The DistractoMatic Brings You Fun & Frivolity from Around-the-World

Feb
06


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Swimming Cities

1:20 pm | Mike Hanttula writes:

The Swimming Cities are one of the most incredible art installations I’ve heard of in quite awhile: both in terms of the resulting works & the experiences of building, sailing & living on the floating constructions. Here’s a story about their production.

Here’s a short video about the project (and about Swoon, whose work is central to the project):

Feb
06


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Selleck Waterfall Sandwich

1:06 pm | Mike Hanttula writes:

Selleck Waterfall Sandwich: a site that lives up to its name.

Jan
27


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Haiti 360°

7:41 am | Mike Hanttula writes:

In case you need to see more of post-earthquake Haiti to prompt you into action, this 360° video takes you down the rubble-ridden streets and allows you to control the view of the camera. CNN has several more interactive videos available. Have a watch, then lend a hand: American Red Cross, UNICEF and Doctors Without Borders. {Thanks, Gymbeaux, for finding these videos.}

Jan
27


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Effects Meet Reality… Sort of

7:30 am | Gymbeaux writes:

These are not computer effects… well they are, but they are actually projections on real buildings.

Jan
22


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Nic Cage as Everyone

3:19 pm | Mike Hanttula writes:

Nicholas Cage might just be the most overused and over-appreciated actor of our times. He might have been OK at one point, but now the choice to cast him spells doom for any film (in my completely solid & irrefutable opinion). As if to bring one of my worst nightmares to life, a website is now dedicated to replacing everyone with Nic Cage. It’s called Nic Cage as Everyone and it might be the most sickening site ever created. For example:

Jan
22

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The Most Useless Machine Ever

11:48 am | Mike Hanttula writes:

Just for Gymbeaux: what the maker’s have called “The Most Useless Machine Ever.” I find it endlessly entertaining, so not completely useless, then.

Watch the video, then follow the instructions to build your own.

Jan
20


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Future of Receipts

8:21 am | Mike Hanttula writes:

One day paper receipts will be a thing of the past. Here’s one possible view of that future, where Kevin Rose (who you might know from Digg and/or Diggnation) introduces the Square mobile credit card payment processor. Many will marvel at the system (which uses an iPhone & tiny cube credit card reader to receive, authorize & process credit card payments “anywhere”), but for me the best part is a move towards storing receipts online. We all need to keep records of the various transactions we make and, like online bill pay, it’s time that receipts are moved from the crumpled mass at the bottom of my pocket* to a centralized form of online storage.

*No, I don’t really crumple my receipts. As a man of class & sophistication, I keep them neatly folded in my wallet… until I get home, where they form the top layer of an ever-growing pile of paper-things-that-I-imagine-I’ll-need-someday-for-something.

Jan
18


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Enhance… enhance…

8:44 am | Mike Hanttula writes:

A video tribute to the use of “Enhance…” when characters in TV/Movies are reviewing security footage:

Jan
15


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Real Pong

2:51 pm | Mike Hanttula writes:

Another instance of Pong being migrated from it’s video roots… this time into a real-world application.

I want to have this as a coffee table.

More information at the maker’s site: Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories.

Jan
15


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Browser Pong

3:46 am | Mike Hanttula writes:

Play Browser Pong, a pong-like game that uses browser windows for the paddles & ball.

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Hanttula Events Calendar

  • LA Street Food Festival
    • Feb 13 11:00am - Feb 13 5:00pm
    • Celebrate and discover LA's solid street food scene at this outdoor festival boasting the city's highly popular food trucks & more.
  • G.I. Joe Stop Motion Film Festival
    • Feb 20 7:00pm - Feb 20 10:00pm
    • Stop-motion films that use G.I. Joe action figures for the characters/actors. Two shows: 7 and 9 PM

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