My podcast list moves to Google Chrome

Most mornings, before I actually start work, I take a look at my news feeds, I start with Facebook, for no other reason than, I like to see what comments and post have been made, then I go to the serious stuff. First it's the BBC News app, always good, but then I go to my Google News App, this I like, it has a better format and display.

Then I look at a new app I am using in Google Chrome for all my Podcasts. I use my iPhone to download the same ones for walking, but in my home office, I like to control them on my Screen, I could I suppose use the iTunes and this would sync with my iPhone, but it is not easy to use, and I get so fed up trying to make it work, I went else where, and this little app is just right, I can listen as I work, it tells me if new podcasts from my list are available and I can so easily stop and continue from the main bar.

Google Keep, continues to be very useful, this morning I read a couple of interesting articles on Smart Cities, so clipped them to Keep and added multiple tags to associate them with Big data, Smart Cities and just data. The one article asks the question, what is a a smart city, and comes to some surprising conclusions, it's worth a separate blog so watch this space.

Google Earth has relaunched with some interesting updates, I did a search for Zaha Hadid and Google Earth listed several of the practices projects, I choose, for no other reason than it looked interesting, the Spitellau Viaduct Housing, but was disappointed in the way the model had been overlaid, spinning it round, the model strays over the railway track and look like its floating in midair, apart from that, I like google Earth, once you learn to use it, I can spend hours playing, Las Vagas is a must.

I have just watched several youtube video on the SunFlower, Solar Panel, this is just what the industry needs, more efficiency, self cleaning, portable, and self protecting, ausum

Is this CPD, well yes, we as Technologists need to keep up with Technology, however we can, Podcasts do that for me, and Keep is becoming increasingly important to keep, pun notes.

Google earth is also important, its the future as far as mapping is concerned.

Solar Time Vs Man made Time

On a very recent trip to Italy, I happen to see this excellent pair of clocks on a church, one was a solar clock, the other a mechanical clock.

If you look carefully, you can see that the solar clock shows 12 pm, yet the mechanical clock shows 11 am, yet both are right. Let me explain, the solar clock is as the sun depicts, it can not be changed, well not on this stone solar clock, yet the mechanical clock can be altered, as we enter daylight saving.

I like this a lot, it show how time works and how man has altered time to suite his needs, it opens up a lot for both shadow work, surveying and a simple yet fundamental view of our Solar system, the tilt of the earth to the sun, and its effect on weather.

Such a simple photo yet so full of information.

I will use this next year as I teach first year students in both simple surveying and detailing.

Raspberri Pie Zero

Is there was ever a product that could alter the way we see the construction industry, then this has to be it, the new Raspberry Pie Zero, at only 65x35x5mm and only needing 5v.

The use of they little things can easily be embedded into several different types of product, from sensor packs, to products to small room sensors

At around £11.88 each, it has the power and ability to run a small sensor array easily, and if connected to a say solar power supply and wifi, prove invaluable.

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RMI report on the Energy Storage North America conference (ESNA 2015)

One thing is unmistakably clear: the energy storage market is only in its infancy and is poised for huge growth in the coming decade, and it will make the biggest impact we have seen on construction in general.

Why do I say this, well I have just been reading the report of the RMI, Rocky Mountain Institute on the  Energy Storage North America conference (ESNA 2015) in San Diego, California. 

We can expect massive changes in the way we create, store, distribute, and use electricity, and you can easily see that this will have an effect on the way we design, and detail. Plus the way we treat the sun, its position, and out use of via both PV and water panels, ie roof orientation, and the attachment of panels to gather the best of the sun, ie tracking software.

This is not just a USA project, the impact is global, so perhaps the UK government can take another look at the nuclear plants they plan to build.

Big apologies for the blatant use of the battery logo from the RMI report, but it say's it all.

To read the report use this link