Flowing Leaves

The brown leaf shapes against a green background make this look as if the entire group is flowing—making waves if you focus on the picture as a whole. 

Pulsing Vortex

If you stare at this one long enough you’ll notice a fast and pulsing multicolored vortex. 

Waves

The blue almond-shaped objects look as if they’re all passing over three separate columns.

Hypnosis

Although this image is comprised of simple purple and green squares outlined in black, it looks like it is bulging out in the center.

Kaleidoscopes

A collection of black, blue, green and white shapes appears to be five different kaleidoscope-type figures—each swirling toward their centers. 

Wormhole

The black and white circular lines make this illusion seem as if there are various depths in the image, creating different entryways and tunnels.

Bull’s-Eye

If you stare at the center of the image, it looks as if the outer rings are rotating in alternating directions—an effect meant to mesmerize the viewer. 

Starbursts

These bright purple and green star-like shapes appear to be moving, which can be a little nauseating if you stare at it for too long.

• Man travels for eight years
• Rides bicycle across 37 countries
• Left his home in Japan with $2

A TOURIST has spent eight years travelling across 37 countries with the equivalent of $2, relying on his bicycle for transport.

Keiichi Iwasaki, 36, left his Japanese home in 2001 with just 160 Yen ($2) in his pocket after becoming bored with his air-conditioning job, the UK’s Telegraph reports.

After cycling the country for a year he decided to extend his journey to South Korea and, eventually, 36 other countries.

During his trip Mr Iwasaki was attacked by a rabid dog in Tibet, robbed by pirates and was even arrested in India.

He cycled over 45,000 kilometres during his marathon adventure and become the first Japanese man to climb Mount Everest from sea level without using any transportation.

Mr Iwasaki said he raised funds from performing tricks, and only his “strong will” has kept him on his bike.

He chose to avoid air travel and opted for cycling or ferries for transport in order to soak up the atmosphere.

”I didn’t want to use aeroplanes because I wanted to see and feel everything with my own skin. With bicycle, I can always feel the air and atmosphere of the place.”

Mr Iwasaki is in Switzerland and hopes to climb Mount Blanc, Europe’s highest peak, before travelling to Africa and the US over the next five years.

He plans to write a book about his adventure.

Having your browser, iTunes, IM, Tweet Deck , Word, Skype, Photoshop, video editing tools, folders, and more open at the same time…well, it just takes up a lot of screen real estate. On a 15.4″ laptop, you can only fit so much before your screen is piled with program after program.

gScreen, an Alaska-based notebook designer and manufacturer, aims to solve that problem, no matter where you are, with what can only be described as the PC version of a two-headed hydra: the dual-screen laptop.

Don’t believe us? Here are a few pictures that Gizmodo got its hands on:

Each monitor slides, so that you can move the gScreen around compactly. Now that is awesome.

Here are the specs for this beast, listed on the gScreen website:

- 2 LED backlit display screens
- Windows VISTA /WIN XP PRO (optional)
- Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 2.26-GHz
- 4 GB of RAM (2GB DDR2 SO-DIMM x 2)
- 320GB 7200-rpm HD
- NVIDIA® GeForce® 9800M GT with 512MB dedicated memory (or)
- NVIDIA® Quadro FX 1700M Graphics with 512MB dedicated memory
- 9-cell battery
- IEEE 1394 1 Graphics Card Output (15-pin, D-Sub) X 1, HDMI X 1 Mic-in X 1, Line-in x 1, Headphone X 1 PCI Express Card X 1 AC Power Adaptor Output: 19V DC, 90W Input: 100~240V AC, 50/60Hz universal Battery Pack Li-ion 9 cells

This laptop is clearly meant for professional designers, programmers, filmmakers, and others that regularly need two monitors to get work done. Two-screen set-ups just allow you to get more done (thus why I use a two-screen set-up). There are disadvantages though, like the power drain two screens will cause and the sheer weight, estimated at 12+ pounds. And, of course, the price may be a deal-breaker: around $3000.

Still, this thing could do wonders for the productivity of digital professionals everywhere. And you may not have to wait long to get your hands on one; the company hopes to have the gScreen on the market by Christmas.

2. Put your tongue behind your teeth and smile, which will relax your face.

3. Keep your arms by your side—but not glued there. To look natural, they should be a little away from your body.

© 2009 Jupiterimages Corporation

4. Test-drive clothing against a white wall, with an indirect, natural light source (under a tree, indoors near a window)—it will show whether blue really is your best color.

5. As a rule, avoid patterns.

6. Photos exaggerate everything, so go easy on the makeup. For women under 30, a little mascara and lip gloss; over 30, add a touch of concealer.

7. Practice the classic model pose: Turn your body three quarters of the way toward the camera, with one foot in front of the other and one shoulder closer to the photographer. When you face forward, your body tends to look wider.

8. For standing photos, belly in, buttocks tight, shoulders back, spine straight.

9. Study photogenic people as well as photos in which you think you looked best. Look at your best angle. You’ll probably see that you were laughing or having a good time. Capturing someone when they’re relaxed or most animated usually makes for the best results.

10. To feel at ease, try closing your eyes, then opening them slowly just before the photo is taken.

Nestled at the foot of the Himalayan Mountains, winding its way from desert landscapes to snow-capped peaks, the Karakoram Highway is an otherworldly ascent into a rugged paradise.

Not for the faint-hearted, the alpine highway reaches up to 15,000 feet above sea level. It starts in the Western province of Xinjiang, China, and ends in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Some of the show-stopping sights include Karakul Lake, a 12,000-foot-high lake at the foot of the Tian Shan mountain range, whose crystal clear waters perfectly reflect the alien purple, pinks, and whites of the never-ending peaks of Mt. Kongur. If the thin alpine air doesn’t take your breath away, the sight of blue skies and clouds on both ends of the horizon will do the trick.

2) Egypt’s Western Desert

Egypt’s Western Desert could be the epitome of stark desert beauty. Running between the Nile River in the heart of Cairo, Egypt, to the Libyan border, it is home to a string of five oases, Kharga, Dakhla, Farafra, Bahariyya and Siwa, but in between, lie undulating sand dunes, dry lake beds, and ancient lava flows. Scattered, also, are millions of years of history. The region is also known for its mummies, forgotten cities and tombs, and rock paintings.

However, the highlight is the alien landscape stretching out on either end of the drive, including the White Desert — a spectacular white rock quarry, carved into impossible shapes by the wind. Spend a couple days on the drive here, and treasure the nights staring up at the star-studded night sky.

3) The Grand Canyon, U.S. — Las Vegas to the Grand Canyo

The U.S. is full of beautiful drives, but even amongst them, a trip to the Grand Canyon is a sight to see. The canyon’s dimensions are staggering: 277 miles of river bed, more then a mile deep and up to 18 miles wide.

The most popular drive to see the canyon is from from Las Vegas, Nev., 180 miles away.

The south rim is the most accessible — and the most crowded. The sparse north rim, which is closed in the winter, is more interesting and, time permitting, allows you to swing by the stunning Zion National Park in Utah, which was also carved out by a river, (the Virgin). Park your car and hop on a shuttle bus for the breathtaking Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, which meanders along the bottom of the canyon.

Along the way, picture this: azure skies peering above snaking ruby red mesas, white clouds casting crimson shadows against twisting blue river beds and tufts of spring blooms. Enough said.

4) Alsace Wine Route, France: Strasbourg to Mulhouse

This is not so much a drive as a stop-and-gape tour, as this lovely wine route takes you through the Vosges Mountains and the poppie-lined Rhenan plains, twisting past majestic castles and idyllic villages peppered along twisted rivers.

Start at Sauverne with its fairy tale-like old city, and lazily make your way south; be sure to stop at the medieval gates of Dambach, the panoramic views of Mont Sainte Odile and Kaysersberg (in the heart of the vineyards).

Speaking of vineyards, a visit to Alsace wouldn’t be complete without the wine — but, please, don’t mix it with the drive.

5) Dalmatian Coast, Croatia: Zadar to Dubrovnik

It is tricky to choose a single coastal drive, but it is time to shine a spotlight on Croatia’s spectacular Dalmatian Coast. Hugging the Adriatic Sea, and spanning 1,000 miles, the highway offers views of the green-blue glassy waters of the Mediterranean, while you precariously perch over white-rocked cliffs. Nestled in the nooks are beautiful fishing towns.

Drive on this highway in the afternoon, and marvel as the sun sets over the water, casting pink rays of light across white-rocked cliffs, and the tiny white-walled houses that hug them

6) Southern India: Cochin to Kovalam

Heart-stopping and serene, the drive through South India covers it all. Channel your inner E. M. Forster: Starting at beautiful and historic coastal Cochin, the palm-tree lined road quickly descends into mystical forests that line the mountains like velvet.

7) Beach Highway, Mauritania: El Mamghar to Nouakchott

Perhaps this shouldn’t count, as it isn’t exactly an official highway, but it is a lovely drive, nevertheless.

Located between two towns, the “highway” is simply a flat white sand beach stretching into the horizon, and can only be driven at low tide.

Find an open-top 4×4 and some sunglasses, and embrace the wind-swept mane that will no doubt result.

Six Sixes by Yuvraj Singh.. in T20 Worldcup 2008