This week in the Public Lab community newsletter, take a look at the new mobile spectrometer design, join in on a thermal fishing bob project and stop by the Public Lab NYC 2013 kickoff. Enjoy!

1. NYC 2013 kickoff meeting. The Annual kickoff meeting for Public Lab NYC will take place tomorrow evening (2/18) beginning at 6est. For more information, email liz@publiclaboratory.org.

2. Update on countertop and mobile spectrometers. February is here and if you backed either the mobile or countertop version of the spectrometer on Kickstarter, that means yours will soon be shipping. If you missed the recently posted update, you can view it here.

3. New mobile spectrometer design. Speaking of spectrometers, Brad Dudenhoffer, who took the mobile spectrometer design to its current version, posted a great note, with images of the new design and thoughts on its evolution.

4. Testing kombucha readiness. If you were one of the many people that listed as an interest testing different liquids once you received a spectrometer, here's a project to get you thinking creatively. Martin Koistinen discusses design modifications that helped him get to just the right tool for testing his homemade batches of kombucha.

5. Thermal fishing bob research plan. Northeastern University student, Kaya, posted a research plan to begin working on a design for the thermal fishing bob that Eymund Diegel began work on last year. The goal of Kaya's project is to test the accuracy of the tool around a power plant in Pilgrim, MA. If you're interested in getting involved in the project, please comment back on Kaya's note.

6. Bayou Bienvenue, LA map updates. Mappers took images of a site that the New Orleans Sewage and Water Board is using for a wetlands restoration project in Bayou Bienvenue. Check out the map here and oblique aerial images here.

7. Belize Muffles College Mapping project. Pat Coyle writes to us from Muffles College where he worked with students in the environmental club to map their campus.

8. Research Notes: Kite flying tree (posted by dan.beavers) Flying off wind with the Dazzle Delta (posted by mathew) Grafting angle: DVD+R (posted by cfastie) Developing film canisters from LA sent by Shannon (posted by Clarke_Brian) A number of Air Quality Egg related notes from students at Cypress Hills (posted by various individuals) NU Darkroom setup (posted by Clarke_Brian) Bayou Bienvenue LA (posted by dan.beavers)

If anything was missed, please post a research note, email the list or send a message to shannon@publiclaboratory.org for inclusion in the next newsletter. Have a great week!