LavaLamp
Latest
A lava lamp and a Nexus One tested under 3 Gs of force (video)
Neil Fraser, a true pioneer of science, wasn't satisfied with just wondering whether a lava lamp will work on Jupiter. He opted instead to build a freaking centrifuge in the middle of his living room, strap an innocent lava lamp and a Nexus One to one end with counterbalancing weights on the other, and spin that monster up to find out for himself. His instrument was able to generate 3 Gs of lateral force (despite the Nexus One's G-Force reporting 2.0 Gs due to a bug, now reported to Google), which is comfortably above the 2.5 G gravitational pull that one might experience on the solar system's biggest planet. So, did the goo keep its mojo under pressure? Did the Nexus One survive the ordeal intact? Click past the break to find out.
First Look: iLava for iPhone/iPod touch
The lava lamp was an icon of 70s pop culture, and that same idea has made it into the 21st century, right on the iPhone. iLava [iTunes link] imitates both a lava lamp, and the demo that Jeff Han gave us at the TED conference. The iLava application is completely multi-touch, meaning that anything you touch will have an action. Touch the lava, move it around. When you tap and hold your finger in a specific area, you'll add heat and see the lava rise. You can also stretch the lava apart, or pinch multiple pieces of lava together. Shake or tilt the iPhone to move the lamp, just as you could a real lava lamp. If you're looking for a cool iPhone application that could bring a few minutes of enjoyment, then look no further than iLava. You can download it from the iTunes App Store for $0.99US. Update: The developer of iLava contacted us to let us know that this application is essentially the same thing that Jeff Han used at the TED conference. Both applications use the same codebase, and was developed by Llya Rosenberg (the same name mentioned in the demo video) over the past few years. Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
Widget Watch: I Love Lamp heats up to 2.1
Marc from iSlayer sends word that they've updated the best little lava lamp widget ever: I Love Lamp is now at version 2.1.New to this version is the ability to actually change the color of the "lava" and the "water" inside the lamp (which, in real life, is actually transparent oil and translucent wax-- the more you know), as well as a little extra optimization and a little more randomness. As before, you also have a few options for style and color of the lamp. I Love Lamp is sweet and a cool little addition to your dashboard-- get it for free from iSlayer.
Widget Watch: Return of the Lava Lamp widget
I ran across this quirky story over at the always entertaining Australian daily newspaper "The Age" and thought I'd share. It's about Garry Barker's search for the elusive Lava Lamp widget. The widget is called "I Love Lamp" and can be downloaded at iSlayer.com. Despite being ranked as the #1 widget over at Apple, it suddenly disappeared a few months ago. Barker writes that the widget was pulled by Apple after receiving a cease and desist order from LavaWorld, the real-life Lava Lamp manufacturer. After hammering out a deal, the widget has returned and now includes a link to LavaWorld. Ah lawyers, how they enhance our lives.
