If you are a fan of 1980s hip-hop, you already know what "beatboxing" is. If you are unfamiliar, beatboxing someone produces drum beats and rhythms just by using their mouth. For an example, see this Wikipedia page.
Humans aren't the only one's with beatboxing skills. Earlier this week, TechCrunch had a story about how to turn Google Translate into a Google Beatbox. Here are some examples of Google Translate beats:
Example 1
Example 2
Inspired by the examples above? Post any great beats you have come up with using Google Translate in our comments section.
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Tampilkan postingan dengan label Fun. Tampilkan semua postingan
Tampilkan postingan dengan label Fun. Tampilkan semua postingan
Fun Friday: Geek Jack-o'-Lanterns
[photo: Zeusandhera]
Fun Friday: The Wilderness Downtown
Interested in the next generation of music videos, not to mention web video? If so, take a look at The Wilderness Downtown, which utilizes the song We Used to Wait from the Arcade Fire's new The Suburbs album. Enter in an address such as your childhood home, and the address you enter will be incorporated into the video using images from Google Maps and Google Street View.
"The Wilderness Downtown" is an amazing example of what web designers are going to be able to create with new technologies such as HTML 5. Please be aware that it is processor intensive, and needs to use a browser that is capable of rendering HTML 5, such as Google Chrome.
"The Wilderness Downtown" is an amazing example of what web designers are going to be able to create with new technologies such as HTML 5. Please be aware that it is processor intensive, and needs to use a browser that is capable of rendering HTML 5, such as Google Chrome.
Fun Friday: World Cup Edition
Today, the World Cup started in South Africa. Billed as the world's largest sporting event, this international soccer (or should I say, football?) competition brings together 32 national teams to compete in a month long tournament to see who is best in the world. Web sites around the globe are covering and promoting the World Cup. Here are several fun sites to help celebrate this worldwide sporting event.
World Cup 2010 Twitter Replay
This site, from the Guardian newspaper in London, shows real-time replays of what people were talking about on Twitter during each World Cup game. This is a fascinating way to look at sports.
FIFA.com
This is the website for the Federation Internationale de Football Association, the organization that puts on the World Cup. It features stats, schedules, news, and more. Also, it has a feature called Matchcast that allows you to track games that are in progress.
Firefox Cup
OK, so this site isn't directly related to the games that are happening at the World Cup. However, you can use it to dress up the Firefox web browser to show support for your favorite team.
World Cup 2010 Twitter Replay
This site, from the Guardian newspaper in London, shows real-time replays of what people were talking about on Twitter during each World Cup game. This is a fascinating way to look at sports.
FIFA.com
This is the website for the Federation Internationale de Football Association, the organization that puts on the World Cup. It features stats, schedules, news, and more. Also, it has a feature called Matchcast that allows you to track games that are in progress.
Firefox Cup
OK, so this site isn't directly related to the games that are happening at the World Cup. However, you can use it to dress up the Firefox web browser to show support for your favorite team.
Fun Friday: Six Degrees of Black Sabbath
So, how many steps away musically is Miles Davis from Garth Brooks? Using Six Degrees of Black Sabbath, you can find out.
Six Degrees of Black Sabbath is based on popular games that show connections, such as Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. To use it, just type in two different musicians or bands, and see how closely they are related.
So, how far apart (or close) are Kiss and Eminem? Use Six Degrees of Black Sabbath to find out.
(via downloadsquad.com)
Six Degrees of Black Sabbath is based on popular games that show connections, such as Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. To use it, just type in two different musicians or bands, and see how closely they are related.
So, how far apart (or close) are Kiss and Eminem? Use Six Degrees of Black Sabbath to find out.
(via downloadsquad.com)
Fun Friday: Electronic Books, the Early Years
Interested in the beginnings of electronic books? Popular blog Boing Boing has posted a magazine ad from 1986 regarding Radio Shack's new line of "Electronic Books." Take a look here.
Fun Friday: Geocities-izer
Do you remember the epic browser war between Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer? Do you ever have a feeling of nostalgia for the way the web used to be before Twitter, before Facebook, heck, even before Google? Did you shed a tear on October 29, 2009, the day Geocities, an early website hosting and creation service, was closed by Yahoo?
Now you can bring back those glory days to any modern web page thanks to the Geocities-izer! Just go to the Geocities-izer, enter in any URL, and that webpage will be transformed to look like it was created in the mid 1990s with Geocities, complete with hit counters and cheesy MIDI music of mid-90s hits!
(via The Onion A.V. Club)
Fun Thursday: April Fool's Day 2010
Happy April Fool's Day. As we mentioned last year, many companies on the web love to play pranks on April Fool's Day. As usual, some are better than others. This year's Google logo prank (changing the logo to say Topeka to capitalize on that city's bid to get Google Fiber) is rather lame, however You Tube's TEXTp format videos are fun.
For an extensive list of website pranks today, check out this list from TechCrunch.
If you find anything else good, let us know in the comments!
For an extensive list of website pranks today, check out this list from TechCrunch.
If you find anything else good, let us know in the comments!
Fun Friday: 2009 Diagram Prize
The winner of the 2009 Bookseller/Diagram prize has been announced. This award is presented annually to the book that has the oddest title of the year. This year the winner is Crocheting Adventures with Hyperbolic Planes by Dr. Daina Taimina. While the Troy Public Library does not have a copy, several universities in Michigan do have copies.
Click here for more information about this year's winner, other nominees, and to see the award-winning author's reaction. For more info about hyperbolic crochet, visit Dr. Taimina's blog Hyperbolic Crochet. For more about last year's Diagram prize winner, go here.
Click here for more information about this year's winner, other nominees, and to see the award-winning author's reaction. For more info about hyperbolic crochet, visit Dr. Taimina's blog Hyperbolic Crochet. For more about last year's Diagram prize winner, go here.
The Return of Fun Friday: Typrx
It has been some time (October 30, 2009 to be exact) since we have published a Fun Friday post. To get back into the spirit and to help brighten the day, here is a fun website to check out.
Have you ever wondered how fast you typed? If you are curious, click here to go to typrx. Typrx is a game where you can practice your typing to see how many words per minute you can type. You can also challenge others to races to see who types the fastest.
Additionally, typerx is the official application used for the Ultimate Typing Championship, whose finals will be held March 14 at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas. To find out more about the Championship, check out their website here.
Give typrx a try and let us know how fast you can type! I’m sure you can beat my 50 words per minute.
Have you ever wondered how fast you typed? If you are curious, click here to go to typrx. Typrx is a game where you can practice your typing to see how many words per minute you can type. You can also challenge others to races to see who types the fastest.
Additionally, typerx is the official application used for the Ultimate Typing Championship, whose finals will be held March 14 at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas. To find out more about the Championship, check out their website here.
Give typrx a try and let us know how fast you can type! I’m sure you can beat my 50 words per minute.
Fun Friday: Halloween Edition
According to CareerBuilder’s Halloween survey conducted among more than 4,000 workers, nearly one-in-five (18%) workers describe their workplace as scary.
Some workers think their workplace is scary because their bosses bear a strong resemblance to famous Halloween characters. When asked which popular characters best reflect their boss’s behavior, workers said the following:
Glenda the Good Witch, liked and respected by all - 20%
The Wolf Man, fine one minute, howling the next - 11%
The Invisible Man, never around - 10%
Casper the Friendly Ghost, eager to help, but often misunderstood - 9%
Dracula, constantly sucking the life right out of you - 6%
Wicked Witch of the West, conniving and sending out minions to do his/her dirty work - 5%
The Mummy, slow-moving and has an ancient thought process - 4%
Grim Reaper, constantly delivers bad news and inspires fear among workers - 3%
Frankenstein, green with envy - 1%
In addition to spooky bosses, when asked what the scariest part of their job was, workers reported the following fear-inducing activities:
Workload - 18%
Performance reviews - 9%
Tight deadlines - 9%
Hours worked - 8%
Their boss or supervisor - 7%
Sitting through meetings - 6%
Hm. I wonder how the Technology Department staff would describe me as a boss. I have my suspicions....
In any case, how about your workplace? Let us know.
And have a Happy Halloween.
Some workers think their workplace is scary because their bosses bear a strong resemblance to famous Halloween characters. When asked which popular characters best reflect their boss’s behavior, workers said the following:
Glenda the Good Witch, liked and respected by all - 20%
The Wolf Man, fine one minute, howling the next - 11%
The Invisible Man, never around - 10%
Casper the Friendly Ghost, eager to help, but often misunderstood - 9%
Dracula, constantly sucking the life right out of you - 6%
Wicked Witch of the West, conniving and sending out minions to do his/her dirty work - 5%
The Mummy, slow-moving and has an ancient thought process - 4%
Grim Reaper, constantly delivers bad news and inspires fear among workers - 3%
Frankenstein, green with envy - 1%
In addition to spooky bosses, when asked what the scariest part of their job was, workers reported the following fear-inducing activities:
Workload - 18%
Performance reviews - 9%
Tight deadlines - 9%
Hours worked - 8%
Their boss or supervisor - 7%
Sitting through meetings - 6%
Hm. I wonder how the Technology Department staff would describe me as a boss. I have my suspicions....
In any case, how about your workplace? Let us know.
And have a Happy Halloween.
Voice Your Opinion about Online Cat Videos
We've all seen them -- adorable cats doing adorable things on home videos uploaded to the Internet on sites like Youtube. Now, Entertainment Weekly has posted its top ten cat videos and gives you the chance to grade and comment on the viral kitties' hi jinks.
For Entertainment Weekly's in-depth take on the online cat obsession, pick up this week’s EW on newsstands now or browse it at the library.
For Entertainment Weekly's in-depth take on the online cat obsession, pick up this week’s EW on newsstands now or browse it at the library.
Fun Friday: Kevin Spacey Teaches Dave Letterman about Twitter
Actor Kevin Spacey introduced Dave Letterman to Twitter on July 21. Letterman, in his usual way, dismissed Twitter as "a waste of time." Writes Twitter founder Biz Stone on the Twitter blog: "That's generally how Twitter was characterized in 2007 so Dave's only two years behind — we'll give him a little more time to catch up."
Watch it here:
Watch it here:
Fun Friday: Twitter in 1935
"Robot Messenger Displays Person-to-Person Notes In PublicTo aid persons who wish to make or cancel appointments or inform friends of their whereabouts, a robot message carrier has been introduced in London, England.
Known as the “notificator,” the new machine is installed in streets, stores, railroad stations or other public places where individuals may leave messages for friends.
The user walks up on a small platform in front of the machine, writes a brief message on a continuous strip of paper and drops a coin in the slot. The inscription moves up behind a glass panel where it remains in public view for at least two hours so that the person for whom it is intended may have sufficient time to observe the note at the appointed place. The machine is similar in appearance to a candy-vending device."
[via BoingBoing]
Interested in Teleconferencing? Win $3,000!
Interested in teleconferencing?
You might want to check out the “Why I Want Cisco TelePresence” viral video contest.
The contest is designed to entice individuals to submit their ideas about why or how they would like to use Cisco Telepresence, a teleconference tool that the computer software and network company promises will provide “an immersive in-person experience.” Winners in two categories, Productivity and Shaping the Future, have a chance to win $3,000 each.
Just make a video about how teleconferencing would be useful to you and upload it to the Cisco site. You don’t have to be a Tim Burton or a Frank Capra. All you need is a home video camera, some passion and a tad of creativity. Most digital cameras can record short form videos, and the site is set up for easy uploading and includes a simple pass along feature.
You can also visit the site periodically to vote on your favorite videos and add commentary.
Good luck!
You might want to check out the “Why I Want Cisco TelePresence” viral video contest.
The contest is designed to entice individuals to submit their ideas about why or how they would like to use Cisco Telepresence, a teleconference tool that the computer software and network company promises will provide “an immersive in-person experience.” Winners in two categories, Productivity and Shaping the Future, have a chance to win $3,000 each.
Just make a video about how teleconferencing would be useful to you and upload it to the Cisco site. You don’t have to be a Tim Burton or a Frank Capra. All you need is a home video camera, some passion and a tad of creativity. Most digital cameras can record short form videos, and the site is set up for easy uploading and includes a simple pass along feature.
You can also visit the site periodically to vote on your favorite videos and add commentary.
Good luck!
Fun Friday: "It's Something Called the Internet"
Watch a 1994 television news story where Tom Brokaw discuss the Internet with Google's Eric Schmidt (then at Sun) and Microsoft's Bill Gates. My favorite part is right at the end when Gates says, "It's a long ways away before you have a flat screen that's as small and light as that book is today." No wonder Amazon beat Microsoft to the Kindle. Interesting
[via BoingBoing]
[via BoingBoing]
AMC Features BMC: B-Movie Classics
How many times has this happened to you: You come home, and all you are able to find on TV is quality programs? You are disappointed because want you really wanted to watch is a B-movie from the 1950s. Have no fear: AMC has come to your rescue!
The American Movie Classics website now has a section called "BMC: B-Movie Classics." Here, you can watch several complete classic B-movies, including Invasion of the Neptune Men, Planet on the Prowl, Teenage Caveman, and The Crawling Eye. Those interested in B-movies may be familiar with some of these titles already; several of them were used in episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000.
