fromform.net

Well, i fell on the milliondollarhomepage today. Sometimes you see things that are so simple, you wonder how it wasn’t obvious before. Alex Taw launched the site on August 26th, 2005 and just yesterday (2 months later) sold his 500,000th pixel. Each pixels sells for a dollar, so it’s easy math. He initially set it up to pay for his university studies. I imagine running the site means he can’t get to classes though…..

I’d always heard that someone had built real versions of Sodaconstructor animals - but Theo Jansens Strandbeests are beyond believing. click on the film button when you go to the site and watch this one: Animaris Currens Ventosa walking.

My students over at the AAINTER3.NET site have been posting links to some great sites exploring images produced either through code as with the COMPLEXIFICATION.NET site or through complex network mapping (and code) at VISUALCOMPLEXITY.COM. Judging by the names of these websites, things just aren’t as simple as they seem these days…but ‘complexity’ does make for great images.

The Scottish Parliament building by Miralles (now known as EMBT) was announced on Saturday as this year’s winner of the Stirling Prize.

Link
“The Scottish Parliament building at Holyrood has been declared the winner of one of the most prestigious architecture awards in the world. The tenth anniversary RIBA Stirling Prize Award was presented to representatives from the joint architecture partnership which designed the building, EMBT/RMJM, at an official awards ceremony in the Museum of Scotland on Saturday. After the event, Presiding Officer George Reid said: “The Stirling Prize confirms the Scottish Parliament as Britain’s most important new building. The judges have decided that Holyrood is not just a working legislature but a work of art.” It is the first time in the award’s ten year history that a building in Scotland has won the prize.”

No, the iBOT isn’t a new ipod model. It’s probably the most amazing piece of technology i’ve seen in a while. Zak and I were walking through Hyde Park today and saw a man walking in one of these:

It’s the Independence iBOT 4000 Mobility System - a new(ish) powered wheelchair that can climb stairs and allow its users to have conversations at eye-level. I tell you, it was amazing.

“The iBOT™ Mobility System contains patented iBALANCE™ Technology, an integrated combination of sensor and software components and multiple computers that work in conjunction with gyroscopes. Gyroscopes are motion sensors that help maintain balance. When the gyroscopes sense movement, a signal is sent to the computers. The computers process the information and tell the motors how to move the wheels to maintain stability. This electronic balance system is custom-programmed to the user’s center of gravity, to monitor and respond to subtle changes in motion. Reach forward to shake hands, and your iBOT™ Mobility System moves with you. Lean back and it moves away as well. The iBOT™ Mobility System constantly realigns and adjusts its wheel position and seat orientation to keep the user upright and stable at all times, even when driving up and down curbs or inclines. In addition, the iBOT™ includes built-in triple redundant backup systems, as well as auditory and visual signals to provide even more safety and assurance.”

What a great invention.

Now in addition to the AA Inter 3 website which has been up and running for about 4 years, i’ve just set up a new site which we’ll hope to update much more frequently. Go to aainter3.net - our new blog and website - to check out what we’re up to throughout the year. All of the students will be authors to the site and will also have their own pages on which to post recent work and thoughts.

Just spent the weekend setting up a new blog for the Ambient and Augmented Environments Network. The network will host a symposium at the AA on November 24th and 25th and will have a great selection of multi-disciplinary speakers coming to show work. Keep an eye out for the poster (and i’ll update this site when we have the full confirmed list of speakers).

Tomorrow will bring an annual eclipse to much of Europe, Africa and the Middle East. In London, the eclipse starts at 08:48GMT and ends at 11:18GMT - we should have about 60% of the sun covered. Time to get out the cardboard and make some eclipse viewers!