observations and reports

12. Stempel Schneidler For displays and fine publications that need a legible text type. (via 30 Best Fonts, Downloadable Fonts, Free Fonts, Cool Fonts for Designers | JUST™ Creative)

HIVE PLOTS ARE IDEAL FOR DETECTING EMERGING PATTERNS IN YOUR NETWORK’S STRUCTURE — THE METHOD SHOWS YOU THE ENTIRE NETWORK AND YOUR BRAIN’S PATTERN MATCHING FACILITIES DO THE REST.

The hive plot attempt to address the shortcomings of the conventional hairball layout. Because hive plots can be tuned, they can identify meaningful structural components of a network. The hive plot is itself founded on a layout algorithm. However, its output is not based on aesthetics but network structure. In this sense, the layout is rational — it depends on network features that you care about (e.g. connectivity). In a hive plot, nodes are constrained to linear axes and edges are drawn as curves. Node-to-axis assignment and node-on-axis position are determined solely by network structure, node, edge annotation, or any other meaningful properties of the network. In other words, layout rules are defined by you based on properties that are meaningful to you. These rules form a mapping between structure and layout can be as simple or complex as you wish. (via Hive Plots - Linear Layout for Network Visualization - Visually Interpreting Network Structure and Content Made Possible)

Yes, I love the idea of just feeding your brain a bunch of images and letting it pick up the patterns/irregularities.  Also, sometimes you just really need data to appear ordered vs. unordered, not exactly what this is saying, but something I’ve been thinking about lately..

Now, a team of MIT researchers has come up with a very different approach: building cubes or towers that extend the solar cells upward in three-dimensional configurations. Amazingly, the results from the structures they’ve tested show power output ranging from double to more than 20 times that of fixed flat panels with the same base area. (via Solar ‘towers’ beat panels by up to 20x | ScienceBlog.com)

Whenever I hear some conservative yell about solar power not being feasible or efficient, I wonder if they honestly think that linearly or it’s rhetoric.  I’m guessing it’s rhetoric, giving the amount that’s been put into solar in the last few years.  How could they not know innovation is right around the corner?  I suppose I’m being a bit naive for even considering a politician would be honest…

(via LEGO TV Show Characters)

Nokia wants to patent a special magnetic ink that can vibrate based on commands from your phone. The ink can be applied to some sort of wearable thing that adheres to the skin, reports Unwired. (via Nokia Has Invented Tattoos That Vibrate When Your Cell Phone Rings)