robot porn

Hacking/music in Berlin

Tonight in Berlin: Yamaha presents its new Tenori-On musical instrument at Berghain club (entrance free):

The TENORI-ON is a unique 16 x 16 LED button matrix performance instrument with a stunning visual display. For DJs & producers it is a unique performance tool enabling them to perform using MIDI and load the TENORI-ON with samples to jam and improvise within their set BPMs.

By operating and interacting with the LED buttons and the light they produce you gain access to the TENORI-ON’s numerous performance capabilities. The TENORI-ON provides six different performance and sound/light modes for broad performance versatility, and these modes can be combined and used simultaneously for rich, complex musical expression.

And from 18. – 20. April 2008 there will be a hands-on hacking workshop in Berlin-Mitte called hardhack. The preliminary schedule:

Friday, April 18th:
12:00 doors open
15-18 Room 1: wifi access point workshop with Stephanie Lange

Saturday, April 19th:
10-13 Room 1: unzap workshop with fd0
10-13 Room 2: sound and motion triggered photos with Nadya Peek
13-15 lunch break
15-18 Room 1: microcontrollers and eeproms with Daniele Bianco
15-18 Room 2: white noise/RNG/high frequency sniffing with xxxxx

Sunday, April 20th: free day to do what you want.

There is a certain possibility of meeting me on those two occations.

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

I just found this superb painting by Brandon Bird called “Lazy Sunday Afternoon” on the MAKE blog:

It’s Christopher Freaking Walken building a robot. How cool is that?

(The artist has prints on sale. I want one.)

Singing Robot by Maywa Denki

Sometimes I wonder if there is anything left to invent or build. Most likely there is some guy in Japan who already did it:

(via Mr. Future via BoingBoing)

Real software.

I like that:

Crocheted Atari 2600 with “Pitfall” on the screen. Atari by Christine Domanic, picture taken by The Urban Spaceman (via MAKE: Blog).

“I believe that worms will be writing the pop hits of the future.”

Don’t watch this if you don’t like slimy worms.

Direct link.

Super 8 not crappy enough? Try printing.

Sometimes I wonder why I don’t come up with ideas like this one – it’s just so obvious once you see it:

Jesse England prints out Super 8 and 16mm film strips using a normal inkjet printer and transparency film sheets. After some manual assembly (cutting the strips, punching the sprocket holes) he ends up with a short length of film actually watchable with a standard projector.

The quality clearly doesn’t match commercial film recorders, but it’s a nice and artistic way to visualize the medium itself, especially in the realm of using modern technology to create an old medium, showing the deficiencies of both of them. Someone should hack a printer to automate the process of printing/perforating these strips.

(via BoingBoing)

C64 cake!

Today is my 27th birthday! w00t! And look what my geek-loving girlfriend Josi made for me:

It’s a Commodore 64 cake! Wouldn’t you just love anybody who baked you this? (Well, I already did so without the cake.) Other presents included the Nintento Controller Belt Buckle (also from her) and a cordless power screwdriver (from her parents). What a family!

Update: Here’s another picture: Which one is real? They are just like twins! Aaah!

Chicas y robots

Hope you all had great holidays, I’m off to Berlin’s annual Chaos Communication Congress now. Meanwhile, enjoy La er�tica del robot (via BoingBoing):

Robot nativity scene

On Sunday, I have been at Berlin’s Lido club for a little christmas party with several bands and artists and they had set up this cute robot nativity scene by Markus Kolb:

And if you don’t remember what christian folklore is about, get an update by having the bible explained with LEGO bricks.

An ephemeral machine with built-in dysfunctions

I saw this leaflet on a bulletin board at university. Sounds interesting. Maybe someone with a real understanding of electronics can help him? I guess I should ask him about his project in some months to see what he made and how long it lived.