drumFunny – percussive comedy & music humor

Thanks to everyone who submitted this!

In keeping with the Queen theme so far this week …

In case you’re unfamiliar with the song, here’s a really cool acoustic version:

Thanks for the vid, Chris!

Stanford’s Mobile Phone Orchestra, or MoPho, is an experimental musical ensemble that uses mobile phones (primarily iPhones) as their musical instrument. MoPho takes advantage of the “unique technological capabilities of today’s hardware and software, transforming multi-touch screens, built-in accelerometers, built-in microphones, GPS, data networks, and computation into powerful and yet mobile chamber meta-instruments.”

MoPho began back in 2007 by Stanford University faculty member Ge Wang and held its first public performance in January of 2008.

With screen size being a major limiting factor, the market for apps like this should explode once tablets really take off (Mac tablet, prease).

What at first glance looks like a cross between a Lite-Brite and a dedicated minesweeper handheld device is actually the Tenori-On, a slick 16 x 16 grid of LED lights that responds to touch triggering different playbacks, in the end creating cool, futuristic music – almost what I’d imagine my personal theme music to be if I had a flying car in the year 2127. I still can’t figure out what the hell this guy is doing to get the playback he’s getting, but it’s cool nonetheless. If you’re not up for purchasing your own but want a hands-on demonstration, check out ToneMatrix – it’s a simpler, yet totally badass flash app using the same concept.

This handy little invention by Steve Hoefer will unlock your door when the secret rhythm is knocked correctly.

If anyone ever wants to stop by my apartment, my secret knock is a Leone-one into an inverted Swine Flu followed by a Sir Bando Shuffle.