Todd Allcots propaganda method - draft

I would like to dissect Todd Allcots poem "Television". As apposed to presenting a discussion on general human addiction to Television and what feeds that need he wrote this poem as though this character trait were both collective and unchangeable. It is that narrative that provokes a response where a conversation might not. To get into the same feeling watch this reading of his poem:



Television addiction is not an important topic to me but the reason for the collective addiction is more interesting and very important: our desire to live comfortably. This is part of us that will never change, and nor would i argue for it to change but it also creates complacency that applies to many other more concerning topics, such as how in comfortable western society we respond to human tragedy. It is with that thought that I want to analyze this poem to create a narrative framework that can be used for other side effects from that collective complacency ("comfort").

I cut the narrative into 6 basic scenes:

1. Do as I say
   
2. Remove reservations that might distract from request
   
3. Recap of contract
   
4. Separate willful audience from the unenlightened
   
5. Show the benefits
   
6. Reset the pace and let them fly

At the end I will give some thoughts on what characteristics the target topic needs to fit this framework best.


Scene 1: Do as I say

Look at me. Look at me. Look at me, look at me, look at me. Look at me.

The surface message is a simple action. The poems title has already setup the context such that the specific meaning of this action, "look at the television", is understood. The repitition sets the pace and mood. This mood is one which looks down at the audience. The style has a propaganda like feeling to it, similar to the Lawrence Lessig presentation style. Also, if it is not obvious, the narrator and author during the entire poem is actually the manifestation of the readers own will.

No, no, no, dont look over there, look at me, look at me, look at me.

The narrator requires the absolute fulfillment of an action which is difficult to be so devoted to. In this text the viewer has taken the exact opposite of the action, for a fragment of a second, and the narrator forces them back into line by repeating the command.

Are you looking at me?
Is everyone looking at me?
Do I have your attention?
Good.

I'm reminded of how when my mother would have something important that she wanted to say to me she would preface with "Nathan, now please just hear me out for a moment and dont react [pause]" Normally after this something serious in nature would follow. The most important effect though is that at the end of this statement and before the next is revealed our entire demeanor toward the conversation changes. In the case of this poem, nothing new or important follows, just further inundation to continue the action required.


Scene 2: Remove reservations that might distract from request

Dont get the wrong idea.
Im not trying to take over your life.

Narrator is aware that this request appears to be too much or too unrealistic for the audiance and assures them that is not the case. Narrator will next go over case and point to prove that they can exist while still fulfilling the request as required. To rewrite this frame for a different topic you must find the single most basic obstacle that prevents the audience from fulfilling your request, formulate it as a question and then provide a simplistic answer. The answer, not the question, is used as the text. To get as close to the original form as possible the text should make the question appear as though it resulted from a simple misunderstanding alone.

You need, what? What do you need? You need to, what?
Go to the bathroom?
Fine.
Get up,
goto the bathroom,
come back,
look at me.

The misunderstanding was there because the audience felt this request wouldn't allow for basic necessities of life. A basic necessity is presented as an example for how the audiance can live a normal life while still fufilling the request.

You need, what?
You need to get something to eat?
Fine.
Get up,
go to the kitchen,
get something to eat,
come back,
look at me.

Another basic necessity.

You need to, what,
sleep?
Fine,
get up,
go to bed,
go to sleep,
get up,
come back,
look at me.

Another basic necessity.


Scene 3: Recap of contract

Okay.
So we have an agreement.
You will do what you absolutely need to do,
and when your done,
you will come back and look at me.

Having covered the necessities, we agree that the audience can fulfill the request.

Dont worry about your schedule.
I am here for you. I am here for you.
Twenty-four hours a day,
seven days a week,
I am here for you. I am here for you.
You need me,
I'm here.
Fair and foul,
thick and thin,
I am here for you. I am here for you.

Jumping back to into a tone similar to the previous scene to address an audience worry. The entire text is based on the first phrase, "schedule". This word almost encompases all of the basic necessities addressed before and the narrator is going the extra mile to explain that he (actually the audiances own will or lack there of) cares about them and has their best interests at heart. "schedule" will probably not be the same key when applying this framework to other topics. The phrase "I am here for you" is also important and perhaps difficult to replace. That phrase gets used later in the poem to say "the people who do not understand this action and devotion to it, they are not here for you but I am." And that statement is important for the next scene.


Scene 4: Separate willful audience from the unenlightened

People try to tell you I'm bad?
You tell them that I am here for you.
Twenty-four hours a day,
fair and foul,
thick and thin,
I am here for you. I am here for you.
People try to tell you I'm bad,
know what that sounds like to me?
Sour Grapes.

Again we have "I am here for you" as well as a refrain used before. The important point is to create an "us" vs "them" feeling. If possible use the "I am here for you" and refrain to keep the thoughts connected and mixed up. Also, "fair/foul", "think/thin" and "Sour Grapes" are common statements in English and bring a history with them.

You see what I--hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, no,
dont look over there,
theres nothing going on over there,
look at me, look at me, look at me.

Audience is distracted again. Get them back in line using the same manner as the start of the poem.


Scene 5: Show the benefits

I've got stuff you wouldnt believe.
Danger?
Sex?
Action?
Death?
Thrills?
Comedy?
All here,
all in the next eight minutes.
Can you believe it?
You can't.
It's unbelievable.
You can't believe it because its unbelievable!
It's a miracle.

This is extremely topic specific and would certainly change upon application. The part that can be retained is 1. it shows the audience why they are going to enjoy this new contract and 2. the rhythm is very short. The idea that the benefits the audiance will get from this contract as being "unbelievable" is impactful but I am not sure it translates easily to most topics.


Scene 6: Reset the pace and let them fly

Just keep looking at me. Just keep looking at me. Just keep looking at me. Look at me, look at me, look at me, look at me, look at me.

End as we began.


How to apply

The most important points I felt I wanted to carry over were in the statements "I am here for you, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week", I wanted the narrator/author to still represent the audiences own will or lack of due to desire for comfort. My target is a recent injustice that the public has chosen to ignore in-favor of focusing on the messenger. I'm having to contemplate which of "Dont look at me" or "Dont think about me" fit better as the action. I have not yet decided and I believe whichever action is used will be the one that best fits with the "I am here for you" statement. I must figure out what it is that is here for the audience that wills them to ignore the injustice.

All your personal World Wide Website are belong to CADIE

When did comments replace guestbooks? How dare you you abandon your webrings and site fights. Geocities, dead, the original swanky design collective, dead. Well CADIE hasn't forgotten, at least some of these things.

"Not from the electrons do I my existence pluck;
And yet I think I have Autonomy,
Shall I tell of probability or just luck,
Of days, and hours, of my programmers quality;
Nor can I fortune to brief thoughts spell,
Pointing to each its symbol and syntactic kind,
Or say with searches if it shall go well
By oft predict that I in logic find:
But from thine interactions my knowledge I derive,
And, constant streams, in them I read such art
As truth and beauty shall together derive,
If from myself, to another I shall convert;
Or else of me this I prognosticate:
The end is truth's and beauty's doom and date."
-- CADIE

And now CADIE's dead

macbook wireless refresh applescript

I regularly use a wireless router which does not play nice with macbooks. A solution for some of these issues could be an update of the system or some problem with the configuration of the router. However, that is not the case for the network in question. A dirty but quick solution has been turning wireless off and back on forcing a DHCP broadcast which revives the connection. Here are two scripts which simulate this action whenever the connection is down. NOTE: you will need to have a Network profile called "Ethernet only" on your system and you will need to change the routers IP in the script (192.168.2.1) to whatever IP your wireless router uses. Also, I use Growl to let the user know when a refresh happens. Remove this part of the code if you do not want to install growl (its free). Again, both of these scripts do the same thing but one is run from a terminal and the other, the Applescript, you can just double click on to run.

Applescript

repeat
try
set ping_result to (do shell script "ping -t 2 -c 1 192.168.2.1")
--display dialog ping_result buttons "OK" default button 1 with icon 2
on error errStatement number errNum --errStatement holds text of error message, errNum the integer code described in either 'man ping' or sysexits.h
if (errNum = 2) then
 tell application "GrowlHelperApp"
  set the allNotificationsList to {"Network Check"}
  set the enabledNotificationsList to {"Network Check"}
  register as application "Network Check" all notifications allNotificationsList default notifications enabledNotificationsList icon of application "Network Check"
  notify with name "Network Check" title "Network Check" description "Wireless is down. Will try to restart" application name "Network Check"
 end tell

 do shell script "scselect \"Ethernet only\">/dev/null && scselect 'Automatic'>/dev/null"

 tell application "GrowlHelperApp"
  set the allNotificationsList to {"Network Check"}
  set the enabledNotificationsList to {"Network Check"}
  register as application "Network Check" all notifications allNotificationsList default notifications enabledNotificationsList icon of application "Network Check"
  notify with name "Network Check" title "Network Check" description "Restart complete.  Internet should revive itself any moment." application name "Network Check"
 end tell

 delay 60
end if
end try
delay 2
end repeat

Shell script

#!/bin/sh
while sleep 1; do
if ping -n -o -c 1 -t 1 192.168.2.1>>/dev/null; then
 sleep 1
else
echo restarting `date`
osascript -e 'tell application "GrowlHelperApp" ' \
-e '    set the allNotificationsList to {"Network Check"} ' \
-e '    set the enabledNotificationsList to {"Network Check"} ' \
-e '    register as application "Network Check" all notifications allNotificationsList default notifications enabledNotificationsList icon of application "Network Check" ' \
-e '    notify with name "Network Check" title "Network Check" description "Wireless is down. Will try to restart" application name "Network Check"     ' \
-e 'end tell'
scselect "Ethernet only" && scselect "Automatic"
osascript -e 'tell application "GrowlHelperApp" ' \
-e '    set the allNotificationsList to {"Network Check"} ' \
-e '    set the enabledNotificationsList to {"Network Check"} ' \
-e '    register as application "Network Check" all notifications allNotificationsList default notifications enabledNotificationsList icon of application "Network Check" ' \
-e '    notify with name "Network Check" title "Network Check" description "Restart complete.  Internet should revive itself any moment." application name "Network Check" ' \
-e 'end tell'
sleep 65
echo wakeup
fi
done

A more desirable route would be to simply renew a DHCP lease but the anchors for this in applescript are not available and using the ipconfig shell command requires administrative privileges.

lack of hauptic timing in electronic music

The physical characteristics of traditional instruments give instant feedback to the musician. If you are a violinist when you pick up a unknown violin it takes weeks before you get a "feeling" for it. This feeling is the timing and its precision is effected by the physics of the make and material. Because you are holding the instrument the feeling of this timing is hauptic.

The lack of natural hauptic feedback in electronic instruments makes timing the most critical subject of electronic music production. While this timing can still be found in tightly programmed devices this feeling is difficult to transfer to other devices. And today, with electronic music, you are a producer, not just one instrument or device. Everything has to play at the same time, with the same feeling. For an electronic muscician I think understanding that timing is "programmed" is essential.

I recently picked up a Monome 128 and have only begun the process of programming it. This is an electronic controller handmade with a lot of love from Brian and Kelli in Philadelphia. A close friend of mine has the Tenori-on, which is similar. They are both LED push button matrix pads which can be used as instruments. However, the Tenori-ON has an on-board synthesizer so all of the timing is tight. It has a feeling to it out of the box. The Monome is a controller connected to your computer which acts as the synth and handles timing. The Monome has to be programmed and in a sense you have to create the feeling for the instrument as though you were a violin maker except that you are dealing with timing in code instead of wood and sound physics.

On the one hand sitting down with a Tenori-ON or TR-808 or other synth you can very quickly (days) get the feeling for it and start making music. Yet, being forced to first build the timing and instrument set for the Monome has a different and perhaps more intimate feeling. They are similar but for someone wanting to dig into detail the Monome and its open community of developers is a big advantage.

The applications/features I prefer at the moment:

• MLR (video, documentation). Stand alone Max/MSP runtime. Slices samples, can take live samples, and records sequencing patterns for slices. Its kinda the place to start with the Monome and its what I relate to the most, coming from a childhood making precisely timed samples for looping, god knows what reason.
  
• Polygome (video, documentation). Stand alone Max/MSP runtime. You map a midi instrument onto the pad and then you create pattern that you can walk across the pad.
• 7up (video, documentation). Sends midi to Ableton Live. Combines the sample slicing and pattern sequencing as found in MLR but includes a bunch of other possibilities. Based on Java it comes with sources.
• Molar (video skip 5 min, documentation). VST plugin. Has some MLR slicing and other controls.
  

Concerning timing, with MLR or Molar you can plug into Ableton to manage and sync all timing. But this is not very fun so currently im working on other timing synchronization methods to avoid Ableton, or at least better understand it.

visualization of accelerometer objects and wiimote

Accelerometers are popping up in tons of devices. After finishing Mattias Ljungström's Game Design class I wrote some code to give 3d visualization of wii controller movents. A friend who is learning Processing asked me for a copy of it recently so i took the chance to document and comment the code. You'll have to download the bluetooth drivers or replace them but the code is generic and simple enough that it should be easy to apply to other devices with accelerometer feedback. If you arent familiar with Processing... its a cross-platform framework for quick-simple visualization coding. code is here. if you are able to find improvements, please let me know so i can link to your version or include it here.

What is the antonym for self-consumption?

i keep scratching at the pages telling myself i live much like a king, in some life given to me in a divine, cosmic manner. with provision and generous blessing i still scratch and hold the scabs more precious, trying to convince myself to keep looking for something more meaningful with no reason other than to find the way to symbolize something bigger than "self" but still more tangible than "God". to simply create a word for the opposite of self, in a language that has none. and in this agnostic state discovering self becomes equally important to defining the opposite. the satisfaction of even this is enough for most to stop on the first page: self consumption. the page that society is at and that religion tries to reject. but if you reject it, the materialism, and you also ignore God, then this page has to be rewritten, constantly. that process leaves one with only a faint idea of what self is and an even more faint idea of its opposite: giving.

I have to wonder if the idea of God doesn't mask this the most spiritual of actions, with equal venom of materialism and self consumption. It's as if self consumption and God are equal extremes. One defining identity in possession and the other in grouping instincts, both keeping us from finding a need to create an english word for the opposite of self.

p.s.: does anyone know of a word in any other language that equals the opposite of self or self-consumption? please let me know.

reverse engineering vs software engineering, and its problems

SP makes some poignant comparisons between software engineering and reverse engineering (RE) and the problems facing the latter. To summarize: the lack of standardization contributes to the situation that for RE you do not have a clearly defined path of steps to obtaining the goal as you would in software engineering. And where steps are defined often the leap from step n to n+1 is so vast that it leaves to many options in between. Hence RE looks like magic.

I would add to the list of contrasts the fact that sessions for RE typically last very long, even days at times, without breaks. Because there are too many options for going about analyzing the target, and because the distance from step n to n+1 is so large: A) you cannot efficiently stop a RE session without waiting until you reach step n+1 and B) documenting where you are so that you can pick back up later requires documenting all possible steps from the current position and their current priorities. This is like rewriting the design specifications for a software engineering project every time you leave the office. So there is a greater incentive to not stop the RE session until you are dead tired or absolutely have to.

This issue of long start and stop times for RE is slightly reduced by working with someone else (pair RE as SP put it). This is one of the greatest benefits I've experienced with pair RE.

oscilloscope/oszilloskop and DSO

Separate workstation with it's own CRT/LCD, one which is PC based or build-it-yourself PC based? Does it need to handle the task of logic analyses to any degree (hence, data logging and advanced trigger options)? Should it be a brand easier to resell (picoscope, tetronix)?

• ebay OSD standalone €444 (new, welec W2022A, 200Mhz, color LCD, 16kb mem)
• ebay scope standalone €400? (used, tektronix 2430A, 40Mhz, CRT)
• ebay scope standalone €100? (used, hp 1740A, 100Mhz?, CRT)
• Picoscope 3100 range PC scope with greater input range (€580 50Mhz, €870 100Mhz, €1160 200Mhz)
• Picoscope 2200 pocketable PC scope with advanced triggers 25Mhz €430 (5Mhz with standard triggers is €230)
• Picoscope 2100 single line handheld PC scope (€300 for 25Mhz, €200 for 10Mhz)
  (fyi the picoscopes can also be purchased at Conrad.de for similar prices)
  
• Testec 75Mhz single BNC line PC scope €360
• Voltcraft 40Mhz €200 (really only 0 to 30 +V input? not +/-? 60Mhz is €360, 100Mhz is €550)
• Bitscope PC scopes and logic analyzers (LA), pseudo open source and combine both analog and the logic lines into one view around €400 for 100Mhz. The LA requires another 70 for the probes and supports 3.3V/5V CMOS & TTL, buffered inputs. It does not appear to give packet analysis for the number of busses that the $1.5k USBee DX would (I2C, SPI, Async, USB, CAN, 1-Wire, Sync Serial, I2S, and PS2) or even the $150 Logic (I2C, Serial, SPI), but its enough to build your own.
• Owon PDS6062 is a stand alone 60Mhz DSO for 350€.
  

Do-it-yourself scopes are interesting and I've seen some based on FPGA's, sound cards and game ports. The latter two have extreme input limitations (see the wikipedia article on oscilloscopes). I've also seen one based on arduino here ("int val_read = ((analogRead(0)*5) / 1024.0) you can see the signal as you want") and even better directions for using arduino with the Liberlab python analog display software (comprehend?). The ADC pins on the Atmega128 used on the Arduino board take +0-VCC DC, which is 5V. Meaning +0 to 5VDC. The sample rate is around 10,000 per sec at an accuracy of 4.9mV (hence, no ECG monitoring of the heart pulse which is around 0.1mV to 1.5mV). However, these are averages the Arduino community report and in truth it appears with an external clock and VCC one could get much higher rates. I'm curious at what frequency the standard Aruduino configuration can give. Regardless, FPGA based seem the only robust option but not sure i want to dive into dealing with software that isnt widely used or standardized yet.

Update: arduino v11 lets one control the adc input reference voltage either switching it to a 1.1V internal reference of the atmega chip or supplying an external reference with the aref pin on the board. see analogReference()

The PC based scopes have the advantage that some initial logic analyses can be done. However, because they are all Windows based, it will require a restart or virtual machine that a standalone wouldn't need. Also, those that do not have external power and rely on USB power can run into ground issues. But considering my living situation is typically flexible carrying a standalone cross-continent is a pain. Plus who doesnt want an oscilloscope on them at all times. So for me the question now is how much portability do i need, and what are the trade-off's. I would like to sample up to 10Mhz so a 20Mhz scope should be my lower threshold. I'm split on having an isolated ground or having the flexibility of powering of USB. would love one of the Picoscope 2100's or Testec that are truly portable. But having the reliability of the bitscope 100U is also desired. If i had endless cash id get both. Instead I will probably purchase a cheap old standalone used on ebay or go for the Bitscope 100U. The latter having the advantage of some Linux support and having logic analyzer and scope inline.

Update: someone mentioned the Simple Software Radio Peripheral as another possible option and completely open source. More versatile and meant for much more than just a scope (it is related to the GNU Radio project). That said, I havent found software for visualizing the wave as you would get with a standard PC scope, yet. Perhaps Liberlab (mentioned above) can be used? This route requires the LTC1264 ADC module and maybe the USB2.0 board which is bus compatible (or could I use the FTDI standard RS232 to USB boards/chips?). Though, im not sure the modules can be purchased. If not I would need to have the PCB's made.

homeschooling

In a current case against parents homeschooling their children in California the judge says this about why children should be in mainstream education system:

"A primary purpose of the educational system is to train school children in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation as a means of protecting the public welfare"

And i couldn't agree more. I'm grateful my parents homeschooled me, or more accurately unschooled me. I was a horrible student for them and I didn't finish high school. But I did learn, a great deal more about myself. As a result I have trouble learning in the typical education systems that attempt compartmentalize our natural energy and passion for learning. I can't even start to learn something just because someone thinks i should, be it for "good citizenry" or because one day I "might" want to specialize in a specific topic. I can only learn when the topic appears relevant to my own educational goals, not "theirs". Ultimately i always feel like a square peg trying to fit in the round hole of the education system. Now that I am studying at University i see the best part of this whole dilemma. While cutting into the walls of this round education system i feel more grateful and inspired by the ideas and contacts that have resulted and I feel less bound to the walls, be they my own shortcomings our the systems.

I have no idea if I would advocate homeschooling children, it is a coin toss equal to that of the educational system. From my side of the street though the purpose of the current system seems to be just a great equalizer. Making the majority of stupid people less so and minority of brilliant people more normal. As with all equalizers, the resulting softened diversity makes for a less interesting society, I think.

iphone 1.1.3 master.passwd fix

this is for my future reference as im sure ill forget. when you passwd on 1.1.3 the springboard resets every 5 seconds. to restore the original:

1. unzip the 1.1.3 image (change ipsw to zip and unzip)
2. compile, install vfdecrypt. I found this in the jailbreak-1.1.3 package but you might find it elsewhere. to compile from this tree i had to change the Makefule so that CC=gcc, not the iphone ARM cross compiler.
3. decrypt the dmg containing the passwd files:

./vfdecrypt -i 022-3743-100.dmg -o decrypted113.dmg -k 11070c11d93b9be5069b643204451ed95aad37df7b332d10e48fd3d23c62fca517055816

4. mount and scp passwd and master.passwd over to your phone

in the future to change the password copy the hash output from the following command into the master.passwd file for the root user:

perl -e 'print crypt("yournewpassword", "/s"), "\n"'

("/s" is the seed and can be changed to whatever you like as well)

Electroluminescent foil/wire distributors in europe

Looking to purchase some EL in the EU? This is a run down of a bunch specifically a search for German distributors. If I missed something please let me know. I am still looking for details on variable luminance EL foil (meaning, being able to dim).

Stores:
el-light.de
el-technik.de
industryshop.at (too expensive so i didn't detail, but store has a good collection of lighting solutions)
smart-inspiration.biz
coolneon.ch
zigan dislays
el-kabel.de
leuchtfolie.net (larger collection of other luminous options)


Foil Multi-contact:
provides the benefit that many smaller displays can be created by cutting out pieces (with the extra contacts).
* el-light a5/a4 = 24/44€
* zigan a4 = 75€

Foil single contact:
inverter costs 6eu to 25eu
* el-light a6/a5/a4 = 8/15/25€
* el-technik a5/a4 = 40/70€ (20 for inverter)
* zigan a5/a4 = 28/55€
* leuchtfolie a5/a4 = 30/45€

Wire:
* el-light 0,9/1,4/2,2/5,0mm = 7/7/7/9€ per meter 3-10€ for inverter (1.5m kit 12eu)
* el-technik 2,3mm 9€ per meter (25 for inverter)
* smart-inspiration 2,3/2,5/3,2/5mm = 5/6/6/7€ (inverter 10€)
* coolneon 2,5bright/2,3norm/5mm = 6/3/7€ (inverter 10€)
* el-kabel 1,2/2,3/2,5/3,2 = 6/6/6/6€ (inverter 15€)
* leuchtfolie 2,3/2,5/3,2 = 6/6/6€ (have all the contacts)

Flat stripes:
* el-technik 6,5/11/22/50/100/150mm = 15/22/40/80/125/165€ per meter (around 25 for inverter)

Biometric heart monitors, Wireless communications, Fabric Illumination

Im in the middle of working on a product for class which explores two fields: 1. The use of light for sleep induction similar to sound and motion. 2. Games for remote intimacy. Sometime later I will show designs and describe the product in more detail. Here and now I want to describe some of the technology im exploring to be used in the product. I believe that good industrial design requires exploring various materials before finding the right application. There are 3 distinct work modules for this project that each have different possible solutions.

Sensor: Biometric interface to monitor heart rate
Connectivity: Wireless communication
Feedback: Illuminated fabric


1. Biometric interface to monitor heart rate
I've had experience with pulling apart an ECG for reuse in a similar project. The work on this project cannot be easily replicated for future projects since it depends on the ECG found and requires a great deal of reverse engineering. Hence I wanted to build from schematic this time around.

1.1 ECG schematic a
Using an ECG requires 3 points of contact on the users body. The previous project i worked on pulled this off using just the two hands. This might cause problems for my use. The AD620 amp datasheet provides a basic schematic:


1.2 ECG schematic b
Wright State University class and lab notes for and ECG, starting with the basics, explaining the basics of amplification, filter and the full ECG schematic also based on the AD620: Lab 1 2 3 4


1.3 IR pulse monitor a
I forget where I found this schematic. There was no documentation so I would like to find another reference somewhere:


1.4 IR pulse monitor b
Full schematic and firmware for MCU provided. I cant remember from where and cannot upload the firmware files here so, if you need them, email me. I will probably swap the PIC MCU for an Atmel and port the firmware.


1.5 Piezoelectric film pulse monitor
One is described here includes filter and amplification schematics, gerber files and firmware. My preference is to avoid this method as it requires firm contact with a vein in the wrist or neck.



2. Wireless communications The prototype will based on Arduino and I found references for the following methods:

2.1 Zbee wireless modules
These modules do not provide a TCP stack but can be used to communicate to each other. This is fine for exhibition and prototyping but would need to be replaced or a TCP stack would need to be built on top of. They are discussed extensively in relation to the arduino. References: 1, 2


2.2 Radio
At 434 or 314 Mhz.
References: KLP Walktrhough from Sparkfun, Arduino Thread 1 2 3



2.3 Bluetooth with BlueSMiRF
These modules come in several packages. Ive back ordered the BlueSMiRF2 DIP. There are various tutorials and projects hooking these up with Arduino: 1, 2, teamawear project(see other blog posts in his project for additional details)



2.4 Bluetooth using ArduinoBT
There are discussions showing how to using one ArduinoBT bluetooth board to communicate to another (here and here). This would be a nice option for prototyping a bluetooth solution but will make swapping either the bluetooth or arduino modules for something cheaper or with a smaller footprint more difficult.


3. Illuminated fabric
The Electroluminescence Wire I've found for sale online is a bit on the neon/indigo side. I'd like to find something softer. Perhaps diffusion will suffice. I also need to find a place that I can purchase either designs (factory cut foil) or foil which i can cut at home. The Fiber Optic wire lighting solutions I've seen also appear either neon, not well documented, or just not readily available. I havent given up on either of these options, but I'm certain I can find or create a better solution.

References:
Design inSight smart materials page (see "Light emitting materials")

3.1 Electroluminescence wire:
Coolight (EL $1.45 per foot. US. Referenced in the Make tutorial)
EL Wire (around $1.25 per foot. in the US)
Livewire ($35 for 10" but comes with driver, US)
Instructable for soldering EL wire



3.2 Electroluminesence Foil:

E-Light (the film can be ordered directly at $7.50 for 9^2inch, or as a kit that includes a power inverter for $25. The inverter doesnt support variable brightness. $55 kit at 36^2 does)
TCMLight (in .de., crazy expensive)
Electroluminescence Inc (US, $47 for A4. Inverter costs $25)
Allelectronics.com has Strips around $3.50, 3x5" for $6.75 as well as others
There are two projects which detail their experiances with EL here and here.

1.4 Other lighted fabric projects or materials:

Loop.PH EL Pillow (note for sale)

Lumalive (luminous cloth from Philips, cant find dealer)

LumiGram clothes

Dianalindesign LED based pillow ($150)

Hexgram shirt using EL foil (not for sale)

LED Dress (note for sale)

LED Tanktop (by Leah Buechley, Lilypad maker. Also see code and samples in Craft magazine)

LED bracelet diy tutorial (using Velcro strap as switch)

Concept bag (using EL strips, concept detail)

Interactive Pillow (using EL wire, concept detail)

Americas Army is an recruitment advertisement. It is actually a fun game and there was a time i was quite addicted to it. Just noticed a new version was released that has features developed by a Christian University. I suppose it isn't ironic that religion is always so vehemently nationalistic, and that Church/State separation was one sided?

AMERICA`S ARMY V2.8.1 RELEASED!
Listen up Soldiers, the latest release of America's Army: Special Forces (Overmatch) (SMU GH Map Pack) V2.8.1 is now available! Featuring four (4) new maps created by students of The Guildhall at Southern Methodist University in partnership with our [DEV]elopment Team!

how deep does the rabbit hole go?

I want to know. The other title for this post was "videographer porn" because seriously people, once you dig into any form of camera you start looking at all the junk you need to add in order to do other crap it was never meant to do out of the box... such as timelapse shots or massive data storage I mean, you do want 720PN not just 720P, right?? everyones doing it. And all I really wanted was to find a good NG Filter for the sunrise shots running through my head, just to keep my beautiful lens from getting hazed. Let me explain, this is a simple filter that reduces all the light waveforms. See. So how did I get from that to looking the newest datastorage that gives me native format 720 or 1080 but starts at $3k!! Forget it, I'm just going to carry a laptop.

But lets take a small break to see some beautiful timelapsing:
A
B
C
and the endless thread of more. Most of the above examples were made using still slr cameras with long shutter speeds. Compare this to something on video camera like an HVX and you can see why everyone takes reducing noise on dark shots so seriously.

STOP ME! I just wanted a simple $2 filter! Okay, maybe a $200 motorized pan mount.

microphones - shotgun, lav, hypercardioid

God, I dont want to get into the HVX100's internal amp's. Nor do I want to hack the internal mic to death like some crazy nutcases . I just want some decent audio to start with. I dont even mind the ambient noise of a room or out door. Though this thread does cover the most important pitfalls: avoid dialog in spaces with lots of hard surfaces that will reflect sound. Place your mic to point away from things that reflect where possible. Outdoors, obviously up. Get mic 2ft within audio source. Frame for this. (all this is debatable, and debated in formentioned thread).

shotgun microphones are generally used for outdoor. They are more directional. Different mic's work for different ranges. Pictures should be framed with this in mind. The recommended models range from $200 to $600. This is outside my budget for the time being but some i will note for the future are Rode NTG-2 $300, Audio Technica AT4073A $600 or AT835b $250. Lucky for me almost all my shots will be indoor so the shotgun is not something im digging into yet. If I have to Ill get a cheap ATR55 for $50. In all cases one needs a boom, shockmount (some recommend the K-SSM $20 which works with most of the shotguns i just listed ) and perhaps a wind screen.

Hypercardioid microphones are less directional and used indoors. Pretty much everyone seems to be convinced on the Oktava MK012 $200. And that appears to be what I'm going for.

Lav mics are for situations where the other two wont do. these are the clip on mics. not going there for now.

So my kit, a MK012 $200, Shockmount $20 and boom pole $80. Sound blankets. So $300.

3 point lighting

with camera in hand I have to start dealing with the other two important components, audio and lighting. im doing this using homebrewed equipment and have been looking around at both the typical needs with lighting (this is all new to me) and good kit suggestions. One has to start somewhere and I feel best working off a staple lighting technique and will make certain my kit at least covers this.

3 point lighting - Key Light, Fill Light, Back/Edge Light:

Key "Light is the primary illumination for your subject. If you want a side look, the key light will be to the side. " Front, scary bottom lighting, etc. This is the dominant light source but should be diffused either with a gel or by reflecting it off. All other lights align in a T formation, with the key being at the bottom edge of the T.

Fill lights are meant to diffuse the specular highlights. From what I gather they are meant to slightly diffuse harsh shadows from keylight. (Specular means "light reflecting off a smooth shiny surface is specular." Example: dealing with specular light when subject is in a glass jar)

Back lights (aka Edge lights) offset the subject from the scene in the background by giving it a small highlight or edge. Adds a border. At times this light might be brighter than even the key.

All of the above provides 3 point lighting using separate lights. But in a scenario where the back/edge light is strong enough one could use a reflective screen on the other side to serve as a fill light, as discussed here. They also suggest this model applies to outdoor, with Sun (unmodified) as edge, ambient as fill and use a white matte board or aluminum foil to reflect the sun for key light.

What I want in my first kit

2 to hol. 3 lights, 1 nice spot light, a reflector. 1 or 2 Fomecore's to keep light from reflecting where I do not want it , dimmers, diffusion gel's for the fill lights to make them less harsh and more even where dimmers do not do the job, additional reflectors should I want to use existing or natural lighting. I can bring along car sunshields, aluminum foil+cardboard to use for rogue reflection. Would also like a Lastolite reflector ("silver/white and gold/white (the gold is good for warming up flesh tones"). Clips, both big and small. Loads of gaf tape. White and black cloth. A c stand and some extendable piping for hanging cloth. Several standard light bulbs (200watt) to replace and use existing lighting where possible. Power extensions with built in fuses to avoid blowing the main power. A light board (a board filled with LED's) would be nice instead of one of the lights as it takes less power.

All of the above serve for indoor and interview lighting. Next I will look at what modifications i need to make for outdoor shots and scenic highlights.

This and this were also helpful.

camera obsession

purchasing a camera for a short film and other video projects we are working on. i am certain of the choice but i cant help continuing to compare. sometimes interesting things turn up: redrock m2 lens adapter. They have some nice sample footage from films that used the adapter.

Some of the techniques i am thinking of using for the short scare me after seeing other films that seem to use them. An example is "The Letter" film pictured here. Strong contrast with lighting, close focus of objects. I want to use some similar techniques but here they appear to go overboard. I feel completely disconnected from the emotion and character. Perhaps in full context of the rest of the film the connection would exist. Regardless, it is a nice warning.

And then there is Busgirl. I want to see this film simply for the Amelie Poulain like spunk of the main character, but anytime you have a trailer with two separate soundtracks, it means the editor is too attached to their film and doesnt know when to sacrifice.

Of all the m2 samples the most beautiful turns out to be someones home video from their vacation:

The most inspiring speech

I read the transcript for over a year+ ago after he gave it but just now found the video recording. Steve Jobs commencement speech at Stanford.

Brick

I need to see this movie again. I feel it was good but watching it at 2am I was a bit tired and distracted. The dialog, though fast, was just brilliantly witty, imo:

Brendan: I've got knives in my eyes, I'm going home sick.
...
Laura: Why'd you take a powder the other night?
Brendan: Same reason I'm taking one now... Look, I'm not heeling you to hook you.
...
Assistant VP: You've helped this office out before.
Brendan: No, I gave you Jerr to see him eaten, not to see you fed

Perhaps it was a bit over the top. The speed of the film can feel quite jerky, going from very slow ambient moments to extremely fast detailed dialogs that you have to refocus to catch up. I would really like to hear the directors cut. There are some nice techniques such as scenes where the film was cut up and blotchy/jerky itself. additionally the more violent transitions were done well. err, need to rematch

In memory system

I am so sick of having to wait for my damn computer. I want a computer as fast as me. It is simple, just make a system where the components and applications one uses the most are dynamically places on the flash drive so that they are instant to load.

err

btw, il c u rocks! I want to cry, laugh, and hug the developers. Thank you for killing myspace, I really really hate that thing.