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Month: May 2020

Star Wars Trilogy as radio drama

Star Wars Trilogy as radio drama

I love driving and doing chores while listening to radio dramas and audiobooks.

Back in the ’80s NPR produced a series of broadcasts that retold the original Star Wars trilogy as a radio drama. Using original audio recordings of the series, combined with movie music and sound effects, Nigel Langes compiled all of the episodes into a playlist of three videos, running about 11 hours in total.

CRT instruments

CRT instruments

Japanese electro-punk group Electronicos Fantasticos (they have a Youtube channel) is known for making music with unusual instruments. In this clip, musician Ei Wada shows off an electronic guitar known as the “CRTelecaster” that uses feedback created from the screen of an old CRT television set to produce sounds.

Here’s a concert they made with an electric fan harp, CRT-TV Drums, air conditioner harp, and other strange creations.

Find out more on their website:

https://www.electronicosfantasticos.com

Beating splosh-kaboom minigame in Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker

Beating splosh-kaboom minigame in Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker

It took them about 10 years to build this speed running tool, but here it is. How it helps you win is even more fascinating than the minigame itself. Random number generators on consoles are notoriously simple and have been exploited for some time – but this takes it to a whole new level.

It’s a beautiful example of how a computer scientist would break down and solve a problem. It’s also a perfect example of why cryptographically secure random number generators are essential to computer security.

I think I might use this question in future interviews…

Unreal engine 5

Unreal engine 5

Simply astounding – really looking forward to reading how they did this.

What if we flipped things on their head and had more triangles than pixels on the screen? How would that engine work…

The gig economy is unhealthy

The gig economy is unhealthy

Patrick Willems does a great reflection on Kiki’s Delivery Service and how it speaks to many of the issues that small, independent content creators and gig workers encounter.

I remember in the late 2000’s hearing tons of young people never wanting to work at some ‘stodgy’ old company that made you work 9-5, come into actual offices, etc. The gig economy is where it’s at! Work whenever and wherever you want!

Fast forward a bit, and we’re seeing these jobs are increasingly a race to the bottom. A gig worker can often be replaced by countless others doing the same task easily and efficiently. Anything you can do, there’s almost certainly someone out there that can do it cheaper or faster. The exception here is creative work – like streamers do.

Still, these jobs often lack basic benefits like medical, 401k, retirement contributions, stock plans, etc. Some argue that this could be mitigated with universal basic income, national health care, etc. But there is more to gig work than just the financials. Like Patrick Willems, we’re increasingly seeing streaming stars burning out, suffering mental health issues, taking breaks and even calling it quits.

There is a serious problem being that you ARE the brand. You are now living the brand – and there is no separation. This can become a serious identity crisis if the brand needs to change in a way you might personally not want to go or vice versa. As Patrick points out, he wasn’t just visiting family, he was already thinking of how he can make a narrative out of his visit for his next video.

The promise of working whenever and wherever you want also usually means you work ALL the time. You are constantly connected online because your entire brand is up to you. You need to be doing your job work, along with the additional job of selling and branding yourself. You’re doing 2 jobs at the same time. My gig friends were always on their phones and laptops, even when out supposedly having a good time.

In the end, all those friends of mine that did gig economy jobs have quit and joined established companies. It turns out, ONLY working 9-5, M-F means you have time for family and weekend fun. It means you can have kids. It means you know the mortgage will get paid each month. It means retirement, benefits, and exposure to professional interactions, equipment, and advancements you can’t have as a small independent.

As Kiki’s delivery service shows us, gig work is awesome when trying to start your brand – but at some point – your brand needs to support you and the way you want to live. I think this might be the lesson for many people. At some point, you need to realistically evaluate if the work you’re doing transitions into working for you.

Not all great ideas are going to work out or be sustainable. Knowing when to move on from an endeavor that’s run its course or requires too much to be successful is a skill in itself.

collywood house – sweeping views across los angeles

collywood house – sweeping views across los angeles

Olson Kundig designed this high-tech west hollywood retreat to take in sweeping views across los angeles, from the san gabriel mountains to the pacific ocean. Located just above the sunset strip, the residence offers spectacular views from all parts of the house, while taking advantage of the climate of southern california. as they client enjoys spending time outdoors, the architects sought to blur the boundaries between internal and external space — encouraging outdoor living as much as possible.

olson kundig's hillside 'collywood house' presents sweeping views across los angeles
olson kundig's hillside 'collywood house' presents sweeping views across los angeles
image+by+nic+lehoux
image+by+nic+lehoux
olson kundig collywood house
olson kundig's hillside 'collywood house' presents sweeping views across los angeles
olson kundig's hillside 'collywood house' presents sweeping views across los angeles
olson kundig's hillside 'collywood house' presents sweeping views across los angeles
image+by+nic+lehoux
Giant LED Wave

Giant LED Wave

The Gangnam-gu area in Seoul is the Korean version of Times Square and it’s the country’s first outdoor advertisement zone. Mega-size LED screen displays have been installed on the walls of large buildings which create an electronic display for 18 hours a day.

One of the best known buildings is the COEX artium, also known as the mecca of K-pop. Featuring an electronic display measuring 80 meters in width and 23 meters in height, this massive screen wraps the building and is currently showcasing the korean wave designed by District.