ImaginativePRO Blog

LYTRO'S AMAZING LIGHT FIELD CAMERA ELIMINATES FOCUSING, JUST POINT-AND-SHOOT, FOCUS LATER, AND YOU CAN ORDER ONE TODAY

Lytro's amazing "light field" camera tech has everyone from pro photogs to casual clickers abuzz. But the innovations now en route suggest that the company's best is yet to come.

 

That video above explains the new photography that Lytro is bringing the world. Click anywhere in the photos it produces and you'll instantly refocus the image at that point. And you can zoom in, too.

The beauty part? It's no million-dollar, Matrix-like special effect--just an image snapped in a single second, like any other digital photo. The technology behind it--plenoptics or light field imaging--got the tech press all excited about the "focus-free" powers of the coming Lytro camera. Then, when Lytro revealed the product, buzz picked up anew. The thing is, the real excitement about this technology is yet to come. And when it does, that's when everything about imaging may truly change.

Most of us grabbed onto the tech's easiest aspect when they first heard about Lytro--the fact that unlike current camera technology, making a photograph doesn't require you to focus on something at the moment of snapping. This has meaningful implications, from new ways to consume photos to a faster time between turning a camera on and snapping a photo. But this misses a huge amount of technology and science in the invention.

The design

Some of the remarkable science is revealed in the first Lytro cameras, yet to go on sale, but which were shown last month. The unusual minimalist form of the units, unlike any other camera you've ever seen, highlights that this is a new photography type. The format of the zoom lenses and the plenoptic array that's the secret to capturing all the light "rays" from a scene rather than light falling on pixels (as in a typical digital camera) more or less shaped the design. And the final third of the unit, which contains the complex electronics that processes the data (which in development required hundreds of cameras hooked up to a supercomputer) ends with a touchscreen that instantly lets you try out the effect.

Speaking with Fast Company Lytro CEO Ren Ng noted this was a bold decision, party shaped by a desire to be "open to whatever the [design] form might take, as long as it serves the end photographic goal...and to focus more on the end goal of the photographer." Because Lytro is speaking a new language of photography, it let the company make this design move in a way that perhaps other firms can't because they're locked into a design choice and an extensive userbase that is already familiar and comfortable with historic designs.

The phenomenon

Now everything is poised to change. It starts with that unusual camera, with its design and unique products--what's been dubbed the "living picture." You can pre-order them now, and though cagey about actual figures, Ng noted that sales interest has "been just enormous and terrific and in the aggregate wisdom of our team, from a forecasting perspective, has been pretty close to what we were expecting."

Ng says interest has spanned the range from professional photographers to casual clickers to uncommon consumers like forensic photographers and those interested in "scientific imaging." This means thousands of light field cameras will hit the scene quickly, and then very soon you'll start seeing the images crop up in websites and apps and online newspapers. The phenomenon will likely go viral because of its unique powers and futuristic feel.

Right away that's going to change photography, in the same transformative way digital photography has all but killed film photography. Other manufacturers will follow in Lytro's footsteps because, as Ng notes, "across very large parts of the industry, folks in positions of expertise and leadership realize that light fields are the future of imaging." Then it's just a question of "large companies with a large, stable market" to resolve the "classic innovator's dilemma" and dramatically pivot--which will take a longer time, but is probably inevitable.

Lytro set out to deliver the whole package from camera to software to the entire ecosystem of experiencing the photos is that Ng's team "believes the technology requires a transformational product not an incremental product to bring the benefits to the end consumer." That is, Lytro is trying to be the iPod of camera tech.

Future products

We know the megapixel war in conventional digital photography has changed digital cameras yearly, and has moved onto a new front: smartphones. As these cameras get better, and get carried everywhere "they really call into question the relevance of point and shoot cameras," Ng agrees, and "the dedicated camera market is backed into a corner" by the advances in smartphone imaging--even if the state of the art of these new tiny systems is compromised, optically, by their small size. Needless to say, just as Lytro is bringing fresh innovation to the handheld game and has an expansive future, smartphone implementations are "definitely on the roadmap" because as Lytro's research has shown "people are sharing pictures to social networks from mobile phones" as much as they're "passionate about picture taking" with normal units.

Think about the benefits of a Lytro camera in a smartphone (no need for focus, almost instant-on and instant-snap, better low-light performance) and imagine millions of users snapping light field photos and sharing them on Twitter and Facebook, and you can see how transformative it'll be. But the technologies are equally applicable in "smartphones and high-end cameras."

The software future

All of this is still talking about still imagery, and with just a few "special effects." But as Ng points out, "it turns out that in every shot these pictures inherently capture 3-D data" and there are other developments like "parallax" (which means you can move your viewpoint across the photo a little so, in effect, you may see behind obstructions in the foreground) and "new editing facilities that are unique to light field images" that are coming in Lytro's software roadmap and will surpass the powers you have in systems like Photoshop. And, thanks to the physics of the invention, all of these future processing options will "apply to every picture taken with Lytro cameras from day one."

Finally, let's talk video. Exactly the same imaging benefits also apply to videos with these cameras. Ng agrees.  

"There's a lot of hard engineering to get video to work, because you have to capture a light field image at every frame--a lot a data. To take advantage of it involves a lot of processing and smarts."

But the "implications for video are terrific," Ng added, "for regular folks trying to shoot video or even for reality TV folks, for that matter, [where] focussing is basically impossible because you don't know who's going to do something interesting next because you don't have a script." Lytro video would instantly solve that problem, and as well as enabling a whole panoply of artistic and special effects that could make bullet-time look like an amateurish effort, the ability to shoot a movie digitally without worrying about focus could save huge amounts of time and money too.

Flash, bang

So this is a new technology that has a grounding in a very well established one but takes it into a wholly new direction. It has a direct development roadmap, as well as the plans to expand into special-purpose products alongside the main product. It may not happen in a snap, but it looks like Lytro will eventually change photos forever.

COMMENTARY:   Lytro is a Silicon Valley startup that's building on research carried out by CEO Ren Ng at Stanford, and its promise is simple: With its light field camera hardware and software, it could change photography in an almost unimaginable number of ways--starting with the thing that most news sites have picked up on this morning, the lack of a need to focus a photo.

Meanwhile, Lytro's $50 million in startup capital has come from big names like Andreessen Horowitz and Greylock, and its technological team includes a cofounder of Silicon Graphics and the man who was the chief architect for Palm's revolutionary webOS software. So what's the fuss all about?

It's called light field, or plenoptic, photography, and the core thinking behind Lytro is contained neatly in one paper from the original Stanford research--though the basic principle is simple. Normal cameras work in roughly the same way your eye does, with a lens at the front that gathers rays of light from the view in front of it, and focuses them through an aperture onto a sensor (the silicon in your DSLR or the retina in your eye). To focus your eye or a traditional camera you adjust the lens in different ways to capture light rays from different parts of the scene and throw it onto the sensor. Easy. This does have a number of side effects, including the need to focus on one thing. This adds complexity, and, if used well, beauty to a photo.

The science behind the Lytro camera is explained in the following video:

 

The secret to how the lytro light field camera works is locked inside that elegant, simple and minimalist box:

Lytro light field cameras come in three colors and can be pre-ordered online HERE:

• Red Hot:  750 pictures - 16 GB - $499
• Graphite:  350 pictures -    8 GB - $399
• Electric Blue:  350 pictures - 8GB - $399

The Lytro light field camera is a beauty and disrupts regular digital photography as we know it.  I'm not quite ready to call the new Lytro camera revolutionary or disruptive.   It's not the most beautiful looking camera, but it is a fun, user-friendly camera that is going to be popular with amateur photographers because it eliminates focusing the camera.  Just point-and-shoot.  Simple. You upload the pics to your PC and do the focusing later.  Why didn't anybody else think of that?

Commercial photographers need all of this and then some.  The website does not explain what the companies future plans are for meeting the serious photographic needs of the professional photographer:  time lapse, freeze frame, video, flash, B&W and distance photography.  

Courtesy of an article dated October 31, 2011 appearing in Fast Company and an article dated June 22, 2011 appearing in Fast Company

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AIR NIPPON AIRLINES TAKES DELIVERY OF FIRST BOEING 787 DREAMLINER THREE YRS LATE, ANA FLIES MAIDEN FLIGHT FROM TOKYO TO HONG KONG

 

ABOARD THE BOEING 787 DREAMLINER – Boeing's much-ballyhooed but long-delayed 787 Dreamliner finally entered commercial service this week, flying paying passengers for the first time on an All Nippon Airways flight from Tokyo to Hong Kong on Wednesday.

 

ANA Airlines takes delivery and maiden flight of its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner

The ultramodern 787 is being hailed in the aviation industry for its technological innovations, including the carbon fiber construction that makes it the first jetliner not made of traditional aluminum and steel.But while the 787 is drawing acclaim from industry observers, how will it go over with ordinary passengers?

Boeing delivery ceremony of its first 787 Dreamliner to All Nippon Airlines

The Dreamliner — which Boeing designed with passenger comfort as a priority — drew nearly unanimous positive reviews from the roughly 240 passengers lucky enough to secure a seat on its inaugural flight.

Those passengers, however, might not be a good barometer for how the jet is received by the average traveler. Nearly all of them were on board because they enthusiastically sought it out.

 

Inside the International Long-Haul Flights Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Only 100 seats on the 264-seat jet were made available to the general public, and ANA received more than 25,000 applications for those. The other 140 on board were a mix of journalists, airline officials and other industry workers.

 

Inside the International Short-Haul Flights Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Also among those 140: six business-class fliers who bid for their seats on Flight 7871 via auction. One passenger — Gino Bertuccio of Miami — paid more than $33,000 via that auction to get his spot on the inaugural flight. He also flew on the inaugural flight of the Airbus A380 in 2007.

 

Inside the Boeing Special Domestic 787 Dreamliner

So will the glowing reviews of the 787 hold up as the Dreamliner's passenger counts soar and as more airlines begin to fly the jet — possibly in less customer-friendly configurations than Boeing had envisioned?

Henry Harteveldt, co-founder of San Francisco-based travel research firm Atmosphere Research Group says.

"I think the 787's benefits will be appreciated mostly by frequent travelers and aviation enthusiasts.  Passengers may have a better flight but may not know why, since some of these benefits are somewhat subtle."

ANA Airlines first Boeing 787 Dreamliner #JA801A ZA101

ANA's Boeing 787 Dreamliner cockpit interior

Among the potentially "subtle" passenger-experience upgrades that were put before fliers on the 787 inaugural:

Bigger windows. In what was hands-down the top new feature cited by passengers on the inaugural flight, the Boeing 787's windows are now the biggest of any commercial passenger airliner. Boeing says the 787's windows are 30% bigger than those on aBoeing 767. The windows also are now positioned closer to eye level for most passengers, meaning fewer strained necks from looking out the window.

 

The windows of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner will be 30% larger than those on the Boeing 767

Flight 787 passenger Stephanie Wood of Davie, Fla., when asked about her favorite feature on the 787 said. 

"The windows.  You really notice it and it makes the plane feel so bright and like you're not shut in."

Boeing 787 Dreamliner windows can be adjusted from clear to dark

Stephanie Wood who also joined the flight via the charity auction after she and her husband, Dean, successfully bid on a pair of business-class tickets. The couple would not divulge the price they paid.

In addition to the well-received larger size, the windows on the 787 do not have manual shades. Instead, they are darkened by a button control that can electronically dim the light partially or entirely

Storage bins. Boeing says they were designed to accommodate the wheeled roller bags that have become ubiquitous. The bins on ANA's 787 — which are about 30% bigger than on Boeing 777 aircraft — easily accommodated even large roller bags, though irregularly sized luggage could mean a less-than-optimal fit.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner overhead luggage storage bins are much deeper allowing storage of larger carry-ons

In addition to making it easier for customers to fit their bags into the bins, Boeing thinks that will help more flights take off on time, because — in theory — passengers won't need as long to hoist their bags into the overhead bins.

Cabin environment. Thanks to new technology on the Dreamliner, flights are pressured to the equivalent of 6,000 feet in elevation, lower than the 8,000-foot mark that's typical for commercial passenger aircraft. Boeing says that — coupled with the higher humidity levels possible on the 787 — should alleviate headaches, fatigue and reduce the general wear and tear travelers often feel from flying.

Protected lap space. Patrick Smith, an airline pilot and Salon.com columnist, wasn't on the inaugural flight but was intrigued by ANA's economy class seats.  She says.

"ANA's shell-style economy-class seats. They have double-wide armrests and recline by sliding forward, not by hinging backward, meaning you never impinge on the legroom of the person behind you, even in the full recline position."

ANA has selected fixed back shell seats increased the seat pitch to  34-inches from 31-incheswith a sliding headrest and footrest for its new economy cabin. Each seat will have a 10.6-inch LCD touch screen, universal power port, iPod connector, USB port and a special cup holder.  For premium economy, ANA has increased the seat pitch from  38-inches to 42-inches. Each seat back will have a 12-inch LCD touch screen with universal power port, iPod connector and USB port.

Economy seats on board each ANA Boeing 787 Dreamliner economy seats are equipped with a video screen and phone

ANA's new business class will feature  fully a lay-flat seat in a  staggered arrangement with a large side table, shoe storage and small in-seat baggage area. Each seat back will have a 17-inch LCD touch screen with universal power port, iPod connector and USB port. 

Re-branded as the  ANA First Square, the new first class suite features fully lie-flat beds and a baggage compartment and mini-closet to hang your coat. Each Square will have a 23-inch LCD touch screen with universal power port, iPod connector and USB port.  

ANA' s business class lighting, reclining, electrical ports and other controls

Cabin aesthetics. Vaulted ceilings between luggage bins and over galley areas help play off the larger windows to make the cabin feel more spacious. Despite that, the aisles on the 787's inaugural flight still felt clogged when passengers got up in bunches.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner's vaulted ceilings and large overhead storage bins

The bar area onboard ANA's Boeing 787 Dreamliner

ANA flight attendant stands inside the huge back galley

Lavoratories onboard ANA's Boeing 787 Dreamliner's are quite roomy with window view 

Gadget friendliness. ANA's configuration offered USB ports and electric outlets at every seat, allowing customers to charge a cellphone or access music or movie files via the in-flight entertainment console. Power outlets mean laptops now can stay charged for an entire flight.

Quieter cabin. Boeing has said cabin noise on the Dreamliner will be lower than on other jets that typically fly on long-haul routes. While that was hard to quantify on the inaugural 787 flight to Hong Kong, most passenger conversations seemed to flow easily.

Another advantage for airlines (and environmentally concerned passengers): The Dreamliner's reduced weight and aerodynamic profile will increase fuel efficiency up to 20%.

Still, Smith of Salon.com warns that even with all of those perks, not all Dreamliners will be created equal.

Smith says.  

"In the end, though, how the plane is received will mostly come down to the way its operators tailor and customize the experience."

Chris Sloan, another inaugural flight passenger, suggests the Dreamliner has been subject to overhyped expectations lingering from the 2007 debut of the Airbus A380 — now the world's biggest passenger jet.  During that rollout, the A380's selling point was obvious: size. Sloan says the 787's significance is just as important, albeit more subtle.

Sloan says of the 787's possibly inflated expectations. 

"Superficially, the windows are great. The high ceilings are great. And the bins.  Do people really think all of a sudden economy class is going to become first class? No, it's not."

Sloan and others say the 787's strengths will get a chance to shine once the carrier begins flying the ultra-long-haul flights it was designed for — flights of more than 10 hours that will be significantly longer than the Dreamliner's four-hour debut flight between Tokyo and Hong Kong.

Sloan says.

"We'll really see those advantages on a 14-hour flight.  A lot of these features will be much more apparent on ultra-long-haul flights. When you're exposed to those sort of conditions for 13 or 14 hours, that's when the Dreamliner will be at its best."

The first such service for the Dreamliner will start in January, when ANA will deploy the aircraft on a route between Tokyo and Frankfurt. Starting next year, United hopes to put its first Dreamliner on a long route of its own: Houston to Auckland, New Zealand. 

Until then, however, that leaves the question of whether ordinary travelers will be savvy enough to notice the 787's differences — such as the double armrests that will keep middle-seat customers from fighting over a single armrest.

Stephanie Wood says she isn't sure. 

"Will people notice those things? I don't know.  "They're nice features, but — for some — they may not."

 

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which is revolutionizing how jetliners are being built, takes to the skies October 26 for the first time with passengers on board. The jet was from Tokyo to Hong Kong by All Nippon Airways.

COMMENTARY:   The Dreamliner may well deliver on the flight improvements. But as more than 800 orders for the $185+ million plane piled up from airlines, the ambitious high-tech advances and far-flung manufacturing process caused world-class headaches. The delays gave Airbus time to develop its A350, a carbon-composite plane the Europeans claim will carry more passengers, fly farther and burn less fuel than the Dreamliner. 

Analyst Michael Boyd, president of the Boyd Group in Evergreen, Colo says. 

"The A350 is going to be a whale of a competitor. If Boeing could have brought out the 787 three years ago like they were supposed to, it really could have hurt Airbus." 

Even Boeing managers, whose predecessors were cavalier about the Dreamliner's challenges, say the company will reevaluate offshoring strategies for future planes. Yet Boeing's bacon may be saved by massive overall demand for jetliners. 

Boeing expects a $4 trillion world market for new aircraft over the next 20 years. Airlines must replace aging fleets. China and other emerging nations are expanding aviation. And most importantly, carriers need fuel-efficient planes. 

So Boeing is boosting commercial aircraft production by 40 percent over the next three years.

NOTE:  Boeing fucked up, pissed off a lot of customers, and many of those 800 orders could endup being cancelled due to the three year long delay.  Boeing executives are in China, Australia, Southeast Asia, Latin and South America, furiously negotiating with a dozen airlines to prevent massive cancellations of orders.  If those orders are cancelled, we could be seeing the end of Boeing as we know them, and lose another major manufacturer to Airbus.

Brief Description and Specifications: 

The Boeing 787-8/9 Dreamliner is a super-efficient airplane with new passenger-pleasing features. It will bring the economics of large jet transports to the middle of the market, using 20 percent less fuel than any other airplane of its size.

Seating: 

• 787-8:  210 to 250 passengers
• 767-9:  250 to 290 passengers

Range: 

• 787-8:  7,650 to 8,200 nautical miles (14,200 to 15,200 kilometers)
• 787-9:  8,000 to 8,500 nautical miles (14,800 to 15,750 kilometers)

Configuration: 

• Twin aisle

Cross Section: 

• 226 inches (574 centimeters)

Wing Span: 

• 197 feet (60 meters)

Length: 

• 186 feet (57 meters)
• 206 feet (63 meters)

Height: 

• 56 feet (17 meters)

Cruise Speed: 

• Mach 0.85

Total Cargo Volume: 

• 787-8:  4,400 cubic feet
• 787-9:  5,400 cubic feet

Maximum Takeoff Weight: 

• 787-8:  502,500 pounds (227,930 kilograms)
• 787-9:  545,000 lbs (247,208 kg)

Manufacturing Cost Savings and Efficiencies:

787 vs 777 on composites and aluminum (by weight):

• 787 - 50 percent composites, 20 percent aluminum
• 777 - 12 percent composites, 50 percent aluminum

Material breakout on 787:

• Composites - 50%
• Aluminum - 20%
• Titanium - 15%
• Steel - 10%
• Other - 5%

Fuel Efficiency:

• 20 percent more fuel efficient than similarly sized airplanes 

Carbon emissions:

• 20 percent fewer than similarly sized airplanes

Cash seat mile costs than peer airlines:

• 10 percent

Anticipated maintenance cost savings:

• 30 percent

Manufacturing cost savings:

• Less than 10,000 holes due to composites.
• 1 million less holes drilled than the 747
• 1,500 less aluminum sheets
• 80% reduction in fasteners

Sales Price, Size of Market and Firm Orders: 

Sales Price Per Unit:

• 787-8:  US$185.2 million (2010) 
• 787-9:  US$218.1 million (2010

Potential Market Size for 787:

• 3,310 units over 20 years (2009-2028) or $4 trillion

Firm Orders as of October 1, 2011:

• 787-8:  555
• 787-9L  266
• Total:  821

Comparison Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner versus Airbus A380

Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner Cutaway View

Click Image To Enlarge

Courtesy of an article dated October 27, 2011 appearing in USA Today and Boeing 

NABORS INDUSTRIES CHAIRMAN EUGENE ISENBERG 'RETIRES', TRIGGERS $100 MILLION EXECUTIVE PAYOUT, BECOMES "KING OF ONE PERCENTERS"

In one of the largest executive paydays in recent years, Nabors Industries Ltd. is giving its chairman $100 million in cash in a severance-style deal, even though he isn't leaving the company.

Eugene M. Isenberg, 81 years old, had been chairman and chief executive of the oil-drilling company since 1987. Late Friday afternoon, Nabors said it was promoting his longtime lieutenant, 57-year-old Anthony G. Petrello, to CEO, but that Mr. Isenberg would keep his job as chairman.

Nabors Industries Chairman Eugene Isenberg

The shift triggered a clause in Mr. Isenberg's employment contract, entitling him to a payment of $100 million "as a result of this change in responsibility," Nabors said in a regulatory filing.

The payment exceeds the Bermuda-registered company's third-quarter net income, which was $74.3 million on revenue of $1.66 billion.

By comparison, the highest-paid executive in the U.S. last year, according to a Wall Street Journal survey published in May, was Viacom Inc. CEO Philippe P. Dauman, whose 2010 compensation was valued at around $84.3 million. Of that, Mr. Dauman received $13.9 million in cash; much of the rest came in one-time stock and option awards tied to a contract renewal.

Workers of Nabors Industries mark drell pieces on a drilling rig in the Orinoco Belt near San Diego de Cabrutitas 300 miles from Caracas, Venezuela, in 2007

A Nabors spokesman declined to comment beyond Friday's filing.

A clause in Mr. Isenberg's contract, which was scaled back in 2009 after shareholders objected to an even-richer exit deal, called for the $100 million payout in the event of his death or disability, or under various termination scenarios, including "constructive termination without cause." That is defined as, among other things, his removal as either CEO or chairman.

The change in management at Nabors was decided at a board meeting in Bermuda late last week, according to William T. Comfort, an outside director. Asked how Mr. Isenberg took the news that he would no longer be CEO, Mr. Comfort said:

"Just like you would. If this is your life, clearly this is not fun for you."

Mr. Isenberg couldn't be reached for comment.

Mr. Comfort called Mr. Isenberg a "brilliant strategic thinker" who should get credit for building Nabors. But, he said, "clearly Tony [Petrello] had to take on this company. It was time."

Asked if there was a way the board could have avoided paying the $100 million severance, Mr. Comfort said,

"If there was, the board would have found a way to not pay it. It was contractual."

According to Mr. Isenberg's 2009 contract, he wouldn't have been entitled to the $100 million payout had he retired or resigned voluntarily.

Big severance packages have sparked corporate-governance controversies in the past, including a $140 million payment to Michael Ovitz in 1997 after his brief stint as president of Walt Disney Co. Robert Nardelli received an exit package valued at $210 million, including $20 million in cash, when he left Home Depot Inc. in early 2007.

Among current severance deals, Sanjay Jha, CEO of Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc., is in line for about $65.7 million if he leaves within two years after Google Inc. completes its pending acquisition of his company.

Mr. Isenberg has long been one of the highest-paid executives in the U.S. Not counting the latest sum, he has made almost $750 million since 1992, including the value of his exercised stock options, according to Standard & Poor's ExecuComp. In a Journal ranking, which used a slightly different formula, he was the nation's seventh-highest-paid U.S. executive over the decade ended in 2009, with compensation of $518 million, including salary, bonuses, the vesting of restricted stock and gains on the exercise of stock options.

Nabors Industries Ltd (NYSE:NBR)

In 2009, the Corporate Library, a corporate-governance research firm that is now part of GovernanceMetrics International, listed Mr. Isenberg as one of the previous year's five highest-paid, worst-performing U.S. executives.

The stock of Nabors has fallen 19% this year, and has underperformed the S&P 500-stock index for the prior one-year, five-year and 10-year periods. On Friday, the shares were up 1.7% at $19.05 in 4 p.m. trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

  

Nabors Industries Chairman & CEO Eugene Isenberg was interviewed by Bloomberg in 2008 after their second quarter earnings collapsed due to a drop in the price and demand for natural gas

Charles Elson, director of the Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance at the University of Delaware said. 

"I think shareholders will have some issues with this latest payment to Mr. Isenberg."

Mr. Elson said $100 million was exceptionally large for a severance-type payment, and almost unheard of when an executive is staying on as chairman, in theory a company's highest post.

Mr. Elson said.

"It's obviously governed by the contract, but from an outside standpoint this doesn't seem to be a severance event.  Severance means you're leaving the company."

It isn't clear when Mr. Isenberg will receive his $100 million payment, but Nabors said it would record a "contingent liability" for that amount in its fourth quarter.

According to Nabors's annual proxy statement, filed in April, Mr. Isenberg also would be due $26.4 million in other pay under various severance scenarios, including constructive termination. The other pay, from vesting of option and restricted stock awards, was based on Nabors's year-end 2010 stock price, which was higher than the current price. Mr. Isenberg also was entitled to another $3.6 million in a deferred compensation plan.

In the April filing, Nabors said "severance protection, particularly in the context of a change-in-control transaction, can play a valuable role in attracting and retaining key executive officers."

Mr. Isenberg's severance arrangement was a focus of a 2008 page-one article in The Wall Street Journal on "golden coffins," or unusual payments due to the estates of top executives upon their death. At the time, Mr. Isenberg's severance pay was even larger—at $264 million.

Amid pressure from unhappy shareholders, the board in 2009 renegotiated Mr. Isenberg's pay package and reduced his death and severance benefit to $100 million, in a deal that initially extended through March 2013. The board also reduced a similar death and severance benefit for Mr. Petrello, now CEO, to $50 million from $90 million. Mr. Petrello, who is deputy chairman and has been president of Nabors since 1991, previously was an attorney at Baker & McKenzie in New York.

Nabors said at the time of the reductions that the terms of the new contracts reflected "significant executive concessions," and were "substantially more favorable to the company and its shareholders."

For years, Mr. Isenberg has lived in Palm Beach, Fla., and has commuted to Nabors's operational headquarters in Houston. Records of Nabors-operated jets have shown frequent stops in Palm Beach, Martha's Vineyard, Mass., and New York, places where Mr. Isenberg has homes. A Nabors spokesman said previously that the company had offices in Palm Beach and Martha's Vineyard and that Mr. Isenberg is frequently in New York on business.

Mr. Comfort, the outside director, said Nabors "was everything" to Mr. Isenberg. "I don't think he ever stopped working." He said he isn't yet clear what Mr. Isenberg's duties will be as chairman. "If he wants to make it a productive role, he can make it a productive role."

Mr. Isenberg is an alumnus of and major donor to the University of Massachusetts, whose Isenberg School of Management is named for him.

COMMENTARY:    Nabors Canada markets a broad range of land rigs and ancillary services throughout Canada. These products and services are marketed under four major product lines:

NABORS DRILLING: This unit operates 86 drilling rigs including 12 state-of-the-art PACE™ rigs. Activity is primarily in Western Canada’s Sedimentary Basin. Four of the PACE™ rigs are heli-portable and one other 500 hp rig has been converted to heli-portable status. The heli-portable rigs are moved using a Russian MI26 helicopter capable of lifting 20 long tons. Nabors Drilling in Canada also operates eight coiled tubing rigs. These rigs allow the company to more aggressively participate in the shallow gas market domestically and internationally. Most of these are deployed in Western Canada’s Sedimentary Basin, but the company also drills in the eastern provinces and the Northern territories.  Oil rigs is Nabors bread-and-butter business.

• The PACE™ 750 - Is a programmable AC electric rig with PLC controls, allowing the driller to control the drawworks, the top drive, the mud pumps and virtually every other significant piece of equipment from a central control center. This compact, powerful rig was designed to drill to a broad range of depths in a variety of geographical and geological areas. It is engineered to move rapidly, reducing the time between wells.
• The PACE™ 1,500 - Is a larger version of the PACE™ 750. It is also programmable AC electric and PLC controlled, but has a stronger mast and substructure and an additional mud tank, allowing it to drill the deeper horizontal wells that are frequently required today.
  
  
• PACE™ 2000 AND PACE™ 3000 - Worldwide drilling is going deeper, especially for natural gas in the Middle East. All of this requires special purpose ultra-deep capacity drilling rigs. Nabors has been engaged in a proactive building program to meet this demand and has produced twelve 2,000 and five 3,000 HP rigs incorporating the latest in performance-enhancing features. These rigs are easily adapted to the “lift and roll” moving system and automated pipe handling systems, and are equipped with a system for pre-assembly of drill pipe stands.
• ARCTIC - Nabors pioneered cold-weather drilling, having drilled some of the most important wells on Alaska's North Slope and in Canada. The company is a leader in winterizing rigs for harsh environments and originally developed pad drilling techniques which are now being used all over the world to move rigs between wells more rapidly.
• SUPERSUNDOWNER MODS SERIES - Nabors continues to expand its fleet of proprietary MODS and SuperSundowner (SSD) offshore platform rigs. These rigs have realized extraordinarily high utilization due to their light weight, small footprint and ease of mobilization and demobilization. MODS rigs are drilling rigs available in 1,500-, 2,000- and 3,000-horsepower depth ratings while SuperSundowner rigs are ideally suited for heavy workover, re-entry and re-drilling applications, as well as medium-depth drilling projects. MODS rigs are designed specifically to accommodate the motion characteristics of deepwater floating SPAR and tension leg platforms, while SuperSundowners can easily be upgraded to similar capability.
• BARGE – 35,000' CAPABILITY - Nabors constructed barge Rig 300 in 2005 and has subsequently undertaken the construction of barge Rig 301 and barge Rig 100, both of which will deploy in early 2007. These rigs are geared towards the ultra-deep gas prospects in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Barge Rig 100 is designed for deep workover and/or shallow drilling, while barge Rigs 300 and 301 are capable of drilling to 35,000 feet in water depths as shallow as seven feet.
• WELL-SERVICING 200 SERIES - The new 200 series rig is ideal for servicing shallow, closely spaced wells in rugged terrain. Its shorter wheelbase and drive-in capability give the driver improved visibility and greater maneuverability, critical features when working in tight quarters. An advanced instrumentation system gives the operator real-time performance monitoring of the rig.
• WELL-SERVICING 400-500 SERIES - Millennium Rigs from Nabors Well Services are a breakthrough in workover and well-servicing. Six years in Millennium Rigs from Nabors Well Services are a breakthrough in workover and well-servicing. Six years in design and construction, they combine a variety of features which make them safer, more efficient, more durable and easier to operate. Available in 400- and 500-horsepower models, these rigs are designed to service the increasing population of deeper and more directional wells. A total of 39 are currently deployed, with another 141 scheduled for delivery by early 2009.

 

Rig 353 Rouighnecks working through the night on a Nabors oil rig

NABORS PRODUCTION SERVICES: Nabors Canada markets 154 service rigs including swab rigs, slant rigs and skid and mobile doubles and singles. The company introduced the industry’s first AC-powered service rig with PACE™ technology in 2008. Nabors Production Services provides reclamation, remediation and downhole abandonment services through its subsidiary company, Abandon-Rite. Swabbing and swabbing technology services are also available through subsidiary Swabtech and production testing is available through Nabors Production Testing.

ACADEMY SERVICES: Academy provides oilfield electrical services, maintenance and manufacturing. This division developed and continues to expand the PACE™ technology and also developed the proprietary Commander drawworks, which is only available on Nabors rigs. Academy was also responsible for the design and construction of the moving systems which have made Nabors rigs the standard for pad drilling. Academy also designed, engineered and manufactured the company’s innovative AC coiled tubing/ jointed pipe hybrid rig.

Incidentally, I looked it up, and Mr. Isenberg received total executive compensation of $44. million in 2007 (Ranked #8), $79.3 millin in 2008 (Ranked #8), but did not make the top 10 list in 2009 or 2010.  But, it sure looks like 2011 is going to make up for the last two years big time.  Only in America. 

Below is Forbes list of the Top 25 Highest Paid CEO's of the U.S. for 2010:

• John Hammergren - McKesson (Pharmaceuticals) - Compensation: $131.2 million
• Ralph Lauren - Polo Ralph Lauren  (Apparel) - Compensation: $66.7 million
• Michael Fascitelli - Vornado Realty (Real Estate) - Compensation: $64.4 million
• Robert Iger - Walt Disney (Entertainment) - Compensation: $53.3 million
• George Paz - Express Scripts (Healthcare) - Compensation: $51.5 million
• Jeffrey Boyd - Priceline.com (Internet) - Compensation: $50.2 million
• Lew Frankfort - Coach (Women's Apparel & Accessories) - Compensation: $49.5 million
• Stephen Hemsley - UnitedHealth Group (Managed Health) - Compensation: $48.8 million
• John D. Wren - Omnicom Group (Advertising) - Compensation: $45.6 million
• Michael Watford - Ultra Petroleum (Oil & Gas) - Compensation: $43.7 million
• John C Martin - Gilead Sciences (Biotech) - Compensation: $42.7 million
• James Dimon - JPMorgan Chase (Banking & Finance) - Compensation: $42 million
• Leslie Moonves - CBS (Broadcasting) - Compensation: $41.5 million
• John Plant - TRW Automotive Holdings (Auto parts) - Compensation: $41.1 million
• David Zaslav - Discovery Communications (Broadcasting) - Compensation: $40.7 million
• Laurence Fink - BlackRock (Investment Management) - Compensation: $39.9 million
• Richard Adkerson - Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold (Materials) - Compensation: $39.5 million
• James Hackett - Anadarko Petroleum (Oil & Gas) - Compensation: $38.9 million
• John Chambers - Cisco Systems (Technology) - Compensation: $37.9 million
• David Pyott - Allergan (Pharmaceuticals) - Compensation: $33.8 million
• Gregory Lucier - Life Technologies (Biotech) - Compensation: $33.8 million
• Charles Davidson - Noble Energy (Oil & Gas) - Compensation: $33.4 million
• Louis C. Camilleri - Philip Morris (Tobacco) - Compensation: $32.7 million
• Joe Tucci - EMC (Computer Services) - Compensation: $31.6 million
• Gregory Boyce - Peabody Energy (Coal) - Compensation: $30.7 million

The board of directors approve all executive compensation for corporations, whether public or private, and they should bear their share of the criticism for the outrageous payout for Mr. Isenberg.  Just so you know, here are the names of the individuals on the Nabors Industries board of directors:

• Eugene M. Isenberg, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Nabors Industries Ltd. 
• Anthony G. Petrello, Deputy Chairman, President and Chief Operating Officer, Nabors Industries Ltd.
• John Yearwood, Lead Director, Nabors Industries Ltd.
• William T. Comfort, Chairman, Citigroup Venture Capital
• Dr. John V. Lombardi, President, Louisiana State University System
• James L. Payne, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Shona Energy Company, Inc.
• Myron M. Sheinfeld, Counsel, King & Spalding, L.L.P.
• Martin J. Whitman, Director Emeritus
• Jack Wexler, Director Emeritus, In Memoriam (passed away April 2011)

I would like to know just what the hell a dead man (Jack Wexler) is doing on the board of directors. When you die, you are dead. Is somebody voting for this man?

Courtesy of an article dated October 31, 2011 appearing in The Wall Street Journal and an article dated October 12, 2011 appearing in Forbes

 

 

 

 

HOW HONEYWELL'S SMARTVIEW ENHANCED 3D TERRAIN "SYNTHETIC VISION SYSTEM" AIDS PILOTS TO LAND THEIR PLANES A LOT SAFER

The EVS/SVS system combines infrared imaging and GPS-generated graphics to guide airplane pilots to the runway in low-visibility conditions.

You know the computerized voice that intones "Terrain! Terrain! Pull up!" when Tom Cruise is about to crash his plane in Mission Impossible 2? It's real; a company called Honeywell invented it. They followed it up with the SmartView "synthetic vision system,"which extends the terrain-warning system into a 3-D visual display based on GPS data of every runway on earth (some of which Honeywell purchased from cash-strapped Russian spy agencies). And now they've combined SmartView with real-time infrared imaging called EVS, giving pilots a kind of augmented-reality view of runways so they can land planes safely even in crappy weather. Here's how it works:

 

The live feed from an infrared camera in the nose of the plane -- which can "see through" certain kinds of bad weather to reveal runway landing lights or other pertinent ground features -- is perfectly registered via GPS on top of a 3-D graphical view of the terrain, creating a "blended image" that gives pilots "enhanced situational awareness in low visibility conditions," says Bob Witwer of Honeywell’s Advanced Technology group. In English, that means they can see what they're doing even when they can't actually see what they're doing. Think of it as something like X-ray vision, minus the titillating applications.

Because the system (called EVS/SVS) is "all about enhancing safety," Witwer tells Co.Design, "there are a lot of subtleties to the design that really underscored a critical philosophy for us in this man/machine interface in aviation: don't give any info that the pilot doesn't need, and only provide infowhen he needs it." First, EVS/SVS doesn't use fancy heads-up displays or any specialty equipment -- it's displayed on the same LCD flight panels that pilots are already trained to rely on. And the somewhat primitive 3-D graphics look that way for a good reason. "Some early customer feedback asked why we couldn't make the synthetic terrain look photo-realistic -- but our philosophy is, there's detail that aids the mission and there's detail that becomes clutter," Witwer explains. "You want the real detail of the runway -- the landing lights and numbers. You don't want the pilot looking at the display and trying to see his house on the ground."

Other subtle "human factors" in the system's design include context-aware colorizing of the image: when the plane is on the ground, the infrared portion stays monochrome, but during flight (and landing maneuvers) when the blending between infrared video and synthetic graphics is most important, the infrared box includes slight colorization. "We still kept it visually distinct so there's absolutely no ambiguity about the synthetic, constructed portions of the image," says Witwer. "If a pilot is going to be staring at this display for multiple minutes, you need to provide the information in an intuitive way."

But EVS/SVS isn't intended to rewrite the rules of air safety; it can't magically "see" in all low-visibility conditions. ("You can actually use other electromagnetic methods to penetrate weather better than infrared," says Witwer, "but then the image isn't as sharp. It's a tradeoff.") What Honeywell wants is to simply enhance the information that pilots already rely on. A common safety rating known as "Category 1" requires planes to abort a landing attempt if they descend to 200 feet and still can't see the runway; using EVS/SVS, that safety "floor" can be pushed down to just 100 feet off the ground. "At 100 feet, if you can't make out key runway features with the naked eye, you still have to abort," says Witwer. "But that extra 100 feet of descent that EVS/SVS provides is often enough to get it done safely." That could translate into significant savings on fuel, since aborted landings mean circling for another attempt or diverting to another airport.

EVS/SVS isn't a formal product yet; Honeywell is still testing it. But the company expects to receive FAA approval as early as 2013. If the winter storms are as bad two years from now as they were this time around, Honeywell's safety-design innovations won't come a moment too soon.

COMMENTARY:  I often wondered how commercial airline pilots can land their plane at night and under thick cloud cover or fog.  The landings and takeoffs are always the "scary' part of flying for me.  

I looked into what technologies military and commercial airline pilots are presently using for landings and takeoffs under adverse conditions, and they call these systems HUD, which is is short for Heads-Up Guidance Systems.  Rockwell Collins calls their system HUD EVS.  The EVS stands for enhanced vision system.   Rockwell Collins HUD EVS is very similar to Honeywell's EVS/SVS, except you do not see the realistic terrain detail of the Honeywell EVS/SVS.  Here's a look at Rockwell Collins HUD EVS takeoff and landing guidance system:

 

HUDs are split into four generations reflecting the technology used to generate the images.

• First Generation - Use a CRT to generate an image on a phosphor screen, having the disadvantage of the phosphor screen coating degrading over time. The majority of HUDs in operation today are of this type.
• Second Generation - Use a solid state light source, for example LED, which is modulated by an LCD screen to display an image. These systems do not fade or require the high voltages of first generation systems. These systems are on commercial aircraft.
• Third Generation - Use optical waveguides to produce images directly in the combiner rather than use a projection system.
• Fourth Generation - Use a scanning laser to display images and even video imagery on a clear transparent medium.

Newer micro-display imaging technologies are being introduced, including liquid crystal display (LCD), liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS), digital micro-mirrors (DMD), and organic light-emitting diode (OLED).

Here's what the onboard HUD/SVS display looks like.  Notice the difference with the regular HUD/EVS above.

Sure looks like Honeywell's EVS/SVS airline HUD guidance system is going to be a winner.  If I were a pilot, the decision is obvious. 

Courtesy of an article dated March 25, 2011 appearing in Fast Company Design

By TwitterButtons.com  

 

 

 

 

 

'BREAKUP NOTIFIER' A FACEBOOK APP THAT TELLS YOU WHEN SOMEONE BREAKS UP, DOWNLOADED OVER 100,000 TIMES IN A SINGLE DAY

Want to stalk a potential love interest on Facebook?  There's an app for that.

A new app for the popular social networking site allows users to pick "friends" whose Facebook relationship status they'd like to monitor.

When that status changes, the stalker … er – user, is notified via email.

Beverly Hills-based software programmer Dan Loewenherz noted on a discussion board that he mostly created "Break-up Notifier" as a joke at the behest of his fiancée and her mother.

"I wasn't even sure if it was work at first," he told the News. "Yesterday I submitted it to a bunch of friends on Facebook and it just exploded."

Loewenherz crafted the app in about four hours after he overheard his fiancée and her mother seeking a suitable mate for his bride-to-be's sister.  Their first choice was already in a relationship and Loewenherz  asked (he claims jokingly) if they wanted a way to find out if he ever became single.

The next day, he made the app.

The free app attracted more than 100,000 users in less than 24 hours – from mostly the U.S., but as far as India and Belgium, Loewenherz said.

"I'm kind of shell-shocked," he added.

With the quick popularity, Loewenherz said he may begin to monetize his instant hit.

His early plan is to allow users to monitor two friend for free, then to charge $5 to keep tabs on up to seven people.

"I just really hope people use it for good, not evil," he said. "It's really a practical thing. If you're going to refresh someone's page 20 times a day, why not have an alert on it?"

When he's not creating Facebook stalking tools, Loewenherz said he quit his day job to work on another startup site – letscrate.com – which simplifies file sharing. Just recently he said, that site began to bring in revenue.

Other than that, he said, he's just a normal Yale grad living in Los Angeles. 

"I think a lot of people out there think I'm some sort of weirdo Facebook stalker," he said.  "But I made this mostly as a joke and like I said before I'm just blown away how many people are using it."

COMMENTARY:  It never ceases to amaze me that a "Breakup Notifier" app would get so many downloads in a single day.  I often advice entrepreneurs that their venture must fill a real need in the marketplace.  Looks like Dan Loewenherz found that need.  Congrats Dan.  You can download the app for free HERE, but Dan warns this is could change in the future.  That's the entrepreneurial spirit.  

As crazy as it sounds, this app could be used to track all kinds of events that might occur:

• Get a head start on a new job - Someone announces on Facebook, "I just quit my software engineer job at Google"   
• Get a head start on selling your Ferrari sports car - Someone announces on Facebook, "I think I am going to trade-in or sell my 2001 Ford Mustang, and get a new Ferrari"
• Get a head start on a bet - Someone announces, "I just bet $1,000 that the San Francisco Giants will win the World Series, does anybody want to take that bet?"

There is no limit to what despiration can do.  When will this silliness end?   

While we are on the subject of breakup's check out my blog post dated December 4, 2010 titled, "Just In Time For Valentine's Day: The Lover's Guide To When And Methods Used By Couples To Break-Up".   Dan, in case you read this, this could be the makings of a great new app called "BreakUp Time".  What do you think?  I want some residuals.

Courtesy of an article dated February 21, 2011 appearing in the New York Daily News

THE MOVIE "THE KING'S SPEECH", AND THE REAL SPEECH BY KING GEORGE VI ON SEPTEMBER 3, 1939 DECLARING WAR ON GERMANY

I thought it would be interesting to review the events leading up to and after England's King George VI's famous radio broadcast "Speech" declaring war on Germany on September 3, 1939 and the movie trailer of the movie "The King's Speech".

On September 1, 1939 Germany invades Poland, and British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain declares war on Germany:

 

Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's radio broadcast announcing that England was at war with Germany:

 

Audio and a picture of King George VI's famous speech of September 3, 1939 to his British subjects announcing that England was at war with Germany:

 

 

 

"The King's Speech" official movie poster and trailer.  Starring Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush. The film has been nominated for 12 Academy Awards:

 

England's Prime Minister Winston Churchill's famous "We Shall Never Surrender" speech following the Dunkirk disaster:

 

Japan attacks Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1949 and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's famous speech declaring war on Japan:

 

Adolf Hitler declares war on the United States (3-parts). Man that punkass could talk up a storm:

 

 

 

COMMENTARY:   I think "The King's Speech" will win it all.   Enjoy and learn something.

Courtesy of yours truly

HANNA EMILIE ERNSTING DESIGNS THE 'MOOD COACH' TO SATISFY YOUR BITCHIEST MOODS

Hanna Emelie Ernsting creates a mighty morphin' sofa for the many shades of the human condition.

Furniture designers love to talk about the ways their seating “encourages interaction” and “engenders conversation” and “fosters intimacy.” Which is great, if you like people. For the rest of us, there’s Moody, a clever little couch that morphs to fit our inner Howard Hughes.

The sofa, the idea of recent product-design grad Hanna Emelie Ernsting, has nearly 10 extra feet of fabric hanging off its frame, perfect for being pulled up over your head and around your body to create a soft shield from the world -- furniture shorthand for “leave me the hell alone.” (You can practically see the morose 14-year-olds lining up for this thing.)

Or you could roll the fabric out on the floor like a bed if you’re feeling lazy or throw it all over the place if you’re in the grip of a red-hot temper tantrum. The beauty of the couch is that it can be manipulated to suit every last whim. Think of it as the living-room equivalent of an emoticon.

Ernsting showed the couch as part of a bigger collection -- which includes a Moody chair and a Moody “nest” -- at the design fair IMM Cologne recently. More info on her website here.

COMMENTARY:   The Mood Coach.  What a splendid idea.  I like the Moody Nest coach and Moody Bag the most.  There is something definitely feminine, unorthodox, sensual and naughty about Hanna's designs.  I can definitely visualize Marilyn Monroe, Lady Gaga and Madonna laying provocatively in her Mood Coach.   I am not into the red color fabric, preferring more earthy color tones.  The Mood Coach combinations are endless.  I would like to see Hanna include patterns too.  I think Hanna definitely has found her niche.   Danke!

 

Courtesy of an article dated January 24, 2011 appearing in Fast Company Design

WORLD CLASS ARCHITECT BJARKE INGELS DESIGNS A WASTE TO ENERGY PLANT THAT DOUBLES AS A SKI SLOPE

The latest from the Danish powerhouse is billed as a model of what founder Bjarke Ingels calls "hedonistic sustainability."

Just when you thought Bjarke Ingels had conquered every last corner of his native Copenhagen, the 36-year-old starchitect has gone and unveiled plans for yet another building on home turf, this one even wilder than the last: It’s an energy plant that doubles as a downhill ski resort.

The Waste-to-Energy Plant rises up over Copenhagen like a hulking mountain, its winding roof transformed into a 333,700-square-foot artificial ski slope, multiple runs all. The structure will incorporate the “the latest technologies in waste treatment and environmental performance,” the press release from Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) says, and replaces the 40-year-old Amagerforbraending energy behemoth next door. “Instead of considering the new Amagerforbraending as an isolated architectural object,” the release says, “the building is conceived as an opportunity to create a destination.”

The absurdity of the notion -- of converting an epicenter of waste into a happy funzone -- takes on epic proportions when you consider this: Copenhagen is dead flat. The only skiing to be done there is cross country. So Ingels is simultaneously introducing an entirely new form of entertainment (sure to draw at least a few curious tourists away from Tivoli) and giving Danes what they’ve perhaps always secretly wished for: a taste of the highlands across the North Sea.

BIG won the 3.5 billion Danish crown (about $644 million) project in a design competition against foreign heavyweights like Wilkinson Eyre Architects and Dominique Perrault Architecture, and Denmark’s own rising star 3XN.

This isn’t BIG’s first time throwing up mountains in Copenhagen. Nor is it the architects' first time wrapping environmental conscientiousness in playful packaging. “The new waste incineration plant is an example of what we at BIG call Hedonistic Sustainability – the idea that sustainability is not a burden, but that a sustainable city in fact can improve our quality of life,” Ingels says. “The Waste-to-Energy plant with a ski slope is the best example of a city and a building which is both ecologically, economically and socially sustainable.”

And yet, it’s unclear exactly how green the whole thing will be. Artificial ski slopes are notoriously energy intensive. That said, this one has the benefit of being completely outdoors, which slashes cooling loads, plus the slope itself will be made from a recycled synthetic that’s kinder to the environment than your average fake ski run. The building’s exterior is billed as a “vertical green façade” with planters stacked like bricks (see below). The surrounding land will be turned into a recreational park.

As for the energy plant: The press writeup describes a modified smokestack that’ll emit smoke rings every time 1 ton of fossil CO2 is released “serving as a gentle reminder of the impact of consumption.” Aside from that, the writeup is short on specifics that support the idea of the plant as a model of hedonistic sustainability, though if Ingels says it’ll be green, we’re inclined to believe him. The guy’s awfully good at getting his way.

The Waste-to-Energy Plant is slated for completion in 2016. For more Co.Design coverage of BIG, go here.

COMMENTARY:  Bjark Ingels is one incredible architect.  You have to hand it to the Danish.

Courtesy of an article dated January 26, 2011 appearing in Fast Company Design

INFOGRAPHIC: WHY IS MARRIAGE GRADUALLY DISAPPEARING AND WHY DO SO MANY OF THEM FAIL?

You'll be surprised to see who values marriage the most in modern America.

American marriages have never been more precarious. But why do marriages fall apart, and how are families changing as a result?

The following infographic, by Tiffany Farrant and PromotionalCodes.org.uk, casts a piercing eye on the institution. Based on the annual report by The National Marriage Project, it paints a picture of marriage becoming a less and less relevant factor in the way American's live and raise children. The short version: Marriage is simply shrinking as a cultural value; where 66% of women over 15 were married in 1960, the figure has shrunk every decade since.* Now, it's just 51%:

But perhaps the most surprising fact is who is getting married -- and staying married. Conservative pundits will gleefully tell you that the educated elite are busy destroying every last thing that America holds dear, with family values being at the top of the list. (At the same time, when Levi Johnston first promised to marry Bristol Palin, this was held as some sort of ideal. How'd that work out?) But the fact is that being educated, making more money, waiting on kids, getting married late, and being religious are the most reliable indicators that your marriage will last.

Now, to say that marriage is disappearing isn't to say that people are opting to remain single. Rather, it appears that couples are living together in presumably monogamous relationships without getting married at all, while child rearing has become more and more disconnected from the institution of marriage.

*You might think that one very small reason is the fact that the legal age of marriage has changed over time, but the researchers have controlled for this using statistical methods.

COMMENTARY:    I have known about this for sometime when I spoke with a wedding planner, and she told me that her business was down about half.   The subject of marriages came up and she revealed that marriages were down about 25%, which correlates with decline in the institution of marriage.

I am not the best person to give marriage advice, but I believe that there are several reason's marriage is on the decline:  

1. Dramatic generational changes that have occurred since the 1960's. Women work, have careers, and are more self-sustaining, and not dependent on their husband in the event of a divorce.  
2. Co-habitation is in.  It's the best way to "test the waters", and determine if your partner is someone you want to spend your life with.   50% of marriages fail within five years. That's not a very good batting average, no wonder couples prefer not to marry.
3. Open and casual relationships are much more common, with partner's ending a relationship at the drop of a hat.  Males and females alike often have several casual partners either for dating or sex.

On December 4, 2010, I would like to share with you a blog post titled, "THE LOVER'S GUIDE TO WHEN, HOW AND THE METHODS USED BY COUPLES TO BREAK-UP", which I found very amusing. 

Courtesy of an article dated January 18, 2011 appearing in Fast Company Design

AN OLD DUTCH CHURCH IS REDESIGNED INTO A GORGEOUS HOUSE BY ZECC ARCHITECTS, THE NETHERLANDS

Holland is to church architecture what Florida is to subprime real estate. The Dutch God industry has been gutted, and the country now faces a vexing problem of demand: too many houses of worship, too few people willing to fill them.

One smart solution could be to do what Zecc Architects and Thomas Haukes have done: turn the vacant buildings into chichi townhouses (deluxe real estate being a sort of religion of its own among the moneyed set). In Utrecht, the designers revamped a vaulting 19th-century brick church to resemble a hip Tribeca loft. Gone are the pulpits and the altars and the endless pews and the little old Dutch ladies worrying their Rosaries. In their stead, you’ve got bleached white walls and aggressively cool contemporary art -- all arranged under a 46-foot-tall nave, the original 1911 stained glass windows throwing light just yonder.

Architects like to say that the greenest buildings are the ones that are already built. That certainly seems to be the case here. Zecc preserved the structure’s shell (and, thus, its embodied energy), but drastically altered the interior by adding what they call “a sculpture” -- basically, a building within a building. There, they stowed the bedrooms, a study room, and a bathroom, ensuring that much of the structure’s heating and cooling are confined to a small space. It also gives the building some much-needed human scale. Neat as old churches are, you don’t really want to be reminded that God is watching you while you’re on the can.

All of which goes a long way toward saying that St. Jakobus Church is an excellent case study in how to adapt abandoned churches -- which litter Holland, yes, but much of Europe, too -- for the secular age. Now, for the exciting news: The church is for sale! Zecc Architecten built it on spec for the client Woonkerk XL, meaning that if you happen to live in Holland and you happen to have more money than God (we assume, we actually have no idea how much this thing costs), it can be yours for the taking. We’d happily buy it. Alms for the poor?

COMMENTARY:   Very lovely.  These guys at Zecc Architects do great work.  Checkout their website.  I think you will also agree.

Courtesy of an article dated January 21, 2011 appearing in Fast Company Design