The art of cutting leaves by Nature’s Art~

These are leaf cut out illustrations by Nature’s Art from China~

Natural leaf carving is actual manual cutting and removal of a leaf’s surface to produce an art work on a leaf~

The process of carving is performed by artists using tools to carefully remove the surface without cutting or removing the veins. The veins add detail into the subject matter of the carving. The material or most common leaf used in leaf carving is the leaf of a Chinar tree. The Chinar tree is native to India, Pakistan and China. Chinar leaves have a close resemblance to maple leaves~

via : longal-craft

Monkey Island Jedi: Guybrush Threepwood Unlockable Character In New Force Unleased~

Because the entire Monkey Island franchise will always hold a very special place in my heart (right next to Cool Ranch Doritos and watching people hurt themselves), I have a soft spot for Guybrush Threepwood. So yeah Guybrush Threepwood is a fucking Jedi. You're looking at a real -- like actually genuinely real -- screenshot from The Force Unleashed 2, released by LucasArts and everything, of Monkey Island star Guybrush as an unlockable, playable character. My mind is blown. Then I imagined Guybrush shooting Force Lightning at Stormtroopers and my already blown mind was reblown, which was pretty painful, let me tell you~

via : Kotaku

The Whole Fan-Made Pokemon Movie Trailer~

Remember the 30-seconds of cellphone footage from the fan-made Pokemon trailer? Well here's the whole three minute video (available in HD!). Now I'm not a guy who normally cries at fan-made Pokemon trailers, but watching Pikachu get beat up did make my eyes water a bit~

via : youtube

Midnight Snack~

Midnight Snack by igo2cairo on threadless, voting it up!~

via : threadless

Nintendo 3DS Specs/Launch Date~

Japan gets the 3DS on 2/26/2011 for about $300 and in North America and Europe on March 2011. It plays DS and DSi games, has 3D cameras and motion and gryo sensors. More at Andriasang~

via : andriasang

Graphic Arist Is a lil Too Graphic : Kirby's Epic Yarn~

I always pinned Kirby for one of those fatties that can't even find his dork in the shower. Little did I know! Also, I love the artists that design things like this and then pretend they didn't know. Kind of like the Disney animators who sneak a phallus in every chance they get~

What happened to Kirby, indeed~

via : kotaku

ifixit guts playstation move controller~

Those crazy cats over at iFixit are always tearing stuff up. If I break stuff, I tend to get in trouble, but when they do it, seems all of geekdom pays attention. I like getting to see what is inside the controllers and there is surprisingly less stuff inside than I expected~

iFixit found that Sony’s motion controller is easy to take apart and that the battery for the device is made to be removable rather than attached to the board. The controller has a vibration motor that is smaller than the motors you find in the Dual shock controller for the game console. There’s also an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a three-axis compass, and a Bluetooth transmitter under the hood~

via : ifixit

Image of the Day: Where video games go to die~

This junkyard was the last hurrah for about 600 video games in Jinan, Shandong province, China. As part of an effort to end gambling in the region, they were confiscated and then destroyed by local police. Before that, Reuters got this snapshot of a worker busily preparing these games for the slaughter~

via : boston

Man Builds Larger Than Life Drivable R2-D2~

Some guy went and built a giant R2-D2 model that you can climb in and drive around. Why? Because it's awesome and gave him an excuse to hide in the garage away from the wife and kids for a bit~

via : youtube

ZOMG, Call Samus: Metroids Are Real~

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Metroids, best known for attaching themselves to your head and trying to suck your life-force are apparently real~

"Four thousand feet beneath the surface of the Pacific Ocean, water temperatures hover around a chilly 37° Fahrenheit, and the tiny sparks of bioluminescent life forms provide the only light. In this dark, cold world, scientists have discovered a strange new predator - a gelatinous, blood-red jellyfish that can reach up to three meters in diameter. Named Tiburonia granrojo (Spanish for big red), this massive jelly is particularly unusual because it lacks tentacles, which most jellies use to catch their food. Instead, Big Red has between four and seven thick, wrinkled arms"~

via : calacademy

Gaz Metro~

Gaz Metro A Natural Evolution from La Moustache on Vimeo.

Stop Motion video created by "ton of real chalk"~
"We animated this spot for the official 2010 Gaz Metro campaign, we're really proud of this piece. We worked crazy hours all through the night & with a ton of real chalk and paint to create this stop motion madness. Enjoy and please let us know what you think. Stay tuned for a making-of doc"
Client: Gaz Metro
Agency: Sid Lee (Jimmy Lee)
Direction: Jérémie Saindon
Production: QuatreZeroUn
Animation Direction: Fred Caron
Animation: Fred Caron, Sylvie Trouvé, Dale Hayward
Post Production: Mokko Studio~

via : vimeo

Hello H2K2~

Hello H2K2 by Joseph Senior~

via : flickr

We are doomed: robot teaches itself how to use a bow and arrow~

Well, this isn't good. A robot at the Italian Institute of Technology lead by Dr. Petar Kormushev has taught itself how to use a bow and arrow. It only took him 8 shots to start hitting the bullseye every time. And I don't know about you, but I'm not sure that 7 shots is enough time for me to run away~

The robot is an iCub, an open-source robot, so if you want one yourself you could build one, in theory. It's loaded up with ARCHER (Augmented Reward Chained Regression), a learning algorithm that allows him to learn how to hit bullseyes~

And you know that algorithm could be adjusted so he could use a sniper rifle instead of a bow and arrow. And then we're all screwed~

via : kormushev

Todd Margaret, Episode 1~

(NSFW) David Cross and Will Arnett reunite for the first episode IFC’s new dark comedy series “The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret.” Got 22 minutes to spare? Watch the premiere now~

via : IFC

Final Boss~

I'm loving this Tetris/Space Invaders mashup by Aled Lewis~

via : flickr

Iron Man 2 Alternate Opening~

Raw footage of the alternate opening for Iron Man 2. If you were wondering what happened to the helmet kissing scene in the trailers, here’s your answer. Watch it now before it gets taken down~

via : geektyrant

Gameplay : Bioshock Infinite~

Without seeing any gameplay, I was already excited for the next Bioshock game. Now that I've seen it in action, I'm enraptured (but not in Rapture.) Katamari pots-and-pans kill FTW!~

via : tgs

The Official Starship Enterprise Pizza Cutter~

Boldly cut pizza where no man has cut before!~

via : thinkgeek

Trailer : Ni No Kuni~

Studio Ghibli and Level 5 might have a masterpiece here. Never in my wildest dreams did I think we’d someday have what amounts to an interactive Ghibli film. Too Cool!~

via : tgs

I’m the Freeman (Teaser)~

Created by Weta Digital CG animator Marco Spitoni, this teaser gives us a glimpse into his short fan film based on the Half-Life series. No actual Striders were harmed in the making of this film~

via : forevergeek

No Class Ring?: Storm Trooper Varsity Jacket~

As you probably know by now unless you live on Hoth and your internets are perpetually frozen, Adidas has a whole line of Star Wars themed apparel. The latest? Tauntaun-skin intimates. This Dark Side Imperials varsity jacket. Now I'm not saying I'd go steady with anyone in school that has one just so I could wear it, but I'm sure we could work something out~

via : addidas

Map : The World According To Street Fighter~

Click the pic for the full size awesomeness~

via : gamesradar

Deus Ex : Human Revolution TGS 2010 Trailer~

The trailer’s in Japanese, but it does show more of the game’s world as well as a new character – miss Rihanna look-alike here. Also, im just plain crazy for this games’ slick CG videos~

via : youtube

Yakuza of the End~

I have no idea what’s going on in this trailer for the latest game in SEGA’s Yakuza series, but it’s got zombies, headshots, organized crime, and a guy with a mini-gun for an arm. Sign me up~

via : youtube

Adidas x Star Wars: Chewbacca~

Chewie’s official furry footwear will be your loyal companion in cold weather. Also comes in awesome packaging~

via : addidas

Cool Streetart~

Brilliant streetart found @ mspro’s twitpic~

via : twitpic

Meatwad Hot Air Balloon~

Got a passion for hot air ballooning and Aqua Teen Hunger Force? the guys at Adult Swim are offering up this awesome Meatwad balloon for you to get tore-up in and pass out in the hot sun in~


cost : $70,000.00 Availability: Ships in 70 days

# Includes one fully customized hot-air balloon with Meatwad envelope and basket
# Measures approximately 90,000 cubic feet in size
# Purchase also includes a piloted, one-hour ride anywhere in the continental U.S.
# Consumer keeps balloon after the initial ride
# Purchase is non-refundable, includes shipping (approx. 10 weeks shipping time)

via : adultswimshop

Japan's HRP-4~

Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology(AIST) has developed a humanoid robot, the HRP-4 is designed for use at R&D facilities at universities and companies. It stands 151cm tall, weighs 39kg, and boasts a total of 34 degrees of freedom. The robot can strike poses in response to voice commands, and it can also detect and track human faces and certain objects. Users can mount a laptop on its bag to add further functionality. AIST and co-developer Kawada Industries plan to sell the HRP-4 in January next year for $325,000~

via : crunchgear

Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow~

Kojima Productions reboots the classic action adventure series with emphasis on the action. Play as Gabriel Belmont and defeat all kinds of crazy bad-ass beasts and monsters. Out 10/5/2010~

via : joystiq

40 Gallons To Freedom: DIY Wine Machines~

Wine culture in France is no longer just about leisurely meals in cute little Parisian cafes. Nope, these days the French are loading up on inexpensive self-service wine, which they pump into bottled water containers from 1,000-liter wine dispensers. Sophisticated!~

Five hundred of these industrial-looking machines are now in French supermarkets. And don't worry, American fellow who also wants to get sloshed on cheap vino, the self-service wine dispensers that have taken France by storm will soon be headed for these shores~

via : asylum

75 Costumes At Dragon Con 2010~

"Chad Vader identifies as many costumes as he can at Dragon Con 2010."~

via : youtube

The Homer Simpson Escalator~

The Homer Simpson Escalator from Gabriel Russo's behance page~

via : behance

Free Chicken Strips~

Free Chicken Strips~

via : izismile

Clever, Veeeery Clever: Spock Hand Hoodie~

See? When it's zipped up it looks like a regular hand wave, but, after a partial zip-down, it becomes the traditional Vulcan salute. Plus -- BAM! -- sex-change, bow tie and glasses! And all for $40. Not even a back-alley surgeon will sew a wiener on for that cheap! And that's not taking the glasses or bow tie into consideration~

via : threadless

Russian Transformers~

Transformers from repey815 on Vimeo.

I'm baffled by the half-naked dudes in this short film from Russia, but i'm duly impressed by the computer-generated Transformers animations, built with 3DS Max, Boujou and After Effects~

via : vimeo

Happy 25th Birthday Mario~

On 9/13/1985, Super Mario Bros. was released in Japan, and the most famous video game character was born. Don’t forget the man behind the legend – Shigeru Miyamoto. Happy birthday Mario!~

via : kotaku

Extreme Baby Carrots~

Maybe if some of those other vegetable farmers came up with a hilarious marketing campaign like the baby carrot guys, more kids would eat them. Bonus: extreme pterodactyl at 0:23~

via : thedailywh.at

Nice : Japanese Spider-Man~

We all have our memories of Spider-Man, whether the old “…does whatever a spider can” theme, the Sam Raimi blockbusters or even Spider-Pig. The Japanese have their own special memories~

via : westword

Putt Golfers Coffee Mug~

"Get your morning started off with quick hole in one and a cup of joe to boot. (Besides, we all know you'd rather be golfing anyway!) Perfect for those boring boardroom meetings or never-ending conference calls, this funny coffee mug and golf-club drink stirrer gift set let you sip and putt without the hassle of the beverage cart. Morning Putt Golfers Coffee Mug holds 18oz and measures 5" x 4"." $30~

via : homewetbar

I See Hobbits!: Interactive Middle Earth Map~

This is a very cool interactive map of Middle Earth from the Lord of the Rings universe (with labels available in English AND Elvish~

Interactive Middle Earth Map

via : Kris

LittleBigPlanet 2: Grappling Hook~

Sackboy channels Tarzan in the latest trailer for LittleBigPlanet 2, which shows off the neat things that you can do with the new grappling hook tool. Sackboy Batman and Bionic Commando anyone?~

via : gamefreaks

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!~

Yikes~

This is closed-circuit security footage from inside a restaurant aboard a Pacific Sun cruise ship during rough seas~

via : liveleak

Have Fun With The Apocalypse, Suckers: Possible Livable Solar System Discovered~

Did I mention it's only 127 light-years away? Start packing the rocketship! Haha, not you. You're not coming. Astronomers have discovered a planetary system containing at least five planets that orbit a star called HD 10180, which is much like our own Sun~

Christophe Lovis from Geneva University's observatory in Switzerland was lead researcher on the study. He said that his team had probably found "the system with the most planets yet discovered"~

"This also highlights the fact that we are now entering a new era in exoplanet research - the study of complex planetary systems and not just of individual planets," he said~

They say this is the "richest" system of exoplanets - planets outside our own Solar System - ever found~

Richest system of exoplanets ever found?! Count me in~

via : bbcnews

Time-lapse video of Japan by Samuel Cockedey~

inter // states from Samuel Cockedey on Vimeo.

By Samuel Cockedey, a French photographer based in Tokyo. This one is called inter // states~

via : vimeo

InFamous 2 (PAX Gameplay)~

Cole MacGrath is back to his old look, but he has a new enemy in the form of the burrowing Ravager. Good thing he has a new power too – a Joystiq commenter calls it “telecarnesis”~

via : joystiq

US Army's New Surveillance Hybrid Airship~

To assist U.S. troops in Afghanistan, the United States Army has awarded a contract to Northrup Grumman to build its LEMV surveillance ship. This surveillance airship is longer than a football field. It can carry 2,500-pounds while hovering 20,000-feet above sea level at a whopping 34 mph(watch it in action!). LEMV will sustain altitudes of 20,000 feet for a three-week period and it will operate within national and international airspace. They are expected to go into use by the end of 2011~

via : engadget

Wookie The Chew~

Chewbacca plays Winnie in James Hance’s mash-up of Winnie the Pooh and Star Wars. Han Solo is Christopher Robin and R2D2 is Piglet. Guess who (or what) plays Eeyore. More art here~

via : jameshance

CMU Snakebot~

Currently being developed by the Biorobotics Lab at Carnegie Mellon University, the Snakebot is a highly limber – and highly creepy – robot designed to traverse tight spaces and varying terrain~

via : cmu

So Theres This Now : Hobo with a Shotgun Trailer~

(NSFW) It started as a two-minute concept trailer, and now it’s a full length flick. Blade Runner’s baddie Rutger Hauer is back on the big screen in this B-movie bloodbath~

via : youtube

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to Feature Takashi Murakami Balloons~

This year’s Thanksgiving parade in New York will feature two balloons designed by Japanese pop artist Takashi Murakami:

Kaikai, a childlike character in a rabbit costume, and Kiki, a companion with three eyes and sharp fangs, are examples of Mr. Murakami’s signature superflat style, but their balloon likenesses will be about 40 feet long when completed, and about three stories tall when filled with helium. Since the spring, Macy’s parade studio and Mr. Murakami and his Tokyo-based team have traded notes on two-dimensional sketches that were used to create clay models, which were then further refined and colored before the fabrication of the balloons (now underway)~

In other Murakami-related news, a group of French cultural traditionalists are protesting a plan to display some of the artist’s works at Versailles. They seem to think that Murakami’s weird artwork would degrade the beauty of the palace~

via : artsbeat

The Rocket Jump~

Nerdy weapons expert Freddie Wong's rocket jump in (modified) real life."Journey with us through video game history as we witness the first ever rocket jump. My teammates are total noobs. That dude on the turret is also a total camper."~

via : dailywhat

Gundam 00 Film to Premiere at NY Anime Fest in October~

The Japanese anime studio Sunrise has announced on Wednesday that Mobile Suit Gundam 00 the Movie: A wakening of the Trailblazer will have its North American premiere at New York Anime Festival on October 10 at 2:00 p.m. The premiere will be in Japanese with English subtitles.

The two-hour film serves as a sequel to the two-season Mobile Suit Gundam 00 television anime. Director Seiji Mizushima returns with his team at Sunrise to make this project. The film will open in Japan on September 18~

via : ann

ICON - Shinobi : Streetbike Stunt Moves~

Streetbike Freestyle champion and trick hero Nick Apex presents Shinsuke Kinoshita, his Empire teammate from Kobe, Japan, in this video, who busts out with some very insane moves~

via : iconfims

Clever, Veeery Clever: Portal Bookends~

This wonderfully apt creation was made by redditor TriangleMen’s friend using “a CnC table and spare time/metal. I would totally buy em~

via : reddit

Hydrophobia~

The gorgeous new Xbox Live Arcade game features some of the most incredible water effects ever in a game – and the best part is that it’s a major gameplay element. The fire ain’t half bad either~

via : hydrophobia-game

The Yoda Fountain~

This awesome Yoda fountain sits in front of Lucasfilm and ILM in San Francisco, photographed by Rob Sheridan.~

via : flickr

New Xbox 360 Wireless controller featuring a transforming D-Pad~

This wireless controller features concave analog sticks and a d-pad that can shift between the “disc” format and the more accurate “plus” format. The color-coded buttons will be missed though~

via : majornelson

Damn it : Paprika's Satoshi Kon Dies at 46~

Satoshi Kon--director of popular Japanese animated films Perfect Blue, Tokyo Godfathers, Millennium Actress, and the oft-compared-to-Inception Paprika--reportedly died yesterday of pancreatic cancer. It's truly a sad loss for the world of anime~

go watch Paprika rite now~ (PAPRIKA)

via : animenewsnetwork