A list of intriguing things
One: You could imagine a world where even sewer covers are a thing of beauty—or you could just travel to Japan. Its cities boast a dazzling array of manhole covers that also serve as public art. The practice first began as a public relations campaign—to sell rural Japanese on the need for a modern sewer system. But now they’ve become a tourist destination—with each city memorialising its local mascot, attraction or even sports team. There’s even a ‘manhole festival’—with trading cards, cookies and doormats celebrating their designs.
But, but, but, sewer art isn’t limited to Japan. The lead image is from Bratislava, Slovakia—a tribute to Culmil, the sewage worker:) The Guardian has a lovely collection from around the world. Atlas Obscura has more Japanese manhole covers—including this beauty from Kawagoe City that depicts a historic bell tower.
Two: Yeah, everyone swears by their AirPods but—let’s get real—they look a bit ridiculous. We personally prefer these wireless earbuds that resemble gorgeous pearl earrings—which come in either a gold or silver finish. Nova H1 Audio Earrings can be used as clip-ons or they can be inserted into an existing piercing for a more secure grip.
Vents behind the device channel audio towards the ear. So the audio isn’t as high quality as those AirPods, but the upside is that people can actually hold a conversation with you. Priced between $750 to $640, these are only available in Europe for now. But you could put it on your wishlist for your NRI friends & fam. See the demo vid below. (Gizmodo)
Three: Research has shown that Zoom calls feel exhausting and unnatural because we never make eye contact with one another—which is an essential part of face-to-face interaction. With Nvidia Eye Contact, you can now gaze directly into the eyes of everyone on the call:
To achieve its effect, Eye Contact replaces your eyes in the video stream with software-controlled simulated eyeballs that always stare directly into the camera, even if you're looking away in real life. The fake eyes attempt to replicate your natural eye colour, and they even blink when you do.
And that’s not half as creepy as holding a conversation with someone who stares straight at you—continually, without a single break. If you’re curious, you can download Nvidia Broadcast for free from the company's website—but it requires Windows and an Nvidia RTX graphics card. (Ars Technica)
