World’s First Diamond Contact Lenses

08/16/11 -- Wacky News

“That twinkle in her eye? It might have cost $15,000. Beauty addicts are eyeing a new trend — custom-made, gold-plated contact lenses featuring 18 twinkling diamonds. The eerie and alluring new jewelry line from Shekhar Eye Research satisfies those who aren’t content to simply boast bling on their skin. Creator Chandrashekhar Chawan tried his hand at gold-dust contact lenses, but they lacked the “sparkle effect” he was looking for. He found his inspiration, oddly, through cosmetic dentistry: Chawan’s wife had diamonds planted on her teeth at her last dentist visit, and he realized that people loved jewels anywhere and everywhere. “I got mixed responses — some said its looks scary, but most of the people loved it,” said Chawan in a TODAY.com interview. “Bollywood personalities loved the concept, that it’s going to be ‘in thing’ in fashion soon.” w/ photos

Perfect Spot To Eat!

08/16/11 -- Photos

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Pug Planking

08/16/11 -- Videos

“Awwwwwwwwwwwwww!”

Garden Spider Vs. Giant Wasp

08/16/11 -- Videos

“If you’ve never seen a spider wrap it’s prey then you have to see this. We had this large garden spider in a window and had these wasps flying around the yard looking for spiders to feed their young when they hatch. These wasps dig holes in the ground that they stuff with stunned spiders. These things are huge. We wanted to see how things went against these large garden spiders.” — 469jh

The Batlimo

08/16/11 -- Pretty Cool

“Before anybody starts dousing the place with gasoline, yeah, we’re well aware that this Batlimo’s been floating around for quite some time now, but it’s the first we’ve seen or heard of it. That said, we’re in love with the stretched design modeled after Tim Burton’s Batmobile and that slick turbine engine up front (not a real one like this guy’s Batmobile). Its wheels could use some cooler rims and slicker tires, though.” w/ photo + video

Bowling Trick Shots

08/16/11 -- Videos

“How many times do you think he had to redo the shots because one freakin’ pin didn’t fall…” — Ricky Sdrenka

They’re Multiplying!

08/16/11 -- Photos

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Top 10 Origins Of Common Internet Terms

08/16/11 -- Top Lists

“This list looks at the origins of ten computer related words. The entries presented here are not necessarily etymological, but, rather, they attempt to trace the words back to their creators or first use in the computing world. I tried to include words that were common enough to be recognizable, so there is a mix of technical and colloquial terms. If there are any you feel I have overlooked, or any about which I am mistaken, please share your thoughts in the comments! So here, for your enjoyment, and in no particular order, are the origins of ten computer words.” w/ photos

Banana Oxidation Art

08/16/11 -- In The Name of Art

“I’ve seen some pretty amazing banana artworks since I started Oddity Central, like the banana wall, or Jacob Dahlstrub’s banana boats, but Jun Gil Park’s oxidation art just makes me go bananas. Using a simple toothpick he scratches the designs into the banana, and the harder he presses/scratches, the darker the bruised part gets. It usually takes about five minutes for the oxidation to start showing, and after a day or two it gets really dark. You’re probably wondering how Jun Gil Park came up with this simple-yet-impressive technique of turning bananas into organic works of art. It was pretty simple actually…” w/ photos

Augmented Reality Driving Video Game

08/16/11 -- Pretty Cool

“Garnet Hertz’s video game concept car combines a car-shaped arcade game cabinet with a real world electric vehicle to produce a video game system that actually drives. OutRun offers a unique mixed reality simulation as one physically drives through an 8-bit video game. The windshield of the system features custom software that transforms the real world into an 8-bit video game, enabling the user to have limitless gameplay opportunities while driving. Hertz has designed OutRun to de-simulate the driving component of a video game: where game simulations strive to be increasingly realistic (usually focused on graphics), this system pursues ‘real’ driving through the game. Additionally, playing off the game-like experience one can have driving with an automobile navigation system, OutRun explores the consequences of using only a computer model of the world as a navigation tool for driving.” — garnethertz