Author Archives: Niall Murphy

In Beijing, rents are prohibitively high.

Which is why Dai Haifei, a 24-year-old architect, lives rent-free in an egg-shaped house he’s built on the street outside his office.

It’s made of bamboo strips, wood chippings, sack bags, and grass seed, that he’s hoping will grow in the spring. The whole thing cost 6427 Yuan (about €725).

Hatching a Cheap Way To Live In Beijing (China Daily)

UPDATE: Gimme Shell-ter: Chinese man evicted from Giant Egg (AOL News)

Boo! Bad internet. Naughty internet! (Ta, Redline)

Five of Nat Geo’s ten weirdest new animals discovered this year.

From the top: the Squid Worm; a tube-nosed fruit bat known as ‘Yoda-Bat’ (our personal fave); the Tasmanian Pink Hand-Fish and the rather fetching wood-eating Amazonian Catfish.

The Ten Weirdest New Animals Of 2010 (National Geographic)

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This is a real treat if you’ve never seen it.

Bottle – an award-winning stop-motion animation by Kirsten Lepore featuring a wordless, transoceanic conversation.

YouTube version.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA4l0wHf7CA&feature=player_embedded

The Freerider Skatecycle, designed by Alon Karpman at Brooklyn Workshop and winner of a Bronze 2010 IDEA Award:

The Freerider Skatecycle is a self propelled hubless skate capable of riding on flat ground or tackling any skatepark. The 9 Inch wheels makes it easier to overcome objects in your way and is very durable. Weighing just 7.3 lbs, it folds easily, and can even sit over your shoulder freeing up your hands when you walk. Now part of the permanent collection at the Henry Ford Museum, the Freerider Skatecycle is in stock and available for $149.95.

Tron Skatecycle belongs in the movie (Gizmodo)