igargoyle

Anonymous Surfing with TorPark ThumbDrive

For all you cypherpunks out there:

Download TorPark for your language, and put it on a USB Flash keychain. Plug it into any internet terminal whether at home, school, or public. Run Torpark.exe and it will launch a Tor circuit connection, which creates an encrypted tunnel from your computer indirectly to a Tor exit computer, giving the appearance of having the Tor exit computer's IP.

[ Link via MAKE blog ]

Wearable iPod Displays

iLounge just did a comparison of all the wearable iPod displays that were announced at this year's CES. They range in both price, and quality, but all come under $700, and are designed quite differently. The eMagin Eyebud comes out as the highest quality HMD of the lot, going past what the iPod can actually output, but you're going to have to wait for that one. If you want one now, you should go for the Icuiti DV920 if you can afford the $550 price tag.

eMagin Eyebud 800: ~$600 [800x600, 16 Million Colors, 1 OLED display] Release Date: First Half 2006

Icutit iWear for iPod: $300 [320x240, 2 LCD displays]
Release Date: Second Quarter 2006

Icuiti DV920: $550 [640x480, 16 Million Colors, 2 LCD displays]
Release Date: Now

MicroOptical myvu: $270 [320x240, I center-mounted AMLCD display]
Release Date: Now

[some prices rounded up a dollar]

[ Link via Google News ]

Growing Heart Tissue

Researchers are growing heart tissue to use on damaged hearts.

The tiny pieces of heart tissue beat like a heart, pulsed faster when adrenaline was applied and responded to medicine like a normal organ.

Instead of waiting for someone who is a match for your cell type when you have suffered from heart attack, surgeons could take a little bit of your tissue, grow up a heart patch of your own genetic material and put it into your body. It would also save patients from spending the remainder of their lives on medication.

The R&D has a long way to go, but with reports like these, growing body parts seems less and less like science fiction.

[ Link via we make money not art ]

GypsyMIDI Controller

This thing looks really cool, but basically what it does is translate movement into MIDI so you can make music by dancing. Personally I would rather be able to sneak up on people better instead of announcing every movement I make, but to each his own. I don't think this will revolutionize music or dance, but it does look pretty cool, but I'd actually prefer something like Isa Gordon (aka "The Psymbiote")'s data glove.

[ Link via engadget ]

US GPS Upgraded

Probably in reaction to Europe's plan to out-tech the US with their GPS system called Galileo, the US has upgraded their GPS system to increase power output and accuracy of signals using something called L2C. While L2C was activated yesterday, your existing GPS will suck just as much as it did before- you're going to need to get a new GPS with updated chips in order to reap the benefits.

[ Link via Ubergizmo ]

SRL in Chinatown: Pictures

Here's some photos I took at Survivial Research Labs' Chinatown event. I wish I had more, but I came unprepared and Dragoon's GF, Jamie had a camera, but it was low on juice, and getting shots was hard anyways.

Sneaky soldiers on the ground, Giant dinosaur head in the sky. Chinese residents gawking from the balcony. The show is just getting going.

A robot lunges at our side of the crowd.

The same robot from before is burried under the toppled dinosaur robot. Burnt styrofome is heavy in the air.

[ Previously on igargoyle: SRL in Chinatown ]

GunCam - Give your assault rifle eyes

The Self Guard SG-310 is a video system designed for guns. You stick it on your most leathal weaponry, and ta-da, instant video clips for your commander. They claim this will enable better decisions on the battlefield, but somehow I think it will end up being a way to keep soldiers accountable for their actions. That in itself is a good thing in my opinion.

[ Link via ubergizmo ]

DRM vs Cyborgs

Is this the future of moviegoing?

Going to the movies is not what it used to be. Security at the studio-owned theatres is heavy, it's not a trip to be taken lightly. But if you want to see the film everyone is talking about without waiting a year for the home release, you have little choice. When you enter the lobby the first thing you see are long ranks of tiny, thumbprint activated lockers. This is where you must leave all of your electronics, your personal server and peripherals, even your watch, and you had better not be wearing smart spectacles or contacts. As you enter the security zone you're scanned for anything you may have forgotten. Cochlea and optical implants must be capable of responding with a coded RF identification signal to indicate their systems are secure and cannot record. People with older models, or models implanted abroad where such interrogation is illegal, are turned away. Perhaps they would like to see one of the older releases? Once through the scanner you must submit to a biometric ID test - this is where the known bloggers, hackers and spoilers are ejected. Finally there is the non-disclosure agreement to be signed - these days most moviegoers choose to sign via the MPAAs annual subscription, just trying to take some of the hassle out of visiting the cinema. Finally you get to see the film. In the auditorium the audience is constantly scanned by an AI looking for suspicious activity, so don't rummage in your pockets for too long. It's strange that all this effort to protect the movie industry has done so little to improve the movies.

[ Link via boingboing ]

FlashCam - Video Recording Flashlight

This flashlight is also a video camera, and while it's designed for police use, it definately has a nice sousveillance ring to it. It's super bright at 85,000 candle power and also can do night vision with infrared illumination. It comes standard with an LCD monitor, 2 hours of storage, and it can also take snapshots.

Unfortunately, like every other thing I talk about on igargoyle, this item is ridiclously expensive, but if you have 2.5k to play with, you too can own one.

[ Link via wired mag ]

Solar Geeking

Solar energy is fun, and rewarding. Jim Mason of San Francisco's art space called "The Shipyard", writes this geeky rant about the yard's solar energy. They even have a page where you can see their solar stats in real time!

yesterday was the first day the shipyard generated more electricity with pv panels than we actually used. mostly because of the coincidence of a very clear day and very low use. it's not sustainable. but still kinda neat. might happen again today.

more panels are currently on the way from arizona, and more in the yard already are getting closer to going in. soon we hopefully will be able to have parity or positivity on more than very unusual days. but certainly not everyday.

solar fusion > photons > electrons (dc) > chemical storage > dc > inverter ac > magic vines > mig welder > dc > heat > fused metal > art.

there must be an easier way than this . . .

[ via jim mason's Shipyard Announce mailing list ]

SRL in Chinatown

It's not often you go to an art show and leave feeling like you've lost a significant number of brain cells. Then again, it's not often you go to an art show and see jet engines, giant walking robots, fish cannons, and a huge styrofome dinosaur head on fire. The fumes from the burning styrofome kept my girlfriend away, but the giant machines kept me close to the action.

Regardless of the impact that the robotic colective known as SRL may or may not have on my future academic performance, getting to see their robotic mayhem in person was an experience I won't soon forget. I was warned not to stand where I was, but when the ajacent section with A-list bloggers and artists didn't move, I figured I was safe. Well SRL stands for Survival Research Labs, and SRL aims their research at their spectators, and how well they're able to survive the highly dangerous robotic creations. Almost all the wooden barriers, including the ones protecting the VIPs were slammed into by the robots and SRL's jet engine powered hovercraft, sending the crowds scrambing backwards for cover. I heard at least one person bragging about how he just had a near death experience.

I was truely amazed that the police and the fire department didn't show up to the small parking lot in the middle of los angeles' chinatown. There was noise, smoke, and huge numbers of people. Maybe it's just that the locals are more accustomed to fireworks, or maybe it's just that SRL puts on one hell of a show.

In any case, if you're in the LA area and missed the show, go check out Mark Pauline work with SRL, which is on display at Fringe Exhibitions from now to February 25.

Here's some youtube videos of the event. As soon as I have some video of my own I'll post that too.

[ Link to Xeni's Boing Boing post on her take and more photos/video ]

Motorola/Burton Audex Techno-Jackets

Now I can't really wear these jackets since I live in a place that isn't on the frozen tundra, but I still like that the fashion industry is trying to innovate by embedding more technology. Basically this Motorola/Burton Audex Jackets include controls on the sleeve that can be used for audio players and to respond to your cellphone. Cool, yeah, but even better the jacket has speakers and a microphone built into the hood. It will set you back 600USD, but it won't be long until the price on these things start to settle.

We've been covering these kinds of items a lot on igargoyle recently, and it's nice to see something that isn't aimed primarly at the iPod, but I really dislike the fact that much of these are jackets!

On the other hand, I did just report on the iPod work shirt and Levi's iPod RedWire DLX jeans, which both break that standard. I think 2006 will be a great year for wearables, if only because products like these are going to be flying off the shelves.

[ Link via engadget ]

Wearable Barcode Scanner

This device is a barcode scanner that has a small Class 2 laser embedded in a finger ring. The bigger attached unit is a bluetooth transmitter. Now I don't have a lot of need to scan things on a day to day basis (thank god), but if I did, this is what I'd want. Having said that, if I was the kind of person who scanned things day in and day out, I probably couldn't afford the 1,200USD pricetag either.

[ Link via engadget ]

Diana Eng's Appearance on iHeartSwitch

Diana Eng, contestant on Bravo's Project Runway, and super cute techno vixen, recently made a guest appearance on iHeartSwitch's first webisode.

I helped to launch the site because interesting girls in science is a cause that I really believe in.

Yeah! Take down the fashion establishment Diana!

Also you should check out iHeartSwitch's CES eppisode, which basically covers all the cool wearable tech at CES. Wish I was there with em!

[ Link via we-make-money-not-art / Popular Transit (Diana's blog) ]

Sousveillance Against Racist Police

I didn't see this item until just recently, but a boy who was arrested by police in London used his phone to record a police officer swearing at him from the back of a police van.

The boy made the recording by activating his phone's record device as he was being put into a police van after his arrest in Paddington, west London in February.

A two-and-a-half minute tape of an exchange with Pc Yates, 26, a Territorial Support Group officer based at Paddington Green police station, was played to the court.

It is alleged that on it the officer swears repeatedly, accuses the boy of being a robber and rapist, and threatens to "smash your Arab face in".

Personally, I was once falsely arrested, and one of the two police officers responsible for the arrest threatened me by saying to his partner "Go get the sirenges and baggies from the glove compartment to put on this guy". Sure, racial harrasment is considered worse than threatening lies by most law enforcement officials, but having been exhonerated for what I was arrested for, such a claim might have some weight.

Still, the best tool of sousveillance that I have, years after that incident, is only a cameraphone. It really makes me want a DejaView [warning awful design] type device that records audio and/or video.

[ Link via wearcam via ideal government ]

Light Weight Eye Tracking Wearable

I love pictures of wearable computers, and girls always make these things look less geeky. This is a system designed to track eye movement. Not sure why that's important beyond doing usability testing or marketing focus groups, but it's certainly nice to see people hacking this stuff together.

Jason S. Babcock and Jeff B. Pelz put together this paper on building a simple, lightweight eyetracker (PDF) to foster the creation of open source eyetracking software. All of the components are mounted to a cheap pair of safety glasses. The eyetracker uses a technique called “dark-pupil” illumination. An IR LED is used to illuminate the eye. The pupil appears as a dark spot because it doesn’t reflect the light. A bright spot also appears on the cornea where the IR is directly reflected. An eye camera is mounted next to the IR LED to record the image of eye with these two spots. Software tracks the difference between the two spots to determine the eye orientation. A laser mounted to the frame helps with the initial calibration process. A scene camera placed above the eye records what the eye is viewing. The video from these two cameras can be compared in real time or after the experiment is concluded. [Hack A Day]

[ PDF Link via hackaday ]

Ray Kurzweil Analyzes Self

Ray Kurzweil, author of "The Singularity Is Near" just interviewed himself. Makes me want to interview myself too, except I'd probably focus on my lovemaking ability rather than nonbiological intelligence and everse-engineering the human brain. A friend of mine saw Kurzweil give a talk on the singularity and was really inspired. I wish I got to see it.

This book looks really interesting as well. I myself read very little beyond tech books and the intarweb, but I'm going to go get this. Maybe it's because it fits into some cyberpunk and nanotechnology live forever fantasy that my friend dragoon sucked me into. Maybe it's just the idea of having a massive super-subconcious entity in some way or another. Something big is coming though, and it's going to be an exciting ride.

[ Link via boingboing ]

Comments on igargoyle

I just went through the comment system and approved a few comments that slipped through the cracks. Sorry folks! If you've posted on here before, you won't have to be moderated in the future. Also if you don't want to use an email account, you can always use a pookmail email, they're like disposable credit cards, except with less money and well okay maybe they're not like credit cards, but they are disposable.

Anyways, Davy Krieger is going to have his second part of Sacrafice Throw, the nano-tech sci-fi ecological-political-military thriller. If you haven't read part one, check it out!

Koyono iPod Work Shirt

Elektek has partnered with another company, Koyono, to make an iPod work shirt. I recently reviewed the Kenpo iPod jacket, which uses the same technology for the controller. This one looks better for the cooler climates, and a bit more stretchy.

Like all BlackCoat designs, the Work has a minimal appearance and is made from the latest encapsulated waterproof fabric technology. What makes the Work different is its stretch cotton construction for uncompromising comfort. You will have just the right number of pockets to manage your gadgets and other mobile necessities and feel good.

My only concern is, given the price of these, you're only going to be able to wear this shirt once, maybe twice a week. I think I'll stick to my cheap iPod belt attachment.

[ Link via Davy Krieger. Thanks Davy! ]

Mine Safety Gear

With the tragedy at Sago Mine, the question of miner safety has become a major issue. To me, it's not just an issue of having ample rescue teams, but also of wearable computing. Some mines are using sensors throughout the mines, but why not go the next step and incorporate wearable computing to put sensors on the people themselves?

Some larger mine operations have atmospheric monitoring systems, with sensors placed throughout the mine to detect methane levels, smoke and carbon monoxide. All the information is fed into a computer on the surface, and dispatchers relay information about system failures to the teams below ground, said Mr. O'Dell.

I know wearable computing is expensive, and mines are not known for good wages, but it seems like they still lack simple communicative technologies, as ways for miners to communicate with the surface in the event of an emergency. Lets get these guys some technology folks!

[ Link via Google News. Image from NPR. ]

MAKE at Macworld

Just liked this photo of guys wearing HMDs to (presumably) watch Video iPods. MAKE is currently at Macworld, taking photos of things they like.

[ Link ]

Levi's iPod "RedWire DLX" Jeans

Levis is getting on the iPod bandwagon by releasing RedWire DLX Jeans, which incorporate a special joystick to control your iPod. Now I know what you're thinking, and no, they didn't put the joystick over the crotch, so you won't be able impress women and get fondled wearing these.

The joystick is on the hip, and they've got a dock for the iPod to go into in one of the pockets. Very notably, they built a retractable headphone unit to prevent tangles and keep from getting snagged on things with your earphone cables. I guess the engineers over at Levis got tired of their headphones flying out of their ears.

So no pictures yet, but this is scheduled for release in the fall of this year. Oh boy.

[ Link via Google News ]

Surveillance with a Bang!

How long is it until guns are mounted on surveillance cameras? Scott Kildall recently created an installation called Gun Control that examines just that.

Gun Control is an electromechanical installation, which explores underlying issues of both security and surveillance. Each of the four units incorporates a police-issue revolver and a small video camera. As people move into the installation space, the cameras track the movement and the guns follow.

However, the technology is imperfect. The cameras do not always function properly. The revolvers point at different targets. They sometimes twirl about playfully. The armatures shake and rattle. We are directly in the line of fire. This piece raises questions about our security-surveillance apparatus by prompting a visceral reaction.

[ Link via we-make-money-not-art ]

Survival Research Labs at Fringe Exhibitions, LA

Everyone's favorite flamethrowing, tele-robotic, artistic group is coming once again to Los Angeles. Survival Research Labs (SRL)'s director Mark Pauline will be presenting his work at Fringe Exhibitions on Saturday, January 21, from 6 - 8 PM.

This exhibition will feature the newest addition to the SRL machine family- the Sneaky Soldiers- near life sized, remote controlled army of revolutionaries. Also included in the exhibition will be large-scale documentary images, and the premier of the video from SRL's recent show in Downtown Los Angeles. This video features the first invasion of the Sneaky Soldiers. The SRL commentary on the art of war debued a Sneaky Soldier emerging from an 18-foot tall wooden Trojan horse to face danger from large-scale destructive robots enduring the pain of flame and damage through a hail of sparks and projectiles. After the fog of war was lifted from the field of battle revealing mangled wrecks of machinery, the Sneaky Soldiers were gathered to be repaired to fight again another day. Similar to a real theater of war where battle takes place, these machines and props engage in a struggle for survival. Both the machines and operators expend intense energy creating an atmosphere of immediacy and choreographed chaos. Each of the eight soldiers has an individual number and distinct battle wounds from the performance. The Sneaky Soldier has been a recurring character in many SRL performances. The new Sneaky Soldier is a major technological improvement with a steel torso enclosing a battery powered, chain driven mechanism to create a crawling action.

Here's the address and phone number:

504 chung king court,
los angeles 90012
(213) 613-0160

[ Link via Dragoon ]

How's Mikey Sklar?

Mikey Sklar caught up with me because of my coverage of the things he's been up to with RFID. Mikey's going to be on CNBC's "On the Money" tomorrow (Tuesday Jan 10th) at 7:00pm EST, and was recently written about in the Science Times section of the New York Times (coming out Jan 17th). I just started getting to know the guy, and it seems we have very similar interests. In the name of journalism, I plan to do a podcast with him soon, and here's a teaser about his RFID implant I wrote about before.

How's your implant? Has it healed well? Does it hurt at all? Implant is doing pretty well. I have a visible scar that does not seem to be going away. I did not feel any pain during the implant or after. The litocaine injection was the only thing that bothered me at all. Just like when the dentist gives you a novacaine injection in the gums, it stings.

Also Mikey says there's some other RFID things we may not be aware of:

Reuters Video

http://www.reuters.com
* choose "video" tab
* choose "life"
* choose "Chip implants for techno buffs"

[ Previous Links: Another RFID Implant, Mikey Gets Implanted, Fan Fan Boy Fans Himself with Fan Suit ]

CES Highlight: Mindstorm NXT

Mindstorms were the shit when it came to building small, yet totally functional robots, and LEGOS has just one upped themselves by totally rebuilding Mindstorm. Their new Mindstorm NXT is powered by a 32-bit microprocessor which can be programmed by a PC, as well as a Mac. No idea on Linux, but this thing can be programmed by either USB 2.0 or bluetooth- talk about sweetness.

While the thing is only on display currently at CES, you should be able to get it this August. That's a long time to wait, but for now you can see it in action.

[ Link via en gadget ]

Cap Light

If wearing a wearable computer wasn't geeky and utilitarian enough for you, for sixteen bucks you can get this LED light that straps on to the brim of your cap. Honestly, if I could get a single LED light to mount onto my glasses, I'd wear it dispite what the fashion police might say.

[ Link via boingboing ]

Bloggies 2006

igargoyle hasn't yet been nominated for the annual Webloggies, and I think it's about time! Nominate for us under the computers and tech / topical / best-kept-secret categories if you want to support the site.

Here's the link...

[ Link ]

Sacrifice Throw: Part 1

I'm pleased to announce the first installment of Sacrifice Throw, a nano-tech sci-fi ecological-political-military thriller from my friend Davy Krieger. He's a BOFH sysadmin, who is a pretty good writer, and I think his writing fits in nicely with content on igargoyle. This work is released under the Creative Commons.

Please leave comments with your feedback! I know Davy will appreciate it.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

SACRIFICE THROW: Part 1
By Davy Krieger

The clamor of raindrops on broad leaves slowed. Somewhere above them, the rain stopped on the top of the jungle’s canopy. The water never stopped falling from the canopy, but at times it slackened as lingering moisture trickled down to the ground, just in time to be reinforced from above by a fresh round of the incessant rainfall. Through the loam they trudged, wearily making their way below the crest of one of the countlessridges of the rainforest highlands.

The first man in the column raised his hand, and each soldier following halted, poised and alert. The second man knelt, and after a moment, the others followed suit. He waited while a figure from the middle of the column moved up. As they leaned close together, short-range commo gear found and synched to a randomly scrambling local network. The earpieces in their helmets clicked quietly to inform them that the connection was established.

“This is it, Ma’am.” The kneeling figure said.

“Thank you Sergeant. We’ll take it from here. Spread out and wait until we make our rendezvous. When I signal, get back to the patrol base. We’ll see you in three days.”

“Roger.”

Captain Janice Garret broke the seal on her helmet and pulled it off. Her short brown hair was matted down with sweat, and steamed slightly in the jungle air. She stripped off her chameleoncloth poncho, slipped off the pack on her back and tucked poncho and helmet into the pack. She handed the pack to a soldier near her. Nearby, two other patrol members did the same, and walked over to the edge of the canopy next to Garret. Under their ponchos, the three of them were dressed in unremarkable civilian clothing. They kept their military issue needle-rifles with them as they stepped cautiously out of the foliage and into the verdant clearing beyond. Behind them, the remaining soldiers in the patrol faded into the underbrush along the treeline.

Blinking in the sudden bright light, they saw a nanocrete road at the base of the slope on which they stood, running through the valley underneath the rainline of the jungle. In the distance, they heard the whine of an engine working its way along the road.

“Can’t wait to get a shower. Feel sorry for those dirty bastards back there, nothing but mud and hang-leeches for them.” Said the larger of the two men. He was hard-eyed and bulky, but smiling as he spoke.

“Shut up, Jernigan.” Said Captain Garret. “They can hear us you know.”

Jernigan's grin widened. “Yeah, that’s the point, Ma’am.” He rolled his shoulders, and stretched his arms behind him, free of the weight of a full pack. He shifted his rifle into his hands as an open-bed truck hove into view around a corner of the road.

“It’s them.” Said the smaller man. “I can see Father Anthony’s sunglasses from here.”

Garret and Jernigan turned to look at him silently. Garret merely raised her eyebrows while Jernigan picked up his rifle and peered through the scope. “He’s right. Damn, how do you do that, Matanari?”

“Put your rifle down, Jernigan. Corso gets jumpy out in the brush like this,” barked Captain Garret.

Jernigan lowered his rifle and looked at the smooth, impassive face of Matanari, who was continuing to watch the advance of the flatbed. Matanari's sleek black hair was inexplicably neat, despite long days under an enviro-sealed helmet. They moved out from the tree-line to the side of the nanocrete road to intercept the truck. As it pulled abreast of them, it whined to a halt. The man in the passenger’s side of the two-seat cab stepped out. He was thin and hae ascetic features, and an aquiline nose. He was wearing sturdy work pants with a black shirt and clerical collar, and dark sunglasses, too large for his face. He
did not smile. “We should talk a little while, just in case we’re under a fly-over.” He said.

“Of course. Nice weather we’re having, eh?” said Captain Garret.

“Right.” Said Father Anthony, uninflected. “There’s a stash compartment under the seat on Corso’s side. I don’t ask him what he uses it for.” As he said this, Corso leaned out of the driver's side window and grinned.

“When we get about ten miles ahead, there'll be a period where we go under some jungle canopy. The road is handmade there, if you can believe it; apparently there was no way to get the nanobuilders through without crossing the jungle floor. Anyway, when we get there, hop out, and take the satchel out of the compartment, and stash your rifles.

They’re good and sanitized, it’s true – but too many of the insurgents are using needlers now. We can’t carry them in the city. There’s a change of clothes in the bag. Change into them and stash your dirty civvies before we get back out from under the canopy. Sattellite fly-overs have been more frequent after your raids last month, we have to be extra cautious. The security grid is still down outside the city, though.”

Garret frowned at the news. “The new guy is on site, right? He made planetfall?”

Father Anthony shrugged. “Don’t know, I couldn’t check discretely.”

Garret turned to Jernigan and Matanari. “Gentlemen, it’s into the bed of the truck with us. Apparently our luxury transport is unavailable.”

The three of them climbed into the back of the truck, and shoved around some of the tools and sacks to make comfortable sitting spots. Jernigan and Matanari affected an air of indolence, but sat opposite each other, and scanned the tree lines to either side carefully as the truck began making it’s way along the valley floor again. The ride was smooth, and the whine of the fuel-cell motor rapidly faded into background noise. The three in the back of the truck fought against the lethargic effect of the rocking truck-bed and high-pitched motor noise. They remained silent for most of an hour, until the truck
turned sharply uphill. Jernigan and Garret fidgeted in anticipation of jumping out and moving quickly once they were under the approaching canopy. Matanari was reactionless, except to peer pointedly up at the sky, trying to detect overhead satellites.

When the warmth of the sunlight was suddenly replaced with the cool moist air of the jungle that they had lived under almost without cessation for weeks, the truck halted and all three smoothly leapt out of the bed. Corso was already clambering down from the elevated cab, and opening a hidden compartment. He was wearing a dandy white suit made of a loosely-woven organic material, in a style typical of the city-dwelling merchants, managers and engineers for the Spiral Arms Trading Company. He handed
back a vacuum-sealed satchel to Matanari, and took the three needle rifles from Jernigan.

Matanari popped the seal on the satchel, and it expanded dramatically. Shirts and pants spilled out, along with several sealed packets. Without shame, all three stripped out of their sweat-stained clothing, broke open the packets and rapidly wiped themselves down with the self-dissapating swabs within. They put on the drab but clean and dry clothing they were provided. At the bottom of the sack were three slim pistols, which each took and stuck into their waistband. Corso quickly crammed the dirty clothing into the satchel, closed the lid, and pressed the evacuator. The satchel collapsed as the air was drawn out
of it, and when it was small enough, he tucked it into the smuggling compartment atop the needle rifles. He lowered the seat back over the compartment and ran his finger along the seal that would seal it, making it appear to scanners as a normal seatbench.

The three returned to the back of the truck, and Corso hopped into the driver’s seat, and proceeded as fast as the truck and terrain would allow through the canopy to make up for the lost time. The truck bounced and juddered over the uneven road surface, which was hand laid when nanobuilders were unable to find enough building materials in the molecular component of the loose topsoil to construct nanocrete. All over the planet, long stretches of road had been slowly grown by industrious nanobuilders, and laboriously built where the work was too complex, or too resource-poor for the simple molecular robots.

After several hours of travel, the truck pulled into the outskirts of San Percival. Shanty towns for the indigenous people who had come in from their villages out in the countryside were larger than the last time Garret had been into the city. More and more people were squeezed out of the scarce fertile areas by the encroaching Spiral Arms TC, and forced to seek whatever work or charity they could find in the city. A brown haze hung over the city. There was a metallic tang in the air that was noticeably different to
the three who had spent so long under the canopy with their guerilla fighters and native volunteers. The truck rolled past buildings which had been constructed of cast-off mining and shipping materials and poorly harvested softwood from the jungles. Meant as a temporary shelter, they had been inhabited for many years longer than their owners had originally intended. Children noisily chased an irregularly shaped ball through a dirt track running parallel to the road; clusters of men lolled under corrugated plastic sunshades.

Most were of the European ethnic stock of the original settlers, and few were darkly tanned as most offworlders were; who had melanin-producing nanofactories implanted before arriving on the harshly tropical world of New Carnavon.

My god, it gets bigger every year. Though Garret, as they rolled for nearly an hour through the shanty towns. If only they would do something for themselves. If only SATC didn’t have so many paid informants. The truck halted in front of a heavy barrier. Three guards in the grey jumpsuits of Spiral Arms, with darker grey body armor and helmets strolled up to the truck. All three guards had the pasty complexions of natives, indigenous men hired by the Company. One stood off at a distance, his lasrifle pointed vaguely in the direction of the cab. One had the single sunburst insignia of a sergeant on his collar, and spoke to Corso. “What’s your business?”

“Carrying factory downloads from the field. Datalink over in Mateo is down.”

“Who’re the indies?” The Sergeant said, aiming a sneer at the back of the truck.

“Dunno. Picked ‘em up walking along the valley road. Said their car broke down, but they were headed this way. One of em’s cute, so … “ Corso gave the sergeant a knowing grin.

The sergeant cocked his head at the back of the truck, and the other guard walked past Father Anthony and around to the back of the truck. He peered at Jernigan, Matanari and Garret, scanning them carefully. He leered at Garret, whose plain features and close-cropped hair were compensated for by her trim build. He took note of the pasty complexion of Garret and Jernigan, but gave Matanari’s ochre skin a more careful look.

“You an offworlder?” he asked of Matanari, brusquely.

“No. Father was. Mother local. He was ethnic Nipponese, so I inherited this skin, didn’t buy it.” While Matanari was talking, the guard looked over the three of them.

“I don’t know Sergeant, they look kind of well fed.”

The Sergeant peered at Corso even closer. The attentiveness of the guard standing at the barrier went up a notch, and he raised his lasrifle slightly, tightening his grip, and clicking the safety off.

Corso noted this and said with unfeigned nervousness, “Hey, I don’t know nothing about them. I’m just trying to get the bossman his data dumps, and the Father here to his church. “

The sergeant looked over at Father Anthony. “Wait here, I’m going to run your pictures.”

“Uh, look sergeant… is that really necessary? Maybe I could just you know, post a bond for my good behavior?” Corso gambled on the scrupulous corruptibility of the underpaid security workers.

“Yeah, maybe so. A hundred each for you and the priest, two hundred a piece for the indies.” His eyes shone with avaricious greed.

Corso gave a low whistle. “Eight hundred. That’s pretty steep, that’s my whole travel budget. What, am I supposed to sack out in one of the shanties back there? How about you let me and the Father slide, and I squeeze a hundred a piece from the indies, and pass it along to you?”

“Those guys could be dangerous criminals. Could be those treefucker guerillas, for all I know. I’ll need a pretty serious bond for anything they might do, you know, to process any warrants and such, if they do turn up wanted or something. Let’s call it fifty for you and the priest, and a hundred each for them.”

“I’m legit, so’s the Father. Look, here’s our IDiscs," he fluttered his hand at Father Anthony, who fumbled his disc out his pocket. "Tell you what, I’ll just dump the indies here, and they’re your problem, and you can process me and the priest all normal-like. Fair?” Corso said, sounding cowed.

The sergeant sensed his supplemental income slipping away. “Alright, a hundred each for them. Gimme another fifty, and I’ll expedite your travel papers, and you can be on your way. “

Corso fiddled with a pad for a few seconds, and handed a credchip to the guard.

“There, three-fifty. Certified, not personal.”

The guard took the chip, and waved to the guard at the barrier. He stepped back into the shack, and worked some controls. The barrier lowered into the ground. Garret noted that the cameras on the shack powered down, too. Corrupt guards were notorious for sudden lapses in camera coverage.

All the occupants of the truck shifted nervously as they passed over the barriers and into the city proper. The guards drifted back to the shack to split their gains, and didn’t spare the truck another thought. Once inside the city the buildings changed dramatically; ramshackle lean-tos were replaced with gleaming plas-steel and nanocrete towers, girded round with mirrored sun-shields that created a thousand glittering points in the late afternoon sun. Vehicle traffic was sparse, but well-dressed people on foot traversed the sidewalks and skyways in a leisurely fashion, the day’s business complete. They trundled by an outdoor café where nattily attired men and women sat, chatting over drinks and light fare, carelessly watching passers-by on the streets. A security drone whistled by overhead, hurrying on an errand somewhere in the city. Faintly, they could hear the whir of rotorcraft taking off and landing at the heliport on the outskirts of the city. No spacecraft were moving at the starport, or the whole city would have been shaken by the reverbations.

The city of San Percival was located at the point of an isthmus on the northern continent of New Carnavon. Most of New Carnavon was covered by thick jungle canopy, but the effluvial plains which girded the vast jungles were rich in sedimentary mineral deposits, which the Company was steadily strip-mining to harvest. The scarce availability of terrain situated over solid rock was reserved for the few urban enclaves on New Carnavon. Fifty million people were crammed into a few hundred square miles.

Recent rains left puddles on the streets with petrochemicals swimming in an oily rainbow on the surface. As the truck pulled through the clusters of warehouses that bordered the restaurants and cafes next to the landward-facing checkpoint, the street took on a more commercial nature, with glasscrete-faced shops huddled around the sidewalks, hawking wares with bright holo displays. The most tasteful and expensive of the shops had plain storefronts with a real human guard out front, instead of an automated system or security-bot. Entrance was denied to those who didn’t pass the muster of the practiced
eye of the hired security staff.

Garret looked at the storefronts, shoppers, merchants, pickpockets and guards feeling as though she were looking at a different world. She remembered a distant time when she might have been one of the people lazily browsing window displays as she ambled to nowhere in particular. But that time and place was so remote, and so far removed from her present circumstance, that she simply could not connect to it, couldn’t reconcile the experience of her past with who she currently was and what she was doing.

A husband, a son, a regular job. So long ago. She mused. I remember sitting at a café just like that one with Vaughn and Daniel. Vaughn always asked me to take off my sunglasses so he could see my eyes. A powerful wistfulness began to overwhelm her, a desire to hop off the truck, buy a ticket offplanet and back to the core, to start over again. Before that thought went too far down the hole of regret, her raining and discipline kicked in, and she asserted control. Feelings follow thoughts. I decide what I will feel.

She stopped short of actually shaking her head to clear her revery. When she looked back into the truck, she found Matanari looking at her with an inscrutable expression on his face. Not for the first time, she wondered if perhaps he was more than just a latent telepath, like herself. Also not for the first time, she realized that if he were, she would know it. She was a latent and could detect any intrusion into her arefully trained mental fortress. She might be powerless to stop the intrusion, but she would instantly be aware of it. Of course, if her discipline ever slipped, she would project her most immediate thoughts and feelings, particularly if they were strong, to any telepath in the area. A telepath like Father Anthony, just a few meters away.

The truck creaked to a stop at a crossroads between the commercial district they had just passed through, and the border of an impoverished residential neighborhood. Just the sort of neighborhood that poor, native workers like their current cover would likely reside in or have cause to visit. The three piled out of the back. Jernigan and Matanari scanned the streets and rooftops by habit as Garret walked forward to speak to Corso and Father Anthony. The priest slid down his window, and a puff of cool air rolled out. “Meet us at Javiero’s, after dark.” The expression his face was studiously neutral, just in case they were being observed.

“Got it. Will you have the new guy with you?” She asked.

“No. We’ll go together from there. Corso needs me for some work in town, first.”

Garret shuddered. If Corso, consummate infiltrator that he was, needed the services of a Church-trained telepath, it was likely not to be pretty, and even less likely to be something Garret wanted to know about.

“Before you go, Father, there’s one thing I would like to ask you.” Said Garret, in a tone of voice that was less certain than her usual crisp and professional manner.

“Go ahead.” He said.

“I got lost in thought back there. Did you pick anything up?”

He smiled. “No. Jernigan’s horny, it drowned anything else out. Certainly anything as subtle and you and Matanari, which I’d be hard-pressed to catch in even the best of circumstances.” He smiled reassuringly. Garret remembered that despite being a telepath, and a spy, he was also a priest.

“Thank you Father. If my control ever slips, let me know. It could be a risk, and I’ve been tabbed out lately.” Her professional tone was back.

“Will do. But don’t worry, everyone waxes and wanes.” He spun up his window, and Corso moved the truck back out into traffic. Garret turned on her heel and began walking down the block. Jernigan crossed the street and kept pace with her on the opposite side, while Matanari trailed by a dozen meters or so. Garret couldn’t help but feel as if she were under a crosshair, especially when a security drone whined by overhead.

TO BE CONTINUED....

Deaf hacker rewrites implant-firmware so he can enjoy music again

Michael Chorost, a deaf hacker and author of "Rebuilt", decided to hack the firmware on his cochlear implant so that it would perform better, so that music would be more enjoyable again through the 16 electrodes connected to his auditory nerves.

At my last job one of my coworkers had just got a cochlear implant, and he said it was helping, but the doctors were tweaking it over a few weeks to be able to get it to work better for him. Obviously this is not a perfect science, and a lot of innovation is going on to improve hearing for people with cochlear implants.

The implant was embedded in my head; it wasn't some flawed hearing aid I could just send back. But it was a computer. Which meant that, at least in theory, its effectiveness was limited only by the ingenuity of software engineers. As researchers learn more about how the ear works, they continually revise cochlear implant software. Users await new releases with all the anticipation of Apple zealots lining up for the latest Mac OS.

About a year after I received the implant, I asked one implant engineer how much of the device's hardware capacity was being used. "Five percent, maybe." He shrugged. "Ten, tops."

I was determined to use that other 90 percent. I set out on a crusade to explore the edges of auditory science. For two years tugging on the sleeves of scientists and engineers around the country, offering myself as a guinea pig for their experiments. I wanted to hear Boléro again.

I wonder how implant firmware like this is going to evolve with respect to open source. Will hackers around the world tweak the code that runs these devices, releasing specialized hacks, allowing people to switch in different versions of the software? For that matter, will Michael Chorost release his code so that others can enjoy Boléro again?

[ Link and title via boing boing ]

Computer Fan Fan Boy Fans Himself With Fan Suit

This is great. Mikey Sklar has a fan suit with 38 working fans to keep himself cool during the day and generally get attention for being a Maker.

The fan shirt does not exactly qualify as business casual at Sklar's job as vice president of a tony investment bank. "I sort of doubt there are many DIY people on Wall Street," he says. A spool of wire he found in a dumpster connected all the 12-volt fans in parallel. "When I wear the shirt I'm often asked, 'Do the fans spin?' Well, of course they do! Who would walk around wearing a bunch of computer fans that don't spin?"

I just blogged about Mikey's RFID implant. Seems like an active guy!

[ Link via Adam. Thanks Adam! ]

eMagin Video iPod HMD

On the heels of the iPod VR Mashup, eMagin has come out with a wearable display that is aimed directly at Video iPod owners.

The system, dubbed the EyeBud 800, is another entry in the booming ecosystem of accessories and complementary products that has emerged around Apple's portable music player. But this isn't in the realm of a $20 carrying case. Scheduled to debut in the first half of this year, the EyeBud is expected to retail for as much as $599 -- $200 more than the cost of a 60-gigabyte iPod.

But eMagin's executives are betting that the notion of a virtual big screen will win people over. With the proximity of the screen to the eye, and the magnifying effect of the company's optical technology, the company says that using the headset is akin to watching a 105-inch display from 12 feet away.

I think this may have been an afterthought on their part, but I do think the iPod has been a big influence on wearable computing. For starters, the iPod has got people carrying around huge hard drives, and not thinking much about it. Also they're just miniture computers, as many have proven by installing linux on them. If Video iPods make head mounted displays commonplace like bluetooth headsets are these days, I'm all for the marketing factor.

[ Link via Davy Kreiger. Thanks David! ]

Video Blogging as Sousveillance?

Video Blogs are obviously the next big thing with sales of video iPods soaring and broadband becomming the norm for consumers. That being said, are video blogs the next big thing for sousveillance? I found this article over on We Are The Media, a site that reports on "News from the Vlogosphere":

There is a really interesting radio program on Democracy Now about the infiltration of the bike group critical mass by the New York Police who have been going undercover and videotaping the demonstrations and in some cases, getting themselves arrested to appear to be with the group. This was front page news in the NYT two days ago as well.

When will critical mass get a video-blog to show the world their story first hand? They’ve got lots of video that needs to get out documenting their demonstrations.

On the other side of the fence, where are the police surveillance video blogs? If there is lots of video surveillance going on, wouldn’t it be great for it to show up on a video blog? We as the public should be seeing what’s being seen by the police.

Transparency in video surveillance would be a good thing for both the police and the folks at critical mass.

[Watch the NYT Video]

I did an interview with Steve Mann a while ago, and one of the questions I asked him was what he thought of blogging:

You've talked about cyborg-blogging, what is your view on blogging and the Semantic Web?

Originally 'glogging (cyborglogging) was a way of keeping a personal diary that could be shared with the rest of the world, with dated entries, etc.. See for example,

http://wearcam.org/previous_experiences/eastcampusfire/index.html

I think that the proliferation of personal weblog diaries leads naturally to shared understanding and documentation of the world, since these entries often provide useful information, both historically as well as in a timeless sense.

Certainly if Mann were to reopen his sousveillance activities to the public, I think video blogging would be the way to do it.

[ Link via We Are The Media ]

WarmX Revisited

igargoyle reader, Robert pointed me to WarmX, a company that produces undershirts that have a panel of heating fabric. I originally heard about this early last month, but was sparse on details. The idea is simple, but their fabric won't short circuit, is washable (as one would expect), and produces seven percent of a body's heat. The panels are located around the kidneys, and the batteries for the warming fabric last from 2.5 hours to 4.5 hours, depending on the setting, and recharges in three hours.

I live in Los Angeles, so usually staying warm isn't a big concern for me, but I could imagine that this would be pretty useful for going out to the desert or visiting colder parts of the world.

Here's a link to their store. They're selling undershirts for € 258.00.

[ Link via Robert. Thanks Robert! ]