Pachube, and project2891 are both projects that want in their own modest way to network the planet, but from quite different motivations.

Pachube’s key aim is to ” to facilitate interaction between remote environments, both physical and virtual.” project2891 is Ben Dembroski’s Alt-w funded art project that “is a system of devices which can be collaborated with directly, without direct communication with original artist.”

What links them is the need to have a process by which devices can ‘talk’ to each other, a protocol. From Tom Igoes book “making things talk“, the rules for good communication are:

• listen more than you speak
• never assume
• agree on how you say things
• ask politely for clarification

I am stepping into using both of these systems, having made LightResponsiveDevice last year, and thinking further than just being responsive to light, but responsive to other inputs

Image via Wikipedia

Last weekend I went down to London to see Area10 in Peckham. They were having an event called re booted, as part of the node.London (http://www.nodel.org/) series of events.

Area 10 http://www.area10medialab.co.uk/
Area 10 Project space is pleased to launch the new media lab
platform. The medialab is being introduced to facilitate the
development of research and art practices using open source new
technologies in the media arts. <AREA 10: MEDIALAB /> will focus on
engaging cross-disciplinary collaborations between various arts and
science based practices, encouraging open and critical discussion in
addition to sharing knowledge and skills transfer.

It was two days of talks, with a launch night on saturday full of electronic music using the platforms described during the days. Eg Jackbytes, Fluxus, PD, MaxMSP etc.

Area10 is a huge warehouse which was a great space for some large video artworks. The most fun was the peace mobile cinema from the Netherlands. It had seating for up to nine people, and was a group experience, where the audience became part of the movie.

The next major event Area10 are planning is a summer streaming event. With their linkages to goto10, constant, openlabs, it should be great. They are looking at more than just presentations through it, but doing live art.