It Is a Small World

Recently I noticed a few big white igloos had appeared on Parker’s Piece, a patch of parkland in the centre of Cambridge. I wondered what they were for, but didn’t think much more of them and the next time I cycled past they’d gone.

When I went to the Arduino Workshop I picked up a little electronic toy that artist Mark Dixon was giving away. They flashed tiny LEDs when they detected mobile phone activity - he’d had 5000 made for an art installation but as that had now ended he was giving them to anyone who was interested.

It’s been a handy little device - I’ve had it sat next to my laptop ever since and it warned me of incoming text messages or phonecalls without disturbing the rest of the office (and meant I could listen to music on my headphones without missing a call).

Until today I hadn’t gotten round to visiting the accompanying website. I was amused to find a video of the igloos on Parker’s Piece being covered in these gadgets. Strange how these random events sometimes tie themselves back together.