An #Outsider Newsflash On Our #Kickstarter-Backed Projects

It has been an interesting 24 hours as we have been assessing on-going development with our Kickstarter-Backed projects.  We have just received the following updates which we wanted to report on as we eagerly await the arrival of the products:

10 Mission unicorn horn completed! Thank you! Posted by John McLear

► Play video You did it again, you gorgeous superstars!  Thank you! Special thanks to the Kickstarter community, NFC Ring community, NFC Ring ambassadors and all project contributors (of which there are too many to list). It's been a bit of a rollercoaster over these last few weeks, but you helped us sprint over the line and even managed to unlock a stretch goal in the last moments! So what's next? Tomorrow we will put out an update with a guide for how to get your ring size.  Please don't message us with your ring size. We will send a Survey for you to provide your ring size. The "I want it now rings" will ship Monday morning, we will need your ring size over the weekend to get them shipped on time. We will be putting out an update in a few days to talk about the Helios inlay cover options, this will be community decided, if you want to share some thoughts on it please share them here! 25 C.H.I.P. Does Computer Things!!! (aka Debian on C.H.I.P.) Posted by Next Thing Co. https://vimeo.com/143228872 With December deadlines in sight, it's about time C.H.I.P. does computer things! Debian means we are go for GUI (graphical user interface).  GUI means we are go for computer things!  (and super slick projects like C.H.I.P.py Ruxpin too) Wynter shows off C.H.I.P. GUI which is an excess of acronyms. Our Software Doges, Alex, Wynter and Andrew, have been hacking away to flash Debian to our tiny little 9 dollar computers. And now it's here, in all its flashable glory!  Calling all Kernel Hackers and CHIP-SDKers!  Start your adventures with Debian on C.H.I.P. at 42.nextthing.co orGitHub.  Keep in mind, this is our first C.H.I.P. Debian build, so while everything may not be perfect just yet, we're hard at work to get it there. Love release notes? Check out something resembling such on bbs.nextthing.co! Alex and Wynter both love flashing and talking about flashing NAME YOUR OPERATING SYSTEM!!!  What’s in a name? A C.H.I.P. OS by any other name would boot just as sweet...right?  We say why the heck shouldn't we give it a sweet name?! We're calling on you C.H.I.P.sters!  What should we call your Debian on C.H.I.P.?  Tweet us your suggestions at@nextthingco using #CHIPDebian! (there may be a super secret prize for the winner...) The software team, an important part of the jury, waiting to be impressed. THE C.H.I.P. COMMUNITY  They Live!  The forums are frothing with knowledge, know-how and nonsense (of the kind most fun!).  Shout out to our SuperHackers renzo, mrIowaIowa, soderstrom & nbastin, who collectively and successfully hacked Debian onto C.H.I.P.before our flashing tools were available!  Join them and the growing conversation at bbs.nextthing.co!   For documentation, including new Debian tutorials, visit42.nextthing.co. Stalk us on Twitter!  We love sharing C.H.I.P. progress and showering tweeters with GIFs.  We're @nextthingco and we love hearing about your C.H.I.P. plans (and your suggested C.H.I.P. OS names!) A sample NTC tweet, full of encouragement. SHIPPING UPDATES  Currently, we’ve only shipped Alpha C.H.I.P.s to those who backed at the kernel hacker reward level (we call them KHBs - Kernel Hacker Backers). Stand alone C.H.I.P. pledges begin shipping in December (soon. very soon) and continue through March with PocketC.H.I.P.s and display adapters shipping by May of 2016.  We are still on track to meet our estimated shipping timelines!  If you’re curious when your reward is estimated to ship, check your pledge on Kickstarter.  Moved recently? Moving soon? Update your address anytime at chip.backerkit.com. Forgetful? No worries! We’ll send an address confirmation email 2-3 days before we ship your C.H.I.P.(s).  Jonesing for another C.H.I.P.? Sign up for the preorder announcement at nextthing.co! mmmtc (much much more to come) (⌐■_■) - everyone at NTC (especially Alex) Alex flashing C.H.I.P.s, as he is all out of bubblegum.

An #Outsider Newsflash (Special Edition): One of our Kickstarter Backed Projects Has Funded!!

Our team was pleased to add its' name to NFC 2016.    We just got word that it has been funded and our pledge has been collected.     We are eager to see it "real soon"!!!

	Great news! Thanks to you and 1,745 others, NFC Ring 2016 Range. One Smart Ring. Unlimited Possibilities has been successfully funded. Your pledge has been charged, funds will soon be transferred to the creator, and they’ll begin working on their project.
	NFC Ring 2016 Range. One Smart Ring. Unlimited Possibilities by John McLear Visit project
	Reward Two 2016 NFC Rings, Apps and eight Sweet Spot Stickers. Estimated delivery  Dec 2015 Shipping to  United States (£9)
	If John McLear needs any information from you to send out your reward — like a mailing address or T-shirt size — they’ll send you a survey as soon as they’re ready. Now for the fun part: you get to follow along behind the scenes as the creator turns their idea into a reality. They’ll keep you informed with project updates, and you can cheer them on in comments and messages. Leave one to share your excitement! Thanks again for supporting this project!

On #techwatch: An #Outsider newsflash re: #Google & #Yahoo

We just received this at our Virtual Studios--quite a development:

Featured story

Yahoo & Google Together Again In New Search Deal   Oct 20, 2015 by Danny Sullivan Three-year deal to put Google’s results and ads into some of Yahoo’s search results needs US Department of Justice approval and still might get vetoed by India or EU action.

Notations On Our World: #BackToTheFutureDay is Today!!!!

Today is "Back to the future Day".     Our team received this yesterday from the White House which we wanted to feature on--it should be a fun one as a lot of things on that day when the movie came out they got rightr!!!

We hope all join this day of "Fun" and do try and "Hang out" with the White House!!!

THE WHITE HOUSE

Tomorrow is Back to the Future Day: Great Scott! Tomorrow marks an important day in American history (or, at least, in American cinematic history): It's the date to which Marty McFly traveled into the "future" in Back to the Future Part II. We've come a long way in the 30 years that have passed since the original Back to the Future came out. We're going to spend tomorrow talking about where we're going in the next 30. Tomorrow, we'll host a series of conversations with scientists and innovators across the government and the country. You'll be able to ask them questions, watch videos explaining their cutting-edge developments, and share your answer to a simple question we'll be asking people all day long: What does 2045 look like? Take a look at the schedule, get your questions ready, and follow along all day long at WhiteHouse.gov/Back-To-The-Future. You can share your thoughts and ask your questions using hashtag #BackToTheFutureDay. Here's a quick look at what you can look forward to over the course of the day: A conversation with physicists about the future of time travel A demo of a real-life "invisibility cloak" A virtual panel about breakthroughs in our study of the human brain A conversation about the future of autonomous vehicles And a lot more. We can't wait to start the conversation. (But to be clear, where we're going -- we're probably still going to need roads.) (cc: Members of Congress holding up transportation funding). Talk to you tomorrow! The White House Team

Notations From the Grid: "Thoughts 4 the Week"

Our team decided to share a "compilation of thoughts" for the week  which  we felt goes to the heart of the how creating and achieving a "Vision of the Possible" is within reach if the commitment is truly there:  

“If you compare your relationships, your success,
or your anything against anyone else,
you are not being fair to you.
Everyone has a different path, a different pace,
and different challenges to face along the way.”~ Doe Zantamata

There is no pillow so soft as a clear conscience ~ French Proverb

Good morning and welcome back!

Today is Evaluate Your Life Day.
Evaluate Your Life Day gives us the opportunity to pause and reflect upon our life, where it's been, and where it's going.

Thus, I find it fitting that today's mentor chat be based on an evaluation tool and mantra from the late/great Steve Jobs:

... Go to post

Notations On Our World: On an Eye On the Future: Solar Decalathalton

Our home turf of Orange County was the home to Solar Decathalon 2015.   It is now history!!!

Member of our team had a chance to visit and tour the exhibits at Irvine's Great Park providing a true vision of the future.  What was different this year that each contenstant had to have an electric car, drive it for 25 miles and then able to charge the car from the solar energy generated.    Of all the houses showcased, the one that caught our team's eye was a 120,000 Solution that was done by a team with the Western New England University and universities in Peru and Panama :    The leader, though, was an entry from the Stevens Institute of Technology.   Team Orange County was also in full force with a very vibrant entry deemed Casa Del Sol which was a collaborative effort between UC Irvine, Champan University and Saddleback College: What is clear is that the future has arrived and it is here.    It was gratifying to see this report from @OC Renewables on their visit to the California ISO and the concerted effort to go "all green" in this endeavor.   It is in the end about creating the ultimate "Vision of the Possible":  More information: California ISO Real Time Generation Latest OCR Blog Post I visited California ISO.  It was awesome. The latest blog post at OCR is about my Oct 2 visit to California ISO.  What is Cal ISO you ask?  Only one of the largest electrical grid operators in the world, and the place responsible for the heath and operation of the California Electrical System.  My esteemed colleague Russ Jones and I were there to discuss the impact of renewables on the grid now and in the future.  Did you know that CA already has 9 GW of solar PV on the grid?!  Almost 20% of all generation! Please check out the post for other fascinating details about my visit to the BRAIN of the electrical system of the world's 7th largest economy.   ~ Adam Plesniak, Managing DirectorOCrenewables.org

Notations For the W-End (Special Edition): On #Strength

One of the daily "must reads" for us here @ #Outsiders is a Minute with Maxwell that +John Maxwell 's organization publishes daily.    Our team settled on this for this special edition of "Notations For the Week-End" to underscore how anything can be possible to achieve a "Vision of the Possible" as our team embarks upon a new week: 

Today's Word of the Day STRENGTH Dear Friend, Today’s word is “strength”. I am overjoyed to be with Sonja Jones, who was a contestant on the hit reality show, “The Biggest Loser” and lost 144 lbs. Sonja is the perfect example of strength. Every day she has to do something that is not natural, fight a battle, change her habits, become disciplined, and find and use inner strength. No matter what your battle is or what you’re trying to achieve, you can find the resolve and make a positive change. Find your strength. Use it. If Sonya can do it, you can do it. Click the image, watch the video, leave us your comments and then pass it along to others, and together we can enrich the world. Enjoy! Your friend, John C. Maxwell Click Here to Play Video Inspire someone else by sharing today's message. http://johnmaxwellteam.com/2015-strength

The Friday Musical Interlude: Oscar Peterson Plays "Mirage".....

It is time for the Friday Musical Interlude here in #Outsiders.   We hope all enjoy this selection from our Artist of the Week, Oscar Peterson as he performs:  Mirage:

Notations From the Grid: On our #BluePlanet

Our team has been "on the prowl" despite our initial guidance to "scale back" our work as we prepared for Daily Outsider 2.x, we have decided that it is critical for us to continue on-going development.

It has been quite a day in our World on the political front.     One of the more interesting things we saw was the awarding of the Blue Planet Prize to Professor Jeffrey Sachs.   As we hope to have comments on it soon, we wanted to share this "newsflash from the grid" on the true state of our World: 

"Either we will change our ways...or they will be changed for us" http://t.co/VoFrFNFO @guardian #blueplanetprize

— Green Cross Denmark (@GreenCrossDK) February 21, 2012

Notations On Our World: #Visionaries at the forefront of creating a "Vision of the Possible".....

We have been hard at work on "Daily Outsider 2.x" but the journey is not stopping by any means!!!   As our team was on the "prowl" for the day on the "Daily roundup", it ran across this that was on +The New York Times NYtimes Now App that was such a beautiful Story.  It is about those at the forefront of change to truly work to create a "Vision of the Possible" and we wanted to feature it here.

It is such a joy to be witness to history here in #outsiders.....

NYT Now: Five Visionary Tech Entrepreneurs Who Are Changing the World

Read more…
Download NYT Now on the App Store

An #Outsider Newsflash: An Update Re: #Outsider 2.X

Our team has been working on "Daily Outsider 2.x" for a number of weeks now as the Daily curation and development has continued.   Over the next two weeks, we would be "scaling back" our Daily Columns/Updates to focus on assessing the current state and gearing up for Daily Outsider 2.0 during the First Week in November.   Our team will continue on-going development of the following:

• The Daily "Twitter" Curation at @DailyOutsider
• The Friday Muscial Interlude
• The Daily Update (From our Founder)

We are grateful for all the support and very excited about the opportunity to serve as we look to a future that is ever so bright:

Notations On Our World: On the Transformation of Technology w/Windows 10 & #Dell

One interesting company that seems to have had a "second life" is Microsoft.    Between the new Surface Book and other innovations, it seems to be on all cylinders.

As we continue to be amazed at Microsoft's "Second Life", we also have been quite amazed at what has been done with Windows 10 and the statistics published and available through one of our daily "must reads" here at #outsiders: +Business Insider : 

Windows 10 is the fastest-selling version of Windows in at least a decade 

Microsoft needed a hit with Windows 10, and it looks like it's got one.

According to statistics from NetMarketShare, compiled here by Statista, Windows 10 is now on 6.6% of all desktop computers accessing the web. Not surprisingly, that's a lot faster adoption than Windows 8, which was poorly received.

 
Microsoft has seen the light as other players are also scrambling to adapt to the new realities.   Microsoft has seen the "light" on the cloud with OneDrive and its' associated services.   Others are not standing idly by either especially as Dell just pulled off the biggest deal in Tech as it agreed to buy EMC for $ 67 Billion Dollars.    The new reality is here and now.    As we went to press, Fortune's Alan Murray published this which was quite interesting to note:

October 13, 2015

The Tweet of the Day yesterday came from Chris Dixon of Andreessen Horowitz, who asked: "Someone please explain why HP is splitting up while Dell and EMC are merging despite the fact they are in exactly the same business?" Good question. HP CEO Meg Whitman sent a memo to staff predicting the Dell-EMC merger would result in "chaos." In a statement released publicly, HP said: "This is a real opportunity for HP. Two of our largest competitors are attempting a highly distracting, multi-year merger, just as we are launching two new, focused companies. The massive debt burden Dell and EMC are taking on undoubtedly means that they will have to radically reduce R&D, and integration inevitably will create disruption as they rationalize product portfolios, channel programs and leadership." That's strong stuff. But there are clearly two sides to this debate. HP's split is partly to satisfy public investors who like focused investments - something privately-owned Dell won't have to worry about. A question for Whitman: would HP have split if it had had a private option? Worth noting that when we asked Fortune 500 CEOs earlier this year whether their company would be easier to manage if it were private,84% said "yes." Meanwhile, Joe Tucci's exit from EMC will come with a big paycheck. Equilar calculates that the company's change of control provisions mean Tucci could walk away with $27.2 million. Enjoy the day. I'll be spending it with Fortune's Most Powerful Women in Washington, where I'll ask another big tech competitor, IBM CEO Ginni Rometty, what she makes of the Dell deal. Alan Murray @alansmurray alan.murray@fortune.com

Interesting times indeed......

View of the Week: On Climate Change....

We experienced a heatwave in Orange County, California (our Home county) this weekend.   This is as we are in the midst of October and supposed to be on the "cool side".   Other parts of Southern California experienced triple digit tempreatures--although we're supposed to be witness to "rain".

This timely thought from +TED was quite on target as our World continues to be witness On the profound challenge of climate change.    For the Vision of the Possible to be sustained and enhanced, the admonitions discussed here must be embraced--The question is whether the courage is there to do it especially as the countdown to the Paris Conference is at hand:  

Imagine the hottest day you've ever experienced. Now imagine it's six, 10 or 12 degrees hotter. According to climate researcher Alice Bows-Larkin, that's the type of future in store for us if we don't significantly cut our greenhouse gas emissions now. She suggests that it's time we do things differently—a whole system change, in fact—and seriously consider trading economic growth for climate stability. Watch »

On the Eve of A New Week: On #Dreams......

It is the eve of a another week here in the #Outsiders network.    Our team chose this from +Jonathan Huie that goes to the heart of the mission of "Visions" and the broad objective we've had for Outsiders which we hope serves as an inspiration for all:

Enthusiasm is not the same as just being excited.
One gets excited about going on a roller coaster.
One becomes enthusiastic about creating and building a roller coaster.
- Bo Bennett

If you have zest and enthusiasm
you attract zest and enthusiasm.
Life does give back in kind.
- Norman Vincent Peale

The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age,
which mean never losing your enthusiasm.
- Aldous Huxley

Onward!!!

Notations From the Grid: Thought For the Week

Our team ran across this which we wanted to share that underscores a simple notion of how a "Vision of the Possible" can be made possible.     This is ever so true know as we reflected upon and reported on the horrific day in Turkey yesterday in our Ordinary Faces Channel:



Our team could not help but wonder who will be this generation's Ataturk.