igargoyle

Wearaware and IGargoyle Do Maker Faire

Come meet Nym and I and bring your wearables! We're here to profile and promote the community's work on this site, so let's meet, get some media, and get it up here. Come out, come out, wherever you are!

I'll be exhibiting my latest in the Wearaware collection.

More roving telepresence hacks from the brothers!

More Soon!

Wearable Computing on BBTV on CNN

CNN has broadcast a segment on Boing Boing TV, which shows a clip from my segment as it mentions "a demonstration of wearable computers" as a primary example of BBTV content. Online video-on-demand can be viewed here. BBTV uses a still from the segment, shown above, to represent it on their BBTV In The News page and here too. This still is also an except from their segment about my wearable computing work. I am honored and it has got me thinking...

BBTV

I'm a Boing Boing TV Correspondent; here is the latest episode.



A Boing Boing TV episode introducing some of my wearable computing:
It's also a short segment, so I plan to publish more of my interview with Xeni Jardin later.
It will elaborate on my work.

Life Extension Workshop datablast

In this quick digest about my attendance of the Life Extension Workshop yesterday, I will drop a lot of names and links on you while I attempt to digest the profound content of the day. Thanks to everyone whom I met for being so cool and sharing your passion for your interests; even when you could not talk about certain things for various reasons.

The presenters and panelists included Doctors Stephen Coles, Aubrey de Grey, and Michael Rose, followed by David Kekich and Peter Voss. I will be helping Dr. Coles post video online; I'll post when and where that will be available.

Gerontology Research Group
Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence (SENS)
M Prize
Methuselah Foundation
Benford & Rose
Gregory Benford
Persona Foundation
GTCbio
Mediox

There were various plugs for books, which will reach you through links, slides, and video of the workshop. I want to mention a book that was not part of the day's official proceedings, which I learned of when I met Gregory Benford. He and Elisabeth Malarte have authored Beyond Human: Living with Robots and Cyborgs, and I'm excited to check it out.

Glog On

Well, despite error messages I had received while trying to Glog from my Treo 650, it turns out my images did indeed get posted. These are from BarCamp LA-3 from March.

MobileCamp LA was a complete blast, and I won a Nokia N95, which will be much easier to Glog from. I am running the Glogger application, rather than using MMS, but I will be relying on WiFi until I transfer my service over from Sprint. I have several hacks in mind for my N95, as hinted at in the my Maker Square post, and I will get into that later. I look forward to Glogging about my future hacks, and more. Some of them will be Meta-Glogs, since they will help document my wearable technology work.

I am also going to be checking out the application included with my N95 called Lifeblogger. It will be interesting to share my comparisons of Lifeblogger and Glogger and playing with ways to use each application to do so.

Meet me at Makers' Square

"The Maker Faire team is joining forces with Felt Club for the upcoming
Felt Club XL Holiday event - Sunday, November 18 th from 11am-6pm on
the Los Angeles City College campus (855 N Vermont Ave, LA CA 90029)..."

[via BarCamp LA mailing list]

Here's my abstract:
"My contribution to Maker Square will be wearable computing hacks for PDAs. My focus will be on two devices I am hacking right now that can be used as independent wearable computing platforms that can also be combined together. The two devices are more than just PDAs. One is an Archos PMA-430 PVR with A/V I/O, and the other is a Nokia N95 Smartphone with A/V I/O and Video output. I will mostly discuss hardware hacks for interfacing with the devices' I/O capabilities to create wearable computing configurations. This includes reverse engineering, custom connector kit-bashing and cloning, body mounts, on-body networks, and video connections for HMDs and cameras. I will bring a wearable harness I created for the Archos, a custom connector adaptor I created, documentation of iterative hacks, my OATH (Obligatory Altoids Tin Hack) USB Hub/Ethernet/antenae array interface, and will be conspiring live against my Nokia. I will also discuss the shift in approach between the hacks of the two devices, and how it relates to user interface design and software."

They're still accepting proposals; information below:

"This family-friendly event will feature 70+ amazing crafters,
delicious food and great music, plus an all-new section called MAKER
SQUARE, a miniature version of Maker Faire ! (Felt Club is a twice-
yearly indie craft fair featuring the best and brightest of the SoCal
craft scene. Our carefully juried shows highlight a wide variety of
handmade goods, including handbags and jewelry, baby gifts and paper
products, clothing and housewares, one-of-a-kind plushies and original
artwork. In between shows, we host a variety of craft-related events
around the city, including how-to workshops, craft supply swaps, and
more - www.feltclub.com ).

Maker Square is organized by the staff of Make and Craft magazines and
is a mini-fair that brings together science, art, craft and
engineering in a fun, energized and exciting public forum. The aim is
to inspire people of all ages to roll up their sleeves and become
makers. We will showcase the amazing work of all kinds of makers--
anyone who is embracing DIY and wants to share their accomplishments
with an appreciative audience.

We encourage you to join the fun and enter a project to exhibit. You
can submit you entry by sending an email to sherry@oreilly.com. In
your Maker Square entry request, please tell us about yourself and
your project. Entries can be submitted from individuals as well as
from groups such as hobbyist clubs and schools. Please provide a short
description of what you make and what you will actually bring to Maker
Square. Please provide links to photographs or videos of what you
make. Maker exhibits should be non-commercial. We particularly
encourage exhibits that are interactive and that highlight the process
of making things. Please remember that our space is outdoors and we
do not have access to electricity.

Here's some suggested ideas for topics that we're looking for:
Things Made From Recycled Items
Microcontrollers
Robotics
Making Musical Instruments
Bicycle Hacks
Ham Radio
Puzzles, Games and Toys
Cars (hot rods, custom vans, electric vehicles)
Airplanes and Aeronautics (models, etc)
Biology/Biotech
Chemistry
Cool RC Toys & Mods
Video Games (retro, home arcade and more)
Model Trains and Planes
Weaving/Looms (historical or unusual)
Kites
Temporary Structures (Tents, Domes, etc.)
Unusual Tools or Machines
How to Fix Things or Take them Apart (Vacuums, Clocks, Washing
Machines, etc.)

Maker Square Space: Our standard setup for each Maker is roughly a
10x10 space. Use this space to display your work and/or demonstrate
how you make something. You will need to bring your own tables and
chairs.

NOTE: Makers whose entries are accepted will receive free admission to
Felt Club/Maker Square. However, we cannot pay for transportation and
accommodations. Makers do not pay a fee to exhibit at Felt Club/Maker
Square and maker exhibits are non-commercial.

If you have any questions about participating in Maker Faire, please
contact us by email: sherry@oreilly.com

We look forward to seeing you at Felt Club XL Holiday/Maker Square on
November 18th in Los Angeles!

Best,

Sherry Huss
Director
707-827-7074
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Jenny Ryan
FELT CLUB
e: info@feltclub.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
web: http://www.feltclub.com
blog: http://www.feltclub.com/news/index.php
myspace: http://myspace.com/feltclub
flickr: http://flickr.com/groups/feltclub/
"

Jobe Bittman Interview

Jobe Bittman is an igargoyle reader, and went to the MAKE faire this weekend. Correspondant Ordaos (aka my little brother), didn't get to interview him in person unfortunately, but I did get Jobe to answer some questions over email. I would very much like to profile more cyborgs, transhumanists, and gargoyles, so if you're interested, please contact us at igargoyle@gmail.com.

How long did it take to make your wearable?

It took me several years to make my first wearable system. It consisted of a M-1 monocular display, toshiba libretto CT100 and a twiddler 1. My current system is another small laptop, a fujitsu P5120, a MicroOptical SV-3 and the Twiddler2. All my systems have been based on laptops or PDAs.

How heavy is it?

I've never weighed it. It feels about 5 pounds.

How often do you wear it?

I used to wear it everyday for a walk. Basing a wearable on a laptop is cheaper, but you can't just grab it like a cell phone and head out the door.

What did it cost?

I think the parts were around $2700.

What do you use it for?

Usually just writing email and code, some light browsing and IMing.

How would you improve it?

Well the first change would be something smaller. The UMPCs coming out this year look promising. I was going to move to an Oqo, but the one I looked at got incredible hot.

Who or what inspired you to make it?

I think it was in 1998. I saw some reference to Steve Mann on the Internet. I found the MIT wearables page and I was hooked. My interest level has been pretty cool for the last year though, but now that San Francisco is getting metro wireless, I'm excited to improve my system again. I think having instant access to the internet anywhere is going to drive the creation of many new computer-user interfaces.

Cool, thanks for the interview Jobe. We'll be posting some of his pictures from the MAKE faire this week, along with Ordaos' photo-coverage and our first podcast with MAKER Syuzi Pakhhyan. I can't wait!

Steve Mann Interview

CNET has done an article called Cyborgs Unite! which is a interview with the cyborg and wearable computer innovator, Steve Mann.

This guy is amazing, and will continue to be hot item on igargoyle. I've already sent him one letter asking to interview him, but I think it's about time to send another email. Eventually he's bound to reply!