Transmissions» design archives | blog.kikbot.org http://blog.kikbot.org Spreading ideas one post at a time. Sun, 11 Apr 2010 18:58:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc en hourly 1 Math is the Real Magic of this World http://blog.kikbot.org/math-real-magic-world/ http://blog.kikbot.org/math-real-magic-world/#comments Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:23:11 +0000 kikbot http://blog.kikbot.org/?p=51 What child is not fascinated by magic. The ability to make objects appear from thin air or even levitate seemingly defying gravity. One thing that every student should realize is that math is the real magic of this world. With some numbers and a algorithm an you will receive an answer to any question you may have. What if you need to know how much carbon you need to make the strongest steel. Or maybe you need to know the volume of that container before it’s created. It can even tell us what decisions another might make using game theory. There really is no end to what can be answered as long as you know how to write and interpret the algorithm.

        
]]> http://blog.kikbot.org/math-real-magic-world/feed/ 0 Know what one percent of the world knows http://blog.kikbot.org/know-what-one-percent-world-knows/ http://blog.kikbot.org/know-what-one-percent-world-knows/#comments Sun, 12 Jul 2009 02:48:21 +0000 kikbot http://blog.kikbot.org/?p=36 Bill Gates said only that one percent of the world knows about his Internet Explorer shortcut. When typing the URL in the IE address bar hit CTRL+ENTER and .com will be added to the address. It’s not very useful but now you know.

        
]]> http://blog.kikbot.org/know-what-one-percent-world-knows/feed/ 0 Life, Probability and Fractals http://blog.kikbot.org/life-probability-fractals/ http://blog.kikbot.org/life-probability-fractals/#comments Fri, 10 Jul 2009 02:43:04 +0000 kikbot http://blog.kikbot.org/?p=32 What is the probability of life outside of Spaceship Earth, most people will say it is pretty slim. Now more than ever we are finding life in inhospitable places and in  places we have been unable to look previously. We may have even found life in our own solar system. Mars is already showing signs of the life and now it’s just a mater of finding it.

Fractals are a great model for showing repetitions in nature. These fractals can be found in all manner of life on Earth. These same fractal algorithms should be applied to the stars, planets and galaxies.

As technology advances we are able to do things that were otherwise unachicveable. At one time the mircoscopic world was beyound our sight and now we are contsructiong machines in that same space. The space among the stars has been more difficult and because of this we rely more than ever on technology. We need this technology to help us find more life in our solar system. With life found so close to our own home the probability of life in the universe must be increasing. Life finds way and after all this time thinking that nothing can live in those conditions it may be time to start thinking what does live there.

        
]]> http://blog.kikbot.org/life-probability-fractals/feed/ 0 We start with a point … http://blog.kikbot.org/start-point/ http://blog.kikbot.org/start-point/#comments Thu, 09 Jul 2009 02:40:49 +0000 kikbot http://blog.kikbot.org/?p=28 This model on building out the dimensions is pretty spectacular. Quantum physics tells that there may be other dimensions but infinity upon infinity sounds more like the model I believe.

Imagining the 10th dimension

Click here to view the embedded video.

        
]]> http://blog.kikbot.org/start-point/feed/ 0 Interface, Design and Prototyping http://blog.kikbot.org/interface-design-prototyping/ http://blog.kikbot.org/interface-design-prototyping/#comments Sun, 05 Jul 2009 02:27:53 +0000 kikbot http://blog.kikbot.org/?p=21 Creating a good design is not easy and it’s not meant to be. It requires prototypes to flesh out all the bugs. What makes a good design? Something performs above standard and that has an interface that is intuitive and simple. Any hammer can drive a nail, some do it better than others. And that is what I’m talking about here, doing it better than it has been done before. Some of things that designers gloss over are the interface. They either try to make it look cool and give you a lot of functions or they don’t care and just want the product released. This can be a problem for any product, most of time marketing will win and the consumer is duped into thinking they have purchased the best choice. We all get fooled at one time or another, until we learn our lesson and try to recall it before our next purchase. This shouldn’t be the case, no product should be sold if it cannot perform to a standard. Unfortunately we are always going to have weed through the crap to find that Gem. Do your research before buying, what do other people say about that model. Look at it for yourself and see how it feels to you, this can be hard with internet purchases so all the more reason to do the research. Remember you can still find products locally to test them and then buy them for a better deal online.

A message to all designers out there, take time to find out what the customer wants. Too many times products are released before they are ready. If the revision will fix that problem, revise it then sell it. Take your time to do it right and you wont need to do it a second time. Prototype and find out what works and what does not. Make products that perform above standard and are intuitive and simple to use and you will always have customers.

        
]]> http://blog.kikbot.org/interface-design-prototyping/feed/ 0 Fermi Paradox revisited http://blog.kikbot.org/fermi-paradox-revisited/ http://blog.kikbot.org/fermi-paradox-revisited/#comments Sat, 04 Jul 2009 02:21:43 +0000 kikbot http://blog.kikbot.org/?p=15 I’ve talked about this before but never on kikbot.org, it’s time I put it on record.

Wikipedia: Fermi Paradox

The Fermi paradox is the apparent contradiction between the high estimates of the probability of the existence of extraterrestrial civilizations and the lack of evidence for, or contact with, such civilizations.

Well it seems we must not be as advanced as we think, or we live in a remote location. Whatever the reason we will eventually moved beyond edge of our solar system and be closer to knowing whether we have any neighbors. I don’t count probes, many satellites have already achieved this milestone, but humans have not. That is the key to finding other species among the stars. With life almost proven to exist on Mars, right in our back yard, the chances are good that we are not alone.

        
]]> http://blog.kikbot.org/fermi-paradox-revisited/feed/ 0 kikbot Technology completes burning Red Laser http://blog.kikbot.org/kikbot-technology-completes-burning-red-laser/ http://blog.kikbot.org/kikbot-technology-completes-burning-red-laser/#comments Fri, 26 Jun 2009 02:13:49 +0000 kikbot http://blog.kikbot.org/?p=12 On 25 June, 2009 kikbot Technology completed it’s second burning laser. This is a red laser  in the 660nm wavelength. The host was a former LED flashlight and the diode pulled from a 20X DVD burner. The laser burning capabilities have not been tested at this time. Projected power output is 300mW and will be tested as soon as LPM is received.

        
]]> http://blog.kikbot.org/kikbot-technology-completes-burning-red-laser/feed/ 0 kikbot Technology builds burning Blu-ray laser http://blog.kikbot.org/kikbot-technology-builds-burning-bluray-laser/ http://blog.kikbot.org/kikbot-technology-builds-burning-bluray-laser/#comments Fri, 29 May 2009 22:30:17 +0000 kikbot http://blog.kikbot.org/?p=8 On 29 May, 2009 kikbot Technology builds a burning Blu-ray laser. With the help from members at Laser Pointer forums and students at Learning Gate Community School we were we able to complete this endeavor. This is a portable laser made with a flashlight LED host using a blu-ray laser diode from a Xbox 360 HD. The laser is violet in color and has a 405 nm wavelength.

Blu-ray Flash Paper

Click here to view the embedded video.

        
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