Those who enjoy vacation or leisure time in the countryside will soon have a cleverly designed choice for their travels. The Ecco, which is already being dubbed the "Swiss Army Van", is a space-age module for road travel, complete with a flip-open, accordion type design. It is 15 feet long and can comfortably accommodate up to 5 people. It even has a kitchen and a lounge! This revolutionary electric camper is due to hit the market sometime in 2014. You can read more about it here and here.

Here is a neat and very inventive collection of work from artist Mark Khaisman. This artwork was made with packing tape, and includes Curly from the Three Stooges! Read more about it at ArtStormer.

In 2009, Artist Dylan Roscover produced what is now a rather fitting tribute to Steve Jobs. It is a portrait of Jobs in a variety of typeface. The text is from the famous "Here's To The Crazy One's" Apple campaign of the 90's.

Below is an oddly entertaining video taken by tourists in Japan in 1987. Detailing the neon stretch of Tokyo on a rain soaked night, it comes complete with an 80's music soundtrack, some funky video-editing (to coordinate with the music, which is priceless) and a view to the unique fashions - both Japanese and American - of the time.

        I am used to seeing street businesses expand to online stores, but Google has done the opposite, and quite under the radar. Minus bells and whistles, Google has opened its first store in London. You can see more here.

For years, scientists have been working on the development of a Harry Potter type of invisibility cloak. Now, they are one step closer to realizing what would be a stunning scientific achievement. However, there is just one minor problem: it only works underwater. The video below is a brief demonstration of the principles of "photothermal deflection", the effect of cloaking which is caused by the rapid heating of carbon nanotubes. More on this story can be found here.

After a long and arduous journey through a foreign legal system, Amanda Knox is free and headed home. I cannot imagine what her family and friends are going through right now. Congratulations on your victory Ms. Knox. Welcome home.

In 1968, During the height of the Cultural Revolution in China, Chairman Mao received a basket of mangoes from a Pakistani delegation. Mao dislike mangoes, so he decided to give them away to his favorite propaganda "teams". In the strange and convoluted atmosphere of the Cultural Revolution, these mangoes took on special significance, and were tokens of Mao's approval of the teams over the fanatical "Red Guards" that had run riot throughout the country. The recipients puzzled over how to preserve these tokens of the Chairman's approval.
"The factories and universities that received the mangoes were overfilled with joy at this Great, Greatest, Happiest of Events. Many became obsessed with the question how to preserve the gift. In one case, the mango was put in a small glass box, engraved with an inscription and an image of Mao with rays of sunshine emanating from his head".
Interesting, and slightly bizarre story at chineseposters.

A car with no driver was found doing reverse doughnuts in a Philadelphia neighborhood Sunday afternoon. This left police and fire units scratching their heads, and made for an amusing video of the driver-less race, shown below. Full story here.

In the wake of the tsunami disaster earlier this year in Japan, there has been a rush in that country to produce new survival-based products. The "Noah's Ark" disaster capsule is perhaps the most inventive, and bizarre. Check out the full story here.