Digital technology meets art with a floating orchestra of ping pong balls

by Jessica Festa on

The Poietic Studio in London in the United Kingdom has combined technology with art in their new exhibit, the Floating Orchestra. Here, 19 ping pong balls come to life, becoming orchestral instruments that increase in volume as each ball rises. By manipulating each ball, you can create your own symphony of music. And, how is this all controlled? By technology, of course, via the touchscreen of an iPhone.

The Poietic Studio has a unique approach to art, focusing on “people’s fundamental joy of play, curiosity, and exploration”. Their practice is multidisciplinary, with backgrounds in art, engineering, and interactive and spatial design. By exploring the bounds of imagination, technology, and science, Poietic Studio is able to create “unique mechanical structures that offer memorable experiences whilst celebrating the poetics of engineering”.

Want to see how the Floating Orchestra works for yourself? Check out this video:


Floating Orchestra from Poietic Studio on Vimeo.

First bar made of glacial ice opens in Patagonia, Argentina

by Jessica Festa on

The first ice bar in Patagonia, Argentina, opened last week, which also happens to be the first bar in the world created out of glacial ice, according to Paola Singer of The New York Times. Located just outside El Calafate, Glaciobar is the newest addition to Glaciarium, a new science museum focusing on the region’s hundreds of glaciers.

Glaciobar will provide patrons with gloves, hooded capes, and boots for warmth. For health and safety reasons, however, the maximum time allowed in the bar is 20 minutes. During this time, most people choose to sip on the house cocktail, a mixture of Fernet con Coca and Coca Cola.

Want to see for yourself what Glaciobar is like? Check out this video:


Wildlife refuge on island of Sanibel, Florida, introduces iNature Trail for smartphone users

by Jessica Festa on

The J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge has introduced a new interactive smartphone capability for visitors. Called iNature Trail, the program utilizes QR (Quick Response) codes that are located around the refuge, which can be scanned by your smartphone using free downloadable applications like Neoscan and QR Scan. Once scanned, the codes will bring up YouTube videos and other informative resources for an enhanced experience in nature. For example, scanning a particular code could bring up a video of the refuge manager welcoming guests to the area, while another might teach users how to plant a mangrove tree.

According to Supervisory Refuge Ranger Toni Westland, out of the more than 550 national wildlife refuges, J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge is the first to put in place an interactive trail program like this one.

To get a better idea of how the app works, check out this video:


Video of the Day: Baby eats wasabi

by Mike Barish on

We’ve obviously been talking about food a lot this week. Food and travel are always linked, as we remember places as much for their tastes and smells as we do for their sights and sounds. While I’m now an avid traveler, I grew up taking pretty standard vacations to Florida and all-inclusive resorts. As such, I didn’t really get to experience ethnic cuisines and challenging tastes until later in life. The baby in the video, however, is getting a leg (or tongue) up on the competition by experiencing flavors at an incredibly young age. OK, enough of me making this sound poignant. Just watch a baby eating wasabi already.

Video: Canyoning in the Pyrenees, Spain

by Jessica Festa on

Thrill seekers will love the unique and adventurous sport of canyoning. This activity, which involves traversing throughout a canyon, combines different techniques within the experience, including hiking, swimming, abseiling, scrambling, climbing, and more. The ideal canyons used for canyoning often include narrow gorges, flowing water, and various drops that must be navigated.

Want to see for yourself what canyoning looks like from the point of view of the adventurer? Check out this video: