I’m a bit more timely this month. Here’s the July issue of my Deployed Times. Thank you for taking the time and interest to keep up with me and my brothers in arms.
UPDATE: I have a solare pump headed my way for the aquaponics project I want to start up here in Nawa. Additionally, I have permission to start the project, along with space….now it’s time to design.
So…I’m totally hooked on aquaponics – the combination of aquaculture & hydroponics. I first learned about the concept a few weeks ago, in the business section of the local rag. Some folks in Escondido sell turnkey kits for $1200 USD. Well, with the new baby and the economy – and my generally cheap nature – I decided to make my own system. Several weeks of vigorous Internet research on YouTube.com, Instructables.Com, and a bevy of aquaponics sites (Aquaponics.Com, BackYardAquaponics – esp. their forums, and S&S Farms…to name a few), led me along my way.
In the video below, you can see the progress I’ve made so far. We planted our first veggies today, and I hope to add fish early next week. And, the whole operation should be solar powered by Sunday night or Monday afternoon. We should be able to raise up to 40 lbs of tilapia, along with MANY pounds of fresh veggies. In the mighty words of Zach De la Roacha, “We gonna take the power back!”
Tags: aquaponics
Here’s the latest installment of Baby’s heartbeat. This is nothing earth shattering, but it’s for the grandparents out there. Enjoy. (I’m posting as MMommy to pad her stats.)
Tags: baby, ultrasound
On Nov 23, 2006, I wrote “Touchscreen On Steroids: Interfaces Gone Wild” in reference to ‘new’ technology for interfaces. The technology has been used in Apple’s iPhone for image resizing and menu manipulation. But now – an I HATE to say this – Microsoft has stepped up with the Surface.
This thing gets 5 gold stars for cool. I wish I could be on the sales team for this thing. The Surface is a table with a 30″ touchscreen that interacts with multiple inputs from multiple users, devices & objects that are placed on the screen, and potentially even payment methods on the tabletop. Users can set down a Bluetooth enabled camera, which automatically syncs, drops the photos for immediate display & manipulation onto the Surface, and then permits multiple users to sort, edit, and share photos to other devices – i.e. PDA. Alternately, the table could be used commercially as a cocktail table that permits guests to order food & beverages, (of course) receive advertisements, and split the bill by pulling their items to their credit/debit cards that are placed on the table. – very cool. The tabletop tool can also used to plan waypoints for a trip and then have them submitted to a PDA for later recall. With a GPS enabled device, the PDA could direct users through their day.
Popular Mechanics had a great video review of the product and the supporting technology.
