Smart mouthpiece turns phone into instrument

The Zefiro is a compact MIDI controller developed by Italian start-up ARTinoise, that plugs into your smartphone’s USB-C port, transforming it into a playable instrument. Resembling a vape, it uses sensors to track breath and air pressure, adjusting sound properties like volume and pitch through a dedicated app. The device allows users to play various instruments, from flutes to violins, with fingers and breath.

After exceeding its $5,000 crowdfunding goal, the Zefiro raised over $83,000 on Kickstarter. It will be available early next year.

Man compensated for smooth Mars bar

A British man was awarded $2.53 in compensation from Mars Wrigley U.K. after he unwrapped a Mars bar, known as a Milky Way in the US, and found it was missing its signature ripple.

Harry Seager, 34, of Buckinghamshire, posted a photo of his unusually smooth candy bar on Facebook, and the post quickly went viral.

“It tasted the same,” Seager told The Guardian. “It just was a lot thinner on top that’s all, not quite as thick.”

Seager reached out to the company the next day. Seager wasn’t seeking any compensation, but he was curious about what had caused the Mars bar’s smoothness and wanted to inform the company in case there was a production problem.

Mars Wrigley U.K. did not offer Seager an explanation, but did award him a £2 voucher.

World’s largest office building surpasses the Pentagon

The Surat Diamond Bourse in Gujarat, India, has surpassed the Pentagon as the world’s largest building, covering over 71 million square feet.

The 15-story complex spans 35 acres and features nine interconnected buildings with over 4,700 office spaces, workshops and 131 elevators. Designed by the architecture firm Morphogenesis, the building was created to meet the high demand for space in Surat, where 90% of the world’s diamonds are cut.

The project cost 32 billion rupees ($388 million) and can accommodate over 65,000 people, 4,500 cars and 10,000 two-wheelers.

World’s largest drawing

Nigerian doctor and artist Fola David-Tolaram set a Guinness World Record with a 10,814.5-square-foot drawing titled The Unity of Diversity.

Created over several days with waterproof markers at a stadium, the massive artwork features a map of Nigeria, showcasing the country’s cultural diversity.

David-Tolaram told Guinness World Records.

“Before embarking on this record drawing, I took a trip around my country to experience these different cul­tures personally and it was this experience that I brought to the stadium to create this drawing.”

Published in Dawn, Young World, December 28th, 2024