My brother and I were discussing this Beatles USB Stick that contains all of the re-mastered CDs (mp3 and FLAC), mini-documentaries, digital replicants of the artwork and some liner notes. We both agree that it's somewhat shameful to charge $280 for a USB drive but that it's actually pretty well done and clever. My question is, if you're a diehard Beatles fan that wants to get their hands on the new version of the catalog are you more likely to buy the physical boxsets or something like this? Or is this a way for them to get around the fact that Beatles music and iTunes are still not friends?

I love it when an actual bit of news reads like a headline from The Onion: Space hotel says it's on schedule to open in 2012. Seriously! A Space Hotel™©! The terrifying part is this:

It will take a day and a half to reach the pod — which Claramunt compared to a mountain retreat, with no staff to greet the traveler.

"When the passengers arrive in the rocket, they will join it for three days, rocket and capsule. With this we create in the tourist a confidence that he hasn't been abandoned. After three days the passenger returns to the transport rocket and returns to earth," he said.

So you get flown into space, dropped off and then engage your own rocket back to Earth? That sounds absolutely terrifying.

Via Kateopolis.

There is no more despised / mocked font than Comic Sans. While there are worse fonts, it certainly is the most well known, most despised typeface around the block. So I was quite surprised to see that HVD had taken it upon themselves to create Comic Serif - a typeface based on the intended playfulness of Comic Sans but with serifs. It's a free download and has been seen out in the wild doing some great things.

Via Daniel.

I haven't taken the time to dive into reading the actual articles but flipping through The Art of Magic yields some surprisingly compelling images. The truth behind most magic acts may be disappointing but the mystique they've created through the ages surrounding their art is worthy of praise. Tuxedos with capes fighting off flying devils and enormous lizard creatures? Approved. And the best part is that there's a lot more where that came from.

Whether or not you believe the reduction in glacier mass is a result of global warming or not you have to admit there is a reduction. There are loads of people attempting to figure out how to combat this problem but one man, Chewang Norphel, has decided to take matters into his own hands... by building man-made glaciers. You can read the details on this process here.

Very interesting! Via Kateopolis.

Not owning a PC anymore means that I'm pretty out of the loop when it comes to intriguing new software for the masses but Jamie showed me Ninite yesterday and I'm pretty impressed. It's an installer for installers. On the surface it seems fairly silly to need such a thing but I can imagine a number of scenarios where having a single installer for a wealth of software would come in extremely handy - especially if you were the type that formatted often or just wanted a compact way to have your software backed up into one package.

Right when I was feeling all proud of my costume I am exposed to this incredible Papercraft head that pretty much blows every other Halloween costume on the face off the Earth out of the water. The details on the creation of it are astounding. I'm absolutely in awe.

Last night a friend was telling me about a report he had seen that went into the damages that downloading / torrenting movies was doing to the movie industry. The report stated that it wasn't hurting the Movie Star as much as it was hurting the little guy, the sound designer, the key grip, etc. With less money coming in from theatre / DVD sales there was less money to produce new films. It made perfect sense and seems quite believable.

However, turns out that might just be a bunch of MPAA propaganda. This article goes into some of the specifics of that very report and exposes them as being rather false. Hollywood isn't making fewer films, nor is it making less money. All and all, I suggest reading this and weighing both sides opinion.

I was a bit surprised and a lot pleased to see that De Novo Dahl hasn't given up the ghost completely. In fact, they've got a new EP, City Driver, available for free download right here. I've really been enjoying "1918" and the whole vibe of the three song is much more laid back than the frantic insanity from their most previous releases, a welcome change.

Long story short - a band I assumed had broken up has, in fact, not broken up but has released a new free EP and promises a new album in 2010.

The Obama Weather Forecast is such a simply, silly idea that you can't help but appreciate it. I've always loved the idea of a weather report just being a series of appropriate clothes to let you know what to expect. It's the equivalent of taking an umbrella icon to a ridiculous level.

Yesterday marked the debut of the 2009 Whiskerino - the four-month beard growing "contest" that I've been curating since 2003. It's absolutely a beast of a project and we've got more participants this year than ever before. It never ceases to amaze me how many people want to showcase their beard growing on the Internet! It's also a bizarre phenomena in that I've made a host of legitimate friends through this activity; but that's sorta the point I suppose.

I could go on and on about the oddness that is Whiskerino but, at its heart, it's a great thing and I'm happy to be having it one last time. I'm also looking forward to having a giant beard on my face again.

My buddies over at the Lake Fever Sessions have unveiled two pretty fantastic things today on the site. Both are entirely worth checking out for different reasons.

• Travis Lake Fever Session - Fran and Andy from Travis dropped in to play some stripped down versions of their catalog of works. The "Big Chair" performance is great (and looks fantastic).
• The Features - "Thursday" - the original session for The Features debuted back in August but there's a bonus performance of their epic song "Thursday" that was just unveiled today. As a 10+ year Features fan, this was a great thing to see finally hit the web.

McSweeney's is never short on the funny but occasionally they hit a perfect nerve and it surpasses their previous works. This rant on Decorative Gourd Season is a fine example of that. There's plenty of NSFW language but we're all grown ups here.. you can handle it. And should, immediately.

While I am not typically one for screensavers I must admit a certain draw to Hotel Gadget - an "imagination stimulant" that pairs random words / images into a surreal creation. It's got a similar vibe to that Ramona Falls video I posted about.. or maybe the Ramona Falls video has a Hotel Gadget vibe. Either way, approved.

You should take a quick look around the rest of the Futusimo Zugakousaku site while you're there. Great design, UI and offerings all around.

Via Renaud.

I, admittedly, know next to nothing of designer Herbert Matter but based on my interest in this poster I think I can count myself as a fan. Some quick searching reveals a wealth of inspiring work that it's hard to imagine that I haven't seen it before. His work - both photographic and design - contains just about everything I love about the whole process; clever abstraction, great typography, simple color palettes, etc. etc. Long story short, I'll be watching this movie when it comes out with extreme interest.

Casey posted this heads up about using Google Voice with your existing number and I must admit that seems more appealing than signing up for an entirely new number. I've signed up for Google Voice but really don't care to inform everyone I know that the phone number I've had for 10 years is now different. This seems like the best of both worlds.. I just wonder if it's advantageous as an iPhone user. Regardless, glad to know the option is out there!

Happy Halloween! Enjoy the videos.

• Mysterious Mose - an incredible mix of puppetry / animation. Absolutely everything about this is perfect. via.
• Ramona Falls - I Say Fever - incredible music video for Ramona Falls. It may not seem Halloween related at first but stick with it, you'll get it. I'd also venture to say that the source material used for the video couldn't be more up my alley. Via Jez.
• Monster Parties: Fact or Fiction? - I will never tire of "Jerkin'" James Whitcroft or Dr. Retarded.
• Garfields Halloween - this probably doesn't hold up but I recall having very fond memories of said special during my childhood. Garfield gets a, somewhat deserved, bad rap but there was a time when it was quite enjoyable.
• The Great Pumpkin - a quick snippet of the Schultz classic.. always pleasant.
• Broom-Stick Bunny - another classic Halloween cartoon. Sad that animation pretty much never looks this stylized and still approachable anymore... or as entertaining. Via Chris.
• Internet Classics by Judit & Judit - bizarre, very accurate, re-creations of a number of Internet memes. Maybe there's a Halloween costume idea in there for you.
• Hummingbird Hat - I saw this on Regretsy and decided I'd love to see someone wearing it out for Halloween night. Sure it's not really a costume but it's so absurd I think everyone would appreciate it.

BONUS

• Unbelievable Hole In One - 100% unrelated to Halloween but still something that should be seen.
• Seafarers - Island of Horror - a new animation from Ferris and Kelly - a special Halloween edition. The "Cheese Grater" and the instructive voice are my favorite.
• Werewolf Bar Mitzvah - revisit the 30 Rock classic.
• The Onion: How To Find A Masculine Halloween Costume For Your Effiminate Son - it goes without saying that there is some inappropriate / vaguely offensive language in here.. but it's hysterical.

Reminder: Snag these Halloween mixes if you have not already:

• Dark Despair (Undead Trespass) - my 2009 Halloween mix
• Crepusuclar - my 2008 Halloween mix
• Et Tu, Morte? - my 2007 Halloween mix
• Songs for Spooks - 2006. Halloween. my mix.
• Pure Terror - way back `05 started them off.

Listen, I know I've mentioned Curse Walk from Shaboi a number of times but, please, oblige me this one final mention. Tomorrow is Halloween. After that, the Shaboi record will still be incredibly enjoyable but less appropriate. So, don't waste any time - go download the record. It's completely free! It's a record you can play at a Halloween party, or while waiting creepily on your porch for kids to come Trick or Treating.

Seriously, get it and I won't mention it again (until the next appropriate time).

99 Percent has an article about Zen Apps - top-shelf desktop software to further improve your technological life. I'm rather drawn to Evernote and the possibilities of Pathfinder.

Tungle looks like an app that will eventually be purchased by Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, etc. as it simplifies something that loads of people are clamoring for - easy sync'ing between calendar programs.

There's always some next new best app that makes the rounds and I think this is a pretty good look at the latest worthwhile subjects. What is it missing?

I've been enjoying reading through Disposable Outcome this morning. Reviews of just about anything (though mostly music) written on post-it notes. Simple enough and quite entertaining.