Play audio:
On this episode of Spark:
- Spark listeners want customized clothes
- Nora builds Virtual Nora with My Virtual Model
- Ian McCarthy explains mass customization (full interview)
- Nora mentions rice babies
- Julien Smith says the web is built for text, not audio
- Jim Glass searches audio with the MIT Lecture Browser
- Nora mentions the February 6, 2008 collaboration show
- James Graham harvests the energy of human movement with crowd farms
- Dan Misener bundles up
This episode features Creative Commons music and sound effects:
- “Oslodum 2004” by DJ Dolores
- “All of Me” by Paul Whiteman with Mildred Bailey
- “Go ‘n’ Drop (2003)” by Antony Raijekov
- “Zeus Jones Beat #006 103bpm” by zeusjones
- “airtone/analog-signal-noise-etc/”>analog signal noise etc.” by airtone
- “Disappointment” by Slizzard
- “Latin Nightbug” and “No Pants Friday” from Backtime by Lee Rosevere
- “Charles Bridge.wav” by ERH
Download the MP3, or subscribe to the podcast.
Electrifying show today.
Your piece about the “crowd farm” sparked an idea for a speech that has been daunting me. Since I like my salad spinner I won’t make a sit-down light. I am, however, going to use gadgets that use the same principal (like the “light up shoe” and the crank flashlight) to brighten up a speech about the hidden potential in every moment (and action) of our lives. Hopefully I’ll phrase it in a less hokey way than that!
Anyways, thanks for the inspiration.
Yours from Winnipeg,
Lindsey
hey, great show today!
I liked the bit on bundles at the end. btw, the Rogers rep made the whole “call display on your TV” thing sound so futuristic. It’s been offered by Sasktel for almost two years now as part of their Max Internet/TV service. I don’t have it because I already pay for call display for my cordless phone, which can sit in my lap while I watch TV, so I don’t have to “leave the couch again,” as Dan said.
You and Dan should watch Idiocracy — remarkably stupid yet eerily prescient (don’t I sound like the movie critic?)– just to check out the chair Frito is sitting in while watching TV. Talk about never having to leave the couch again…
Serendipity! Such a refreshing and witty show.
Just wanted to add my two cents on “mass customization”. During the weekend I had my first experience playing on an Nintendo Wii. I am not a usual gamer but I simply couldn’t pass up the chance to play with the famous game console. I was quite fascinated by the “Mii” (pronounced me) feature,which allows you to customize your Nintendo character to look exactly like you–Specifics from face shape to hairstyles to body type. Just another example of involving the consumer in the product.
Virtually yours!
@Linda, I heard about the Mii. It sounds cool. They also have all those wii-mote add-ons. People seem to have an appetite for customizing them. I guess that speaks to the level of attachment they have to them.
People also like to customize their Roomba robot vacuums, too: give them names, dress them up.
Glad you liked the show!
I had to share a response to the “Crowd Farm” idea, posted on The Register some months ago:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/07/30/all_the_power_they_would_ever_need/
A fairly scathing article. In essence, the idea sounds plausible unless you actually apply some engineering principles. “It makes more sense to walk to work than power a train by bouncy floors.”
Love the show – I’m a faithful podcast listener. But I couldn’t let this bit of ivory tower fantasy go by uncommented.
I have to disagree with Lloyd on this one. The article he linked to was more mocking in tone rather than providing a debunking. As with any science, initial research and pilot programs will have to be conducted before this kind of tech will become cost-effective enough to be deployed in any meaningful sense.
The “crowd farming” talked about here seems similar to research they’re doing in Japan, looking to use some sort of piezoelectric system to capture some of the potential energy that could be generated by the massive numbers of people who use their public transit systems. See the links below for more details:
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Story?id=2609254&page=1
http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/commentary/imomus/2006/08/71582
Re: Crowd farming
I’ve always wondered why someone hasn’t tapped into the electricity-generating potential in gyms. Most gyms have many treadmills, stairmasters, bikes and ergometers spinning all day long. Wouldn’t these machines at least power some of the lights in the room?
Each article submitted in your marketing campaign will grow your site backlinks giving you greater search engine results, consequently creating the potential to generate even more traffic, customer, leads, visibility and income. Your article marketing strategy definitely should include putting some money in tools. Article spinnier and submitter softwares are the greatest ones you can acquire that will greatly help you leverage your article marketing efforts.