ISSUE 0.16

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Ear Growing, VR, Cooking in Space, Ad Blocking

To be honest, I couldn't come up with a snappy name for this issue. So I just told you some of what was in it. It's a grab-bag of a lot of neat stuff! Enjoy!

Fun on the Internet

polar audio visualizer [mattdesl.github.io]

spins - awesome audio visualizer

This is really cool - it takes SoundCloud tracks and visualizes them as a spinning, pulsating circle. You can specify what SoundCloud track to play by specifying a url like this: http://mattdesl.github.io/spins?url=roman-mars/99-invisible-162-mystery-house. If you know a little JavaScript, you can open up the developer tools and tweak the parameters.

the party where you DON'T want to hear the music [theawl.com]

Welcome to the Block Party

A thoughtful consideration of the accelerating arms race between publishers and begrudging consumers.

roflmfao [theawl.com]

The world laughs with you: how internet users around the globe write "haha", "hehe" and "lol"

I always mentally pronounce laughing acronyms the way they look. lmao - "luhmao", wtf - "wudifffff", rofl - "roffle". People pronouncing "lol" out loud killed "lol" for me, though.

millions of views = millions of $ [hyperallergic.com]

Inside the Company That’s Made Viral Videos Big Business

I wasn't aware that this is was thing, but when I became aware that was a thing, I wasn't all that surprised. Interesting to know about regardless.

On the Edge

can you hear me now? [hopesandfears.com]

Australian artist grows third ear on arm

I've heard of people doing this for reconstructive surgery, but never just because they felt like it.

this is the true epic meal time [youtube.com]

Cooking in space: mackerel, quinoa, and leek cream tortilla

Here's a video of an astronaut cooking a meal in space. The food almost escapes, but she prevails in the end.

automation [spectrum.ieee.org]

Chinese 'Unmanned Factory' Replaces 600 Humans With 60 Robots

It's happening. I mean, this has always been happening, but now it's happening more, and it will continue to happen more and more frequently.

hack the planet [kernelmag.dailydot.com]

Confessions of a social engineer

Social engineers are uncertified engineers, but you wouldn't know that by talking to them. An interesting look at how a social engineer can work systems and people to make quick cash - but it always catches up to them.

Techtechtechtech

naturally [theatlantic.com]

The Never-Before-Told Story of the World's First Computer Art (It's a Sexy Dame)

Neat historical piece on the early days of graphics in computing. And of course, every new media is used first and foremost for pornography.

the future of vr [singularityhub.com]

3D Computer Interfaces Will Amaze—Like Going From DOS to Windows

Interesting thoughts on how 3d interfaces might exist. It's lacking in concrete user interface and experience suggestions, but it's a stimulating discussion topic for imagining futuristic computer systems we might use in the future.

mental health moment [io9.com]

How to Cope With an Existential Crisis

Sometimes I wonder what's going on. Things seem to change but still stay the same, and I'm here in the middle, floating along - or am I? As my only point of reference, I occasionally have trouble figuring out what matters and where I fit into it all. I think anyone in the future can recognize this feeling at least a little bit, so I think it's cool that this article is addressing existential thoughts in the mainstream.

get flexible [wired.com]

Amazon Wades Further Into the Complex World of the Gig Economy

Just one more way our retail experience is moving towards a gig-based, peer-to-peer service-oriented economy. I highly doubt it'd rattle brick-and-mortar stores for essentials like groceries (being able to InstaCart tends to be a luxury for those with the money to pay for the upcharge), but it certainly spreads more and more money into the platforms that create these delivery systems. Something to keep an eye on.