A few notes:It took me an hour and a half to flash the root file system and kernel on it…. The operating system takes longer to load than OSX 10.4 on my macbook.There are a couple things about the UI that bother me: It’s not obvious how to answer or hang up a callThere’s no obvious way to access system settings through the UIIt’s apparently not yet possible to send or get text messages.I hope it gets better.
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Phil Torrone did a nice Arduino gift guide for the holidays on the Make site…. I can’t wait til there’s more stock in the super-accelerometer board for a project I am working on that needs accelerometers.
Comments closedIt’s bassically a membrane that vibrates when wind passes across it, causing it to move a pair of magnets in a coil, which then generates electricity. Though it doesn’t generate a lot of power, it could be used effectively to power remote sensors or small indicators that currently run on battery power, relatively cheaply.
Comments closedThey’re eye-catching, but I wonder how many people understand that they’re specifically recycling bins. I guess there’s a trade-off there — they may generate more mistakes, but if they collect more recyclable goods, the error is worthwhile.
Comments closedNIBIT is a photo blog of physical control interfaces, some really obscure and fascinating ones. Inspirational for people building interfaces of all kinds.Thanks to Terri Senft for the link.
Comments closedMegan MacMurray’s off on a bus tour of the US with Conscious Goods Alliance, to talk to people across the nation about alternative fuels, but consumerism, product labeling, agricultural practices, sustainable materials, and the products that are sponsoring the tour. She’ll be making video blogs of the whole trip, online at Official Bufanda (I am still confused as to what a bufanda is and how one becomes official).She’s looking in particular to interview experts in biodiesel, auto-mechanics, wind power, solar power, hydropower, organic/local/sustainable agriculture, corporate agriculture, GMO’s, hybridization and building materials – focusing on the value of unbiased but informed opinions.
Comments closedIt’s basically an open design for actrive RFID:”OpenBeacon is a free design for an active RFID device which operates in the 2.4GHz ISM band…. The intention of this project is to offer a wide range of use cases such as visitor or item tracking and wireless remote control with a free self-contained and low-cost RFID design.”Thanks to Massimo Banzi for the link.
Comments closedBen Hopson has a good site detailing his work on his masters’ thesis at Pratt on designing movements.
Comments closedWhat do we miss by ignoring the factthat public toilets are also the site for a variety of socialpractices?’A Public Inconvenience’ will explore the experience and affect ofpublic toilets in an urban environment, in this case Amsterdam.Through observation and engagement we will consider how public toiletsare shaped by, and themselves shape, cultural practices, values, andattitudes…. That is, the placesand times that are often on the periphery of everyday life – thejourney to work or the time spent queuing in a shop.To be considered for participation, researchers and practitioners areinvited to send us a compelling public toilet story (see The Storiessection of the website for inspiration), an optional toiletphotograph, a brief biography, and a short rationale outlining yourinterest in the workshop.
Comments closed…at least, my favorite examples of physical computing.Durrell Bishop’s Marble Answering Machine – A really nice example of using tangible elements not only as memory tokens, but as physical interface…. This one comes from a link on Sriam Subramaniam’s homepage, but I think they may have gotten it from Rachel Abrams’ paper.Toshio Iwai’sPiano – As Image Media – The interaction is quite simple, and even traditional, in computer interface terms (a trackball), but the effect is beautiful.Tad Hirsch’s TripWire – I love the fact that it’s relevant to the city it was designed for, and attempts to address real political issues in that town with just the right level of seriousness and humor.Maywa Denki’s BitMan – The behavior seems entirely natural when you play with it, as the little man moves from one side to the next as you rotate the object.
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