Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Drone-Tastic

DRONES. A bit like mobile phones, once they start to become ubiquitous you know a trend is happening. I've seen a few and although there is a concern about where they are, where they go and what they do it, looks like they are here now.

The drones can provide astonishing images although with a limited battery and most flights measured in minutes, these quality images may be the exception rather than the rule.

The plethora of boys-own type names like DJI Phantom 2, Parrot AR.Drone 2.0, Blade 350 QX suggests some are boys toys. But not the really big boys toys, that's the preserve of the military. According to Wiki these are "An unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), also known as a combat drone or drone, is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that is usually armed. Aircraft of this type have no onboard human pilot. Drones are usually under real-time human control, with "the human's role in UCAV system [varying] according to levels of autonomy of UCAV and data communication requirement." So now you know.

But when they can be used to generate such great content like this delightful tracking of a cycle journey set in Vancouver, Canada, what's not to like about drones.

Sunday, November 09, 2014

Rate a Building!

The RIBA Stirling prize for architecture was announced recently, a welcome time to review designs and understand forthcoming trends. For me it’s the swimming pool but then I just like pools!

It’s cool to look at well-designed buildings and feel they elevate the mundane circumstances, especially at work. Here’s a host of trendy offices but have a look again. They are not actually offices or actual workspaces, they’re the communal areas or break-out rooms. You have a feeling that the reality is that all the staff are still in Dilbert-style cubicles and to book space in these trendy areas takes a degree of seniority or months of H&S form completions. Still it keeps buildings on agenda and makes them important, especially important when so many are under-rated.

And what is an oculus? It’s never a good sign when you need to look words up to understand them in an journalism article. Our good friend Wiki provides the following: “An oculus, plural oculi, from Latin oculus: eye, denotes a circular opening in the centre of a dome or in a wall. Originating in antiquity, it is a feature of Byzantine and Neoclassical architecture. It is also known as an oeil de boeuf from the French, or simply a "bull's-eye"."

So really a trendy nomenclature then for a round opening. Sometimes you get the feeling architects are just well-paid painters & decorators, painting over the cracks and making things look OK. It’s amusing to imagine the discussion around the London Eye. The architect describes it as a metropolitan urban oculus portal. No mate it’s in London and its gives you an almost birds-eye view of the city, let’s call it the London Eye.

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Hull City Tigers?

Hull has been named as the next "City of Culture" for 2017. Sounds really impressive until you realise there was only a shortlist of four and only about 12 places applied. Its also a bit confusing as the European Union nominate "Capitals of Culture", but they also make award to multiple places, for 2017 its Aarhus in Denmark, Pafos in Cyprus and one TBD. That really doesn't make sense, and you could be forgiven if you get confused. Just for the record we've had Glasgow in 1990 and Liverpool in 2008.

What will the impact be on Hull? Hull has changed recently. Previously known as a hard-drinking town full of dockers and trawlermen, with a ferry port as a gateway to the North Sea and mainland Europe. The impressive Humber bridge put Hull on the map and its become more recognised, but are the changes going to be real or cosmetic?

Right now Hull City, as opposed to Hull, the city; is under threat from the owner of being re-branded as "Hull Tigers". It only makes sense from a pure commercial decision unaffected by authentic football supporter loyalty that is local and vociferous. Set against a global market that is fickle and transitory. Unfortunately supporters don't always have much control or impact on these matters.

Looking at commercial decisions in football (and generally in sport) such as at Cardiff with endless rows on changing colours and branding, it tends to be commercial interest versus partisan support that is the bedrock of historic tradition, and a legacy that might not be passed on. Or like MK Dons, maybe its for a future generation to grow up with and develop their own tradition and history.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

It's a funny ol' game...

Manchester United have just paid a record (in the UK) transfer fee of £59 million for Angel Di Maria, from Real Madrid. Beating the £50 million Liverpool paid to get Torres from Chelsea. Previously Arsenal bought Ozil for £42 million from Real, and Man U paid £37 million for Juan Mata from Chelsea. Torres is the only real striker and goal scorer out of these midfield players and wingers. Real Madrid and Chelsea do well out of these deals. Mind you, Real Madrid did pay a world-record transfer fee of £85 million (100 million euros) for Gareth Bale for Spurs, and at least he scores goals!

So the transfer fee ceiling has been raised. But by how much? Well according to wiki the first £100 fee was in 1893 (ah remember those days). It broke £10K in 1928, and £25 million in 1980’s. In 2009 Real Madrid (is there a pattern here?). bought Ronaldo for £80 million from Man United. Paying big to acquire players has worked for Manchester City. Will it work for United? Well they just lost their first game after buying Di Maria at MK Dons 4-0. Football is a funny old game!

Saturday, August 09, 2014

Panama Hats

A bit like tax exiles with their endless excuses (*). Many of the big ships that plow the trade seas fly the panama flag - Flags of convenience, just like tax exiles. In some ways it is fitting for the ships as at least there is a great merchant tradition in Panama. Of course they're also thinking of expanding. A similar huge feat of engineering is being considered for the Suez Canal.

At least panama flagged vessels however "fake" and pretentious are at least nominally from Panama. Unlike Panama Hats which are from China. Oh only kidding. They're from Ecuador. Panama hats are light-colored, lightweight, and breathable, and now associated with the seaside and tropical locations. Originally from Ecuador the highest quality "superfino" Panama hat can hold water, and when rolled for storage, can pass through a wedding ring.

So I don't like tax exiles. I do like panama hats although I don't actually own one. And my sympathies begin to lie with pirates, surely they could hit some tax havens and so us all a favour. Um. Maybe the wealthy ones actually live in tax exile, maybe that's why tax domains are havens from piracy!

* Just admit it, You're doing it to be richer. You grew up in a community with all the benefits that brings and now you have the money, you want to keep more and more of it. So now its all about you and your wealth and nowt to do about being social or being part of the fabric of society. You're now entitled to it. Why? Because you have it.

Saturday, August 02, 2014

Trompe-l'oeil takes affect

A modern take on those German style fake towns that have trompe l'oeil windows and doors that just look so real. Well now some inspired people have come up with complex optics to mimic the way the sun refracts through standard glass in particular situations. This could be a great architectural design feature, with the added benefits like those winter sunshine lamps are supposed to provide.

Or maybe it turns out to be more closely resembling wallpapers that show countryside views or lakes, cheap tat that does nothing for body or soul. There's some interesting articles on the graphics of design just for fun. Look forward to seeing it for real (sic) sometime soon. Brilliant idea!

Le Tour Re-visited...

Well the TdF has been and gone, and the UK stages were brilliant, followed by near-tragedy on the cobbles of the North, followed by mountain climbing inspiration from Nibali and a great final stage win for the big sprinter, Marcel Kittel on the glorious Champs-Élysées. So much better than the past

Driverless Cars

I thought there were already. Maybe it's just their actual style of driving...anyway. Looks like the UK Government have decided to go ahead with the idea and allow them on the roads (good job really as they would be rubbish cluttering up the pavements). Um so there an idea.

The new city of Milton Keynes is one of those trying out the concept. Here's more information about these MK Driverless cars, similar in concept to the Heathrow pods.

But it seems rather than some sort of real-life Scalextric we are now going for actual driverless cars. As the Cambridge driverless bus took years and never worked it will be curious to see how the new era of motoring gets off. Maybe they will have a bloke with a red flag walking in front of them!

People in glass building’s shouldn’t...

Architectural fashions change and now its suggested that glass skyscrapers are falling (no, that in that way) out of favour with the architectural elite. We have had granite and stone so if architects start to move away from glass then what’s left? Well, it will have to be a sexy new material, and expensive. Car and cycle designers seem to love carbon so maybe that will be the new one. Matt black office buildings of the future! Or maybe Apple will design one and it will be ultra-light aluminium and too thin to fit in! I My suggestion, create them out of the most inexpensive material you can find that works really well and the cover them in (no, not in chocolate) in greenery. And you still shouldn’t throw stones (among other things).

Le Tour

The Tour De France (TdF) is here, yes starting in England and winding thru Yorkshire, Cambridge and fast finish into London. To celebrate the occasion Yorkshire have set up street art along the way. What inspired thinking and relevant cycle homage. Allez allez!!

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Spring Cycling

So as winter eases off and the better weather starts to arrive it was time to get out on my bike and start getting some miles in before the Skyride season begins. This spring I attended a British Cycling one-day route planning course, swiftly followed by instructions to get out and re-write a couple of routes. So that was my weekends sorted for a while. It coincided with OK weather, either warm and dry or at least dry, so managed to cycle the routes and check them out from a risk assessment perspective. You know the kind of thing, when falling off ensure you roll to your right as there is a 300 foot chasm on your left dropping to an icy-cold lake. Well something like that!

It was good to be out riding, which along with an early spring Skyride road ride, made sure I’m ready for the summer Skyrides. This commitment means I need to re-balance some time, so I have concluded my volunteer role with Sustrans, letting another member of the group come in to take on the role as group co-ordinator. It’s been good fun and interesting, but I don’t really have enough time to do it all and still have time for my other interests so it was time to refocus and make some choices.

While it felt good to help the cycle charity Sustrans, a lot of it became paper based, organising and scheduling stuff rather than being an active ranger or riding, so it wasn’t such a tough choice once I started thinking about it. One issues I had when I started was that we had an all-male group of mostly retired people. We have tried to redress that but I see why the role attracts the recently retired person, they are the ones who have the time to do it. I’ve been happy to be a volunteer but recognised if I didn’t decide to make a decisive break I would just carry on doing the same old stuff in the same old way. Maybe sometime I will return to it, maybe when I do retire! Best of all it gives me more time to be out actually cycling so that is all good.

We’re going to need a bigger spanner

The Prelude is a massive ocean going vessel under construction; we’ve talked about big buildings but these giants dwarf them. So how do they keep these huge things on the go (once they get going!) Bit like cars these also need MOT’s. Although I’m not sure where they put the tax disc.

Yoga High

Having just completed a six week beginners Yoga course, I started the year with a ready-made new year resolution to commit to doing yoga regularly. The easiest way was to attend the drop-in sessions at the dedicated yoga centre. These range from the mild and relaxing to full on sessions, like circuit training only slower, which doesn’t necessarily make it easier! But now I find the whole concept is itself a challenge.

Who would ever have thought it? Trying to make it into a moral or spiritual decision. I know, I will just treat it as a form of exercise. And carry on doing it because it certainly helps me, especially in increased flexibility. Maybe a more flexible mindset as well! Namaste.