Just messing around with uStream.tv today - it's a pretty cool web application. I also like how it allows you to record while you're doing live broadcasting.

Embedded below is a test of such. Obviously I need to adjust settings for the video to be synced up as well as the audio, but I think the service has potential. The backend also allows for converting to MP4 files, which could be useful if I wanted to podcast these out in the future, but the conversion I did didn't take so well.

This is a cover of a Mike Doughty song, "Unsingable Name". There's a girl who does a fantastic cover of this on YouTube, so I encourage any of you who like this track to search for cover artists out there online - unless of course you get the chance to see the man himself.

(be warned, I'm about to YouTube your eyes out)

Penn & Teller were the first magicians that really caught my eye (pun intended - see below). They had a limited run on UK's Channel 4 at about the same time I was recommended "The Royal Road to Card Magic" by a magician working the floor in Harrods. Seeing them in gory, humourous action was such a departure from the stiff, well-mannered methods presented in the book. Consider the following two examples from 1994's "The Unpleasant World of Penn & Teller":

Since then, I've always kept the duo in periphery - they are perhaps most famous now for debunking all sorts of common misconceptions in their Emmy award-winning show, "Bullshit!" in the US (sadly, not available here in the UK on DVD - else I'd have 'em all). Penn also went on to host his own radio show on Free FM (archives of which can be found on PennFans.net), and his own video channel on Sony's Crackle, which unfortunately has no RSS feed at present, so I can't get it delivered which you can subscribe to in iTunes here. All this and two shows a night in Vegas.

Of course, most recently, Penn Jillette was on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars", the US-alike of our "Strictly Come Dancing" and was voted off on the second show. Here's the entirety of his performance from the first outing to the Kimmel interview and then Penn's final say.

Penn Jillette remains one of my favourite people in the world. If I ever go back to the States, I'm making a side-trip to Vegas just for the Penn & Teller show.

Last month I wrote about Prince Charles delivering a speech using modern holographic technology that hearkened back to 19th century technology - the Pepper's Ghost Illusion. Leafing through the newest edition of MAKE magazine (alas, my last subscription copy - I'm not using credit cards any longer) on magic, there's a section on a little known corner of the Google-verse called "Google Patents Search".




Why is this cool? Well, using the patent search will let you find out the inner workings of some of the older tricks around, including sawing a person in half, pulling a rabbit out of your hat, and, of course, Pepper's Ghost.











Viewing these patents with their technical drawings and explanations doesn't immediately give away any of the trickery, but it is fascinating to see both the complexities involved in some of them, as well as the simplicity of design in others.

Even if you're not that technically-minded, this quarter's edition of MAKE has some superb articles, including one entitled "Making Magic" by illusion designer John Guaghan, who has designed illusions for the likes of Siegfried and Roy and David Copperfield.

Click above or here to go to YouTube

In a strange turn of synchronicity, I happened to be reading the above article, which opens with a quote by Arthur C. Clarke just moments after I heard about his death last night. This statement certainly rings true for anyone working in IT:

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

Alison's away this evening, so I get to do things I wouldn't normally do when we're both in the lounge...

Sirius and I get to engage in a little mutual co-ordination exercise.

And hey! Not meaning to, I finally embed a card in the scratching post, a la Ricky Jay...

One in 52, originally uploaded by jim.christian.

No animals were harmed during tonight's proceedings.

Adam sent this link through to me the other week under the title of "Most... disturbing... video ever.":

"Next week on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles..."

Elmo has certainly come a long way since his first "Tickle-Me" incarnation. In fact, in researching this, I had no idea there were so many different Elmo dolls at present (see video below). I think the possibilities of the new one are pretty damned cool, though. How hackable will the new Elmo be - because that will certainly be a sales factor.

It makes me think of what Teddy Ruxpin could have been with a chip and an uplink cable, instead of a cassette player embedded in his stomach. Get in line early, folks, this one is going to be the must-have XMas toy of 2008. Buy early, eBay earlier...

I disagree with Adam though - this video is much more disturbing entertaining:

"Hehehe...that tickles! KILL JAMES. KILL ALL HUMANS."

More Elmo-phemera:

• Puppeteer (muppeteer?) and voice of Elmo, Kevin Clash on NPR's "Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me", January 2007 Link