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| ``It's essentially a matter of physics...'' -- Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense |
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| Topic: Miscellaneous |
2:31 pm EDT, Jun 3, 2008 |
HacDC is a non-profit organization and space dedicated to technical, artistic and social collaboration. We are technologists, tinkerers, crafters and codemonkeys who call DC home. We collaborate across disciplines for the benefit of cultural, charitable and scientific causes. We create, learn and teach as a group, inviting our neighbors around the block and around the world to join us!
HacDC is fun. Thus far we've had a python sprint, a lock-picking class and built some rather impressive shelves. At some point we'll have to play "the wtf-box" cause there's enough old and whacky equipment to be dangerous. I've joined, you should too! --timball HACDC |
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| Topic: Miscellaneous |
3:32 pm EDT, May 29, 2008 |
The Landsat Program The Landsat Program is a series of Earth-observing satellite missions jointly managed by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey. Since 1972, Landsat satellites have collected information about Earth from space. This science, known as remote sensing, has matured with the Landsat Program. Landsat satellites have taken specialized digital photographs of Earth’s continents and surrounding coastal regions for over three decades, enabling people to study many aspects of our planet and to evaluate the dynamic changes caused by both natural processes and human practices.
Awesome... the landsat program now has made available it's data in an awesome java based format! --timball The Landsat Program |
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Monkeys Control a Mechanical Arm With Their Thoughts - NYTimes.com |
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| Topic: Science |
3:31 pm EDT, May 28, 2008 |
Two monkeys with tiny sensors in their brains have learned to control a prosthetic arm with only their thoughts, using it to reach for and grab food and even to adjust for the size and stickiness of morsels when necessary, scientists reported Wednesday.
OMFG the robot future is here. --timball Monkeys Control a Mechanical Arm With Their Thoughts - NYTimes.com |
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| Topic: News for Washington D.C. |
4:11 pm EDT, May 16, 2008 |
On Wednesday, May 14th we were notified by the National Park Service that there is evidence of reportedly high levels of arsenic in the soil around Fort Reno requiring closure of the park and further testing. At the moment nothing is confirmed, only reported - we don t even know if the stage area is affected - but the park is currently closed. The Park Service, EPA, and others are looking into the situation and keeping us posted. Check back here where we ll share updates and details as they come in. The news hits just as we were beginning to ask for your help in raising the funds we need for this year s sound system and stage maintenance. We may be looking for a new home or maybe we won t need to - either way we still need your help. We know we re asking you to donate for concerts that might not happen this year. Think of it as a donation for all the rock of years gone by. We stay dedicated to bringing the music to the people and you can be sure all donations will go to that cause - be it at Fort Reno, some new venue, or something wholly new.
new summer of shows at fort reno is gonna be arsenic-rific. --timball Fort Reno 2008 |
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| Topic: Technology |
11:33 am EDT, May 2, 2008 |
It would be great if Google Maps and TomTom could cooperate: * A TomTom device does not cooperate with Google Maps by itself.
* I wanted the possibility to point out my routes and some points of interest at home with my computer.
* If you buy a TomTom device, you can use the TomTom HOME software, but the possibilities of this application to plot a route are not really great.
* I did not want to push my finger onto the touch screen of my TomTom device every time: to add one waypoint to an itinerary, I had to crawl about three or four TomTom screens each time...
I own a tomtom OneXL and tyre is the single program that makes that device useful. It integrates w/ either google earth or google maps and allows you to plan our routes and itineraries quite nicely. I just planned a road trip to boston w/ eight tasty places to eat along the way. Not just that but I get to use the tappan zee bridge! and hopefully avoid all the crap. If this works out I'll be posting routes + maps of places to eat RSN. --timball Tyre |
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[0804.3064] Intelligence gathering by capturing the social processes within prisons |
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| Topic: Science |
12:48 pm EDT, May 1, 2008 |
We present a prototype system that can be used to capture longitudinal socialising processes by recording people's encounters in space. We argue that such a system can usefully be deployed in prisons and other detention facilities in order help intelligence analysts assess the behaviour or terrorist and organised crime groups, and their potential relationships. Here we present the results of a longitudinal study, carried out with civilians, which demonstrates the capabilities of our system.
Frighteningly bad science. The idea was that these two physicists wanted to help figure out a way to track prisoners who might be up to no-goodery. Ideally they'd put RFID's into every prisoner's ass and then watch and track the no-gooders. Then after some statistical modeling magic they'd be able to know that prisoner A spends a lot of time humping prisoner B. That's all fine and dandy, but the PoC implemented about wasn't tested in prisons. It was tested on the the people who live in and around the town of Bath, UK using the resident's bluetooth devices. They have plots and models in their paper showing off some awfully frightening ideas. So their original idea has nothing to do w/ the implemented idea except for all the spying. --timball [0804.3064] Intelligence gathering by capturing the social processes within prisons |
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