Miami Poika

Augmented reality with Arduino

2009-08-13T07:23:00.000+04:00

This is a really interesting prototype of an augmented reality device. I like the use of so many 'simple' components to make a relatively cheap, yet powerful, modeling tool. It wasn't that long ago that this would have been either technologically impossible, or was cost prohibitive.

More about Augmented reality with Arduino

In the Maker Shed:

Make: Arduino

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Sleepy Arduino saves power

2009-08-13T05:33:00.000+04:00

Sleepy Arduino saves power: "

Got a nice Arduino project that needs to be battery-powered, but you want it to keep running for a long time?

Well, the fine folks at Lab 3 might have just the solution for you. They hooked up a photoresistor and a buzzer to an Atmega 168 microcontroller running Arduino to make a digital nightingale. The chip is put to sleep after every light measurement, and the built-in watchdog timer is used to wake it up again 8 seconds later.

By doing this, they estimate that they can increase the battery life of the project (powered by 3 AA batteries) from 4 days to about 3 years! I hope they're letting it run to see how long the batteries actually last.

See the project website for an explanation of the circuit and a copy of the source code.

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WUSF

2008-09-18T06:10:00.004+04:00

On my lunch hour today, my friend Brad Stager gave me a tour of the WUSF facilities. Brad works for the Radio Reading Service:

The WUSF Radio Reading Service improves the lives of its blind and otherwise print-impaired listeners by broadcasting readings of newspapers, magazines and special material such as shopping ads. The programming is available 24 hours a day via special receivers that are provided to qualified listeners, free of charge. The USF Radio Reading Service can also be heard on WUSF-TV’s Secondary Audio Program SAP) channel.

The WUSF Radio Reading Service broadcasts from studios located on the Tampa campus of the University of South Florida and are heard by about 5,000 listeners in West Central Florida.

The WUSF Radio Reading Service is a public service of the University of South Florida and WUSF Public Broadcasting.

snowmonkeys

2008-04-01T16:15:00.004+04:00

Yudanaka, Japan

2008-04-01T16:06:00.003+04:00

Kyoto and Tokyo

2008-03-29T16:20:00.001+03:00

Kyoto

2008-03-25T16:24:00.001+03:00

Early bloomer

2008-03-25T15:48:00.001+03:00

Osaka Castle at sunrise

2008-03-25T15:48:00.000+03:00

Lunch on 3/24/2008

2008-03-24T16:40:00.001+03:00

Three Dyes in a Department Store

2008-03-24T16:38:00.001+03:00

Osaka

2008-03-23T16:26:00.000+03:00

Snowboarding at Keystone

2008-02-10T02:07:00.000+03:00

KML for this run:
Keystone.kmz

Reading

2008-01-26T22:05:00.000+03:00

I just finished Michael Chabon's The Yiddish Policemen's Union. This is the first book that I've read by Chabon and I was blown away by the rich description - I stopped several times to read a beautifully crafted sentence out loud to Liana.

Small Temp Sensors

2008-01-19T03:18:00.001+03:00

One of cohorts in geography is studying urban heat islands. She distributed over a hundred of these small temp loggers throughout the city. Very cool stuff. Talking with her about this made me think of Rainbows End and Vernor Vinge's ideas about grid sensors.

Lake Louisa cabins

2007-11-10T19:07:00.001+03:00

Geocaching

2007-11-04T23:29:00.001+03:00

Don't Trust Whitey

2007-11-04T20:09:00.001+03:00

Spicy Chili Chicken from a Mayalasian Restaurant in D.C.

2007-11-03T23:30:00.001+03:00

Carved woodwork in the Ambassador of Columbia's residence, Washington D.C.

2007-11-02T04:10:00.001+03:00

Dance performance by Joy T. Williams

2007-11-02T02:49:00.001+03:00

Halloween 2007

2007-11-01T07:26:00.000+03:00

My Halloween costume

2007-11-01T02:15:00.001+03:00

Prime Rib at Publix

2007-05-05T23:12:00.001+04:00

This was the best meal that I have ever had in a Publix deli. Prime rib with onions an au jus, collard greens, yellow rice topped with okra in tomato sauce and unsweeted ice tea.

WarDriving

2007-04-16T06:39:00.000+04:00

I just noticed that the link to GPSVisualizer wasn't working. Here is the KML file that I produced from my first attempt at WarDriving:

http://dye.daniel.googlepages.com/wardrive.kml

Picasa Web Albums - dandye - building_pPlu...

2007-04-16T00:56:00.000+04:00

building_pPlug_for_GarminGPS

Picasa Web Albums - dandye - building_pPlu...: "Building pPlug for my Garmin GPS (pFranc)"

The Machine is Us/ing Us

2007-04-11T15:45:00.000+04:00

Ideas worth spreading

2007-04-11T15:42:00.001+04:00

Hot Glue Art

2007-03-30T03:35:00.001+04:00

Martat (The Marthas)

2007-02-20T23:04:00.000+03:00

Martat

Good Widget

2007-02-16T22:15:00.001+03:00

Starry Night

2007-02-16T16:57:00.000+03:00

This is a false-colored satellite image of algae blooms in the Baltic.

The other image is by some painter ;)
(Blogspot converted my animated GIF to JPG so you need to click the image to see the animation.)

Web 2.0 ... The Machine is Us/ing Us (by the Digital Ethnography Lab at KSU)

2007-02-15T21:25:00.000+03:00

2007-02-11T20:43:00.000+03:00

Avanto (ice-swimming) at Kuusijarvi

Snowkiting

2007-02-10T19:16:00.000+03:00

Snowkiting in Otaniemi

Parapenting in Peru

2007-01-27T16:06:00.000+03:00

I finally got around to converting an old GPS waypoint file to KML for viewing in Google Earth. (the image above links to the KML). This is the 1 second log of a "parapenting" trip that my brother and I did in Peru.

Me and brother Dave at the launch area.

Dave in flight. I should be able to grab the Lat/Lon where this was taken using the GPS track (someday soon).

This image needs some atmospheric correction!

Tapiola Swimming Hall

2006-11-26T22:23:00.000+03:00

Last week, my friend Meelis introduced me to Tapiola swimming hall. I'm totally hooked; I've been three times since. They have a 2 saunas, a steam sauna, 2 "bubble tubs" (luke-warm jacuzzis), a lap-pool, outdoor pool, and my favorite: multi-purpose pool with massage jets.

Seasons

2006-11-21T19:50:00.000+03:00

Thesis Defense

2006-11-20T23:30:00.001+03:00

Planning the Post-Welfare City

2006-09-16T12:13:00.000+04:00

HSS Class Picture
Originally uploaded by dandye.

This is a class picture of my summer course.

GeoServer and Architectures of Participation for Geospatial Information

2006-08-31T22:29:00.000+04:00

Google TechTalks
August 23, 2006

Chris Holmes

ABSTRACT
This talk will introduce GeoServer, an open source server to publish and edit geospatial data using open standards with Google Earth, Google Maps, and more. The talk will highlight the recent the work done to interoperate with Earth and Maps, and how GeoServer fits in to the stack of software to share and collaborate around geospatial information. Also discussed will be the relevant open standards used by GeoServer, including WMS, WFS, SLD and GML, and how they were leveraged to create KML network links with the existing GeoServer core. The close of the talk will look towards the future, with more speculative questions such as what a true geospatial web might look at, and how we might apply the principles of open source to collaboratively build and maintain geospatial data (including what tools and social architectures would support a movement for collaborative geodata). Hopefully this will lead to an open discussion on turning the possibilities in to reality.

Fulbright Orientation Aug 2006

2006-08-29T12:37:00.000+04:00

Fulbright_Aug_2006
Originally uploaded by dandye.

Last week, I attended the orientation for incoming US Fulbrighters. Here is a group photo.

Vohlisaari (Goat Island)

2006-08-08T16:25:00.000+04:00

I visited the Niemiseten kesamokki (summer cottage) on Vohlisaari this weekend.

Here is Ursula's son and his Pappa on the way out:

Eating smoked Kuha (Pike-Perch):

Ookie taught me how to make a vihta (sauna whisk):

Snack in Shannon airport

2006-08-01T16:04:00.000+04:00

Tuesday, August 01, 2006, 4:04:35 PM

Serena water park

2006-07-28T19:50:00.000+04:00

Serena water park
Originally uploaded by dandye.

Quinn and I visited Serena water park in the nearby city of Espoo. It was a little cold but the majority of the park is inside. It was a blast!

Unicafé

2006-07-26T19:41:00.000+04:00

Image067
Originally uploaded by dandye.

Now that I have my student credentials I can eat at the student cafe. Today I had reindeer and mashed potatoes + unlimited salad and bread for only 2.20€!

pix of Liana and Quinn's visit

2006-07-26T08:42:00.000+04:00

I've posted some pix of Liana and Quinn's visit on Flickr:

Heureka Hands-on Science Museum

Suomenlinna (Finland's sea fortress)

Day-trip to Tallinn

Helsinki Tourist Sites

2006-07-16T23:27:00.000+04:00


Helsinki in the summer w/ classical street music

Travel to Helsinki

2006-07-15T23:44:00.000+04:00

Stuck in Stansted

2006-07-14T14:05:00.000+04:00

I missed my connecting flight from London (Stansted) to Tampere. I was actually on time but learned a few valuable lessons about Ryanair: they don’t allow you to check luggage through or give you a boarding pass for connecting flights. In fact, as a “point-to-point” airline, Ryanair’s “official policy” is that travelers should only take one flight per day! Unofficially, they recommend 3-5 hours lead for connections.

I had only booked a 1 hour layover and it cost me.

I rushed off of the plane (and was yelled at by an irate Irish mother) and then had to wait for my checked bag. The slow-moving Irish mother came along as I was waiting and glared at me the rest of the time. I grabbed my bag and ran to the ticket counter with ½ hour to spare.

Unfortunately, Ryanair closes the flight (no more boarding passes given out) at 40 minutes prior to departure. Sigh. I booked at ticket for the same time the next day (with a 40 pound sterling penalty fee!) and started looking into a place to stay. I had only slept 1 hour in the previous 36 so I was quite desperate and not exactly at my mental peak.

When I found that there were no cheap accommodations, and that I’d have to pay at least 40 pounds for a bed and breakfast I started looking for alternatives. I nearly got a standby ticket on an SAS flight going directly to Helsinki but at the last minute the “system” locked the agent out. I gave up and called the bed and breakfast.

The owner was really great. He dropped me off at the “local” (pub) where I had great lunch in the beer garden.

Now after some sleep, a couple of decent meals, and a shower I feel better and I’m trying to make the most of my time here. The weather is beautiful and this is a pleasant town. I’ve got to remember that I am now on vacation. I’m typing this in the “garden” (British-English for yard) of the Church Hall Farm B&B (map). Having a proper cup of tea in an English garden on a beautiful day.

The Hacker Ethic

2006-07-06T18:12:00.000+04:00

I noticed several references to Pekka Himanen's The Hacker Ethic in The Information Society and the Welfare State: the Finnish Model. The topic intrigued me so I picked up a copy at the USF library. Himanen, as many others, makes a clear distinction between the older use of hackers ("passionate programmers") and crackers ("computer criminals"). Unfortunately, the latter use has become so pervasive that this distinction needs explaining with the title.

The crux of the text is comparing industrial society's "Protestant Ethic" to the information/network society's "Hacker Ethic". Himanen states hackers require flexible time, non-monetary motivations (i.e. interesting or important work), ...

What struck me most, was how much the protestant ethic has influenced my direction in life. Lately, I've been saying that I'm living the 70/20/10 philosophy. 70% of my time is spend researching remote sensing of water quality, 20% on ubiquitous and context aware application development, and 10% on preparing to move to Helsinki. The 70% is my "work" and the 20% "play". Himanen has helped me to realize that,although uncompensated, that 20% is also "work".

Unrequited Loves

2006-07-03T00:14:00.000+04:00


Unrequited Loves perform at Little Steven's Underground Garage Fireworks a Go-Go in Tampa's Hard Rock Casino

Vertical Ventures

2006-06-30T13:34:00.000+04:00

My friend Devon B. and I visited Tampa's only indoor climbing establishment, Vertical Ventures.

Oxygen Bar

2006-06-23T22:23:00.000+04:00

I'm in Clearwater today throwing a pizza party for the IT staff at Tampa Bay Water. I found this oxygen bar next door to Westshore pizza so I had to check it out. I can't feel anything from the O₂ but the "aromatherapy" is pleasant.

The Information Society and the Welfare State

2006-06-14T17:23:00.000+04:00

I’m reading The Information Society and the Welfare State: the Finnish Model by Manuel Castells and Pekka Himanen. One of the sections that caught my attention follows:

The global trend is for the informational economy to connect to its network those who are valuable to it (and to add further value to them) but to disconnect those who are valueless (and thus further weaken their chance of acquiring any value). This results in increasing social injustice in the form of income inequality, polarisation, poverty, and social exclusion. Those individuals who are least valuable to the networks of informational capital are left on their own, in a position from which it is very difficult for them to change their fate(Castells, 2002).

This relates to an idea that I’ve been trying to express for many years about capital accumulation and injustice. For the excluded, there is not a great deal of return on investment (of labor) and 100% of the return is needed for survival (no accumulation). Part of this equation is the “disconnect from the network” resulting in low returns. The other result of “disconnect” is the impossibility of capital accumulation due to expense: being poor is expensive.

On the other end of the spectrum, once critical mass has been reached, capital generates capital rather than work. Likewise, as this investment capital increases, a larger share of it is accumulated rather than required for personal need: capital accumulation increases at an increasing rate.

How does the “Finnish model” escape this polarization? Certainly the welfare state plays a partial role by buffering the transitions into the extremes. The basic needs of the valueless are subsidized and the accumulating capital of the valuable is taxed. Perhaps by buffering the transition, the middle class are prevented from “slipping” into the extremes?

Feynman’s Rainbow

2006-06-06T07:52:00.000+04:00

I’ve been getting books on tape recently and spend a nice Sunday morning drinking coffee and listening to Leonard Mlodinow’s book Feynman’s Rainbow. Mlodinow describes his angst and self-doubt as a newly appointed post-doc at Caltech in the eighties. He recounts the advice given by various mentors and colleagues, and as the title indicates, on of them is Richard Feynman. It was incredibly reassuring to hear these feelings I’ve harbored shared by the heroes of science.

Learning to use SketchUp

2006-05-28T00:10:00.000+04:00

Saya Dye

2006-03-24T15:14:00.000+03:00

My brother Dave's first-born. I'm an Oji-san!

Saya Dye

2006-03-24T02:13:00.000+03:00

Saya Dye

2006-03-24T02:10:00.000+03:00

David and Kat in the Hospital Lobby

2006-03-24T00:43:00.000+03:00

Working on my Mad Scientist look

2006-03-02T02:22:00.000+03:00

Job Interview

2005-12-16T23:25:00.000+03:00

Hathor @ USF

2005-12-04T18:21:00.000+03:00

I found this travel bug at USF: "Hathor, the ancient Egyptian goddess of Love, wants to travel the Earth, exploring this strange temporary realm of physical beings."

Geocacheing

2005-12-04T01:09:00.000+03:00

San Francisco Botanical Garden

2005-11-12T23:30:00.000+03:00

Botanical Garden

2005-11-12T23:25:00.000+03:00

Weathering Wilma

2005-10-24T03:28:00.000+04:00

Liana, Quinn, and I were stuck inside all day waiting out hurricanne Wilma. In preparation for a foray outside I donned my bike helmet, head-lamp, and rain-jacket. I don't remember why I was wearing the Reebok track-suit; it must have been the cabin-fever.

Steppin' Razor

2005-10-13T19:06:00.000+04:00

One of the many reasons that I always hated cutting the grass out at David Sr.'s farm: a box of rusty razor blades hidden in the grass.

Inside USF's NES building

2005-10-07T18:38:00.000+04:00

Outside USF's NES building

2005-08-31T03:47:00.001+04:00

Lunch

2005-08-31T03:47:00.000+04:00

Breakfast 2005-08-26

2005-08-26T18:57:00.000+04:00

I sent this pic from my cell phone. I have this project where I'd like to photograph everything that I eat but I only remember to do it about 1 of 25 meals. This is a garlic, onion, and cheese quiche, iced green tea, and my assortment of "life-extending nutritionals" (read: snake-oil).

crime in cuzco

2005-07-24T00:20:00.000+04:00

Sunday, July 24, 2005

I´m in Cuzco today killing time in an internet cafe while my pix get backed up to FTP (thanks Neil!). I was starting to relax a little about crime and then heard and read some horror stories. Taxi drivers are fond of taking people into bad neighborhoods and stripping them naked. I´ve been pretty careless about ensuring that it is a legit taxi and not just some guy with a taxi sign. I also read about a gang of three five-year-olds jumping on a tourist and going through his pockets while he fought them off. I actually find this a little more terrifying than the taxis! Do I have the heart to punch a five year old? I did kick an old man in the back once...

-d

Uppsala

2004-08-27T02:10:00.000+04:00

DSC04101
Originally uploaded by dandye.

Check out where these cannons are aimed! The Swedes know how to keep a Bishop in line!

Suomenlinna

2004-08-27T02:03:00.000+04:00

DSC04018
Originally uploaded by dandye.

Still experimenting with flickr.