Technabob » graph

Themes Througout Science-Fiction and Fantasy [Infographic]

Range — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 06:00:51 +0000

While I do agree with a few commentators on Reddit that science-fiction and fantasy shouldn’t be bundled together, I really like this infographic, which is a sort of mega-recap of the themes that we’ve seen in television over the last 40 years.

This graph was made by Steph Fox for io9, and very simply illustrates the trends in these TV genres over the years. It’s interesting to see that there was a spike in the number of sci-fi and fantasy shows in 1995, which lasted until 2007. There’s no more Star Trek, Babylon 5, or that many science-fiction shows on TV. It’s kind of sad, because I really enjoyed a lot of them.

For now, we have to be contented with Stargate Universe and a few shows on Syfy. At least, Doctor Who is still on the air.

[io9 via Reddit]

Level Up! Guild Wars 2 Pwns Other Mmorpgs With a Graph

Lambert Varias — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 11:42:54 +0000

Grinding. It’s one of the ugliest aspects of MMORPGs, or RPGs in general. I remember reading an article about Ultima Online many many years ago, where the situation got so bad that one of the dungeons was actually running out of monsters. There were so many players inside that as soon as a critter spawned it was killed. Aside from monster extinction, grinding also saps the enjoyment out of games. While it’s true that players must put considerable effort (or pay a large amount of money) before they can get epic gear, pets or a high level, sometimes the requirements reach ridiculous proportions. That’s why Isaiah Cartwright, game designer for the upcoming Guild Wars 2, proudly showed off a graph showing what their game’s leveling curve will be, compared to the level curves of other MMORPGs. Here is said graph:

As you can see, the leveling curve in Guild Wars 2 is actually a line. Cartwright explains, “We expect content—not long, grindy progression—to be the deciding factor that keeps people playing our game. We want everyone to stick with Guild Wars 2 because our content is fun and enjoyable, not out of some dogged determination to slowly, slowly advance.”

Guild Wars 2: it’s not the size of your experience bar, it’s how much you enjoy the experience. Read Cartwright’s full post here.

[via Reddit]

The Ever Increasing Watch: an 11 on a Geek Scale of 1 to 10

Shane McGlaun — Tue, 18 May 2010 17:05:49 +0000

Weird watches are like catnip to some geeks. They can’t resist showing off how different they are by wearing a watch that catches the eye and confuses the mind of normal watch wearers.

Yanko Design has unveiled a new watch from Eleeno called the Ever Increasing Watch. On it’s face, it has a grid and dotted lines that remind me of sixth grade math class.

The top blue line is the hours, the middle green line is the minutes in tens, and the bottom red line shows single minutes. To keep from hurting your noodle too much, the lines have the numbers underneath as well. The watch comes in silver or black versions, and is available over at the Yanko Store for $179 (USD).

Pixel Pads: Like iPads, Only Paper

Technabob — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 02:00:39 +0000

At first glance, the idea of a pricey pad of paper that looks like an iPad seemed a bit unnecessary to me. Then, I got to thinking that if I were an iPad app developer, these pads actually could be pretty handy for sketching out ideas for new apps.

Then, I actually read the PixelPads website and found out that’s exactly what they had in mind when they created these. Each paper iPad comes with 64 sheets of graph paper at exactly the same size as a real iPad screen, and lined with 10-pixel square grid blocks. And if you’re concerned about being green, all the paper from sustainable forests, and printed with non-toxic vegetable-based inks.

For added convenience, the backside of each grid sheet is a 4-panel storyboard, with four places to sketch out your iPad app icons at actual 72 x 72 pixel size. Even my real iPad can’t do that!

PixelPads sells the pads in kits which include pad refills, pens, pencils, and markers, ranging in price from $24 to $99 (USD). But the best deal is the Awesome Pak, which includes 2 iPads, 3 iPad refills, 2 Sharpies, 2 Pilot VBall pens, and 2 Bicmatic pencils for $49 (USD). While that may sound like a lot of money for office supplies, it’s still only 10% of the price of the cheapest iPad from the Apple Store – so why not buy 10?

I’M So Over Graphs (Grapathy)

Technabob — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 13:09:31 +0000

If you’re like me, you’re probably sick and tired of meaningless statistical graphs in PowerPoint decks – artificially manipulated to serve various corporate and political agendas.

We’ll thankfully, the guys over at Pictures for Sad Children are just as over graphs as me, and created a t-shirt to express their disinterest. Show off your extreme apathy for line graphs with the Grapathy T-shirt ($19 USD). And I don’t care if you don’t buy one.

[via The Awesomer]

Colin O’Dowd’S Ekg Coat Rack Definitely No Flatliner

Technabob — Thu, 14 May 2009 11:48:53 +0000

Looking for a cool way to keep your coats up off the floor? Then look no further than the Beat coat rack by designer Colin O’Dowd.

Whether you think of it as the pulse of a beating heart, the waveform of your favorite tune, or the trend line for your stock portfolio, it’s definitely a conversation piece on any wall. The Beat retails for £40 (appx. $60 USD) over at O’Dowd’s online shop.

Spequalizer Audio Meter Frames: Rave Up

Technabob — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 16:47:15 +0000

For those of you who’d like to make your living room look just a little more like a rave, have I got something for you. Just grab a few of these sound-sensing picture frames, and transform your pad into a serious party palace.

Designed by FlashWear, the same guys who brought you the popular T-Qualizer, a VU-meter on a t-shirt, the tabletop Speaqualizer is their latest in their line of light-up creations. Just throw a few AAA batteries into the back of the frame, turn up the tunes, and watch the electroluminescent bars dance to the beat of your music.

Available in two styles, the TQ Raver (rainbow colors) and the TQ Chiller (cool jewel tones), each Speaqualizer panel will set you back about $38 USD.

Reactive Sparks: Interactive LED Art Responds to Traffic

Technabob — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 00:09:00 +0000

This interactive art display takes data it collects on passing traffic and displays moving images which react to vehicles as they drive by.

Designed by artist Markus Lerner for lighting company OSRAM, the installation samples traffic patterns and maps them onto seven colorful light towers side of the road, each containing over 110,000 individual LEDs.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

The waves at the bottom of each panel represent the amount of traffic that has recently passed, while a “spark” that flashes across each screen whenever a new car passes by. The more cars that pass the sensors, the bigger the waves, and the faster the motion.

The installation is currently on display alongside Munich, Germany’s highly-congested Mittlerer Ring, a thoroughfare that conveniently happens to be right in front of OSRAM’s headquarters.

[via today in art]