Dropping it all

So I just made one of the most daring decisions of my life today. I decided to quit my very good job as a Sony Product Trainer so I can travel around the world. I have no set agenda, just an idea of the countries I want to visit. My unrelenting desire to walk the world without a care or solid direction has finally been bequeathed upon me. From where? I do not know, but I am certain that this has come from another part of me that is not so present, as it is a carry-on from lives lived prior.
It is hard to describe to those living outside of my head however, I cannot be bound to their thoughts, nor restricted by reason; I must simply act as a man with reasons only reasonable to his own. I am filled with fright, whilst overcome with joy. I am kneeling to the sky and throwing myself into the depths of freedom; I am now... a nomad.

Christmas Zombies Shoppers

Yay, it's Christmas time again and all the stores are filled with random zombie shoppers. In my line of work (paid, business type, real job stuff) I have to deal with retail staff on a daily basis. My job as a Sony Product Specialist/Trainer means I have to try and push the Sony propaganda down the throats of everyday, living, breathing, lamenting, struggling retailers.
Right now my job is so overwhelmingly difficult because they are having to deal with the sudden influx of mindless, red-eyed, drooling consumer zombies. All shuffling about with no identified agenda, scouring the shelves in search for gift ideas for which seem so distant. They leave with them a trail of inadequate thought, a stream of melancholic disappointment as they disappear into another row of fixtures... forever sighing.

The retail staff are just as zombie-like. Is it infectious? This habit? I see it happen right before my very eyes. They are coherent enough as we begin our discussions however, they break away to 'serve' one of these lifeless bodies, only to return with minds numbed, bags below the eyes swollen and speech turned slurred and inaccurate. But why am I immune to the seemingly toxic state that spreads through this field this season? Am I a superhero? A deity, perhaps?
As much as I would like to think so, I am afraid not. Maybe I have a hardened mind? I am incapable of hypnosis, I once came to realise. I went to an NLP seminar (convinced by my Drummer... mistake!) and watched on in awe as a room full of about 400 people all became hypnotized before my very eyes. My bass-player (convinced to come also) was staring up at the stage with glassy eyes, in a state I had never seen before. I was somewhat scared. Hey, maybe these shoppers are just hypnotized? But what would be the cause of such hypnosis?
Perhaps I will transform also, when it is my turn to shop? Maybe I will skip Christmas this year... I wonder if I could?

Too many questions!

Ronald Jenkees

So I've been enjoying this guy's (Ronald Jenkees) music on YouTube for some time and I think he really needs to be congratulated on his determination and effort. Through unlikely odds, he has been inspiring people all over the world to be happy doing what they do and to be humbled in doing so. His constant reminders of what makes us happy and how we should be, make him so lovable. His music is freakin awesome (to say the least) and he is a totally cool guy... and random.
Some people have said he is a fake, but even if this were so (I disagree) he still sends an honest messege and has never defered from that; this makes him valid and justified.

Parrot's AR.Drone W/ iPhone App

This device looks so awesome, I am actually glad that it isn't quite available, otherwise I would have ordered one in a moment of weak compulsion.
The AR.Drone from Parrot is a four blade helicopter (aka; Quadricopter) that is controlled via your iPhone using their iPhone app.

The device has two cameras mounted facing forward and down and the user can switch between the two at will, by the touch of a button within the software, which is over layed on the image via direct feed to the iPhone. It connects to the iPhone by an adhoc link using the iPhone's WiFi capabilities.

Watch the video for more:


For more info:
http://ardrone.parrot.com/parrot-ar-drone/en

ROA Creates A Giant Lanticular in London

Found thanks to Creaturism:
http://creaturism.blogspot.com

So these dudes created this graffiti progect that I thought was amazing.

I was curious because my buddie Luke pointed out (indirectly) that yes, it was just a bunny... however, you must look again.

That's when I went "oh right".
Kinda reminds me of Banksy work. Who in my opinion is the best street artist around.

Libra Invisible Ad: Best Ad Ever

This is the new TVC from Libra Invisible Pads. Well done Libra for finally making a women's health product commercial that is so funny. I noticed that a lot of women and men comment on how good the ad is in some of the YouTube postings. So obviously the TVC is a hit. I love it!

Eats banana* Ching!
Flies up from behind the couch: PingPingPingPingPing!



Classic

Formula 1: PreSeason Analysis

After reading my earlier posts on the preseason testing, I noticed that I have been missing out a couple of factors I think are going to make a big difference this coming season, as far as how I think the drivers and teams will perform. Most notably is the new rule forbidding refueling during the race. This is important for a number of reasons. Firstly, it means that the only real advantage teams can gain from two stop or three stop strategies, is faster paces from fresh tyres and better race traction from adjustments in the front wing. In my opinion I can not see the value in these strategies and I think we will only see more stops due to repair or weather appropriate tyre changes.

The fact that drivers lose so much time during a stop, albeit less time without refueling, means that there is nothing to gain from a tyre change or wing adjustment, when weighed against that of a pit stop. So, what does this mean? Well it means that drivers are going to have to take much better care of their tyres to ensure they can make it over the longer hauls and it also means that teams with better fuel efficiency, will have the advantage over cars that need to carry more fuel for the same amount of laps. This is a compounding problem because of course, the more fuel a car needs to carry, the more weight is in the car, which means it needs more fuel to carry the weight and the slower it is out on the track.

Now I'm on record in saying that I think the top four contenders for the championship this year is Webber, Vettel, Alonso and Hamilton. So lets take a little look at these four, to determine who is going to be the most advantageous, leading into this season. Webber and Vettel both have an advantage in that, their Red Bull RB6 has proven to be one of the most fuel efficient cars on the track. My concern for Vettel here is that conserving fuel is something that the more experienced drivers typically do better, it's a natural learning that comes in time. So of course my pick of the two team mates is Webber however, the young German has proven to be a quick learner and is shaping up to be one of the best drivers we will watch over then next decade or so. Hamilton too, has shown us that he is not one who constantly practices conservative driving styles.

I'm not advocating a lack of taking chances during overtaking maneuvers or giving up positions on the track here, I'm simply pointing out that he, like Vettel have shown us a desire to fight on and put in blistering times lap after lap after they have been instructed to conserve fuel in the past. Which leads me to believe that the two might find it hard to find the constraint required to make it on track, for as many laps as the engineers and strategists would like. Of course, this will probably only be a short lived issue, as I'm sure they will learn quickly after a few races but could cost them valuable points early in the season. Alonso shouldn't really have an issue with this. One of his most valuable assets is his racing intelligence.

Now of course the second issue of long hauls on the track and compounded by the brazen balls out driving by the youngsters lap in lap out, is the issue of premature tyre wear. Hamilton for one, has consistently pushed his tyres to breaking point, race in race out. Most notably, his DNF in his rookie year in 2007 at the Shanghai International Circuit in China. Sure we could blame the strategists or analysts for not pulling him in a lap earlier but coupling that with his racing style, meant that his tyres wore down to the canvas and prevented his completion of the race and quite possibly cost him the championship. Webber and Alonso shouldn't have any issues with tyre wear but I think it's a little too early to speculate on Vettel's ability, as we probably haven't seen enough one stop strategies from him so far.

As far as car readiness is concerned, one would have to assume that the Red Bull RB6 looks good but the Ferrari is looking even better. The guys over there have been working on this new car since June of last year and is pretty much ready for the new season. This confidence is highlighted in the fact that the Alonso didn't run the track on the final day of testing, only Massa who probably needs all the practice he can get after his brain damage from last year. My prediction is that he will always toy with the front this year but only because the car is so good. I don't rate him as a driver and I think that anyone in as good a car as the Ferrari this year and of course their incredible cars from 2007 and 2008, would have just as many podiums under their belt (harsh, I know).

One point I'd like to make is in the ingenuity shown by Red Bull's chief technical officer, Adrian Newey. By this, I am talking about his development regarding the car's exit points of the exhaust pipes. He has moved the exhaust vents to the outer side of the gearbox and directed them to fire below the bottom suspension wishbone. This channels all the hot air around the rear suspension, allowing it to flow out and over the top side of the floor. They (humorously) tried to cover up this sneaky little trick by placing a sticker that looks identical to that of the old exhaust system, above the new exhaust where it would normally escape from, in an attempt to fool onlookers and the press into assuming they hadn't changed the design at all. The only downside is that there is a possibility that the heat from the exhaust may do some damage to the suspension, so the team has fitted the wishbone and floor with little blue temp sensors to see if the heat will cause any issues during the race.

In conclusion, I believe that of my top four picks for this season, it will be a stronger battle between Webber and Alonso, closely fought behind by Hamilton and Vettel, with all taking race victories throughout the season.

Some notable points go to the under-dogs in the pack, especially Force India. Watch out for some great races from Sutil who's been showing some great pace during the preseason, as long as he doesn't crash and take out half of the Field. Also, I believe we may even see some hot races from the recently struggling Williams team, as Barrichello will be hot to prove his carry on after being dropped from Brawn GP, even after a very successful season last year. However, I also predict that his rookie team mate Hulkenberg will surely give him a run for his money (and the rest of the field for that matter) as he's been surprising many with his good form this preseason.

Finally, to take a look at the new kids on the block (by that I mean Lotus and Virgin... where the fuck are the rest of them? Scratching their asses (fuck you Mr. Windsor)).
So far we've seen the Lotus showing more reliability that the Virgin and has also announced that they will be fitting a new aero package in May, which should give them substantially quicker times. The Virgin team on the other hand, have shown much better individual lap times than Lotus but have been struggling with their hydraulic systems. An issue that Red Bull knows far too well from seasons past.

The major issue here is that just about everything on a F1 car is hydraulically operated... uh, the throttle, the gear box, the brakes! Shit, that's not looking good for them. They say they are working on a fix for the issue but may not be ready for some, four races to come. On the plus side for them, they have indicated that they will be arriving with a new aero package for the season's opener at Bahrain. So we'll just have to wait and see.



This should be an awesome season for F1.

Oil Lamps by Adam Frank

I found these small lamps from a creative blog the other day and I thought they were pretty cool. The artist who designed them has an obsession with light, as found through a number of his works. His name is Adam Frank and works out of Brooklyn, NY.

The lamps are from his Lumen range and are made of fine brushed aluminium and run from a clean-burning, 17-hr liquid candle. When placed by a wall or near surface, they throw a soft luminous shadow against them. The effect is mesmerising and as the flame flickers, the body of the image moves organically across the surface.

There are a number of places you can purchase these lamps from, notably Adam Frank's own website:
http://www.adamfrank.com/



You can also buy the from:
http://www.elsewares.com

The original blog I found them from:
http://www.styleture.com/

Formula 1: Final Day Of Testing in Barcelona

Well, Hamilton seems to have returned to good form of late and is showing the field a new strength in his shiny MP4-25. Leading the pack on the final day of preseason testing showed us he's back.
However we must also pay close attention to our boy Webber! Coming in with the second fasted lap time with only 61 laps under his belt, the man is a force to be reckoned with. He has consistently been among the leaders during testing all throughout the preseason, followed closely (but not outdone) by his teammate Vettel.
With my F1 tips about to go live, I am confident that Webber will be in the top four contenders for this season. My gut tells me that it's going to be very close between Webber, Vettel, Hamilton and of course Alonso. Strangely enough we didn't see him (Alonso) on track for the final day however, I am still confident in his positioning.

Final Times:
1. L. Hamilton McLaren 1:20.472 134 laps
2. M. Webber Red Bull Racing 1:20.496 +0.024 61 laps
3. F. Massa Ferrari 1:20.539 +0.067 114 laps
4. A. Sutil Force India 1:20.611 +0.139 100 laps
5. S. Vettel Red Bull Racing 1:20.667 +0.195 76 laps
6. M. Schumacher Mercedes GP 1:20.745 +0.273 123 laps
7. R. Barrichello Williams 1:20.870 +0.398 84 laps
8. K. Kobayashi Sauber 1:20.911 +0.439 67 laps
9. S. Buemi Toro Rosso 1:22.135 +1.663 88 laps
10. R. Kubica Renault 1:23.175 +2.703 107 laps
11. H. Kovalainen Lotus 1:25.251 +4.779 65 laps
12. L. Di Grassi Virgin Racing 1:26.160 +5.688 49 laps

Bonnier R&D: Reading Magazines on Handheld Digital Devices

This is a video I found from Bonnier R&D showing one design concept for a handheld digital magazine, that could be made possible in the near future. The video explores all the characteristics of a magazine reading experience and translates those aspects into a format that works seamlessly on a touch pad style tablet.

Just watching the video makes me want to buy one. The design concept is impeccable and the intuitiveness from the GUI looks amazing. The device could store any number of magazine issues, from any number of different magazine titles. Of course this device would be very useful for any number of additional functions, similar to that of any netbook or tablet style PC. With wireless capabilities, high resolution touch screens, quad core processors and high storage SSD's all common technologies today, I think this concept will be available to us sooner than we think.

Bonnier R&D Concept Video:

Mag+ from Bonnier on Vimeo.

El-Egance - A Stylish Hearing Aid

I really dug the Tunnel Jewelry Hearing Aids from my earlier blog. The idea of taking medicinal, cyborg components and utilizing fashionable platforms for implementation, is a major step forward in the practical application of modern cybernetics.

I found these from the same site I found the Tunnel Jewelry Hearing Aids from Tuvie.com. The two blogs read similar but remarkably, differ genre and gender in their design. Whilst the Tunnel design is unisex and the El-Egance is primarily a female design, the two still cover a variety of demographics. Young, alternate, fashionable and elegant. I think there is a genuine embrace towards this kind of technology from within our modern culture. I also believe that devices like these, would contribute a lot to helping break down the final layers of prejudice, that may or may not felt by the hearing impaired individual.

Tuvie.com's original blog:
‘el’ is a hearing device concept that has been designed aiming to transform hearing aids into an elegant accessory. The concept comprises three main parts. First is the hearing device that can be worn in each ear to ensure clear sound for hearing impaired people by amplifying and adjusting sounds. Second is the two ring control unit, designed to be worn on each index finger that features a manual volume controller to adjust the volume of the hearing device . Inside the ring, a radio frequency receiver has been placed that remains hidden by the external piece. Finally, the display case, where the first two elements are placed that acts as a charging station for them. The entire design ensures stunning aesthetic appeal for users, while providing loud, clear and distinct sound for hearing impaired people.



Tuvie blog:
http://www.tuvie.com/

Original blog post:
http://www.tuvie.com/hearing-aid-that-never-compromises-with-style/#more-7333

Designer:
Ryan Kirkpatrick

Formula 1: Webber? Vettel? Alonso?

Last Thursday, Mark Webber came out and topped the times during testing currently being held in Barcelona this week. On a day that saw more red flags come out during testing this season, Mark remained on top with a time of 1:21.487 and appeared to have had the most successful performance of the day, completing 109 laps.

Though this success would be overshadowed today by a huge effort from the Spaniard, Fernando Alonso. Running a time in @ 1:20.637, 8/10 of a second quicker than Mark's Thursday time and 3/10 quicker than Alguersuari of Red Bull's, Toro Rosso. During testing today, Vettel ran around 5Th for most of the day, during times of heavy fuel loads and ran 4Th overall for the day. Schumacher, although making small modifications, finished 6Th for the day however, was rumoured to have been simply running track sequences and practising pit runs.

Once again, Trulli just fucking sucked.

So, I'm left with the question, who the fuck is going to win the driver's title this year? Well the short answer is, I don't know. I can however make some small assumptions and point out some things I think might be relevant.

Firstly, I sincerely believe that the main contenders will be; Vettel, Webber, Alonso, Hamilton and maybe, just maybe (because of the ever so ominous shadow that is) Schumacher.
Webber and Vettel performed so consistently last season and without any Major changes to their team, nor have they had any revolutionary changes to their car but rather an evolution, I think they will be far ahead of the competition. As far as development into pace is concerned, these two can now afford to make runs on heavy fuel loads.

At this stage, I am not going to try and make assumptions on Schumacher or Hamilton but one must notice the advancements being made over in the Ferrari garage. Typically, Alonso can bring 7/10 to any team and bringing those valuable times to a team like Ferrari, certainly makes me nervous, thinking about how competitive they will be this season. Don't worry about Massa, his career is over, it's Alonso's time now with the stallion.



Conclusion:
I still do not know, but I hope Webber can take it out in what appears to be his last season in F1, but he'll have plenty of competition from his good friend Alonso and of course, plenty to wrangle from within his own camp.

SleepBox

Fuck yeah! I'd use one.
I think this is a great idea to tackle the issues encountered during delayed flights, long gaps between transit or simply an economic solution to one night stop-overs in towns or cities between destinations, when travellers are usually bereft of a place to crash.
These are the sorts of ideas that will inevitably revolutionise the way humans will operate in the future. As the demands of business and personal lives increase the need to travel, we must look at these kinds of options to satisfy the growing demand for convenient and inexpensive, short term accommodation. The only addition I feel is needed to this sort of arrangement is the inclusion of toilet and shower facilities. Other than that, I think it's a great idea.

The designers had this to say;
The SleepBox concept is actually a freestanding box shaped sleeping capsule that are meant to be dotted around transport centers or expedition areas where people can have uninterrupted and sound sleep with great luxury. The bed of the concept is designed to change its linen automatically via rollers. The interior has been designed with functional ventilation system, Wi-Fi, TV, power outlets and storage space for luggage. Additionally, a quartz light has been used in between users to kill the inside germs. However, this thing has to be placed in a place where people really respect public property. Otherwise, they can be misused by different types of bad citizens.



Pretty cool!

Creaturism

I recently bought a t-shirt called "Bat Face" from a friend of mine and I think it's fucking awesome.
He makes really cool art under the banner "Creaturism".

I first met him through work and found him to be a valuable source of comedy in the workplace. He has an unbelievable knack for saying the most hilarious things without thinking about them, or their consequences first. Usually strange variations of what could happen, if we all lived in a comic book reality, or something just as unlikely.
Nevertheless, his art is amazing and translates wonderfully onto fabric for fashion.
I think his site is definitely worth checking out.

The synopsis states;
Creaturism, an up and coming creative services studio specializes in creating unique ideas through the beauty of graphic design and illustration.

Passionate about design, professional in delivery we provide creative solutions for any project, ranging from corporate identity/branding through to music packaging and illustrations.

Creaturism will embody your ideas with unique style that will produce award wining, head-turning results.

You can visit his website @:
http://www.creaturism.com.au/

Anyone for a GREEN KIT-KAT?

My neighbor just popped his head through my window (as he does) waving a small green packet about, with his kiddish grin smeared ear to ear.

It was a Green Tea flavored Kit-Kat. He had ordered a box of them from Japan and insisted that I try one.

Well, it sure looked good as it was flailing about in front of me but the kicker was when he told me that the chocolate covering was actually GREEN!
I HAD TO TRY IT!!!



Needless to say, it was awesome.

Myer Computer Fail

I was in Myer the other day in the computer department, when I noticed their computer terminal.
It was like looking into the past man!
This old green screen DOS based piece of shit is what the staff have to use to search through stock lists and find prices and stuff like that.

I couldn't believe it!
A computer department with a relic of a machine!

Myer, you fail...

CRYOSLEEP radio from Bluemars

Ever wanted to have a soundtrack to your life behind a computer, late at night as you're surfing the web, writing a book or Facebooking the shit out of the net?
Ever wanted to feel like you're life is the plot of some epic, futuristic space saga?

Well if so, CRYOSLEEP Radio from Bluemars is definitely the answer!
CRYOSLEEP radio is music for the space traveller. Perfect for a time lord or wormhole enthusiast. It boasts "Zero Beats Guaranteed" in it's on screen catch and is also easily listened to on the go, with the Radio Box Internet Radio app.

You can find the links to CRYOSLEEP @:
http://bluemars.org/cryosleep.php

Also, Radio Box Internet Radio app @:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/internet-radio-box/id293623806?mt=8

I highly recommend them.

bloggie

Got my new Sony bloggie yesterday.

It's their new FullHD 1080 video recorder for only $299.
Plus it has a cool 360degree lens attachment.
It lets you record a full 360degrees of footage in this dome looking style, then the software it comes with lets you unroll the footage to look like a huge panoramic view of everything that's around you. I can't wait to use this thing at a festival or gig; or at a party. Just think, you could drop the thing in the middle of a table and record everyone around it. Awesome!

Later I will upload some demo footage of the 360degree feature.

You can see the bloggie @:
http://www.sony.com.au/productcategory/msc-bloggie

Johnny Lee

So I stumbled on to this guy the other day called Johnny Chung Lee. He has been able to hack a Wiimote to be able to emulate a VR 3D experience on any computer or TV, by simple making up a headset for like, $20 and running his software.

He hopes that some game designers catch on and start making games that can use this kind of thing. The cool thing about this kit is that you don't need any expensive 3D TV or monitors to use it.

I dig it.



Also, he has used the Wiimote to make a variety of other devices, such as a cheap interactive whiteboard. Some schools have used his software and design to implement this whiteboard in their classrooms.

His website is:
http://johnnylee.net/

He's a really tallented dude. More of an artist than a programmer.

The New PC

So yeah, I just built a new PC… pretty much my first “Ultimate” computer build so far. I’ve built plenty of computers in my past but this time I really wanted to build something that could eat!

Specs;

Intel i7 920 2.67Ghz QUAD-CORE CPU

Asus P6T Deluxe V2 Motherboard

6GB Corsair Triple Channel 1333Mhz RAM

Gigabyte nVidia GTX260 GPU

Antec 750w Eco PSU

Antec Nine Hundred Two case w/ additional 120mm exhaust fan [includes 2x 120mm intake fans, 1x 120mm exhaust fan and a giant 200mm top mount exhaust fan]

Zalman Copper Heatsink CPU cooling fan w/ Artic Silver 5 Grease

Patriot Vortex Memory Cooling FAN

Running dual boot Windows Vista 64bit and Windows 7 64bit OS

So it thumps… plus, I've managed to over clock the fucker to 3.36Ghz

I run it off two “monitors”… 1 being a Philips 22” Full HD LCD Monitor and the other, my SONY 40” Full HD Bravia TV [KDL40XBR45]. Both using HDMI. I use the TV for my media and the monitor for gaming.