Starting today, and on Saturday the 26th and Sunday the 27th, Allan Kaprow and Friends will be constructing about twenty rectangular enclosures of ice blocks (measuring about 30 feet long, 10 wide and 8 high) throughout the city. Their walls are unbroken. They are left to melt.
For a location near you, check out the exhibit site:
Come inside our merry little home, cozy up to our fireplace and enjoy a collection of shocking holiday cards that should probably be tossed into the flames.
Go To The Holiday Card Mantel Of Shame
Predictive stock exchanges have proven to be far more accurate than individual experts at predicting the outcome of certain events. Think of "asking the audience" in Who Wants to be a Millionaire... It is believed that large groups of people somehow have a better idea what will happen, or what the correct answer is to a "what if" question, than any given individual. Not everyone agrees with this... Read the entry on Wikipedia to see the criticisms, however this is your chance to make "fake" money based on how close your predictions match the market, and ultimately the outcome of any proposition.
Popular Science has created their Predictive Stock Exchange which allows users to "invest" in future propositions. Propositions range in topics from will Blu-Ray beat HD-DVD, to "Stem Cells Cure Major Disease" by 2015, to will the "God Particle" be discovered in the U.S. or will it be discovered in Geneva when the Large Hadron Collider comes online next year?
While this may seem like just fun and games, companies and governments may eventually look to this exchange to test public opinion about many issues. Who knows, by playing here, you might even get to participate in creating the future?...
Google and Specialized Bikes have teamed up to bring us the "Innovate or Die" Contest. They're looking for innovative new ways of channeling pedaling power into everyday energy use. Here's a video of one of their examples:
A recent invention from the Music Technology Group from Universitat Pompeu Fabra, the reacTable operates similar to the new Microsoft Surface, only it transmits frequencies for playing electronic music. How it works: little blocks, each with its own frequency or function (say, playing notes in a musical scale), are placed on the surface and transmit distinct sounds, which can be adjusted according to their placement on the surface relative to each other and how they are moved around. For example, spin the block to the right, and the frequency increases; spin back to the left, and the frequency decreases. What you get is an intutive instrument that is easy for one to create their own distinct sound, in the form of a well-designed, backlit display. The potential for interactivity -- think of how many people can play this instrument at once! - seems limitless. A Fall 2006 demo shows off the invention - so you can hear what you're reading about.
Satisfaction launched their beta site this week. In it's infancy, it's a little difficult explaining what "people-powered customer service" is before the people are really there yet to power it. But the concept of this open conversation for any and all companies and products is really intriguing - I really hope it catches momentum.
Here's the description from the Satisfaction site:
"Satisfaction is a place for real people to get the most from their products and services, and for companies to get real with their customers. Everyone is welcome in our community, and we invite you to make your mark here."
Still not exactly clear what it's all about? I hear ya. For more insight, read the Community Guidelines.
I'm actually more excited about their use of social-network-portability with hCard supported profiles. Instead of creating yet another unique social network profile and unloading yet another eye-catching thumbnail image from your hard drive, you can start with one you already have from another site that supports hCards. This a great feature! So Web 2.5:
In 2005, a group in San Francisco turned metered parking spaces into parks....A group in LA is following suit on Friday, September 21st.
Check out what they are doing, and where they are doing it across the Southland...
Parks NOT Parking!
Just got back from Black Rock City, it was quite an eventful year: copious dust storms, a lunar eclipse, arson, a suicide, 'splosions and one amazing double rainbow. Felt like the town got a little too close for comfort the weekend of the burn, topping out at 47,097 participants. But you can't deny that it's still the most creative summer's end hoedown in the world.
Burning Man 2007 pictures on Flickr
I advise everyone to RUN, not walk to go get the new release from this New Orleans based band! This is the first record in forever that has absolutely blown me away!
A good friend sent this over to me and Rick's got lots to say...check it out...
The good news: Nike has re-released their classic running shoe designs from the 70's. The bad news: they're only available in the faux-aged, pre-worn variety. The Nike Vintage site is amusing though.
The attention to flash animation detail on the new EAGLE vs. SHARK movie site is really exceptional. The content is pretty kick-ass too: like the Kick-Ass Collage, and the Killer Soundboard. I get the feeling this film is the Kiwi equivalent of Napoleon Dynamite. If EAGLE vs. SHARK is half as entertaining as it's site then we're in for a nerd-loving chucklefest.
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