Landscape With A Corpse is a photo series of elaborately staged death scenes by Japanese photographer Izima Kaoru. Kaoru works with his female models to choose a scenario, location, and designer clothes for the scene. He then documents the scene in photos eerily devoid of people, save for the elegantly dressed victim. Kaoru has been working on the series since 1995.

via EMPTY KINGDOM, My Modern Metropolis

Petcube is a small, four-inch aluminum cube that allows users to watch, talk, and play with their pets remotely using a smartphone app. The device is equipped with a 720p video camera, a remote-controlled low-intensity laser pointer, a microphone, and speakers that can all be accessed via smartphone. The Petcube isn’t yet available for pre-order, but is expected to be available this fall. Those who are interested in the product can sign up to be notified when it’s available for order at the Petcube website.

images via Petcube

submitted via Laughing Squid Tips

“These heroes will stop at nothing to take down a sort of ruthless drug lord by destroying poor neighborhoods.”

In celebration of Fast & Furious 6 racing into theaters this week, Screen Junkies released an honest movie trailer for the 2011 action film Fast Five, the fifth installment in the Fast and the Furious film series.

We’ve decided to light up ‘Fast Five,’ the first film in the street racing franchise that completely does away with any street racing.

In a recent episode of Earth Unplugged by BBC Earth Productions, animal nerd Sam Hume and camera geek Simon Baxter capture slow motion footage of Shaolin Warriors performing extremely fast acrobatics. We previously wrote about Sam and Simon’s super slow motion videos showing a barn owl attacking its prey, a Northern Goshawk attacking water balloons, and wet animals shaking.

via Tested

Makr Shakr is a robotic bartender system that lets people order drinks from a trio of industrial robots. A companion app lets people choose and customize a drink recipe from a list of more than 100 liquors and mixers. Two of the Kuka industrial robots are equipped with cocktail shakers for mixing duty, while the third delivers finished drinks to a conveyor, which passes them on to the person who ordered the drink (presumably so that nobody gets whacked by the extremely fast-moving robots). Makr Shakr is a collaboration between MIT SENSEable City Laboratory and Italian architecture studio Carlo Ratti Associati. It debuted earlier this month at the Google I/O 2013 conference in San Francisco. For more on the system see this Gizmodo article.

photo by Lucas Werthein

photo by Max Tomasinelli

video via Gizmodo

via Gizmodo

The light art installation “Ballroom Luminoso” illuminates a highway overpass in San Antonio, Texas with shifting colors from six LED-lit globes. Made of recycled bike parts, the four-foot-diameter globes cast complex shadows throughout the underside of the highway. The installation was created by Joe O’Connell + Blessing Hancock Public Art.

via Recyclart

The iconic chestburster scene scene from Alien (1979) has been given an amazing homemade remake in this new Cinefix episode of Homemade Movies by California-based director, animator and musician Dustin McLean of DustFilms. Previously we wrote about Dustin and his homemade remake of The bullet time scene from The Matrix.

Ripley and the Nostromo crew sit down for a lovely meal with André from BlackNerdComedy and a homemade Xenomorph.

You can also check out the behind-the-scenes and side by side comparison videos from CineFix.

videos via CineFix

In the photo series “Ricettario: A balanced diet,” recipes are visualized in precariously balanced arrangements of their various ingredients. The arrangements were created by Italian stylist and set designer Elena Mora. The photos were taken by Karsten Wegener.

via ETODAY, My Modern Metropolis

Graphic artist Adam J. Kurtz has created this humorous t-shirt that mimicks the 1979 Joy Division album Unknown Pleasures with the text “What is this? I’ve seen it on Tumblr.” The t-shirt is currently available for pre-order until May 30th.

image via Adam J. Kurtz

via Adam J. Kurtz, A Post Punk Tumblr, Nerdcore

Let go self obsession and be set free.

This is Vanity is a short film directed by Oliver Goodrum and written by Alexander Craig that tells the story of “a tiring mother who struggles to protect both herself and her disabled teenage daughter from the continual attacks of local adolescents.” After the authorities have failed to help, she seeks “a far greater power than can be found on her failing human plane.” The film is the first part of a planned trilogy which includes This Is Vanity, This Is Iniquity, and This Is Solidarity. The end of this short film features a hidden trailer for This Is Iniquity.

image via This Is Vanity

submitted via Laughing Squid Tips

Microsoft has announced the Xbox One gaming console at a May 21st event in Redmond, Washington. Microsoft is pushing the new console as an “all in one experience” for all kinds of entertainment — music, television, movies, and video games.

The Xbox One will allow users to instantly switch between video games, television shows, movies, music, and even an internet browser using voice commands, and also features new Kinect gestures for switching between running apps. Users can also have multiple apps running simultaneously with the newly announced Snapmode. Microsoft’s new console also features a live television guide that allows users to navigate using conversational voice commands like “Show CBS” and “What’s on HBO?” The Xbox One Guide also has a Favorites section so users can keep track of their favorite shows, as well as a Trending section that surfaces the most popular content on Xbox Live. Like Sony’s PlayStation 4, the Xbox One will feature “game DVR” to allow games to capture and share gaming moments online. In an interview with The Verge, Microsoft Xbox Live VP Marc Whitten said that the Xbox One will not be backwards compatible with Xbox 360 games. However, Microsoft did not specify if or how the console would be constantly connected to the internet (possibly to combat piracy).

As for hardware, the Xbox One includes an 8 Core CPU, 8GB RAM, 500 GB HDD, Blu-ray, USB 3.0, Wi-fi direct 802.11n. At the event, Microsoft also unveiled a new Kinect motion sensor, a redesigned controller, and revamped Smart Glass and Xbox Live.

In a surprising announcement, Microsoft revealed that 343 Industries and Steven Spielberg will be collaborating on a live-action Halo television series for the Xbox One. NFL also announced a partnership with Microsoft in which Xbox, Kinect, and Smart Glass will support fantasy football content. EA Sports announced new FIFA, Madden NFL, NBA Live 14, and UFC games for the console which are expected to launch in the next 12 months. Other games unveiled at the event include Forza Motorsport 5 — which will be available at launch — Quantum Break, and Call of Duty: Ghosts. The console will launch “around the world later this year,” and Microsoft will have more information and additional game announcements at this year’s E3 conference. For more information, see Polygon‘s coverage of the Xbox One announcement.

images via Xbox

Scenes from Duel, a 1971 film about a rampaging trucker directed by Steven Spielberg, and the audio from a 1949 driver education film are combined in the hilarious mashup video, “Drive Deplorably with Steven Spielberg.” Duel was the second feature-length film to be directed by Steven Spielberg. The video was edited by OneMinuteGalactica for Slacktory.

submitted via Laughing Squid Tips

For YouTube Comedy Week, British actor and comedian Ricky Gervais attempts to teach us how to play the guitar and his catchy song “Life On The Road.” The best part is that he does so as his character David Brent from The Office (UK version). Just like in the TV show, David repeatedly becomes confused about which camera to look into.

For YouTube Comedy Week, Sarah Silverman and will.i.am teamed up to create the music video for “Perfect Night,” a kickin’-it-at-home anthem where Silverman describes her perfect night of being alone, ordering in, getting high, masturbating, and more.

video via JASH

submitted via Laughing Squid Tips

“Tron Swanson”

How The West Was Pun is an upcoming solo art show by New York City-based street artist Hanksy at Gallery1988 (West) in Los Angeles featuring a clever collection of his pun-filled pop culture street art. The show will open on Friday, May 24th from 7 PM to 10 PM and runs until June 15, 2013. Previously we wrote about more of Hanksy’s punny street art and prep work for his solo art show.

The artist has had two consecutive sell-out shows, and now he brings his satirical pieces of celebrity pun worship to Los Angeles. The show will include original paintings, giclee prints, his first screenprints, wall murals and toilet seats.

Teamed up with Pharrell Williams and I Am Other for the short film, “It’s a Punderful Life” chronicling my work, origins, and obsession with celebrity.

“Meth Rogen”

“Daft Skunk”

“Leo’s career has really gone down the crapper (JK love ya Leonardo)”

“A very dairy Milk Jagger”

“Turd on a wire”

“Ted Dancin” (art prints)

“Cage Against The Machine” (art prints)

images and video via Hanksy, Gallery1988

As part of an ongoing video series, CinemaSins has released an entertaining new video that points out “Everything Wrong With Mortal Kombat In 7 Minutes Or Less.”

We take a look through the microscope at the mother of all video game adaptations, Mortal Kombat. Boy, are you guys that thought we were doing Green Lantern going to be disappointed.

In a dangerous escalation of the global latte art movement, Osaka-based barista Kazuki Yamamoto has been perfecting a technique for making 3D latte art. The foamy milk sculptures take the form of animals and pop culture characters. For more of his latte art, check out his Twitter media gallery. Baristas of America: this is not a drill.

via Kotaku

In the interactive installation “Welcome Into The Future,” spectators use cube-shaped devices to control projections that are mapped on to two animal sculptures. A collaboration by Dutch design studios Sober Industries and Studio Rewind, the installation was displayed at Rotterdamse Museumnacht in Rotterdam back in 2011.

photo via Studio Rewind

photo via Sober Industries

photo via Sober Industries

via Lustik

For Youtube Comedy Week, The Gregory Brothers honored the popular video-sharing website’s 8th birthday by releasing their funny new music video, “The History of YouTube.” Michael Gregory blows the mind of his brother Carl, who has been on a “work vacation” for eight years, by introducing him to all of the viral wonders of YouTube.

video via YouTube

In anticipation of the Webby Awards, comedian Patton Oswalt worked with Funny or Die to make “They Surf,” a parody of the sci-fi classic They Live where he “learns that the Internet is taking over the world” after “donning a pair of special sunglasses.” Oswalt is set to host the Webbys for the second consecutive year on May 21, 2013.

New York-based writer and video editor Bryan Menegus created an excellent 8-minute supercut video for Slacktory featuring running gags from Arrested Development. Previously we wrote about Bryan and his supercut videos of all the swearing in Game of Thrones and Clint Eastwood squinting in movies.

Eight solid minutes of ‘Arrested Development’ in-jokes, from “no touching” to “say goodbye to these, Michael!”

submitted via Laughing Squid Tips

Following the announcement that Yahoo acquired Tumblr, Yahoo also unveiled a complete redesign for photo sharing service Flickr. In a Tumblr post, CEO Marissa Mayer said that the redesign “puts photos front and center,” allowing for full-resolution image uploads and removing a lot of the white space in the original design. Flickr is also offering users one free terabyte of space — room for over 500,000 photos — and now supports 1080p HD videos up to three minutes in length. The redesign also introduces a new slideshow mode for viewing photos and a new Activity Feed that shows friends’ uploads alongside activity on your own photos, as well as the ability to share uploaded photos on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Pinterest. The new features have already rolled out, and a newly redesigned Flickr Android app is currently available for download in the Google Play Store.

According to ABC News, Yahoo plans to launch an advertising campaign for the newly revamped photo sharing service, beginning with 11 billboards located in New York City’s Times Square. The company’s New York team will also be moving into the former New York Times building around the corner from Times Square by December of this year.

Before

After

images via Flickr

On a recent episode of Conan, late night host Conan O’Brien gave a comical YouTube video response to Quick and Simple Life Hacks 8 by Household Hacker. He pokes fun at their life hacks, such as: how to light a candle with a stick of spaghetti and how to make ice cream last longer with aluminum foil.

Here is the original Quick and Simple Life Hacks 8 video:

Household Hacker even commented on Conan’s video response:

videos via Team Coco, Household Hacker

submitted via Laughing Squid Tips

Ray Manzarek, founding member and keyboardist of The Doors, has died at the age of 74 from a long bout with cancer. Memoriam donations are being taken in his name at Stand Up To Cancer.

From The Doors website:

Manzarek is best known for his work with The Doors who formed in 1965 when Manzarek had a chance encounter on Venice Beach with poet Jim Morrison. The Doors went on to become one of the most controversial rock acts of the 1960s, selling more than 100-million albums worldwide, and receiving 19 Gold, 14 Platinum and five multi-Platinum albums in the U.S. alone. “L.A.Woman,” “Break On Through to the Other Side,” “The End,” “Hello, I Love You,” and “Light My Fire” were just some of the band’s iconic and ground-breaking songs. After Morrison’s death in 1971, Manzarek went on to become a best-selling author, and a Grammy-nominated recording artist in his own right. In 2002, he revitalized his touring career with Doors’ guitarist and long-time collaborator, Robby Krieger.

Smother Bros. Comedy Hour Performance
Taped: December 6th, 1968 Aired: December 15th

image via The Doors, video via Misfit52687138

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield held his first press conference since returning to Earth from his mission aboard the International Space Station, during which he discussed his immense social media presence throughout the mission. Hadfield also talks about what it’s like to re-adapt to gravity and goes over some of the specific research taking place aboard the International Space Station in this video from the Canadian Space Agency.