A new word today, Clepsydra. There's a number of web pages illustrating Clepsydra mechanisms. I really like mechanical devices. Especially those which do lots of visible, complex work for no obvious reason. Like the ball rolling thing in Boston Logan Airport, which turns out to be named Exercise in Fugality. Hanging mobiles qualify. Denver's new airport has hundred of little propellors lining the expressway walls that are set a spinning as you zip by, most likely the best part of the show gets started only after everyone has gone by. What's happening with the Ten Thousand Year Clock?
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email thisA couple of companies have announced smaller form factor Thermal Cameras. I've always wanted one of these, but the price is typically too high (no mention in the article). What can you use a thermal camera for? First off you can "look" at your house during a cold night and find where your insulation is bad. Looking from the outside you'll see hot spots, while inside the house you can spot cold areas and drafts. Another use is in electronics. After driving my electric car a thermal camera inspection would pick up bad interconnects, where resistance is higher and thus more heat generated.
I heard Bruce Sterling at a lecture in Mountain View a few years ago--my wife had organized this benefit for her organization. The thing I was most impressed with, besides his obvious patience, was his stature. That dude's tall!
I was going to put the link to the Long Now foundation (www.longnow.com or .org) but it should be renamed the long download, it never seems to respond.
Whois shows the domain is still actively registered:
Organization:
The Long Now Foundation
Alexander Rose
PO Box 29462
San Francisco, CA 94129
US
Phone: 415-561-6582
Fax..: 415-561-6297
Email: zander@longnow.org