Daily Archives: March 25, 2021

Patches send 16 messages per patch as well as patch specific Expression, Utility Jack and MIDI Clock settings with a total of 210 patches available.

Unique Patch Names Each patch can be given a unique 8-character name for quick reference on the home screen.

Message Types The Futurist has built in shortcuts for programming PC, CC, Note On and Note Off messages as well as a Manual option to program any kind of MIDI message making The Futurist accessible to those who are new to MIDI and also robust enough for veterans. Send any kind of MIDI message.

Custom Message Slots A big frustration with MIDI is keeping track of all the different messages for your gear. With the custom message slots, you only need to look it up once. With 10 nameable Custom Message Slots it is quick and easy to setup a new preset with your most used MIDI messages.

USB Midi communication over USB, manage presets and update firmware (with Matthews Effects Editor), and power The Futurist.

3.5mm TRS Midi In/Out connect directly to devices that use a TRS connection for MIDI and can be used with adapters to connect to inch MIDI connections.

5 pin Midi In/Out Connect to devices that use the traditional 5 pin midi connector. The jack can be internally set to be an In or Out connection with dip switches. Default set to output.

Utility JackConfigurable to send analog tap tempo signals or as a latching or momentary switch.

Control Jack Plug in an expression pedal to dynamically send Control Change messages over MIDI or configure the jack to accept 3 additional switches to expand the functionality of the futurist.

Launching with The Futurist is our own Matthews Effects Editor software that comes packed full of features to make your life with MIDI as easy and effective as possible!

Organize Patches Fully edit any patch from any bank on the Futurist and edit each patches 16 messages and patch specific Expression, Utility Jack and MIDI Clock settings from the comfort of your computer.

Smart Editor Wizard- Programming MIDI has never been easier or more accessible! Simply choose the Make, Product, the action you want to take, program and it will automatically generate the needed message! Let us worry about how MIDI works so you can focus on creating music!

Global Settings Control Adjust all global settings and features on the Futurist from your computer.

Custom Messages Save messages into custom slots with unique names to quickly program your favorite functions eliminating the need to constantly look them up when programming a new patch. Edit the custom messages on your device and keep an expanded list saved in the Matthews Effects editor software on your computer.

Share Patches and Custom Messages Export and share your patches and custom messages with the community and help us make MIDI even more accessible to everyone!

Update Firmware Use the Matthews Effects Editor to update your devices firmware.

LEDS Indicates which patch was selected last or will display the tap BPM.

Switch 1 Activates the first patch of each bank, Bank Up/Bank Down when held down or (pressed in conjunction with Switch 4) open Main Settings Menu. When inside menus, Switch 1 will scroll/move you left or decrease your menu selection.

Switch 2 Activates the second patch of each bank.When inside menus, Switch 2 will cancel the selection, move back to previous menu, or exit to home screen if in the main menu.

Switch 3 Activates the third patch of each bank. When inside menus, Switch 3 will move you right or increase your menu selection.

Switch 4 Activates the fourth patch of each bank. When inside menus, Switch 4 is used to enter different menus or confirm values/options.

Rick Matthews obsesses over every last detail in creating the highest quality and intuitive pedals available. This commitment to excellence is on full display with The Futurist. Rick personally spent months engineering and tailoring the Futurist to make it the most accessible midi controller on the market.

Read more here:
The Futurist Controller - Matthews Effects

David Houle| Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Last fall I had a couple of Zoom calls with two futurists for whom I have a great deal of respect.We talked about what we saw going on in the world, what the lasting effect of the global pandemic might be and what is ahead for this decade.We all came to an agreement that one of the great futurists we all read years ago, and have come back to for wisdom, hadsuccinctly suggested where in fact we are right now, 50 years ago.

R. Buckminster Fuller,inventor of the geodesic domeand several other spectacular things, wrote a book in 1969 called Utopia or Oblivion: the Prospects for Humanity.In it he suggested that in several decades humanity would come to a fork in the road, the two roads being utopia and abundance on one side and a mindless road to oblivion on the other.

Whether it is to be Utopia or Oblivion will be a touch-and-go relay race right up to the final moment … Humanity is in a final exam as to whether or not it qualifies for continuance in the Universe, wrote Fuller.

The three of us Gerd Leonhard (futuristgerd.com/),Glen Hiemstra (futurist.com/), and I all saw that the decade of the 2020s wasthe fork in the road that Fuller wrote about more than 50 years ago.

As futurists who peer into the future for a living, study macro-trends and arcs of history into the present, we all see this decade as the chance to fully, proactively create the road to the future that we want, rather than unknowingly, mindlessly heading down a road to a more dystopic future.Not that we are in the last stages of anything but rather that so many big, rapidly developing dynamics will occur this decade that we must collectively face them to shape them into the good future we want for ourselves and our children and grandchildren.

We wrote the #forkintheroadproject Manifesto and put it up on our new website. On the websiteforkintheroadproject.comyou can read the manifesto, read about the three of us, read our blog and also see the presentation that was made at our first global Zoom call.This first meeting of the #forkintheroadproject collective had futurists from the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Australia, the U.K., Spain, South Africa and Brazil.In addition, there were a couple of noted science fiction writers, media executives, producers, and thought leaders.

We all understand the longer-term consequences. We all see that if humanity wants a future that is positive, places humanity first, faces the immediate-to-long-term threat of the climate crisis and undertakes an inclusive discussion about the future of technological intelligence, genetic modification, the reinvention of capitalism to align with the realities of the 21st century, we must act with urgency between now and 2030.

We admire and acknowledgesuch organizations as the U.N, the World Economic Forum, the B Team, Singularity University and the Millennium Project (whose executive director is an initial signer of our manifesto), that see the need for massive reorganization of how economics and humanity currently existon Earth as soon as possible.We cheer them on and see many well-intentioned efforts underway. Many of these groups are well-funded and staffed with brilliant people who see the current problems and endeavor to fix them.

We see the #forkintheroadproject as a call to action, an understood metaphor, a story to be told and a meme that can raise awareness the fork in the road on every major issue facing humanity.As futurists we are not about solving problems and building organizations.We are about seeing the trends, the dynamics, the forces at play that are ahead of us all.We see that humanity is at one of itsmost critical junctures in history.As people who look at the arcs of history and project them into the future, we see that this decade, these nine years to 2030 is the time when the decision will be made consciously or ignorantly.

We have set up a second meeting of the collective for later this month.We have invited additional futurists, media people, science fiction writers and thought leaders to it.At this stage the three initiators are looking for feedback, suggestions, commitments to action and generally to discuss how the #forkintheroadproject can be amplified, gain traction and begin to raise awareness that a true sense of urgency is needed.There are a number of huge issues facing humanity, many of which need to be addressed soon.

While many forces challenge the future, we recognize these 4 overarching issues:

Please visit the website, read the manifesto (forkintheroadproject.com/manifesto),read and view other contentand if you are moved or in agreement with us, there are several things you can do.You can sign the manifesto, sign up for the newsletter, fill out a form if youor the organization you are with might want to get involved, and finally start to spread the word by using the hashtag #forkintheroadproject.

Time is of the essence.Urgency is called for.Thank you!

Sarasota resident David Houle is a globally recognized futurist. He has given speeches on six continents, written seven books and is futurist in residence at the Ringling College of Art + Design. His website is davidhoule.com. Email him at david@davidhoule.com.

Original post:
FUTURIST: Arriving at a global fork in the road - Sarasota Herald-Tribune

The Jetsons universe is closer to becoming reality as a partnership of two European aviation companies wants to launch an air taxi service in Palm Beach County.

Picture a stark white, space-age airplane with an almond-shaped body and four serrated wings. Inside those wings are 36 all-electric engines, or ducted fans. When vertical, the fans help the jet gently take off or land, capable of hovering like an osprey; when the fans are tilted horizontally, they propel the plane forward.

The companies Lilium, a Germany-based aviation company manufacturing these airplanes, and Ferrovial, a Spanish company that develops and maintains airports like Heathrow in London pitched their proposal to county commissioners on Tuesday, selling Palm Beach International Airport as part of its proposed Florida network for eVOTL vehicles, which stands for electric vertical take-off and landing.

More: Traffic sensitive red lights, bus lanes? Palm Beach County may float a transportation tax

Even though Lilium has yet to get FAA certification for its aircraft, Palm Beach County commissioners are keen on their idea.

"I think this is an exciting prospect and I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to see this in action," Vice Mayor Robert Weinroth said.

The Lilium Jet, which isn't technically a jet, can fit up to four passengers and a pilot, with a range of more than 155 miles on a single charge. Standing 30 feet away from the aircraft, it sounds about as loud as a car driving past, the company said. Overall, it's also about 50 percent quieter than a single-aisle commercial jet.

The nations first vertiport, an airport for eVOTLs, is already in the works. Last November, Lilium announced it was partnering with the city of Orlando and a Lake Nona developer after the city offered almost $1 million in tax incentives, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Commissioners appeared split on whether they would be interested in giving any financial or tax incentives to Lilium or Ferrovial, but a formal lease agreement would return to them at a later date.

More: Palm Beach County isn't done fighting for jet ban at Lantana airport

"This is pretty phenomenal, certainly putting Palm Beach County on the cutting edge of technology along with the Lake Nona region in Orlando," Commissioner Melissa McKinlay said.

The companies want to propose vertiport locations in Melbourne, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Fort Myers, Miami and The Keys.

The network will serve to connect Central and South Florida, said Will Nicholas, Lilium's head of launch and infrastructure development.

"I feel the population centers are very isolated, and (this service will be) providing new access beyond 95, the Turnpike and Brightline for people to more freely enjoy the attractions that Florida has to offer," Nicholas said.

On a Lilium Jet, passengers can get from West Palm to Tampa in one hour, to Orlando in 50 minutes and to Miami in 20 minutes.

"The route of Palm Beach to Miami, we anticipate it to be one of the busiest routes in the network," said Daniel Pinan, who heads Ferrovial's corporate development in North America.

Flights could be pricy, but that's to be expected with a new technology, Nicholas said.

More: County and Gardens warring over who gets transportation fees from developers

"We have aims to provide $1 per mile, meaning that a trip from here to Miami would be less than $100 per passenger, so that people can not only make this a daily commuting option but also something that they could use for a special occasion with a special someone or family," he said.

Although vertiports don't need to be located on airport property, as they take off and land on a space similar to a helipad. Palm Beach International has some real estate that would be ideal for this type of venture, said County Airports Director Laura Beebe. It's the space on the northeast corner of the airport's property that is used for rental car storage but isn't ideal for commercial development.

The companies noted that the venture could create about 150 jobs, in which the average salary is $70,000.

The airline industry also is taking chances on this new technology. United Airlines in February put up $1 billion for 200 jets from another eVOTL start-up company called Archer. The company hopes to build a similar network in Los Angeles by 2024.

hmorse@pbpost.com

@mannahhorse

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Hail a taxi to the sky? County commissioners signal interest in futuristic travel tech

___

(c)2021 The Palm Beach Post (West Palm Beach, Fla.)

Visit The Palm Beach Post (West Palm Beach, Fla.) at http://www.palmbeachpost.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Hail a Taxi to the Sky? Palm Beach County Commissioners Signal Interest in Futuristic Travel Tech - AviationPros.com

You might remember an intriguing story from earlier this year, when an investigative journalist discovered that Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates had been quietly buying up so much farmland that he now appears to own more of it than anybody else in America.

The story that the guy behind MS-DOS and Internet Explorer was going all in on agriculture raised eyebrows in the media, but we never got a satisfying answer about why the billionaire philanthropist was buying up all that farmland.

At least, that was the situation until this week, when Gates held yet another ask me anything meet-and-greet on Reddit, this time to promote his new book about climate change. During the AMA, one of the top questions cut right to the chase.

Hey Bill! a redditor wrote. Why are you buying so much farmland?

Gates answer was hard to follow.

My investment group chose to do this, he wrote. It is not connected to climate.

That sounds like a firm enough answer, but then the billionaire appeared to contradict himself,

The agriculture sector is important, he continued. With more productive seeds we can avoid deforestation and help Africa deal with the climate difficulty they already face.

Then he doubled down on the climate connection, speculating about whether biofuels could help cut down on engine emissions.

It is unclear how cheap biofuels can be but if they are cheap it can solve the aviation and truck emissions, Gates wrote.

Whats the takeaway here? Unclear. Maybe Gates was trying to say that the farmland investments were purely financial, but that he sees ways that they could help the environment.

Or maybe he just likes sharing his opinions, even if they dont always add up.

READ MORE: Im Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and author of How to Avoid a Climate Disaster. Ask Me Anything. [Reddit]

More on Bill Gates: Bill Gates and Richard Branson Invest in Lab-Grown Meat Startup

As a Futurism reader, we invite you join the Singularity Global Community, our parent companys forum to discuss futuristic science & technology with like-minded people from all over the world. Its free to join, sign up now!

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Bill Gates Attempts to Explain Why He Bought More Farmland Than Anyone Else in America - Futurism

Hyundai says that the Staria is built for both families and businesses, and it'll be available in configurations ranging from two to 11 seats. In essence, it provides a glimpse of what Hyundai plans to offer with its future purpose-built vehicles.

So just why does the Staria look so radically different from everything else on the road? Hyundai says that's because it flip-flopped its design process, building the MPV from the inside out. The automaker realizes that vehicles are becoming much more appliance-like and decided to prioritize the design and space requirements of the consumer-facing cabin in order to appease passengers and maximize practicality.

Speaking of which, let's talk about the amenities found inside. The cockpit is driver-focused, starting with the digital instrument cluster that's aided by a large, 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system.

The Staria's seven-seater high-end trim will include a feature for second-row passengers that Hyundai calls "one-touch relaxation mode." At the press of a button, the second-row seats automatically recline to a posture that comfortably disperses the passenger's weight and helps to balance them. Buyers who opt for the nine-seater model are treated to swiveling second-row seats, giving passengers the opportunity to face the third row and provide a more personable environment. Other niceties like 64-color ambient lighting also help to make the MPV feel a bit more premium.

Read more from the original source:
The Futuristic Hyundai Staria Minivan Is What a People Hauler Should Be in 2021 - The Drive

"Clouds in the sky, gently passing overhead."Martian Storm

A stunning video that went viral over the weekend shows a fierce, dark cloud passing over a rocky landscape. But this isnt Arizona its the desolate surface of Mars.

The eight images were taken by NASAs Curiosity rover on March 19 and stitched together into a GIF by Paul Byrne, an associate professor of planetary science at North Carolina State. They show a dark cloud passing over a roughly 23 foot outcropping of layered sediment nicknamed Mount Mercou, in the planets Gale Crater.

The compressed layers of sediment as seen on the side of the outcropping are reminiscent of the layers found in the sides of dried up lake beds here on Earth, making the mount a particularly fascinating subject for Curiositys cameras.

Curiosity has been parked in front of Mount Mercou for some time now, waiting for its scientific instruments to make sense of its surroundings. Scientists are eager to find out more about the mosaics of the outcropping.

The textures and color variations in the cliff are mesmerizing and we are striving to understand them, Lucy Thompson, planetary geologist at University of New Brunswick, wrote in a March 19 mission log.

The clouds overhead are quite different than the ones we find here on Earth. Scientists believe space debris that hits the thin Martian atmosphere creates particles around which clouds can form. These clouds can drift to extremely high altitudes, anywhere up to 62 miles above the planets surface.

The clouds, believed to be mostly made of carbon dioxide, would only really be visible by the naked eye after sunset, when they reflect sunlight against the dark night sky.

READ MORE: Stunning video of Mars clouds shows its uncanny weather [Independent]

More on Curiosity: NASA Shows Off GIF of a Dust Devil on Mars

As a Futurism reader, we invite you join the Singularity Global Community, our parent companys forum to discuss futuristic science & technology with like-minded people from all over the world. Its free to join, sign up now!

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Watch This Awesome Video of Clouds Drifting Across the Martian Sky - Futurism

A new vision for the long-term future of the East Midlands economy has been revealed today with new images which show how landmark sites could together deliver tens of thousands of new jobs and drive a futuristic recovery from the pandemic.

They show how three massive zones covering areas around East Midlands Airport, Toton Hub, and Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station might be transformed by major development which would boost growth to levels which drive large-scale job creation and unlock a new era of green growth for the regional economy.

The new images have been released as the region takes another step towards setting up the organisation which will help drive the visions progress and just two weeks after Chancellor Rishi Sunak backed the regions bid to host an inland freeport.

The five councils covered by the three zones have come together to fund an interim body which will begin the work of the planned East Midlands Development Corporation before parliament formally approves what will be a pioneering new model for upping the pace of regional growth.

The interim body will help masterplan and enable development, working with businesses, investors and universities to help get projects off the ground.

It has just submitted a Business Case to government which outlines what investment in the sites could deliver for the region: 84,000 jobs, more than 4.8bn in added value, and thousands of new homes.

The Business Case will be considered by government, which revealed in the Budget that the East Midlands had been chosen as the site of one of eight new Freeports in England.

The Development Corporation is one of the key projects of the Midlands Engine, the partnership of private and public sector sector organisations which works to promote investment and growth across the region.

Midlands Engine chairman Sir John Peace one of the regions most senior business figures has chaired the group which led development of the new body.

He said: What we have in front of us is one of the biggest opportunities the UK has ever seen to not just build on the potential of some major economic assets, but to transform the economy of an entire region in the process.

The sites themselves are collectively the size of three London Olympic Parks and the vision for their growth is both ambitious and futuristic, embracing our net zero future and unlocking new opportunities which range from international trade to community-level growth.

We must begin the work to unlock that potential now, and we start next month with the launch of the interim body.

The five councils initially backing the interim vehicle are Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire County Councils, together with Rushcliffe and Broxtowe Borough Councils, and North West Leicestershire District Council. Talks on how the model can be extended further into the East Midlands are continuing.

While the new Development Corporation requires Westminster approval, it will be locally-led and also supported by cash from local Business Rates giving the regions businesses a stake in its progress.

The Business Case submission to government throws a spotlight on the key role prominent regional economic assets like East Midlands Airport will play in driving economic growth. It is home to the UKs largest dedicated air freight handling operation.

By attracting ambitious, private-sector investment, the three sites will have the capacity to shift the dial of productivity for the regional economy. They are:

East Midlands Airport area: which supports the regions status as a centre for advanced manufacturing & research, and is a national and international logistics gateway which will be at the heart of the new Freeport zone Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station site: transforming part of the site of the UKs last coal-fired power stations into a national centre for carbon zero technologies and manufacturing innovations, which is also in the Freeport zone Toton & Chetwynd: creating a new, connected community which will centre on a Garden of Innovation and the proposed HS2 Hub Station.

Clare James, East Midlands Airports managing director, said: I welcome the opportunity to work in partnership with businesses and public sector bodies to help shape a future vision for this region and deliver economic growth and prosperity for people who live, work and study in this region.

When the region does well, so too does the airport and vice versa. Its therefore in all of our interests that the East Midlands prospers, and the airport, which is our doorway to the world, will continue to play a key role in this.

Elizabeth Fagan CBE, chair of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, said: The Freeport has been a fantastic win for the region and we are now working with partners to deliver it at pace.

The proposed East Midlands Development Corporation will provide significant investments to accelerate and sustain our regions economic recovery and growth.

The East Midlands Chamber of Commerce represents 4,300 businesses across the region.

Its chief executive, Scott Knowles, said: The East Midlands economy now has in front of it a series of major opportunities which must play a decisive role in both the recovery of the region in the wake of the pandemic and in unlocking the commercial opportunities presented by our digital and carbon zero future.

Governments decision to award a freeport to the East Midlands is a huge vote of confidence in our prospects. The Development Corporation and the partnership behind it give us an additional opportunity to drive joined-up progress faster than ever before and to turn the region into the UKs investment destination of choice.

Its vital that the whole region now gets behind these opportunities and makes the most of their potential.

More here:
New images reveal vision of 'futuristic recovery' for East Midlands | TheBusinessDesk.com - The Business Desk