sangsara.net

Category: Links

Link posts, mostly old and imported from my other sites over the years (e.g. Tumblr)

  • ➟ The History of Libraries Through the Ages

    via zencollegelife.com

    A comprehensive (for a blog post) look at the longstanding correlation between the availability of libraries and the flourishing of human culture. On a related note: check out my friend Peishan’s new biblio-centric blog, Shelf Conscious, which I helped name. The very talented Jussi Edlund of Supershapes barfed out a sweet logo for her in just under ten minutes.

  • ➟ Vertu’s Japanese art phones

    Dubbed the Signature Kissho Collection, these four lacquered cellphones cost about $200,000 USD each, and were handcrafted by Kazumi Murose. I really don’t know why Vertu exists anymore. Most companies would commission a project like this for the publicity, which might then enhance their brand and sell more regular phones. But Vertu’s regular phones aren’t much less crazy or expensive than this. Does Vertu help the Nokia brand in any way?

  • ➟ Jibbigo: bi-directional speech translation iPhone app

    This is a traveler’s dream come true. Speak a sentence in English, and Jibbigo recognizes the words, translates it into the foreign language, and reads it aloud. The other person can then reply, and it will come out in English. It’s featured in Apple’s latest iPhone app demo advertisement, Backpacker.
    The app is completely self-contained and doesn’t require an internet connection. Mandarin, Japanese, and Spanish are the three languages available right now, with more to come. It’s priced a little high by App Store standards ($25USD to $28USD), but I would pay that just as a means of practicing and improving my own language skills, say with the Chinese app, for example.

    Link

  • ➟ Pavilion architecture at the Shanghai World Expo 2010

    Looking at these 15 examples of futuristic architecture on display at the Shanghai World Expo, I’m actually wishing I could be there to jostle and fight for portaloo access with the millions of Chinese and foreign visitors. Just incredible. Check out the UK pavilion with its “needles” that undulate in the wind.

    Link

  • ➟ British Airways compensates trapped travelers with free hotels, spending money, holiday

    This is remarkable customer service/damage control from an airline I routinely hear complaints about. English travelers trapped in Japan (for potentially nine days) were rewarded with free hotel stays, a flight to New York, where they were put up for a few days in 4-star hotels and given money for food, and then flown back to Glasgow via Dublin.
    So instead of sleeping in airports like most other people, they had a free holiday on the side, complete with champagne and leopard-print bathrobes.

    Link

  • ➟ Funny Thai ad for Bridgestone tires

    I found this last night while going through some old files on my harddrive. Someone at my old job had forwarded it to me as an example of humor in Thai advertising. As always, it’s all about the twist.

    (In case the translation doesn’t make it sufficiently clear, the sporty tires gave him away.)

    Link

  • ➟ YouTube beatboxers do Lady Gaga

    Buzzfeed collects a bunch of YouTubers doing creative Lady Gaga covers. I’m currently on the second video, where a guy called “Beatbox Hitman” is absolutely killing it.

    Edit: Probably only #2 and #4 are worth seeing. #5 if you have time.

    Link

  • ➟ A Tax Form for the Marginally Employed

    By which they really mean: freelancers and people who loaf about the home in their pajamas, take naps in the afternoon, and tweet incessantly.
    Hilarious stuff from the NYT; find out how much you can deduct for pointing out grammatical errors in a sign or poster (oh boy, this really cuts too close to home for me).

    Link