of caution to the presidential candidate. The pig finished last in the race that determined the zodiac's order, behind the dog. Other animals in the zodiac are the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey and rooster. The zodiac runs on a 12-year cycle, and each year is associated with the five elements that Chinese mystics make up the universe: metal, water, wood, fire and earth. Therein lies the trouble. Pig years can be turbulent because they are dominated by fire and water, conflicting elements that tend to cause havoc, Lo said.

"Fire sitting on water is a symbol of conflict and skirmish," he said. "We'll also see more fire disasters and bombings." He noted that the Russian AK-47 rifle, a weapon of choice among insurgents around the world, was invented during a pig year. "So it will not be surprising to see more gunbattles, murder with guns and bombing attacks in 2007," he said. Malaysian feng shui master Lillian Too agreed. "I wish I could say that there won't be natural disasters, but I am afraid it could be as bad as last year," she said.

Just what we all needed: a little more conflict and disaster in the world.

Posted on February 18, 2007
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Time Warner Marketing Campaign Creates Bomb Panic in Boston

In a unwise and poorly planned publicity stunt Turner Broadcasting, a division of Time Warner, placed small electrical devices containing batteries and blinking lights in various locations around the city of Boston. The devices featured one of the mooninite creatures from the Aqua Teen Hunger Force cartoon. The mooninite seen on the devices found in Boston even has his middle finger extended as if he is sending a very rude message to Boston metropolitan area and its 2.8 million residents. Reuters reports that the small devices were initially perceived as bombs. The Boston police force was sent into action.

The day-long scare began when a suspicious package was found on a steel beam under a bridge in the morning. Police stopped traffic on a major interstate highway north of Boston, cordoned off the area, deployed a bomb squad and blew it up.

One mooninite threat destroyed -- but it would not be the last.

By afternoon, at least eight other similar suspicious packages were discovered, each triggering a security alert involving emergency crews, federal agents, bomb squads, police and the U.S. Coast Guard.

Turner Broadcasting issued an apology and said they had given law enforcement officials the location of the mooninite magnetic lights in advance.

"The 'packages' in question are magnetic lights that pose no danger," Turner Broadcasting System Inc., a unit of Time Warner Inc., said in statement.

It said the devices were part of an outdoor marketing campaign in 10 American cities for an animated television show "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" produced by its Adult Swim brand. They had been in place for two to three weeks in Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Austin, San Francisco, and Philadelphia.

"We regret that they were mistakenly thought to pose any danger," said Turner, adding that it had contacted law enforcement officials to give them the precise locations of the packages.

If Turner Broadcasting really did contact law enforcement as they claim their message must not have gotten out because the city of Boston went into full alert to find and remove the threat and protect the city.

The discoveries in Boston triggered the biggest city-wide security alert since the September 11, 2001, attacks.

It forced the U.S. Coast Guard to close the Charles River that feeds from the Atlantic Ocean into the city and caused authorities to shut down major bridges linking Boston with neighboring Cambridge along with several roads.

"This has taken a significant toll on our resources," Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis told reporters.

Boston has every right to be angry at Time Warner for this stunt. Everyone knows that putting devices containing wires or batteries in strange spots all over town is going to raise an alert in this day and age. Turner Broadcasting's publicity team must not have noticed the bomb scare Mission Impossible III generated last year when small plastic boxes with wires poking out of them were placed in newspaper racks to promote the movie.

Update 2-1-07: Some Mooninite marketing prank videos can be found on VideoNacho.com.

Posted on January 31, 2007
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Bizarre Bike Goes 50mph?

Treehugger is discussing this bizarre bike-like means of transportation.

Drop your prejudices and hesitations for a second, and give Curtis DeForest some credit for thinking outside the box. DeForest recognizes that major drawbacks of the modern bicycle include the exposure of the rider to accidents and the limited speeds which the average cyclist can maintain. The conventional bike places the weight of the rider above the wheels' spinning axis, an inherently unstable situation (as any cyclist forced to stop fast well knows). Also, conventional bikes use only leg-power, carrying the upper torso as dead weight. And did someone mention saddle-sores? HyperBike solves all those problems. And there is more to come, as this creative inventor's vision will get a boost from the NASA funded Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program in the development of the next model.

TreeHugger says the inventor of the bike compares riding the bike to swimming. The website for the bike says it is as fast as a car -- too bad there isn't a video available of that. We'd love to see one of these Hyperbikes keeping up with highway traffic. One problem is that it is too big to store in a garage and at 200 pounds it is pretty heavy. Gizmodo says the bike is too hideous for them to ride. EcoGeek points to another website for the Hyperbike. There is a video on this site that shows the Hyperbike moving but only at slow speeds.

Posted on January 30, 2007
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Royal Mail Delivers Letter With No Address

A Christmas card sent by a Welsh steelworker with only a name, a map and the words "somewhere here" actually made it to its destination reports the Sun Online.

Crafty Paul Bates sent a Christmas card to a long-lost pal in this envelope with NO street name, NO town, NO postcode - yet it arrived!

The steel worker, 48, had forgotten the name of the town workmate Peter O'Leary moved to from Neath, South Wales, three years ago.

But he recalled Peter had pointed it out on a map. So he put a dot on a sketch of the South West Peninsula, wrote "somewhere here" and hoped for the best.

The Sun Online article says the postcard was delivered nine days later by the UK Royal Mail. The letter made it thanks to a postman who recognized the name written on the card. (via Boing Boing)

Posted on January 17, 2007
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Go Elf Yourself

Elf Yourself is a fun website at www.elfyourself.com from OfficeMax that allows consumers to make elves out of themselves. The site says:

This holiday, get what you've always wanted. The miraculous ability to turn yourself into an elf. Upload a picture of your face, record your message, then send this toy singin' version of yourself to a friend.

To begin the Elfamorphosis you just need to upload a picture which will be converted into an elf. It is very silly thing OfficeMax has come up with but at least it isn't another giant ball of rubberbands.

Update 7-30-07: The Elf Yourself site is currently down. The site says that soon Elf Yourself 2.0 will be available. Apparently, it lets you "elf the heck out of yourself." That sounds like something we would like to do. We can't wait.

Posted on December 22, 2006
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Mushroom Picker Saved by iPod

The Associated Press reports (via Listening Post) that a lost mushroom picker was saved by the glow of his iPod screen.

An iPod screen glowing in the middle of the night from thick underbrush led rescuers to a mushroom picker lost in the woods.

The search leader said Pini Nou, 25, of Vancouver, Wash., was on his first outing and got separated from his mother, an experienced mushroom hunter. At nightfall, she called Benton County authorities for help.

Nou used his cell phone to describe the landscape to rescuers as best he could in the darkness, said Peggy Peirson, acting county emergency management coordinator. They finally located him after 1 a.m. Friday when a member of a search and rescue team saw the light from the iPod, she said.

The moral of the story: never go mushroom picking without your iPod.
(photo by the_greateastern)

Posted on November 19, 2006
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Borat and Mahir Cagri's I Kiss You

An article in Wired points out how the popular new Borat character played by Sacha Baron Cohen are similar to Turkey native Mahir Cagri, whose silly "I Kiss You" website briefly made him an Internet celebrity. Wired recently caught up with Mahir who belives the Borat character is based on him.

Turns out, we're not the only ones who noticed the similarities: "All people know Sacha Baron Cohen imitate only me," Cagri recently fumed via email. "He is stealing my character and giving bad message to USA people." Cagri, who's been struggling to start a career in show business ever since his boom-era glory days, says he intends to sue Baron Cohen. "He never contacted me or got my permission," he writes. "If possible you can help me too for stop this or find good lawyer?" Sorry, we can't do that, but we can give Cagri the third degree - and let Wired readers be the judge.

WIRED: In the mock-doc, Borat is a globe-trotting journalist. Are you also a man of letters?
CAGRI: I do journalism as a freelancer sometimes. I go travel sometimes and take pictures-video-write, meet people for documentary.

Borat travels the US, examining American culture. Any memories from your visit in 1999?
I can't forget party about me in San Francisco. Many people kissed me, took my signature, and took picture. America mix culture and big country, but people don't think about other people. They love their own life only and fun-sex-game-drink.

Mahir's website is currently offline but you can read more about him in this Wikipedia entry. The entry says etour.com even paid Mahir $1 million for a U.S. tour in 2000. It also says the Borat film uses Mahir's "I like sex" catch phrase.

Mahir may have been among the inspirations for British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen to create the character Borat Sagdiyev, a fake reporter for Kazakh television, as seen on Da Ali G Show. Chief similarities between Mahir and Borat include facial hair and taste in formal wear. Borat also shouted out Mahir's catchphrase "I like sex" to the crowd at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Lisbon and at a Savannah Sand Gnats baseball game. In the upcoming feature film of the same name, Borat not only quotes "I like sex" and "You can stay my home" in the introductory scenes, but poses during a game of ping-pong in revealing red shorts, referencing two of Mahir's famous shots. However, the character "Borat" has been in development since 1995, four years before Mahir's page was online. Baron Cohen has said himself that it was based on a Russian doctor.

The messy homepage for the Borat movie also has the feel of Mahir's famous homepage. The Wikipedia listing for Mahir says Mahir plans to sue Sacha Baron Cohen but he would accept apologies and Sacha's friendship instead of a lawsuit.

Posted on November 4, 2006
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Zany Folger's Ad Generates Web Buzz

MSNBC.com reports that an offbeat Folger's commercial has been a huge hit online. The ad features a group of glowing yellow people that accost unsuspecting suburbanites early in the morning while singing a song called "Happy Morning!" The yellow people's song includes the words, "Wake up you sleepy head. You can sleep when you are dead!" You can see the commercial on the Tolerate Mornings website (best quality) and here on YouTube.com.

The spot -- featuring a crowd of glowing, caterwauling characters who sing a jingle called "Happy Morning!" -- has surpassed Procter's own expectations. With lyrics such as "You can sleep when you are dead!" the video was picked up and posted on the sites adcritic.com, boardsmag.com and wizbangblog.com. It has been viewed almost 300,000 times on YouTube.com and MySpace.com alone.

And it has made stars of the brand experts at Folgers, who are getting messages from co-workers as far away as Singapore and recognition from as near as the executive suites.

"It has been more successful than any of us dreamed," said Folgers Brand Manager Ed Bello, who helped launch the campaign in May.

Some of the articles and blogs discussing the Happy Mornings ad include Ad Freak, CMM News, Adland, Pop Candy, Popwatch, AdJab, Random Culture, Ear Farm and BrandTarot. The reason it is so popular is because it is a hilarious commercial. It's creepy but in a terrific way.

Posted on September 21, 2006
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Paperclip Blogger Finally Trades for a House

Kyle MacDonald, the paperclip blogger, made his final trade that landed him a house in Kipling, Saskatchewan earlier this summer. Kyle began his trading with a red paperclip and continued to trade up for better and better things until he end up with the house in Canada.

A Canadian blogger who ambitiously aimed to swap a paper clip for a house arrived in Kipling, Sask., on Wednesday to complete the trade.

In his 14th swap, Kyle MacDonald, 26, traded a role in a Hollywood movie for the three-bedroom farmhouse in Kipling, about two hours east of Regina.

Kipling Mayor Pat Jackson also declared MacDonald honorary mayor for a day.

We documented a couple of Kyle's earlier trades here and here. You can also read more about Kyle's trading adventures on his blog. It was a clever idea but it is unlikely anyone will ever have as much luck trading with a red paperclip again.

Posted on September 20, 2006
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Boot Throwing Robot Invented

Scientists at Aberystwyth University have invented a robotic welly wanger, which is a robot dedicated to the task of boot throwing. icNorthWales reports that the robot has even been built with some AI abilities so that it can learn to slowly throw the boots better over time like a child would. The impressive robotic boot hurler can throw boots as far as 80 metres.

Team members Richard Shipman, who teaches artificial intelligence, Dr Andy Shaw, a researcher in space robotics, and computer technician Ian Izett applied their scientific expertise in robotics and artificial intelligence to improve its throwing accuracy - the main criteria for judging the competition.

Up to six wellingtons a time are fired from a 2m diameter computer-controlled disc which rotates at up to 250 times per minute.

A second computer monitors wind speed and direction and relays the information via a third computer and a radio link to a laptop where team members can monitor its progress.

Speaking as final field trials were set to get under way, Mr Shipman said: "Other than building the machine itself, the main challenge for us has been getting the computer systems to talk to each other and then to interact with all the hardware.

******

"It has been built with a certain amount of artificial intelligence and during the final week of field trials it will learn in the same way as a small child learns as it grows up", he added.

A post on Robots.net points to a photo gallery and a blog about the robot welly wanger. Another article about the robot can be found on the BBC. Apparently, the robot will have to battle 15 other similar machines in a competition later this month.

Posted on August 25, 2006
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Gummi Bears Pose Security Threat

Think that those yummy Gummi Bears are innocent treats? Well, think again. The tiny sugary candies are an absolute menace menace to security systems based on biometrics.

They're sugary, adorable, and capable of foiling advanced security systems: A Japanese researcher has found that the gelatin used in Gummi Bears can also be used to make fake fingers that fool biometric fingerprint scanners. The research also found that it's a simple matter to lift a fingerprint from a glass, photograph it, and then imprint it onto a mold to create a duplicate fingerprint. This follows a study last year that found Play-Doh worked equally well. So much for plans by large retailers like Wal-Mart and Costco to let shoppers pay for purchases by scanning their fingers at the register.

No doubt they -- along with Play-Doh and who knows what else -- will be banned soon for being a national security threat.

Posted on June 22, 2006
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The Toughest Guard Cat In New Jersey

Now this is what we call a true watch-cat. A black bear wandered into the back yard of a New Jersey family, but was chased up a tree by the family's orange tabby cat.

The unwelcome intruder was forced up a tree - twice - by the family pet, a tabby cat called Jack. The terrified bear was only able to make its escape when owner Donna Dickey called the hissing cat into the house. Ms Dickey said Jack liked to keep a close watch on his territory and often chased away small animals, but one of this size was a first.

"We used to joke, 'Jack's on duty', never knowing he'd go after a bear," Donna Dickey told local newspaper The Star-Ledger. "He doesn't want anybody in his yard," she added. The bear was first spotted in the tree by neighbours who thought the 15lb (7kg) cat was just looking up at it. They then realised the bear was afraid of the cat. After some 15 minutes, the bear descended, but was chased up another tree, before finally making its escape when Jack was called indoors.

Jack: he's 15lbs of sheer intimidation.

Posted on June 10, 2006
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Creepy Cupcakes for Hoffa Search

FBI agents are searching for Jimmy Hoffa's remains in Milford Township in Michigan so a local bakery decided to honor the search with some creepy cupcakes. An MSNBC article says the cupcakes have been very popular. An FBI agent even ordered a few dozen.

As FBI agents combed a Michigan farm looking for the remains of labor leader Jimmy Hoffa this week, a local bakery has decided to capitalize on the search with a cupcake apparently not only grave-digger can love.

Cupcakes aren't usually a best-seller at the Milford Baking Company. But since the addition of a plastic green hand emerging from the chocolate-flavored sprinkles and frosting meant to resemble dirt, the bakery can't make enough of the desserts.

As dozens of FBI agents, police and others invaded Milford Township, a small community 30 miles northwest of Detroit, more than 500 of the 95-cent cupcakes have been sold, with orders coming in from all over the Detroit area. One businessman even waited outside the bakery at 5 a.m. so he could treat co-workers, and an FBI agent ordered three dozen to take to those working at the dig site, co-owner Laura Helwig said.

The Hoffa cupcakes are the best single-day seller ever at the bakery, Helwig said.

The cupcakes are made by the The Milford Baking Co. in Milford, Michigan. Looking at their website you wouldn't think such a nice little company could come up with such disturbing cupcakes.

Posted on May 27, 2006
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Bat Cave Students Face Possible Criminal Charges

Officials are mulling mulling over whether or not to file charges against students at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville who tried to create a real, live Bat Cave in their dorm room.

A joker who made a bat cave out of a dorm room, and three other students believed to have stolen the dozen or so nocturnal critters used in the caper, could be in for criminal charges, officials said Thursday. At least five University of Arkansas at Fayetteville students had been in close contact with the bats, but state epidemiologist Dr. Frank Wilson said the exposure wasn't significant enough to require rabies shots. Health officials urged anyone else who was near the bats to be evaluated.

Three students gathered the brown bats during a caving expedition at Devil's Den State Park in northwest Arkansas, said university police Lt. Gary Crain. "The bats were pretty docile; they were sleeping. It was pretty easy to pick them like apples," Crain said. After they brought the bats to campus, a fourth student "thought it would be funny to release them in someone's room," he said. After the flying mammals were set loose in the dorm room April 5, animal control officers captured them and released them back into the wild.

Crain said that far from seeking to cover their tracks, the students posted pictures of the bats on the Internet site facebook.com. "That made it a little easier for us," he said. Prosecutors are considering charges, which could include theft for taking the bats and harassment _ "at the very minimum" _ for releasing the creatures, Crain said. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission also could pursue wildlife-related charges, he said. Three of the students are 19 and one is 20, Crain said. With no charges filed Thursday, he declined to identify them. Fayetteville animal control officials said the bats appeared to be healthy, and rangers at Devil's Den State Park said they have seen no instances of sick bats.

We're guessing that the student who "thought it would be funny to release them in someone's room" will get 20 years with possibility of parole after 12 years. Too lenient? Ok, life without possibility of parole. That sounds fair.

Posted on April 28, 2006
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David Copperfield Uses Powers Of Illusion To Foil Crime

Magician David Copperfield used his powers of illusion to foil a robbery the other day.

Copperfield and two women were walking in West Palm Beach, FL when they were robbed at gunpoint. While the two women were forced to hand over their purse and money, Copperfield did what he does best: he performed an illusion.

When the robbers told him to empty his pockets, Copperfield, who was carrying a cellphone, wallet and passport, used his sleight of hand and pulled out his pockets to reveal nothing... the contents were gone, and the robbers were none the wiser.

As the robbers fled the scene, David took down the license plate number and aided the police department in quickly apprehending the suspects, who were also linked to five other armed robberies within the same week. David himself was amazed at the fast response time and the efficiency with which the West Palm Beach police and detectives apprehended the armed suspects.

Ok, that's pretty cool actually. He clearly kept calm during the incident; who knew David Copperfield was so good under pressure?

Posted on April 27, 2006
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Man Trades Paperclip for One Year's Free Rent

When we last left Kyle MacDonald he had managed to trade his red paperclip for several items. His last trade back in November was a red generator for an instant party. Since then his trades have included items like a skidoo and a trip to Yahk. And now the clever trader has worked his way up to one year's free rent at a rental house.

After a cross-continental trading trek involving a fish-shaped pen, a town named Yahk and the Web's astonishing ability to bestow celebrity, MacDonald is getting close. He's up to one year's free rent on a house in Phoenix.

Not a bad return on an investment of one red paper clip. Yet MacDonald, 26, vows to keep going until he crosses the threshold of his very own home, wherever that might be.

"It's totally overwhelming, I'm not going to lie," he said by phone from Montreal, where he and his girlfriend, Dominique Dupuis, live with two roommates. "But I'm still trading for that house. It's this obsessive thing."

Good for Kyle. He has almost achieved his original goal: "I'm going to keep trading for bigger or better things until I get a house." He has a house for one year. Will he be able to achieve his ultimate goal of owning a home? You can keep up with Kyle's trading at his blog.

Posted on April 22, 2006
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Jerry Garcia's Toilet Stolen

Is nothing sacred anymore? Now someone has stolen Jerry Garcia's toilet. The toilet in question had a long, tortured history.

The long, strange trip continues for Jerry Garcia's toilet. Police say the Grateful Dead leader's commode was stolen recently from a driveway along with three other toilets and a bidet, The Press Democrat newspaper reported Saturday.

Garcia's salmon-colored toilet was the subject of a legal battle before it was finally moved to Sonoma, to await shipment to a Canadian casino. It's unclear if the toilet was swiped by a wayward Deadhead or a thief remodeling a bathroom. Police have no suspects or leads. Henry Koltys bought Garcia's Marin County home for $1.39 million in 1997 and removed the toilet and other items he planned to sell to raise money for a charity.

After Koltys sold the house to a friend of the band's, the new owner sued to block the auction. The dispute was resolved last year, and Koltys moved the items to his home in Sonoma, about 40 miles north of San Francisco. Last month, Koltys sold the Grateful Dead singer's toilet for $2,550 to online casino Goldenpalace.com, which planned to use it as part of a traveling marketing exhibit. The casino is offering a $250 reward for its return. Henry Koltys said Friday that the toilet once stood in the master bathroom of Garcia, who died in 1995 at age 53. "It would have been his personal head," he said. The casino has made other unusual purchases in the last year -- it paid $25,000 for actor William Shatner's kidney stones and $28,000 for a grilled cheese sandwich that reportedly had the image of the Virgin Mary on it, Koltys said. Jonathon Lipsin, who worked for Garcia as a gardener and now owns a Northern California record store, said the toilet might appeal to dedicated Deadheads. "It's a little gross," Lipsin said. "But I could see it at a rock 'n' roll museum, too."

So far it hasn't appeared on Ebay yet. But we just have a feeling....

Posted on April 10, 2006
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Hot New Designer Sunglasses For the Insect in Your Life

At least the scientists in Germany are working on something important: this photo entered into a German science-photo competition showcases the latest in designer wear for your pet housefly.

The photo shows a fly wearing his hot new designer lesnes, which were specially cut using a laser in order to fit the fly's 0.08-inch-wide (2-millimeter-wide) head.

Manufacturing firm Micreon GmbH submitted the insect's picture for the Bilder der Forschung (Photos of Science) 2005 competition. Selected images were on display last week in a Munich shopping center.

Micreon, based in Hannover, Germany, created the fly's eyewear using ultrafast laser micro-machining. The firm notes on its Web site that the process can create objects with high precision at scales of less than a thousandth of a millimeter.

We'd planned to order one hundred pairs for our favorite houseflies, but Accounting put a stop to it pronto. Killjoys.

Posted on March 31, 2006
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How to Tear Phone Books

Tearing a phone book is a complicated task so it is always important to consult an expert. Fortunately, gripper king Clay Edgin has simplified the process into a few easy-to-follow steps.

The purpose of this article is to de-mystify the tearing of a phone book and show you just how easy it can be. Tearing a phone book in half is something I have wanted to do since before I ever got into grip training but how do you go about ripping a 2" thick hunk of paper? It wasn't until I started talking with Michael Wayne, a good friend of mine and strong 'gripster' in his own regard, that the technique clicked in my head.

Once you know how to tear a phone book Clay tells you some places you can find more phone books to tear up.

Aside from stealing your neighbor's phonebooks before they wake up, there are several reliable sources for phone books that you should check out. Some recycling centers have literally tons of the books and most will tell you that having the books torn in half actually helps them make it easier to recycle. Be sure to recycle the books when you are finished tearing them though. Motels are another great place to get phonebooks. When the new books are delivered, call the local motels and ask them if you can have their old phonebooks.

The first idea may not be such a good one -- ripping your neighbor's phone book is not a very neighborly thing to do. (via J-Walk Blog)

Posted on March 6, 2006
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Killer Goo Attacks Los Angeles

Apparently Los Angeles is being attacked by some sort of black, tarry killer goo.

Los Angeles officials were still scratching their heads today over what caused a mysterious black goo to burble from streets downtown, forcing the evacuation hundreds of apartment dwellers. A Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman said investigators had yet to identify the "black tarry substance" more than 24 hours after it erupted at Olive Street and Pico Boulevard.

*****

About 200 residents were forced to flee as a hazardous materials team and dozens of firefighters worked throughout the day to identify what was first deemed "a black tarry substance" and later morphed into a "watery mud."

*****

Firefighters were alerted at 3 a.m. by complaints of a sewer-like smell at an apartment house at 1220 S. Olive St. near Pico Boulevard, but found nothing. They returned at 1 p.m. to find a Slimer-like ooze lurking beneath central Los Angeles. "We were called back because there was a gooey substance, a tarry-type substance, coming out the underground electrical vaults, out of manhole covers in the street, through the sidewalks and possibly in one older apartment building," Myers said.

A 120-foot stretch of Olive buckled 1 1/2 feet, he said. The pre-1933 unreinforced masonry apartment building shifted one foot from its foundation. Sidewalks were as hot as Jacuzzis. And a pressurized liquid shot from every street orifice located above what used to be a historic oil field downtown. No one was injured in what amounted to a black lagoon. Hazmat and Urban Search and Rescue crews determined that the mysterious substance wasn't flammable, Myers said. "Incident commanders are evaluating some form of drilling operation one or two blocks away as the possible cause," he added.

Well, was it from the drilling operation or is it the black tar aliens from The X-Files that you could see in people's eyes? Because the black tar aliens are actually kind of cool -- so long as they don't take us over, of course.

Posted on February 22, 2006
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Google, Subpoenas and Silly Putty

When they're not fighting off burdensome, privacy-invading, intrusive government subpeonas, the folks at Google spend their time investigating the myriad of uses for 250 lbs of Silly Putty.

Not long ago, I walked by the desk of software engineer JJ Furman, and saw that he had made an interesting addition to his desk: a large blob of Silly Putty, about the size of a grapefruit. Intrigued, I asked how he'd gotten so much of the stuff. The answer? A bulk order directly from the manufacturer! Of course.

I knew then that I wanted some, and it dawned on me that I probably wasn't the only one. So I set out to place a really, really big bulk order. An email went out to cohorts. Their orders came in. Three weeks later, I had an eighth of a ton of Silly Putty delivered to my desk.

Naturally, we were all curious to see what 250 pounds of Silly Putty would look like, so before distributing the stuff, we put it all in a single pile to see. Huge mistake. The problem was that once together, Silly Putty doesn't like to come apart, and none of us had any idea of how to deal with this effect. We tried everything: very strong people (didn't work), scissors (stabbing worked, slicing didn't), 28-gauge steel wire (broke), 22-gauge steel wire (broke), 16-gauge steel wire (too thick), and twisting and breaking (worked well for "smaller" pieces -- under five pounds, that is.)

Two hours later, with the help of more than a dozen enthusiastic Googlers, everyone was finally able to walk away with a giant piece of Silly Putty. And then what? Some people are giving it for holiday gifts. Others are using it to exercise their arms, play basketball (rebounds are tough), and of course, imprint entire newspaper pages. Any regrets? Absolutely not.

We say: respond to the subpoena by mailing the government one ton of Silly Putty.

Posted on January 24, 2006
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William Shatner's Kidney Stone Brings $25,000 at Auction

People magazine reports that William Shatner auctioned off his kidney stone to benefit Habitat for Humanity. A fan paid $25,000 for the stone, which presumably Shatner saved after passing it for just such an occasion.

The sale of the 74-year-old Shatner's kidney stone was organized by the online casino site GoldenPalace.com, the Associated Press reports. "This takes organ donors to a new height, to a new low, maybe. How much is a piece of me worth?" said Shatner. GoldenPalace.com CEO Richard Rowe called the actor's contribution "a bold new addition to our fleet." "This would be the first Habitat for Humanity house built out of stone," joked Darren Julien, president of Los Angeles-based Julien's Auctions, which handled the sale.

Shatner reportedly passed the stone last fall. It was so big, he said, that "you'd want to wear it on your finger." He added, "If you subjected it to extreme heat, it might turn out to be a diamond."

But what is the fan going to do with William Shatner's kidney stone? Perhaps it's best not to know.

Posted on January 18, 2006
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The Mystery of the USC Cheerleader and the Inappropriate Cheer

The UCLA fan message board has been discussing this photo of a USC cheerleader showing inappropriate enthusiasm when UT (the opposing team) scored during the Rose Bowl. So what was she thinking? Did she not realize that it was the other team that scored? Was she a mole placed by the UT cheerleaders to destroy the USC cheerleaders' morale? So far, the mystery remains unsolved.

The look on the other cheerleaders' faces is priceless. (Hat tip to Deadspin).

Posted on January 13, 2006
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Rowdy Passenger Dumped on Island

Passengers who are considering getting wasted on their next plane flight might want to reconsider. One pilot was so fed up with a drunk that he stranded the obnoxious passenger on a volcanic island, then continued the flight on to the original destination.

The pilot of the Monarch Airlines flight made an unscheduled stop at the Portuguese island of Porto Santo off the coast of West Africa when the man became abusive after being refused more alcohol, newspapers reported. The flight from Manchester to Tenerife, with more than 200 passengers onboard, finally arrived four hours late following the unscheduled stop.

The unnamed 53-year-old was charged with disruptive behavior after police escorted him from the plane, the Daily Mirror said. In a statement, Monarch said the passenger had become "disruptive and abusive towards staff onboard." "Despite repeated attempts by Monarch staff to calm the individual, the passenger's behavior did not improve and the decision was taken to divert to Porto Santo where the passenger was removed."

Porto Santo, a volcanic island that is just 16 kilometers (10 miles) long and home to around 5,000 people, is connected to the larger island resort of Madeira by a two-hour ferry ride. The Mirror said that the man had flown onto Tenerife via Madeira after spending the night on the island. Local reporter Goncalo Maia told the Mirror the passenger was "short and stocky and looked as if he was under the influence of alcohol." "But he was very peaceful and well-mannered. There was no trouble. I saw him later walking down the main street. He was looking better and seemed to be quite happy."

Looks like we'll be ordering ginger ale on our next flight, lest we get dumped on an island somewhere. And since we're avid Lost fans, we know how incredibly dangerous that can be.

Posted on December 30, 2005
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Give the Gift of the Remote Control Toilet

MSNBC reports on a hot new gift idea for the home: the remote control toilet.

For a mere $5,000, the Neorest toilet from Japanese company Toto automatically lifts its lid when you approach it, and automatically flushes and lowers the lid upon completion. (We can hear wives and girlfriends applauding everywhere.)

A remote control sets the temperature of the seat and also activates a gentle cleansing process with a wand that extends from the back of the rim and sprays water upward, followed by an air dryer. Who needs paper? The Arizona Republic reported that sales of the Neorest have been slow at a local retailer, possibly because it costs more than a low-mileage used car.

But the costly commode reportedly has found some converts among Hollywood celebrities, including actor Will Smith, who gushed about it during an interview on Access Hollywood. The high-tech toilets are also installed in the main headquarters of Google, possibly the end result of the $400-a-share company being flush with cash.

Last we checked, you could pick up the toilet on Ebay for a mere $2,987, although that price could rise as the bidding gets fast and furious. Question: what happens if the remote control unit malfunctions? Or if the "cleaning" function goes awry? We're just asking.

Posted on December 12, 2005
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The Attack of the Giant Jellyfish

It's really happening: the giant jellyfish are everywhere and they're really hard to kill. The Times (U.K) reports on the appearance of mysterious giant jellyfish in the Sea of Japan.

They are called echizen kurage and they sound like monsters from the trashier reaches of Japanese science fiction. They are 6ft wide and weigh 450lb (200kg), with countless poisonous tentacles, they have drifted across the void to terrorise the people of Japan. Vast armadas of the slimy horrors have cut off the country's food supply. As soon as one is killed more appear to take its place.

Echizen kurage is not an extraterrestrial invader, but a giant jellyfish that is devastating the livelihoods of fishermen in the Sea of Japan. Nomura's jellyfish, as it is known in English, is the biggest creature of its kind off Japan and for reasons that remain mysterious its numbers have surged in the past few months.

The problem has become so serious that fishery officials from Japan, China and South Korea are to meet this month for a "jellyfish summit" to discuss strategies for dealing with the invasion. Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party has formed a jellyfish countermeasures committee and fishermen are at work on technology to keep the marauders out of their nets.

The problem first became obvious in the late summer when fishermen chasing anchovies, salmon and yellowtail began finding huge numbers of the jellyfish in their nets. Often the weight of the echizen kurage broke the nets or crushed the fish to death; those that survived were poisoned and beslimed by their tentacles. Fishermen on the northern tip of Honshu, Japan's main island, were forced to suspend work at the height of the lucrative salmon season. In Akita prefecture some communities saw their incomes fall by 80 per cent. The gizzard shad fishers of South Korea have also been plagued by the Nomura's.

Apparently the area where China's rivers run into the sea is where the monsters came from. But we're sure that the fact that China sends huge amounts of toxic chemicals down those rivers out to sea has absolutely nothing to do with the rise of the behemoth jellyfish.

Posted on December 8, 2005
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