Robotics: "Einstein" mimics human expressions

Scientists at UC San Diego's California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology have equipped a robot modeled after the famed theoretical physicist Albert Einstein with specialized software that allows it to interact with humans in a relatively natural, conversational way. The so-called "Einstein Robot," which was designed by Hanson Robotics of Dallas, Texas, recognizes a number of human facial expressions and can respond accordingly, making it an unparalleled tool for understanding how both robots and humans perceive emotion, as well as a potential platform for teaching, entertainment, fine arts and even cognitive therapy.

Advertising: Classic Ads from the Golden Age of Television

From the website: AdViews is a digital archive of thousands of vintage television commercials dating from the 1950s to the 1980s. These commercials were created or collected by the ad agency Benton & Bowles or its successor, D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles (DMB&B). Founded in 1929, Benton & Bowles was a New York advertising agency that merged with D'Arcy Masius McManus in 1985 to form DMB&B. Major clients included are Procter & Gamble, Kraft, Schick, Vicks, and Post, among others. Commercials will be added in phased batches over several months in 2009. The commercials are a part of the D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles Archives found at the John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History in Duke University's Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library.

AdViews: Thousands of television commercials created or collected by the D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles advertising agency, dated 1950s - 1980s. John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History

Search: worldwide virtual library catalogue

WorldCat call itself the world's largest network of library content and services. Linked to libraries that are committed to providing access to their resources on line, WorldCat.org enables searching of the collections of book repositories around the world:

* Search many libraries at once for an item and then locate it in a library nearby to borrow it
* Find books, music, and videos to check out
* Find research articles and digital items (like audiobooks) that can be directly viewed or downloaded
* Link to "Ask a Librarian" and other library services
* Post your review of an item, or contribute factual information about it

You may need to have an active offline membership with some libraries to view/download content or check out materials by downloading.

Illustration: Click on WorldCat icons to search for books, music CDs and videos -- all of the physical items you're used to getting from libraries. You can also discover many new kinds of digital content, such as downloadable audiobooks. You may also find article citations with links to their full text; authoritative research materials, such as documents and photos of local or historic significance; and digital versions of rare items that aren't physically available to the public. Resources are available in many languages.

Go. Read. WorldCat.Org

Why We Love the Internet (still): Tay Zonday's “Chocolate Rain”

Lest we forget:

Art and Society: 100 Years of Design Manifestos

"Since the days of radical printer-pamphleteers, design and designers have a long history of fighting for what’s right and working to transform society. The rise of the literary form of the manifesto also parallels the rise of modernity and the spread of letterpress printing.

"This list...is largely drawn from Mario Piazza’s presentation at the Più Design Può conference in Florence, though [the blog Social Design Notes edited and added to it." -- from the website.