New Wave Zoltar
New Wave makes some amazing, fully functioning miniature retro arcade models – or replicades. One of their more recent additions was the ever-fabulous arcade fortune telling machine Zoltar.
CIA’s failed internet sites
From around 2009 to 2013 under the Obama administration, the U.S. intelligence community experienced crippling intelligence failures related to its secret internet-based communications system. Problems originated in Iran and spiderwebbed to other countries, and was left unrepaired — despite warnings about what was happening — until more than two dozen sources died in China in 2011 and 2012 as a result. This had been noticed in the media, and confirmed by 11 former intelligence and national security officials.
The failure? Utilizing a bunch of innocuous looking internet sites – including a fake Star Wars fan site – which were compromised and then patterns figured out on how the CIA ran other sites the same way. It caused a chain reaction of exposing sources – who were promptly arrested or killed.
Reuters report in 2022, America’s Throwaway Spies, which went into further detail on how individual CIA agents were exposed by the Iranians, and included the incredible revelation that the IP addresses for the CIA’s sites were sequential, meaning that once one was identified it was easy to find others that likely belonged to the same network.
Links:
- https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-spies-iran/
- https://www.yahoo.com/news/cias-communications-suffered-catastrophic-compromise-started-iran-090018710.html
- https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/the-cia-operated-a-network-of-gaming-sites-and-even-a-star-wars-fanpage-that-were-part-of-one-of-its-worst-ever-intelligence-catastrophes/
Lowe’s 6 foot Yukon Cornelius
Who knew this would be the hottest item sold out for Christmas everywhere. Originally $398, they’re selling on ebay for almost $1000 now
Venba
What a great little game. It tells the story of a family that moves from their home to a new country – and uses a cooking of traditional dish minigame to help tell the story.
Modest Mouse is not wrong about the dangers of over-permissiveness
Modest Mouse’s Isaac Brock lives in Portland, Oregon, but he’s not at all excited about it.
In an interview with Polish website Onet, Brock had some harsh things to say about the city, as Willamette Week points out.
He admits he kind of ended up in Portland out of circumstance, but it’s not really where he’d like to live. He continued: “Portland is weird, but it’s kind of a crappy weird. It is the most vagrant-ridden… it’s really fuckin’ up my liberal mind. I’m just like, what a collection of human turds. Within the one week before I came on this tour, I had to run people out of my house. Twice with axes. Two people died. This is within 300 feet of my house. It’s just a constant shitshow of fights.
“And that’s just Portland keeping itself weird. That’s the saying: Keep Portland weird… It’s a cool city. But a lot of the keeping itself weird is actually just allowing people to be complete pieces of shit. And that’s exhausting.”
You can watch the video and read more here.
Make your own volumetric display
Ancient created this swept 3D volumetric display using spinning LED panels. He can even even play DOOM on it.
The parts and code list is also shared:
- Code for the display driver & demos is available here: https://github.com/AncientJames/multivox
- STEP file containing all of the printable parts shown is available here: https://github.com/AncientJames/Vorte…
Nerf Team Fortress 2 turret
The Hacksmith replicated a level 2 Sentry Turret from Team Fortress 2. It’s no slouch – it can shoot over 200 rounds per minute.
Drone to the French Alps
Romano FPV takes his drone on an epic flight from Chamonix (1030m) to Aiguille du midi (3842m) in the French Alps.
Nailing the Yukon Cornelius impression
Illoominated II
This projection mapping installation by Todd Moyer Designs was inspired by the machinery of a fabric loom. Projections create the illusion of rolling spools of yarn and woven textiles, while colorful laser beams emulate thread. Illoominated II was on display at the Portland Winter Light Festival 2025.