My Gig at Old Niekark last friday went very well. Slightly hampered by some technical difficulties but we made it.
The audience was fantastic!
Here are the songs we played, Enjoy!
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How the Future of Big Tobacco Could Be Tiny Lithium Batteries
December 9, 2010 – 9:41 am
How the Future of Big Tobacco Could Be Tiny Lithium Batteries: “
The tobacco mosaic virus is a destructive beast infecting over a hundred different species of plants, including tomatoes. But it may have a weird eco benefit: Incorporated into lithium batteries, it can increase storage capacity ten times.
Scientists in the U.S. had already worked out how to coat the tiny rod-like cells of the virus with conductive materials. But the recent breakthrough has seen the nanorods incorporated into battery technology, with astonishingly beneficial results. The tobacco mosaic virus is a perfect candidate because it’s the right size and shape to aid construction of battery electrodes, and it’s self-replicating and self-assembling and can bind to metal.
The idea is that TMV nanorods are bound to the electrodes in a lithium cell–without the need for any bonding agent–and automagically increase the surface area of the electrode. This is a critical matter in battery design, since it affects how much electrical energy the battery can hold, and TMV’s benefits mean a similar cell can hold up to ten times more charge than a more conventional one.
This has all sorts of implications for mobile technology. Imagine every lithium battery in every mobile device you own lasting up to ten times longer. That would mean Apple’s new MacBook Airs could hang on in standby mode for 10 months, and Amazon’s Kindles may only require charging once every year. Smartphones could have useful call times extending up to a week, and as well as changing how we think about our tech this could have an eco upshot–you’d probably not leave your charger plugged in, sucking down vampire power as much as it does right now.
Alternatively, batteries could be made with the same capacity that they have now, only ten times smaller–freeing up designers to create all sorts of practically useful gadgets that would be impossible at the moment. Micro-batteries are also possible, meaning rechargeable batteries could replace disposable ones in devices like hearing aids.
If the scientists at the University of Maryland driving this research find a way to scale up the invention to a commercial scale, then tobacco growers around the world may find themselves contributing something more positive to society, and the way we think about mobile technology may change radically.
To read more news on this, and similar stuff, keep up with my updates by following me, Kit Eaton, on Twitter.
“
(Via Fast Company.)
Serious Kids Stuff
November 22, 2010 – 9:32 am
Past months I was working in my sparetime on a website for a foundation called: Serious Kids Stuff. A foundation which has been initiated by Evolve9.
It supports children in slums by letting them play tennis.
It’s nice to support this foundation and it’s projects, you should do too!
iNudge
October 29, 2010 – 7:33 am
I discovered a nice little application in my Bamboo Dock from Wacom.
It’s called iNudge and its deadsimple to create a nice catchy tune.
I quit
May 28, 2010 – 7:54 pm
Last wednesday was my last day as lead singer from Zabatista. I’m no longer part of the band. It has nothing to do with the other guys in the band, they are all really nice guys which are all very talented. As Zabatista we have played together for 5 to 6 years which is a pretty long time. Before Zabatista we have played in the band Vurio for a couple of years.
We’ve had lots of fun rehearsing and performing on various occasions.
I had to quit because I wasn’t enjoying it anymore and it put a huge amount of stress on me.
This decision has taken me quite some time but now I decided to follow through.
So now the band will be on a search for a new lead vocalist. So if you’re into rock music and live in the Netherlands and want to rehearse in the Utrecht regio then please consider the band Zabatista and go check out their site. If you’re into songwriting and want to have a considerable amount of input into the songs then don’t hesitate.
For me I will focus on learning to play the guitar and sing along with acoustic sessions just for the fun of it. And hell no, I won’t stop singing. I wish the guys from Zabatista all the best and I will continue to see them because they’re all friends of mine. I just want them to get a real nice new singer.
And as far as the future goes, maybe we’ll perform again together sometime on a stage somewhere.
Kind regards,
Jöran
