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Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:46:15 GMT

Weirder and Wilder Things

by Vadim Rizov

Visiting a friend in Omaha this past weekend, I saw The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. at the lovely Film Streams theater. I"d never seen the one-and-only Dr. Seuss-scripted 1953 classic, and the spangly print certainly didn"t disappoint. Mostly, though, it got me thinking about everything that"s wrong with Where the Wild Things Are. Both are sui generis translations of maverick beloved children"s authors to the screen in ways that could be "scary" or "inappropriate" for children. And there the similarities end.

Even among surreal, culty kid"s films (Return to Oz is my favorite, but Babe: Pig in the City and Pee-Wee"s Big Adventure come to mind as well), The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. is singular. A source of dismay for Dr. Seuss (who compared the reviews to an on-set accident where all the children vomited at once) and a financial calamity (losing over $1 million), this weirdest of all children"s movies inevitably became a cult hit (yes, a musical version is on the way). Director Roy Rowland was a journeyman who began his career helming Robert Benchley shorts and acting as assistant to W.S. Van Dyke on the Tarzan movies, and ended up directing spaghetti Westerns. Among other things, The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T is a film in which the director is clearly as confused as any of the spectators; watching him trying to figure out the most efficient way to shoot something this unprecedented is one of the film"s bracing qualities. Posted by: ahillis      Read more     Source

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:17:22 GMT

Sharp continues it's HDTV march

All the TV manufacutres are slowly transfering themselves to LED backlighting; the expensive ones posh arrays of of RGB lights, and the less posh ones using standard variable brightness white diodes. The new sharp range as pictured above features the later, and comes in at a suprisingly affordable $5,000 for the massive 52inch model featuring lots of posh technologies, including a clever new 2.1 speaker system consisting of 6 individual drivers.

Check them out if you are in the market for a new TV. Posted by: Pat      Read more     Source

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:03:44 GMT

Choosing the Right Tennis Balls

For many people, tennis balls are little more than toys for kids and pets. Others use them in science projects, as massagers, or on the bottom of chairs. However, to tennis players, these fuzzy yellow balls are much more than just toys or science projects and choosing the right tennis ball can make all the difference.

Types of tennis balls
Manufacturers generally produce tennis balls in three different grades: practice, championship, and premium.

If you're looking to fill a hopper practice balls are the way to go. Often, practice balls have minor cosmetic defects that exclude them from use in tournament play but really don't have a negative impact on the playability of the ball. Practice balls are an inexpensive alternative to championship or premium balls and are great for filling a hopper or hitting the practice court.

When you need tennis balls for match play, select either championship or premium tennis balls. Premium balls are produced to higher quality standards than championship balls, but either is usually acceptable for match play.

Types of felt
Most premium and championship tennis balls are produced with two different varieties of felt: heavy-duty felt and regular duty felt. While this might seem like a very minute distinction to some people, it can make a big difference in the performance of the ball.

Heavy-duty felt is designed for play on very abrasive surfaces, namely outdoor hard courts. Using a heavy-duty ball on a clay court isn't the end of the world, but the rugged construction of the felt will cause the ball to pick up more clay. The result is that the ball will become heavier and move more slowly.

Regular duty felt is designed for use on less harsh court surfaces like indoor hard courts, clay or Har-tru courts, and carpet. Regular duty felt balls can be used on grass courts as well. Using a regular duty ball on outdoor hard courts won't hurt, but the less durable felt will puff up after some play on the abrasive hard courts and the ball will move slightly slower through the air.

Beginners, ball machines, and high altitudes

While practice, championship and premium balls are the most common types of tennis balls, there are some other, more specialized types as well. Beginning tennis players, people using ball machines, and people playing at very high altitudes can all benefit from the use of specialized tennis balls.

In the past few years there have been many different balls released for beginning or junior tennis players. The most common types of balls for beginners are "low-compression" or foam balls. Low-compression balls are essentially the same as regular tennis balls, but aren't inflated with as much pressure. This causes them to bounce lower and move slower than regular tennis balls. Foam balls are made entirely from foam and move very slowly through the air. Foam balls are easy for even the most novice player to hit successfully.

For ball machines, pressureless balls are best. Instead of being filled with pressurized air like conventional balls, pressureless balls get their bounce from their rubber structure and won't lose their bounce over time like normal tennis balls. These are great for ball machines because they provide a very consistent feed and won't go flat. Pressureless balls usually feel much heavier than regular tennis balls and are generally not recommended for match play or for people who experience arm pain.

High altitude balls are very specialized and are used for play at altitudes of over 3,500 feet. These balls are pressurized differently than normal tennis balls so that they will play the same as a normal ball would at lower altitudes.

Holabird Sports has been an undisputed leader in sporting equipment and accessories for more than 25 years. Their vast inventory is matched only by their unparalleled and professional customer service. For a closer look at the company's catalog, visit www.holabirdsports.com.
Posted by: Heather      Read more     Source

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:51:57 GMT

inPulse BlackBerry Bluetooth watch

The wait is longer than we imagined, and it is now official. Allerta is offering its limited, first-edition inPulse Bluetooth watch for the BlackBerry on pre-order, but you will have to hold on until February 2010 for the shipping to begin.

The watch sports a 1.3-inch color OLED display and functions as a virtual, display-only accessory for your BlackBerry while wirelessly communicating with it via a Bluetooth 2.0 connection. So that, based on the email, SMS, Twitter previews or call alerts you see on your wrist, you can choose to flip out your smartphone or not. The magic is made possible through a custom BlackBerry background application which runs on the watch to keep track of your received messages/calls and also provides the ability to customize the watch itself.

Powered by a 150mAh Li-Ion battery, the watch has a micro-USB jack for charging - with a single charge going approximately into 4 days while you get an average 20-30 updates per day. The inPulse has a built-in vibrating motor to alert you of incoming calls and boasts the ability to pull in new text messages directly. All the settings on the watch (time, alarms, alerts) are controlled through the BlackBerry itself, with the wireless connection also facilitating over-the-air firmware updates.

Part with $149 (shipping extra) and book your seat for some great wrist candy. And much more.

Via SlashGear. Posted by: Sarah      Read more     Source

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 03:23:57 GMT

Do ya think your song could be a smash hit?

The new uPlaya Artists service lets you upload your own pop song to receive an evaluation of whether it could be a hit. The site uses the Hit Song Science technology which got some press a while back, to determine algorithmically whether your tune has a chance at Top 10 glory. It’s all lovely until you realise they’re also offering to help you market your song for a price, at which point the scoring feature becomes a little hmmm……

I uploaded the Trails song I created using Musicshake a while back and got a Silver Auddy 6.7 score – ‘This song could become a hit with some fine tuning and some promotion’. Hmm…handy that.

Anyway the upload and eval is free of charge, so probably worth doing for a giggle if nothing else. The site promises to introduce a bunch more community and artist services going forward, so who knows we may indeed see a smash hit emerge sometime soon. [Via Metafilter]

 We use artificial intelligence applications as well as other methods to analyze the underlying mathematical patterns in music. Our technology does something called spectral deconvolution which is a fancy way of saying that we can isolate and separate many musical events that occur in a song. Some of these events are patterns in melody, harmony, chord progression, brilliance, fullness of sound, beat, tempo, rhythm, octave, and pitch. We then compare the patterns in new music (yours for example) to patterns in hit songs. By doing this combined with other mathematical calculations we’ve been able to develop a highly accurate and scientific tool. While this may sound like science fiction, keep in mind that we are working for major and independent labels on both side of the Atlantic who trust and use our results to make decisions. Posted by: Redferret      Read more     Source

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 02:44:54 GMT

Pentax goes red for Japan

The fetching red machine you see above you is the new Pentax K-x, an entry level $650 DSLR with some pretty nice specs, the best of which being 720p video, finally coming in at an affordable price. Build quality is supposedly good enough, but the red colour is supposedly going to be exclusive to Japan. Unfortunate as it actually looks pretty cool, definitely would differentiate it from the Canons and Nikons out there. Posted by: Karen      Read more     Source

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:10:08 GMT

Elekit tube amplifier

Of all the gadgets that tempt and goad us into poetry (sometimes unintended) while we bring to you the fascinating world of personal electronics, the least we expected to jump into the category was an audio amplifier. But it has happened so, and we couldn"t help but be blown over. Completely.

The Elekit EK amplifier is a classic case of ugly-duckling-turns-awesome-swan in the history of amplifiers. It is a vacuum tube hybrid stereo amplifier designed by Koichi Futatsumata, and manufactured by Japanese audio equipment manufacturer Case Real, for the high-end audio electronics company Elekit. That a byproduct of the design motto to make an audio amplifier that would appeal to the younger generation. Sleek steel casing, hidden circuitry and mechanical parts, and all user interaction accomplished with just two aluminium dials sums up this great design. And the specs are overshadowed, if not completely outdone - output power of 10 + 10 Watts, sensitivity rating of 560mV (RCA jacks), 180mV (mini phone jack for your PMP), and 5Hz - 50kHz frequency response band.

Now for the sad news - not only is the sale of the Elekit EK amplifier "yet undecided", but even otherwise you may be far too bank-unworthy to be considered.

Via CrunchGear. Posted by: Sarah      Read more     Source

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:03:22 GMT

Talika Lash Conditioning Cleanser

I believe that taking off makeup should do double duty whenever possible. For instance, wipes that also tone the skin, cleansers that fight acne, etc.

Eye makeup remover should be no different, and Talika understands that taking eye makeup off should also benefit one of the main areas that you are concentrating on - the eyes/eye lashes.

I love the Talika Lash Conditioning Cleanser"s baby blue liquid/gel. It comes in a very nice and hygenic pump dispenser bottle perfect for travel or the gym. The consistency of the cleanser is soft, airy and smooth. Just a few pumps on my cotton pad pressed gently against my eyes removed all my makeup with very little rubbing (both water proof and non- water roof eye makeup).

It was very gentle and always left my eyes feeling clean and refreshed with no burning or stinging. I never had to tug or pull, so my lashes stayed in tact (no broken lashes landing on my cheeks!). This is an oil free formula which leaves no film or build up, but made my lashes feel so soft and full, especially after cosistent use.

This is a WEP (Worth Every Penny) product that you will get a lot use out of, especially since just a few pumps are needed per use. This can easily last 3-4+ months with normal usage. - RLB Posted by: Palacinka Beauty      Read more     Source

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 03:45:58 GMT

FitForCommerce Can Be Your eCommerce Solution

Can a business thrive today without moving into ecommerce? Perhaps; but it's the exception, but the rule. So the question is, how do you make the leap into the world of ecommerce?

A huge number of companies and consultants out there today will gladly offer you ecommerce software and then pretend to have provided you with solutions. But they usually don't provide you with an ecommerce strategy. FitForCommerce stands out because they provide both software and strategies.

FitForCommerce is a consulting consortium that begins the consultant process by assisting you in the process of identifying your needs. They bring you with a specific, drawn out plan that will allow you butt heads with the leading sites in your field.

Can you stay out of ecommerce and thrive as a business? Probably not. FitForCommerce can make the transition into ecommerce a successful one.


© Fosforix Posted by: Paul      Read more     Source

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 17:46:09 GMT

Top tips for choosing fitness equipment

For most of us, choosing fitness equipment is all about falling in love with the latest in a market that is always coming up with newer and more attractive pieces all the time. But, pause and consider whether this is the right way to choose fitness equipment. After all, it is your health at stake here.

Here are some tips to help you choose fitness equipment.

• Get a detailed medical check up if you are over the age of 20. Decide your fitness regime only after you get a doctor’s opinion.
• You have a choice between outdoor and indoor fitness equipment. Which should you go for? Consider this carefully before you invest money. Indoor pieces are good because they allow you to exercise regardless of the weather. But, after a while, drudgery sets in. Outdoor fitness equipment may help you overcome the boredom of a repetitive routine.
• There is no limit to what you can buy. Fitness equipment may cost you anywhere from $50 to $5,000. Before you buy, set a budget and explore the types of equipment you want. The amount of space you have is also an important consideration. Consider all these factors before you go shopping.
• One of the best ways to choose fitness equipment is to test them out in a playground or a fitness center. That way, you will not make mistakes and buy equipment that you do not enjoy.
• Do not pinch pennies when you buy fitness equipment. It is more important to buy something that lasts longer and delivers the right kind of results. When you buy cheap, you might need more frequent replacements.
• Buy fitness equipment that helps you meet your exercise goals. Do you want to build muscle mass? Then, buy weights or parallel bars. Want to improve flexibility? Go for the agility poles. Working out your abs? Try a Sit Up station. The secret is to buy what YOU require. Even if you buy only one piece of equipment, keep your immediate fitness goals in perspective.

By buying fitness equipment with the above in your mind, you ensure that:
- Your goals are achieved
- You are having fun and are therefore motivated to work out
- You get the right return for your money

Before you choose any one brand or make, do your homework. Research the piece well. Ask questions if you can. Find out how you feel on the machine and do not buy until you are completely satisfied with what you have. Something that you find this way will suit you and last you a long, long time. Posted by: Sue      Read more     Source