"It's the moon, over" Jul 4, 08, 2:28 p.m.

Bloody Welsh.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_ne…

Boob-powered iPod? Jun 27, 08, 6:35 a.m.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/200…

Well, it's a Friday, and there doesn't appear to be anything cerebrally-stimulating or interesting happening here today.

Print on unfamiliar media Jun 25, 08, 11:15 a.m.

As part of an on-going theme in my questioning here, I am doing another job to be printed on a shiny silver plastic.

I'm now trying to play around with the medium, to see what effects I can achieve. Problem is, I don't think I have any way of printing proofs to preview the different effects.

I don't know how I can print on a reflective surface (perhaps I've just not found a material suitable for my ink jet) nor can I print in white (as the underbase).

The jobs I've done previously were relatively easy - I printed a white underbase where I didn't want the silver showing through, and didn't where I did (so that the overall colouration was 'shiny').

Now I want to mix things up a little, partly by printing halftone gradients on the white underbase layer (think the effects that are printed on drinks cans).

Has anyone here been in a similar boat? If so, how did you go about experimenting/proofing (I can't just send ideas to the printer, as they're in China, and they'd need to create individual colour plates for output = quite expensive, obviously).

I've thus far been reduced to dicking around with white paints and tracing paper, held over reflective foil, neither of which is really satisfactory, tbh.

Any thoughts?

Universcale Jun 23, 08, 6:31 p.m.

http://www.nikon.com/about/feeln…

Smart Drugs? Jun 10, 08, 5:26 a.m.

I'm curious to know whether anyone here has ever tried so-called smart drugs for the occasional (or, perhaps, constant) upping of their game?

I've read a couple of articles that hint that scientists, soldiers, lawyers and students (the common socio groups mentioned when a drug sub-culture tries to justify its existence - all we need now are judges and policemen...) across the West have been selectively dosing up on things like Provigil, Prozac or Adderall during exam tests or periods of work pressure, so was wondering whether people in the more creative fields were doing the same? I mean, we all know that old school lifestyle drugs are rife, and there's more than one CD out there tenuously keeping his edge on coke, but we all know that's not a smart path to take for any amount of time*.

As I'm likely never going to touch amphetamines again, I was wondering whether one of these more legitimate pharma options could usefully be employed during those strenuous deadline times when a few extra hours focus here or there could make all the difference.

Anyone chime in?

(and, sadly, I'm not really interested in tales of people boshing ecstasy, speed, acid, coke or totting pot - there've been enough threads on that sort of thing).

* Actually, I wouldn't want to suggest that pharma drugs are a long-term option, but .. well, mutter.

Be aware: ACTA Jun 7, 08, 6:30 a.m.

"Wikileaks has the full text of a memo concerning the dread Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, a draft treaty that does away with those pesky public trade-negotiations at the United Nations (with participation from citizens' groups and public interest groups) in favor of secret, closed-door meetings where entertainment industry giants get to give marching orders to governments in private.

http://www.boingboing.net/2008/0…

Proposed Treaty..
http://www.wikileaks.org/wiki/Pr…)

Last contact May 29, 08, 2:28 p.m.

In a bid to prove their existence to highlight their potential plight, pictures of one of the planet's last uncontacted tribes were taken a during flyover of a remote corner of the Amazon.

http://www.survival-internationa…

Coal May 25, 08, 2:30 p.m.

Packaging UK May 23, 08, 5:27 a.m.

Hello. Do any of you lovely peeps have a favoured supplier of die cut board packaging?

Leather jacket exhibit dies May 11, 08, 11:01 a.m.

http://www.theartnewspaper.com/a…

Apple Keyboard on Win May 8, 08, 9:22 a.m.

OK, time for yet another keyboard in my life - and I must say that new ultra-thin Apple Keyboard is something close to perfection.

So - can I use it on my WinXP box and maintain all the functionality of my current keyboard - particularly the Windows key (presumably remapped to whatever the Apple key is these days)? Having a gander around the 'net, it looks like you certainly can plug older versions in to work, but they don't say anything about the Windows Start key?

Has anyone here got any experience in this department?

Actually - is the keyboard any good? It sure looks pretty.

Phorm vs. Phorm May 3, 08, 5:39 a.m.

In the red corner, a small design company based in Sheffield - Phorm Design.

In the dark olive corner, miscreant spyware bastards of the moment, Phorm.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/200…

What do you think?

I [heart] Japan May 2, 08, 7:52 a.m.

A repository for all your favourite vids & pics from that whacky far-off land.

[insert name] Apr 28, 08, 3:03 p.m.

I like [insert name] too.

SitF Project Apr 28, 08, 9:01 a.m.

How about QBN buying like a bunch of tupperware tubs, shitting in them, then sending them to members. Each member does a douple smear spread in it, send to next member, and so on.. finished shits will send back to qbn and will be randomly given to a member here as present? :D

no? sounds like fun :D

Super Memo Apr 24, 08, 7:31 a.m.

I was reading an article from Wired about this memory aide and was considering giving it a go. Just thought I'd poll you enlightened peeps and see if anyone here has tried it and found it useful?

I'm particularly interested in seeing if it's useful in creative fields - whether learning process or application by rote is possible, or whether our general methodology inherently shadows this process anyway? er.. ie. 'you do, you learn - you re-do you learn more'?

The (rather verbose) Wired article
http://www.wired.com/medtech/hea…

The software..
http://www.super-memo.com/

I'm particularly interested because in the article, it says the creator (another Wozniak! How cool is that?) has learned to structure his routines naturally - he doesn't follow a typical 9-5, he just does what feels right, when it feels right - which is kind of how I live my life.

[insert topic] Apr 21, 08, 8:25 a.m.

[insert content]

R.I.P. Master of Chaos Apr 17, 08, 12:13 p.m.

The father of modern chaos theory and progenitor of the 'Butterfly Wings' memeset, Edward Lorenz, died yesterday, aged 90.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/ne…

Small steps.

Lenticular, UK Apr 17, 08, 4:37 a.m.

Anyone here got a 'cheap' contact for suppliers?

Or is it ridiculously expensive no matter what?

Gold from Silver? Apr 9, 08, 3:44 a.m.

I have a reflective plastic foil material to be printed on, some of which is to be printed on a white underbase, the vast majority of which is not, instead printed directly onto the material.

My question - does anyone here have any experience in illiciting a gold effect, by printing a colour (or colour combination) onto the foil, to make it look like gold?

I want to avoid printing a Pantone gold straight on - this does not work (i mean, obviously, but we've tried and confirmed).

My thinking is to print a standard yellowy/orangey/greeney gold colour, sans white underbase, directly on, so that end result resembles reflective yellowy/orangey/greeney - i.e. gold.

Am I missing anything here?