Tech_Update

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Google URL Shortener Launches Website

Google URL Shortener, aptly named Goo.gl, has been available for use for almost a year, and it finally has its own website. In the past, you could only use it through the Google Toolbar, or through specific Google products such as Feedburner, News, Blogger and Picasa. Now you can get all your Google URL shortening needs done on their recently launched webpage.

Google went about things in a somewhat back-to-front fashion, launching the url shortener service itself before the website. Now, with the new website, you can get access to statistics on all URLs you’ve shortened using Goo.gl, provided you’re logged into your account. These stats include traffic, referrers and visitor profiles.

As far as features are concerned, that’s pretty much all you’re going to get. Google have chosen to focus instead on stability, security and speed. According to their blog, their priorities are uptime and spam detection. They’ve also managed to double the speed of the service since its launch, and want to keep it that way.

There are a few unofficial browser add-ons already available to use with Goo.gl, like Chrome’sgoo.gl URL Shortener and Firefox’s goo.gl lite, and Google will be releasing the Goo.gl API in the future, making it easy to incorporate their URL shortener in other third party applications.

Google’s Top 10 Hidden Treasures

While you are still hunting down Christmas presents, we here at MakeUseOf are already getting into the mood for Easter.

No, not really! But during this stressful pre-holiday season I thought it would be a good idea to spread some laughter.

Since Google is a source for quite a bit of entertainment, I compiled a list of the coolest Google treasures. Here are April Fool’s Day jokes, Easter Eggs, bombs and more in no particular order:

1. Search Google with MentalPlex

Of course this was an April Fool’s Day joke.

2. Search better with Google Gulp

This beta beverage will quench your thirst for knowledge!

It comes in four different flavors: Glutamate Grape, Sugar-Free Radical, Beta Carroty and Sero-Tonic Water.

Since the Google search algorithm cannot be improved, Google released this series of fruity and refreshing smart drinks with auto-drink technology. They are designed to maximize its users surfing experience by making them more intelligent and less thirsty.

Yes, this was an April Fool’s Day joke as well.

3. Search Google for Once in a Blue Moon

Google’s got humor. This is a classic calculator Easter Egg.

4. Search Google for the Answer to Life the Universe and Everything

Even funnier, Google calculates MUCH faster than Deep Thought.

5. Search Google for the Number of Horns on a Unicorn

Now what I would like to know is how many unicorns are there on Earth? Unfortunately, Google doesn’t calculate THAT.

6. Look at Googleplex Charleston Road in street view mode.

Google employees organized their 15 minutes of fame. Browse around the area for more sights.

7. Look at Sampsonia Way in Pittsburgh in street view mode.

This street view was created in cooperation with Google for the Street With A View project.

8. Type about:internets into Google Chrome’s address bar

This will only work with Windows XP as Google Chrome launches the pipes screensaver inside the tab.

The following commands will also work for other operating systems:
about:stats
about:memory
about:network
about:histograms
about:dns
about:cache
about:plugins
about:version

9. Click [CTRL] + [ALT] + [A] in Google Earth to launch a Flight Simulator

Google has released the full keyboard controls for the Flight Simulator here.

10. Type “french military victories” into the search field and click “I’m feeling lucky“

This is a Google bomb where the creator of the above seen results page takes advantage of Google’s ranking system.

Sadly, the well-known Google bombs Failure and Chuck Norris don’t seem to work anymore. And Google also fixed its translator. But there are still lots of hilarious Google-related out there, see what we got for Google on MakeUseOf Geeky Fun.

Do you know of any other Google hidden treasures and easter eggs?

Friday, February 11, 2011

The Most Incredible Miniature Pencil Art [20 pics]

Photograph by Dalton Ghetti / Solent News

Dalton Ghetti is a 49-year old carpenter from Bridgeport, Connecticut, and he has been carving the most incredible miniature sculptures for over 25 years without the aid of a magnifying glass. His canvas? The tiny tip of a lead pencil.

smallest-saw-ever

Photograph by Dalton Ghetti / Solent News
incredible-pencil-art

Photograph by Dalton Ghetti / Solent News

Dalton started carving tree bark when he was a child and experimented with everything from soap to chalk before settling on graphite. It’s second nature now, and for 90 percent of his work, all he needs is a sewing needle, a razor blade, a sculpting knife and a carpenter’s or No. 2 pencil.

carving-a-lead-pencil-tip

Photograph by Dalton Ghetti / Solent News
smallest-hammer-ever

Photograph by Dalton Ghetti / Solent News

“The pencil tip is great; it’s like a pure, very homogenous material,” he said. “It cuts in the same direction, not like wood, which has a grain. But when I tell people how long it takes, that’s when they don’t believe it. That’s what amazes people more, the patience. Because everything nowadays has to be fast, fast, fast.”

tiniest-key-ever-dalton-ghetti

Photograph by Dalton Ghetti / Solent News
screw-carved-into-lead-of-a-pencil

Photograph by Dalton Ghetti / Solent News

Mr. Ghetti often takes years to complete pieces, especially since pencil carving is only a hobby. A standard figure will take several months however the alphabet carvings below took about 2.5 years!

alphabet-carved-into-pencils

Photograph by Dalton Ghetti / Solent News
pencil-nnmchucks-dalton-ghetti

Photograph by Dalton Ghetti / Solent News

Mr. Ghetti has never sold any of his work, and has only given it away to friends. “It’s hard to explain but for me it’s like a sort of meditation. I’m alone with no music on in my studio and in a deep state of concentration, it’s like another mind state I float about in.”
art-on-tip-of-a-pencil

Photograph by Dalton Ghetti / Solent News
amazing-lead-carving

Photograph by Dalton Ghetti / Solent News

“I use the sewing needle to make holes or dig into the graphite. I scratch and create lines and turn the graphite around slowly in my hand. Also, I never buy the pencils, my friends are always giving me them to sculpt or sometimes I use ones I find in the street.”

mini-pencil-art-carving

Photograph by Dalton Ghetti / Solent News
miniature-pencil-sculpture

Photograph by Dalton Ghetti / Solent News

Dalton, who is originally from Brazil, has a box full of more than 100 sculptures that have broken while working on them that he affectionately calls ‘the cemetery collection’. Some of them he displays on a Styrofoam bed to remind him of the time spent on this almost finished works (below):

miniature-art

Photograph by Dalton Ghetti / Solent News

Mr Ghetti has made about 100 carvings, and is currently on an epic piece inspired by the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center.
“When September 11 happened I was in tears all day and couldn’t do much for a while. I decided to make a teardrop pencil carving for each of the people who died in the attack, about 3,000. Since 2002 I have carved one every day, it takes me under an hour. When I’m done they will form one big tear drop. It will take me about 10 years but it will be worth it.”

art-carving-on-tip-of-lead-pencil

Photograph by Dalton Ghetti / Solent News
miniature-carving-dalton-ghetti

Photograph by Dalton Ghetti / Solent News

SOURCES
- The New York Times
- The Telegraph
- The Daily Mail

pencil-tip-sculptures

Photograph by Dalton Ghetti / Solent News
amazing-miniature-sculptures-on-tip-of-pencil

Photograph by Dalton Ghetti / Solent News
miniature-sculptures-using-pencil-lead

Photograph by Dalton Ghetti / Solent News
dalton-ghetti-miniature-sculptures-carving

Photograph by Dalton Ghetti / Solent News

25 Stunning Infinity Pools Around the World

Visually stunning and always situated on a gorgeous backdrop, Infinity pools are surely the most beautiful man-made pools in existence. Sit back, relax, and take a trip around the world through the lens of the infinity pool with these 25 incredible pictures.

An infinity edge pool (also named negative edge, zero edge, disappearing edge or vanishing edge pool) is a swimming or reflecting pool which produces a visual effect of water extending to the horizon, vanishing, or extending to “infinity”. They are often seen at fancy or exotic resorts, exclusive estates, and in advertisements. The infinity pool design concept is said to have originated in Bali, Indonesia, where its inspiration came directly from observing the dramatic effect created by the ubiquitous terraced rice paddies, known locally as sawah, for which the island is famous.
- Source: Wikipedia