What I Learnt Today

Last year WILT asked ‘What do these three baddies have in common?”

This was part of our report on the 2011 Purdue University Goldberg Machine Contest.

The 2012 winner has just been announced. The challenge – blow up and pop a balloon.

The old world record was smashed.

What I Learnt On 12th April in other years

12th April 2011 Micro-apps

The very first post to What I Learnt Today was about Neil Pasricha’s “1000 Awesome Things”.

On June 28, 2008, Neil posted his first awesome thing, Number 1000, “The Brocoflower“.What an ambitious undertaking – not 10, not 100, but 1000!

The countdown has ben maintained every weekday since then. Neil’s blog was an inspiration to this blog, and has been a stawalt of Emaildigest. The site has auspiced two books and been featured in all major media networks.

Awesome Thing 780 Squeezing through a door as it’s shutting without touching it

Awesome Thing 438 Your almost name – What your parents were going to call you but didin’t.

At the time of our first post, on January 1st 2011, Neil was up to Awesome Thing #341 – “Saying See you next year!’ to everyone on new year’s eve and then laughing hysterically“

Awesome Thing #11 Driving through your old neighborhood and stopping to see the house you grew up in

We are now up to Awesome Thing #8 Looking back, smiling and saying thanks. There is just one week to go.

Neil writes –

This is the end, beautiful friend.

Late next week 1000 Awesome Things will hit #1 and we’ll have finished four years counting down one awesome thing every weekday. So… like Luke Skywalker’s triumphant final battle against the Fish Monsters, the Jamaican bobsled team’s mighty last-second push to capture gold in ’88, and Milli Vanilli’s final sold-out show in Wembley Stadium, so too is my time writing about awesome things climaxing in one last blaze of glory

What will make it to Awesome Thing #1?

What is your favourite Awesome Thing?

What I Learnt On 11th April in other years

11th April 2011 The Only 4 Chords You Need

Think Geek released some very special new items today.

Star War’s Admiral Ackbar Singing Bass – “It’s a Trap”

Admiral Ackbar was one of the bravest and wisest minds of the Rebellion. He was the head of the Rebellion Fleet, no less, yet all everyone remembers is one line he said. This fish/Ackbar says that line, and plays the Cantina Song, too!

Hungry Hippos for iPad

Everyone loves Hungry Hungry Hippos. Time to update the classic to the new iPad era! How? By using capacitive-padded hippo heads on an iPad board with a custom HHH app, that’s how! HIPPO POWER!

Barbie Fashion Styling Head for iPad

Barbie™ Digital Fashion Styling Head gives your iPad a virtual makeover. Includes four touch-capacitive accessories for a real beauty salon experience.

And my personal favourite, the PlayMobile Apple Store

Redefing the experience of childhood – creating a seamless transition to the new realities of adult hood.We finally figured out how to create lifelong customers literally moments after they learned to walk. And, with the optional Line Pack, your children can play at lining up for next i-product launch.

You can check out ThinkGeeks previous April 1st ‘specials’ at http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/looflirpa/

What I Learnt On 1st April in other years

1st April 2011 The Hundstol – because the dog is a part of the family

Tomorrow iis April Fool’s Day.

Beware if friend’s who have seen this video by Richard Wiseman.

What I Learnt On 31st March in other years

31st March 2016 So it’s “Goodnight” from me – Swedish Made Simple

31st March 2011 Does Obama Own a Computer?

via amazon.com

9 Hours of t.he Best of Bach for 99c – today only. (that”s $100 off)

JS would be rolling in his grave.

Amazon Link Update: US Only. Dratted ridiculous copyright laws.

What I Learnt On 22nd March in other years

22nd March 2016 New iPad and iPhone Buying Guide

22nd March 2011 Creating a Web App

16 villagers, 3 of whom are werewolves. Can you identify the werewolves and save the innocents, before they are picked off one by one? The clock is ticking. Find and solve the puzzles hidden in the village before it is too late.

Takao Kato has locked over 100,000 people in bars, clubs, cathedrals, and baseball stadiums so that they can participate in his ‘Real Escape Games’.

After five years in which he has operated in China, Japan and Singapore, this week Kato will host a tournament in the USA. If you going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair participate in ‘The Escape from the Werewolf Village‘. But quick, it is selling out fast.

This video shows a previous Real Escape Game.

Takao Kato initially developed the concept of ‘Real Escape Games’ to encourage people to get out and about in his home town of Kyoto. He is taking advantage of the popularity of computer based  ‘Escape the Room’ games, a genre of Adventure Games in which players find and manipulate items they find in a room to solve a series of puzzles to allow them to escape.

‘The Crimson Room’ by Toshimitsu Takagi (2004) is a classic ‘Escape the Room’ game. Can you solve it? NB Like many of these games, this is a Flash based game and won;t work on an iPad, even your new iPad 3, Brendan.

More about Real Escaoe Games in Wired Magazine.

What I Learnt On 21st March in other years

21st March 2011 InstantExpert: World Conflict – MoJo Explainers