Cephalopodcast

During Skype, podcast and webcast sessions, I needed a way to let other folks know that the microphone was hot. I wanted a minitature on-air light flashing so they’d know they could be overheard. But where could I find such a device?

I considered all kinds of crazy schemes, from wiring up LEDs to sacrificing my moribund Palm Tungsten T3. But then it hit me. I already had an auxillary 320×240 LCD screen sitting right next to me in the form of my 5G iPod with video. Why not use the photo slideshow feature in that? So here are the steps to making your own miniature on-air light for podcasting, etc.

1. Download the following graphics (available under Creative Commons license). You can customize them or make something similar on your own.
   
2. Open up iPhoto and create File>New Album. Call it ONAIR or something similar. Alternatively, you could skip iPhoto and create a folder for the images. ITunes accepts either solution.
3. Upload the graphics and move them into the new album/folder.
4. Connect your iPod and under the Photos tab in iTunes, select the new album/folder for synchronization.
5. Then under the iPod itself, select Photos>Slideshow Settings.
6. I changed the following settings:
   Timer Per Slide: 2 sec
   Repeat: On
   Shuffle Photos: Off
   Transistions: Dissolve
7. Back out one click to the Photos submenu, highlight the ONAIR album and press play. You should now have your own miniature on-air sign to warn your mates that the microphone is hot.
8. Adjust the backlight timer to keep the images bright.

Other Uses

This might also be useful in public areas or when recording at conferences. You could create additional graphics with an advert for the show or details about the current recording session.

You could also sychronize it with an audio file, set it up remotely and send out a warning message. The TV out option also allows you to display it large.

This technique has an additional psychological effect for me. When the on-air light is lit, I know it is time to record. Now I just need an elegant way to display my iPod so people can see it.

• iPod: Viewing a slideshow
• Brenthaven Flip Case for 30GB iPod

In my college biology club I met a woman who taught her budgie how to speak. But the only thing it could say was, “Kiss the Virus.” This made slightly more sense when you realized that she named the parakeet Virus. Needless to say, they were both odd birds. However, I think they would both be delighted to know that there are now budgie-sized toy viruses available for purchase.

The TEDCO toy company makes miniature biological and anatomical models. These include the virus, but also bacteria, animal cell and plant cell models too. They range in size from 3.5 to 5.5 inches (9-14 cm) and cost $10 each. In addition to macro-sized microbes, TEDCO makes miniature-sized human anatomy models like the Brain and Skull, the Eye and the iconic Human Torso. They all have removable parts, as if you were dissecting them, and would make great novelty gifts for bio/med students or a favorite science teacher. Why isn’t Think Geek selling these things?

Even more interesting is that TEDCO is a family-owned, American company. And as best as I can tell, they actually manufacture their toys in the United States. From their about page:

TEDCO was first established as a research & development company by the late Ralph Teetor. Mr. Teetor was a well-known and highly respected inventor who started TEDCO (Teetor Engineering Development Company) as a vehicle to foster his inventions. His most renowned accomplishment is the “cruise control” on your automobile. Mr. Teetor was blinded at an early age, yet he did not allow his lack of sight to hinder his creative genius. He was president of the former Perfect Circle Corporation and was inducted posthumously into the Automotive Hall of Fame.

Now, if you are interested in more traditional, life-sized (and larger) biology models (and have a couple hundred dollars), you might want to check out the Somso models available from Holt Anatomical. These are museum-quality, German made models for the classroom. Products include the human torsos with head (and interchangeable genitalia), block models of the skin, fern prothallium, brains of the honey bee (with transparent head capsules) and much more.

For those who are more budget conscious, there are some free microbial activities available from the Rodale Institute. Check out the papercraft Bacteria from their Paper Garden Project.

• See also, plush Giant Microbes
• And Miniature anatomical toys from Japan

Siesta Key Sunset uploaded by Jason

Some nice advice on taking good photos at the beach.

• Digital Photography School: 10 Beach Photography Tips [via digg]

Need a secchi disk or zooplankton net? How about a rubber squid or manual on building your own ROV? We’ve mentioned the catalog company from MarineLab before. They supply a variety of materials of interest to marine science educators.

Well, from a posting on NMEA’s Scuttlebutt listserv, it appears the business is up for sale. No word on why the change. But if you are interested, check out the website, www.leaveonlybubbles.com, and contact Art Mitchell (art [dot] mitchell [at] mrdf [dot] org) for details.

The World Wildlife Fund has launched its third annual Smart Gear Competition. They are offering cash prizes for innovative ideas for reducing bycatch. Many non-target species are caught up in the gear, nets and hooks of modern commercial fishing fleets. This effort tries to bring together industry, environmentalist, scientists and educators to find practical solutions.

WWF and our partners created the International Smart Gear Competition to inspire innovative, practical, cost-effective ideas that allow fishermen to “fish smarter” - to better target their intended catch while reducing bycatch. The Competition awards a cash prizes for the best entry to reduce fisheries bycatch, which is the leading threat to many endangered marine mammals, cetaceans, sea turtles, seabirds and certain fish species.

The 2007 International Smart Gear Competition will award a $30,000 Grand Prize and two 10,000 Runner-Up Prizes.

Entry Deadline: July 31, 2007

The competition is open to all - fishermen, professional gear manufacturers, teachers, students, engineers, scientists and backyard inventors.

Please visit www.smartgear.org for entry materials and to learn about the winning ideas from the first two competitions.

• WWF’s International Smart Gear Competition
• TEACH Engineering Lesson Plan: Caught in the Net (4-6)
• Cousteau Ocean Adventures Lesson Plan: How to Catch a Fish lesson, PDF (5-8)
• UA Marine Discovery Lesson Plan: Eat ‘em and weep: Problems involving commercial fishing (5-6)

The Delaware Sea Grant program has a neat resource for educators. I mentioned it in the latest podcast, but wanted to bump it up to its own post too. Here’s the description from their annual report:

Learn all about the smooth dogfish shark as you put together your very own 3-D paper model! This eight-page, full-color project meets the National Science Education Standards. It includes background on sharks, the model parts to cut out with scissors and tape together, and a crossword puzzle to test your knowledge. Cost: $1. Contact: Marine Public Education, (302) 831-8083.

Unfortunately, there is no further Internet-based info that I could find, so you will have to call to find out more. Or listen to the SeaTalk Radio PSA about the model [mp3].

(Tip of the tentacle to Elizabeth and Kimberly for the resource.)

UPDATE: I notice that a lot of people searching for dogfish dissections end up finding this post. If you need illustrations of a Squalus acanthias dissection, check out BIODIDAC. They have photos and line drawings to help you. Keyword search: dogfish. Available in English and French.

This looks like it will be fun:

The flying squid is able to fly through the air to escape its enemies. The flying squid can soar at speeds of over 30 mph (50 km/hr), and sometimes fly as far as 160 feet (50 meters) at a time! The flying squid spreads the membrane between its tentacles and uses it like a wing, and uses its front fins to stabilize its body.

• 3-D Papercraft Flying Squid [PDF]

Wow. What a day. I got up at 6:45 and took a shower. A few days before I had downloaded iTunes Alarm. As the names suggests, this program turns iTunes into an alarm clock and allows one to specify the time, playlist, volume, and other settings and includes features like a user controllable fade up or down and a sleep alarm. The only twist is that it won’t wake my Powerbook up out of Sleep Mode. To get around that, I set the Schedule under the Energy Saver Preferences to come on a minute before the alarm. It’s an extra step, but it allows me to role my own morning show. So under iTunes, I created a playlist called “Wake Up!,” and have copied a bunch of bouncy, morning songs into it from the Podsafe Music Network.

I also soon realized that I don’t need to listen to NPR broadcasts in real time anymore. Instead, I can download their news summaries and mix it in with my own program selections. Pretty neat trick.