From top left, clockwise, the prototype for the XZ-31, the XZ-31 itself, and the XZ-35 “Wilma Deering” Rocket Pistol of 1935.

I want every single one of these. I’m a ray gun freak. I’ve got a couple terrific plastic ones. I have a desire for more.

Jambox jams! Sitting here listening to Yo Yo Ma on the iPad. Well, actually on through the iPad on the nifty new Wave Blue Jambox sitting on the coffee table. I really love that everything continues to shrink. I can carry a considerable amount of entertainment in a small bag. Now with the Jambox which is a mere six inches long, I can enhance the sound of games and netflix instant play. I catch up on my e-mail on my iPad, which now that it allows multitasking, lets me listen to my itunes playlists at the same time.

I just keep staring at this little box with this really big sound. It amazes me.

For complete unboxing pics and a take on the design check out my post at our stellarvisions blog : IDEA*orange.

On Facebook today I read a post from my cuz that said plainly:

just watched stacey’s iPhone get run over by a pick-up truck on the bypass. .…. Phone is fine. How?.…Otter Box. Enough said.

That’s pretty meaningful. So I pointed my browser to www.otterbox.com . Some pretty impressive products if you have the need to protect any of your mobile technology devices. I think I would want this crazy yellow case if I wanted to cover up my iPhone or iPod.

I’m into seeing the beauty of my Apple products. This is tempting though.

The black version is really a favorite but this one has two outlets! Sometimes analog is just sooo much better than digital. Loved these timers from the first time I used one in a darkroom. Sweet.

On my wish list for projects and installations.

How will a reader be able to avoid the advertising is the question that comes to mind. Will advertisers want to invest the resources needed to make advertising for these kind of publications? Advertisers a consistent model to build ads. For pricing and production. Seems like a big barrier.

With each publication designing it’s own interactivity where is the common interface?

Just not convinced that this particular model is sustainable.

OK. Now we’re talking.

I would buy this device. I know it only does books — a one trick pony. But it let’s you lend your books to others and it doesn’t look like a Texas Instruments calculator. This device looks like BN hired some product designers and some interface designers, and a marketing crew that knows how to do point-of-purchase.

Barnes and Noble have listened to the criticism of the Kindle and have brought a more sophisticated and attractive device into the fray.

• The price is reasonable from the start.
• Design is clean.
• Multi-touch.
• Color navigation panel (for swiping through book covers, a la iTunes)
• You can buy it in a BN store. (many distribution points — one a few blocks from me)
• You can browse digital books
• You can lend your book to others on a number of devices
• It has a memory expansion slot
• It can play MP3’s
• It can read PDF’s (essential)

Did I mention that the design is clean? The device is a bit thicker and weighs more than the Kindle. The other important part is moving away from proprietary formats.

Lending is good.

I’ll be heading down to the Barnes and Noble to check it out. I’ll let you know if I am as impressed when I can touch it.

—–

What kind of drawing and painting tools are available for artists in a digital space? I don’t know. Because sometimes I actually am under a rock. Why didn’t I know about this cool app so I could vote for it in the Webby’s? Sometimes you just miss cool stuff until most people think it’s old and tired. Well, It’s new to me. Here is a cool app where you can get your inner Pollock out.

I spent hours playing with this software toy. You probably will too.

wikipedia:
Paul Jackson Pollock (January 28, 1912 – August 11, 1956) was an influential American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement.
see the article here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_Pollock

How about making the paintings on your iPhone? Here’s a little movie of the application in action.

Try it or download the iPhone app here : http://jacksonpollock.org/

Been working on the design of the new Heavybubble HQ. This space will server as studio, HQ, and gallery for exhibitions. This is one of my earlier renderings using the marvelous free SketchUp from Google. To see more of the design process of the new space head over to the artlog.

Let’s start with Verizon.
Call them up. Give them the address. Can’t find the address in their database. Hmmm. We’d like to see if we can get FIOS. Waiting on hold. Time passes. The rep can’t find our address. Three people have lived there before us. Still can’t find our address.

Ok so no Verizon. If they don’t even know our address that spells bad news for the whole process.

Try Comcast. (I can’t stand Comcast. I don’t like their identity, I don’t like their new building, I don’t like that they got a huge tax break to build it. I don’t like their culture.) But, I need high speed internet service. No television, just internet.

Ok, they know our address. They’ll have someone out to install tomorrow at 11 am. They’ll bill us. Excellent.

We’re moving and our internet service will be up and running before we move in. This is terrific. While unpacking we can work from home. Cross that off the list.

Ok, I’m packing and my partner is at the new location to talk to the painters and wait for the Comcast guy/woman. Believe it or not the guy shows up on time. Ok, lets hook ya up he says.

Bad news.

Cable isn’t run to our new abode. It’s out on the pole but they can’t run it from the pole. New construction has to run it underground and it’s in our courtyard somewhere. History is that Comcast have been out five other times to try to hook up cable. Somehow our cable has been paved over. We could pay to dig and find it. I don’t think so. We rent.

Now what to do? How can this be. This is America we have telecom competition that’s better for customers. We get choice.

I won’t rant on how I think telecom is a public utility. But what am I to think when no one really wants to make an effort to give me service?

I call CTO Phil. Mr. IvesDigital.
He says EVDO.

Hmmm, this is a very interesting alternative. This means I can take my network connect to places that don’t have free wireless internet. This is a REALLY GOOD idea.

Now I can stop freaking out.

Margaret goes to the Verizon store. She gets an EVDO card, she buys a plan and she heads to the office. We install the software and plug in the card. We put in the password.

We’re on the net!

Sharing my airport network.

Tags: EVDO, IvesDigital, telecom, internet,

Do you use these lightbulbs? Do you like the light they cast? What do you when one breaks? Got any small childeren?

I’ll answer first. No I don’t use them. No I don’t like the light. Don’t have to worry about it. No kids.

Did you know these bulbs contain mercury? You may remember that thermometers with mercury were banned. Ok so it’s only a little bit of mercury, but a little bit is more than enough. Mercury does not go away. Don’t want to eat fish with Mercury do ya? When the bulb breaks the mercury is released into the air… yep.

With congressional mandates we’ll be seeing lots more of them.

I hate these things. Not because of what they look like I think the physical shape is sort of cool. I hate them because people can’t even recycle or dispose of glass bottles or paint cans — just imagine millions of these poison light bulbs.

I’m stocking up on incandescent bulbs.

Tags: mercury, bulbs, light, recycling, greenish, environmental