lifekludger

Hardware prims

Some various links to sites highlighting some of the thinking and experimenting being done around ‘adaptable’ hardware. Some of it ‘open-source-hardware’.

Anything used as a basis to build something else I like to refer to as a “prim” - borrowing from the secondlife concept of “primitives” - small basic building blocks used to build all objects in SL.

BugLabs - BUG makes it fun and easy to build any gadget you can imagine. Build familiar things like digital cameras and GPS locators or create new devices like a LoCamMotion or a GeoPhotoShooter.

http://www.buglabs.net/

Arduino - Arduino is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software.

http://www.arduino.cc/

SunSpots - Experimental Technology from Sun Microsystems Labs.

http://www.sunspotworld.com/

Phidgets -Phidgets are a set of “plug and play” building blocks for low cost USB sensing and control from your PC.

http://www.phidgets.com/

Technorati Tags: adaptive, prims, secondlife

Posted in Devices, Makers, Suppliers | No Comments »

Shirky says Lifekludger needs a clear, shared goal - what says you?

Listened/watched a couple videos of Shirky’s on group forming.

Here’s my notes on them. More discussion via my podcast with Mike over here.

Shirky on group forming
Ted -
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/clay_shirky_on_institutions_versus_collaboration.html
Berkman centre - via youtube -
http://www.youtube.com/v/A_0FgRKsqqU&hl=en&fs=1

Sharing
Conversation
Collaboration
Collective action

Sharing
- old way before group forming was easy was gather->share; new share->gather
- sharing has in-built identity [personality] when ppl come together around something shared, everyone else already has point of connection in common.
- share first, uptake is faster [sharing+conversation=residue of instruction]
[the group gets better together]
- every link[url] is a latent community

[access...community of practice didn't work because was based on old way of gather then share]

CREATE SHARED GOAL FOR LIFEKLUDGER AND MAKE IT OBVIOUS

The Lifekludger goal is that a person living wth disability who needs a technical solution to enhance their life can communicate and have that need fulfilled by groups of individuals collaborating.

OR

Provide a platform for collaboration around making and modifying devices for people living with disability.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on it via comments or email.

Image: ‘manos al cielo’
www.flickr.com/photos/81752595@N00/61706536

Technorati Tags: clay shirky, ecosystem, goal

Posted in Thoughts | No Comments »

Computer reads hand signals

This is kind of like using gestures without contact.

Wave Power: The G55 picks out key hand signals from webcam video feeds. Photo by Toshiba 

Funny how, apart from the attempts with voice commands, input always seems to come back to hands. At least this one isn’t touch related.
[via Popsci]

Posted in Computer, Computing, input | 1 Comment »

Dave the Lifekludger gets a mention by Mark Pesce on New Inventors

Over a month back I mentioned in a blog post titled “Mind control interface a near reality” the Epoc Headset, being developed by Emotiv.

The other day on the New Inventors on the ABC here in Australia my friend Mark Pesce gives a shoutoput to me. Ref 1min in.

Posted in Access, Computing | 2 Comments »

Clay Shirky on why Lifekludger hasn’t taken off

In the first 2 minutes of this interview from Supernova, Clay touches on the reason why Lifekludger as a collaborative eco system for good hasn’t yet got traction.

So far most of the action on the net has been to organise group activity around STOP actions (eg: protests) not START actions (positive change building). [more info. from Chris Carfi]

Social density and continuity of goals are the two things required to take the action of a group from the net into a force for good.

Link: sevenload.com

Dave

Technorati Tags: clay shirky, supernova2008, clay shirky, secondlife, social action, lifekludger, building

Posted in Thoughts | 3 Comments »