So, I went more for breadth on my last post than depth, which is where I should've put my efforts. No worries--it's worth getting a wide area of ideas. I'll focus on three of those now, though.

paraSite

Designer

Michael Rakowitz

Description

Plastic tent-like structures that attached to heat sources like dryer vents or HVAC outlets. They are built for homeless people, allowing them to stay warm using vents that aren't located on the ground. Much thanks to Chloe Varelidi for blogging this in her post.

Relevance

This fits almost literally into my idea of "parasitic" tech. Using excess energy and resources for alternative, unplanned, and potentially unauthorized purposes is something that interests me. Given that the heat from these units would go unused and benefit no one, it makes sense, logically and morally, it channel it into a better goal. Similar tactics could be employed to pull heat or even electrical power off of otherwise untapped public sources.

SW Radio Africa -- SMS Reporting

Designer

Gerry Jackson

Description

Forced to flee Zimbabwe after crackdowns on press freedom by President Mugabe, Jackson and his reporters continued to get news out of the country via text message, 160 characters at a time.

Relevance

Rapidly adapting to political and technical challenges is a major interest of mine. In an era when large portions of the major communications networks can be shut down or disrupted by governments (in this case, Zimbabwean radio being jammed using Chinese equipment,) it is necessary for reporters and activists to stay flexible. Deploying or extending alternative comm networks is something I want to research.

Open Prosthetics -- Pimp My Arm

Designer

Jesse Crossen

Description

The Open Prosthetics Project is great in so many ways. For one, all their designs go into the public domain. They've partnered with instructables to distribute the work. They're big fans of rapid manufacturing. And they like Legos. All of this is in the service of making prosthetics better, cheaper, and more widely available.

Specifically, OPP's Pimp My Arm project is a call out to all geeks and developers to try and create novel, real prosthetics that do interesting things (or just do things better.)

Relevance

I've been following OPP for most of the past year, and Pimp My Arm seems to be their most direct call to the community for contributions. I'm very interested in human-body sensors and extended human performance through their use. Plus, making prosthetics available to the people who need them the most and can afford them the least is a noble goal and worth pursuing. Finally, I'd really like to know more about rapid prototyping and manufacturing, particularly if the devices can be built at home or in a low-cost community location.