Archive for the ‘design’ Category

The Reverse Geocache Puzzle

Early this summer, the friend who first introduced me toAArduino amazed us with the news that he was moving to France to get married. Once I recovered from the surprise, it occurred to me that putting together some sort of Arduino-based wedding present might be a uniquely fitting thanks for his years of friendship and for helping get me started in this delightful enterprise. And so after weighing several ideas a I didn't fancy adding some ugly techno-junk to the pretty collection of tea cozies and china sets a I finally settled on building the device I describe here: a puzzle box that won't open until it is taken to a certain location.

To better understand my conception, let's fast forward and imagine the gift opening. The new couple, freshly back from their honeymoon, remove the wrapping to reveal a book-sized wooden box elaborately carved with elephant images. (I didn't carve it; I bought it that way atAWorld Market.) Mounted into the lid, perhaps incongruously, are an illuminated button, a small display, and a mysterious module that sharp-eyed readers might recognize as a GPS. There's also some kind of connector tucked away on the box's left side. More about that later.

What do they make of all this? It's hard to guess, but naturally I imagine they might try to open it up and take a look inside. When they do, however, they find the lid stuck tight a it seems to be latched from the inside. Will they push the button? Pretty buttons are awfully hard to resist, so let's assume so.

.:arduiniana.org->

Jason Krugman : Electric Zoo Art Installation

Living Objects in Brooklyn's McCarren Park - December 2009

Jason Krugman is displaying his Living Objects series this weekend in NYC at the Electric Zoo Festival, stop by!

RANDALL'S ISLAND, NY September 4th and 5th, 2010 - Jason Krugman will present a large-scale illuminated sculptural installation as the art centerpiece at this year's Electric Zoo music festival. Currently in its second year, the 2-day festival is expected to draw upwards of 40,000 fans with its 70+ musical acts, including headliners The Chemical Brothers and Armin Van Buuren.

Krugman's installation will be the most recent incarnation of his ongoing "Living Objects" series, based around the creation and placement of illuminated humanoid sculptures. The sculptures are made largely from recycled shrink-wrap, wire and LED strands. With his Living Objects, Krugman strikes a balance between authentic human beings, and artificial forms, comprised of industrial plastic and refuse. In a combination of Parks-Department-approved and guerilla installations, Krugman has placed his sculptures in trees, on top of buildings, and in public parks.

"‘Living Objects’ [are] simultaneously impressive and scrappy: they're the kind of pieces you appreciate and engage with almost immediately, due to their human- like form as well as their construction." JAMES YEH - GREENPOINT GAZETTE

: For more information go to jasonkrugman.com :

Living Objects in McCarren Park was commissioned by the North Brooklyn Public Arts Coalition and the Open Space Alliance. Photos by Sarah Pirozek

The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer

One of the most complex space scientific instruments ever built, the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02) arrived at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, escorted by astronauts who will fly with it on the Space Shuttle in February 2011.

The antimatter hunter AMS-02 began the first stage of its voyage to the International Space Station (ISS) from Geneva international airport, in Switzerland. During a ceremony organised by the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN), the experiment was loaded onto the US Air Force Galaxy transport aircraft that carried it to Cape Canaveral.

.:esa.int->

Parrot AR.Drone

.:lets-evo.net->

Trend Spotting Industry Analysis

Trend spotting consultancies use a variety of methods and produce many different products and services.A That said, there are some methods and offerings that repeat across trend spotter type and industry of focus.

: Continue reading :

Toyota RAV4: Get Outdoors

.:ibelieveinadv.com->

Mike Giepert : String Theory

.:balladora.blogspot.com->

Torkel Dohmers Commuter Bicycle

.:bicycledesign.net->

The Evolution of a Button

A little while ago I wrote an article about 'Call to Action' buttons and how specific colors feature greatly in rates of conversion. I'm personally interested in the 'what' and 'why' areas of a persons reaction to a button. Whether it's the size of the button, the color or the text so over the past week I've been designing some buttons and then testing these buttons on a range of users.

.:gavinelliott.co.uk->