Hasta La Gadget!

I didn’t think that anything could accurately emulate theSsun, but that didn’t stop Rafael Lozano-Hemmer from trying, as he used 60,000 LEDs to recreate some solar magic – albeit without the intense light and heat of the actual Sun.

At 4.5 feet in diameter, Flatsun is still a billion times smaller than the real Sun. Rafael used mathematical equations to position the LEDs in the large circular panel that mimics the sun’s never-ending movements. Custom panels inside the larger structure hold the red and yellow LEDs, which give off that eerie, but fascinating solar glow.

As people walk by Flatsun, it uses a video camera to responds to their movements. If the room is crowded, it’s turbulent, as if there were solar flares on Flatsun‘s surface. As the room empties, the installation slows down and finally shuts down completely.

[via My Darkened Eyes via My Modern Met]

Since I’ve spent the better part of the last 20 years developing and designing stuff on the Internet, I’m painfully familiar with having to clear my cache and refresh my browser window. In fact, the F5 key on my old Windows machine is worn down to a nub at this point. I’ve got a Mac as my main work machine these days, so “Command-R” has become my new best friend. Even though these tumblers aren’t Mac compatible, I still like ‘em.

These 14oz. glass tumblers have been etched with the all-too-familiar “F5″ key, as a precursor to the refreshing beverage you’re about to enjoy. They’re made by Denver artist Donna Diddit, who says she can also make them as coffee mugs or aluminum water bottles.

A set of four tumblers sells for $24(USD) over on Etsy. Now all I need are some Command-R glasses. In the mean time, I’ll have to settle for the world’s best coffee mug, also made by Donna:

When I dust off the old Atari Flashback to play games from the Atari 2600, I realize how crappy most of the games really were. The only games which really stand the test of time are the Activision games, like Kaboom!, River Raid and of course, Pitfall. These games not only featured addictive gameplay, but pushed the graphical and audio envelope for the simplistic, but groundbreaking 8-bit home console.

Now you can reminisce about Pitfall every time you have a cup of joe. Each of these 7.5 oz. porcelain mugs is emblazoned with pixelated image of the killer gators from Activision’s Atari 2600 classic. Of course, you really need to line up three of the mugs in a row to achieve the full effect. That’s okay, JamesBit has you covered, and only sells them in sets of three. I know you like your coffee, so it shouldn’t be a problem for you to down three cups at a time anyhow.

Grab a set of three Pitfall mugs over on Etsy for $23.99(USD). It’s how Pitfall Harry drinks his coffee every morning before going off and fighting giant white scorpions.

Jed Henry lit the Internet on fire with his ukiyo-e-style art. Then he worked with woodblock artist David Bull to turn those artworks into actual ukiyo-e prints, which are now under the brand Ukiyoe Heroes. Now Jed and Dave have started a sillier offshoot called Chibi Heroes.

Like the original series, Chibi Heroes are also woodblock prints featuring videogame characters, but they are smaller and simpler. Jed and David hope that “[b]y producing both difficult and rudimentary prints, all of Dave’s apprentices will be challenged according to their experience level. This is our plan to train the next generation of woodblock printers in Japan, and the plan is happening!”

Currently you can order Chibi Heroes on a subscription basis only. For $20 (USD) a month you’ll get two woodblock prints; you can also pay extra to catch up on the previously released prints. Chibi Heroes will eventually be sold separately on the Ukiyoe Heroes website, but Jed didn’t give a specific timetable so it might take a while before that happens.

[via Jed Henry via Ian Brooks]

The Roland TB-303 bass sequencer is one of electronic music’s founding fathers, which had its heyday in the early 1980s, and later became the backbeat to just about every piece of house and rave music ever recorded, and is still popular with musicians today. And while Roland is no longer making this seminal synthesizer, at least you can now eat one. Say what?

What you’re looking at here isn’t a synthesizer at all, but a delicious Japanese sushi dish, prepared to look like a TB-303.

I’m not sure what all of the ingredients are, but there’s definitely plenty of rice, and some salty salmon roe in place of the LEDs. In the immortal words of Blondie, Eat to the Beat!

[via Ableton Live School via Wired Italy]