The Daily What

The Daily What

Road Trip of the Day

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 12:58 PM PDT

- Road Trip of the Day


Benoit Denizet-Lewis, a New York Times Magazine writer, is midway through a cross-country road trip in an RV with his 8-year-old lab mix, Casey, and he’s got a Facebook page chock full of pics and videos that chart their adventures. Ostensibly to do research for a book about dogs in America, “Travels With Casey” is more like a brilliant excuse to hang out with sled dog racers in Alaska, eat beignets in New Orleans, and herd cattle in Colorado with his best friend.

[cesarsway / benoitdenizetlewis]


Tagged: travels with casey

Lunchtime Links

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 12:39 PM PDT


Today on The Daily What Geek:

Elsewhere on the Internets:


Tagged: Lunchtime Links

Heartwarming Tearjerker of the Day

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 12:33 PM PDT


Meet Henry, a long-time nursing home resident who passes his time in a melancholy state of near-silence. Everything changes when caretakers give him an iPod loaded with tunes of long ago. Just like that, he comes to life: “I’m crazy about music! It gives me a feeling of love.”

Spoiler alert. Henry sings. You don’t want to miss a minute.

[gizmodo]


Tagged: Heartwarming Tearjerker

Suspended Campaign of the Day

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 11:59 AM PDT

- Suspended Campaign of the Day


Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum has announced he will suspend his campaign, effectively dropping out of the race and conceding the Republican nomination to frontrunner Mitt Romney.

Santorum cited his daughter Bella’s health as his reason for reconsidering his presidential bid. She suffers from a rare genetic condition, and has been hospitalized twice during the campaign.

“We made a decision over the weekend that, while this presidential race for us is over — for me — and we will suspend our campaign effective today, we are not done fighting,” Santorum said in a statement.

Santorum won primaries in 11 states, but after defeats last week in Wisconsin, Maryland and DC, he would have had to take over three-fourths of the remaining delegates to win the nomination.

[wapo.]


Tagged: republican nomination, Rick Santorum

Google Glasses Hack of the Day

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 10:36 AM PDT


Will Powell, an augmented reality developer in the U.K., has beat Google at the future. His version of Google’s glasses is hacked together from Vuzix glasses, HD webcams, and a mic headset powered by a custom-coded Adobe Air app and Dragon voice recognition software. Translation? He built them himself using existing technology and duct tape.

A statement at the end of the video silences naysayers: “All video is recorded in real time and is undoctored.”

[thenextweb]


Tagged: google glasses, Hack

Nice Call of the Day

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 10:23 AM PDT

- Nice Call of the Day


In the wake of its taxi upgrade, NYC will upgrade 250 old phone booths across the city with 32-inch touchscreens that provide access to local neighborhood information — and the “smartscreens” will eventually be wired to make Skype calls, log into email, and serve as WiFi hotspots. “The goal is to pilot it and see what the response is,” said city spokesman Nicholas Sbordone. Perhaps most important to the 8 million New Yorkers who won’t go near current pay phones: “They’re built to be cleaned with a jet hose,” said Tom Touchet, CEO of City24x7, which will install the screens. “They’re waterproof and dust-proof.”

[pcmag]


Tagged: nyc, phones

Fake Celebrity of the Day

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 10:04 AM PDT


In a genius — and also horrifying — social experiment, not-famous Thomas Elliot donned a hoodie and some buddies for a Saturday outing at a Virginia mall. Before long, his entourage was being escorted by mall security and trailed by “fans,” and several stores even closed their doors for private shopping. The video “is just a taste of all the autographs, pictures, and people who wanted get close to all the commotion.”

[crushable]


Tagged: celebrity, Prank

Luxury Bomb Shelter of the Day

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 09:16 AM PDT

- Luxury Bomb Shelter of the Day


Developer Larry Hall is staking his financial future on the Survival Condo, a state-of-the-art bunker under way in Kansas that extends 200 feet underground and will boast a military-grade defense system. Floors can be reserved for $1.75 million. You know, for when the zombie apocalypse comes to fruition.

[mnn]


Tagged: apocalypse, survival condo

McBillboard of the Day

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 08:49 AM PDT


From the annals of bad ideas, McDonald’s has debuted a billboard whose reflective-tape wording, “Open all night,” is only visible when lit up by headlights. Because it’s not at all freaky to suddenly come upon glowing words off a dark stretch of Vancouver highway.

[hypervocal]


Tagged: Billboard, mcdonald's

New Life of the Day

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 08:05 AM PDT


In 2008, New Zealander Ian Usher went through a mid-life crisis and auctioned off his life — his possessions, his home, his friends — on eBay. Then, he set out to conquer 100 goals in 100 weeks, and with 93 checked off, he’s almost there.

“I think a couple of stand-out ones were swimming with a mother humpback whale and her calf in Japan, and riding a motorbike on the Wall of Death. My week in Pamplona in Spain was fantastic, and terrifying too, running with the bulls there,” he said.

Disney owns the rights to his story and may make a movie.

[stuff]


Tagged: alife4sale, ian usher