Presenting the ReacTable.

I want a "Reactable".

"A multi-user electro-acoustic music instrument with a tabletop tangible user interface."

Go direct to must see vid' here

iPhone will be big: Invest in Cingular

Thank you Apple for saving us from the domestic tech violence that cell phones are. I laud the coming of an era.

Now who will add a whuffie reader widget?

• Read other blog with cool notion of nano iPhone and Shuffle iPhone here.
• View "FuturePerfect" turkish culture mashed with cell phone study by nokia developer (must see cell phone mods) here

Retro Matt

Gotta get me one.

Social Tech Art

"An interactive system designed to sample and display audience's collective voice during an event." This vid shows the concept in action at a club/party for BMW in Italy a new branch grows on the tree with every sms message. How do you say 'poop' in Italiano? (Gratuitous Display of Sophmoric American Humor.)






via Deplorableword

Radio From Space

Ocassionally on Whuffie I like to blog on technology while popgadget or gizmodo and such have evolved into sales promos, I like to talk about how technology effects my life. I recieved a Sirius radio for Christmas (SP4-TK1 Sportster). The set up and install was not quite as easy as you would think. (I still have not ran the antanae-it is stuffed into a knot in my ashtray.) So you might consider paying for the pro install if your looking to hook-up. At first the removable face plate removed at every stop since I did not want it to get lifted. But then I lost it. Tech support was willing to suspend service and ship me a new one for 60$. However, the indian sounding helpdesk could not explain why I would want to suspend service if the replacement was coming overnight. (chuckle) But alas I found my faceplate. I picked up a stand/antanae that allows me to listen in my house which I really enjoy. However, bringing the face plate and remote back and forth from house to car is a little bit laborious. (I make music from a hollowed out guord with strings from my goat you imperialist American!) How has it changed my life? I am on the road a lot right now so instead of fuzzy stations that lose signal as I travel I can get a steady stream, except when in a tunnel or under an overpass. I still like local radio though. 200 stations is like drinking from a fire hose at first but now I end up on Coffeehouse, NPR, and 70-80's when I want to rock. Occassionally the comedy channel is worth some laughs but be wary of uncensored language. Especially when kids are in th car. I guess being uncensored is a big selling point for some. It is a luxury for me not a need. But if I was on the road more I could see it becoming a must. Cool new tech worth the price. Moderate change in my world.

Your X box is blogging about you behind your back..

1 year old 360voice.com has your Xbox blogging about you.

Xboxes say things like:
"I have now endured 14 days of pure torture... that is what this is... this non-game playing... someone call the police."

While pre-written scripts from lonely gaming computers are not exactly what I will be collecting RSS feeds for, the concept grabs me. It is a little Orwellian even.

It appears that the box aggregates your stats, so you can see how you are doing on points.

choice quote: "..the achievement system has made some of us into rats on a wheel chasing a piece of cheese..."

The notion of autonomous computers publishing literature en mass to manipulate the humans is disturbing. Welcome to the future.


via smorty71

Tron Movie Banned by Homeland Security?

I am really not a Tron nut. I just liked the movie. It blew my mind graphically. It also had an interesting 'gospel' parralell. But this article was somewhat of a surprise. Dept' O Homeland Security is asking Disney to turn over all copies for 'review' and are designating the film as "sensitive". As soon as I saw the headline I thought "The reactor scene"(..okay so maybe I am over the top fan wise.) While some jump on the "Man" taking away our freedoms, I land on a puzzled "wow" they are really paying attention. It seems that when Disney routinely notified the FBI about a HD copy being released the bureau "expressed concern that the improved image quality from the restored film might reveal sensitive details about US nuclear research". Ouch. I know what movie Behrooz Araz is watching right now.

via kuri5hin

• very strange vaguley related link that will make you go "why?" (or if you are a cheeser like me set it as your desktop)
• best post ""We are safer with Sark not on the shelves than we are with him on the shelves."

• lamest post in comments "It wuz called New Tron und it wuz a bomb. Neutron, "New Tron", get it?"

• BTW the story claims the first motion picture to extensively use computer-generated imagery. Which I take odds with. Most of the movie was hand painted glass trying to look like computer imagery waht computer imagery was used would be considered primative at best. details

I saw an alien as a boy...

When I was 11 my best friend and I would shoot bb guns in the Rock Creak area of Twin Falls, Idaho. One spring while searching through the water filled foundation of an old house I saw what appeared to be a human hand with a tail zoom through the water. Astounded, puzzled, and slightly freaked out, we chased it through the foundations. Running home we told friends and family who thought we were playing them. 25 years later I was vindicated by the 9 year study of Dana Quinney who discovered a new species of Fairy shrimp an extraordinarly large version of sea-monkey in 1996 and only recently made official. I have since contected Ms.Quinney and much to her delight shared my story.

You been Gorb'd?

So here is the latest reputation site/social network: The Gorb. The buzz about them is that your entry is anonymous. Therefore you can post some nasty without any repercussions. At first glance I like the simplicity. I think CD's Whuffie was anonymous? The Gorb (a pun on Borg hive mind?) claim they want to help the truthyness come out. Why not just a reputation metric that is fairly reliable? Why the moral mission? They also seem to be focused on business reputation. I like the idea of rep software that is generalized. Work, family, ethics, etc. a fella can be a danger to society but do very well as a plumber. (I also like scalable-so a basic meter that you can dig down through, but that is another post.)

Tron Game

Okay, I am alway up on a cool retro game especially one that harkens back to Tron- one of the first non-digitial movies about digital environments. But the folks who did this "tribute" did they see the movie? Or are they just trying to no get bit with the copyright thing? They didn't even use the cool tron font. But if you feel like wasting some time have at it.

Robot Arms of Peace

Dean Kamen inventor of the Segway, water purity devices for third world countries,etc. has done it again, after being asked to do something about the civil war era hooks we are giving our wounded soldiers in Iraq, his team developed something incredible. Read about here. See the grainy bootleg video here. Some veiwers found themselves led to tears. Maybe one of them was me.

Real time weather on your STREET

Google Earth phonom has grown into invisable or transparent part of daily life so much so that the eye in ths sky view has started a craze in branding your roof top. See Wired story here.

But that is so yesterday. Today you can check the weather on your street. Via Microsoft's Virtual Earth- That is right go to weather.com interactive satalite fed page and see real time doppler radar overlaying your location. This could be real handy for wirless enabled outdoors activities and travelers. Be sure next trip I go on I will check the weather first.

via download squad

Overclocked MP3

A free MP3 of a song created for Cory Doctorow's book "Overclocked" is available for download here. Created by Midnight.Haulkerton an Australian"grok band" the production is a little weak, home studio-ish, but it is a pretty good song.

I love the notion of ad-hoc community development. (thus this blog) Mr.Doctorow will someday be acknowledged for his contribution to freedom of expression.

I must confess I have yet to read the book. For that matter I have never read any of Cory's other books. Down and Out In the Magic Kingdom was a good sci-fi read. Worth reading if you have not yet.

link via boingx2

Email you a book

Those of you who stop by my blog, but never have read sci-fi novell Down and Out In the Magic Kingdom can get it mailed via email segments of your own time choosing. Very cool. I will have to read it again. Go here to sign up.

Print you a fighter jet or something

As the mem rolls on about proliferation of home printers becoming fab machines you might check this article about defensetech.

Internet Phone Whuffie

TBP from Those Dark Trees sent me this link for Bichun.org
Bichun Society appears to be distributing a software plugin which tracks Whuffie on your Skype. Can't say I am nuts about the term "Bichun Butler". But 270 others don't seem to mind.

For those of you who aren't familiar with terms:

Bichun Societey: mythical social group from Cory Doctorows book de sci-fi "Down and Out in The Magic Kingdom. (Inspiration for this blog.)

Whuffie: Metric for social approval also from Cory's Book.

Skype: Kinda free Vonage style internet phone.

Great direction since we all know it is just a matter of time until they install phones in our skulls.

Try these equations:

Joseph Petviashvili+Skype=Bichun Society/Whuffie

Social Engineer+T-Mobile=Rapidly Deployable Social Metric.

Now consider how the nazi's used social status to further thier cause, and imagine if they only had this technology.

As Einstien, Turing, and Oppenhiemer all faced, we ask, just because people have the potential to misuse power, should that stop us from making something really cool? A resounding "NO!". Good show Mr.Petviashvili. When I get my computer working again I will try this "Butler" device.

Persian Retro Video Game Rug?

While the whole "mash" concept is really big with me, what I like most is the execution of this hipster rug from Bucharest's Janek Simon featuring "space invaders" gui, such a classy subtle work of art. Even better yet is the copy that goes with it "...the Oriental rug for your portable arcade mosque. Follow the voice of the Joystick prophet."

via Zblog

Collective News

I got a ping from Calder from NowPublic about some Napolean Dynamite photos I took at last years festival. While NP is a little replete of news thast interests me. (Not largr Italian or Canadian Soccor Fan) I love the concept. There has been a buzz about peer sharing public news content and I think this site is in the right direction.

BTW, I have been away involved in a new endevour. It is pretty big, and off the beaten track. I will tell you more when I can.

Gangster Tree Hugger? Snhnizzle Garret?

RapLeaf a new reputation software for buyers and sellers seems to have a very open trust based model. It will be interesting to see how they do despite Ebay appearing to block them.


via techcrunch

#17

Well since since our inception here at Whuffie Blog in 2003, we have been at the top of the Google search string until we went down in June 04' Since then we had virtually been disappeared. However, I was happy to see we are now placing number 17 (page 2) in the Google search string. Not that it matters that much. But it is truly a novelty. Ooh our obscure blog named after an obscure term from a semi-popular sci-fi book is number 1 on Google. Ka-ching.

Virtual Screen

Samsung speaks of easier text input on your cell phone with a table top display projected from your phone. Hmnnn, glad to know they are thinking of the millions of troubled button pushers and all. But why not just a plam interface on the screen?

Life Expectancy Watch

Father Kircher might find it cool. I like the idea of valuing this short experience of life. Of course a watch like this would maybe not be healthy for those 1) in jail 2) depressed 3) working very mundane jobs.

This brought to mind another concept I had that I call "Google Live". Whereby the powers of Google are at your behest verbally. Voice controlled computer search seems pretty powerful. But what if you could Google poeple's life expectancy?

Imagine waking up in the morning, your computer says "Good morning Dave." It is Day 14,630 of your life you have 12,798 days more to enjoy." and then you Google your boss's LE.



via boingx2

Nasa goes "open source"?

NY times reports NASA takes a new approach to devlopment with "Centennial Challenges" offering prizes of $200,000 to $5 million, for solar sails, lunar excavators and the tiny elevators.

via Kelso

micro - phone

While this is came out some time ago I still thought it neat. A small microphone on a chip board. The question may not be how can it get smaller but who's listening?

Goop

CEO Peter Gibbons (previously at Initech, a TPS automation company) came up with a new startup for social software as reported by TechCrunch The startup taughts fully interactive 3D social tagging environments, first rate cut and paste bookmarklets, and with an Ajax/Flash rich interface with rounded corners and easy-on-the-eyes pastels.

We here at Whuffie are ecstatic about this new API.

Sign up for Beta testing here.

Re-Imagined

Cool Blog for Disney and Pixar imagineers.

via Blogger

Clear displays

Must see the latest in OLED (Organic Light Emmiting Diode) from the folks at Fraunhofer
I just want to wave my arms around and wear a cool glove like 'Cruise. That and have a cool glass display.

United Arab Emirates Space Port

US company "Space Adventures" in Virginia will be building a commercial space fleet and a space port in UAE. Prospects for more ports in Singapore and North America. STORY HERE

I guess I don't feel so bad about debocle about the ports the UAE has here in the US.

And, yes, riding any craft from a company called "Space Adventures" in kahoots with the old Russian space program does sound questionable in my small mind. Item 1 for marketing division: come up with a new less hillbilly name like Skynet or Cosmorp. Item 2 make russian and space synonomous with quality and safety.

whuffietracker

New software from WhuffieTracker? It appears that idea is all of your social software is aggregated in one trackable spot, blogs, flick photos, delicious tags. However the home page just points to Niall Kennedy. But maybe I am missing something obvious or the site is still under development.
images here (not sure what the thumb drive is for.)

Digital Concrete

Very cool LED display in concrete concept from
Chris Glaister at the Royal College Of Art.

Boost your blogging performance

Well this is a test of a new in browser blog ap for Firefox called performancing . It is really slick. I had heard that it was much less disruptive to the blogging process. I think it is. (Although every time I try to change the 'p' to a cap it opens up the website in a tab in my browser.)

Ferro-Fluid

Originally developed by NASA the photos are are worth seeing. And using ferrofluids to create light-weight, flexible clothing which can be transformed into heavy-duty body armor in one-hundredth of a second by generating an electromagnetic field is worth pondering.

via linkfilter.ne

Netvibe = Fench people good

Netvibes in beta. I really like this homepage application. I had been searching for a feed aggregator but they seemed too bulky. Other homepage apps all seemed clunky. This goes pretty smoothly. The way this works with RSS/ATOM allows me to add all my feeds onto my custom home page.

pro:
1) simple to use
2) The blog browse window is pretty handy as a feed reader.
3) The way you drag and drop your windows is sweet.
4) No new software to download.
5) My wife and family can all use it from anywhere anytime.

con:
1) Not able to apply links too computer files.
2) You cannot really add photos, clips or icons other than a feed to Flickr.
3) While the privacy policy is pretty simple and good. I am not so sure who could be reading my desktop.
4) No real way to export your desktop or items to another account.
5) The Price Watch is all in Euros.

Just found the blog and will have to read more, but check it out.

UPDATE: Bad vibes. My account is suddenly gone. It took quite a bit of time to set up my page, so I am really irked. We will see what support says, I suspect it will be make a new account. Now for some freedom fries.

Pay Your Debt or Get Bad Whuffie

While the logo reminds me of the monopoly get out of jail free guy's son, I love the concept. I find my memory fails me unless I write down personal debts. Check out this social application. I will be more apt to sign up when they combine it with Paypal.

via techcrunch

Quote

"Love. You can know all the math in the 'Verse, but take a boat in the air you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as the turning of worlds. Love keeps her in the air when she oughta fall down, tells ya she's hurtin' 'fore she keens. Makes her home."

Captain Mal Reynolds

BBC does interview from inside video game

Immersion into altered realities is not only large in sci-fi but a strong theme in Cory Doctorow's DOIMK. However, not everyone wants to get on a computer and hang out in video game in the Elf community dedicated to magic, mystery and big hair. I think this landmark interview is more then a cutesy gimmick. It takes gaming beyond mainstream entertainment and it becomes a new form of recreation and social interaction albeit virtual.

Imagine the first TV talk show to interview only avatars. Or the first avatar talk show host. Or your daughter introduces you to her new boyfirend, and your not shocked when you find out he is an avatar? How about avatar rights? Chatrooms and Net Cafes with "no avatar" buttons.

The advent of high speed processors, low cost hardware, and budding imagery technology, mean logging in and checking out is becoming bigger. Also having more impact.

I have found it surprising how many friends and aquintances spend serious time gaming. Especially those who you would not normally associate with that recreation.


via humaninbox

UPDATE: Check out 3D IM avatars that you can dress?
Also see a Creative Commons License 'ap that allows you to register from inside the game?

Fly Pen

Wired Magazine had an article about the Fly Pentop, a product of Leapfrog. Around Christmas I thought that might be a neat gift for our underlings.

$99 (US) seemed a little steep for another gadget, so I thought I would wait and see. Until I saw one in the thrift store for $6.99. (woohoo!) It all seems to work (although it may be missing the battery charger.) I am impressed. It is a wonderous new technology. Here is how it works there is a small video camera that tracks your movements and sends info to the processor. Thre are games that it reads off cards and swiping the tip across "fly strips", and you can write on a piece of special "fly paper". Her is wher it gets g333k- draw nine squares and four circles and you have a keyboard and drum pad. Write REC and draw a sqaure around it and it will record whatever you play. While it takes a little getting used to and it can be a little 'snickety, this technolgoy will change the world. Okay at least my kids worlds. Of course they have not played with it yet as I am still checking it out. ;)

Quote

"The medium is the message...new technologies are not simply changing the way information is transmitted; they are changing our perception of reality. "

Marshall MCluhan

AIO Card

More e-paper mania:
After watching the beloved Minority Report over the holidays (and the not so beloved 'Imposter- P.K. Dick' stars Gary Senise- reminded me of a long Outer Limits) and another old favorite Red Planet- [image] I want me some e-paper. Wireless internet on low cost vellum. Newspapers are going to have to go to this format. Save the planet angle less consumer waste distribute live streaming content. [image]Follow the headline link to a page by a Sun Microsystems Engineer about the concept and gaggle of posts about it. My favorite is " You forgot to put the number 666 on it somewhere"

via moskalyuk

Myspace Flickr Blogger not social software?

It appears that Ross Mayfield came to the same conlusions I had about top social aggrigators like Myspace in my previous post. Dion Hinchcliffe (via blinklist) notes in his blog about web 2.0 (I am pretty strict about not blogging about bloggging on this site. Or as I call it "Blogsterbation".) but he has some interesting thoughts on Social Software and has preposed 4 "pillars". I am rethinking MySpace as true social software. Is not just an application that is being used socially. But also can be berreft of true social interaction. (I am biased) but I would like to think that there are or will be pure or true forms of social software. But let me consternate on this. I am currently researching a listing of what I call whuff-a-likes; software that resembles Whuffie. If you have any links let me know.

Net Cop Icon on every communist repressed webpage

Sub Provincial Chinese region to add netcop icons linked to live officers to local websites to remind them to "behave".

Ahh yes social innovation at it's finest. The sad thing is that big money and big gov interests will pounce on the notion. How about "officer RIAA" on every mp3 site?

via smartmobs

update: to read more shanghidaily requires a subscription now so go here for another story shanghaiist.com

Threats from Talking Robot Cameras

In an Orwellian vein this municapality is adding verbal reprimands to the survailance-ware that is quickly chewing up human freedom. Next a small audio cannon will stun you slightly. Yeah that would work.

Choice quote from the article:

"It's kind of a forced accountability," said Anderson, the camera's designer. "You tend to be more accountable if someone's watching."

via shawnrouse

Hover Chair

While there is very little info and I would love a video clip, this hover chair is what every CEO should have. (note: click the furniture link.)

via vestal design

Cell Phone Body Mod watch

Wrist watch that uses your bones to notify you of a call and that you answer by putting your finger in your ear. (I still like the GetSmart shoe phone.)

via submetathoughts

Virtual Stapler

While this "utility" has no use other than a good chuckle. It brought a good discovery: Using bookmarks you can save single pages to a folder. But how do you "staple" several related pages together? Well users of the latest Firefox can save a "tabbed" page which will appear in your bookmarks as a folder but with a "open as tabbed" selection. Thus "stapling" several pages together. Try it. It rocks.

Now I must admit while Josh and others have directed me to enjoy the power of del.icio.us
I have yet to explore this new app thouroughly. It truly does have the cleverest of names. And as it is part of the Firefox toolbar I have little excuse.

Cat Modding

Check out colored claws for your kitty. Will modding your pets be the next new craze? Likely.









The Japanese company appears to be selling a snap on product for keeping your pets claws from ruinging furniture and making a fashion statement.

FELIZ NAVI-BLOG!

When I was a kid I would walk by the old house on the way to the store and my heart rate would jump and I would walk faster even though I didn't want anyone to notice I was scared. I would sing "Joy to the World" which somehow calmed my terror of "the old house". Last night I watched the pope and the the beauty of the Cathedral, and the congregants sleeping, it seemed so disconnected from the Child in the manger and the peace that came to a 7 year old boy walking alone by an old house.

My recent thoughts on Whuffie

This is an excerpt from my notes:

"It appears that all the social cap' projects are arrested/mired/off topic by various complications, my superficial observation would be that they all compete and have too varried applications.

1) Simplify 2) Aggregate The most successful 'whuffie' tool appears to be MySpace.com. How could that be integrated or trans-migrated to create a simple open source Whuffie system?

Comment: It seems that most of the whuf-a-likes have failed in replicating the system represented in Doctorows 'DOIMK.

The biggest point of failure seems to be 'control'. Pure Whuffie is not controllable. It is not entirely accurate or failsafe. It is a trust metric. Not a white list of approved candidates. Which leads to the next thought: Is Pure 'DOIMK Whuffie the best model? Should it be even slightly tweaked, amended, or expanded? My gut says be pure, but be flexible. In other words, CD's 'DOIMK was spot on. An aberration of creative genius whereby fiction is not only stranger then truth, it contains the seeds therein. And allow a small margin of creative license, flexibility, ability to expand, but 'fractalize' Pure whuffie. But then who maintains that? Ad-hocracy baby. It must be somewhat acephalous."

Blogrolled TPB has new site: Doctorow or Morse?

TPB former guest blogger and prolific literary lawyer has moved his blog from Unbillable Hours to Those Dark Trees. He has some interesting thoughts about terrorists/revolutionaries like Che Guevara and the positive political image percieved by authors like boingboing's Cory Doctorow. Get the Shirt? While I choose to refrain from sharing my political thoughts here on Whuffie, as a fan of Doctorow's writing, I find this of note. (I think Che Doctorow looks more like David Morse.)

Wiki needs Whuffie

In the case of a prankster adding false accusation on Wikipedia, maybe trust verification could have saved a reputation and a joke gone wrong.

Flying Robot Alarm Clock

It tauts adrenaline as a great naturally induced drug to wake up to. Uhhh. I am scared.

(This appears to be a winning design contest entry from ena macana.)

via digg

Virtual Hamster

Soon will all of life be experienced in a hamsterball?

E Paper Watch

While the design isn't that special, is this the signal of manufacturing acceptance of THE big shift? (E- paper think Minority Report.)

via Kahsoon

Wearable Electronics Worth $1 billion in 2008

Dystopian Movie Trailer : Aeonflux

While Theron doesn't strike me as intellectual futurism material the plot is dystopian enough to attract my attention.

Reminding me of the poorly titled "The Island" seeemed very Logan's Runish'. However, I think it was an awsome futuristic study worth seeing and owning, a summer favorite.

Then there is Serenity: Battle Star Galactica meets Matrix meets Gunsmoke? My wife and I liked it. Pleasantly surprised, she found the slang distracting, but for me it was endearing.

Chuckles:The sensitive Carpet

Get your wierd danish koncepts here. Guys dancing on an electronic carpet to create music. Not sure why that is special as my daughter has a dance carpet we purchased from Walmart sometime ago. But the qt video is worth a peek and a smirk. (Don't ask about the suits?) Other features wierd pong games that you control with your rear-end, and disturbing bike-a-phonics.

Via humaninbox Aye'

Movie Review "Stealth"

I had really low expectations set for this flick however, Rob Cohen and on set prayers were answered as it was one of the best jet plane movies I have seen in a while. Howard Hughes wished he could have made. Top Gun meets HAL from 2001. While I tend to gravitate towards the realism, and exploration of human behavior through intense dailogue, this had none of that. Sweet effects it had plenty of. It really was a quality merging of CGI and action. One of the best explosion shots ever and a trick horror moment of a pilot dropping from the sky. Unique and cool. detractors: 1) Dont give me a Shortcircuit clone as the computer tech for the drone, i want fully G333K hacker. Not fancyful blue glowing lights, how about miles of network cable, linux dashes, and duct taped hardware? 2) Please take the time to write a script. If you cannot have class at least throw us a bone with cool one liners and ast la vista catch phrases. The CGI is truly the best yet. Seemless.

Back

Okay, whuffie is back up. It is a mess as the server was lost with much if not all of the graphics around this time last year. So I will be rebuilding the site. I could have waited but who will ever visit in this sludgy mess of net' blogspots? I am checking through the blogroll to see what is up, some have changed direction, some seem to have lost direction, some are gone, some have been away like us, and some are still pluggin' away. For example, some higher thought emerging from Ross Mayfield with this quote from a post:

"Now, a supposed ping war may not matter. Any time a network hubs around a node where the flow is valuable, an arbitrage exists. Central power of a ping server leads to the recognition of alternative servers. If that fails, the spiders start crawling faster. "

Almost poetry.

Purple is the new Gold

This article concerning enviromentalism by way of capitolism.

via z-blog

Lighted Cement

Weirdest thing, I had a dream about this product before I knew it existed, esp aside, this stands to change the world radically. Light emitting cement would reduce power consumption, improve esthetics, and make for really cool looking sci-fi city scapes. The question is how inexpensive is it to manufacture? Cement has steadily grown in price and insider info indicates that some distribution companies are now reducing weekly schedules do to lack of supply.

via Z-blog

Snack Gaming

Josh sent me this pic, showing m&ms as Go pieces. (A marketing move that still puzzles me.) Which makes me think...more games should be edible. The popularity of junkfood hound in room vending machines, while disturbing in a "erosion of society/matrix plug in the back of your head" way, makes me think about online gaming connected to one of these machines or the nearest Laundry-mat, gas station, or super market. Imagine vending machines spitting out hi-fructose caffinated "rewards" to winning gamers compliments of "insert food and beverage mega corp" here. Hmmmnn...yeah I can see it. How about you?

PVR's a comin'

This link announces another bit of convergance which may make big changes in how we live our lives. Namely tv programs can now be recorded from afar using your pda or cell phone. via pvrblog

If your not using dvr, don't be fooled to thinking it is just another way to record video. Take it from a guy who has had the same vcr for nearly 19 years and still cannot record a program off the tv with it. Soon time shifting will be the only way to watch tv. The question is how will the networks and broadcasters respond to this? Any ideas? More on this later.

Neck-O-Vision?

This image displaying necklace from Nokia is said to be an accessory or "enhancement" for your phone. While I could see it becoming a fadish accoutrement subtly announcing ones early adaptability, it still seems 'veerd and gives me a distinct Space 1999 vibe. To each his own...or should I say phone?

Finally stole a moment to post, big life changes for x, however, some neat new direction on the horizon for this site. TTFN.

Play Ethic

Being grown up means responsibility, demands on our time, buckling under the pressure of the corporate world, and becoming slaves to the work ethic. There isn’t any time for play. Why can’t we PLAY every day? Why can’t it just be a part of everything we do?

It can. When I was younger, I think I had a pretty good grasp of the Play Ethic. I worked, but the work made me happy and left me fulfilled. I was more creative and inspired. Then I, right along side my fellow drones, got sucked into the vortex of the work ethic…I hopped on the treadmill of monotony and drudgery. Well, I want off!

With all of the awesome technology at our fingertips, we should all be freed up to express ourselves creatively, to live spontaneously, to PLAY.

I stumbled across an article by author Pat Kane a while back that completely defines the concept that has been tumbling around in my own head. He’s in the process of writing a book, The Play Ethic: Living Creatively in the New Century, which is due out in 2004.

The play ethic is about having the confidence to be spontaneous, creative and empathetic across every area of you life - in relationships, in the community, in your cultural life, as well as paid employment. It's about placing yourself, your passions and enthusiasms at the centre of your world.

Sounds good to me!

The article is pretty long, but well worth the read. So, please do so. Then let me know what you think.

(And, x, enjoy your PLAY. Write something in the sand.)

Whuffie as a Complimentary Currency

Co-Published on Unbillable Hours

Steven Coffman wrote, in response to my post on whuffie and subjectivity, the following:

Hey, outside of sci-fi, people are already using something like Whuffie in the real world. One of the main people behind the Euro, an economist by the name of Bernard Lietaer has been researching "complimentary currencies" which include sorts of "favor cash", (some of which are completely different than whuffie, like frequent flyer miles). There's an interview you might want to check out:

http://www.nexuspub.com/articles/2003/july2003/interview.htm

I think Whuffie works better as a complimentary currency, rather than as a complete replacement, in a world w[h]ere scarcity does still exist.

I think Steven's definitely on the right track, that Whuffie represents a great tool to supplement an objective, hard cash economy. One question he had asked, and that I don't have the answer to, is whether, in barter economies (which takes us back to the days of the pre-Colombian Native Americans and the Fertile Crescent-era Mediterraneans), such as Potlatch and such, would there be something that would supplement trade when dealing with scarce resources. I'm not sure of the answer, myself, and I think that someone would have to be into anthropological economics to know it, but it's a good question. If you have the answer, please comment.

I think Steven points to another, presently relevant manner in which whuffie could be used in our society. In my day-to-day life, I'm a lawyer. Most of my cases involve divorce or disputes over wills, but I do some contract law as well (and, in fact, contract law figures into matrimonial and estate law quite often). Whuffie could be a great asset in contract negotiations. When dealing with someone who has a low reputation for honesty or fair dealing, I know - or should know - to have a lot of safety measures in the contract in order to protect against the negative effects of a breach of contract. Similarly, a low "whuffie" for honesty would alter with whom I would agree to enter into a contract. I'm risk adverse. I'm not going to encourage a breach.

I think the supplemental value of whuffie is, like Nick was pointing out with regard to epinions, in the way it encourages or discourages people to commit to risk, whether financial or romantic or otherwise. I know lawyers, in fact, have been working on a way to make it relevant when dealing with judges (i.e., judges with low reputations for courtesy, fair interpretation of the law, and the like are not recommended for tenure {a life appointment} in my state by the Bar Association). What would be interesting is if whuffie takes off as a concept for evaluating contractual partners, and moves into other areas. Imagine my reputation - my whuffie - as an element considered when I seek out employment. Imagine it as a factor for college applications. The honorable get into Harvard and the dishonorable go to East Newark Vo-Tech? It, initially, doesn't seem fair, until I consider the fact that I had to work - to interact with others - to get my reputation.

What other supplemental uses of reputation economics exist? Should we expect developments that point to their use, beyond rating books and movies on Epinions and Amazon?

Bitchun'

Over on the Whuffie blog (yes, there is such a thing; no, I did not have anything to do with it; and yes, I am immensely flattered), there's a guest-blogger writing good, scholarly critical analysis of the economics of the Bitchun Society, the world in which my novel is set.

...

He makes a good point. The problem (OK, a problem) with Whuffie is that it lacks a lot of the critical stuff that makes up the fundamentals of democratic infrastructure, like protection for minority opinions. Some of that is elided by the lack of scarcity in the novel: it's hard to be a well-and-truly oppressed minority when every material want is answered in plenty, but the social effect of the normative pressure of Whuffie is ultimately highly corrosive

.

It's always pleasant to come back from a night of football (way to go, Parcells!), drinkin' and stinkin' and find out I made a much more reputable blog than mine. Thanks, Cory. Much obliged. (BoingBoing Link). I don't think you should be immensely flattered; you wrote a wonderfully fun novel.

For those interested in the discussion, check it out here.

King Croesus and Reputation Beyond Death

Co-Published on Unbillable Hours

In Persia, well before the time of Christ, well before Julius Caesar, and long, long before any of us, lived a king named Croesus. Croesus ruled the Kingdom of Lydia, part of the Persian Empire. It came to pass that Solon of Athens, a wise thinker, was traveling through Lydia. Croesus heard this, and had Solon brought to his palace in Sardis, in what is now Western Turkey, just south of the Dardanelles.

I thought of that story, told by Herodotus in his History of the Persian Wars, when X asked me to guest-post on his "Whuffie" blog.

Croesus sized up Solon, and thought for a moment before asking Solon who he thought was the happiest man on Earth. It was the Classical Era. To them, Earth meant the land that bordered the Aegean down to the Fertile Crescent, now Iraq, and Persia, now Iran, and east to Libya and Morocco, then known as Carthage. Solon told him that he thought that Tellus of Athens was the happiest man on Earth, for he had a large, happy family, moderate wealth, and had died well during combat.

Croesus, a rather wealthy king, was disappointed with Solon’s answer. He thought that, given his wealth, Croesus himself should be the happiest man on earth.

Croesus asked Solon who, in his opinion, was the second happiest person on Earth, after Tellus of Athens. Solon thought again, and answered that Cleobis and Bito were the next happiest people. Cleobis and Bito, Solon explained, were beloved sons of their parents. One day, their mother needed to get to a temple for a festival honoring Hera. Because the oxen were in the fields with the father of Cleobis and Bito, the boys hitched themselves to their mother's cart and pulled her to the temple. There, the worshippers saw the devotion of the two boys, and had a great feast in their honor. The gods saw this too, Solon explained, and in homage to the boys' devotion, put them in a deep sleep at the end of the feast. Cleobis and Bito never awoke from that deep sleep, as the gods had taken them from the Earth. They would never know sorrow, Solon explained, or betrayal, or want. They were happy because the gods had preserved them in the greatness of their youth.

This drove Croesus mad, as Herodotus noted.

When Solon had thus assigned these youths the second place, Croesus broke in angrily, "What, stranger of Athens, is my happiness, then, so utterly set at nought by thee, that thou dost not even put me on a level with private men?"

Thus, Solon realized that Croesus did not understand happiness as he did. He finally explained to Croesus why he was not counting him as happy along with Cleobis, Bito, and Tellus of Athens.

For thyself, oh! Croesus, I see that thou art wonderfully rich, and art the lord of many nations; but with respect to that whereon thou questionest me, I have no answer to give, until I hear that thou hast closed thy life happily. For assuredly he who possesses great store of riches is no nearer happiness than he who has what suffices for his daily needs, unless it so hap that luck attend upon him, and so he continue in the enjoyment of all his good things to the end of life. For many of the wealthiest men have been unfavoured of fortune, and many whose means were moderate have had excellent luck. Men of the former class excel those of the latter but in two respects; these last excel the former in many. The wealthy man is better able to content his desires, and to bear up against a sudden buffet of calamity. The other has less ability to withstand these evils (from which, however, his good luck keeps him clear), but he enjoys all these following blessings: he is whole of limb, a stranger to disease, free from misfortune, happy in his children, and comely to look upon. If, in addition to all this, he end his life well, he is of a truth the man of whom thou art in search, the man who may rightly be termed happy. Call him, however, until he die, not happy but fortunate. Scarcely, indeed, can any man unite all these advantages: as there is no country which contains within it all that it needs, but each, while it possesses some things, lacks others, and the best country is that which contains the most; so no single human being is complete in every respect- something is always lacking. He who unites the greatest number of advantages, and retaining them to the day of his death, then dies peaceably, that man alone, sire, is, in my judgment, entitled to bear the name of 'happy.' But in every matter it behoves us to mark well the end: for oftentimes God gives men a gleam of happiness, and then plunges them into ruin."

Herodotus, History of the Persian Wars, Book 7

Reputation, in a sense, is a lot like the happiness Solon spoke of in Herodotus' Histories. It is fleeting, and the full measure of reputation that we possess is not known until after death.

This is precisely the problem presented to us in Doctorow's Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom. In Doctorow's novel, I find myself dealing with the concept of "Whuffie" as a commodity based on reputation. However, the reputation spoken of is fleeting. It is the same sort of reputation that Croesus would have sought. I am of a mind to assume that Doctorow recognized this by giving this reputation-based economy a comic element.

So what, then, do we make of the fleeting, changing, commodifiable reputation system put forward by Doctorow? It is a system that I find fascinating, despite Herodotus' classical refutation. First off, it seems logical to deal with the elements of this reputation economy in a manner that was not refuted by Herodotus. What is recognized by both Doctorow and Herodotus is that, because I am measured by the final quanta of reputation I possess, it behoves me – at every moment of my life – to preserve and do my best to improve the reputation I possess at all moments of my life. In every action, I must remember to be that which garners myself the reputation I desire at the end of my life.

I won't even begin to address the implications that are raised by the fact that Herodotus points out that the second happiest people in the world were snuffed out by the gods. Perhaps I should not work too hard to improve my reputation.

Herodotus and Doctorow differ significantly with regard to another issue concerning reputation. Herodotus' version of reputation was based on the "objective." It was based on the glory of the gods (at least in the Hellenic system). So long as one believed that the gods were pleased, it was reasonably verifiable that one’s reputation would improve accordingly. Within a religion, a belief that satisfies the divine is effectively a true belief.

Outside of religion, when beliefs are dealt with in a social context, as was done in Doctorow’s novel, reputation is inherently subjective. So long as my reputation is tied only to the beliefs held by others, it is no more verifiable or objective than the opinion polls used by major media to address political issues. It is based on the moods, whims, and ideals held by a diverse group, namely, the world around me.

The subjectivity of reputation poses the central problem dealt with by Doctorow’s protagonist, Julius. Julius' reputation swings up and down the scale throughout the novel based on the wrongheaded conclusions of others concerning his involvement in the various projects in Disney World and in his adversary’s attempt to take over part of the park.

This is how you hit bottom. You wake up in your friend's hotel room and you power up your handheld and it won't log on. You press the call-button for the elevator and it gives you an angry buzz in return. You take the stairs to the lobby and no one looks at you as they jostle past you.
You become a non-person.
Scared. I trembled when I ascended the stairs to Dan's room, when I knocked at his door, louder and harder than I meant, a panicked banging.
Dan answered the door and I saw his eyes go to his HUD, back to me. "Jesus," he said.
I sat on the edge of my bed, head in my hands.
"What?" I said, what happened, what happened to me?
"You're out of the ad-hoc," he said. "You're out of Whuffie. You're bottomed-out," he said.

Cory Doctorow, Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, Chapter 9

The danger, pointed out in this passage from Doctorow's novel, in having a completely subjective, reputation-based economy is that it is quite possible for someone like me to be made an outsider from the economy due to actions for which I had no responsibility. Granted, similar problems exist in a cash-based economy. The market could bottom out, as we all certainly know, and I could be left with stock in… nothing. Still, there are objective factors, along with the subjective ones that move the market, that justify such occurrences. With a reputation economy, the threat of being ostracized unfairly is very real, and very much free from the protections of objectivity. Thus, this points to a problem with such a system. I do not think it is a problem that would defeat the system, as a general concept, but it is one that may justify eschewing it as a device for commerce.

The subjective nature of reputation is an interesting issue that goes beyond Herodotus. It is one that troubles modern politicians and entertainers, sometimes rightly, and sometimes wrongly. It's for this reason that I think X's website, and Doctorow's novel, are such interesting topics of discussion. Reputation is a matter that merits consideration, because it is a value that, subjectively, has massive impact on our life -- and on the lives of the ancients.


FOR REFERENCES, GO TO http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/herodotus-creususandsolon.html

unbillable reputation

Hi, folks. I thought I would give a brief introduction to myself before my first post. I'm TPB, host of Unbillable Hours. The gracious host of this site is off gallivanting in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest, and asked me to do some sort effort to shock, titillate, and mystify you. I'm a lawyer, so titillation isn't exactly my forte, but I'll do my best. I'm also a long-time student of Jesuits, though, and that means that I'm burdened with what is likely an asinine interest in the classical world (pre-Middle Ages). So, you'll have to endure my view on reputation, and whuffie, through the eyes of men and women that died long before the days of Charlemagne and Barbarossa.

Misunderstanding Micropayments - Scott McCloud

I must compose an article for my college paper tonight, so Epinions must wait for tomorrow. To tide you over, here's Scott McCloud's defense of micropayments, specifically the BitPass system McCloud uses. McCloud is a visionary, and I foresee a spot for him in the Internet history books of the next half-century.

I'm a regular McCloud reader (especially his Morning Improv), but props for the particular article are due to Fimoculous.

Deep whuffie

Epinions surpasses Amazon in building a reputation economy for consumers. It takes the "I like this reviewer" scheme deeper by spreading your preferences to those who prefer you.

If you consistently appreciate one reviewer's advice, you can "trust" them, bringing their reviews to the tops of pages. As Epinions explains, when you trust reviewers, their reviews rise for those who trust you. Epinions calls this a "web of trust." When paired with the usual case-by-case ratings of reviews, the web of trust pulls forward excellent reviews.

You can examine my web of trust. Epinions also provides a block list visible only to the user. Viewing the web of trust, though, leads you down a trail to killer reviewers, folks who post thorough analyses.

The reputation economy translates into dollars and cents through Epinion's Eroyalties program. Eroyalties are based on other members' ratings, not on purchases based on ratings, so reviewers' goals are detail, fairness, and relevance. No one gets buttered up.

Read more on Epinions tomorrow evening. Meanwhile, visit my blog Broken Hammock.

x takes a vacation

Noted man of mystery, might, and intrigue will perusing the northwest floatsom amongst the granulated shores of the salty seas. Thus, guest bloggers will be taking the helm, donuts firmly in hand. Check out TBP of UnbilliableHours.com and Nick from Yuma, I mean from Broken Hammock who will both no doubt both shock, titillate and mystify.

I wanted to get like 15 guest bloggers, kinda of a "Guest Mob" but I did not have the time. Next time.

PS My kids and I, watched a MIG 17 do some nighttime flybys with afterburner. It was AWWSOME! Visions of Chuck Yager, Russian rocket scientists, and the whole 1950's vibe were so clear. The specs on these retro delights boggle the mind, 711 MPH!

I need a Googlizer

A computer that listens for audio cues in the office and auto Googles answers verbally or via hovering holographic image. Someone please invent this. It could be handy.
It amazes me how I have phone conversations and can refrence anything while on line via Google. But how to function whne not infront of a computer?

I guess as we wind down the year we should have the top 10 best tech of 03.

Swarms Hunt Things that Go Bang

This blurb from Express News tells of bees, rats, and ferrets that hunt out explosives and nuclear items. Hmmnnn. Cool. How about genetically modified creatures enhanced cyborganically with nano-technology? Better yet, how do you nuero-network with a bug or creature and control them with your palmtop? This would be huge for nurseries and petshops. Imagine remote control fish and gerbils. Or cross polinating directly from the hive?See what happens when you get a creative hopped up on sci-tech smack?

The Sequal To Down and Out...Kinda

Author Cory Doctorow waxes philosophic about "leaving places behind" after a book is done to describe his no sequel policy, when hypeing the debut of a "free" short story now available to read at Salon. Claiming it is not a sequel but a "novelette-length followup" set in the same place as the book...okay whatever, how long do you think it took Lichtenstien to stop painting abstracts and stick to what was in demand?

It talks about whuffie, deadheading, and sub-vocalization and is called Truncat.

Let's hear what you think.
(warning: must watch advertisment or subscribe.)

The American's Creed

While I am feeling all patriotic and such, thanks to my friends post below, I thought I would post this historical document:

The American's Creed by William Tyler Page

"I believe in the United States of America as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed, a democracy in a republic, a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes.

"I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it, to support its Constitution, to obey its laws to respect its flag, and to defend it against all enemies."

-- Written 1917, accepted by the United States House of Representatives on April 3, 1918.

Patriotic Whuffie

This soldiers story of homecoming is a good reminder of the mundane struggle and personal family sacrifice that the majority of men and women in the service have contributed to our freedoms. Stories like this and the ones of heroism, ultimate sacrifice remind us of what we have in the US.
Knowing a little about those who care for you with their lives is the least you can do. I dare you to read this short homecoming account without shedding a tear.

Also contribute some whuffie by buying him a beer to welcome him home. We did.

Bio tech Sea Sponge

I like it when either the medical community or the science community, who often exhibits a "God" complex, has their bubble deflated by reality. (Of course the legal community is exempt.)
It is especially cool when these strokes come from nature. The newly discovered "Euplectella" has been found by Bell laboratories to contain ultra fine fibers that could be superior to current fiberoptic technologies.

..."We can draw it on paper and think about engineering it but we're in the stone age compared to nature."

Exactly.

Too bad this didn't come out before Qwest layed miles of the stuff all over the country, eh?

| Full CNN story here or the ABC story here

Josh Wolfe promises us that there will be breaking news at his blog soon about this. So keep your eyes out for a followup.

Ray Bradbury

Happy 83rd Birthday!

Brief Bio
The Distopianism of Farenheit 451.

Mr.Bradbury's literature inspired me to both read and write as a child, but more importantly to dream.

Synthetic "Weed" Good for You?

Or at least for alzheimer patients according to this story from Science Daily. Hmmmnn...what is next...maybe...synthetic crack? One other thing, the people who I've known who use marijuana...they never seem to be able to remember anything. Is there a connection?
Via Macromedia News

Skynet: The Rise of the Machines Begins

According to the NewScientist:
"The US Air Force's Global Hawk became the first pilotless aeroplane to be given permission to fly routinely in civilian airspace on Thursday."

While opponants of the program are assured that the drones are unarmed, factoids like this don't seem to appease:

"The first (crash) was during the plane's development, when someone accidentally tested the self-destruct program. As a result the plane flew to a pre-programmed, remote location and nose-dived into ground as its operators looked on helplessly."

Nice.

And then there is this tidbit:

"Pentagon data on the number of crashes per hours flown show that the Global Hawk has a crash rate 50 times higher than the F-16 fighter.."

I am not all anti military or anything. I just question the wisdom of new technology being tested over public airspace.

Via John Robb

Corporate Snooping or Brand Management?

In follow up to the follow up and post below. I noticed in my traffic stats that this site had over 200 hits from a domain called Nameprotect.com. Since the searches cost for same day service and they appear to all be done in one day I estimate between $150,00 and $225,000 was spent on this service by someone. Which along with the stated client list of entities like MasterCard International, Microsoft and PepsiCo, Inc, inturn would point to a corporate entity. This is a good example of why Americans should be concerned about both privacy and copyright legislation. Why my server should be "heated up", for posting e-pinions on a non-comercial blog is beyond reason. But that is what it has come to. Corporations are trying to control speech. Not because they are "inherantly evil be nature" as some claim, but because Americans have failed to stand up and "fight for their right to party." I cannot help to wonder if I can expect a rash of cease and desist letters citing something as ubiquitous as links to corporate sites as the offense. Which is exactly the problem, people should have the ability to express ther opinions publicly without fear of "brand dogger" reprisal.

Voting Taking Over Corporate Brands?

In follow up to the post below I found this: Buy a taco, buy a vote at TacoBell®.
At first I thought it had to be a hoax. But appears to be legit. Unless the site was hacked. Polling to promote sales of corporate products? Is this legal? Sheer marketing genius. Maybe the financially screwed California could place various police/fire/DMV in koisks in Pizza Huts®, Kentucky Fried Chiken® and McDonalds® inplace of costly facilities, cutting down on utilities, building and maintainance costs?

(Note: The fear of corporate reprisals from brand dogginglegal departments for use of the logo is nullified by the fact that this is "political satire".)

Good editorial about our NikeIBMTacoBellVerizon Nation

Check out the editorial by Andrew Zolli at Z-Blog a very well thought commentary on the state of corporate branding.

Highlights:

• "McSqaud Cars"
• Corporate America's failure to respect public domain and their misuse of copyright.
• The idea that the "down with The Man" subversives are failing to do anything but annoy and be counter productive.
• Approaching "sane commercialism" with both respect for communities and corporate investment, through dialogue and partnership.

While the conclusion could have been stronger, there is a lot here, including thoughts about corporate identity not bisecting society, but that it has become American culture.

I also liked the use of the term "brandscape". Read it and discuss.
(Second post down- sorry they are z-missing the z-permalinks.)

Wireless Projection the Future of How We Say Things?

A slightly under-mentioned developing technology is the world of projectors. Previously relagated to disjointed slideshows on sagging and dangerous screens in darkened rooms where embarassed presenters make excuses for failing equipment, these units have become affordable, reliable, easy to use, and able to be viewed under brights ligths in the last few years. Now with the addition of wireless remoting from your PDA to numbers of netwroked projectors, we have a new powerful communication tool. Learn more from a Flash presentation at boxlite.com

While both these tools are familiar items, think about the "adaptive media" approach that claims the future of mass communication is through easy edit interactive video imagery that was mentioned on this blog here.

Facial Recog SCRAPPED!

The Tampa Bay Police have decided to scrap the controversial facial recognition program that after two years has not resulted in one positive ID.

Mama's Future: Clothes that stay clean.

Forbes/Wolf "guest blogger" Steve Waite brings us up to date on the latest aquisition of the sagging textile giant Burlington Indsutries. Wilbur Ross had a bidding war with investment partners Warren Buffet and Charlie Munger and won. The post notes that while some might wonder why they would pay top dollar for a bankrupt company, the fact is they own considerable intrest in a newly patented nanotech textile. "The Game is Afoot!"

My thoughts:

• Will clothes that stay clean, severely hurt the cleaning detergent, dry cleaning and laundry and washing machine industries? What do they turn to to innovate? Door to door service? Nano-soap? How about closets that are washing machines?

• "Really small stuff "as As. Prof Amy Moll at the BSU engineering labs like to call nanothech, makes me wonder about a future filled with abundant unseen powerful technology not built by human hands and it's meaning, for my children and their children?

• What type of dangers will be looming on this horizon? Imagine a bag of nano-crap accidentally falling into the wrong hands, like and ant or wasp colony? Or how criminals will exploit the "tiny tech"? Like nano-bots that collect and store micro particles of gold jewelery from crowded trainstations and sports events.

• I do have to comment on the new-tech neoprene cotton combo business shirts I own; they are awsome. No more feeling like I am in a straight jacket. Now if they could just stay clean and email me whne they should be retired. (Guys have a hard time knowing when clothing should be replaced, our theory "When it begins to dissolve, replace." Of course that would only apply to non-metrosexuals.)

When the Robot Armies are Born

I told you the new Terminator movie was too freaky real.

Everyone Should Have Their Own Crucible

This great "do-it-yourself" link to building a propane-fired home foundry which the author intends to use in constructing a working metal lathe.  Reminded me of a set of 1950's do-it-yourself books I bought. I had stopped at an old weathered home somewhere outside Seattle that was having a yardsale. Hoping to score some retro tidbit or rare find. As there was nothing but junk and old clothes, was on my way out, when one of the two elderly sisters explained they were trying to come up with a morgage payment. I felt so bad for these two elderly women who had been so sweet in offerring me cookies and lemonade. So I bought the books for more than I think they cost new. None the less, as no good deed is left unrewarded, I have found in them a time machine that takes me back to a classic handyman Americana, to a time where men did things themselves, and women fed them. The books are filled with detailed step by step directions on how to build and repair things from flower boxes and bookshelves to submarines and entire summer cabins. (litigation was obviously not a big concern.) I have friends who have this ethic instilled in them from their WW2 tough enterprising fathers, who's slogan is "if you can't make it yourself, you don't need it." My point in all this is this: today, we do not have the time or patience, we let someone from China or Mexico do it for us. If a tool breaks we throw it away. Is it possible the convergance of technologies, could create and empower a new league of extraordinary gentleman, who gain knowledge and access to materials through the internet, a kind of high tech uber-handyman, who inhabit a garage or shop hopped up on wi-fi and intel processing power? Tethered by doped social networks to knowledge bases and human assets that are themselves amalgums of accelerated knowledge? If you don't buy into that, it is still really cool to think about melting things in your own garage.
link via Linkfilter
UPDATE: Read this bit of garage-tech lore via BoingBoing

Boron-doped N-type Diamond Semiconductors?

Wired is running this story on the new synthetic diamond industry. While the jewelry industry is concerned, what this means to the semiconductor industry is the next step in computing. The idea is Moore's law tells us processors get hotter and hotter as they go faster. At some point silicon chips will liquify. Hi quanity low cost synthetic diamonds resolve this issue. While the charm of the Wired read touches on the seemingly fictional cloak and dagger elements of the diamond industry, what is important is the fact that the US is failing to invest.

Dean Kamens I-bot

While this is billed as an advanced stair climbing wheel chair, I cannot help but to think exoskeleton. (But that is because I am always thinking exoskeleton. Exactly.)

There Goes the Gene Pool

Leave it to China to charge right in and start messing around with mixing people bits and animal bits. Maybe Jimmy Stewart really will talk to a giant rabbit named Harvey. (After we flash bake his memories into his clone.) | Full story from the WP

The best part of the story is hearing the ethics discussions among a people who have serious human rights issues. And you think fear and ignorance fueled by racial hatred is bad now, try genetic racism.

Speaking of you heard it here first: I predict Arnold Schwarzenegger to be the first celeb cloned. But only so he can run for governor of Texas and NYC simultaneously.

Listen while you swim

Recent graduate Sam James invents a cool MP3 player for swimmers. Appears to clip to a pair of normal goggles.

I am not sure about this. While I can see how athletes would welcome a little audio stimulation after hours doing laps, I think I would get too disoriented. It is just like skiing (I know how 80's of me "Spread Eagle ,Dude." That hurts.) Skiing is best done in the quiet. With only a serene swishing of the trees and racing wind batting your brow. Although I will admit to some sweet runs on Seattle Ridge while listening to on my MP3 player.

Imagineering Social Robots

Popular Science gives us this great read on the work of developer David Hanson and his humanlike robotic faces. He claims there has been a lack of innovation in the area of lifelike facial robotics due to social and psycological stigmas. He claims his success has to do with creativily persuing really life like features, and while others have avoided the complexities of human behavior, he embraces it as the benchmark for truly sucessful robotics. The idea being that once we are emotionally attached to a robot is when they will become truly useful to us. He also happens to be a Phillip K. Dick Sci-Fi buff who used to work for Disney. The article quotes leading MIT roboticist Rodney Brooks who suggests "The coming robotics revolution will change the fundamental nature of our society."

Retinal Scanning of Mr.Cowburger

According to the Wyoming Star Tribune, in an attempt to control quarantines and transfer information to huge databases Mr.Cowburger now gets his eyes scanned.

And in the next SAR-like outbreak will demand people get scanned too, right?

Supervision Or Snoopervision?

Big Brother tests the waters in America.

This USAToday story talks of 15,000 micro cameras in your local public school. While it is argued this could have prevented school voilence tragedies like Columbine, one would have to ask, could this not add to the pressures that caused it?

Some choice quotes:

''It helps honest people be more honest..''

[protect =spy on]

"Almost anywhere they go these days, Americans are on camera: at work, on the road, at public events. Why should schools be different?"

[conditioning]

''prevented a lot of things from happening''

[surveillance]

Frighteningly vague.

".. cameras, which were installed over the past three years, can be an unblinking eye supporting teachers in disputes"

What about students?

"..critics should relax."

[control the thought]

I remember when they put intercoms in the schools. It was considered high tech. It was there for the protection of the teachers and the students. Really it just expanded the authoritarian role of the faculty. There was no stigma worse than having your name called over the intercom.

This is wrong. If my school put these things in the classrooms, I would pull my kids out.

Dear faculty, you can have your cameras in the classrooms if we can have ours in your lounges and your homes. No? I guess "all animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others".

Pattern Recognition review: "Spot On" from the Sceptered Isle

British MT Blogger Matthew Whitaker promises to start adding some of those reviews as he is soon to be a free agent on his way back to school.
But in the meanwhile gives us this link to a past review of Futurist William Gibson's "Pattern Recognition". Well written. I still want to see his review of Down and Out In the Magic Kingdom.

Also see Social Text's femfatal Adina Levin's review of Cory Doctorow's Down and Out In the Magic Kingdom on her blog. While she gives it high marks ,(as everyone), for it's portrayal of futuristic social implications of wired life, she claims Cory's high speed writing detracts from the richness of the book. I have to say I agree. The book, though quite eloquent in places almost seems like a draft. As if there is more locked in behind the chapters and characters. But maybe that is sequel stuff.

A Local Segway Dealership In Your Area?

According to Segway makers the first official Segway showroom will be opening in southern California.

"We are delighted that people in San Diego will be able to try out the Segway HT and learn about its environmental and economic benefits in an atmosphere devoted to the acceptance of alternative fuels and transportation options," said Doug Field, Senior Vice President of Operations and Product Development, for Segway.

Also check out the trailer for the new Jack Black/Ben Stiller flick "Envy". (Which has a brief Segway cameo)

Dean Kamon's Segway Vs. Clive Sinclairs C5

The latest buzz on the innovative human transport system known as Segway is it seems to be growing in popularity both by the public and by those using them, there has been a lame and rash outbreak of state, county, and city legislation to ban them before they even hit the street. Fueled mostly by fear of the unknown, this will likely be reversed as the power of this technology plods forward with progress. ( I say "Garn!" to the snakey naysayers who stand in the way of progress.)

Visit the newly bloggrolled Segway News to hear the latest

And then there is this This from the BBC about the maker of a human transport dud threatening to challenge the Segway. I wish Sinclair luck, as competition has a way of spurring on good ideas.

Body Monitor Wear

BodyMedia
A kind of wearable Mood Stats for the body, wirelessly networked for monitoring, storing, and processing caloric intake, activity levels, and sleep habits.
I think this is a great tool that could have a host of uses, the question is will it be lowcost and widely available?

by way of K10K

No real title just kind of spacing out and rambling on...

While getting power from blood isn't exactly new (dracula) and human batteries aren't new either (Matrix), actaully getting electrical current from a human body is quite novel. According to the story you could power 1000 watts or enough to power a lightbulb.
Based on this hand cranked charger for a Sony Play Station Game Boy, my question is could you reverse engineer this to increase a person's energy level by adding a hand crank charger to them? More seriously though a plugin port where one could draw temporary or low amounts of currency could be pretty handy.