Using around 4,500 model cars, James Ford completed this two-year project last year. Turning a tan colored Capri into the famous “General Lee” car from the Dukes of Hazzard, it was selected for several different creative networks, including 4C, a showcase of the best young visual artists around.

Looks like those Duke boys are at it again.  Just the good ole’ boys, never meanin’ no harm. Beats all you never saw, been in trouble with the law since the day they was born.  Straightenin’ the curves, flattenin’ the hills. Someday the mountain might get ‘em, but the law never will. Makin’ their way the only way they know how.  That’s just a little bit more than the law will allow.  Just the good ole’ boys, wouldn’t change if they could. Fightin’ the system like a true-modern day Robin Hood.

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Check out this impressive real-time music visualization system. We already know that the Arduino is capable of pretty much anything your brain can fathom and then some, including this sweet DIY project that’ll turn any mundane stage band into a star-bound success. The amount of hardware that has gone into this visual output system is extensive but well worth it.

If you’re in a band but your stage act sucks and you want to get your foot in the door then you need to become like KISS. No, I don’t mean you need excessive pyrotechnics or fake blood to put on a great show. All you need is an Arduino, a Bluetooth adapter, a couple of webcams, a network card and piezo sensors. You’ll be off putting on shows that even GWAR would be jealous of.

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When you’re under the influence of hallucinogens day in and day out, bright colors can make or break your evening. Pulling an all-nighter just wouldn’t be possible without PoiPlay.

“…it’s like a firework show that doesn’t stink, smell bad or explode, and you can do it inside.”

It’s a traditional form of juggling originating in New Zealand that includes a rope or chain swung in a circular motion to display visual patterns. Thanks to the popularization of LEDs and glow sticks, PoiPlay has expanded visually and is reminiscent of the bike peripheral Monkeylectric. The rope has 28 LEDs that make up the visualization and utilizes three Atmel processors, a lithium ion battery, and a charger. The software controlling the PoiPlay was written in Perl and communicates via USB port under Cygwin. Be careful not to smack yourself in the face with it or you’ll be seeing colors that the PoiPlay could never display.

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Who needs friends when you’ve got all these ports! If you worked in the AV club in high school or do that shit for a living now, this shirt was made for you. It resembles the back of an expensive McIntosh receiver as far as my eye can see.

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Verizon customers may have great reception, but they usually get the shaft when it comes to the latest and greatest cellphones and features. Finally, Verizon is offering something that the iPhone can give users: visual voicemail. For $3 extra a month, you’ll be able to browse through your voicemail with a GUI and see who left you a message. Users can navigate with a touchscreen or d-pad, depending on the phone they own.

Right now, only the LG Voyager supports visual voicemail. Don’t fret, though. Plenty of other phones will pop up throughout the year. Is it worth it? Depends how many voice mails you get a day and whether or not you screen your calls.

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Maggie Macnab is a woman who cares about presentation. Her new book Decoding Design: Understanding and Using Symbols in Visual Communication is a look into common corporate logos and designs that contain hidden meanings. Even the relevance of basic shapes, numbers and symbols in communication is a strong subject matter throughout the book. For designers looking for symbolism around every corner, this is the book for you.

Readers will find an array of deconstructions of famous logos including Aerosmith’s  logo, the yin-yang and even the logo for the retail store Target. Revealing common symbols within everyday design, Macnab portrays deep meaning through an otherwise overlooked logo. It’s available at Amazon.com for only $23.10 - so check it out.
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No one is sure why Sangmin Bae designed the Rhythmfish system. Perhaps he got lonely and didn’t have anyone to talk to, so he built this device that records the movement of fish and the currents generated by them. The flow sensors inside the tank collect enough data then translate it into an audiovisual response, which is then displayed through a mounted LCD and speakers.

Sangmin Bae says:

“even if the fish can’t speak and express its feelings in a human way, it has an energy and communication skill in its own way. Vibration is the medium of interaction, and I chose it for its universality in the physical, emotional, and spiritual realms.”

While this isn’t true communication with fish, one thing is for certain: You can make a sporadically rockin’ visual coupled with random audio of the same nature. Try getting visuals like that on your Winamp plug-in.
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