SUNDAY JANUARY 29 2012
Unlike conventional cameras, the Lytro light field camera captures all of the rays of light (angle/colour/intensity) in a scene, providing new photographic capabilities hitherto impossible – including the ability to focus a picture after it has been taken!
The terrific pocket-sized camera creates three-dimensional, interactive ‘living’ images that can be refocused as many times you wish thanks to a light field sensor that records a far richer set of data than any previous photographic instrument – in terms of colour, intensity and the direction of every light ray that flows into the camera – about 11 million of them.
To process all this additional information, the camera contains a light field ‘engine’ that allows users to refocus the images directly on the camera via an intuitive glass touchscreen.
And when the Lytro’s living pictures are shared online, this light field engine travels with each picture, so anyone can interact with them on virtually any device – web browsers, mobile phones or iPads – without having to download special software
The camera also offers a pretty powerful 8x optical zoom and f/2 lens – and you don’t need a degree to work out all its functions; it features just two buttons – power and shutter – that both activate instantly. It also performs well in low-light environments, so there is no need for a flash.
Another neat feature is the minimalist, rectangular design that, thanks to its anodised aluminum case, weighs in at approximately 225g/5lbs, making it an extremely light yet sturdy companion wherever you want to exercise your picture-taking skills.
Light field science was the subject of Lytro CEO and Founder Dr Ren Ng’s PhD dissertation in computer science at Stanford University, and was once only possible with 100 cameras tethered to a supercomputer in a lab.
This year Lytro plan to apply special light field algorithms to the pictures to enable viewing on any 3D display – where viewers will be able to shift the perspective of a scene. We can’t wait!
Interview with the inventors
And is the Lytro really any good as a camera? Well I'll let you know as I've just ordered mine!
For more information on the Lytro camera, please visit www.lytro.com/camera. And for a demonstration of the ‘living’ pictures, visit the Lytro Picture Gallery at www.lytro.com/living-pictures (click anywhere inside a photo and watch that section come into focus).
SUNDAY JANUARY 22 2012
Christened Little Shining Man, the sculpture has also been complemented by an equally impressive video which shows the spectacular creation take flight at sundown above the beaches of Jersey, the biggest of the Channel Islands (between Britain and France).
Elegant yet robust, Little Shining Man was commissioned by luxury property developers Dandara and manufactured by Queen & Crawford, a Birmingham-based Design and Fabrication Workshop.
Its structure is based around the tetra kites developed by Alexander Graham Bell, multiplied out into colliding cubes, the form of which is inspired by the natural cubic formations of the mineral pyrite.
There were several challenges involved in creating Little Shining Man, which contains 23,000 individual components overall and took 16 months to develop.
The structure had to be very strong yet as lightweight as possible to enable it to fly and return to the ground again with minimal damage so it could be installed as an artwork afterwards.
State-of-art carbon fibre rods were therefore chosen in addition to a hand-made composite fabric – Cuben Fibre – normally used for yacht sails, as well as specially designed, 3-D printed nylon connectors. The ensemble allows Little Shining Man to float across the sky as if weightless.
The flying sculpture in these photos is just one section of an arrangement of three pieces, forming a final piece of art which has been suspended in the atrium of Dandara's Castle Quay development in St. Helier, Jersey.
In addition to being a permanent piece of sculpture, it will also serve as a working kite and will be annually taken down from its display to be flown in nearby St Aubin's bay.
Ivan Morison was more than satisfied after witnessing his co-creation make its maiden lift-off.
“When we first took Little Shining Man out onto the beach, you could feel the sculpture come alive,” he said. “It wanted to twist and tumble as we took it across the sands.
As the wind took hold, it rose slowly, bobbing just above our reach, until a gust caught its sails and lifted way up above us.
Standing there, watching this complex form that had taken us months to plan and build, rise high up into the sky was truly breathtaking.
We felt as Bell must have in his early experiments into flight – a time of true wonder and optimism.”
The debut flight was captured in this beautiful short film, shot at sunset to create a truly beautiful backdrop of light with some great close-ups of Little Shining Man’s geometric structure.
Complementing the superb visuals is an intriguing audio track – the sounds of waves gently lapping and slightly ominous electro music that makes Little Shining Man’s floating upwards seem science-fiction-esque.
SUNDAY DECEMBER 04 2011
We all know the benefits of a great night's sleep, but a busy lifestyle can sometimes get in the way of our recommended nightly amount of shut-eye.
Studies into the science of sleep have often revealed that a short sleep during the day can help to accelerate the recovery process our bodies go through when we’re out for the count.
Even as little as 15 to 20 minutes out of our busy day – or a power nap as it’s more commonly known – has been scientifically proven to restore us.
Benefits of a power nap include reduced stress levels, increased energy and stamina, reduced risk of heart disease, improved cognitive and reflex performance, better mood and emotional state, improved alertness, renewed motivation, greater capacity to learn as well as clearer thinking and acuity.
One way of catching up on some much needed 40 winks is Salvador Dali’s supposed way of getting in a sneaky snooze in the middle of the day. The story goes that the surrealist painter would put a metal pan on the floor and doze off in his chair holding a metal spoon above the pan. When he fell asleep, his hand would loosen, the spoon would drop and the clattering noise would consequently wake him up.
Dali apparently swore by this briefest of sleeps to get his creative juices flowing and, judging by his body of work, having plenty of dreams to inspire him didn’t seem to do the eccentric artist any harm (or then again, maybe it did).
But for those of you stuck in the office without an armchair, spoon and pan, the good news is that there is another way to help your body recover itself to its full potential, even if your ideal period of nighttime sleep is falling short.
Led by directors Jon Gray and Paul Grindrod, British company Podtime have developed a unique sleep pod that allows firms’ staff and even their clients to enjoy the undoubted benefits of an afternoon nap.
Original and innovative, the Podtime sleep pod has a wide range of uses but essentially offers a sanctuary for rest in an otherwise busy environment.
Basically a cylinder with squared ends, the pod looks pretty modest from the outside but on the inside it’s a veritable haven for the sleep-deprived among us.
The stock model comes with a quality, fitted vinyl covered foam mattress or a standard single mattress as well as alarm clock, digital radio and iPod dock, headphones, coat hanger, storage shelf, storage rack and mirror.
Open ventilation at each end means every pod has good air circulation and a fresh and roomy feel inside.
The doors come in tinted, frosted or solid finish, and are lockable to keep your things safe whilst you relax.
In fact, the easy-to-assemble pods are designed for modular construction and can be stacked up to two levels high for economy of space. And if there is a large turnover of occupants, not to worry, the pods are easily cleaned and maintained as well as being strong and robust.
And for those that are looking for the five-star pod experience, additional options are available including TV, DVD and leather covered mattress.
And the cost? Well, depending on how much you value a good snooze, the price seems pretty reasonable: The standard pod is £1695 excluding VAT, though this reduces for multiple orders to be as low as £975.
So say goodbye to this and hello to . . . .
For more information on this great idea, please visit www.podtime.co.uk/
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 27 2011
Blow it from the palm of your hand and it will float gently to the floor like a feather. Squish it between your fingers and it will bounce back to its original shape. But look closely at it and the tiny nickel framework of tubes will remind you of the considerably bigger beams that make up engineering masterpieces like the Eiffel Tower and the Golden Gate Bridge.
What is it? Nothing less that the world’s lightest material, which was unleashed earlier this month by HRL Laboratories who developed it in parnership with the California Institute of Technology and the University of California.
The new material redefines the limits of lightweight substances because of its unique ‘micro-lattice’ cellular architecture, which is (unimaginatively) called: Ultra-light metallic micro lattice.
Using an innovative fabrication process – a self-propagating photopolymer wave guide technique, if you must know – the architecture of the lattice can be easily modified to make a material that’s stronger and stiffer than foams and aerogels of the same density and which used claim the title of lightest substances in the world.
“The trick is to fabricate a lattice of interconnected hollow tubes with a wall thickness of 100 nanometers – a thousand times thinner than a human hair,” says lead researcher on the project Dr Tobias Schaedler in reference to the material that consists of 99.99% open volume with 0.01% solid.
"Our vision is to revolutionise lightweight materials by adopting principles of architecture into their design. If you look at the Eiffel Tower or Golden Gate Bridge, they're incredibly light and strong for their size by virtue of their architecture — the Eiffel Tower is taller and lighter than the pyramids because of its design."
"We want to achieve the same thing these modern buildings achieve by working on the structures of materials."
In addition to its ultra-low density, the material’s cellular architecture gives rise to unprecedented mechanical behaviour for a metal, including complete recovery from compression as well as an extraordinarily high energy absorption.
"Its energy-absorption capabilities might make it useful for acoustic-, vibration- and shock-damping,” says Schaedler. “If we want to, we can control the architecture on the millimeter, micrometer and nanometer scales, to design materials with tailored properties for specific applications.”
Still, the micro-lattice may yet be used for slightly grander purposes than just soundproofing your home studio; the research for the micro-lattice was conducted for the US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency, and Schaedler duly adds: “We’re also envisioning applications in structural components such as in aerospace."
For more information, please visit www.HRL.com
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 13 2011
Spending the morning relaxing on, say, Lake Geneva on your yacht with a book and fishing rod is a pretty good way to start the day. Catching stunning views from on top of a snow-capped Swiss Alp in the afternoon is a nice way to follow that up.
But let’s say our peak of choice is not located in the nearby Mont Blanc massif but in the Albula Alps on the other side of the country. Getting from Geneva to Graubünden, from low down water to snow high up 280km/175 miles away in a matter of hours sounds like a near-impossible day out.
Not if you’re travelling using the super stylish Akoya by Lisa Airplanes. The French company’s flagship model is a sleek, top-of-the-range, two-seat aircraft and the only one able to take off and land on water, land and snow without any prior modification thanks to a combination of retractable landing gear, skis-in and hydrofoils.
The retractable landing gear is equipped with skis-in. If the pilot wants to land on snow, he or she presses a button and skis pop out on the wheels. The hydrofoils – wing-like structures under the fuselage – provide lift, raising the fuselage out of the water at low speeds and dispensing with the need for a step or hull.
The versatile plane is big on luxury and efficiency in equal measure – its aerodynamic shape generates relatively little drag in flight to ensure lower fuel consumption while its carbon frame is both strong and very lightweight.
The cockpit’s design and materials have been selected to blend aesthetics and comfort. The cabin is spacious and the seats ergonomic while the front window provides a 180° panoramic view.
What’s more, the engine and transmission unit are placed at the rear of the aircraft, distancing any engine noise and propeller-generated turbulence from the cockpit, making the Akoya’s interior quieter than a regular light aircraft.
So with the Akoya, taking off near your yacht is no problem. Flying to your private property – easy. Changing direction mid-flight and visiting a snowy peak – an absolute cinch. In fact, the Akoya’s 1,100km (685 miles) range means the pilot has plenty of destinations to choose from.
Oh, and of course if, by chance, the engine cuts out, the emergency landing strategies at your disposal include landing in a field, on a river or on a polar ice cap and if none of those seem viable, then the Akoya also has a built-in parachute which will take the whole plane and its passengers safely to the ground.
And once on back on land/water/snow, the Akoya can be easily stowed in a garage or on a yacht thanks to its cool folding wings.
The Akoya was developed with the aim of offering a totally different product on the market for light aircraft, combining high performance, comfort, design and energy savings while providing maximum freedom,” say the Lisa Airplanes team. “It’s not just a product; it is a gateway to a new lifestyle.”
First deliveries of the Akoya are planned for summer next year and the aircraft will set you back around €300,000.
For more information on the Akoya and Lisa Airplanes, please visit http://www.lisa-airplanes.com/
Incredible Lytro camera doesn't just shoot light, it shoots 'light fields'.
Californian company Lytro have revolutionised the world of photography with their amazing light field camera.Unlike conventional cameras, the Lytro light field camera captures all of the rays of light (angle/colour/intensity) in a scene, providing new photographic capabilities hitherto impossible – including the ability to focus a picture after it has been taken!
The terrific pocket-sized camera creates three-dimensional, interactive ‘living’ images that can be refocused as many times you wish thanks to a light field sensor that records a far richer set of data than any previous photographic instrument – in terms of colour, intensity and the direction of every light ray that flows into the camera – about 11 million of them.
To process all this additional information, the camera contains a light field ‘engine’ that allows users to refocus the images directly on the camera via an intuitive glass touchscreen.
And when the Lytro’s living pictures are shared online, this light field engine travels with each picture, so anyone can interact with them on virtually any device – web browsers, mobile phones or iPads – without having to download special software
The camera also offers a pretty powerful 8x optical zoom and f/2 lens – and you don’t need a degree to work out all its functions; it features just two buttons – power and shutter – that both activate instantly. It also performs well in low-light environments, so there is no need for a flash.
Another neat feature is the minimalist, rectangular design that, thanks to its anodised aluminum case, weighs in at approximately 225g/5lbs, making it an extremely light yet sturdy companion wherever you want to exercise your picture-taking skills.
Light field science was the subject of Lytro CEO and Founder Dr Ren Ng’s PhD dissertation in computer science at Stanford University, and was once only possible with 100 cameras tethered to a supercomputer in a lab.
This year Lytro plan to apply special light field algorithms to the pictures to enable viewing on any 3D display – where viewers will be able to shift the perspective of a scene. We can’t wait!
Interview with the inventors
And is the Lytro really any good as a camera? Well I'll let you know as I've just ordered mine!
For more information on the Lytro camera, please visit www.lytro.com/camera. And for a demonstration of the ‘living’ pictures, visit the Lytro Picture Gallery at www.lytro.com/living-pictures (click anywhere inside a photo and watch that section come into focus).
SUNDAY JANUARY 22 2012
Little Shining Man: A stunning kite as scuptural art
Artists Heather and Ivan Morison have collaborated with architectural designer Sash Reading to create an amazing sculptural work that can fly like a kite.Christened Little Shining Man, the sculpture has also been complemented by an equally impressive video which shows the spectacular creation take flight at sundown above the beaches of Jersey, the biggest of the Channel Islands (between Britain and France).
Elegant yet robust, Little Shining Man was commissioned by luxury property developers Dandara and manufactured by Queen & Crawford, a Birmingham-based Design and Fabrication Workshop.
Its structure is based around the tetra kites developed by Alexander Graham Bell, multiplied out into colliding cubes, the form of which is inspired by the natural cubic formations of the mineral pyrite.
There were several challenges involved in creating Little Shining Man, which contains 23,000 individual components overall and took 16 months to develop.
The structure had to be very strong yet as lightweight as possible to enable it to fly and return to the ground again with minimal damage so it could be installed as an artwork afterwards.
State-of-art carbon fibre rods were therefore chosen in addition to a hand-made composite fabric – Cuben Fibre – normally used for yacht sails, as well as specially designed, 3-D printed nylon connectors. The ensemble allows Little Shining Man to float across the sky as if weightless.
The flying sculpture in these photos is just one section of an arrangement of three pieces, forming a final piece of art which has been suspended in the atrium of Dandara's Castle Quay development in St. Helier, Jersey.
In addition to being a permanent piece of sculpture, it will also serve as a working kite and will be annually taken down from its display to be flown in nearby St Aubin's bay.
Ivan Morison was more than satisfied after witnessing his co-creation make its maiden lift-off.
“When we first took Little Shining Man out onto the beach, you could feel the sculpture come alive,” he said. “It wanted to twist and tumble as we took it across the sands.
As the wind took hold, it rose slowly, bobbing just above our reach, until a gust caught its sails and lifted way up above us.
Standing there, watching this complex form that had taken us months to plan and build, rise high up into the sky was truly breathtaking.
We felt as Bell must have in his early experiments into flight – a time of true wonder and optimism.”
The debut flight was captured in this beautiful short film, shot at sunset to create a truly beautiful backdrop of light with some great close-ups of Little Shining Man’s geometric structure.
Complementing the superb visuals is an intriguing audio track – the sounds of waves gently lapping and slightly ominous electro music that makes Little Shining Man’s floating upwards seem science-fiction-esque.
SUNDAY DECEMBER 04 2011
Take a Salvador Dali type power nap with Podtime's sleep pods
We all know the benefits of a great night's sleep, but a busy lifestyle can sometimes get in the way of our recommended nightly amount of shut-eye.
Studies into the science of sleep have often revealed that a short sleep during the day can help to accelerate the recovery process our bodies go through when we’re out for the count.
Even as little as 15 to 20 minutes out of our busy day – or a power nap as it’s more commonly known – has been scientifically proven to restore us.
Benefits of a power nap include reduced stress levels, increased energy and stamina, reduced risk of heart disease, improved cognitive and reflex performance, better mood and emotional state, improved alertness, renewed motivation, greater capacity to learn as well as clearer thinking and acuity.
One way of catching up on some much needed 40 winks is Salvador Dali’s supposed way of getting in a sneaky snooze in the middle of the day. The story goes that the surrealist painter would put a metal pan on the floor and doze off in his chair holding a metal spoon above the pan. When he fell asleep, his hand would loosen, the spoon would drop and the clattering noise would consequently wake him up.
Dali apparently swore by this briefest of sleeps to get his creative juices flowing and, judging by his body of work, having plenty of dreams to inspire him didn’t seem to do the eccentric artist any harm (or then again, maybe it did).
But for those of you stuck in the office without an armchair, spoon and pan, the good news is that there is another way to help your body recover itself to its full potential, even if your ideal period of nighttime sleep is falling short.
Led by directors Jon Gray and Paul Grindrod, British company Podtime have developed a unique sleep pod that allows firms’ staff and even their clients to enjoy the undoubted benefits of an afternoon nap.
Original and innovative, the Podtime sleep pod has a wide range of uses but essentially offers a sanctuary for rest in an otherwise busy environment.
Basically a cylinder with squared ends, the pod looks pretty modest from the outside but on the inside it’s a veritable haven for the sleep-deprived among us.
The stock model comes with a quality, fitted vinyl covered foam mattress or a standard single mattress as well as alarm clock, digital radio and iPod dock, headphones, coat hanger, storage shelf, storage rack and mirror.
Open ventilation at each end means every pod has good air circulation and a fresh and roomy feel inside.
The doors come in tinted, frosted or solid finish, and are lockable to keep your things safe whilst you relax.
In fact, the easy-to-assemble pods are designed for modular construction and can be stacked up to two levels high for economy of space. And if there is a large turnover of occupants, not to worry, the pods are easily cleaned and maintained as well as being strong and robust.
And for those that are looking for the five-star pod experience, additional options are available including TV, DVD and leather covered mattress.
And the cost? Well, depending on how much you value a good snooze, the price seems pretty reasonable: The standard pod is £1695 excluding VAT, though this reduces for multiple orders to be as low as £975.
So say goodbye to this and hello to . . . .
For more information on this great idea, please visit www.podtime.co.uk/
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 27 2011
The world's lightest material is built like the Eiffel Tower
Blow it from the palm of your hand and it will float gently to the floor like a feather. Squish it between your fingers and it will bounce back to its original shape. But look closely at it and the tiny nickel framework of tubes will remind you of the considerably bigger beams that make up engineering masterpieces like the Eiffel Tower and the Golden Gate Bridge.
What is it? Nothing less that the world’s lightest material, which was unleashed earlier this month by HRL Laboratories who developed it in parnership with the California Institute of Technology and the University of California.
The new material redefines the limits of lightweight substances because of its unique ‘micro-lattice’ cellular architecture, which is (unimaginatively) called: Ultra-light metallic micro lattice.
Using an innovative fabrication process – a self-propagating photopolymer wave guide technique, if you must know – the architecture of the lattice can be easily modified to make a material that’s stronger and stiffer than foams and aerogels of the same density and which used claim the title of lightest substances in the world.
“The trick is to fabricate a lattice of interconnected hollow tubes with a wall thickness of 100 nanometers – a thousand times thinner than a human hair,” says lead researcher on the project Dr Tobias Schaedler in reference to the material that consists of 99.99% open volume with 0.01% solid.
"Our vision is to revolutionise lightweight materials by adopting principles of architecture into their design. If you look at the Eiffel Tower or Golden Gate Bridge, they're incredibly light and strong for their size by virtue of their architecture — the Eiffel Tower is taller and lighter than the pyramids because of its design."
"We want to achieve the same thing these modern buildings achieve by working on the structures of materials."
In addition to its ultra-low density, the material’s cellular architecture gives rise to unprecedented mechanical behaviour for a metal, including complete recovery from compression as well as an extraordinarily high energy absorption.
"Its energy-absorption capabilities might make it useful for acoustic-, vibration- and shock-damping,” says Schaedler. “If we want to, we can control the architecture on the millimeter, micrometer and nanometer scales, to design materials with tailored properties for specific applications.”
Still, the micro-lattice may yet be used for slightly grander purposes than just soundproofing your home studio; the research for the micro-lattice was conducted for the US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency, and Schaedler duly adds: “We’re also envisioning applications in structural components such as in aerospace."
For more information, please visit www.HRL.com
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 13 2011
Akoya by Lisa Airplanes lands and takes off on land, snow and water
Switzerland. Land of high-end watches, stunning mountains and beautiful lakes.Spending the morning relaxing on, say, Lake Geneva on your yacht with a book and fishing rod is a pretty good way to start the day. Catching stunning views from on top of a snow-capped Swiss Alp in the afternoon is a nice way to follow that up.
But let’s say our peak of choice is not located in the nearby Mont Blanc massif but in the Albula Alps on the other side of the country. Getting from Geneva to Graubünden, from low down water to snow high up 280km/175 miles away in a matter of hours sounds like a near-impossible day out.
Not if you’re travelling using the super stylish Akoya by Lisa Airplanes. The French company’s flagship model is a sleek, top-of-the-range, two-seat aircraft and the only one able to take off and land on water, land and snow without any prior modification thanks to a combination of retractable landing gear, skis-in and hydrofoils.
The retractable landing gear is equipped with skis-in. If the pilot wants to land on snow, he or she presses a button and skis pop out on the wheels. The hydrofoils – wing-like structures under the fuselage – provide lift, raising the fuselage out of the water at low speeds and dispensing with the need for a step or hull.
The versatile plane is big on luxury and efficiency in equal measure – its aerodynamic shape generates relatively little drag in flight to ensure lower fuel consumption while its carbon frame is both strong and very lightweight.
The cockpit’s design and materials have been selected to blend aesthetics and comfort. The cabin is spacious and the seats ergonomic while the front window provides a 180° panoramic view.
What’s more, the engine and transmission unit are placed at the rear of the aircraft, distancing any engine noise and propeller-generated turbulence from the cockpit, making the Akoya’s interior quieter than a regular light aircraft.
So with the Akoya, taking off near your yacht is no problem. Flying to your private property – easy. Changing direction mid-flight and visiting a snowy peak – an absolute cinch. In fact, the Akoya’s 1,100km (685 miles) range means the pilot has plenty of destinations to choose from.
Oh, and of course if, by chance, the engine cuts out, the emergency landing strategies at your disposal include landing in a field, on a river or on a polar ice cap and if none of those seem viable, then the Akoya also has a built-in parachute which will take the whole plane and its passengers safely to the ground.
And once on back on land/water/snow, the Akoya can be easily stowed in a garage or on a yacht thanks to its cool folding wings.
The Akoya was developed with the aim of offering a totally different product on the market for light aircraft, combining high performance, comfort, design and energy savings while providing maximum freedom,” say the Lisa Airplanes team. “It’s not just a product; it is a gateway to a new lifestyle.”
First deliveries of the Akoya are planned for summer next year and the aircraft will set you back around €300,000.
For more information on the Akoya and Lisa Airplanes, please visit http://www.lisa-airplanes.com/
