Lewis leaving McLaren for Mercedes shocked the F1 world. Not me though. With McLaren's properly crap reliability record, it really is no surprise.
Lewis and the McLaren were a formidable force, just like Kimi Raikonnen was in a McLaren in 2003 and 2005. Lewis won his World Championship in 2008, but he achieved that on a last lap of the last race of the season. Cutting it very close indeed. He has had fantastic race wins since 2008, but McLaren's reliability hasn't helped. He could've potentially won another championship this year, but mechanical failures in Singapore and Abu Dhabi put paid to his ambitions. Lewis-McLaren was the fastest driver-car package ever since Kimi Raikonnen left McLaren in 2006.
Lewis and the McLaren were a formidable force, just like Kimi Raikonnen was in a McLaren in 2003 and 2005. Lewis won his World Championship in 2008, but he achieved that on a last lap of the last race of the season. Cutting it very close indeed. He has had fantastic race wins since 2008, but McLaren's reliability hasn't helped. He could've potentially won another championship this year, but mechanical failures in Singapore and Abu Dhabi put paid to his ambitions. Lewis-McLaren was the fastest driver-car package ever since Kimi Raikonnen left McLaren in 2006.
One of the best city simulation games of all time. Now for Mac via DOSBox. Simply unzip and play.
Download SimCity 2000
.jpg)
If Kimi signs up for Ferrari for 2013, alongside Alonso, won't it be similar to the rivalry between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost? The best drivers on the grid in one team. And with 2014 using turbo engines, the resemblance is even more uncanny.
There's so much you can do with simple values. In this processing sketch, I'm only using a line and ellipse function to draw various shapes and abstract compositions on the canvas. Funny what random values can do.
Poster with punchline.
A mock poster of World Health Day Awareness by WHO.
The Macintosh operating system is often thought to be extremely serious and po-faced, only dedicated to serving corporates and artists alike. But there is a fun, childish side to the Macintosh OS not many people know about, and even fewer know how to access it. Here's a guide to access those awesome features.
First open Terminal
[Applications>Utilities>Terminal] or use Spotlight
First open Terminal
[Applications>Utilities>Terminal] or use Spotlight
A few years ago, someone made a Garfield widget which displayed every comic since its inception. However due to circumstances only know to the wildly imaginative, the widget isn't available on the internet anymore. I took the basic algorithm of that widget and made another so that the interweb can still enjoy Garfield.
Download Link
I think the sunday strip doesn't appear for some reason. Don't ask why. I can't figure it out either.
Using Sketch, I created this Nokia N9 graphic. First time using Sketch to create something realistic.
Download link.
Download link.
 |
| Finished Vector! |
This tutorial will show you how to use Sketch(Illustrator too) to make a simple stick figure man/woman.
Aston Martin has launched a new car, the Vanquish. Thats what they tell everyone. But secretly they've taken the Virage, crossed out 'Virage', and written 'Vanquish'. You would be hard pressed to tell the difference. They both have the same basic shape, same dimensions(more or less), and the same engine. The difference is, (or so Aston Martin tells us) is that the new Vanquish has a new interior, more power and subtle exterior design touches exclusive to the Vanquish. The One-77 looks like a diseased and mutated DB9, but atleast it's visibly different, unlike the new Vanquish.
I still prefer the older Vanquish, which had a slightly evil, and elegant air to it.
It's not even worth talking about performance. The BMW M5 will outrun the new Vanquish with ease.
LOL Aston Martin. LOL.
BMW's new one-off Zagato Coupé is a design masterpiece.
BMW and Zagato decided to collaborate on a design project for the glamorous Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este on the shores of Lake Como in Italy. This is of course a Z4 with a a fancy bodykit. Or so you first think.
Even the paint needs three coats consisting of a black primer, matte silver and then finally a transparent red with a tinge of orange which gives the colour a very unique and beautiful finish.
The last time BMW and the Italians came together, was for the BMW M1 supercar which was collaboration of German engineering and Italian design. The BMW Zagato Coupe however is the marriage of BMW and Zagato design elements. The running gear is of course German but the traditional BMW design elements have been retained. This BMW in my opinion easily rivals the Aston Martin Zagato coupe which consisted of nothing but a fancy bootlid in terms of design.
If BMW gives this Zagato a M3 running gear, or a new bespoke Z4 M drivetrain, then this car will certainly have a broader appeal and some racing heritage.
Ever since his comeback Kimi Raikkonen hasn't really been a happy man. I don't think anyone has ever caught him smiling in 2012. Even though his fantastic driving has secured him 2 podium finishes in 5 races, he doesn't seem to be pleased with the result. In contrast, Schumacher hasn't yet had a podium finish since he returned to F1. Kimi finished 2nd in Bahrain, and 3rd in Spain, but in the press conferences he always expressed his anger at himself for finishing first. That sounds a lot like Ayrton Senna doesn't it? Ayrton Senna too had a similar mindset towards racing. He famously once said, "Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose." Or maybe its just that Kimi has finally matured into an all round racing driver who "competes to win"(å la Ayrton Senna)?
But not only is his mindset similar to Senna's, its his driving as well. It's often been said that Kimi is the only driver in the modern era who has the raw natural speed that has only been seen in Senna. Both drivers also have a very good understanding of judging how much grip there is coming out of corners. Although, Kimi does have his fair share of bad days, but when he his one with his car, he's been in a class of his own.
In this tutorial I will show you how to make your photos look like they've been drawn by a graphic novelist or an anime artist. It's very simple and it only needs Pixelmator. Fantastic tool this.
The image used here.
Open Pixelmator.
The image used here.
Open Pixelmator.
A video uploaded on Youtube is proof that fat men are fun. Kim Dotcom, with $175 million and a lot of good cars visited the Nurburgring in January before he got arrested by the FBI for copyright issues related to Megaupload.com, which is, quite frankly silly. Everyone downloads 'copyrighted' stuff off the internet. Up-to and even, I'm willing to wager, Barrack Obama. So why arrest the guy who makes it all possible?
So in January, he, and I quote, "The production involved 30 cameras, 100+ crew, 2 helicopters, 2 camera cars and one fixed wing aircraft." to shoot a dream video of him racing around the Nurburgring with his mate Finn Batato, and Kimi Raikkonen with three(!) modified Mercedes Benz AMG CLK DTM's. The CLK DTM's are rare and reportedly only 200 or so were made. The modification is what appears to be nitrous injection. So a 582bhp 'standard' CLK DTM with nitrous injection. And rear wheel drive. With tires that look suspiciously thin. Around the Nurburgring. Yeah, you definitely need F1 drivers to handle that. But then Kim is a "street racing legend".
Kim wanted "I used to play Forza and Need for Speed on Xbox Live. Those games inspired me to create a video that looks like the replay of a perfect lap on the Ring. I know it isn't perfect, but I tried." and he has somewhat achieved that videography. It's an epic video and is a perfect example of what rich men should do with their money and free time. This video was made for only for the fun in making it. "I DID NOT WIN against Kimi. I never could. We had to remove the air from his tires to keep up. And even then it was impossible :-)" He was just mucking about, having a good time, and in the end he even got a great video out of it! This is exactly what Bruce Wayne should be doing instead of pretending to be a superhero. The cars were named "GOOD"[Kimi Raikkonen], "AND"[Finn Batato], and "EVIL"[Kim Dotcom]! Ha! Kim even calls himself a 'street racing legend'. Whether its true or not, I have no idea, but he sure is a 'playboy legend'. The video wasn't even the final edit! The final edit is on the hands of the FBI. This video is a testament to the CLK DTM and the Nurburgring, but most important of all, it proves that Kim Dotcom sure as hell knows how to have fun!
So in January, he, and I quote, "The production involved 30 cameras, 100+ crew, 2 helicopters, 2 camera cars and one fixed wing aircraft." to shoot a dream video of him racing around the Nurburgring with his mate Finn Batato, and Kimi Raikkonen with three(!) modified Mercedes Benz AMG CLK DTM's. The CLK DTM's are rare and reportedly only 200 or so were made. The modification is what appears to be nitrous injection. So a 582bhp 'standard' CLK DTM with nitrous injection. And rear wheel drive. With tires that look suspiciously thin. Around the Nurburgring. Yeah, you definitely need F1 drivers to handle that. But then Kim is a "street racing legend".
Kim wanted "I used to play Forza and Need for Speed on Xbox Live. Those games inspired me to create a video that looks like the replay of a perfect lap on the Ring. I know it isn't perfect, but I tried." and he has somewhat achieved that videography. It's an epic video and is a perfect example of what rich men should do with their money and free time. This video was made for only for the fun in making it. "I DID NOT WIN against Kimi. I never could. We had to remove the air from his tires to keep up. And even then it was impossible :-)" He was just mucking about, having a good time, and in the end he even got a great video out of it! This is exactly what Bruce Wayne should be doing instead of pretending to be a superhero. The cars were named "GOOD"[Kimi Raikkonen], "AND"[Finn Batato], and "EVIL"[Kim Dotcom]! Ha! Kim even calls himself a 'street racing legend'. Whether its true or not, I have no idea, but he sure is a 'playboy legend'. The video wasn't even the final edit! The final edit is on the hands of the FBI. This video is a testament to the CLK DTM and the Nurburgring, but most important of all, it proves that Kim Dotcom sure as hell knows how to have fun!
I created a Google Chrome extension that allows you to horizontally flip or mirror all HTML5 videos on a web page. Apparently this is good if you're dancer and you want to learn some dance moves.
But I think it'll be a lot more useful if you're sick of watching mirrored videos on Youtube. Flipp simply flips the videos back to the original format, and you can watch it normally. So this is a pretty good tool to watch that Top Gear episode on Youtube without having to suffer the mirroring. Also its also good way to have a laugh. Watching any video mirrored gives an entirely new feel to it.
To install this extension, simply download the file and open it. It only works on Google Chrome. I'll try and make a similar extension for Safari and Firefox as well.
Safari Extension for Flipp: Flipp Safari
To use this extension, goto settings on Youtube, and turn HTML5 video mode on. Only then will Flipp work. Link for Youtube HTML5 activation : http://www.youtube.com/html5
Download it here : Mediafire Link
But I think it'll be a lot more useful if you're sick of watching mirrored videos on Youtube. Flipp simply flips the videos back to the original format, and you can watch it normally. So this is a pretty good tool to watch that Top Gear episode on Youtube without having to suffer the mirroring. Also its also good way to have a laugh. Watching any video mirrored gives an entirely new feel to it.
To install this extension, simply download the file and open it. It only works on Google Chrome. I'll try and make a similar extension for Safari and Firefox as well.
Safari Extension for Flipp: Flipp Safari
To use this extension, goto settings on Youtube, and turn HTML5 video mode on. Only then will Flipp work. Link for Youtube HTML5 activation : http://www.youtube.com/html5
A while back, I had a bit of a moment when I ranted on about how flawed the E7 was. However, with the new Symbian Belle update, it's a lot better now. Finally, it starts to make a lot more sense. However, rumors are abound that the next Symbian update, Carla might not make it to the E7, as it doesn't have enough firepower to handle it. Or more likely, a lite version of Carla will be available for the E7. And this is pretty monumentous news, as the Carla update is a big overhaul and it refreshes Symbian^3 altogether.
This is all a bit mysterious. Either Nokia's product management team screwed up, or the rate at which the smartphone market grew messed up Nokias' product strategy. The Nokia N8, and the E7, flagship devices of the Symbian range are too old and weak to support a Symbian^3 upgrade that even models much lower in the hierarchy such as the 701(which have better(4x)processing power) to support. The 701 can even support Windows Phone 7 or Android 4.0, if it comes to that.
However, Nokia has specifically listed the flagship devices as N8-00, and E7-00. So there might be future models based, if we are to believe the nomenclature followed by the other phones in the Nokia family. Hopefully the N8-01, or E7-01 might just bring Nokia up to speed in the smartphone war.
I honestly do not consider the Windows Phone 7 OS to be any better than Symbian^3. The Windows interface is too cluttered and it is frustrating when scrolling through the menues. It is a great idea to have the 'tiles', but they haven't thought the idea through. It is counter-productive, and it is an eyesore with all those tiles and idiotic contrast, and the colour scheme is awful as well. God help you if want to navigate through the menues and pull up something. It's a bloody maze. Although, technically it is a better platform than Symbian, but Symbian with its user friendly interface and properly segmented menues and its well chosen colours makes it so much nice to use. Android is downright boring, but productive. And yes, iOS is still the best mobile OS out there. The iPhone 4 used a 680+(upper limit is supposedly 780Mhz or so) Mhz processor with average RAM. Similar specs to the E7. But there's a huge chasm in the user experiences of both the mobiles. The iPhone is a class apart, and the E7 lags behind. iOS, with its fantastically structured menues, and inherent intuitiveness of the OS and it's fantastic display feels so fluid(very efficient) and effortless compared to the halty, and jerky Symbian^3. iOS is extremely efficient, and I highly doubt Android which is nothing more than an open-source clone of it, will ever catch up. Windows 7 is just hopeless. Nokia needs to develop a new OS with ARM(instead if Intel) and get its best designers on the job. Something along the lines of MeeGo, and possibly even better. MeeGo was the only OS that got close to iOS.
Good luck and Godspeed Nokia.
This is all a bit mysterious. Either Nokia's product management team screwed up, or the rate at which the smartphone market grew messed up Nokias' product strategy. The Nokia N8, and the E7, flagship devices of the Symbian range are too old and weak to support a Symbian^3 upgrade that even models much lower in the hierarchy such as the 701(which have better(4x)processing power) to support. The 701 can even support Windows Phone 7 or Android 4.0, if it comes to that.
 |
| Nokia E7 with Symbian Belle |
However, Nokia has specifically listed the flagship devices as N8-00, and E7-00. So there might be future models based, if we are to believe the nomenclature followed by the other phones in the Nokia family. Hopefully the N8-01, or E7-01 might just bring Nokia up to speed in the smartphone war.
 |
| Windows Phone 7 |
I honestly do not consider the Windows Phone 7 OS to be any better than Symbian^3. The Windows interface is too cluttered and it is frustrating when scrolling through the menues. It is a great idea to have the 'tiles', but they haven't thought the idea through. It is counter-productive, and it is an eyesore with all those tiles and idiotic contrast, and the colour scheme is awful as well. God help you if want to navigate through the menues and pull up something. It's a bloody maze. Although, technically it is a better platform than Symbian, but Symbian with its user friendly interface and properly segmented menues and its well chosen colours makes it so much nice to use. Android is downright boring, but productive. And yes, iOS is still the best mobile OS out there. The iPhone 4 used a 680+(upper limit is supposedly 780Mhz or so) Mhz processor with average RAM. Similar specs to the E7. But there's a huge chasm in the user experiences of both the mobiles. The iPhone is a class apart, and the E7 lags behind. iOS, with its fantastically structured menues, and inherent intuitiveness of the OS and it's fantastic display feels so fluid(very efficient) and effortless compared to the halty, and jerky Symbian^3. iOS is extremely efficient, and I highly doubt Android which is nothing more than an open-source clone of it, will ever catch up. Windows 7 is just hopeless. Nokia needs to develop a new OS with ARM(instead if Intel) and get its best designers on the job. Something along the lines of MeeGo, and possibly even better. MeeGo was the only OS that got close to iOS.
 |
| Apple iPhone 4 |
Good luck and Godspeed Nokia.
Racing in essence, is all about overtaking the guy ahead of you. And some pit-stop strategy. With a dash of technical wizardry. Like the F-duct on the Mercedes F1 2012 car. Well played.
However, after some lemonade and light thinking, I hit upon two new ways to overtake.
However, after some lemonade and light thinking, I hit upon two new ways to overtake.
Open AppleScript Editor.
 |
| Open AppleScript Editor |
I made this using processing. Ok, this isn't really processing per se, but it is processing.js. Both use the same coding just that processing.js is a lighter and more efficient way to display your processing sketches on a web page. In this simple sketch circles of varying opacity are drawn on the screen and the position of the circles are determined by the position of your mouse. The colour and the opacity are random. To clear the screen and to start again, press the key 'C'.
The code is given below. I have explained some lines of code so you understand what I have created.
void setup() //method to initialize the sketch. Only runs 1 time. { size(600, 600); //determines size of sketch background(255); //background colour smooth(); //smoothens everything out } void draw() //method to draw on sketch. Runs every time till program is stopped. { noStroke(); //circles don't have an outline float x = random(20, 60); // random size with limits from 20 to 60 ellipse(mouseX, mouseY, x, x); // circles with position determined by mouse fill(random(200), random(200), random(255), random(100)); // random colour and opacity if (keyPressed) //detects if a key is pressed { if (key=='c'||key=='C') //now looks for key 'c' { background(255); //clears screen } } }
Have you ever fantasized about being a computer programmer and create stuff simply by typing a few commands? Yet, like me, you hate the complexity and the learning curve of the Java, C++ and the rest? Fear not, for processing is here!
Processing is Java based compiler which requires basic Java coding know-how to create insanely cool graphics within minutes of downloading the compiler. It's extremely simple to learn processing, and with a few months of solid practice you can create anything you want with a few lines of code. Sounds too good to be true right? However, apart from a few minor problems with some geeky stuff which won't bother you anyway, it is fantastic. You can do 3D modeling on it as well!
So download processing and code away!
Here are a few examples,
Processing is Java based compiler which requires basic Java coding know-how to create insanely cool graphics within minutes of downloading the compiler. It's extremely simple to learn processing, and with a few months of solid practice you can create anything you want with a few lines of code. Sounds too good to be true right? However, apart from a few minor problems with some geeky stuff which won't bother you anyway, it is fantastic. You can do 3D modeling on it as well!
So download processing and code away!
Here are a few examples,
 |
| Tree using recursion |