Flock Is Amazing

Alright so I think I've just found my favorite web browser.
Enter Flock, THE web browser for anyone that uses any sort of social networking site, news feeds, email, youtube, photobucket/picasa/etc., or blogging service. 
It combine's all of these into a crazy amalgamation that somehow works...
Try it for yourself at www.flock.com
It's definitely an inventive approach to bringing all of the applications we use the most on the web together.  Where Google Chrome gave us a basic interface that allowed for easy browsing, flock allows you to bring everyone that you interact with along for the ride as you scour the web. 
Say, for example, that I wanted to show my friend Alberto a photo on Facebook or my Picassa account.  Well, all I'd have to do is drag and drop the photo onto his friend tab under the facebook section of my screen, and it'll send him a message about it.  Done.  I can also save web snippets, or view all of my feeds on a single page (which is a pretty tough thing to do).

So check it out,
www.flock.com

And of course, as usual and expected, it's free.

Oh and p.s.,
I just posted this through flock...while I'm on Facebook, which is obviously not Blogger.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Blah Blah Blah

Much to the chagrin of some of my readers (you know who I'm talking about), I haven't been able to get a post in edgewise with all these finals throwing their weight around like they're all some kind of bigshot. So to make it up to you, I'll throw in one of my personal favorites. This site's got an amalgamation of data visualization, media art, and collective intelligence put together by Martin Wattenberg. Alright, whoa there, take a step back and think about what that means.

Okay finished? Let me continue: I'm definitely going to put this post under the "Entertainment" category, because I can guarantee that you'll be perusing all of these projects for quite some time. For example, who new that names that begin with "Kr-" peaked in the 70s, or that "I-" names wax and wane like the tides of the sea? Alright maybe that isn't the best example, but you'll be hooked once you check it out. The links to the actual pieces are to the left of the page once you've clicked on a specific piece that you want to look at.

So check it out:
bewitched.com

Don't Be Afraid To Make It Your Own

Alright this next one I've got is quite a pretty little ditty...and if you're a fan of block posters then you'll love this site. The Rasterbator creates huge, rasterized images from any picture you can imagine. All you have to do is print the resulting image off your regular old printer...or take it to Kinkos to give it that extra special touch.

Anyways, in case you're wondering, a rasterized photo is composed of a bunch of small dots, which can give the total image a look reminiscent of 1960s Pop Art, such as this piece by Ray Lichtenstein:


So go out there and impress me with what you come up with; here's my favorite from their gallery:


Here's the link, now go on and give it a whirl:
RASTERBATE!

A Couple Quick Updates

Hey everyone, I just wanted to say a couple things to start the cold month of December off right:

Well, first things first, thanks to everyone that's emailed me input; I'm really going to work your suggestions into the blog. And for those of you that haven't, you're more then welcome to send me whatever the hell is floating through your mind; it's always appreciated. Secondly, don't forget to check out some of the older posts, there's plenty of stuff here that will keep you interested...especially if you're a new reader. And lastly, thanks for checking this site out in the first place, because it wouldn't be possible without you.


So I'll leave you with a few words of wisdom from the people over at engrishfunny.com:

(Even better, replace "beach" with "Beezness.")


Vaya Con Dios

Military Collectibles = Amazing Fashion?

I'm not quiet sure how I came across this one, but it was definitely in one of the most obscure corners of the Internet.
Alright, stay with me on this one. Think military surplus, but on a global scale and with actually worthwhile merchandise. This site has an array of incredibly varied items. Take for example these Czech army issue glasses that have bullet proof frames and look incredibly like retro Ray-Bans...I can guarantee no one on the block will be sporting these but you.
Or how about this French Navy seabag that looks like it could be the new South Beach fashion statement?The point is, there's a number of worthwhile items on this site that deserve a look. From the Italian Army issue blanket that's made out of suit-quality wool to a 10L French Army Wine Canister (Imagine showing up to a party with that...), I'm sure you'll find something you like. This place definitely has some interesting finds, you just have to search through the random to get to the good. Oh and if you're ever looking for outdoor gear this is undoubtedly the place to go, because nothing's better than military issued gear, and since most of this stuff is vintage, you'll look even more like the hardcore outdoors-men and -women you really are.

So take a look:
deutscheoptik.com

By the way, don't be warded off by the meat grinder they're selling on the front page, I honestly can't believe that with all of the great products these guys sell they decide to slap that on the homepage...sometimes I seriously wonder if these people are actually trying to make a profit...

It's Like Always Having a Flash Drive.

I'm a big fan of googledocs for sharing/uploading documents that I'm too lazy to move to a flash drive. But what about all the other junk I keep on my flash drive, or what about the times when I don't want to convert my word docs to googledocs? Well, that's what I use drop.io for. It's perfect for uploading any kind of file on a temporary site that is viewable by only the people you allow. For example, I just uploaded some of the logos for the fencing team as illustrator files and it worked perfectly. You can also set passwords to protect your stuff even more. What's also great is that you can set an expiration date for your data, so even if you do forget about it you'll still be protected.
PLUS, you can upload new data by calling the drop itself, and also use the drop to conference call.
So,
drop.io = amazingly easy to use, free, no sign ups, and incredibly flexible.
I guess it really is "The simplest way to share online."

Wall Art Wall Art Wall Art

Looking for something else to spruce up that plain white wall you've been staring at for the past few months? Really want to try blockposters but just don't know what image to use? Well take a look at memory.loc.gov for inspiration. This website is chalk full of vintage posters from the Library of Congress's American Memory collection. They've got everything from classic tourism posters to slightly cheesy public health messages. And as if that wasn't sexy enough, you can download the high res images straight from the site or order a print for yourself. The best part is that there's no copyright issues because they're all public domain!
Check it out for yourself:
memory.loc.gov