Art Auctions are common by anyone’s standards. You can’t go more than a few days weeks without reading something about a some piece selling for a price you wouldn’t pay. However this installation / art piece by Caleb Larsen takes the auction and makes THAT the real art.

This little black box is a sophisticated internet enabled device. Its sole purpose in life, other than looking mysterious is to sell itself to the highest bidder. In turn the winner of the auction agrees to a contract which says that the device must be connected to the internet upon reception. The device is staffed with an algorithm which searches Ebay for a listing of itself. If the search turns up negative then the device creates an auction with the previous selling price as the starting bid, and sells itself off.

The current owner gets the proceeds of the sale and must ship the item to its new owner. This is cannibalistic capitalism at its finest. Especially since the contract is apparently written to give the artist a 15% cut each time…

Via Make: Online Caleb Larsen’s A Tool to Deceive and Slaughter.

Tags: art, black box, caleb larsen

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Follow along with us as we talk about: Zoos, Art, Social Tagging, History, Robots, Fish, Coffee, beer

Living in Philadelphia you are constantly surrounded by history, some times you have to look for it other times it is celebrated right in front of you. Its been a great Week here at the CaffiNation HQ, where the family visited the Philly Zoo for their 150th Anniversary, I reported on some fun technology being showcased with The Philadelphia  Museum of Art and we have tons of news both old and new to share with you.

We have stories from the Lego Art world, about robots who swim, and Coffee for eternity. As always please pardon any attempts at humor. The mix on tonight’s show is a pleasant blend of old and new with a dash of nutty fun thrown in. So Please Enjoy the show and Stay Caffeinated!

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• Check the Back Channel: All the Cruft, non of the Chaff
  
• Web Presence Index www.paulrjmuller.com

Geek Cruft

• Social Tagging in the Art World
• Behold the Awesome Power of the Sun, a fire caution though
• Once a design concept, Compost under the counter is real, expensive
• Robot fish finds pollution and blends in, wears sunglasses at night too
• New materials for Robots, stronger than before
• Want to build a rail gun, just in case?
• Nintoaser burnin up the internet with links and love
• Killroy was here, and he had a ten-speed
• Lego Mosaics
• Keystroke sniffing with lasers
• Twitter during Surgery, lively discussion afterward
  
• Just for fun Lost in Translation, Garfield

Consumable & Caffeinated Bits

• CaffiNation’s Irish Coffee, Reviews are coming in…
• Caffeine Appreciation Month Continues
• 1 way to stay Optimally Caffeinated
  
• Froth Drinks, but not quite
• DIY Brew Fridge Thermostat
• Beer2-D2, Proprietary tap with a little robot sass. Via Norbert
• Movie becomes Real, Chock Full O’Memories
  

Thanks and Stay Caffeinated People

Tags: art, beer, Coffee, composting, conservation, Fish, history, Philadelphia, Robots, Social Tagging, Zoos

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Today’s Show: Mario, Legos, Cupcakes, Video Games, Art, and Amps

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Every Fall i get the same problem afflicting my vocal cords. The true problem is that coffee, my lifeline, my love makes the problem worse. So I end up being cranky and undercaffeinated. Tea is all well and good but its missing something for me, perhaps its just not viscus enough?

On to the news! A huge set of data to cull through for today’s show but I think that we came up with the best of the best to share with you today.

• Back Channel Links Tumblr Blog Grinds
• The Everything Feed: Friendfeed
• The RSS Feed for this Podcast

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: and Amps, art, Cupcakes, Legos, Mario, Video Games

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Today’s Show: Coffee cans, Wine, nerf, legos, art, knives, watches.

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• Our RSS feed had some issues, make sure you have the correct link
• Tumblr for the back channel links has been awesome thus far
• Block Party, oncoming vacation

I think we have fixed the outstanding issues with the last show. The Feed for the podcast is still very picky so make sure you’re using the correct link. Today’s Show deals with the length and breadth of crazy geek culture and caffeine and food related tid bits. Weary but soaked to the bone with awesome content this episode is the start of a new workflow

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: art, chock full of nuts, Coffee cans, knives, Legos, Nerf, watches, wine

It takes a really strange article or news item to make me sit up in my chair and take notice. Now when two of them cross my desk its time to draft a missive to the internet. And thats what your reading.

It seems these days like there is no shortage of art, and artists willing to not only push the envelope but rend it limb from limb. The crazy Steampunk designs have filled my imagination, and frankly provided excellent fodder for the podcast. But from time to time we see tech that goes beyond spiffy, that reaches past neat, to just plain weird. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: antiquities, art, Christopher Conte, craft, fixed, Lisa Black, Steampunk, Style, talent, Taxidermy

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On Today’s Show: Problems with Hosting, New Sponsor, Biofuels, Politics, Blimps, Fish and Art

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General Info

• Last Bit in Place. a solid week of support calls come to fruition. Name of the offender

Real News Bytes

• I’m not gonna tell a bunch of geeks how to vote.
  • So here are the candidate’s stances on Science and Tech
• BioFuel, major problem
• No Microhoo, after all

Tech Cruft

• And now for something completely different. A Fish-booth
• Opulence Theater Style. SteamPunk, Just plain pricey
• Go Cart?
• Think you’ve got the what it takes? Splice like Nasa
• For Fun: Geek Rings
• For Fun: I’m recyling a joke just for this story. Blimps in New York

Caffeine & Food

• Submit your Mug! Get Famous
• Corrections. Black Tea, Pu-erh Tea. Thank you MAS
• Divorce Cake?
• A Computer Mug?
• Drink your Art
• It was a good run energy drinks. I’m not surprised at all

Want to Contact Me?

• Phone Me: 215-240-1319 :: Email Me @ CaffiNation@gmail.com
• Skype Me thecaffination :: Full Contact Details

Thanks and Stay Caffeinated People!

Tags: art, Biofuels, Blimps, Democrat, Election, Fish, Independents, New Sponsor, Politics, Problems with Hosting, Republicans, Voting

People are striving to be more and more green in their everyday Lives. One of the things which has long since bugged me was the disposable culture surrounding Technology. Things have a built in period of usefulness and then have a planned obsolescence ahead of them. It is with this concept and some idle hands in place I went to work finding new ways to use the detritus left around the IT Systems Manager’s Office and fill a void at the same time. I’m working on bigger and better for later on. On one hand I’d like some feedback and on the other I’d like to remain ignorant in my assumed talent.

I would also like to say when I’m working on big projects at home and in work, i try to keep my hands busy while I’m pondering courses of action, hence what you see here.

The pieces are arranged in order of complexity. Less Pieces? Higher on the list.
Key Chain fob. What self respecting tech hasn’t thrown a key ring on a stick of old burned out ram? These Keys are 512 MB of PC100 SDRAM baby. They could install xp. and hold the meeting rooms keys. Just not at the same time Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: art, circuit board, disks, environment, grren tech, office supplies, recycling