The Arduino open-source microcontroller platform can be programmed and equipped to perform a nearly endless list of functions. It's likely the best all-around centerpiece to a modern electronics project. But one of the tasks Arduino is best used for is straight-up fun - the open design means there's an Arduino board suitable for almost any project, and a wealth of add-on "shields" extends its abilities with ease.

it's never too soon to think about x-mas.

--timball

Arduino gift guide

new lenovo location for tabook.pdf

--timball

tabook.pdf

Announcing Apps for America 2: The Data.gov Challenge

We've been planning this for awhile. Ever since we heard about Data.gov we have been planning a contest, and if you're reading this blog post, that means Data.gov has finally launched.

I'm pleased to wave the green flag on Apps for America 2: The Data.gov Challenge. This is a development and visualization challenge to see who can come up with the best application and visualization for data from Data.gov.

These are exciting times for us-- the walls between Government and Developers are starting to shrink, and we here in Sunlight Labs are terribly excited to get to work on doing great things with the data that's coming out. Government has made a move in the right direction-- now it is time for us to show them what we can do.

We're happy launch Apps for America 2, this time with support from our friends. Google's put in some prize money as has Craig Newmark, the founder of Craig's list. O'Reilly and Techweb have provided another wonderful incentive: tickets and table space to Gov2.0 summit for the winners.

Finally, we think that in building this community of technical talent, that we need not only developers but also talented and creative artists and visualizers. So we've created a special bonus "visualization and design" prize that will hopefully bring new ideas and talent to the table.

Take a look at our Apps for America 2 page for all the rules and details. This is going to be the best Apps for America yet.

Please, spread the word far and wide! This is the technical community's first and best chance to show our federal government the kind of talent and creativity that we all have, and more importantly to show it what happens when it engages the technical community.

Let the Games Begin.

things i've already learned from the contest.

#1 don't rearchitect the fundamental way a cluster of webserver work while launching a new website

#2 loading a 50MB KML file into google earth will crash your mbp

#3 don't do the above two things @ once

thanks ritalin! you make the ADHD much better.

--timball

Apps for America 2: The Data.gov Challenge

oh yeah

--timball

YouTube - Second Life Kool-Aid (OH YEAH!)

truth in advertising

--timball

40 Gorgeous Vintage Tobacco Advertisements // WellMedicated

the arxivblog has moved to MIT's technology review. same great reviews half the serverbugs.

--timball

Technology Review: Blogs: arXiv blog

OOP Concepts in Drupal

Despite the lack of explicitly-declared classes in Drupal, many object-oriented paradigms are still used in its design. There are many sets of "essential features" that are said to be necessary to classify a system as object-oriented; we will look at one of the more popular definitions and examine some ways in which Drupal exhibits those characteristics.

anyone that uses or is considering using drupal should read this paper. If you're even a half-baked coder it should just piss you off. no they do not understand design patterns. yes drupal should be taken out back and shot.

--timball

Drupal Programming from an Object-Oriented Perspective | Drupal API

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The inspiration for the move, Pierson says, came in large part from the Sunlight Foundation, which has been urging Congress, through its Open House Project, to make records more accessible to the public. The group issued a report in May 2007 calling for bulk distribution of legislative data.

"We've been working really hard with Congress to get this, so we're happy to see this here," says John Wonderlich, policy director for the Sunlight Foundation.

wow. back-to-back drop days for sunlight! first tim o'reilly then congressman Mike Honda (D-CA)

yup, sure feels good to sit in the sun.

--timball

An API for Federal Legislation? Congress Wants Your Opinion | Threat Level from Wired.com

Red5 : Open Source Flash Server

w00t! engineering-reversal of flash media server

--timball

Red5 : Open Source Flash Server Open Source Flash

Rare funk, soul, psychedelia and rap you won't hear anywhere else, selected by Egon.

Funk Archaeology - listen-up and pay attention.

--timball

Funk Archaeology : NPR Music