Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is Back

Frank Gehry tells off contemporary architecture, Google maps the desert on camelback and Marcel the Shell returns in our weekly look at the web

After a two-year hiatus, adored YouTube character Marcel the Shell (who indeed sports a rocking pair of kicks) made a triumphant return in his third video installment this week, coinciding with a new book release as well. The new stop motion short film features the introverted Marcel (voiced by comedian Jenny Slate) locked out of the house, discussing his particular woes living the shell life, …

Google Desert View

Frank Gehry tells off contemporary architecture, Google maps the desert on camelback and Marcel the Shell returns in our weekly look at the web

While a robot-operated car is Google’s vehicle of choice for mapping streets, a 10-year-old camel named Raffia is doing the job of mapping the Liwa Desert in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Equipped with Google’s Trekker camera, the guide-lead camel takes to the sand at 6am to capture the best light upon the barren landscape.

The Single-Brick Lego Pinhole Camera

Frank Gehry tells off contemporary architecture, Google maps the desert on camelback and Marcel the Shell returns in our weekly look at the web

While Lego cameras are not new, the one graphic design student Ryan Howerter made for himself sets the bar quite high. The entire pinhole camera was crafted from a single standard size 2×2 Lego brick—and it works. Howerter hollowed out the brick, added a brass shim and cut out a pinhole. A little bit of photo paper sits inside and the rest is mini-photo history.