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Check out this cool billboard found on Sunset Boulevard.

Image credit: TalentZoo.com

I was looking online for bioluminescent kayak tours near North Central Florida when I stumbled upon the website for Curb. This media company, based in London, specializes in delivering ads using entirely natural and sustainable materials. One of their specialties is bioluminescence.

image credit: mindthecurb.com

The glow is created with bacteria cultivated by Curb’s own biologists. It is found naturally occurring in marine organisms, fungi and insects. The bacteria is completely harmless, and can be applied to any surface. It is just one example of the many non-traditional, eco-friendly media offered at Curb. I urge everyone to check their website.

Looking at the larger picture, “sustainability” and “going green” have become major buzz words among businesses looking to create a positive brand image. I find it interesting that more companies aren’t utilizing these new media to further their efforts- particularly in the United States. Many of the startup companies here in Gainesville stick to social media, which is great. But somehow I still see the occasional billboard truck. (Photo is not actual Gainesville truck)

image credit: LAMobileBillboard.com

Saw this on Blogilvy this morning and thought it was cute.

“Going up in the elevator has never been so divine….”

Greetings!

Recently a friend brought it to my attention that I haven’t updated my blog in a while. He is absolutely right. In fact, I realize that I completely forgot to post my finished project from Interactive Storytelling. Guess I was just so excited to be done with class? Not sure what happened there…

For the purposes of the assignment, my energy cost calculator is complete. There are definitely a lot of changes I would like to make, if this were to have an official launch. And I would certainly want a professional to fix my oversimplified J-Load formula- to a version that would produce a more accurate result.

Enough talk, see for yourself…

Greetings earthlings! I came across this cool little application while perusing my Google Reader called Junkyard Jumbotron. It was developed at MIT, and it allows you to instantly create a “jumbotron” with a bunch of random displays (laptops, tablets, smartphones, etc.). The only system requirement is that the devices are internet-capable.

Junkyard Jumbotron from chris csik on Vimeo.

For class this week we were asked to blog about our favorite narrator. While my usual indecisive self cannot pick a favorite, I’ve decided to talk about someone who is perhaps under-appreciated by today’s young adult population.

Garrison Keillor has been the emcee and narrator for A Prairie Home Companion since the show’s inception in 1974. APHC is a weekly program modelled after old time radio shows. Although it is rebroadcast on NPR, you can still buy tickets to see the actors perform the show in theaters.

The program consists of musical performances, stories, jokes, audience dedications and fake advertisements for added old-timey flair.

You can listen to APHC on your local NPR station or tune in to the live stream at http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/.

Greetings!

I have been searching for a project management / milestones plugin for my blog. I have tried several, and they just do not seem to be compatible with the latest version of WordPress. I’m looking for something that I can use to set deadlines for, track the progress of, etc. my project.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks!

My first milestone is to write the introduction for my project. The energy cost calculator is designed to help average consumers make big purchasing decisions regarding their home. It starts with selecting a heating and cooling unit, but has potential to work for all major household appliances.

The inspiration for this project came when I recently decided to upgrade the A/C unit in my condo. Both the utility company and the federal government were offering rebates if you upgrade to energy star appliances, so I thought it was the perfect time.

I had three contractors come to my home and work up an estimate. Each contractor gave me three options to choose from, so I was faced with deciding on one of nine possible air conditioners. Considering that this is a several thousand dollar purchase, it can be a little intimidating. Only one contractor took the time to explain to me what all the measurements mean (BTUs, SEER rating, single speed vs. variable speed) and how each of those affects my energy bill.

What I have decided to build for my project is an energy cost calculator website. A tool that would help homeowners make an informed decision. It’s going to have a clean, graphical interface, which will hopefully make it easier to process some of the technical material. The site will also have information about getting federal tax and utility rebates as well as a list of locally licensed contractors.

Sorry this is boring!

If you are having a party or DJ-ing an event, you may want to check out djtxt. It’s this awesome little app that allows people to text and tweet their song requests.  Hook up your laptop to a projector and watch the playlist populate. People can vote to skip a song if they don’t like it. Awesome!

P.S. It’s powered by Grooveshark, so you are supporting a local business every time you use it!

I decided to change my project again. I felt that the augmented reality world travel idea was too much of a novelty. I really want to design something that is useful to people. This new proposal is not for an entertainment artifact, like most of the projects. Instead I want to build an interactive tool that allows people to calculate their monthly utilities, based on their heating/cooling units and other environmental factors.

Recently I decided to invest in a new A/C for my condo. I knew there were GRU rebates and federal tax incentives available for people looking to upgrade, but I had no idea what would be appropriate for my tiny home. I called contractors, got a few quotes and a bunch of information.

The whole process was a little intimidating. Having a tool that compares energy savings among different A/C units would have been very helpful. For instance, a single stage unit has an average monthly heating/cooling cost of $48, with an initial investment of $5000. A two stage unit averages $40 monthly and has a $6000 initial investment. Is it worth it to buy the two stage unit if you only plan on living there for five years? Those are the kind of questions I had.

I propose to make an interactive website that allows people to input data about their home, select from different A/C features and see how those choices affect their monthly utility bill. See my rough layout below.

There will also be information on the site explaining all of the features. What is a SEER rating, etc. The goal is to empower the consumer and help them find the most energy efficient+cost effective unit for their homes.

I believe this counts as an interactive story because it involves input from the “player”, they get to make choices, which in turn affect the outcome.