01. d-touch DIY audio sequencer + drum machine (Pictured)

“designed by a team of researchers as a tactile, DIY interface for realtime audio production, the d-touch drum machine and sequencer lets users record samples and loop them into mixes by repositioning ordinary paper cubes or other marked objects. first made available in 2009, a just-released version of the free software permits the importation of pre-existing wav files and additional control functions.” (Designboom)

02. Arturo Gatti case re-analyzed in Brazil

“Brazilian prosecutors said Thursday they are looking again into the death of boxer Arturo Gatti.

Brazilian investigators had ruled Gatti’s 2009 death a suicide, but a spokesman with the Pernambuco state prosecutor’s office told The Associated Press the case is being analyzed again. That comes after private investigators in the U.S. presented evidence challenging whether the Italian-born, Canadian-raised boxer had killed himself.” (ESPN)

03. Unpacking “No Church In The Wild”

“Jay-Z’s verse on No Church In the Wild is one of the most interesting on Watch the Throne as it combines religion, spirituality, and philosophy. I tried to unpack most of what I heard but I’m sure there’s things I’m missing. It’s a deep verse. (Again, my point system is based on amateur boxing with 2 points for great lines, 1 point for good lines and 0 for anything else. But in this verse there’s no 0s.)” (Infinite Juice)

04. Big K.R.I.T. Pushes Debut Album Release to Top of 2012

“It looks like September 27 won’t be a day filled with former XXL Freshmen releasing their debut albums, after all.

Though J. Cole’s Cole World: The Sideline Story is still slated to drop on that date later this month, Yelawolf recently pushed his Interscope debut Radioactive to an October 25 release date, and now Big K.R.I.T. has announced that his Def Jam debut, Live From The Underground, won’t be hitting ears until early next year.” (XXL)

01. Attack of La Niña Teaser

“Teaser I helped cut for MSP’s new ski film… Attack of La Niña. Coming September 2011!” (coudal)

02. Arduino hack imitates Pixar’s living lamp, disses IKEA in the process (video)

“Oh, look — it’s Pixar’s iconic lamp brought to real-world Frankenlife. Okay, not really, but the automated, voice-enabled mod is as close to the movie studio’s icon as a hacking kit and five euros in a Swedish furniture store can get you. The prototype, lovingly named “The annoying IKEA lamp” or SM-1, is ArduinoArts’ finalist entry for SeeedStudio’s Grove Toy Kit contest. Headed by industrial engineer Javier Lander, the project weds two servos (one in the base and one in the lamp), sensors for motion and sound, a three axis accelerometer, LED light and audio board to an Arduino shield, springing the modjob to programmed states of alarm and irritation. We commend Javier for eschewing the cutesy road well-traveled,and giving the mundane desktop light a grumpy, old man makeover. Click on past the break to see this curmudgeonly office accessory in action.” (engadget)

03. Live Friday: Remembering Sept. 11 At Trinity Church, NYC
“Located just blocks from the World Trade Center, Trinity Church and its St. Paul’s Chapel have been part of New York’s spiritual and musical life for centuries. Trinity was chartered as an Episcopalian church in 1697; George Washington worshipped at St. Paul’s.” (nprmusic)

03. Pair claim they can make ammonia to fuel cars for just 20 cents per liter

“John Fleming of SilverEagles Energy and Tim Maxwell from Texas Tech University, say they have developed a way to make ammonia that is cheap enough so that it could be used as fuel for cars. If their claims turn out to be true, many consumers might consider switching over because ammonia, when burned in an engine, emits nothing but nitrogen and water vapor out the tailpipe. And if that’s not enough incentive, they claim they can make the ammonia for just 20 cents a liter (approximately 75 cents a gallon).” (boing)

04. He is talented to the point of genius

“One of Orson Welles’ biggest supporters during his early years was a man called Roger Hill. Hill was Welles’ teacher and later headmaster at Todd School for Boys in Woodstock, Illinois, and, having spotted the future filmmaker’s talents very early on, spent a great deal of time and effort adapting the curriculum to suit his skills. The following letter of recommendation, written by Hill to Cornell College when Welles was 16 years of age, is a perfect illustration of his desire to see him leave school on the best possible footing.” (lettersofnote)

01. mari kasurinen: my little pop icons

“with ‘my little pop icons’, finnish artist mari kasurinen makes over ‘my little pony’ children’s toys into renditions of famous pop culture and fictional icons by painting their bodies, cutting and styling their hair, and dressing them in custom made clothes and accessories. the pieces are like sculptural caricatures of recognizable figures; and for anyone who has ever owned a ‘my little pony’, represent an interesting and unsettling confrontation between childhood playthings and the entertainment of the adult world.” (Designboom)

02. Update on St.Vincent/David Byrne Collab

“Early last year, David Byrne revealed that he and St Vincent’s Annie Clark had begun work on an “on and off” brass ensemble-enriched project without any timetable. But during Clark’s recent conversation with Pitchfork contributor Amanda Petrusich, the New York singer-songwriter shed new light on the forthcoming release.” (Pitchfork)

03. Henry Armstrong – Part One

“As Manny Pacquiao’s accomplishments grow, the world looks for historical parallels.

Pacquiao refrains from playing that game. “I never compare myself to anybody,” he says. “I know there are great fighters in boxing history. But I do what I do, and I’m happy with that.”

Still, as Pacquiao ascends to ever-greater heights, historical comparisons are inevitable. The name that has cropped up most often as of late in relation to boxing’s reigning pound-for-pound king is that of Henry Armstrong.” (Top Rank)

04. The Popularity Issue

“It’s been a little quiet here on the blog due to volume of work, but I’m determined to get back on top of things starting by sharing this double issue of Bloomberg Businessweek from a couple of weeks back. It was one of several copies of the magazine that arrived by post last week from art director Richard Turley, and although there’s been a lot everywhere recently about the magazine – online and in print – you can’t beat seeing actual copies. And this issue was special – another infographic tour-de-force examining what is popular in the world today.” (Magculture)

01. Marking its third departure from the Red Border, TIME’s 10th anniversary cover of 9/11 displays a majestic Sliver Border (above)

“The front cover image of TIME’s special issue on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001 marks the third time in the magazine’s history that the trademarked red border was not used on the cover. TIME opted for a silver border surrounding the image created by Julian LaVerdiere and Paul Myoda, co-creators of the original Tribute in Light memorial in New York City. It shows a photo-illustration imagining the Tribute in Light as seen from space.” (mr magazine)

02. A Tribute to the Grilled Cheese Sandwich

“A grilled cheese sandwich is a staple food for children because it’s simple, quick, and cheap to make. Kids like simple food, and an American cheese slice on white bread is as simple as it gets. Melt it by frying it in butter, and that adds a dose of love to the dish. When we get older, the pleasure that sandwich brings stays with us, even as we add adult touches like gourmet bread, a variety of cheeses, and extras like vegetables and spices. A grilled cheese is both vegetarian and kosher, but if that’s not a concern it is certainly acceptable to add meat as well. Your basic American chain restaurant knows this, which is why the patty melt, a grilled cheese with a hamburger patty and sauteed onions on rye bread, became so popular.” (mentalfloss)

03. Official: Ducati Diavel AMG Special Edition to debut in Frankfurt

“From MotoGP sponsorship to new cars for its riders and even a co-branded speedboat, Ducati and AMG have not missed a single opportunity to promote their new partnership. And the latest is set to debut at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show. That’s where the two performance brands will unveil the Ducati Diavel AMG Special Edition. The bike starts out with the Diavel Carbon model and upgraded with special wheels, radiator grilles, exhaust and Alcantara saddle. The requisite special badges, of course, also appear all over the white-striped carbon-fiber bodywork, and the engine is specifically balanced and signed by an individual technician.” (autoblog)

04. The Sexperience

“Welcome to The Sexperience 1000, an interactive journey through the sexual experiences and preferences of one thousand British individuals. What’s the favourite sexual position of iPhone users in the North? Do country music lovers over 55 prefer to do it in
the dark? Explore the 20 questions of our survey and discover what the great British public get up to between the sheets…” (channel4)

01. The Dummy Guide To DFA Records

“This Friday former LCD Soundsystem man James Murphy brings his big box of disco records to XOYO in London to celebrate his label DFA’s 10th birthday. Founded by Murphy, former Unkle member Tim Goldsworthy and Jonathan Galkin, DFA Records has provided the soundtrack to the first decade of the 21st century and a home to artists such as Murphy himself, The Rapture, Hot Chip, Holy Ghost and many more.” (dummy)

02. Top 10 Sweatiest Movies

Even TIME Magazine is on the top-list bandwagon. “The arrival of Labor Day means one thing: our favorite season is coming to an end. To mark the end of summer, TIME takes a look at movies with copious amounts of perspiration…” (time)

03. German enthusiasts show true passion for rockabilly and rat rods.(above)

“The event is called Rust and Dust, but this year that dust was replaced with rain and mud. Still, the attendees of this automotive festival in Teterow, Germany arrived in large numbers to share their passion for rockabilly, rat rods and racing. The rain attempted to dampen spirits, but it was powerless against these German fans of American old school.” (autoblog)

04. Will The Next iPhone Be Thinner And Wider? A Gazillion Leaked Cases Say Yes

“The Internet is awash in purported iPhone 5 cases. Like most iPhone related rumors, it’s hard to decipher fact from fantasy, but the sheer amount of nearly identical cases seem to state that at least several manufacturing houses have the same iPhone dimensions. The image here is a iPhone 4 in one of these many cases. Look different? Yep, this case, and the many like it, are clearly for a phone that’s both thinner and wider.” (techcrunch)

01. In pictures: The Yakuza (pictured)

“Belgian Photographer Anton Kusters has spent two years with one of Japan’s notorious Yakuza gangs, known for their brutality, tattoos and strict code of honour.” (BBC)

02. ‘24/7 Mayweather/Ortiz’ begins with bang

“If you had power while Hurricane Irene had her way Saturday night, I hope you watched HBO’s first episode of “24/7 Mayweather/Ortiz.” If you lost power, make it a point to catch a replay or watch the show on demand. Even if you’re not a boxing fan, this is great television.

This one was about as riveting as it gets — and was maybe the best episode of “24/7″ ever.” (ESPN)

03. Behind the scenes at Fantastic Man

Paul Barbera takes a look at the offices of Fantastic Man. (Where They Create)

04. Lana Del Rey

“Lana Del Rey is old-school Hollywood glamor meets splice-friendly YouTube culture with a fair share of coquettish attitude and smoke-parlor Stevie Nicks vocals thrown in. She became a blog concern this spring after her visual for creaking, strung-out Best New Track “Video Games” caught eyes and ears. The clip, created by Del Rey herself, shows its star pouting into her webcam as found footage of skateboarders, drunk starlets, and American flags flicker by. The juxtaposition of its seemingly-put-together singer and its DIY aesthetic proved intriguing.” (Pitchfork)

01. Hair Salon Defends Domestic Violence Ad, but Apologizes Too

“A hair salon in Edmonton, Alberta, is getting quite snippy this week following international outrage (OK, outrage in the U.S. and Canada) over a new ad that features a woman with a black eye getting a diamond necklace from her partner. “Look good in all you do,” says the ad for the Fluid salon—a somewhat ambiguous suggestion which, to its detractors, implies that it’s OK to get beaten up as long as your hair remains pretty (or judging by the photo, maybe just a little bushy on the sides). Advertisers in this situation usually cut and run, pull the ad and slink back off into obscurity. But store owner Sarah Cameron is playing by a different rule book. On Monday, she was indignant” (adweek)

02. World’s Oldest Person Found Thriving in the Amazon
“While the Amazon rainforest is certainly known to be teeming with life, it turns out that the people who live there are too. Maria Lucimar Pereira, an indigenous Amazonian belonging to the Kaxinawá tribe of western Brazil, will soon be celebrating her birthday — her 121st birthday, to be exact. The truth behind Pereira’s remarkable longevity was recently discovered by the Brazilian government while performing a routine review of birth records — which, in her case, date back to 1890 — making her the world’s oldest living person. And the best part of all? Pereira credits her long-life to an all-natural diet derived wholly from the Amazon.” (treehugger)

03. iVictrola

“We’ve seen our fair share of non-electronic sound amplifiers, but never one this… grand. The iVictrola ($985) merges an antique Magnavox phonograph horn with two pieces of American walnut along with your iPad to create what’s basically a giant megaphone for its normally not-that-loud speaker, filling your space with sound without using a drop of electricity. Available this November in limited numbers.” (uncrate)

04. Fake Iraq Applestore

“This bodes well for Iraq’s post-war recovery: the once-and-kind-of-still-ravaged nation is now doing well enough to boast counterfeit haute electronics stores in its malls. This one looks a little… off, though.” (gizmodo)

01. Mobolaji: Man of Many Styles

“The story of Mobolaji Dawodu is one of a well-traveled individual that’s experienced and realized that this world as a whole, shares more similarities than differences. Currently residing in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Crown Heights by way of Nigeria, and a few places in between, Dawodu has always leaned towards the arenas of style and fashion. Dawodu’s insight is deeply rooted in an affirming culture and family that would only assist in molding his direction and place in this cyclical and fickle fashion industry.” (Brooklyn Circus)

02. Bookshelf: Richard Embray

“As publishers who seek a happy medium between championing writers or artists who have been erroneously overlooked and the brilliantly considered Familiars series which reintroduces us to the classics – it is safe to say that Four Corners Books know their stuff. The wonderfully original interpretations include illustrated books for adults, Dracula and Vanity Fair being notable, and some great referential art book editions – like Eduardo Paolozzi and Sister Corita. We invited Richard Embray, one half of the Four Corners duo, to pick five books from his shelves and in turn, offer an insight into their own publishing motivations.” (It’s Nice That)

03. Rappers Who’ve Collaborated With Michael Jackson

“Today, August 29th, marks the Born Day of the one and only late, great King of Pop, Michael Joseph Jackson. Though frequently sampled for rap songs MJ himself has only collaborated with rappers a handful of times in his illustrious career (and we don’t mean those “remixes” everybody and their cousin throws up on youtube). Originally published in ego trip’s Book of Rap Lists, here we re-present (with a few unreleased curiosities) an official run down of those emcees truly down with the King. MJ RIP.” (Egotripland)

04. RETRO (AND HUMAN/ANIMAL HYBRIDS)

“We don’t fixate on the new. We certainly fixate on the next, but that’s not necessarily progressive, just a movement or artifact that’s reproduced 1:1 to fill a gap before we’re onto the next slice of past that’s superfluous yet very necessary. I’m not too troubled by the absence of space cars. I’m alarmed at things I felt were borderline contemporary being deemed “old school” but that’s part of the ageing process, where we’re two steps from being embarrassing dad despite our best efforts to stay “down.” I’m curious to know why we like to recycle old movements though — this blog is defiantly steeped in ancient and unnecessary things because I still can’t shake off those preoccupations.” (Gwarizm)

01. Seven Independent Coffee Roasters

“Thanks to the likes of Portland’s Stumptown and Chicago’s Intelligentsia, the favor of independent micro-roasters over corporate coffee houses is not only seen among connoisseurs but mainstream Americans as well. To survey the latest we’ve dedicated our morning—and afternoon and evening—cups of coffee to finding the best artisinal purveyors from across the U.S. Below is a selection of seven cups of black gold that will not only keep your moving, but taste good too.” (coolhunting)

02. Forum Frenzy: Ekranoplans and Other Military Monsters

“An interesting thread for military buffs and transport geeks is lighting up the discussion boards. Check out halocooter’s link to a livejournal post with incredible images of the MD-160 ekranoplan, one of the largest sea planes ever constructed weighing in at over 400 tons. Share about the history of ground effect aircraft or other monster-sized military vehicles over on the discussion forum and check the pics ” (core77)

03. Writer’s Studio Cooper Joseph Studio

“Located in the woods near the owner’s main house, this one-room personal retreat is sculptural and abstract in its form, but traditional in use of materials. The client, a scientist, wanted open views out to the corners so that from his desk looking south to the fireplace, he could see the full expanse of his property.” (archrecord)

04. Yuri Suzuki: Three Radio Theremin

“Fans of comedian Bill Bailey will be well-versed in the musical potential of the theremin, an instrument usually associated with 1960s psychadelic rock. Now the curators of Object Abuse at The KK Outlet have challenged a roster of top artists and designers to reimagine everyday objects as something else, and the mercurial Yuri Suzuki has produced his very own theremin, using three ordinary radios. It has certainly set a high standard for the rest of the show, which opens next week.” (itsnicethat)

01. The questionable birth of Times New Roman

“Times New Roman has, as we know, become the default type for everything from school term papers to magazines. It’s usually attributed to Stanley Morison, who “oversaw” the design for The Times of London newspaper in the 1930s. (Their previous font was, appropriately, Times Old Roman.)” (boingboing)

02. AD Classics: Moscow Metro / Robert Pogrebnoi and Yuriy Zenkivich (above)

“The city of Moscow experienced a huge size and population boom following the industrial development and railway construction of the late 19th century. At this time, horse-drawn cars and trams were the main form of transportation, but soon the horses were not enough to fuel the city’s rapid expansion. As a result, plans were made for development of a new peripheral ring railway that would carry freight throughout the city. Many years later, underground lines for passengers were linked to the original railway. These lines quickly turned the railway into a booming metropolitan transit center, eventually becoming what is today known as the Moscow Metro. More on the development of the Moscow Metro after the break.” (archdaily)

03. Where and How We Work

“There is something nice about taking a break from your own work to see how and where other creative people work. It’s great voyeuristic fun to see how designers, artists, and makers of all kinds surround themselves with inspiration, tools, and certain comforts. More photographers are jumping in to document the kind of wonderful, crazy creative spaces of the kind that the Selby and Sight Unseen cover so well, and we recently came across a few with some good studio eye candy. With straightforward names like the Makers Project (by Jennifer Causey) and Where They Create (by Paul Barbera), both publish photographic stories of the unique worlds built by creators.” (core77)

04. String Theory

“Pairing mathematics with craftsmanship, the textile designers behind Montreal label String Theory weave quality yarns into beautifully-patterned super-soft scarves and throw blankets. The two-person team behind the brand works closely with small-batch manufacturers, allowing for wide experimentation with techniques. This artful combination of tradition and innovation results in everyday accessories with Modernist geometric appeal.” (coolhunting)