Kestrachern » Technology

Tesla Motors Model S

kestrachern — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:43:37 +0000

I found my next car. Its the Tesla Motors Model S.
It has an impressive list of features:

300 mile range
45 minute QuickCharge
0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds
Seats 7 people
More cargo space than sedans
2X as efficient as hybrids
All-wheel-drive available
5 minute battery swap
0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds
120 mph top speed
All-wheel-drive available

Production begins in 2011 and deposits are being taken now.

Eee PC 901

kestrachern — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:58:53 +0000

Wow – It’s been a week since the Eee PC 901 arrived at my doorstep. I have had a great deal of fun with this little machine so far. I bought it from Amazon.com for $279 that includes tax and shipping. it came with a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 12 GB Solid State Drive, 20 GB Eee Storage, XP Home, and a 6 Cell Battery that lasts for over five hours in my experience so far.

The first day I spent time mucking about in Windows XP and installed a netbook version of Ubuntu Linux on the second HD. I had also downloaded a copy of the version of Linux that Asus prepared.. when I went to install it it overwrote the XP installation. I then discovered two things: 1. I did not like the Asus version of Linux… too simplified 2. I had lost my XP install disc sometime in the last few days… I could use the version that came with the EEE PC 901 but it has lots of extra software I would rather not install in the first place but that some might feel useful, e.g. Star Office, funky software for the camera etc etc.. The bright side was that I located a specific version of Ubuntu for this little computer. EEEBuntu! but more on that bit later.

It has taken a few days to grow accustomed to the closer key placement and only make one two consistent typing mistakes. My next step is to try sky and a few other more intensive applications. Contact me as kestrachrn on Skype if you want to help me test.

My advice so far is to Get one!!! Eee PC 901 from Amazon.com

Space View Park

kestrachern — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 22:44:34 +0000

Space View Park (Google Map, directions) in Titusville, Florida is the premier location for viewing Shuttle and other rocket launches from Kennedy Space Center if you do not have a ticket from NASA for up close and personal launch viewing.

Things to bring:

Binoculars
Chairs or comfy blankets
Food and Drinks (no alcohol permitted)
Still camera (ideally with zoom lens)
Video camera
Friends

Although there is lots of parking in the area your best chance is to arrive at least three hours before launch. Earlier is always better if you want a better spot along the water. There is also a 24HR CVS pharmacy nearby if you forget anything and there are a string of restaurants a block or two away. (I highly recommend you ask for Corina at Caffe Chocolat)

Watching the launches at Space View Park is a relaxed and festive atmosphere where I found conversation to flow in unexpected fun directions.

STS-127 Launch Scrub

kestrachern — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 17:55:07 +0000

Last night’s trip to Titusville for the launch of Endeavor on space shuttle mission STS-127 was great fun up until a fuel leak was discovered and the launch scrubbed.

If you do not get tickets for the NASA launch site then the best place is Space View Park in Titusville, FL – http://spacelaunchinfo.com/spaceview.html I met a guy named Ozzie a few months ago who runs the SpaceLaunchInfo.com site and he offers the best updates and information on launches I have found.

I’ll be going back as soon as possible to catch a launch before the shuttle program concludes next year. Hopefully this will be the last STS-127 Launch Scrub.

If you are coming into the area to watch a launch let me know I’m always up for another shot!

STS-125

kestrachern — Mon, 11 May 2009 21:41:14 +0000

Space Shuttle Atlantis headed off to service the Hubble telescope this afternoon. The afternoon launch while not as spectacular as a night lunch is still beautiful to see. It takes about 45 seconds from liftoff till it is visible here in St. Petersburg. It was exiting to see a crowd gather at the top of The Pier to watch the launch. (Is there a way to turn this from purely spectator into more of a participatory time?) Only a few more times, six maybe, will a Space Shuttle lift off from Cape Canaveral with June 2, 2009 being the next scheduled launch. So anyone interested in going to watch please let me know and lets make a road trip!

Project Jackrabbit

kestrachern — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 03:19:17 +0000

The moon has often been a focus of my attention. When I was in undergrad I had hope of doing planetary studies, but by the time I distilled the proper program I was too far advanced at my institution to change. I expected to enter into a Planetary Geology program for graduate school but marriage interfered.

I’d love to see people living and working on the moon in my lifetime. Even better would be the opportunity to spend my last moments of consciousness gazing back at the Earth and then past and on to the stars. Enter Project Jackrabbit. It is to become a repository for thoughts and concepts related to the leaving of Earth, transition from Earth to lunar orbit, landing on the moon, and survival thereafter.

Right now the domain http://projectjackrabbit.com exists and is waiting to be populated with information and discussion. I’ve got to set up a better framework and get moving on the project.

More to follow

STS-119

kestrachern — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 03:54:55 +0000

Tonight’s launch of the space shuttle Discovery was beautiful. This is the third launch that I have seen from about 150 miles away. It takes nearly 30 seconds from the time of main engines light to when it comes up over the horizon.

There was a group of about 100 people that watched the launch from atop the St. Petersburg Pier. The view would have been just as good from the water, but it felt better to be up higher.

I’m hopeful to catch one of the launches up close before the Shuttle Program is concluded in 2010 with five (and up to eight)flights remaining. If anyone is interested lets get together for a launch party! There is a sweet spot around May 12-15 of this year with two launch scheduled in that time frame.

http://www.nasa.gov/missions/highlights/schedule.html

Caution some of the photos are quite large. I’ll be reviewing the video to see if it is any good before posting.

———————————————-
3-31-09 Video is Posted after the photos
———————————————-

Launch of Space Shuttle Mission STS-119 as seen from St. Petersburg Pier.

Wearable Technology

kestrachern — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 03:01:35 +0000

Some of you may know of Ted, a conference on Technology, Entertainment, & Design. This years conference concluded last month and the highlight was a talk by Pattie Maes & Pranav Mistry - Unveiling the “Sixth Sense,” game-changing wearable tech.

Their presentation blew me away. For about $350 in off the shelf components they built a fully interactive meta environment that layers overtop the world creating a seamless blending of the virtual world and the meatverse.

Watch and be amazed!

Ghana Calling

kestrachern — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 21:56:29 +0000

Seven times I called Ghana today and it went a little something like this:

1. forgot to add a + to the number
2. could not connect
3. Yay jess answered! and we talked and we got disconnected
4. Jess can hear me, all I hear is distorted choppy voice
5. I can hear Jess, but she cannot hear me
6. arrgghh!!!
7. Incessant ringing

And to top it off Jess can text me but I cannot seem to text her back…. yuck.

Technological failure.

FWIW we both have Iphones

How hard can it truly be to communicate with someone?

Anyway Jess did say that she had just gotten out of the pool and the local band of wart-hogs were starting to get rowdy…and tomorrow she is heading out to visit a nearby pod of hippos.

overall calling someone in Ghana and having them tell you about their adventures is really cool.

Be sure to visit her blog and send some love. http://www.jessicaredford.com/

Geekmania

kestrachern — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 20:54:28 +0000

A new Social Networking service coming out of San Francisco – Geekmania was announce today.

From their copy.

“Overwhelmed by the Web 2.0 social-networking revolution? Intimidated by all that newfangled whiz-bang technology? Convinced the government is tracking your every keystroke? Too busy to give a damn about any of it, but still have a vague sense you might be missing something good?

You’ve come to the right place.

Welcome to Geekamania, your full-service, Web 2.0 personality enhancer™. For a small monthly fee, we do the social networking for you, so you can feel remotely relevant and even slightly connected to the sexy youth culture of today, without lifting a finger, remembering a single login, or buying some of those ridiculous $200 jeans. It couldn’t be simpler! ”

Geekmania lists the some services afforded to its subscribers:

1. Design, set-up and maintenance of personalized profile pages on all the popular Web 2.0 “social networking” sites, including Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Tumblr, Flickr, and more*

2. Daily updates to your pages with smart, “hip” musings and status quotes, so you can focus on your real life, like paying bills, enjoying movies, playing with the kids, drinking heavily at work, and not having sex.

3. You give us all your personal info — your darkest secrets, weirdest fantasies, frequent medications, favorite foods, bitterest resentments, embarrassing musical tastes, sexual hang-ups, and so on — and we do the rest. No logging in, no passwords to remember, and best of all, no actual personality to worry about. Don’t have a personality? No problem. We can make one up for you

4. Monthly reports of all account activity — funny messages, revealing pictures, and so on — printed out and mailed straight to your home via the trusty ol’ post office, because you hate your damn computer and can’t remember your AOL login and don’t even get you started on those fucking cell phones

5. BFF Tracker™ – A cumulative tally of exactly how many so-called “friends” you now have, updated weekly**

6. Asswipe Filtering™ – Block assorted jerky guys from seeing all those blurrycute pictures of your seven cats

7. Skank Monitor™ — Like Asswipe Filtering, but in reverse. Invites hot, skanky chicks to see super-sexy pics of you flexing in a mirror

8. Hopeful Hookup Detection™ – Our proprietary algorithm scans all your incoming messages for suggestive keywords and flirty behavior, on the remote chance that you might actually get laid sometime in the near future, but of course you probably won’t because you’re too terrified to follow up and/or appear naked in front of another human

9. Ex-Lover SlutMaker™: A special add-on service, where we casually befriend your ex lover or spouse, and then start dropping nasty hints and posting ugly rumors about what a true bastard/bitch he/she really is, not to mention his/her secret obsession with bestiality and German fetish porn***

10.And lots more!

*Porn sites extra
**Not real friends, of course. But it might feel that way, which is sort of the whole point
***Not applicable in Texas and Utah, where these activities are common”

Not convinced? Click here to read our write-up in the San Francisco Chronicle’s website, or click here to sign up for our mailing list, and get started today!

“Why wait? Your new personalities await!

Geekamania - Because you don’t have time for this shit.”