Self Portrait

Shoot-Out, GPP 2012 from gulf photo plus on Vimeo.

I had read about this challenge and seen the winning image before but hadn't seen any video of how it took place until now. It's worth a look as it provides a rare glimpse into the minds of several well known pro photographers.

Update Time

It's that time of year again when Autodesk rolls out all their new goodies.  It might be early 2012 for you and yours, but for AutoCAD geeks it's 2013 already.  Those of us on subscription salivate while we wait for delivery of the new version of our favorite software.  Some prefer a direct download option now and grab the program as soon as it's available.  But others, me included, still like to get the box, the DVD, and the piece of mind that only something physical will provide.  The price we pay is time... we have to wait on the mailman.  That's where I'm at right now.  Waiting.

On Monday this week Autodesk released all beta testers (beta version code name this year: "Jaws") from their non-disclosure agreement, so features, reviews, and unrestricted comments started leaking out on the blogs and discussion forums.  Tomorrow for 4 hours Autodesk will host an online Virtual Event and officially roll out the new release.  I'll be there, even tho' it'll mean getting up at 0530 to be on time.

Yeah, for geeks like me it's Christmas in March.  Altho' I probably won't see Santa until next week or so.  Hopefully the US Postal Service will still be in business then.

End of an Era

The last home in the Royal Gardens Subdivision is no more. Jack Thompson's house, which had survived countless assaults by Madam Pele since the current phase of eruptions started in 1983, was the 75th, and final house in the development to be claimed by lava from the Puu O'o vent this past Friday, March 2, 2012.  Royal Gardens was originally developed with 1,500 lots.  Fortunately only 75 houses had been built when the eruption started reclaiming land back in 1983.

Much more information, including this video and many other photos, can be found on Leigh Hilbert's excellent Hawaiian Lava Daily blog site.

This was my photo of the property taken a couple of years ago during a Blue Hawaii Helicopter's flight down over the volcano.

007

The name is Bond. James Bond. And yes, that *is* a pocket protector!



See what happens when engineers have free time?!

Credits & Notes:

Flying robot quadrotors perform the James Bond Theme by playing various instruments including the keyboard, drums and maracas, a cymbal, and the debut of an adapted guitar built from a couch frame. The quadrotors play this "couch guitar" by flying over guitar strings stretched across a couch frame; plucking the strings with a stiff wire attached to the base of the quadrotor. A special microphone attached to the frame records the notes made by the "couch guitar".

These flying quadrotors are completely autonomous, meaning humans are not controlling them; rather they are controlled by a computer programed with instructions to play the instruments.

Penn's School of Engineering and Applied Science is home to some of the most innovative robotics research on the planet, much of it coming out of the General Robotics, Automation, Sensing and Perception (GRASP) Lab.

This video premiered at the TED2012 Conference in Long Beach, California on February 29, 2012. Deputy Dean for Education and GRASP lab member Vijay Kumar presented some of this groundbreaking work at the TED2012 conference, an international gathering of people and ideas from technology, entertainment, and design.

The engineers from Penn, Daniel Mellinger and Alex Kushleyev, have formed a company called KMel Robotics that will design and market these quadrotors.
More information: http://www.upenn.edu/spotlights/penn-quadrotors-ted

Video Produced and Directed by Kurtis Sensenig
Quadrotors and Instruments by Daniel Mellinger, Alex Kushleyev and Vijay Kumar

Horsetail Fall

The challenges of light, weather, season, and the unpredictability of it all is only part of what makes landscape photography so appealing to so many. Anytime you try to capture something special in the natural world you're going to be at the mercy of the elements. It took me over 15 yrs to catch a photo of a waterspout. I missed a total solar eclipse in 1991 because of heavy cloud cover. Many nights on the side of a mountain years ago yielded a lot of photos of zero meteors - not for lack of trying nor the number of simultaneous camera setups. Recently I got lucky with a breaching whale, but I still think that was a fluke. :) And I have yet to catch a green flash photo I'm truly happy with. It often takes many attempts and a lot of expense to capture something rare in nature unless you're just lucky.

This isn't quite as rare as a total eclipse, but it is a bit like a rainbow or sunset. About all you can do is show up and be ready. Everything after that is a crap shoot. If what you came for happens, you're golden. Like sunset at Horsetail Falls Yosemite in February.

Enjoy!

Astronomy

Keck in Motion from Andrew Cooper on Vimeo.

In 1998 my local engineering group organized a full day long tour of the Keck Observatory. We started in Waimea at their ground facility offices and talked about cosmology, toured the labs, and computer center. From there we drove 30 miles or so to the mid-level center at 9,000 ft MSL, had lunch, and acclimated to the altitude for a couple of hours before heading up to the summit of Mauna Kea where we spent the rest of the afternoon going through the observatory itself.

They do amazing work up there every day, and many if not most of the discoveries of the universe you hear and read about are made by the people who use this world class pair of telescopes.

Cudos to Andrew Cooper of www.DarkerView.com for putting this together. His blog link is on the right side of this page. He's always got good stuff like this.

Cold Play Farming

The Grammy's were held this past Sunday night, and while I didn't actually watch it (haven't in years) I have read much of the news about it.  I feel bad for Whitney Houston of course.  She left us far too soon.  My most vivid memory of her will *always* be her rendition of the Star Spangled Banner at the 1991 Super Bowl game.  It simply took my breath away.  I don't think anyone will ever sing that song better than she did.

But what caught my eye on Monday was the video above.  This commercial showed on television in the USA right after Cold Play sang their version of the same song on the Grammy's.  Apparently it was a rather poor performance according to the reviews.  Singing in the commercial is Willy Nelson, and it was written that he "out Cold Played" Cold Play.  I dunno.  All I know is that as a kid from a small farm town in Wisconsin who has a fondness for Willy and well done animated videos, this is pretty cool.

Enjoy!... as I have.