Archive for the ‘ Fun ’ Category

Binaural recording with Cetera algorithm

Although this is a fairly old recording, it was recently brought up in a discussion I had with a friend, so I decided to share it here as well. I’m sure most of you are familiar with the notion of stereo recordings, or even surround sound (5.1, 7.1 and such). What follows is an entirely new experience… :)

Imagine you’re in a barbershop chair, close your eyes and listen to the following binaural recording using headphones (yes, headphones are a must!):

Barber Shop – Cetera, Starkey Labs

Now, for the explanation: Starkey’s Cetera technology makes the hearing aid “invisible” to the brain. It basically removes the barrier between sound and the brain’s ability to process signals.

The Cetera technology is based on an innovative new algorithm – the complex mathematical formula that drives a hearing aid – an algorithm that can match the exact characteristics of the wearer’s ear. This customization removes the barrier that most hearing aids erect between the incoming sound waves and the data sent to the brain for processing.

Make any web page editable

Did you ever wonder how a webpage could be modified by adding or moving text around, but never got to actually doing it? There’s a simple JavaScript trick to allow you to do this much faster.

  1. Head over to the web page you want to edit.
  2. In the browser’s address bar, paste this code:
    javascript:document.body.contentEditable='true'; document.designMode='on'; void 0
  3. Now click on the part of the page you want to edit and start changing, deleting and adding text.

Via philbenwell.co.uk

How to confuse an idiot

I found an awesome video today, called “How to confuse an idiot“.

Check it out below! :roll:

Perseids shower, August 2008

The Perseids, probably the best-known meteor shower, will have their maximum on August 12th 11h30m — 14h00m UT with expected ZHRs (hourly rates in theoretical perfect conditions) around 100, but activity already picks up in the second half of July, and continues until the end of August.

The waxing gibbous Moon will be setting between local midnight and 01h30m on August 12/13 for the mid-northern latitudes best-placed to follow the shower (moonset is progressively earlier for places further north), leaving some dark skies to cover whatever happens. For these same locations, the Perseid radiant is viably observable from 22h — 23h local time onwards, gaining altitude throughout the night, so circumstances overall are quite favourable.

The predicted maximum would be best-viewed from places in and around the northern Pacific Ocean, including the extreme west of North America west as far as extreme eastern Japan and China, assuming it happens as expected. The only negative aspect to the shower is the impossibility of covering it from the bulk of the southern hemisphere.

More info on the 2008 Perseids, from NASA.

The “Mojave Experiment”

…an experiment to see what people think of Windows Vista when they don’t know it’s Windows Vista. Funny one. :roll:

From the Mojave Experiment website:

We disguised Windows Vista as codename ‘Mojave,’ the ‘next Microsoft OS,’ so regular people who’ve never used Windows Vista could see what it can do – and decide for themselves.

Via CristiV.

What would it feel like to travel in time?

The question above is foolish. We are traveling right now, in time. However, what is being implied here is: what would it feel like to jump from point A to point B in the space/time continuum?

In order to accomplish the space/time continuum jump, we have to:

  1. Rise into the fourth dimension.
  2. Jump to a new point within that dimension.
  3. Descend back into the third dimension.

The rise into the fourth dimension might require an adjustment of our natural body frequencies to a higher energy level. If so, our impression of the space/time continuum jump would be a rising sensation along with the appearance of a bright, white light above, gradually becoming closer and enveloping. The third-dimensional world would darken and descend gradually into a black abyss. Once the light fully envelops us, the change to the fourth dimension is complete.

At this point, it is indeterminate what we would perceive. It is possible that the fourth-dimensional travel (the jump) might be instantaneous to us. That would be fortunate. Our senses can perceive only three dimensions. But, if there is an interval perceivable to us while the travel is taking place, it is possible that we may perceive random, chaotic visions, sounds, feelings, smells, and tastes. Could be nightmare-like. None of this would make sense or be anything important to us. It’s totally meaningless to a third-dimensional being. This is because we have no natural reference point for the fourth dimension. Our minds will attempt to resolve what is sensed according to the rules of three dimensions, which means everything will be wrong.

Coming out of the fourth-dimension into the third-dimension, we would experience a descending sensation, with the light withdrawing upwards and the black abyss appearing below. As the light continues withdrawing, the black abyss would continue surrounding us, gradually lightening and becoming formed. At the end, the light above disappears and what was a dark world lightens to the third-dimensional world we are familiar with and can perceive.

Unless a person is trained and prepared for these experiences, any attempt at a space/time continuum jump might cause psychological problems for that person afterward.

iMac vs Dell XPS – what if your webcam breaks?

I think this is pretty much self explanatory:

iMac vs Dell XPS