DEVCON "Virtual Conference"

DEVCON "Virtual Conference", originally uploaded by roddh.

Setting up for the opening of DEVCON.

On center screen is a view of the "virtual conference". Based on a real 3D model of the Palais des Congres convention center, it was possible for DEVCON participants to experience the conference in avatar form.

The most amazing thing is that the virtual Palais des Congress was created from panoramic photos stiched together and converted into 3D by software from RealViz. Check it out at www.realviz.com/3D_software_applications.htm

"Multi-touch" driven User Interface

Cool video showing computer UI driven by hand movements. Allows multiple users to interact with different parts of a large display screen. See article at http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/112/open_features-canttouchthis.html

Orange Spore Horns (Cedar Apple Rust)

Orange Spore Horns (Cedar Apple Rust), originally uploaded by roddh.

About 3 inches in length.

Initially I thought this was some form of pollen body. After some research, I discovered the juniper tree is infected with the Cedar Apple Rust fungus.

The life cycle of cedar apple rust is quite complex, and as the name suggests involves both cedar (juniper) and apple trees as alternating hosts. www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/focus/cedarapplerust.html

See nebulagirl's photo of the fungal gall (minus the gelatinous yellow tendrils) here.

Lotus 25th Anniversary

Lotus 25th Anniversary, originally uploaded by roddh.

This is a set of photographs from the Lotus Development party celebrating 25 years since the company was founded in 1982.

I worked at Lotus from 1988 to 1993, at the height of popularity of the Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet application. During this same time, the product Lotus Notes, the first widely successful network based application, was launched.

Since then, 1-2-3 was eclipsed by Microsoft Excel (and more generally by the Microsoft Office Suite). Lotus Notes, however, found long term success as a groupware/collaboration application, now part of IBM.

There is an excellent history Lotus Notes here.

Fractal Fern (Chaos Game Explanation)

Fractal Fern (Chaos Game Explanation), originally uploaded by roddh.

This image was created using IFS (Iterated Function System) "chaos game" method. I will try to explain this below, using a simpler structure called the Sierpinski Gasket. However, I can warn you that you will not believe how this image is created.

Recipe for the "Chaos Game"
1. Get a pencil and paper
2. Draw three points (making a triangle) on the paper
3. Label the points A, B, and C.
4. Pick and mark a starting point X, somewhere inside this triangle

Now the game begins:
4. Roll a three-sided die whose sides are imprinted with the letters A, B, and C.
5a. If A comes up, you draw a new point halfway between X and A
5b. If B comes up, you draw a new point halfway between X and B
5c. If C comes up, you draw a new point halfway between X and C
6. Treating the new point as X, repeat steps 4 thru 6 many times.

Question: What figure emerges when you have (accurately) repeated this procedure many times?

Hint #1: It helps to have a computer to do this. However, it is actually possible to do this on graph paper (if you are careful and consistent about the way you calculate the midpoint square).

Hint #2: It is NOT the fern (above). That is more complicated. However, this fern image was calculated using the same procedure. Only the rules of where to place the next point are different.

And, I warned you that the explanation is unbelievable (but true) !

Fractal Universe

Fractal Universe (Rodd1h_2048b), originally uploaded by roddh.

This image reminded me of the Hubble space telescope "deep field" photographs, where you point the telescope at the most empty part of space, discovering that it is literally filled with galaxies.

Flickr Photographer: Konaboy

I love Pete Orelup's gecko portraits.

Pete is also a talented surf photographer. . . Makes me think moving to Captain Cook would be a good idea.

Picture credit: Ascent by konaboy

Barack Obama - 5th Grade Class Photo

This photo (of Barack Obama's fifth grade class at Punahou in 1972) was published in the New York Times today.

See article at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/17/us/politics/17hawaii.html?ex=1331784000&en=2547387fce9fa83a&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

Island of Oahu (via WikiMapia)

An example of a Google Maps application hosted by WikiMapia.

I don't completely understand the purpose of identifying all these 'places', but there a appear to be a great deal of them.

Technique explained in http://wikimapiablog.blogspot.com/2006/08/how-to-add-google-map-to-any-web-page.html

Web 2.0 ... The Machine is Us

Cool video explaining (very) basic Web 2.0 concepts (like HTML and XML)

"Off the Grid" (Energy sufficiency in Southern Vermont)

"Off the Grid" (Energy sufficiency in Southern Vermont), originally uploaded by roddh.

This "Russian Stove" fireplace is the centerpiece of this energy efficient ('off the grid') Southern Vermont home.

Designed by my uncle, this stove can heat most of the house, burning only a couple 3 to 4 inch split logs twice a day.

Key features of the design are an airtight combustion chamber (which draws air directly from the outside), and the huge mass of stone, which stores and slowly releases the heat from the morning and evening 'burn'.

The photo also demonstrates an alternative use of the stove as an indoor climbing wall :-)

Note: For more information about energy efficient living you can write Paul at myerspe@starband.net.

Frozen Air Bubbles (Complex)

Frozen Air Bubbles (Complex), originally uploaded by roddh.

This is a pattern formed as air bubbles became frozen into ice over a 48 hour period. If you look at the larger size, it becomes clear that multiple patterns are stacked on top of each other, each new layer freezing as the water level lowered.

Posted on Jan 18, 2007 this photograph has very quickly become one of my most viewed photos on Flickr.

Debris Under Clear Ice

Debris Under Clear Ice, originally uploaded by roddh.

The most recent rain storm left a more complex pattern along the pond shoreline. Strong winds came after the rain, hence the white pine needle debris.

Web 2.0 Presentations (from slideshare.net)

First Post

First post to Blogspot blog (roddh.blogspot.com)

Objectives
Evaluate tools
Multi-Author support
Compare to Wordpress

Notes
Blogger/Blogspot owned by Google