This swell mechanical mustache would be the pride of any lip, but it belongs to John Kit, who sported it at the first anniversary celebration of HeatSync Labs in Chandler, AZ.

Mechanical Mustache Project (via Make)

Jonathan Guberman from the Site 3 coLaboratory in Toronto made the "Automatypewriter," an Arduino-controlled typewriter that acts as both input and output device. He's rigged it to play Zork!

Each key is attached by fishing line to a solenoid, an electromechanical device that pulls down when electric current is passed through it. The solenoids sit behind and underneath the typewriter in a multi-layer structure. The solenoids are connected to a MOSFET, which allows the lower-power parts of the circuit to control the high-power solenoids.

The MOSFETs are connected in sets of eight to shift registers (integrated circuits that can, amongst other things, expand the number of outputs on a microcontroller). The shift registers are connected to an Arduino, which is connected to a computer via USB. When the computer sends a character to the Arduino, the Arduino chooses which solenoid to fire and sends that information to the shift registers.

The Automatypewriter is a typewriter that can type by itself: (via Make)

Christine sez, "One of my friends has made himself a Creeper costume for this Hallowe'en."

Lucas Gonze sez, "I have posted a mix mp3 of 21st c./ olden days sounds, including scratchy ancient recordings like the Edison Talking Doll and my own new recordings of gloomy and sweet 19th century tunes, all in the public domain under a Creative Commons Zero license."

Gentlemen, start your slashfic engines. Yes, the theme of this DIY costume in Boing Boing's ongoing series is— Sexy Wikileaks.

Above, Philip Neustrom and friend Ron Baker last night at DNA Lounge in San Francisco. Philip, at left, is dressed as Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. Baker, at right, is Pfc. Bradley Manning, the soldier believed to have leaked secret documents to the whistleblower website (he is currently in military jail, awaiting trial.)

Too soon? Eh, not for me to say. These two figures are nothing if not folk heroes. But don't ask, don't tell indeed. Philip tells Boing Boing,

Some totally unrelated and somewhat-drunkely-typed backstory: When we were getting the Manning outfit supplies from a military surplus store in Berkeley, the guy ringing us up asked, "Hey, what are you dressing up as?"

We showed him a picture of Manning and gave a little explanation. He got it immediately and then told us this story, with the preface that we were probably "far too young to get it"--

So a few weeks back, an older woman walks into the store and says something like, "Do you folks have any goggles? My grandson is going to burning man.."

The guy helps her find some goggles, and as he's ringing her up he looks down at her credit card. "Ellsberg..any relation to Daniel Ellsberg?" "Oh..well, he's my husband!"

Not exactly the types I'd expect to be running a military surplus store. Regardless, the guy hooked us up and we got like $150 worth of stuff for $20!

(thanks for the photo, @philipn and thanks for the heads up, @iamsusannah!)

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Aram Bartholl is mortaring USB drives into walls, curbs, and buildings around New York. These dead drops, as he terms them, are peer-to-peer file transfer points with true anonymity. Bartholl has a residency with EYEBEAM, a truly fascinating incubator of and studio for new ideas in technology and art.

The project has five initial locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn, with more to come. Bartholl has posted a photo gallery of the installations, too.

The furtiveness of squeezing your laptop or mobile against a wall is rather intimate--these may be dead drops, but they're also data glory holes. And one more thing, too. The concept pricked at my memory, until I remembered the Finn from William Gibson's Neuromancer universe. In Mona Lisa Overdrive, the Finn has lost his corporeal form, but Molly seeks out his advice in a disreputable alley.

A tight beam of very bright light...descended until it found the thing at the base of the wall, dull metal, an upright rounded fixture that Kumiko mistook for another ventilator...

Sally stepped forward, the beam held steady, and Kimiko saw that the armored thing was bolted into the brickwork with massive rivets. "Finn?"...

"Moll." A grating quality, as if through a broken speaker. "What's with the flash?"

Image by Aram Bartholl via Creative Commons.

Don't even think about hiding a can in your crotchal area ^*. They will find it.

Silly String ban

(Video Link) As Allen Ginsberg said 50 years ago, "Pot is Fun." (The folks here were cast via a Craigslist ad.)

How to lose a reputation for "po-faced political correctness" fast: mock a rival's red hair during a speech, in Scotland, concerning political "mutants" that need to be "got rid of." [Telegraph]

In the ever-expanding Boing Boing DIY Hallowe'en Costume thread, an anonymous Boing Boing reader points us to this wonderful Sputnik 2 and Laika costume by vietnamted. Alternate view here.

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In the Boing Boing DIY Hallowe'en Costume thread, Boing Boing reader stefrobb says,

I made a Bender costume for my eldest, who is 8 years old. He sees it as a great excuse to run around shouting "Bite my shiny metal ass!" Aww...

The cigar is stuck on with a magnet, so is detachable. Took a couple of weeks all in. We've been distracting drivers and causing accidents today. Fun!

Flickr set is here.

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In the Boing Boing DIY Hallowe'en Costume thread which could not possibly be any more awesome, Boing Boing reader Joonce says,

I made an Astronaut Costume this year. My Spacesuit includes a working movable visor, in-helmet lighting, magnetically attached "air-hoses", and a spacepack with built in speakers for my iPod to play some spacejams.

Here's a good photo. And a link to the rest of the set.

The helmet is made of papier mache, bondo, and an old wetsuit. The spacepack is made of cardboard and includes an old boombox I took apart to fit inside. The rest is a painter's suit, some gloves, and custom shoes.

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In the still-growing Boing Boing DIY Hallowe'en Costume thread, Boing Boing reader Fumbata says,

Fleece, felt, foam, fake fur, and a hell of a lot of hot glue = Swedish Chef. It turned out pretty good, so I made a video. Have a great Halloween!

Cutest doggie ever.

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No, really: "Mark 11:12-14 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14Then he said to the tree, 'May no one ever eat fruit from you again.' And his disciples heard him say it."

God hates figs

In a reversal of long-standing policy, the U.S. Justice Department announced on Friday that naturally occurring genes—human or otherwise—could not be patented. This ruling does not include manipulated or altered genes. So, for instance, you can still patent the specific, fiddled-with genes behind a GM crop. But, this is still a very big deal. Right now the genes associated with increased risk of breast cancer are patented and, thus, there is only one, very expensive, test available to look for them. In March, a judge ruled those patents invalid. And now it looks like the federal government is backing up that ruling.