Neil Finlayson: Atlantic Shack

Thu, 26 Jan 2006 15:24:50 GMT

The Revolutionary Power of a Map

Google Maps news and blog post roundup. What's fuelling the appeal of Google Earth?
Travolution - Jan.25/06
Using Google for Profit: Data Point
AllPointsBlog - Jan.24/05
Google Earth Growth - What's Behind it?
HitWise Blog - Jan.24/06
Google Maps is the #3 return on a Google search for "maps"
SeanBonner.com - Jan.23/06
Terrific Real Estate Search Tools
SearchEngineWatch.com - Jan.23/06
O'Reilly: "Google Maps is the new open source."
AllPointsBlog - Jan.22/06
Google eye in the sky catches flying car
Sploid.com - Jan.23/06
Tour New York with a Google-Wikipedia-GPS mashup
C|Net Google Blog - Jan.18/06
Still Seeing "Blue Pins" on Some Google Maps; Google Now Testing Paid Links in Google Earth
Search Engine Watch - Jan.18/06
Hot: Real Estate Industry Uses of Satellite/Aerial Imagery
Search Engine Watch - Jan.17/06
Search engines going far beyond maps
SeattlePi.com - Jan.15/06
A Better Way to Do the Monster Mash
Baseline - Jan.14/06
Want Google Local to Look/Act Like Live Local?
AllPointsBlog - Jan.9/06
Google Maps and your alumni!
Wired Communities - Jan.9/06
[Book Review] Google Maps API: Adding 'Where' to Your Applications
The Farm Tucows Blog - Jan.5/06
Update on Mashup Camp
ZDNet Blogs - Jan.4/06
Man Hacks The Internet To Plot Amazon Wishlists Users Home Addresses on Google Maps
Pay Attention To Me! - Jan.4/06
"My New Business Card", Google maps based
Will.Boerland.com - Jan.3/06
Cheney's Residence and Google Maps
HouseofLabor - Jan.2/06 By noemail@noemail.org (Morpeth). [Google Maps Mania]

Thu, 26 Jan 2006 09:53:08 GMT

MIT Launches EnergyClasses

Web tool IDs energy classes. EnergyClasses, a web-based tool that identifies MIT classes that revolve around or include energy research, policy or technology in their curricula, launches today, Jan. 25. [MIT News: Energy]

Tue, 17 Jan 2006 23:33:15 GMT

This Guy Gives Good CSS

http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2006/01/17/apple-photocasting-mac-only-uses-invalid-rss/

Not a <table> in site.

Tue, 17 Jan 2006 23:27:25 GMT

Broken links

Nothing to be proud of really, but it keeps me immersed in the good old days of 1994. So many people have got in touch with me about 'em though thats it's just too silly so time to give the web site a good old dusting down. Apologies to all, including my sister Chrissie in Australia. I must do better in 2006. Now these Radio links on the Calendar well I'm going to need a smart student aboard to fix them up.

Fri, 13 Jan 2006 15:03:45 GMT

Feeds back on stream - here's latest from Hugh Pyle

Podcast. Here's Matt Pope, Group Product Manager for Groove, in a 20-minute conversation with Shawn Murray. [hughpyle]

Wed, 11 Jan 2006 19:30:35 GMT

Alfresco - Open Source Content Management

I've been looking at JBoss for some time and also trying to find a project/business focused on J2EE apps which I could use as a model for what I'm trying to achieve with WebGVO longer term. I think Alfresco may be it.

http://www.alfresco.org/mediawiki/index.php/Business_Overview

Mon, 12 Dec 2005 13:55:17 GMT

Where's my feed gone?

Make that feeds - one day I woke up and found that my newsfeed subscription list contracted right down to Scripting News. Now how did that happen.

Still, it needed some work done to it.

Mon, 12 Dec 2005 13:10:12 GMT

WiFi

Finally got my Draytek ADSL router to work in wireless mode. Lots of problems until now with router dropping out. Encryption setting and reboot seems to have worked.

Sat, 10 Dec 2005 15:57:17 GMT

Feed2JS

You'll be seeing this soon on the Shack home page. Not quite sure how we'll integrate with Radio feeds but I'm sure there are ways.

Sat, 10 Dec 2005 15:53:57 GMT

MIT Brain and Cognitive Sciences Complex

Oliver Sacks talk highlights Picower celebration. Author and neurologist Oliver Sacks spoke Dec. 1 as part of a daylong celebration, "The Future of the Brain," hosted by the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory in honor of the opening of the new Brain and Cognitive Sciences Complex at MIT. [MIT News: Health sciences and technology]

Sat, 10 Dec 2005 15:52:46 GMT

MIT Energy Research Council

MIT takes on world's energy crisis. MIT President Susan Hockfield and Provost Robert A. Brown have announced the establishment of an Energy Research Council to spearhead efforts to address the world's mounting energy problems. [MIT News: Energy]

Sat, 10 Dec 2005 15:50:23 GMT

Energy @ MIT

Industry joins MIT in hunt for energy solutions. The automotive, fuel and other energy-related industries weighed in on how MIT can best contribute to solving the world's energy crisis in a two-day workshop sponsored by MIT's Industrial Liaison Program (ILP) on Dec. 6-7. [MIT News: Energy]

Sat, 10 Dec 2005 15:41:45 GMT

MIT News Feeds

There's plenty of them. We'll be keeping close watch on one or two.

Sat, 10 Dec 2005 15:37:49 GMT

Home

Arrived back home yesterday and the jet-lag is just about gone. I've been taking the kids to gymnastics and music lessons, helping set up the Xmas tree, cooking spaghetti, and planning to set up our son Seumas with Groove Virtual Office so he can - ahem - concentrate on his studies. While I stay in touch on a daily basis with what's happening, give him pointers etc. Yes I'll be sitting beside him at the kitchen table as well, though I do think an online space can add some value to education - anyway lets see how it goes.

Sat, 10 Dec 2005 15:29:59 GMT

Research at the Media Lab

Its unusual OK, in fact rather inspiring.

"Research at the Media Lab comprises interconnected developments in an unusual range of disciplines, such as software agents; machine understanding; how children learn; human and machine vision; audition; speech interfaces; wearable computers; affective computing; advanced interface design; tangible media; object-oriented video; interactive cinema; digital expression—from text, to graphics, to sound; and new approaches to spatial imaging, nanomedia, and nanoscale sensing."

Media Lab

Wed, 07 Dec 2005 08:54:47 GMT

MIT Visit

Its been an inspiring couple of days. Extraordinary, focused research community - immensely professional and passionate about what they do, and we were really bowled over by the time they gave us and their sheer generosity with their time and ideas. Not at all obscure - very pragmatic yet brilliant and creative research into important problems that need solving.

I have to say I think this MIT relationship has been nurtured beautifully by HIE over last 3-4 years and its not just the region but the whole of Scotland that can be really rather proud of whats happening. This may well turn out to be the most far-sighted connection made during the Jim Hunter/Willy Roe era, and I think UHI, our regional economy and our young people will benefit enormously if we can build from these foundations.

Wed, 07 Dec 2005 08:29:47 GMT

Low Energy Servers from Sun

Sun is about to change the world.

Things are about to get very interesting. Sun’s got a cool (actually CoolThreads) new technology. Here’s the announcement. But here’s the really cool part: “Plans to Open Source Processor Technology to Developer Communities.” “Open source” hardware? What’s that mean? Stay tuned …
[Lessig Blog]

Wed, 07 Dec 2005 07:52:59 GMT

University of the Future

Future university seeks your views. UHI Millennium Institute, the future university of the Highlands and Islands, is reviewing its vision and mission - in anticipation of its forthcoming change in status. As part of this process it is undertaking a survey so that everyone who is interested in the future of the region and its prospective university has the opportunity to express their views. [HIE News]

Mon, 05 Dec 2005 09:09:11 GMT

Remote Monitoring & Teleradiology

So what is our team of MIT visitors interested in? One key aspect of Remote and Rural Health Care is remote monitoring, using broadband Internet and home wireless networks to make patient vital signs constantly available to the physicians. Not just blood pressure, heart-rate etc but also monitoring 'well-ness' and being able to intervene before serious events occur.

Teleradiology is already in use in the Hebrides, building on the broadband ConnectedCommunities network. Prof. Sim is able to get radiological images round the clock, and this service capability will expand significantly over the coming years.

Mon, 05 Dec 2005 08:00:30 GMT

MIT Media Lab

Today and tomorrow we visit MIT - the Media Lab and Industrial Liason - and the meetings kick off in earnest. Goal is to see if we can harness MIT developments, projects and people to healthcare in the Highlands and Islands - we have Prof. Sim the UHI Chair of Remote and Rural Medicine here and it promises to be a very interesting couple of days. I'll report more later on - I'm here today as Internet applications and research consultant, supporting the team by helping to evaluate candidate projects to explore further. We're meeting lots of researchers, post-docs and graduate students. Hoping to get a couple of podcasts and pictures up here from us all.

Sun, 04 Dec 2005 06:01:27 GMT

Boston Baby

Its 5.53am in Boston - been awake since 4am, with my body foolishly thinking five hours ahead. Whatever, its great to be here - with a Highlands and Islands research delegation visiting MIT. Healthcare and renewable energy focus in this group as well as a passionate interest in boosting R&D generally in our home region. So here we are at MIT - Hotel@MIT at the moment. I've got my phone and iRiver so maybe we'll try some Net documenting and podcasting while we're here. Better get those batteries charged.

Fri, 02 Dec 2005 20:30:37 GMT

MIT and Dave

Off to Boston with Highlands and Islands research delegation - visiting MIT, and I'm also planning to find Prof. Scanlon. Very exciting, just a little concerned about winter snow. Back next Friday.

Wed, 30 Nov 2005 12:27:48 GMT

Sketchup Big Sale

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Standardizes on SketchUp for Conceptual Modeling.

Leading architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) has decided to deploy 3D conceptual modeling tool SketchUp across the firm. According to an announcement from Software, makers of SketchUp, more than 900 SOM professionals worldwide will be able to use SketchUp both in the office and at home.

"Our commitment to design quality has resulted in a portfolio that features some of the most important architectural accomplishments of this century," stated Carl Galioto, FAIA, Technical Architecture Partner at SOM. "Our company-wide implementation of SketchUp is certain to further enhance our design capability as well as provide a software solution that offers creative speed, design flexibility and enhanced communication opportunities for our architects, engineers, planners and interior designers."

Founded in 1936, SOM maintains offices in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Washington DC, London, Hong Kong, and Shanghai.

--RSN

[AECnews.com]

Wed, 30 Nov 2005 10:30:32 GMT

IFC for Interoperability

Autodesk to Use IFC's for Data Migration Between ADT and Revit.

Without giving details as to when or how it would become part of shipping Autodesk product, today the Autodesk Building Solutions team showed an example of using the data tools and standards from the International Alliance for Interoperability known as IFC's as a data migration engine between Autodesk Architectural Desktop (ADT) and the Autodesk Revit product line.

In the demonstration Tuesday at Autodesk University, a older project needing an addition was opened in ADT. Using a data capture tool created by third party developer Inopso, parts of the building plan were exported and then imported into Autodesk Revit Building. When opened in Revit, the data from ADT was fully intelligent Revit data, which could be parametrically edited and used in reports as if it were native data.

IFC's are Industry Foundation Classes, a data standard developed by the IAI to provide a product-neutral method of sharing construction design information between products and disciplines in the building industry.

An Autodesk representative said the demonstration served two points. First, it showed Autodesk's committment to standards. Second, it proved that data migration between ADT and Revit can be a "seamless" experience.

The lack of such interoperability between AutoCAD-based ADT and Revit has been a sore point among ADT users who might otherwise be willing to switch to Revit. The availability of this functionality in the next release of ADT could help spur a faster rate of Revit adoption by existing ADT users.

--RSN

[AECnews.com]

Wed, 30 Nov 2005 10:03:39 GMT

BIM Perspective

I Love BIM; I Hate BIM

Posted on Monday, May 02, 2005 9:22 AM

By Randall S. Newton

Let’s talk Building Information Modeling (BIM) for a bit. I love BIM The Concept; it’s BIM The Implementation I can’t stand.

I love BIM The Concept. Putting all project information in a central repository, accessible by all team members, is a grand idea. Make the geometry 3D and keep the underlying data open and sharable. BIM The Concept is about re-engineering work processes and collaboration through the disciplines.

But BIM The Implementation leaves a lot to be desired. In search of construction data nirvana, we go to the CAD store, only to find Eeny Meeny Miney Moe as a software deployment strategy. With apologies to the fable from India, BIM has become the AEC equivalent of the elephant, and we are the blind men groping it for understanding. Is BIM a cat’s cradle of linked DWG files (Autodesk Architectural Desktop)? Is BIM a front-loading bucket for a much larger proprietary approach to construction engineering (Bentley Architecture, or whatever they are calling it this quarter). Is BIM a virtual model of the architectural geometry? If so, is it based on open (Graphisoft ArchiCAD) or proprietary (Autodesk REVIT) data storage/retrieval? Is BIM a new wrapper on an old solution (Nemetschek ALLPLAN)?

The problem isn’t so much about the specific software product, as it is about the need to make a decision at all. Once a firm standardizes on Revit or Bentley Architecture or VectorWorks, they are pretty much stuck in a narrow universe created by the vendor. As Lawrence Lessig tells us, in cyberspace code is the law. Protestations to the contrary, real interoperability is still a dream; the CAD vendors are the law, and when we use their tools we are limiting ourselves to the universe of their design. Building information modeling should be about data transparency—the ability to move live, intelligent data from one application to another, from one stage of the project to another. BIM should be about more than geometry and design; it should be about engineering loads, punch cards, and construction status. The model should be able to account for time as well as space, progress as well as design. And before we stamp BIM as done, let’s make sure the Facility Management guys have something to say about the dataset.

Here’s the BIM I want (call it BEM—Better Elephant Model). The GUI is SketchUp from @Last. The data is stored in Oracle (or mySQL, if you prefer an open source option). There are hooks into Microsoft Share Point, and the system understands Perl. The geometry engine is from Rhino; the 3D feature set from SolidWorks. You can look at the project as geometry and data side-by-side, assuming your firm doesn’t cheapskate its way out of buying multiple monitors for professional staff. Google support is built in. Parametric? Oui, mon ami. The whole thing is IFC compliant and it even works as a Groove Virtual Office application, as will the modules for the rest of the AEC and owner/operator team. After all, this is just the design geometry engine. There’s still structural analysis, construction planning and sequencing, energy analysis, estimating and job costing, facilities planning, asset management, and many other functions to cover.

Let me leave you with one bit of information that says more about the state of BIM for AEC today than all my musings. Recently the global structural steel and façade specialists Permasteelisa decided to upgrade their CAD from 2D AutoCAD to something that could do 3D modeling. After evaluating all the choices on the market, they went with none of the available AEC offerings. Instead, they chose SolidWorks, ostensibly a mechanical CAD product, to do their structural design work. And they bought 1,200 seats.