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Goodbye, Alek's Internet-Controlled Christmas Lights for Celiac Research
Alek Komarnitsky, Colorado (and the Internet's) own Clark Griswold, has decided to retire as his own props master, programmer, best boy, and effects specialist. After 10 years of increasingly elaborate set-ups, Alek's decided to go out with a bang, with his largest-yet rooftop display of open-source powered, remotely controllable, internet-connected Christmas lights. (This year, he even matches the fictional Griswold's 25,000 lights, but truth tops fiction, with live webcams, animated props, and more.) We talked with Alek last year, too; but now he's got a full decade's worth of reminiscing about his jest-made-real hobby as That Guy With the Lights, and some advice for anyone who'd like to take on a project like this.
Alek has managed to stay on good terms with his neighbors, despite the car and foot traffic that his display has drawn, and kept himself from serious harm despite a complex of minor, overlapping risks including ladders, squirrels, a fair amount of electricity and (the most dangerous, he says) wind. The lights are what the world sees, but the video capture and distribution to the vast online audience is an equal part of the work. Alek has learned a lot along the way about automation, logistics, wireless networking, and the importance of load balancing. It's always possible the lights will return in some form, or that someone will take up the mantle as Blinkenlights master, but this tail end of 2014 (and the first day of 2015) is your last good chance to tune in and help toggle some of those lights. (The display operates from 1700-2200 Mountain time.) Alternate Video Link Update: 12/22 22:50 GMT by T : Note: Alek talks about the last year here.
Alek has managed to stay on good terms with his neighbors, despite the car and foot traffic that his display has drawn, and kept himself from serious harm despite a complex of minor, overlapping risks including ladders, squirrels, a fair amount of electricity and (the most dangerous, he says) wind. The lights are what the world sees, but the video capture and distribution to the vast online audience is an equal part of the work. Alek has learned a lot along the way about automation, logistics, wireless networking, and the importance of load balancing. It's always possible the lights will return in some form, or that someone will take up the mantle as Blinkenlights master, but this tail end of 2014 (and the first day of 2015) is your last good chance to tune in and help toggle some of those lights. (The display operates from 1700-2200 Mountain time.) Alternate Video Link Update: 12/22 22:50 GMT by T : Note: Alek talks about the last year here.
Heh heh heh
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2014/12/new-york-family-regains-most-lights-on-a-residential-property-62084/
He is far from being the Blinkenlights master.
I care?
Considering everything from bean sprouts to toilet paper now proudly advertises itself as "GLUTEN FREE," with zero regard to people who actually suffer from celiacs, maybe he no longer feels a need to raise awareness. Now pardon me while I go smoke a gluten free cigarette.
Didn't he admit it was just a hoax years ago?
It's not a hard project to imagine, just use wireless relays (available on ebay for less than $10) and use a queue. Website buttons insert a request into a queue.
Process the queue at a predefined rate (1 per 2-3 seconds) and there you go. You can cloudify the queue and throttle the insertion rate to handle large traffic.
Of course, his hoax solution is far easier. Take video clips of all the possible combinations, overlay current date/time on the playback. Website buttons change the video clip.
christmasinfairbanks.com
In case you can't get enough of this sort of thing, here's more internet controlled lights by my friend in Alaska.
he admitted it was a hoax to begin with but has been real since 2005.
http://beta.slashdot.org/story/195985
who did about 25k his first year. That's only 250 strings of lights, or two 32-string 4-color megatrees. By year three,
happy new year 2015
intresting facts
great info and awesome blog FUNNY HAPPY NEW YEAR 2015