When you see the word "typeface," you probably don't give much thought to actual human facial features. But now you just might.
French graphic design studio Kerozen has reimagined that word in the most literal way: using human faces in the shape of letters. Both jarring and fascinating, the letters are made with bits of human likeness — hair, skin, stubble, moles, eyes, etc.
The letters were created for Kerozen's annual company greeting card to show off their design skills. Together, they spell out the studio's name Read more...More about Art, Design, Wtf, Fonts, and Watercooler
A group of American researchers may have revolutionized how we treat cancer, thanks to molecular technology that can target diseased cells from the inside.
The study tested the effect of nanomotors, miniscule devices that turn energy into motion, on live cells. Scientists found that they could potentially be used to deliver drugs non-invasively, or perform surgery inside of cells.
See also: 9 Top Tech Breakthroughs of 2013
"As these nanomotors move around and bump into structures inside the cells, the live cells show internal mechanical responses that no one has seen before," Tom Mallouk, co-author of the study, said in a statement. "This research is a vivid demonstration that it may be possible to use synthetic nanomotors in new ways." Read more...More about Research, Cell, Cancer, Nano, and Disease
Every family, or maybe just a group of friends, seems to have its own special lexicon of learned language
Whether it's an inside joke, an old phrase your parent's parents used to say or just something so ridiculous that it stuck, most of us have a story to tell about the weird vocabulary we didn't learn in school.
And we're talking about more than just the plethora of euphemisms we have for naughty words, people.
Illustrator Rinee Shah launched "The Made Up Words Project" last week to highlight this vernacular phenomena. Gathering up unusual words submitted from all over the United States, and some from the U.K., Shah illustrates them according to the user's definition. After just one week, she tells Mashable, she has already received approximately 125 submissions. Read more...More about Art, Lexicon, Slang, and Watercooler
"Welcome to 11:30, bitch," shouted Stephen Colbert after dumping a bucket of pennies on Jimmy Fallon, the new host of The Tonight Show on Monday. It was just one funny moment of many during Fallon's debut, which sparked a barrage of tweets from viewers.
But did Fallon's first episode as host garner more or less social buzz than predecessor Jay Leno's finale as The Tonight Show host? We already know, as far as ratings go, Leno's farewell on Feb. 6 attracted 14.64 million viewers compared with Fallon's 11.31 million pull Monday, though Fallon's debut is the show's second biggest audience since 2009, only behind Leno's exit. Both episodes trumped Conan O'Brien's 2010 opener (9.17 million) Read more...More about Twitter, Entertainment, Tv, Social Tv, and Jimmy Fallon
Boy, Frank Underwood, do you have a way with words. The viciously-cutthroat protagonist of Netflix's hit political thriller House of Cards often breaks the fourth wall to provide viewers with merciless advice.
Some of his more inspiring gems:
"Shake with your right hand but hold a rock with your left."
"The road to power is paved with hypocrisy and casualties. Never regret."
"When you're fresh meat, kill and throw them something fresher."
No one can deny that Underwood's manipulative and vengeful persona, paired with his eloquent words of wisdom have made him one of the most quotable characters in recent television history. So it's fitting that Digg has compiled some of Underwood's most ruthless life lessons into one motivational video Read more...More about Viral Videos, Netflix, House Of Cards, Kevin Spacey, and Tv
Out of the way, golf — a ping pong hole-in-one is far more impressive.
See also: 13 Crazy Genius Rube Goldberg Machines
Among the coolest of shots is the clip's opener, which shows a ping pong ball traveling down a complex Rube Goldberg machine that delivers it from the second floor of a huge house to an empty Pringles can waiting on the kitchen floor
The team's raucous celebrations after each successful shot add the perfect amount of hype. If anyone can manage to get us excited about dropping pong balls into chip cans, it's these guys. Read more...More about Viral Videos, Ping Pong, Watercooler, Videos, and Sports
The drama of Batman unfolds in the hands of artist Bashir Sultani.
The paper and pencil wizard documented the creation process for a mind-bending drawing of Batman, in which it folds perfectly into drawings of the Caped Crusader's foes.
Sultani previously featured a similar folding design for Breaking Bad protagonist Walter White's transformation from mild-mannered chemistry teacher to the intimidating Heisenberg. It definitely seems that he has a thing for characters with sketchy morals.
Here's a GIF of the folded outcome, but be sure to check the video out to see how Sultani does it. Read more...More about Youtube, Viral Videos, Movies, Art, and Batman
The Laser Weapon System looks like a modern white cannon, and is set to be deployed on the USS Ponce, which will be stationed in the Middle East. It's designed to fire invisible beams of infrared energy that can burn through drones and smaller boats, all of which could threaten U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf. Rail guns will be capable of taking out larger targets, such as warships, and the U.S. Navy wants to use both weapons because they're cost-effective. Read more...More about Gun, Laser, Railgun, Dev Design, and Us World
Whether it's through online dating, communicating or even getting creative in the bedroom, technology influences our love lives. Now, new data suggests we're increasingly willing to share even the most personal online information with our significant others
According to a recent survey conducted by Pew Research Center, 59% of U.S. Internet users in relationships of five years or less share passwords. For couples in relationships of 10 years or more, that number rises to 72%.
See also: When 'Facebook Official' Isn't Enough
In contrast, only 10% of users share online calendars with their partners, while 8% share social-media accounts. Read more...More about Social Media, Passwords, U.S., Lifestyle, and Couples
There aren't many U.S. government programs — even space programs — like Landsat. Since the 1970s, the project's satellites have continuously imaged the surface of the Earth, providing the longest-running archive of Earth observation photography. You've almost certain seen pictures from the Landsat program: They're used extensively in Google Maps.
It's very important the government maintains that long-running archive, so there's usually more than one Landsat satellite in space at any one time. In fact, right now, there are three. There's Landsat 8, the youngest and spiffiest addition to the program. (It just celebrated its first anniversary of operation, on Tuesday.) Then there's Landsat 7, which launched in 1999 and still functions despite some technical issues Read more...More about Google Earth, Nasa, Earth, Satellite, and Satellite Imagery
New York Fashion Week may be over, but Sochi is just warming up with the over-the-top looks.
Johnny Weir isn't the only one with attention-grabbing getupsOlympic fans from around the world show their national pride with wild accessories and prideful garb. Colorful wigs, elaborate eyewear and lots of body paint are just some of the trends spotted on the sidelines in Sochi.
See also: The Evolution of Winter Olympics in GIFs
These aren't your typical sports fans. They came to play too, and their prize is the gold medal in dedication. Read more...More about Pics, Lists, Photos, Olympics, and Winter Olympics
If you've ever wanted to know what it's like to see the music while blasting enemies to smithereens, this is your shot.
Music game developer Harmonix, best known for the Rock Band franchise and early versions of Guitar Hero, is experimenting with synesthesia-level trippiness in Chroma, a first-person shooter that brings the soundtrack into the spotlight. Combining a classic action narrative with musical intuition, players must navigate a futuristic landscape, battling enemies with an arsenal of high-tech weapons while synchronizing their movements, gunshots and grenade-tosses to the beat for greater effect Read more...More about Games, Music, Entertainment, Gaming, and Videogames
Every week Skift post hundreds of stories across various sectors in travel, connecting the dots across various global trends, and in these weekend posts Skift highlights the stories that tackle these trends. This one looks at top digital trends. For all of Skift's trends roundups, go here.
Brands engage in real-time marketing during holidays and big events: 5 Travel Companies With Valentine's Day Treats
Brands can make viral videos on a budget by engaging customers: Skift Q&A: Google Insider Shares YouTube Tips for Travel Brands
Hotels invest heavily in next-gen guest experiences: Starwood CEO Says Digital Efforts Will Lead to '24/7 Dialog In and Out-of-Stay'
Airlines improve in-flight entertainment to attract flyers: WestJet Will Rent Tablets For Wi-Fi To Passengers Who Don't Have Them
Airports adjusts regulations to make room for taxi-booking apps: Beijing Airport Considers New Rules to Accommodate Taxi-Booking Apps Read more...
Four cyber sleuths claim to have found evidence of "untraceable," government-grade surveillance software in use in 21 countries, some of which have records of dubious practices when it comes to human rights and Internet freedom
The report marks the first time that researchers have been able to map the worldwide proliferation of the spyware that Hacking Team, an Italian company, sells to governments and law enforcement agencies
The company claims it doesn't sell its products to "repressive regimes," but some of the 21 governments linked to its software, like those of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, or Sudan, have questionable human rights records. It also claims its Remote Control System (RCS) spyware, which allows law enforcement to record and monitor just about everything that happens on a target's computer, is untraceable. Read more...More about Hacking, Malware, Surveillance, Hackers, and Spyware
Truly practical wearable technology, the kind that seamlessly disappears into your everyday life, is rare at the moment. You're more likely to see attention-grabbing prototypes such as (see Google Glass)
That's what the people behind Cuff, a line of accessories that each come with a hidden wireless device, are hoping to change. On Tuesday, the company introduced a nine-piece line of wearables, including bracelets, necklaces and, for the men, a key chain, all accompanied by the CuffLinc device.Fashion, Iphone, Design, Ios, and Wearable Tech
What do you get when you cross Business Cat and Success Kid? Business Baby, of course.
The hottest new meme of 2014 came about after Reddit user C0LDBLUERIBB0N posted a photo of his friend's young son on the news-aggregation website. Reddit quickly fell in love with the stern-looking baby, and flooded the web with memes using the image.
Reddit users imagined what the baby was saying on his red phone. Was he negotiating a one-figure business deal? Demanding someone put a round peg in a square hole? Calling someone to change his diaper? Whatever it is, it looks serious. Read more...More about Pics, Baby, Memes, Watercooler, and Business Baby
Tuesday in Sochi saw medals awarded in snowboarding, alpine skiing, speed skating, biathlon and more. The Dutch continued their speed skating domination at the Winter Olympics. Stateside, the day's biggest news was probably American David Wise winning the first-ever men's gold medal in halfpipe skiing
Read on for a full recap of Tuesday's medal winners, plus a gallery of some of its best photo moments.
Freestyle Skiing: Men's Halfpipe
Gold: David Wise, United States
Silver: Mike Riddle, Canada
Bronze: Kevin Rolland, France
David Wise of the United States gets air during the men's ski halfpipe final at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, Tuesday, Feb. 18.
Image: Sergei Grits/Associated Press Read more...More about Olympics, Entertainment, and Sports
Here's one more thing Kate Upton can do that you can't: keep a bikini top on in zero gravity.
See also: Kate Upton's End Zone Dance Sizzles
— SI Swimsuit (@SI_Swimsuit) February 18, 2014
The flight's pilot achieved zero gravity by pulling the aircraft up at 45 degrees to 34,000 feet, then descending, causing 20 to 30 seconds of weightlessness Read more...More about Viral Videos, Space, Sports Illustrated, Gravity, and Media
Bing launched three news Windows Phone 8 apps Tuesday: Bing Food and Drink, Bing Health and Fitness, and Bing Travel.
In addition to the new apps, Microsoft's search engine updated its existing Windows Phone 8 apps, and announced that all Bing apps will now sync across Windows 8 devices.
See also: Android Apps May Be Coming to Windows
"Set up your favorite cities for weather, pick your favorite sports teams, chose the news topics you want to follow, and those things will be with you at your PC at work, on your Windows 8 tablet in the living room or on your Windows Phone when you are on the go," Bing said in a blog post announcing the changes. Read more...More about Microsoft, Bing, Tech, Apps Software, and Windows Phone 8
There have been so many distractions surrounding these Winter Olympics — the uproar over "Sochi problems" and Norway's glorious curling pants, for starters — that you'll be forgiven for overlooking speed skating, one of the games' less-heralded sports
Here's what you've missed: Complete and total Dutch domination in both men's and women's speed skating, a clinic so professional and thorough that you need not follow the sport at all to appreciate the Netherlands' utter omnipotence in Sochi
At time of writing, the Dutch were tied for the Olympics lead in overall medals, with a total of 20. Nineteen of those — six golds, six silvers and seven bronzes — are from speed skating. The other one, a bronze, is from what's known as "short track," a variant of the same sport. (The United States' 20 medals, by comparison, are spread across seven sports.) Read more...More about Olympics, Entertainment, and Sports