Today I have to read Maya Angelou and do “Linked List” programming in Java. I don’t get to play with it yet.

It still seems like a good opportunity to start a journal about what I go through in the next coming days as I try to prove a concept and then pitch it to the Maker Faire so they let me exhibit there this coming May.

I should study so I’ll just share the pitch I wrote my father the other day about it. After all the hi-how-are-you-stuff I wrote:

I’m also trying to plot out whether I can submit a proposal to the Maker Faire. This is their 2nd one. I went to the first one and it was really cool to see all of these amateur inventor/hacker and their creations. I saw this one guy and all he had done was put a subwoofer in an ottoman. When I saw him I thought it must be very easy to get a booth here. It would be good to have audience if I am going to work hard at something (unlike learning to program), and it would be exposure too.

Originally it was going to be a book that knows what page you are on, using conductive ink, thread etc, and doing something interesting with that data. However I am behind on that process, since I haven’t learned anything about book binding requirements. So if I am thinking of doing a diorama of alternate or hack-like options for an indicator in an electronic home (apartment or condo variety). I have this belief that there such a thing as a post-technology experience in culture now. During the boom, technology seemed like it was going to be everything in of itself in terms of defining “progress”, but it has become more of a question of “what are we going to do with it”. I do not know if I’ve found the best words for “post-technology”.

The theme would be “how do you know when the washing machine is in use”.

For example:

* A blinky on a wall fixture plate on the wall in the 60′s Bond style (retro is the same as post-technology).
* An oscillosopic display (not an actual oscilloscope) on the wall with an explanation of how to read the Alternating Current to know what cycle the machine is in (lets the user think for him or herself)
* A webcam/baby monitor display pointed to a hulagirl resting on the washing machine
* Some other random bluetooth enabled desk top item…maybe a dollhouse washing machine on a spring with a tiny motor that shakes the miniature when the real washing machine is on.
* Any new ideas (device encasement or display wise)

The point is the computer is not the client. It may be the server or the router but the client is in the outside world. Pop ups and graphic displays on the computer is not an option for my exhibit.

$
I don’t know how much money I have to do this.

* The bluetooth chips are at least $50 each, still much cheaper than wifi.
* The webcam and monitor (disassembled baby cam and monitor is ideal) could be $150 ish.

Technology wise

* I’ve never programmed with Java for Bluetooth but there is a complete and standardized Java package already.
* The hardest seems like it would be driving a LCD display capable of displaying sinosoidal lines, seeing as I have not determined an implementation I don’t know if I would could simply send serialized data to the display device or if I would have to have a device run a calculus program and a driver, or anything!
* I’ve only heard that washing machines are tested by their AC. I suppose that is pivotal because this is suppose to be a warantee safe method.
* Dissasembling the baby monitor would be the scariest. $150 down the drain.
* There are always many sub parts that I forget, from which the scope can be underestimated.

I have until the end of February to decide I can do this, with the essential proof of concepts behind me, and to make a proposal to Make magazine to have a booth.

The Fair itself is mid-May and presenters get free admission.

Between that and school I expect I may become pretty busy, but if you want to become a lab partner we could certainly spend more time that way too.

So I got my washing machine yesterday, a Kenmore 60 series (no microcontroller inside), and I have to read Maya Angelou and program Linked Lists today.

This is going to be fun.