The PCS site at https://pcs.uoregon.edu/content/business-opportunities is a mix of RFPs for “Parking Management Solutions”, “Executive Buzzword Coaches“, “Proposals from qualified Proposers for Clean kitchen grease / exhaust hoods, including all hood surfaces, grease filters, fans, fan housing, fan blades and associated ductwork”, and attempts to find a brave consultant willing to try running a logistic regression with a continuous dependent variable. All essential to the functioning of a modern university, I’m sure – although I’ve made public records requests for the Buzzword and Regression docs, just in case.
But every now and then I come across something deeply suspicious, like this attempt by Cinema Studies to acquire a red helium brain – and without going through the usual competitive bidding process. Sorry, your opportunity to protest expired at 5PM today – but I can’t wait to see the movie:
Let me get you a quote:
http://www.red.com/store/products/weapon-brain-with-helium-8k-s35-sensor
$49,500.00
FYI nothing supports 8K playback yet.
there is support for 8K playback but none of it
is yet open source
Wow,
I actually know something about this camera and have used one.
a) its about 30K
b) it produces 35 million pixes per video frame
c) the post processing associated with this camera (i.e. video
edits) are laborious and require propriety RED software.
d) in my view, this will be unnecessarily complex for undergrads
to use and what platform and monitor combination are they going to use for true 8 K video (i.e. all 35 million independent pixels
of it).
e) my advice – ask to borrow some of these from the football team …
Back off Dog, it’s got helium. The only relevant questions are if it’s got supercooled superconducting helium, and if not, why not?
as for helium, well
https://www.wired.com/2015/07/feds-created-helium-problem-thats-screwing-science/
Awesome camera! What a great opportunity for undergrads to be exposed to technology like this in their studies. Doesn’t seem “deeply suspicious” to purchase highly specialized equipment for your program.
Sure, it’s a great opportunity until those undergrads use up all the helium. What then? Mars?
Why not? Pretty sure we could sole source Mars One. http://www.mars-one.com
Heinlein would have prefered a more competitive, libertarian solution.