TinEye: God of Reverse-Image Search

Ever looked for an image's origin, or a higher quality version of the one you have, or a website where this image also occurs?

Look no further than TinEye.com

Let me tell you what happened to me:

A partner at work gave me some poorly printed out images on a contact sheet (4 images accross, 5 images down, on a single A4 sheet), and asked me get the contact details for the suppliers of the products on the contact sheet. The images had no captions and were printed out on low rez. (72dpi).

WTF! How will I find the supplier certain component with only a poor paper printout of what the product looks like?!

Then I had an idea!

Snap a pic of the printout on my cellphone (i don't have a scanner), and upload it to TinEye. In less than a second it gave me 12 websites that the image appears on (one of them being the supplier, 3 being distributors).

'MAGIC' I tell you!!! 

The site is sortof a reverse "google images". I love it! If you are into this sorta thing, give it a try.
The site is not perfect. But it's libraries of searched sites grows and last time I looked they added 37 million new images (at least that's what they claim on their twitter feed)

(DISCLAIMER: This is my personal testimonial. I am not paid for saying this, and am in no way affiliated with them, or on their payroll.. but if you guys at Idée Labs/TinEye.com want to gimme some $$$, feel free, lol)

the drain

Taken on my cellphone.

I just love the grain and contrast on this. Very hard to do with all this digital nonsense we have nowadays.

J Trav: Master, Voyerist, Photographer

J Trav: Persona series.

When he began taking photographs in November 2007 for his Persona diptych series, Jason Travis set out to catch up with old friends, learn more about new friends, and, most significantly, to capture a portion of their lives in terms of what each individual considered essential enough to carry around with them everyday.

Viewers of the Persona diptychs take a voyeuristic delight in not only glimpsing the items usually tucked away in bags and pockets, but in identifying with strangers by relating to the tokens they carry with them. Alongside the meticulously arranged items that each person carries, Jason situates a portrait in which the subject always seems confident and at home, comfortable in their own skin. In these snapshots, each person appears as Jason sees them, which is always beautiful. Assembling the Persona diptychs has not only allowed Jason to combine his love of photography with his knowledge of the uniqueness and beauty in each of his subjects, but also has allowed him to share this knowledge with others.

-Sam NeSmith [From The Atlantan, July/Aug 2009]

See him in action here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasontravis/tags/whatsinyourbag/

wallpaper of the week

source: springstein.deviantart.com

Dymaxion Car; by my old friend Norman

Norman Foster builds the fourth back-to-front Dymaxions. (only 3 were ever built)

He actually worked with the American architect Richard Buckminster Fuller for almost 20 years, so knew the Dymaxion well. Originally built in 1933, Foster's kept the main style of the car (which Mr. Fuller imagined would one day fly). The shell is from hand-beaten aluminum (and painted a glossy green). [via Treehugger]

this awareness nonsense

Doug Langlois said: 10/07/10

"I think we're all plenty aware of breast cancer now. What about lung cancer, which kills more women than breast cancer? Or colon cancer, which kills more men than breast cancer kills women? Or heart disease, which kills more of everyone? 

Why don't they have massive awareness campaigns? Oh yeah, they don't involve boobs, and don't sell product. You know what cures terminal diseases? It's not awareness. It's money, and focused, coordinated, research programs. Not pink ribbons, status updates about where you keep your purse, or thinly veiled marketing campaigns involving pink boxes. The cure is just as far away after you don your pink ribbon as before. This awareness nonsense is about you feeling good about yourself, and companies making money. My mother has terminal breast cancer. And all these pink ribbons, silly status updates and breast cancer branded everything just trivialize the fact that I'm going to lose her to it."

(see original post here)

me

Our satelites

China Censorship

If viewed on a computer screen that resides in China, this image actually has a gaping, country-shaped hole. [Information is Beautiful]

Time for Toys

I present to you: The Westminster Chiming Grandfather clock.

It is an monolith of my childhood. Standing at a hefty 2.2 meters, it is a functioning timepiece of imposing stature.

A lot of work went into this one, I'm sure. Coated in high gloss polyurethane white paint, you can even see a Hulk and Buzz Lightyear there (though the latter is a bit after my time...)

The designer Ryan Mc Elhinney, says that there are other variations, with the toys used symbolizing the client's childhood memories.

I just hope you had a happy childhood... or this fun clock could very easily become very, very scary...

Villa in Vals - Switzerland

Villa in Vals - Switzerland
by SeARCH Architects

Abitare 499, January 2010
MARK Magazine December 2009

FOR MORE, GOTO: Iwan Baan - photography

Eko STOP-light

Have you ever had some green, and then had to go out for food only to find yourself waiting for what seems like an eternity at a stoplight? Well... maybe not. In any ways I'm sure this traffic light has other uses too...

The Eko Stoplight from designer Damjan Stankovic is a traffic light that features a built in timer, which is displayed around the light and then counts down till the light changes.

I do think though that this might encourage impatient drivers to jump across before the last to lines have run out..

Again.. maybe that's just me...

HOMOPHOBIA: Corduroy Skirts are a Sin

An angry loser (right) came to Syracuse University to make a fool of herself by spreading pathetic hatred and was treated to a happy mutant style stunt by this smiling student, named Chris Pesto (left).

"I decided that because this woman thought it was okay to make me feel uncomfortable in my home, I would retaliate and make her feel just as uncomfortable, if not more.

This woman was wearing a ankle-length corduroy skirt, which, as we all know, is a fashion nono. So, in order to make her feel uncomfortable, I stood next to her and held a sign that said Corduroy skirts are a sin! I don't think I have ever drawn so much attention in my life. SO many people asked to take a picture with me, I got laughs, high fives and there were the few that even cursed off the woman standing behind me.

As I drew interest to what was going on with myself and the woman with the hateful sign, I started to draw a crowd that stood with me in support. Before I knew it I had 100+ people holding signs for gay rights asking people to honk their horns to support. I was interviewed by a news station, and more than 5 student organization papers, and the post standard of syracuse.

I never expected anybody to come stand by me and support and I appreciate it so much that everyone came! It meant so much and it proved to those ignorant people that we aren't afraid, and we will put up a fight.

I'm proud that Syracuse has such a homosexual friendly community." 

- Chris Pesto

taken from [BOING-BOING] Thanks for: MELCAM28 on Twitter for this.

Evolution of Storage

Beware: Wet Pixels

50-years of Space Travel

[CLICK ABOVE FOR THE FULL INFOGRAPHIC]

This infographic chronicles 50 years of space travel, But if you are more interested in Mars, there are infographics for that too.

Alest Rukov - Wooden Mouse

I present to you: The “AlestRukov” wooden mouse!

First let me tell you this: five year warrantee. A wooden mouse with a warrantee – finally! Then, look at this: made from types of wood cultivated specifically for industrial use, safe for the environment to manufacture and to use.

The parts that aren’t wooden are made of the least amount of material possible, the wood itself covered with natural linseed oil and carnauba wax for protection from wear.

All wooden components made from a single piece of solid wood.

Mouse works on Mac/PC & *Nix without new software or drivers.

The unique mouse cord is a “stay” cord that allows you the space you need in the situation you’re in.

Designer: Alest Rukov

Who's Your Daddy

8-bit Invaders - Autopsy T-shirt

Space Invaders are really grotesque aliens, nothing like us, flying spaceships in a war they plan to win at all cost. I hope at least we can learn their weakness.. (SPOILER: It's a scalpel & latex gloves... but then again, who doesn't have a weakness for latex. I know I do!)

T-Shirt is available for $18 from [Threadless]

8-Bit Space Invaders - T-shirt

All these years, we pegged the Space Invaders for grotesque aliens. Really, they're men and women just like us, flying spaceships in a war they neither want nor understand. Retails for:$18. [Threadless via FashionablyGeek]