AWE2016 Santa Clara June 1-2.

Thoroughly enjoyed AWE 2016 in Santa Clara.

Presence from AREA.org was one main thrust. AREA.org presented use cases for AR in utilities and manufacturing, with emphasis on asset augmentation. Another main topic was introduction of latest AR/VR gear: notably Epson Moverio BT-300 - high resolution - but taking a different path from sensors on Hololens. Would be remiss without mentioning Vuforia from PTC. Found out about AWE from Vuforia media campaign. Learned more about AWE on website and from pervious show videos. Got my AWE pass via Twitter.

Best AWE giveaways: Reality tops. VR cardboard headsets.

Best AWE takeway: AR for use in asset augmentation... reporting location, status and what needs to be done to foward the business applications.

As personal project: Always strive to "do whole trip without automobile". It went thus.

MBTA to work and then MBTA Blue Line in afternoon to BOS.
Jet Blue BOS to SJC.
VTA#10 Airport Flyer.
Metro Airport on Green VTA - Mountain View (actually took Blue - Alum Rock and changed at Tasman) to Great America (in front of San Jose convention center where AWE was being held). Then walked about a mile south past Great Anerica to Hotel Avatar.

Was very pleasant weather the whole time in San Jose. Walked out and back each day to convention center. Hardest part was that all food options closed at evening arrival at Avatar. Got a burger at nearby In and Out Burger. Got groceries at Walmart for the balance of days. AWE had no luggage holding area, so had to go back to the Avatar afternoon of departure to pickup bags.

Walked to Green VTA  - Winchester - to Metro Airport.
VTA#10 Airport Flyer.
Jet Blue SJC to BOS redeye. Packed flight. But able to sleep.
MBTA home, Blue and Orange Line, for a nap, referesh and then headed to meeting downtown with International visitors to Cimetrics.

MBTA Green Line Government Center Routing - Suggestion.

Just posted regarding train shuttle operation on Orange Line. Praise for MBTA flexibility and trying new things. Another suggestion. While Green Line station construction is ongoing at Government Center why not run almost all the trains to North Station and turn around there?

Would seem like

- a nice perk to the ridership for the inconvenience of the closure.
- a more effective rerouting for the connections to Blue and Orange Lines and North Station Commuter Rail.
- just as easy to turn trains around at North Station (maybe easier).
- central management of reroute at North Station.

MBTA Orange Line Train Shuttle - Kudos.

MBTA deserves a compliment. With Orange line delays lately, and the uproar about weather and maintenance, it was a pleasant surprise to have the MBTA doing a very sane thing using train shuttles between Wellington and Oak Grove. The one track shuttle is a great idea...

- Only one track has to be kept running.
- Switches need less operation.
- Signals can be minimized (one train just goes back and forth).

There were minor delays. There was some confusion. Though the confusion seemed unwarranted and somewhat frivolous from the ridership. Riders standing in the door at Malden asking "does this train go to Boston?" seemed almost comical. The anonymous answers "Eventually." and "Just get on, its frigid out there!" seemed very appropriate. The only real confusion was at Wellington with announcements saying to get on for Oak Grove on the "South" side (aka Inbound or Boston-bound track, or the Westside track, or the track farthest from the busways, or the track nearest the MBTA Orange Line repair shops).

The delay from train change at Wellington seemed to be mostly due to holding for the outbound shuttle to fill. Always a somewhat dubious decision (rather then setting a schedule), but is nonetheless understandable.

MBTA - Run More Trains.

MBTA
Run more trains.

One could digress:
- Better (not lesser) service during construction and disruption.
- Improvement of daytime operations before late night (are you listening sponsors?).
- Tooth on-time guarantees.
- Expresses (over holds).
- Address dangerous platform overcrowding at rush hour.
- Out-of-servicing only in sparsely-populated direction.
- All (or most) Green-lines inbound to at least North Station.
- No schedule adjustments at core and terminus stations.

But to get back to the crux...
Run more trains.

Target has Bullseye Logo on Roof

Noticed the logo on the Target in Everett MA many years ago. Can almost see it from the MBTA Orange Line, and can certainly see it on Google Maps. Found it as a part of an overall interest in the Mystic and Malden River areas (parks, trails and eco-development).

Others have noticed too.
http://www.chadupton.com/blog/2008/06/bullseye-target-paints-logo-on-their-roof-that-is-250-feet-in-diameter/

Fits in with recent interest in renewables and energy savings. The white on the roof is actually a good energy saving strategy for abating heating. But was left wondering if Target could do even better with tinted/highlighted solar panels? There could be all – logo, heat abatement, renewable energy. Might even extend the programme to canopy solar in the parking lot with the Target logo formed from strategic omission of the solar panels, and open “asphalt” being red-tinted recycled rubber composite (like in playgrounds – where it is usually blue or green rubber stuff)/ That would be striking from the air, at a distance, and in the parking lot itself.

Bikes Boston - Like-em - but Wrong Way Bikes = Worst Boston Danger

Like bicycles. Like that Boston is working to be bike friendly.
http://www.bostonbikes.org/

Enjoyed the bicycle exhibit at BSA Space (Fort Point Channel)
http://www.bostonbikes.org/2012/05/lets-talk-about-bikes/
http://bsaspace.org/exhibits/lets-talk-about-bikes/

Actually happened to be at BSA Space because of Sunspec Alliance presentation on City of Boston Solar innovations http://www.sunspec.org/2012/07/made-history/

Have worked in Downtown Boston many years now. My only injuries and close encounters with injury have not been crime related, construction related, nor auto related - but bike related. The issue is bikes going the wrong way down one way streets. Know (and have ingrained from childhood) that I should look both ways when I cross the street, but on one way streets it is often only a glance of assessment, with then realistically/rational focused intent on the oncoming traffic. One then goes out and gets hit/clipped/dodged by a wrong way bike.

Now do not get me wrong. I am an avid bicyclist. I believe many pro-bike concepts: Boston and every city and suburb should be bicycle friendly to a point of pain (trail, lanes, parking, rentals, etc.). Like the new bicycle parking structures http://www.mbta.com/riding_the_t/bikes/
rentals http://www.thehubway.com/
and trails http://www.biketothesea.com/

Legislation should impose stricter penalties on motorists who engage bicyclists in harmful ways. Children under ten should be allowed/encouraged to ride their bike (slowly at pedestrian speeds) on sidewalks. BUT bicyclists on the road must obey ALL the same rules that motorists obey. And if they need to "cheat" then they should walk their bike on the sidewalk (become a pedestrian).

Violators hurt the cause of those advocating bicycling. If you like bicycling, and what it does for society and the environment, then challenge your fellow bikers to obey the rules of the road.