Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

UIUC Unveils the Worlds Most Advanced Building

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the soon-to-be-an-ocp-offering dept.

Eagle5596 writes "The University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, one of the top Computer Science programs in the world has just officially opened their new $80 million Siebel Center. The department head describes the building as a single computing entity, meant to be programmed and to interact with those in the building via RFID tags in their ID cards. This is probably one of the biggest and most expensive projects in ubiquitous computing ever launched, touching on all the important issues in this field, from privacy to the ultimate question about the usefulness of such a system. Several papers are covering this including the Chicago Sun Times, and the Chicago Business"

33 of 319 comments (clear)

  1. Damnit HAL, LET ME IN!!! by FrYGuY101 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm sorry Dave, I can't let you in. Your GPA is too low this semester.

    --
    "If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living."

    - Seneca
    1. Re:Damnit HAL, LET ME IN!!! by YoJ · · Score: 5, Informative

      This is doubly funny because in the movie 2001, HAL is actually designed at UIUC...

  2. I'm not sure by odano · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I'm not sure if I like the idea that anything between me and these 4 walls is now between me and some sort of ubiquitous building-computer.

  3. Siebel Center? by sulli · · Score: 3, Funny

    Does that mean the building is wildly overpriced and requires expensive consultants in suits to do anything right?

    --

    sulli
    RTFJ.
    1. Re:Siebel Center? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      Well, yes. With all of that technology inside, they couldn't spend much on contruction or architecture, and frankly, it's a bit small. I mean, it looks great on the inside, but here's an outside view of the front entrance: click here.

  4. Building is a single computing entity... by dickiedoodles · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...Imagine a beowulf cluster of those

    Sorry

    --
    In Soviet Russia Slashdot cliches use you
  5. "Modern" buildings tend to not age well by winkydink · · Score: 5, Insightful
    The old TWA terminal at JFK (round, swoopy curvy thing) and terminal 1 at CDG (aka the habitrail) both looked incredibly modern and futuristic when first opened.

    The UIUC bldg sounds extremely cool, but in 5 yrs folks will be smiling politely at the "hokey-ness" of the place.

    --

    "I'd rather be a lightning rod than a seismometer." -Ken Kesey

    1. Re:"Modern" buildings tend to not age well by MoTec · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I have to disagree... I just visited Bartlesville, OK on business and saw an amazing looking building, a true work of art. Frank Lloyd Wright's only "skyscraper" Price Tower.

      It was built in the late 50's and looks good today. Of course, Frank Lloyd Wright is considered by many to be one of the great architects of all time and the Siebel Center isn't really of the same class.

    2. Re:"Modern" buildings tend to not age well by epanastasi · · Score: 5, Informative

      Well, I being a current inhabitant of this "amazing" building... have yet to see this wonderful technology. Sure, I didn't really read what's been said in the papers about it, cus I know what's actually happening here. It's really stupid, the whole building. When I first walked in, my inital reaction was that the 70's threw up on it. They still haven't finished building the damn thing. And it's got way too many bugs (just like a CS building should....) like the pretty light fixtures that hang in the conference rooms cast a lovely shadow onto the projector screen. Plus, the screen in my conference room doesn't have a switch to lower it. But it's nice to know that a screen should exist. They've just installed all this RFID stuff and touch screen kiosks today... so it doesn't look like crap for the Grand Opening.

      I wouldn't believe all the hype if I were you. Just like everything else, including the project I'm supposed to present at this Siebel Center Open House, it's a lot of buzzwords and catch phrases...it doesn't really do what I say it does... But a man can dream can't he?

      But on another note, the elevator shafts provided a lovely rappelling trip... to bad they had to install elevators in them. (Which I mananged to crash and get stuck on the 3rd floor...like software-wise not bloody death crash)

      But I'm stuck here until I graduate... what fun it will be to break the rest of it. It is however nicer than our old building... Thank you Mr. Siebel for giving us a lot of money before your company started to fail, and thanks for not asking for it back.

    3. Re:"Modern" buildings tend to not age well by kfg · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I'm a fan of the FIAT 124 Spider. When it was first introduced Road & Track called it's syling "Classic, but slightly dated."

      20 years later when they featured it as used classic they called its styling "Classic, but slightly dated."

      Today I would, myself, call its styling "Classic, but slightly dated," and rather imagine that's the way my grandchildren will describe in in another 50 years.

      On the other hand when my first gen Capri was only 5 years old it looked old. Old and stupid.

      My brother's 64 1/2 Mustang looks, well, classic, but slightly dated. I think the new Mustang is going to start looking old and stupid in about, ohhhhh, next week.

      His '63 split window 'Vette looks kick ass! Yes, at the time of introduction people thought it looked too dated.

      Are we sensing the trend here?

      Most of the people here would think my desktop theme looks "old fashioned" (i.e. what we had a few years ago). It's flat. Lacks transparency. The widgets have corners and shit. The colors are muted earth tones and lack shading.

      Of course, it's also in a mode that has been considered conservatively attractive for some thousands of years.

      I think I'll keep it.

      KFG

    4. Re:"Modern" buildings tend to not age well by cfoster611 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I'll have class in there every day next fall, and, honestly, I find the place spectacular. I find the architecture is modern yet not gaudy. Most of the architectural metal is muted, and the exterior blends well with the older buildings, even if it dominates the small high school across the street.

      The place still has the most excellent smells of new computer/networking gear, and you can go around and sometimes see the MDF's still under construction.

      Its a fun place.

      --
      --- Kicking the Cheat since late 2002
    5. Re:"Modern" buildings tend to not age well by winkydink · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Ah, but are the fixtures, etc.. built to withstand the test of time. One of my company's buildings has "modular partitions" (not cubes, these are floor-to-ceiling) that are about 10 years old. Not only do they now mostly fall apart when you attempt to reconfigure them, they look dated as well.

      --

      "I'd rather be a lightning rod than a seismometer." -Ken Kesey

    6. Re:"Modern" buildings tend to not age well by kfg · · Score: 4, Funny

      Come to Kenya, we've got lions.

      And also Masai. The lions don't impress me as being terribly crazy about that arrangement. There's just no pleasing some people.

      Coincidentally I happen to be dressed as a Masai right now, right down to the traditional trapazoidal sandals (but when I track down a good bad tire I'll do up a pair of Ho Chi Maas). Very simple, but elegant mode of dress. One might well describe it as "Classic, but slightly dated." In fact, it's basically Classical Greek. I don't know why most northern writers refer to it as "Roman." Classical Greek dress doesn't look anything like Roman and is the very antithesis of the toga, which now just looks old. Old and stupid.

      I'm not at all sure how a Masai would react to a white American dressed like a Masai, but it seems that here in upstate NY people either look at you funny or pretend they're not looking at all. In NYC, of course, nobody looks at anything anymore.

      I'll match my walking ability with any man, anywhere, including Masai, but admit I can't jump for shit.

      KFG

  6. Microsoft "Buildy" by AtariAmarok · · Score: 5, Funny
    I guess they had to go and install "Microsoft Office... that is, REAL Office".

    Now, when you go down the hall, the "Buildy" mascot asks things like. "You appear to be walking to the bathroom. Would you like some help?"

    --
    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
  7. Some of us already have advanced buildings by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Clap on. Clap off. What else is there?

  8. security issues? by eisenbud · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Apparently RFID tags (and anything that doesn't have its own power source) don't have enough power to do real crypto. So this will be great until someone builds a device to read people's tags as they walk down the hall, and then impersonate any of them to the building. At least with keys or magnetic striped cards you have to get physical access to them before you can copy them.

  9. Regression by The_Mystic_For_Real · · Score: 5, Funny

    This proves the point that all things human go in cycles. First computers were the size of buildings, then they shrunk down to fit in the palm, now they are becoming the size of buildings again.

    --

    _____

    Thank you.

  10. Dangerous? by glpierce · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I saw the nearly-completed building a few months ago when visiting the campus. My immediate reaction: this can't be healthy. With that many wires and that many radio signals (RFID, wireless network, etc), I can't help but think that it will increase your risk of developing cancer. Normal offices are bad enough, but this place has significantly more in the air.

    --
    G
    1. Re:Dangerous? by Carnildo · · Score: 4, Informative

      Considering that the only scientifically-verified consequence of overexposure to radio waves is radio burns -- and that only happens at very high energy densities -- I wouldn't worry about cancer.

      --
      "They redundantly repeated themselves over and over again incessantly without end ad infinitum" -- ibid.
  11. Am I the only one... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting
    .. who expects that the brutal hacks done to Gaia are going to be much better 'learning experiences' for everyone than the official software itself?

    Gotta wonder what kind of security they've got on her. If I had my face scanned everytime I entered a room, and had some stupid voice asking me questions when I just wanted to finish my assignment back when I was in school, the system would have been modified drastically during finals week.....

    Not that I would condone such now, of course. Probably get you labeled a terrorist and thrown under the jail.

  12. The Real Privacy Question by Eagle5596 · · Score: 4, Funny

    The real issue with privacy of course is turning off the location function when you don't want something embarressing happening. I present the following situation as evidence:

    Johnny wanted to find Professor X to ask a question about his research paper, approaching the wall he intoned, "Computer, please locate Professor X."

    In a booming voice the wall responded, "Professor X is currently in Stall 5 of the Bathroom on the second floor, logging in."

  13. This will be fun to watch... by Black+Art · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I am waiting for the first time they blow the breakers on the circuit that handles their security computer.

    What happens? Does the system fail to "everything is locked"?

    This sounds like a RISKS article waiting to happen.

    --
    "Trademarks are the heraldry of the new feudalism."
    1. Re:This will be fun to watch... by Ironsides · · Score: 4, Informative

      All electronic locks I have ever seen default to unlocked when the power goes off. This is the way they are built, not wired. So if the power goes out, they WILL unlock (and they did unlock too, when the power went out). This is probably required by the fire code so that people are not trapped in a burning building.

      --
      Fly me to the moon Let me sing among those stars Let me see what spring is like On jupiter and mars
    2. Re:This will be fun to watch... by timeOday · · Score: 4, Funny

      Even big safes full of bonds and stuff do that, as I learned watching "Die Hard."

  14. Finally, a chance to get back... by sklib · · Score: 4, Funny

    Now all you need to get back at a professor you don't like is hack into the building's computer, and turn off the air conditioning in whatever room he goes into.

    Sweet revenge!

    --
    -S
  15. Salary by GrEp · · Score: 3, Interesting

    $80000000/$100000=800. Hmm...
    800 faculty years of almost anyone in the world, or one building. Good going UIUC.

    --

    bash-2.04$
    bash-2.04$yes "Don't you hate dialup connections?"| write USERNAME
    1. Re:Salary by tsangc · · Score: 3, Interesting
      800 faculty years of almost anyone in the world, or one building. Good going UIUC


      I can't see how this comment was modded interesting.


      First, faculty and students need buildings to work and learn in. You can hire all the people in the world, but if they don't have a place to run their labs, teach classes etc in, what's the point?


      Second, having the best facilities in the world is a draw for leading researchers and students. You can't expect to attract the best with some beat up old building from 1970, can you? This is an investment in the staff and students as much as hiring more TA's or buying new lab equipment.

      Third, do you know much UIUC spends overall on their budget for professors salaries? We don't know if this is a fraction of their budget or half of it.


      Finally, $80 million is not a lot of money for a university building. It's about average.

  16. The perfect excuse by Uninen · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...when caught from a bar near by:
    "Nooo. Can't go to school, they're running critical updates on our building today!"

  17. Re:UIUC by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I'll let you know before you read the rest of my post that I'm a current student at UIUC.

    I got into the PhD programs at Stanford, Berkeley, MIT, Carnegie-Mellon, and UIUC--and UIUC compares very well with the rest of these schools. The only thing UIUC lacks is the publicity to go with the quality of research that happens here. On the other hand, this is a good thing since the students here can concentrate more on research instead of just working very hard at appearing smart like some other schools promote.

    At UIUC, the professors are generally fairly young, which I view as a good thing. At the 'bigger' name schools you end up with a bunch of dinosaurs who may have contributed to the field in the past but are simply living off the legacy insteading doing new research. If you actually care about this, check out the UIUC research page at: http://www.cs.uiuc.edu/research/areas.html

    I have personally found the AI, Databases, and Theory groups to be very impressive and have had experience working with them.

    If you want an interesting comparison, check out MIT's new building.http://web.mit.edu/buildings/statacenter/ I took a tour of it, and the impression it gave me was, "Look at us, we're MIT! This building looks so crazy, we must be geniuses to work here!"

    UIUC has a much more honest and less flashy style, which I find rather refreshing.
    I do agree that most of the ubiquitous computing features of the building seem a little silly, but why not make your new computer science building a functional experiment in computer science itself?

  18. No spell-checker if that $80 mill? by Missionary+Man · · Score: 3, Funny

    Nice building.

    Shame they didn't get a spell-checker with it. I believe the reference to "Accomodations" on the main page of their website should read "Accommodations".

    Ho hum. Am I being too picky?

  19. Only mountain dew on this campus... by Benley · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Yeah... except for THIS soda machine (which just so happens to be in the seibel center) The link points at the web server running inside the pop machine itself. The only photo I can find of the thing is here, with one of the guys who worked on it sitting in front of it. And a BeBox perched on top.

  20. Re:+2 Informative???? by The+Cydonian · · Score: 3, Funny

    That's when you want to mod the moderators, +1, Irony. :-)

    --
    More than mere navel gazing.
  21. Re:As long as it isn't running Windows by Mad+Bad+Rabbit · · Score: 4, Funny

    Of course, if it's running UNIX then it would
    crash with "Segmentation fault: floor dumped".

    --
    >;k