The Astro is a tripod mounted gyroscopic device that automates time lapse photography with just a few simple settings and buttons. It's a clean, crisp, easily understood design and implementation. There are many things to like about the project. I love the personable narration and the fact that they've actually made many versions of the device, working out the kinks of implementation. They aren't looking to figure out if it can be made, they're looking to begin production. Personally, I feel that's how a Kickstarter should be. Check it out.

I've yet to see an actual episode of The Eric Andre Show but I've got a feeling that this clip - Smooth Jazz Homicide - may be as good as it gets. I mean, how could they possibly top such absurdity? Okay, this one is pretty great too.

via David.

Rather enjoying the ongoing portfolio work of Michael Chase. Pieces like this, this or this are so perfectly vague in their subject matter but right up my alley in terms of texture allure. Be sure to dig deep and stumble upon his Best of Tumblr lists.

via heyplotwatcb.

Noir Grunge - I'm hesitant to share this because they are so good but it's silly to not share the wealth. These textures are good for a number of implementations - use them wisely.

Thanks Chad for the heads up!

Finally, it's the weekend! Enjoy this playlist and think about sneaking out of work early.

• Jump Fail (Recorder Version) - It's official, this is the greatest soundtrack to anything but especially people falling over. Thank you Paul.
• Michael Bolton and Kenny G Shred - I never tire of these "Shreds" videos. Always amusing. Thank you Keith.
• Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee Trailer - the first episode of this is now available to watch online. It's just Jerry Seinfeld and another comedian having a chat - not a groundbreaking format but a tried and true one. It's great.
• Sullivan and Marks Graphics Demo Reel - 1978 - I love looking at these vintage bumpers and marveling at the fact that they were done without After Effects or Final Cut or, really, any computer assistance whatsoever.
• Parking Woman Celebrated By Drunk Fans - I can imagine this being the worst experience in the world if you were the driver but, as a bystander, it's kinda funny. Especially the whistle.
• Men Throwing Rocks With The Other Hand - try this out over the weekend. I guarantee you look just as ridiculous.
• 8-Bit "Deal With It" Cat - I really wish this didn't have the dumb bumper at the start and end (so it was more Nyan-esque) but the animation is quite amusing. If you like psychedelic 8-bit cat animations, that is.
• Mr Wizard Is A Dick - I did not watch Mr. Wizard as a kid but it really seems like he did not care for children or for having a television show.
• The Evolution of PC Games - music and video comprised entirely of elements from old games. In my opinion, the older the game, the better. By 1:30 you've left the Golden Era but it's still entertaining.
• Michael - I don't want to know anything else about this except that it exists and that I can watch it a hundred times today.

Have a great weekend!!

There was a time when I would vicariously experience Comic-Con through Lee's photos of the event. Unfortunately, it's gotten rather difficult to get tickets so that doesn't happen so much anymore. Fortunately, Comic-Con is enormously popular now and just about any online publication covering the slightest of nerd topics will give me the coverage I need. Such is the case with this great iO9 Roundup. Multiple galleries of images ranging from comic characters to cartoons to videogames to just plain weird. It's exactly what you want to see.

Also, don't miss Deadpool Dancing - it might be the best thing you see this week.

Checkmark is a new iOS app that lets you set time and location based reminders - for the convenience of, say, paying parking meters or buying milk. It seems to be a well made application and, obviously, the concept of the app is solid. What caught my eye was their promotional video - equal parts informative, ridiculous and a tiny bit awkward. Well done.

In what comes as absolutely zero surprise, the full trailer for Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master has made its way online and it looks phenomenal. The two prior teaser trailers were enticing but this paints a more complete picture of the actual story being told. The speculation that the parallels between this film and the foundation of Scientology are very strong is only made more concrete now. I was already 100% excited for this but it's still good to get more confirmation of the forthcoming goodness.

Also, this.

Time for another installment of the Nashville music podcast I curate for We Own This Town. Volume 54 is full to the brim of goodness that I hope you take a moment to check out. I assume Nashville still has the stereotype of being mostly country and singer-songwriter music but there's so much more diversity than that and these podcasts just continue to prove that fact. So, get to it!

The folks over at Designers MX have relaunched their site - not just with a new look but with new functionality as well. Lots of it. In fact, the focus of the site is no longer just about invited, curated mixes, it's a much wider net now. The mixes still exist but you can also check out inspiring books, videos and design now as well. It makes sense, seeing as how all of these different forms inspire each other. It really has evolved into a much more engaging tool for designers to find all kinds of inspiration. I'm not super keen on the fact that all the mixes are powered by Spotify because it means you can't just use any ole track you have lying around but that's a very small complaint for a very impressive upgrade.

Yesterday, I saw that UPSO is moving his Flickr account over to Picturelife.. a service / application I had never heard of. Their site looks tasteful enough but I am not clear on how it's an alternative to Flickr, as it doesn't seem to have a public facing profile portion. Maybe I'm just missing it.

Anyway, has anyone else departed Flickr for greater pastures? Maybe 500px or the Dropbox Photo Sync? I think Flickr is just fine but I'm always curious what others are up to in the photo saving / sharing department.

Don't be fooled by the trashy Romance Novel style cover, "The Gentle Seduction" is a short story of the nerdiest variety. Author Marc Stiegler published the sci-fi story in 1989 but the topics of nanotechology, the Singularity and mankind's future are every bit as relevant now (more-so actually). It may seem like a daunting read at first but I highly recommend making the time for it. The seduction itself is actually happening to all of us right now at this very moment - assuming you don't live out in the woods of Montana disconnected from the rest of the world (in which case, how are you reading this?!).

Thanks to "EvilNight" for the heads up on that one.

Sometime today (and potentially every day afterwards) take a few moments to experience The Quiet Place. It's an excellent reminder to slow down and not get too wrapped up in the onslaught of media updates we're all constantly receiving. I suggest following the instructions fully for the most effectiveness.

Here's your friendly reminder that the 2012 Summer Mix Series is still going strong. Plenty of new mixes have made their way into the realm of offerings - including Terrible Lizards, Dancing Mania in Western Transylvania and Melancholic Existence - among many quality others. It's a lot to digest but it's worth it.

How it was not clear that Arctic Ready is an absolute parody of Shell / Big Oil from the start is beyond me but there are plenty of articles that didn't quite get it when they first encountered it. The image gallery is hilarious but I'm rather enjoying the parody Twitter streams that go with it - @ArticReady and @ShellIsPrepared seem to be battling it out but, I'd guess, they're in cahoots.

Please note there's a great video to accompany all this as well.

"For centuries, man has battled the arctic. Now we're finally winning."

I have to agree with CJ on feeling comforted by this Timeline of the Far Future. When you read something like this:

Stars must eventually exhaust their supply of hydrogen fuel and burn out; close encounters will gravitationally fling planets from their star systems, and star systems from galaxies.

You don't feel quite so worried about the possible dramas in your life. They'll pass and, eventually, the universe will decay. And if that's too depressing to think about, you can tackle the concept of a Boltzmann Brain; which states that we're just a tiny piece of a larger system of entropy created through random fluctuation.

Hawk gave me the heads up on this Atlantic article regarding The End of TV and the The Death of the Cable Bundle. I think we can all agree that's a pretty dramatic title and, easily, misleading. TV isn't about to die but it's certainly going to need some substantial change to continue being lucrative. Much of this comes on the heels of Aereo being somewhat approved, Viacom butting heads with DirecTV and (of course) everyone's favorite HBO argument.

Will we see ala carte television in our lifetime? It seems somewhat likely. Will we see it without a whole lot of kicking and screaming from the established cable companies? Absolutely not. It seems like an interesting subject / industry to keep your eye on.

Wild Cub recently released a number of goodies for your enjoyment (and to build anticipation for their forthcoming Youth LP - due August 14th). Check out this Summer Sampler and be sure to check out the new video for Shapeless.

Thanks to Miss Moss and Kim for the heads up on the work of Lisa Hedge. I'm rather enjoying the typography work and wedding invites. Plenty of goodness to see throughout.

I'm back from New Orleans! It was a helluva trip and I think I saw maybe 1/1000th of what the city has to offer. Thanks to everyone that sent me recommendations - I can fully endorse the Pharmacy Museum for those looking for something unique to do - they were all welcome and incredibly helpful.

To anyone considering hopping down there, give a moments pause to taking the Amtrak. It was a most pleasant experience and helped to make the whole journey a uniquely memorable time.

Long story short, regular blogging schedule should return now.