[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwuuWiKn5ik&hl=en]

Iconic fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent has died at age 71. It is in part because of his influence on modern popular style that trousers (or pants, if you're an American) are now considered fashionable for women.

Two snips from the NYT obit:

Originally a maverick and a generator of controversy — in 1968, his suggestion that women wear pants as an everyday uniform was considered revolutionary — Mr. Saint Laurent developed into a more conservative designer, a believer in evolution rather than revolution. He often said that all a woman needed to be fashionable was a pair of pants, a sweater and a raincoat. “My small job as a couturier,” he once said, “is to make clothes that reflect our times. I’m convinced women want to wear pants.”

“Every man needs aesthetic phantoms in order to exist,” Mr. Saint Laurent said at the announcement of his retirement. “I have known fear and the terrors of solitude. I have known those fair-weather friends we call tranquilizers and drugs. I have known the prison of depression and the confinement of hospital. But one day, I was able to come through all of that, dazzled yet sober.”

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(post pinched off BoingBoing)

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You may recognise a few bods in it...

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muP9eH2p2PI]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLgKDJPtvRA&hl=en]

Amazing.

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Nothing about Macca's first wife. Instead, via Gizmodo, this story about the BBC's big new idea - a DAB radio with social networking:

The Beeb is on a roll these days, shedding its frumpy national broadcaster disguise for a schizophrenic alter-ego that’s sitting at the forefront of interactive TV development.

With iPlayer continuing to shock with its popularity and freaking out the nation’s ISPs, the broadcaster has just announced that it's commissioned a new DAB radio that adds social networking functionality.

The Olinda prototype, design by Schulze & Webb, will let you see when your friends are online and what they’re listening to. It will also boast some customisable, ‘snap-on/snap-off’, hardware modules that would allow listeners to make VoIP calls via Skype from the radio to their friends and even capture and send audio clips to their social networking profiles. The Beeb says:

'Olinda has six lights that show when a close friend is listening to the radio, using Wi-Fi and Radio Pop, a prototype BBC website for sharing ‘now listening’ information. Each light is a button: you can tune in to listen along with them, discovering new stations via your social network.’

Jack Schulze, Director, Schulze & Webb Ltd, says:

“When products are easy for everyone to customise, like home DIY and adding apps to your Facebook page, that’s called ‘adaptive design,’ and there’s growing demand for it. Olinda’s hardware interface lets any person or company sell or share new modules to upgrade Olinda like Lego. I’d like to see adaptability in more and more consumer products.”

Olinda will also ‘learn’ your listening habits - you closet Archers lover you – sporting a double tuning dial: one for tuning stations alphabetically and the other that tunes into your most listened to stations.

Sadly, the BBC will not be making this commercially but will be making “these ideas, concepts and novel solutions free for any manufacturer to use under a simple license”. So, who’ll be first then?-Martin Lynch

[Olinda]

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With an estimate of only $137,000 - $196,000, Lowes Cato Dickinson's The Birdcage at Newmarket, painted c. 1885, is far from the most expensive work on offer at Christie's London's Sporting Art sale this Friday. From a sartorial historian's point of view, however, it might be the most precious. The monumental panorama, which measures 5 ft. x 9.5 ft., portrays the Rowley Mile Course at Newmarket following the 2,000 Guineas Stakes in 1885. The winner, Mr. Broderick Cloete's Paradox, with jockey Fred Archer up, can be seen in the center of the picture (detail above), while in the throng the keen observer can spot such luminaries of the turf as the Prince of Wales and the Earl of Rosebery, attired in the height of late-1800's equestrian chic. Ralph Lauren could base an entire collection on this one work of art -- and he probably has.
Via Luxist.
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Nana, a beluga born at the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium in July 2007, enjoys creating air bubble rings under water. While it’s not uncommon for belugas to make bubbles by blowing out short puffs of air, Nana has the remarkable ability to suck air bubble rings into the water by swimming near the surface and drawing in big gulps of water. (Go :55 seconds into the video to see this in slow motion.)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPzNHChX-b0&hl=en]

From Pink Tentacle.

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You may not have heard of the Hang - it's a relatively new instrument and it's extremely hard to get hold of one. First invented in 2000 by PANArt, they are hand-built in Switzerland by two very dedicated people, Felix and Sabina.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dSlBqsoAa4&w=700]This shows you three stages in the evolution of the Hang -not sure that 'drum' really covers it.

They only make you one if you ask nicely (no emails, fax or snail mail only). If they agree, then you may have to wait up to two years anyway. You have to pay cash, in person, in Bern (Switzerland), and you can only buy one at a time. You can buy them on eBay and so on, but it'll cost at least five grand.

The Hang Drum is played with the hands. Everyone who gets to play one falls in love with it a little bit. It's incredibly sensitive and dynamic - it rings pure and true. It sounds like magic. The entire disc resonates at a central frequency as your hands move around the edge teasing the notes out.

Two Different Drums

There are two types of Hang, the Mk1 and Mk2. The Mk 1 had 8 notes around the Ding. These were available in 45 different tunings, and PANArt produced nearly 4000 of them.
The Mk 2 is basically the same shape but has a brass coating on the top as well as around the rim. The Mk 2 comes in only five different tunings and has only seven notes around the Ding. It is a more sturdy design, stays in tune better over time, has a slightly longer and purer ring and a rounder edge, so the rim doesn't hurt your hands so much.

Listen to these solos:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rXcdcDB2S8&w=700]

If you can't afford a Hang, try a HAPI:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PW-GZ05htLE&w=700]

Bear in mind that to get any good at these instruments, you need to smoke a LOT of weed, say no to Heathrow Terminal 5 and eat a lot of mung beans. Joking aside, they make pretty sounds.

Links:
Hangblog
Soniccouture (developed a synthesiser version)
Hangmusic (has a sort of radio station thing)
This explains the scales
And where would we be without Wikipedia's page on the subject?

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Alice is a song and video composed from the Disney film's audiobits, remixed by 19-year old Australian Nick Bertke. Link to video on YT, found on Kottke, with this link to audio download. What a sweet little unicorn chaser of a video this is.

Spotted on BoingBoing.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAwR6w2TgxY&hl=en]

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In England, the cartoonist who made with the crazy machines was called Heath Robinson. His name became part of common parlance in the UK for complex inventions that achieved absurdly simple results from about the time of the First World War. In the BBC's Planet Earth documentaries, devices used to create smooth camera movements, such as the effective steadicam made out of bicycle wheels and rope used to sail up a 100 metre high mound of bat droppings, were said by David Attenborough to be "Heath Robinson affairs".

On the web, though, the big name is Rube Goldberg, an American cartoonist who received a 1948 Pulitzer Prize for his political cartooning. He is best known for his series of popular cartoons depicting Rube Goldberg machines, very similar to Heath Robinson's, just not as British. Remember Professor Branestawm? I think Rube read those books too.

Nowadays all sorts of people make 'Rube Goldbergs' and post them on YouTube. Like domino toppling taken to the nth degree. The weirder the better. Kind of reminds me of The Great Egg Race, which had Prof. Heinz Wolff and Johnny Ball at the helm.

Here are some good ones:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bdk5m5IT8NY&hl=en]
It's the way they use household objects that makes them so much fun - can just imagine people in sheds surrounded by marbles and pieces of string.

Of course the Japanese love 'em:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kvdq8cRNBM&hl=en]

This one is particularly good:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RouXygRcRC4&hl=en]

Wouldn't they make wonderful alarm clocks?

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWF8KV4IW5o&hl=en]

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All sorts of goodies at the Bonhams sale in Monaco last week. Everything from posters and route markers to fire suits, skid lids and cars. If I won the lottery, I now know what I would buy.

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All
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Use SeatGuru to search airplane layout charts before you select your flight seat so you'll never again be stuck with only partial reclining ability or in the back near the stale coffee. SeatGuru calls itself "the ultimate source for airplane seating, in-flight amenities and airline information" and it works -- I've used it. Even though the site is intuitive, there are directions right on the home page.

It's simple: Look up your airline. There's all kinds of info that you can navigate using the tabs that pop up, such as baggage rules, traveling with infants, policies regarding unaccompanied minors and travel with pets. Amenity info is listed, along with phone numbers that may be of use, all specific to your airline.

To get to the good part, the seating chart, break it down further by type of plane. A cool, color-coded chart assists you in picking the best seats for your needs (long legs, near the bathroom, not near the bathroom, etc.). First-class is included. Here's an example.
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Sears means business when it comes to tools. Its Craftsman 1,470-piece Professional Tool Set includes a 300-piece Base Essentials Set, 198-piece Professional Essentials Set, 189-piece Specialized Essentials Set, 204-piece Advanced Access Pro's Set, 106-piece Advanced Professional Tool Set, 89-piece Specialized Access Professional Tool Set, 83-piece Ultimate Fully-Polished Ratcheting Set, 77-piece Heavy-Duty Mechanic's Set, 94-piece Auto Specialty Professional Tool Set and 130-piece Professional Impact Set. It's available online, and via the Sears catalog (item # 34131), for $8,600. Save on shipping (since Sears charges by weight) and select store pick-up, if offered in your area, when ordering.
Link to original post on Luxist.
I only read it because I like the photo.

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The Fleur de Lys restaurant in Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay may serve French cuisine but that hasn't stopped them from adapting their own version of an American classic: the hamburger. Called the "Fleurburger 5000" it's no Plain Jane either, featuring a juicy Kobe beef patty topped with a rich truffle sauce and served on a brioche truffle bun. And this burger comes with a bottle of 1990 Chateau Petrus, served in Ichendorf Brunello stemware that you get to keep.

It sounds (and looks) vile, to be honest. All dark and rich, brioche is far too sweet, the black truffles so pungent you won't be able to taste anything else, and it looks like they've poured gravy all over it too.

Should you decide to indulge no worries about bragging rights: you can bring a friend (they get a free burger when you order yours) and you'll also get a certificate in the mail (along with your keepsake glass) so you'll have both a witness and paper proof.

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClCmO42_tQ0]

Thanks Adam!
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuGaqLT-gO4&hl=en]

Pretty shweet graffimation (that's a new word I just invented).

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-ZnPE3G_YY&hl=en]

By Adam Buxton - the man is a comic genius.

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So I went for a full medical the other day at Preventicum, and they gave me a sweet DVD of my brain to take away with me. All my veins and major organs are there, and you can animate sections of it. Very cool. I made some of it into a movie, and added the Benny Hill theme tune because it makes everything funnier (or so I'm told).

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrpaCOb_BGk&hl=en]
Particularly the last ones...

Rather odd to be searching the internet for pictures of what happened when the telly was finished for the day. Still, have found some funny old test cards and idents (you might like the music too).

It's interesting how some of the designs still look sharp today. I'm not sure how much of that is due to me having rose-tinted specs on.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kk28Ej2kLu0&hl=en]
Good montage from 1962 to 1985. Funny how the early ones look so modern.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPR1OftQoWs&hl=en]
Nice bit of music from the continuity man.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLXjb9aq2UI&hl=en]
Plus of course the Thames Television classic (oh how things have changed - no problems with phone-ins back then)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0-60Ag0jig&hl=en]
This was always my favourite, but with the Thames music.