Monterey bay aquarium | Barreleye fish | Weird fish with transparent head

February 23, 2009--With a head like a fighter-plane cockpit, a Pacific barreleye fish shows off its highly sensitive, barrel-like eyes--topped by green, orblike lenses--in a picture released today but taken in 2004.

The fish, discovered alive in the deep water off California's central coast by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), is the first specimen of its kind to be found with its soft transparent dome intact.

The 6-inch (15-centimeter) barreleye (Macropinna microstoma) had been known since 1939--but only from mangled specimens dragged to the surface by nets.

The beady bits on the front of the Pacific barreleye fish in this picture released February 23, 2009, aren't eyes but smell organs.

The grayish, barrel-like eyes are beneath the green domes, which may filter light. In this picture the eyes are pointing upward--the better to see prey above in the darkness of the barreleye's deep-sea home.

The barreleye lives more than 2,000 feet (600 meters) beneath the ocean's surface, where the water is almost inky.

The transparent-headed fish spends much of its time motionless, eyes upward, MBARI scientists discovered while watching the barreleye fish from a remotely operated vehicle

Keyboards Never Seen Before | Roll-up | Orbitouch | SafeType | Frogpad

The roll-up keyboard

These keyboards feature 104 keys in a standard QWERTY layout, but with a nifty twist of being the most portable keyboard seen to date. Simply roll the unit up when you’re done with it! A great tool for laptop users who miss their full-sized KB when on the road, or LAN party warriors looking to lighten their load.

The virtual laser keyboard

The I-Tech Virtual Keyboard uses a light projection of a full-sized computer keyboard on almost any surface. Used with PDA’s and Smart Phones, the Virtual Keyboard provides a practical way to do e-mail, word processing and spreadsheet tasks, enabling users to leave laptops and computers at home.

The wrist keyboard

Completely sealed, it can operate in the rain and other harsh environments. A curved back provides a secure and comfortable placement on the wrist. The keyboard layout is optimized to provide alphanumeric entry. Carefully positioned arrow keys ease menu-oriented tasks. The WristPC keyboard comes with an optional wrist strap to provide the capability of attaching it to your wrist.

The frogpad


The FrogPad mobile keypad with its innovative 20 full-size key layout optimized around the most frequently used characters sets a new standard in information access with superior portability and ergonomics, global adaptability, rapid learning and ease of use. Its unique patented keystroke algorithms enable it to be used in either a right or left-handed mode and with any international language set.

Maltron 3D Ergonomic Keyboard

These fully ergonomic two handed keyboards fit the shape of hands and the different lengths of fingers to reduce movement and tension.

The Orbitouch Keyboard

The orbiTouch Keyless ergonomic Keyboard creates a keystroke when you slide the two domes into one of their eight respective positions. You type the different characters by sliding the domes to create letters and numbers. The orbiTouch Keyless ergonomic Keyboard also has an integrated mouse, so moving the domes gives you full mouse and keyboard capability!

The Tidy Tippist

The marriage of eating and tipping: the decorative tablecloth, made of felt, contains a textile keyboard. The electronic is woven into a fabric, which finds itself between layers of water resistant felt as sandwich material. The soft felt surface makes it a pleasure for fingers to tip a cozy keyboard.

The SafeType keyboard

This well thought at keyboard will allow you to type in a relaxed position, saving you the pain. All that despite its futurist look. The supplementary keypad allows the user to position the 10-key numeric pad with arrow keys anywhere that is most usable and comfortable. It can be on the left or the right, or even in your lap. We are constantly amazed by the tremendous variation in challenges and how people find solutions for their own problems.

The Twiddler 2

The Twiddler2 is a pocket-sized mouse pointer plus a full-function keyboard in a single unit that fits neatly in either right or left hand. The Twiddler2 plugs into both keyboard and mouse PS/2 ports (USB port with the PS/2 to USB Adapter) on any computer that accepts standard PS/2 mouse and keyboard (or USB input). Combining major innovations in pointer and keyboard technology, the twiddler is designed to bring renewed enjoyment to current computer users and to attract newcomers to the world of personal computing.

The datahand keyboard

The DataHand ergonomic keyboard offers a total of 132 keys (more than even extended flat keyboards) through the use of five key switches clustered around the tips of each of the fingers. With four modes, shifted by the thumbs, hand movement is no longer required to perform keyboard work. Hand support results in the elimination of the major source of muscular-skeletal stress in hands, wrists, arms, shoulders, backs, and necks.

Optimus Keyboard

Each and every key on the Optimus Keyboard is a stand-alone display that shows you exactly what it is controlling at the very moment.

Das Keyboard

Das Keyboard

Where is the letters? Das keyboard believe with no keys to look at when typing, your brain will adapt and memorize the key position thus increasing typing speed.

AlphaGrip

Claimbled to the most comfortable computing device. It is a gaming pad, a keyboard also comes with a mouse trackball.

Stranger medical syndromes ever | Excessive growth of body hair

Foreign accent syndrome, exploding head syndrome, werewolf syndrome, alien hand syndrome … walking corpse syndrome? Have you heard of any of these baffling (but completely real) medical conditions?

Werewolf Syndrome: Hypertrichosis, or werewolf syndrome, is a medical condition that causes the excessive growth of body hair — typically on the upper body, including the face. There are only 50 or so documented cases, and sufferers generally acquire it through genetic inheritance.

The 200yr old champion Lucombe oak tree | Oldest and largest trees in Devon

The 250-year-old Lucombe oak, in Exmouth, Devon, was the biggest of its kind in the world with a girth of 26 feet.

It was one of Devon's oldest trees and the centrepiece of Phear Park, Exmouth, which is itself only 100 years old this summer.

The great oak which had been attacked by a fungus for years toppled over on Sunday night despite only light winds blowing.

It had been failing for some time and is thought to have died as a result of its age.

The trunk snapped off with most of the roots left in the ground, where a huge hole opened up.

The so-called 'Champion oak' was donated to the people of Exmouth by the Phear family after the Second World War.

While its exact age is not known, since the first Lucombe oak was grown by William Lucombe in the 1760s, it could be up to 250 years old.

East Devon District Council gardeners now have the task of deciding what to do with the trunk.

Steve Gazzard, 60, who was born and brought up in Exmouth and climbed the tree as a youngster with his brother Martin, said: "It is a terrible blow.

"She really was an old faithful and we were all looking forward to the coming weeks when she would have looked her best, surrounded by a host of daffodils.

"I have seen her grow in the past 60 years. Bicton College collected some seeds from her a few years ago and I am hoping that perhaps offspring could be planted in the park to keep the family going.

"We will need a mature tree planted thereabouts as a replacement and I think it would be a good idea if we could keep the fallen trunk as some kind of climbing frame for the young people."

T-shirts you regret ever owning | Have you ever owned any of the them

Growing up we all have encountered fashion trends that we have been less than proud of for participating in. While it is easy to pick on leg warmers, jelly shoes, and other ill-conceived fashion trends the one that gets left alone are t-shirts. Today I want to look at five different types of t-shirts that people regret owning. While I might not have owned all of these five I had “friends” that did. Here is a look back at some vintage t-shirts.

CoEd Naked- Nothing says sexy like double entendre based around a common activity. The CoEd naked shirts have covered sports, programs, and activities. The question I have is has any guy ever picked up a woman wearing one. Is there an additional degree of difficulty in doing that if you are wearing a shirt that says, ”CoEd Naked Law Enforcement: Against the wall and Spread Em”?


Hyperpcolor- Hypercolor was a line of t-shirts that changed color when you touched them with something really warm or cold. The debuted in the late 80s and were semi popular in the early 90s. My friend Jeff had one and I had to say the thing never worked. Although I am sure there were a lot of females that had their breast groped in order to see if those shirts really worked.


You know… they made shorts maybe I should invest in a pair or two.

The regrettable band shirt- Just about everyone I that I know that has been to a concert owns a regrettable band t-shirt. This is a t-shirt that you just can’t throw away because of the memories it holds but will probably never wear it again. Well unless it becomes a cool retro t-shirt to wear than you will be trying to sell it on e-bay and saying that the hole in the armpit adds to it’s authenticity.


Big Johnson T-Shirts- If you think the CoEd Naked line was tacky just wait until you see it’s competitor Big Johnson. I really think the whole creative meeting went like this.

Executive 1- We need a new t-shirt design.
Executive 2- How ‘bout a shirt with women with big ole titties and a dorky guy talking about a business but he really means his cock.
Executive 1- It is better than those happy face t-shirts we haven’t been selling since 1981. Let’s run with it.


No Fear- I am going to come clean right now and admit that I owned two No Fear T-shirts. One of them said, “Second Place is the First Loser…. NO FEAR.”


This probably explains why I didn’t have a real girlfriend until my junior year of high school.

What are some t-shirts you regret ever owning? Have you ever owned any of the above?

Sexy calendars and pictures | Women in bikinis | Topless models

Sexy calendars and pictures of topless models in tabloid newspapers really do lead men to think of women as objects, research shows.

When men are shown images of women in bikinis, the part of the brain they use when thinking about DIY tools and other objects lights up.

At the same time, the region they use to try to tune into another person's thoughts and feelings tunes down, brain scans showed.


You don't say: Sexy calendars in the workplace make it more likely that men look at women as objects

Researcher Susan Fiske said: 'The only other time we have seen this is when people look at pictures of the homeless or of drug addicts because they really don't want to think about what is going on in their minds.'

Her experiments also found, perhaps not surprisingly, that men remember the images of scantily-clad women better than those of fully-clothed women.

Overall, the experiments showed that sexy images lead men to think of women as 'less than human', the American Association for the Advancement of Science's annual conference heard.

Professor Fiske, of Princeton University in the U.S., said the effect could spill over into the workplace, with girlie calendars leading men to sexualise their colleagues.

She said: 'I am not saying there should be censorship but people need to know of the associations people have in their minds.'

Asked if women were likely to view half-dressed men in the same way, she said that women tended to rate age and bank balance over looks.

Film and television | Ads of the World | Having worked in both

What is it with marketing people? Until recently I thought that us writers had the corner on being insane. Having worked in both film and television, I can pretty much say that the writer is the most crazy person on set (aside from some actors-but they're of a different species altogether).

However, after taking a look at these ads, I'm starting to wonder exactly how far advertising firms will go before they actually discover a deep-end to go off of.

I'm gonna start off gentle. But trust me... this ride's gonna get worse.

1. Hyundai

A little voice in my head tells me that my divorce would have never happened if I had a tongue like that...

I was once relegated to the back seat of a convertible while my (now ex-) wife's aunt's dog rode shotgun. That dog had a tongue akin to what you see above. And the amount of drool that flapped out of that tongue, whipped through the wind, and smacked me in the face could be measured in gallons.


2. Concordia Children's Services

Well... This ad could explain the child obesity issues here in the United States...

Um... Yuck. I don't really have a problem with the children suckling on the pig. But everything's just so... dirty!

In small print the ad states, "If you don't help feed them, who will?"

Arnold from Green Acres, that's who.


3. Lifebuoy Soap

I don't like my muffins to bite back...

As disturbing as this ad is (particularly with the tagline, "You eat what you touch"), I can't help but find the hamster-muffin cute. You can just imagine the little chirpy voice coming out of it, asking you to read it today's headlines. It would be a happy hamster-muffin, as its generous teeth would insure that you wouldn't dare try to eat it.


4. Keimling Vegetarian Restaurant

If you somehow did manage to eat hamster-muffin, this is what would happen. I think. It's sort'a like barfing up the food chain... Which I guess is the point. After all, it is an ad for a vegetarian restaurant...


5. McDonald's

Possibly the scariest thing I've ever seen.

Okay, I'm just going to state this now: clowns scare the hell out of me. They freak me out. I don't know why and I don't want to experience intense sessions of psychoanalysis to find out.

That being said, it's quite easy to see why this ad is just plain frightening to me. The idea of a clown that is small enough to squeeze into tiny places (just so it can slit my throat with a large knife) is enough to make me curl into a ball and squat in a corner, rocking and making little mewling sounds.


6. Thai Food Express

Take THAT clown baby!!!!!! I feel much safer...

Thank God for whatever ultra-hot weapon Thai Food Express has in their arsenal. I can sleep nights knowing that there is something to keep that clown baby from under my bed.*


7. Just Liquid Hand Wash

GAH!!!!

I warned you. This is the tip of the iceberg in freaky/gross stuff.

Where to begin... Well, the maggots are bad enough, right? I mean... holy crap. But what's up with the guy taking the medicine? He looks dead already. Eyes all rolled up in his noggin and stuff. Why give him medicine?

After years of research in this area, I can tell you that the undead don't need medicine. They're... well, zombies.

And you know that the undead guy is making some horrific groaning sound because somebody with maggots all over their arms is trying to force medicine down his throat.


8. Just Liquid Hand Wash (Yep-again)

Even larger GAH!!! GAHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Warned ya.

Um... That kid is gonna eat at least one roach. My sister ate roaches when she was a kid. That's how I know.


9. Dr. Barata's Pest Control

Want a little extra protein with your pizza?

Speaking of roaches, check this out. As an advertisement for his pest control services, this guy had photo-realistic images of roaches printed on the inside of pizza boxes.

I pity the person who picks up the final slice of pizza.

Effective ad campaign? Most likely.

Disgusting? Most defintely.


10. Hype Gallery

Expose yourself. Not a bad ad for a place that calls for artistic expression. However, I think this guy is getting prepared to join in the festivities of the next ad:


11. Play Station 2

Yeah, I know... the PS3 is out. But this advertisement is just disturbing.

I'm not sure which is worse: the human head bowl, the guy puking up a hand, the disembodied tongue licking the foot, the heart connected by a cable-outside of the girl's body, or the dog eating... whatever it is that the dog is eating.

I simply can't figure out the marketing angle of this. Considering it's for a video game platform, what's up with Caligula's playhouse?

After seeing these ads, you have to agree that there's something horribly askew with some marketing guys. I'm not saying that writers are any more sane (I know I'm twisted and off; it's amazing that I found a girlfriend who can deal with me).

But, wow. Between roaches, body parts, carnivorous food, and scary clowns, I'm surprised I still purchase anything at all!

So what do you think of these ads? Any strike you as particularly awesome?

Cow urine can cure many diseases | Carbonated drinks | Won’t smell like urine

India is a great country. It brings us the world's cheapest car Tata Nano and plans to launch what-is-believed-as-the-impossilbe-by-many-techies $10 laptop for its students. And maybe by the end of this year, it will present the world with a new drink called Gau Jal (cow water) made mainly of cow urine, mixed with herbs! So how will the Ccw urine drink taste? "It won’t smell like urine and will be tasty too....it’s going to be very healthy. It won’t be like carbonated drinks and would be devoid of any toxins," said Om Prakash, head of India's Hindu nationalist group the Cow Protection Department of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh which is developing the unusual drink.

Recommended reading: Cow Urine Can Cure Many Diseases including "diabetes, blood pressure, asthma, psoriasis, eczema, heart attack, blockage in arteries, fits, cancer, AIDS, piles, prostrate, arthritis, migraine, thyroid, ulcer, acidity, constipation, gynecological problems, ear and nose problems, abortion and several other diseases.

Adult Marmoset Monkey | Smallest Monkeys in the World | Pygmy Marmoset Twins

Image from Frösö Zoo via DRB

If you're a sucker for cute furry animals then you'll be in for a treat over at Dark Roasted Blend, who this week have collated a spread of some of the not-so-well-known primates of the planet.

The "Aww" inducing list includes the titchy thumb-sized pygmy marmoset monkey, named after the French word marmouset, which means shrimp, or dwarf, "They range in length from 5 to 6 inches not including the tail, which is an amazing 6 to 8 inches," say DRB. There are 18 recorded species of marmoset and, unlike other monkeys they have claws rather than nails, tactile hairs on their wrists and lack wisdom teeth, making them slightly more primitive than other monkeys.


Rare Albino Pygmy Marmoset Twins

Image from Frösö Zoo via National Geographic

Pygmy marmosets are found in the rainforests of Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and Columbia. They live in the upper canopy of the forest, no doubt to steer clear of bigger, heavier predators, and survive on an omnivorous diet of fruit, leaves, insects, small reptiles and their favorite nibble, tree sap. Specialized incisors enable the marmoset to gnaw through even the toughest tree bark, allowing easy access to their favorite gummy fluid.

Adult Marmoset Monkey

Image via Davidson College

Living in groups of two to six, usually consisting of a breeding pair plus their offspring, marmoset families are fiercely territorial often defending an area of up to 100 acres – that's a lot of rainforest for the midget mammals. Don't expect to see them in the wild though; they're nippy little blighters and move like lighting through the trees, so you'll have to make do with these sweet pics instead.

Baby born | With six perfectly formed and functional | Fingers and toes

A newborn baby in San Francisco has six perfectly formed and functional fingers and toes on his hands and feet. -Hang-

Peel 50 | Smallest Car in the World | Established in the 1950's

Peel Engineering Ltd was established in the 1950's and was best known for the production of the P50 and Trident motorcars.

The Peel 50

Peel Engineering Ltd was established in the 1950's and was best known for the production of the P50 and Trident motorcars.

The P50 still holds the record for being the smallest production car in the world.

At the peak of production Peel Engineering employed 40 people.

The company started off engineering fibreglass motorcycle fairings before moving into motor parts and boat hulls.

The P50 was designed and built by Cyril Cannell and Henry Kissack, and launched at the 1962 Earls Court Motorcycle show.








An advert for the Peel 50

Stamps dedicated to Peel

Barack Obama was the 44th President | Obama items currently for sale on eBay

Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America today, and it seems everybody is trying to cash in on the man’s name. We’ve compiled a list of the top 15 most ridiculous Barack Obama items currently for sale on eBay. Yes, these items are actually for sale - this isn’t a joke.

OBAMA LOW CUT TRUNKS
Sorry guys, no matter how wonderful you think the man is, there’s absolutely no reason to have his face so close to your penis.

OBAMA DREAM CATCHER
20 inches long, including feathers!

OBAMA IN GOLD SUIT ACTION FIGURE
This is the tackiest thing I’ve ever seen. I’m pretty sure he didn’t wear that to the inauguration. Actually, I’m pretty sure he didn’t wear that, EVER.

HOME MADE OBAMA FAN
Hopefully the tongue depressor that Obama’s face is glued to has not been used.

“OBAMA FAMILY INSPIRED DOLL MAGNETS
What an insult to the Obama family. Enough said.

HANDMADE OBAMA SOAP
Too bad it doesn’t look like Barack Obama. It looks like Bill Cosby circa 1982.

TOY REPLICA OF OBAMA’S HANDS
This is, undoubtedly, one of the creepiest things I’ve ever seen. What on Earth???

OBAMA CUSTOM AIR FORCE ONE SNEAKERS
These are hideous. Simply hideous. Yes We Can… go to the store and buy you another pair of shoes.

OBAMA PIN PURSE
Who needs a Louis Vuitton handbag when you can own this little beauty instead?

POTUS 1600: OBAMA COLOGNE
The manufacturer describes it as “a limited edition, historically commemorative fragrance that insights Hope for Women and Men in Honor of Barack Obama.” We describe it as “marketing bullshit.”

OBAMA WATCH
The ugliest watch I’ve ever seen. Who designed it? PT Barnum?

OBAMA TRINKET BOX
Now I need more junk to hold my junk? Thanks, but I’ll pass.

OBAMA YES WE CAN-DLES
It costs more than a Yankee candle. Give me a break.

OBAMA PAPER TOWEL HOLDER
I have no words. None. Except from a distance, that thing looks a little phallic. I’m just saying.

OBAMA “HOPE ON A ROPE”
First of all, that’s not Obama, it’s the Mad Magazine guy. And second, whoever is making these must be delusional.