Link roundup

1.  The future is here:

On school-day mornings, I walk my grade-school-age son 400 meters down the hill to the bus stop. Last winter, I fantasized about sitting at my computer while a camera-equipped drone followed him overhead.
  

So this year, I set out to build one.

Via these sites.

2.  The real life hunting expedition video that inspired King Kong:

In 1926, the American Museum of Natural History trustee William Douglas Burden set sail with a team of adventurers that included a hunter, a herpetologist, a cameraman, and Burden’s wife. They were off to capture dragons.

3.  Bungie teased their next big game way back in Halo 3: ODST.

4.  Now you can host web pages using Google Drive.  Via.

5.  Positive review of a $1,200 55-Inch HD 3D Plasma TV, available at Amazon.

Art roundup

Oswald the Lucky Rabbit by Kristin Tercek for a Disney art show.




Foxing Quarterly cover by Jim Rugg.




Song of the Sith by Shelli Paroline.



Anthony Petrie posted several high-res images suitable for download as posters.  (He also recommends various printing services.)



Clinton Felker enhanced the dead kaiju from the Pacific Rim video.

*Buy Oswald toys at Amazon.

Gaston at Disney World is pretty great

Meet and greets with mimbo Gaston are pretty entertaining. (Not as great as meeting the Evil Queen, though.)

*Buy Poster Art of the Disney Parks at Amazon.

Link roundup

1.  My buddy Thomas Allen was the victim of intellectual property theft so let me take this opportunity to say that his book Uncovered is an excellent gift idea.  (And it's a  board book, so it's perfect for toddlers who love pulp covers.)  The redesigned Thursday Next covers are also his work, and are great reads.

2. "Humans have stripes! You just can't see them."

3.  Joe Jonas's girlfriend is named Blanda Eggenschwiler.  (And since I'm sure you're curious...)

4.  "From 1968 to 1979, a US Ambassador was killed in office on the average of one every two years."

Sponsored: New t-shirts at Meat Bun

A big batch of brand new designs were just added to Meat Bun's store:



These tees and more are now available at Meat Bun.

Link roundup

1. 5 Things Nobody Tells You About Living in Japan. (Wish I'd read this before visiting years ago.)

2.  Howl's Moving Castle (the book) is a $2 download at Amazon.

3. The BBC is adapting Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange And Mr Norrell as six hour long episodes.

4.  Qualcomm's patent wall.

5.  Scroll down to the story about killing a crow (and cringe).  (Probably NSFW.)

The JawSaw

The JawSaw has a toothy mouth and moving chainsaw tongue. And as the videos show, it's a perfect stocking stuffer for men or women.

Link roundup

1.  Art contest to win an Alex Ross sketch (short deadline).

2.  Why did Sports Illustrated photoshop Baylor's Black uniforms to make them green?

3.  Nightmare fuel.

4.  Getting banned from Adsense because of clickfraud.

Special edition Nike Fuelband

Special edition Nike+ FuelBand to benefit the Doernbecher Children's Hospital.

*Buy Fuelbands at ebay.

Art roundup

Illustration by Nicolas Delort, based on a Moebius panel.



Batman Inc. #5 variant cover by Frazier Irving.



Cover by Jon Berkeley for The Economist.




Sleeping Beauty poster by Berkeley for the Sitges English Theatre Club. You can print one for free.



Tentacles movie posters, some of which are available at ebay.  Via.

Art roundup

Sandman and The Endless promote Hostess pies (by Axel Medellin for an art jam). (My favorites were Chocodiles.)




The Thing poster by We Buy Your Kids for Mondo.  Via.




Illustration by Hannah Christenson for a story at Tor.



Boxers by Nigel Buchanan.



Japanese Flash Gordon poster available cheap (or expensive, if you prefer) at Amazon.  Via.

*Buy The Thing toys at ebay.

Link roundup

1.  The Onion:

Colin Kaepernick Admits He Learned Nothing From Watching Alex Smith Play Quarterback

Via.

2. Staples is going to offer an in-store 3-D printing service in the Netherlands and Belgium next year:

A new service called “Staples Easy 3D” will allow customers to upload their designs to Staples’ website, then pick up the printed objects at their local office supply megastore, or have them shipped to their home or business — not unlike the photo- and document-printing service the company already offers.  

Via.

3.  The latest Humble Bundle is several THQ games.  Probably worth a tiny contribution for Darksiders, if nothing else.  You can probably get Saints Row very cheap at Steam if you wait for a sale (instead of paying more than the average price).

4.  Free God of Blades game at Venus Patrol (I haven't tried it yet).  (I'd gladly pay for a God of Blades screensaver.)

5.  $200 32" HDTV at Amazon. (I think this is the same one I got as a lightning deal last week. Very satisfied.)

Link roundup

1.  Why you never hear about steroids in the NFL:

under current [NFL] policy players can blame any positive drug test on Adderall — even if it was for a more stigmatizing substance such as steroids — while knowing that the league is prohibited from releasing information to the contrary.

2.  Free mp3 download the Star Wars official site:

Set your speakers to hyperspace and buckle up for a rip-roaring, all-new Star Wars adventure – Smuggler’s Gambit — starring everyone’s favorite scoundrels Han Solo and Chewbacca! Performed in the spirit of the classic Star Wars NPR radio dramas and set in the Original Trilogy era, Smuggler’s Gambit tests Han and Chewie’s commitment to the cause as they venture off to reclaim their glory days, only to realize that their decision to help the Rebellion take down the Death Star was not without consequence…

3.  "Make an Emergency Flash Drive and Take it With You Whenever You Travel."

4.  The brilliant God of Blades is on sale for only 99 cents at iTunes.  Also, classic Jet Set Radio is now available for iTunes.

Skrillex Quest, a fun, stylish game with great music

Skrillex Quest is a free game by Jason Oda.  The stylish pixelated graphics and great music reminded me of Sword and Sworcery, but it's a lot more fun to play.  Here's the results from my playthrough:



The primary song is Summit by Skrillex and Ellie Goulding, which is available at Amazon:


Via.

Sponsored: Apinya Thai Chili Sauce (and octopus paper toy)

Apinya Thai Chili Sauce is inspired by the flavors of Thailand and made with fresh Thai chilies, roasted red peppers, ginger, and garlic. It’s also vegan, gluten-free, fat free, low sodium, and contains no artificial colors, flavors, or MSG. And just as important, it has great packaging. You can buy the sauce at the Apinya store, and also download a free octopus paper toy.  (The sauce goes great with octopus.)

Cool super move for Bioshock's Big Daddy in the new Playstation fighting game

The Big Daddy from Bioshock has an appropriately watery super move in the fighting game Playstation All Stars Battle Royale. Raiden's move is clever, too:


The game's apparently average at best, though.  Via.

*Buy Raiden toys at ebay.

Art roundup

The latest in Madéleine Flores's ongoing series of fashion tips.



Lil' John Cena and CM Punk by Jill Thompson.




Venom pillow on sale here.



Posters and promotional photo for Supervan.  The posters are available at ebay.  Via.





Pacific Rim Jaeger designs and snippet of a monster attack.  Via these sites.

*Buy WWE Christmas ornaments at Amazon.

Adventure Time by Jim Rugg

Jim Rugg posted a preview of his contribution to Adventure Time #10, out today.

*Adventure Time Comics Vol. 1 is 40% off at Amazon.

How to destroy angels_ Ice age

New video directed by John Hillcoat (The Road) for Ice age by Trent Reznor's How to destroy angels_.  Slow building, ominous video.  Good song, too. The album is available as a $5 download at Amazon.  Via.

Hillcoat also directed the 30 minute short film Red Dead Redemption: The Man From Blackwater:



Red Dead Redemption [Game of the Year Edition] is $27 at Amazon.

Link roundup

1.  "Would-be North Korean assassin's tool kit."  Via.

2.  The cove in La Jolla, California used to be a beautiful place to visit, until officials closed it off to pedestrians, and the birds took over:

But the smell, a pungent stench that emanates from the accumulation of bird feces on the rocks, has become a growing problem. And strict environmental regulations in the cove have stymied the city’s efforts to address the problem before it drives tourists and businesses away, effectively roping the rocks off with red tape.

Via.

3.  How to limit how thoroughly advertisers track you on your iPhone:

go to "General," then "About," and then navigate to the "Advertising" section. From there, you need to to turn "Limit Ad Tracking" on.

4.  I feature JRYU's sculptures all the time.  He has figurines on sale at Tenacious Toys.

Watch Jay Cutler tie a teammate's shoes during a game

During last weekend's game, Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler tied tackle JaMarcus Webb's shoe for him.  He was asked about it after the game:

Link roundup

1.  "The best part of Breaking Dawn: Part 2 is online right now."

2.  "The Rise And Fall Of The Obscure Music Download Blog: A Roundtable."

3.  "Federal prosecutors in Memphis are investigating an educator who they say ran a test cheating ring in three Southern states for teachers and prospective teachers who wanted to pass standardized certification exams."

4.  From Grantland's two-part MLB trade value story:

In a season that didn't see a 20-year-old outfielder play better than anyone else on the planet, [Chase] Headley might've garnered more attention for a gigantic breakout season. In 2011, he hit four home runs; he hit 31 in 2012, while also matching or setting new career highs in games played, hits, doubles, runs scored, runs batted in, walks, stolen bases, on-base percentage, and slugging average. If you need more convincing that his season came out of nowhere, check out this mid-April interview with Headley. Headley on his power potential: "I'm not a guy who's going to hit a ton of home runs." Headley on lessons he might've learned from former teammate Adrian Gonzalez: "It's different with him because he could hit a fly ball to left field and hit it five rows deep. Where if I get the same pitch, take the same swing, and hit it the same, it's caught on the warning track."

*Dyson vacuums are 40% off at Amazon.

Art roundup

Journey by Kate Vee.




Metroid t-shirt and pin design by Daniel Bressette on sale here.



Holographic square by Jen Stark.



Team Batman commission by Dustn Harbin.



Book cover for Jasper Fforde's The Last Dragonslayer, available at Amazon.  Via.