Saturday, June 21, 2008

MIT students create "wal mart" cheap solar concentrator



http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2008/solar-dish-0618.html

Frequently Asked Questions


Q: Didn't Mythbusters/that guy on the internet/everyone in the 80s do this already?
A: YES! We're following in the footsteps of many brilliant people. Our innovation is to make them so cheap and easy that they can finally be used across the US, and eventually the world.


Q: Isn't it dangerous?
A: Anything that produces a lot of energy, from cars to wind turbines, is somewhat dangerous. However, the focus point is so concentrated and so high off the ground that the danger of a person wandering into it is minimal.


Q: Can you put solar panels on the end of it?
A: Normal solar panels couldn't handle that much sunlight. However, there is research into high concentration PV, and our system provides the unusually constant flux required to operate them efficiently.


Q: Are you going to use these in the developing world?
A: Because of the simplicity of the design, and use of widely available materials, the Dish has huge potential to address the energy problems of the rapidly developing third world. However, To get the business off the ground, we're focusing on large US installations in the short term.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

fast food map.


interpret as you see fit
-
erik perkins 1999

http://www.fastfoodmaps.com/static.html

cell phone activity map




The digital maps can now be experienced in real-time as they constantly transform and shift in status. The project is thus a means of observing, and reading the city, a tool that traces its evolution and fluctuation. Finally, by harnessing cell phones as devices that can track/monitor its users Mobile Landscape also raises questions about the relationship between information and communication technologies (ICTs) and the contemporary city. How does technology shape the way in which we describe and represent the contemporary urban condition? What effects and possibilities does this technology generate as a tool of analytical inquiry? What are the new forms and interpretations that mapping can adopt today, and how can citizens actively respond and participate in the process of mapping their surrounding environment? How does this technology respond to issues of control, freedom, hegemony, privacy and geo-slavery?


http://senseable.mit.edu/grazrealtime/

Sunday, June 08, 2008

theres gold in them potatoes




recycling and using products that might otherwise be thrown away and repurposing them makes sense.

maine potato bioplastics story

http://www.umaine.edu/mcsc/reports/potatoesExecSum.pdf


apparently maine has a very stringent potato grading apparatus in the "maine potato board" (ask essej fish and his grand dad about this). Anywho, we have literally hundreds of tons of potatoes that aren't qualified to be put into a bag that says "Maine Potatoes". The chaff gets sent to the dehydrated potato flake factory or many times simply composted with next years crop. Here is another use for all of those that fell by the wayside.

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Mutek Review part 2


My highlights were

Seth Troxler- Seth brought the dimension of deepness and sexuality that sometimes gets missed at mutek. This one had the girls having a blast.

Barem- I walked into barem's set never having heard of him. people were going off at this fairly early event. Def will be checking this guy out again.

Sleeparchive- he looked german to the bone, and like he doesnt get much sleep at all.. no wonder he has to archive it. He was a maestro in his own wunderkind manner. His focus was palpable.

Ben Shemie- Middle Clouds: Family A, B, C”. (Shemie + his laptop and his band of 4 violinists put on a moving musical film score esque performance.

Jeremy Caulfield- Drop Kick in the face set. The guy blew me away. I was so up for this set and actually expected to be torn a new one. Every few months I try to check what this canuck is up to, always impressed. I kept looking back at my friend who is an old techno soul and we were vibing off jpc like kids watching star wars for the first time. You are very lucky to have a friend like this! After I found out that mike huckaby sold him his first collection of techno it all started to make sense- throw in a childhood in hong kong and this futurist has the underpinnings of a great.

Deadbeat- my first time seeing him live outside of the digi sections. Seems like a very nice fellow. I wasn't expecting much as the nocturne 4 second room was pretty sub stellar. This guy obviously loves audio and paints gorgeous pictures with it.

--- I missed murcof and most of the AV sets. This starts me on a rant actually. Everyone I spoke with whom attended all of the A/Visions listed the Murcof/Hecker/C Fennesz events as the highlights of the weekend.

Last year I paid for the full mutek ticket at 180$... not only that but I had to pay full price for the A/V sessions. This year I bought my tickets singly. I meant to talk to the ticket people to try to get some comps to the A/V sessions as last year I felt I was screwed having to pay double. Good for mutek organizers for getting it right this time and giving people a true full access ticket this time.