While Josh has kept himself busy posting up and down on the site I have had a more leisurely past few days, relaxing and enjoying the break from everything afforded by Thanksgiving. But now I am back and ready to get posting again.
First up today we have a little something for all of you creative gadget type folks out there. The Discovery channel is working on a show based on Rube Goldberg type inventions, setting up a team of artists, scientists, engineers, architects, designers and other like-minded folks to create Rube Goldberg-like contraptions to do “impossible challenges.” They are looking for folks between 25 and 3.
If you are interested in more information check out the casting call posted on the Make magazine forums.
Have you ever wanted to just take a chance and start your own business, but had no idea how to even begin or where you might get funding to do such a thing? Well, then let me tell you about the contest I just found:
You Be the VC is a contest for folks who want to become entrepreneurs and start up their own web-based* business but are just looking for a little backing. The three folks with the top ideas will win:
Business incubator services including a business location, programming/web development, administrative, IT, legal, accounting, tax and consulting services as well as seed venture funding (all as designated in Sponsor’s sole discretion). In addition, each of the three Winners will receive a $15,000 stipend to live and work in the Boston, MA, area during Summer 2008.
Not too shabby, especially if you’ve got nothing else going for you. All you need is a great original idea (yes, I am aware that this is easier said then done). Essentially here is what the contest is about: Read more »
Yeah, I admit I watch too much MTV that I actually know this show.
But anyway, moving beyond all of that, Tank-A-Lot is a UK company that rents out tanks and other army style vehicles like most companies rent out limos.
The site definitely has a sense of humor, and if you are in the UK actually offers a whole lot more then just renting tanks. They train drivers, have vehicles for movie shoots and other special events (apparently I am not that original, under the “Unusual Events” tab there is a 16 year old who rented a tank to go and hand out his invitations to his party), or you can go to their grounds and drive around learning to use a tank all day long, or if you just have some time to kill go and run over a car with a tank.
The website does need some editing (though who am I to talk?) but the stories of the various uses folks have found for a tank are pretty interesting (like renting one, and having it painted pink for a gay pride march). Definitely worth checking out if you have some time to kill or are in the UK area and want to play with a tank.
So, the other morning I only caught part of the NY1 report on this project, caught it while rushing to get dressed and get to work, so it didn’t have my full attention either. What I heard was that as a celebration of 100 years of motorized taxis in the city they were putting decals of flowers painted by kids onto taxis.
Seemed a bit odd to me, but, whatever, I rolled with it. It kept in the back of my mind though, especially as I saw more and more of them around the city. And the more I thought about it the more it kind of bothered me- what did flower decals on cabs have to do with 100 years of motorized taxis? And these so-called kid paintings of flowers- they just colored them in as far as I was concerned. I guess I first noticed the whole thing going around Thursday as the flowered cabs drove by me, by Saturday I was ready to rant about it all in a post here. As I have learned though before ranting you should really investigate what you are writing about, you know actually read an article or catch a full news report…
Well, today I did my investigative research* and found the website about the project, which is called “Garden In Transit,” a Gothamist article about it from when it was announced last July, and the press release from Bloomberg on it. It is actually a pretty sweet (as in touching) project. It is sponsored by Portraits of Hope- They have provided all the funding for all of the decals and paints and such so that “children coping with medical, physical, emotional and socioeconomic challenges” can participate in it. According to the website:
This project will highlight - on a mass scale - goodwill, hope and triumph on a city, national and international level. Garden in Transit is an amazing collaboration of generations and communities that will culminate in a “moving” and jubilant field of flowers created by kids. The taxi will serve as an inspiring tribute to the capacity to achieve the spectacular.
Okay, yeah a little cheesy, especially the pun, but a nice gesture none the less. It just so happens to also coincide with the celebration of 100 years of motorized taxis in the city, so they say the two things are connected (though I am still a bit baffled as to how). It is a nice project and definitely livens up the yellow cabs in the city. Any cab driver can participate (with no cost to them), and volunteers are still needed for the program, you can sign up on their website.
The cabs will be displaying the flowers that were painted (there are 27,000 decals, so every cab in the city could participate if they chose to) for a total of 16 weeks, from now to the end of December.
*Okay, fine, I Googled Taxis, New York and Flowers, but I found what I needed
Human social behavior shares much in common with dance. Our speech, as well as the movement of our body, head, and hands, is periodic and rhythmic. The goal of the BeatBots project is to develop robots that can interact with people by synchronizing with these social rhythms. We believe that rhythmic synchrony is as important for establishing engagement, rapport, and comfort between a robot and a person as it is between people.
While Josh has kept himself busy posting up and down on the site I have had a more leisurely past few days, relaxing and enjoying the break from everything afforded by Thanksgiving. But now I am back and ready to get posting again.
Have you ever wanted to just take a chance and start your own business, but had no idea how to even begin or where you might get funding to do such a thing? Well, then let me tell you about the contest I just found:
Yeah, I admit I watch too much MTV that I actually know this show.
So, the other morning I only caught part of the NY1 report on this project, caught it while rushing to get dressed and get to work, so it didn’t have my full attention either. What I heard was that as a celebration of 100 years of motorized taxis in the city they were putting decals of flowers painted by kids onto taxis.