High-impact visuals for large events

It's AV, but not as we know it. Pod Bluman, founder of production company Bluman Associates, talks to Anna Mitchell about being chased by the police, recycling the red carpet from the Harry Potter premier and staging an off-grid gig.

Even if you haven’t heard of Pod Bluman, the chances are you’ve seen his work. Anyone who missed worldwide press coverage of a "No War on Iraq" message projected on the Houses of Parliament may have watched the Harry Potter premier at Leicester Square in London. And if both these events passed you by; you might have caught the Batman symbol on Battersea Power Station, a complete takeover of New York’s Times Square for a Nokia launch or gigs by the Arctic Monkeys, Faithless or Obital (to name but a few). In September 2004, Bluman started Bluman Associates after building up a strong reputation as a freelancer in the live events industry. "We’re a traditional production company in the range of services we offer," explains Bluman. "But, in terms of the niche we occupy we’re very specialised within the video industry and particularly in displaying content on large displays." The company provides services in every link of the visual display chain; from content creation and capture through to the display and dissemination of that content. "We don’t own any equipment," continues Bluman. "We’re purely a production company and we pride ourselves on our independence and ability to advise clients on what we believe is the best technology for the job." Learn more about some of Bluman’s projects, why projection mapping needs to move on and what makes a successful ‘guerrilla projection’ campaign in  Source: InAVate

Read More........→November 02, 2012

New technology can produce 'petrol from air'

A small British firm claimed to have developed a revolutionary new technology that can produce petrol using just air and electricity. A company in the north of England has developed the "air capture" technology to create synthetic petrol which experts have hailed as a potential "game-changer" in the battle against climate change and a saviour for the world's energy crisis. The technology, presented to a London engineering conference this week, works by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, The Telegraph reported. The 'petrol from air' technology involves taking sodium hydroxide and mixing it with carbon dioxide before 'electrolysing' the sodium carbonate that it produces to form pure carbon dioxide. Hydrogen is then produced by electrolysing water vapour captured with a dehumidifier. The company, Air Fuel Syndication, uses the carbon dioxide and hydrogen to produce methanol which in turn is passed through a gasoline fuel reactor, creating petrol. Company officials claimed to have produced five litres of petrol in less than three months from a small refinery in Stockton-on-Tees, Teesside. The fuel that is produced can be used in any regular petrol tank and, if renewable energy is used to provide the electricity it could become "completely carbon neutral". The company hopes to build a large plant, which could produce more than a tonne of petrol every day, within two years and a refinery size operation within the next 15 years. Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) officials admitted that while the described technology is "too good to be true but it is true", and said that it could prove to be a "game-changer" in the battle against climate change. Stephen Tetlow, the IMechE chief executive, hailed the breakthrough as "truly groundbreaking". "It has the potential to become a great British success story, which opens up a crucial opportunity to reduce carbon emissions," he was quoted as saying by the paper. "Air capture technology ultimately has the potential to become a game-changer in our quest to avoid dangerous climate change," Dr Tim Fox, the organisation's head of energy and environment, added. Peter Harrison, the company's 58-year-old chief executive said that he was "excited" about the technology's potential, which "uses renewable energy in a slightly different way". "People do find it unusual when I tell them what we are working on and realise what it means. It is an opportunity for a technology to make an impact on climate change and make an impact on the energy crisis facing this country and the world, said Mr Harrison, a civil engineer from Darlington, County Durham. "It looks and smells like petrol but it is much cleaner and we don't have any nasty bits," he said. Source: Indian Express

Read More........→October 29, 2012

Ferrari recalling 200 cars worldwide

Ferrari is recalling certain 458 Italia and California models around the world due to a problem with the crankshaft. Roughly 13,000 examples of these cars are currently roaming the streets, and 206 are affected by this problem. According to Autocar, the recall has been issued due to an incorrect finish on the vehicles' crankshafts. The British magazine states that the problem "causes unwanted vibrations which can damage the engine if it is not changed." "We are writing to all clients affected now, asking them to return the car to a dealer for the work to be done," a Ferrari spokesperson told Autocar. In the United States, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has yet to issue a formal recall notice about the affected vehicles. Ferrari recalling 200 cars worldwide originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 May 2012 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.New gio gonzalez blog: Source: Article

Read More........→October 11, 2012

New cavity-filling material reverses decay and regenerates tooth structure

The Ultimate Update: A new composite material, which is made up of silver and calcium nanoparticles, could work as a dental filling that kills remaining bacteria so that patients don’t have to make a return trip to the dentist. Dental fillings replace the part of the tooth drilled out inorder to remove decay. But if any bacteria remains, the cavity can grow right under the filling, Discovery News reported. The new material, developed by researchers at theUniversity of Maryland, also rebuilds any structure affected by decay, essentially getting rid of the cavity altogether. Due to their small size, the silver nanoparticles can invade the cellular structureof bacteria and other microorganisms and kill them. Calcium phosphate, also included in the composite, is responsible for building the tooth back up. There have been questions raised about implementing these materials into toothpaste or mouthwash, but the scientific community isn’t ready to get on board with that just yet. There is a lot of concern coming from scientists and researchers about the possible harmful affects of human consumption of the particles. Further testing will be conducted on volunteers to sort through the health concerns. Source: The Ultimate Update

Read More........→September 22, 2012

Baldness can be cured using stem cells

Are you bald and having trouble facing people? If yes your worries are over as Japanese researchers have successfully grown hair on hairless mice by implanting follicles created from stem cells, they announced Wednesday, sparking new hopes of a cure for baldness.Led by Professor Takashi Tsuji from Tokyo University of Science, the team bioengineered hair follicles and transplanted them into the skin of hairless mice. The creatures eventually grew hair, which continued regenerating in normal growth cycles after old hairs fell out. When stem cells are grown into tissues or organs, they usually need to be extracted from embryos, but Tsuji and his researchers found hair follicles can be grown with adult stem cells, the study said. Baldness can now be cured “Our current study thus demonstrates the potential for not only hair regeneration therapy but also the realization of bioengineered organ replacement using adult somatic stem cells,” it said. The combination of the new and existing technologies is expected to improve treatment for baldness, possibly allowing people to use their own cells for implants that will give them their hair back. “We would like to start clinical research within three to five years, so that an actual treatment to general patients can start within a decade,” said researcher Koh-ei Toyoshima.The Ultimate Update: Baldness can be cured using stem cells

Read More........→August 16, 2012