Cool Pictures | Cool Stuff

Cool Gadgets of the month - Feb 2012

2012-02-04T22:25:00.001Z

Here at cool pictures and stuff, we love gadgets and each month showcase gadgets we think are cool. This is our first installment and will now be a monthly feature on the site (first Saturday of every month). So without further adieu, here's our selection of cool gadgets of February 2012:

GoPro HD HERO2: Outdoor Edition

GoPro cameras are so cool with amazing HD quality for their price. They are used by more professional athletes, sports filmmakers and core enthusiasts than any other camera in the world. The HD HERO2: Outdoor Edition is the most advanced GoPro camera yet. Wearable and gear mountable, waterproof to 197′ (60m), capable of capturing professional full 170º wide angle 1080p video and 11 megapixel photos at a rate of 10 photos per second, the HD HERO2 is the world’s most versatile camera.

Buy From Amazon.com

Check out the video here (Shot 100% on the new HD HERO2® camera from ‪GoPro.com)

Bang & Olufsen Beolit 12

Aiming to bring “contemporary design to the digital generation”, Bang & Olufsen is releasing this cool hamper-esque portable speaker in February 2012. Part of the new Play line, the Beolit 12 sports Wi-Fi and has the rapidly-becoming-obligatory Apple AirPlay on board. Expect 120 watts of sound via a brace of two-inch tweeters and a four inch subwoofer, eight hours of battery life per charge, and a considerable dent in your wallet.

Buy From Amazon.com

Here's a video of Beolit 12:

Apple iPad 2

What can you say about the iPad? Genius, revolutionary, mind-blowing...words do not do this gadget justice. Now iPad is even more amazing and even less like anything else. With 2 cameras for FaceTime and HD video recording, a fast and efficient dual-core A5 chip, and the same 10-hour battery life. All inside a thinner, lighter design.

Buy From Amazon.com

Apple iPod touch 8GB (4th Generation)

The world's coolest most popular portable gaming device is even more fun. Now available in black and white, iPod touch includes iOS 5 with over 200 new features, like iMessage, Notification Center, and Twitter integration. Send free, unlimited text messages over Wi-Fi with iMessage. Record HD video and make FaceTime calls.

Buy From Amazon.com

cNet have a good review of the iTouch here:

Kindle Fire

Kindle Fire is no Apple iPad, but it's a much cheaper that the iPad which will tempt those on a budget.

Buy From Amazon.com

Here's a good honest review of the Kindle Fire here by youtuber 'Soldier Knows Best':

Samsung Series 9 Notebook

Designed with mobility in mind, Samsung's durable, ultra premium, lightweight Series 9 laptop (model NP900X3A-B01) offers mobile professionals and power users a sophisticated laptop equally suited for work and entertainment. Featuring a minimalist look that is both simple and sophisticated, it's highlighted by a dramatic enclosure made of super-strong duralumin. This Series 9 laptop also includes a brilliant 13.3-inch LED display with HD resolution, 128 GB Solid State Drive (SSD), 4 GB of system memory, and an integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000 processor.

Buy From Amazon.com

We hope you enjoyed these cool gadgets and come back in 1 months time when we will feature cool gadgets of the month - March 2012.

35 Cool Pictures - Amazing Landscapes of Earth

2012-02-03T13:09:00.000Z

A special collection of inspirational cool landscape pictures 'earthporn' from around the world for your viewing pleasure. Gaze in awe at mother nature in all her splendor.

Competition - Win Oakley Inmate Chrome Sunglasses

2012-02-02T22:39:00.007Z

We've teamed up with Sunglasses Shop to offer our cool stuff readers the chance to win one pair of cool Oakley Inmate Polished Chrome Sunglasses worth £135.

How to Win?

To be in with a chance of winning these cool Oakley sunglasses, all you need is 'Like' our Facebook page here. and also 'Like' the Sunglasses Shop here.

We will pick a winner at random and inform the winner on the 29th February. Good luck everyone and thanks to Sunglasses Shop for providing this cool prize!

Closing date is 29th February 2012

Oakley Inmate Chrome Sunglasses Info

Oakley don’t mind being repeat offenders when it comes to thrashing the world’s idea of performance, and they’re not above taking a two-fisted approach when we see what passes for style. Take a look at Inmate sunglasses and you’ll see why it busts out of the shackles that keep ordinary shades restrained, sedate and spineless. Assertive style with a honed edge, it’s a look that refuses to be caged or even take orders, for that matter.

Five metal compounds are fused to create durable C-5™, a lightweight alloy that unlocks comfort. The frame makes contact only at the nose bridge and temples, thanks to a Three-Point Fit that utilises unobtainium components to increase grip with sweat. High Definition Optics offers unbelievable clarity while letting us contour the lenses to open up your peripheral view. Oakley’s Plutonite lens material blocks 100% of all UVA, UVB and UVC, and even stops harmful blue light up to 400nm. When it comes to impact protection, INMATE meets all ANSI Z80.3 Industrial Standards.

§ Ultra-lightweight hi-modulus C-5™ frame material

§ Optimised peripheral vision and side protection of twin toric lens curvature

§ Comfort and performance of Three-Point Fit that holds lenses in precise optical alignment

§ Optical precision and performance that meets all ANSI Z80.3 standards

§ Impact resistance that meets all ANZI Z80.3 standards

§ UV protection of Plutonite lens material that filters out 100% of UVA/UVB/UVC & harmful blue light

§ Glare reduction and tuned light transmission of Iridium lens coating (optional)

§ Patented hydrophilic Unobtanium earsocks ensure a snug, secure fit
Oakley

Founded in 1975, Oakley was created for world-class athletes who see the limits of possibility as just another challenge. Combining technical brilliance, with sheer designer style, function and fit, the Oakley brand has been built upon the innovative and futuristic ideas of one Jim Jannard, self-proclaimed mad-scientist and inventor. Jim held firm the belief that ‘everything in the world can and will be made better’.

That’s why we have Oakley today.

All Oakley sunglasses are built using Oakley technology; it’s where physics meets art. Among it the High Definition Optics give you the best clarity and a Three-Point-Fit means your sunglasses will only touch your nose bridge and temples. It allows for more comfort. As well as being practical, the contemporary designs means Oakley sunglasses give a real edge to your image.

The name Oakley means some of the best engineered sunglasses,goggles and accessories on the planet.

Nasa Reveal Latest Blue Marble Photo

2012-02-02T13:38:00.000Z

Nasa's amazingly cool pictures of Earth or 'Blue Marble' started in 1972 when Apollo astronauts took photographs of our world from 28,000 miles away. The images that came back looked like a blue marble in space. Since then, the space agency has used the term for spectacular hi-def images of our planet created from satellite imagery and often released once a year. This is the latest photo they have captured using imagery from Nasa's most recently launched Earth-observing satellite, Suomi NPP.

Blue Marble 2012 was taken by a hi-tech instrument aboard NASA's most recently launched Earth-observing satellite - Suomi NPP. This composite image uses a number of passes over the Earth's surface taken on January 4, 2012

The Bark Side - Dogs Barking Star Wars Imperial March

2012-02-01T22:05:00.001Z

Star Wars fans love this cool advert from VW featuring dogs barking the Star Wars Imperial March theme tune. The melodic mutts, some dressed as characters from the space movie, are part of an "Intergalactic Invite" by Volkswagen for their Big Game Party 2012. A black labrador wears Darth Vader's familiar coloured chest piece, while other cute dogs are dressed as an Ewok, C-3PO and Chewbacca. And as the tune ends, a greyhound dressed as an At-At strolls across the front. Enjoy!

Cool Advert - Crafted Entirely From Paper

2012-02-01T11:23:00.000Z

A behind the scenes video of the latest cool advert from Peugeot made entirely from paper. There are dozens of paper cuts, hundreds of Peugeot models and an infinite amount of patience. Peugeot didn’t take the easy option and animate in CGI. They looked for something different, something more authentic and crafted to reflect Peugeot’s philosophy for designing their vehicles. With that in mind, Peugeot asked London designer Kyle Bean and director Joseph Mann to make this Peugeot commercial entirely from paper.

“Blinkink director Joseph Mann has teamed up with Blinkart designer extraordinaire Kyle Bean to create a stunning stop motion paper world for Euro RSCG and Peugeot. Mann and Bean, along with their team of paper artists, created everything in the 30″ film, including hundreds of individual spanners and bollards, over a period of 4 weeks entirely bespoke.”

Ice and Snow Festival 2012

2012-01-26T13:30:00.000Z

Showcasing cool pictures from the amazing Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival. The festival has been held since 1963 and is nicknamed "Ice City" and aptly so for winter January temperatures that average -18 degrees Celsius. The ice and snow festival officially starts January 5th and lasts one month, although exhibits often stay open longer, weather permitting of course!

Harbin is one of the world's four largest ice and snow festivals, along with Japan's Sapporo Snow Festival, Canada's Quebec City Winter Carnival and Norway's Ski Festival.

Cool Pictures from around the world - Part 1

2012-01-25T08:00:00.000Z

Part 1 of 5 showcasing a selection of cool pictures from around the world. Our planet is full of amazing places of stunning natural beauty which photographers have been capturing since cameras were first invented. Here's a selection of just a few of our favorite photos from different parts of the world for you to enjoy

Cool football skills on show at 'flash kick' event in London Victoria

2012-01-24T13:11:00.000Z

As part of a cool advertising campaign for the new Samsung Galaxy Note, a ‘flash kick’ at London’s Victoria station. Watch to see how 4 footballers use fancy football skills, along with the brilliant screen and innovative S Pen of the Samsung GALAXY Note, to transform a routine commute into a spectacular event for Londoners.

Check out more Project Teamwork videos from Samsung Mobile and ESPN at
http://www.espn.com/projectteamwork

Stormtrooper Cake

2012-01-20T13:51:00.000Z

We're huge Star Wars fans, and even bigger fans of cake, so this cool stormtrooper cake (lifesize) immediately tickled our fancy! The Stormtrooper Cake stood 6ft 4inches tall and weighed weighing 300lb before it was devoured by 600 attendees at the Arisia Sci-Fi Convention (Boston).

The making...or building! of the Stormtrooper cake was a big job requiring a crew of 10 people 2 full weeks.

Cool Surfing Video - Apocalypse Now, Surf Later

2012-01-18T19:03:00.001Z

A cool surfing video called “Apocalypse Now, Surf Later” has gone viral. With the Mayan calendar counting down less than 12 months away to the end of the world, some of us may wonder where we'd like to be on doomsday. It's received 192,000 views since it was uploaded on January 8th 2012. Could the end of the world really look like this? Watch the video here....

The cool music in the video is called 'The Whales' by The Mermen from their 1989 album 'Krill Slippin’.

YouTuber keef70 shot the video on a GoPro camera in Sunset Point (LA) and created the video effects on his iMac. The video is imagined through the eyes of a fearless surfer, the scenario set the scene for an eerie video that's sweeping the web. Surfers straddle their surfboards and drift with the tide, taking in the scene as as airships float in from overhead.

'The surfers decided to stay behind and if this is their last day alive, they're going to die doing what they love,' the filmmaker wrote.

Meteors fall from the sky trailed by blazes of fire and smoke, crashing into waves and raining down ash. The scene was set with several animation tools, with effects done in Maya, motion tracking in Mocha and compositing done in After Effects, according to the filmmaker.

'I purposely left it in a grey area (no pun intended) so people could interpret it their own way.'

'But the original storyline had more of a 'we brought this on ourselves' idea rather than an invasion from an external enemy,' he wrote.

Here's a few cool pictures of a few of the scenes from Apocalypse Now, Surf Later.

Cool Video - What is the single best thing we can do for our health?

2012-01-18T12:29:00.000Z

Superb health video with cool picture illustrations answering the question "What is the single best thing we can do for our health?". The answers aren't rocket science but they way the video is put together and illustrated is refreshingly creative. Enjoy...

5 Cool Skateboard Videos

2012-01-13T20:33:00.003Z

Showcasing 5 of our favorite skateboard videos from around the world featuring some seriously cool skateboarding. Skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years, the most famous being Tony Hawk who performed the first 900 along with his popular licensed computer video games. Skateboarding was as invented in the late 1940s when surfers in California wanted something to surf when the waves were flat. According to Wikipedia, a 2002 report found that there were 18.5 million skateboarders in the world which 85% of them being aged 18 and under and 74% male. Not surprising that the skateboarders showcased in these 5 following skateboarding videos are all young and male. Enjoy...

Guy Mariano Fully Flared
Arguably the best skateboarder out there. Music being played is one of favorite songs called 'Funeral' by Band of Horses.

Blueprint - Waiting For The World - John Ratrray

Bobby Puleo - Static 2

The DC Video - Stevie Williams

Mark Gonzales - Real Skateboards Real To Reel '01

Cool Pictures and Videos from the Dakar Rally 2012

2012-01-13T15:15:00.002Z

Showcasing cool pictures and videos of the Dakar Rally 2012 currently in full swing with the world’s top adventure riders competing in the 33rd Dakar Rally. For those of you unfamiliar with this amazing rally, the Dakar Rally 2012 is a pan-American adventure of more than 9,000km in total. Unlike previous year’s loops, the 2012 Dakar Rally route will transport the rally from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean to those of the Pacific, enabling its competitors to discover new lands and another aspect of South America.

The scale of this challenge has led to a change in the race’s format, which will include 14 days of racing in 2012. This year we've been gunning for Red Bull racer Marc Coma, who's currently battling it out with race leader Cyril Despres. Cool video of him Marc Coma here....

It should be interesting to see how things play out between these two in the final days of the race. Peru brings new challenges for all of the racers, so it's still anyone's game! The Dakar continues to live up to its name as one of the toughest races in motorsport, and this year’s rally has tragically already claimed its first life, as motorcyclist Jorge Martinez Boero of Argentina died from a cardiac arrest, after crashing during the rally’s first stage. To catch up with all things Dakar Rally related, Red Bull has setup a cool webite bringing you daily updates direct from the front line. Visit Dakar Rally 2012.

On the website you'll see up-to-date coverage of the Dakar rally 2012 , along with lots of cool video highlights and pictures like these:

Dakar Rally 2012 Pictures

Cyril Despres of France and Team Red Bull KTM arrives at the bivouac after stage four of the 2012 Dakar Rally from San Juan to Chilecito on Jan. 4, 2012 in Chilecito, Argentina.

Cyril Despres of France and Team Red Bull KTM in action during stage ten of the 2012 Dakar Rally from Iquique to Arica on January 11, 2012 in Arica, Peru.

France's Stephane Peterhansel and his co-pilot Jean-Paul Cottret of France drive their Mini Monster during the fourth stage of the fourth South American edition of the Dakar Rally 2012 from San Juan to Chilecito Jan. 4, 2012.

France's Olivier Pain rides his Yamaha during the Stage 4 of the 2012 Dakar Rally between San Juan, San Juan province and Chilecito, la Rioja province, Argentina, on Jan. 4, 2012. Spain's Marc Coma won the stage.

Sponsored Post

Cool Dakar Rally 2012 Videos

7 Cool Recycled Sculptures

2012-01-12T17:48:00.003Z

We love a bit of cool art and creativity here at cool pictures and they say that one man's rubbish is another man's treasure – that's certainly the case with these incredibly cool sculptures built entirely from recycled materials.

Korean artist Yong Ho Ji constructs his sculptures from recycled tyres.

Recycled sunglasses are the inspiration behind this lamp from Deeply Madly Living.

Japanese Sculptor Sayaka Kajita constructed this dramatic scene
from ordinary household plastic objects.

Horse sculpture made from scavenged branches at London Zoo.

Cuban born artists Alain Guerra and Neraldo de la Paz used recycled clothes to make their own rainbow.

Aviator sunglasses were the inspiration behind this computer generated sculpture from Costa Del Mar.

Swiss-born artist Tom Samui builds his sculptures from recycled car parts and makes natural beauty from man-made cast-offs.

10 Random Cool Pics of the week

2012-01-05T13:36:00.001Z

It's random cool pictures of the week time so here are 10 of our favorites for you to enjoy. Perfect if you're bored at work and fed up at looking at new jobs and where to go on holiday in 2012!

10 Best Table Tennis Shots of 2011

2012-01-03T12:45:00.001Z

Here's a cool video featuring the 10 best table tennis (or ping pong!) shots of 2011. Some amazing skill and luck on display here. Our vote goes for best shot goes to number 5, check it out!

20 Cool Pictures of 2011 - Part 2

2011-12-23T16:42:00.000Z

Part 2 of our favorite 20 cool pictures of 2011 featuring some stunning nature photography.

30 Cool Pictures of 2011 - Part 1

2011-12-23T16:17:00.000Z

Showcasing 30 of our favorite cool pictures of 2011 (Part 1).

San Francisco Sculpture - Made from 100,000 toothpicks!

2011-12-23T12:07:00.000Z

As cool stuff goes, this amazing San Francisco sculpture called 'Rolling Through the Bay' by Scott Weaver using 100,000 toothpicks is one of our favorites of 2011. It took 35 years to create! It comprises of multiple 'tours' that move pingpong balls through neighborhoods, historical locations and iconic symbols of San Francisco. All of this is created with a little glue, some toothpicks and an incredible amount of ingenuity.

Scott Weaver admits in the video that there are several toothpick sculptures even larger than his, but none has the unique kinetic components he’s constructed. And while he doesn’t hold the record for the largest toothpick sculpture, his stands apart with numerous hidden ball-runs that snake around the sculpture. Amazingly, each run is a “tour” of a different part of the city.

Check out these pictures and the amazing detail using toothpicks!

Using only Elmer’s glue and working in his spare time, Weaver used amazing precision to create the work. But to build it, Weaver couldn’t rely on domestic toothpicks alone. From his website:

I have used different brands of toothpicks depending on what I am building. I also have many friends and family members that collect toothpicks in their travels for me. For example, some of the trees in Golden Gate Park are made from toothpicks from Kenya, Morocco, Spain, West Germany and Italy. The heart inside the Palace of Fine Arts is made out of toothpicks people threw at our wedding.

For more information, please visit Scott Weaver's website at http://www.rollingthroughthebay.com/sf1.html

4 Cool Pics of TV/MovieReunions

2011-12-23T11:57:00.002Z

Showcasing cool pictures of recent tv and movie reunions of Lord of the Rings, Back to the Future, Goonies and Fresh Prince.

Amazing Carved Book Landscapes

2011-12-23T11:39:00.000Z

As well as showcasing cool pictures, we love featuring cool stuff like these amazing carved book landscapes by Guy Laramee. Dense pages of old books are excavated to reveal serene mountains, plateaus, and ancient structures.Check these out!

For the better part of three decades multidisciplinary artist Guy Laramee has worked as a stage writer, director, composer, a fabricator of musical instruments, a singer, sculptor, painter and writer. Among his sculptural works are two incredible series of carved book landscapes and structures entitled Biblios and The Great Wall, where the dense pages of old books are excavated to reveal serene mountains, plateaus, and ancient structures. Of these works he says:

So I carve landscapes out of books and I paint Romantic landscapes. Mountains of disused knowledge return to what they really are: mountains. They erode a bit more and they become hills. Then they flatten and become fields where apparently nothing is happening. Piles of obsolete encyclopedias return to that which does not need to say anything, that which simply IS. Fogs and clouds erase everything we know, everything we think we are.

Cool Christmas Lights

2011-12-22T08:11:00.001Z

Showcasing cool Christmas lights pictures and videos from around the world to give you some inspiration for your festive decorations. It's amazing what can be created with some creative thinking and a lot of outdoor Christmas lights. Just check these cool pictures out!

Finally, check out this crazy Christmas Lights video!

12 very cool but geeky houses with their Christmas lights synchronized with music!

House with 56,100 LEDs Christmas Lights

2011-12-21T18:27:00.000Z

Cool video of a house in California with the most over the top Christmas lights (56,100 LEDs) we've ever seen! Check this out!

Christmas Light Show 2011 in Fountain Valley, CA by Devers Dream Weavers using 56,100 LEDs.

This setup consists of 56,100 LEDs (220 StellaGreen strings controlled by 15 StellaScapes E16-II controllers), programmed to dance to the music via MADRIX Ultimate running on a custom built Core i5-760 @ 2.8GHz w/ 8GB of RAM. The snowflakes, arches, mini trees, mega tree, & star topper were all made by me. Several custom effects were programmed in MADRIX. All networking, installation, research, programming, & all nighters performed by the installer (Damion)

The whole system draws a maximum of 24 Amps, it runs on 120v AC. So that equals 2880 watts. Basically if you run a hair dryer and a vacuum cleaner, it's nearly equivalent.

2011 Fails - Best Failures Video and Pics

2011-12-21T13:30:00.004Z

Showcasing cool failure pictures of 2011 along with a funny 12 minute video of the best fails of 2011.

Cool Fail Pictures of 2011
Showcasing some of our favorite fail pictures of 2011.