New Blankets built its first Suitcase Supercomputer in 2008. SuitSup I was based on 25 Sony PSPs and a backstage co-ordinator PS/3 running YellowDog linux (and a bit of thrashing into Pd now and then).

The New Blankets SuitSup has been on display around the country, at an Architecture conference in Italy and in the Harlem public schools for the last two years. Subsequent SuitSup forays by New Blankets have involved -Sylvania Meso tablet, -Personal-media-player -Android tablet components.

New Blankets was incorporated in California as a public benefit non-profit 501(c)(3) in 2008. Miller Puckette has been on our board since New Blankets was first hatched.

Satchmo Awards:

In addition to "full-on" Suitcase Supercomputers, New Blankets has always maintained a "Satchmo" gambit as well. (Explanation: Small suitcase = satchel; Satchmo one of the most inspiring musicians we know of.)

Our "Satchmo" SuitSup is a 4-element test version of the SuitSup concept -- small enough to be affordable, but since Satchmo includes multiple units, it is still possible to design and test interaction-capabilities. (A backstage "conductor" processor may be used, or not. Some ensembles have conductors, some don't.)

Based on Miller's generous initiative and effort with RPi, New Blankets will be giving a number of "Satchmo Awards" soon. These will consist of 4 RPi processor "kits" (= 4x RPi, power supply, 8GB SD card with Miller's Pd config). If you would like to suggest someone to receive a "Satchmo Award" we'd like to hear from you. The nominee should send us a brief description of what they'd try to do with 4xRPi You can nominate yourself; no need for false or genuine modesty to impede.

There isn't any proprietariness or secrecy (or too much organization) with our Satchmo Awards experiment to Pd-list -- You can copy Pd list on any communications you like, or not, or whatever you like. If New Blankets continues get good ideas for Satchmo proposed, we'll continue to give out Awards -- until our RPi supply (or our money) runs out. Right now we have 30 RPi complete kits in preparation for a "Pd/RPi" workshop that Miller will be giving at CrashSpace LA on Oct 7 . We're anticipating that some, but not all, of our initial 30 units will be gobbled-up in that outing.

Hit it, Satch!

Joe Deken, New Blankets