Well, here's the last one. Guess I couldn't get into real blogging in that time. Oh well.
Today we had Simon Conlin, who talked to us about... err... actually, I really don't know. I paid attention, yet there didn't seem to be a sort of "topic" like before. He just... talked about anything and then showed us some links. The closest I can think of he talked with us on creativity and human interaction with multimedia.
One of the first things we were shown was a video on Youtube of a young man using a Nintendo Wii Remote to create a sort of finger sensor similar to what is used in Minority Report. I've honestly never watched Minority Report, but I do understand the technology. To use the Wii Remote as a means of creating this technology was a rather inventive way to do it, I felt. It shows just how easy this technology can be made now. (Link to YouTube video #1)
After this, we were shown an interview with an individual named Zack Booth Simpson. Zack creates interactive art, and we were given a number of examples of his work. He spoke primarily on the creativity of various projects of his and how he came to make them. A few of them were particularly interesting, given how even old art that was designed to be interactive is forced to be nothing more than stationary these days. It made his work seem more interesting. (Link to YouTube video #2) (Link to YouTube video #3)
Simon then introduced us to a group creating fantastic light show technology, via a video of George Michael, that reminded Simon quite a bit about the light shows used by Pink Floyd for their tours; light shows were one of the most important things for a Pink Floyd concert. The technology used could easily be used to create great light shows that is, to an extent, reusable. New supplies would not need to be purchased, but instead they would just need to transport the devices to create the show. (Link to Meso.net's project info on George Michael's project)
After this we were largely left with nothing, although we did watch a few other of his video links. I was largely enticed by the one from Adobe of a wall that would create randomized content as people walked by it. People would often stop and watch it go, walk backwards to see the content erase, and occasionally play around with it to see what else they could do. Of course, what they didn't realize was that the purpose of the wall was to promote Adobe CS3, which it no doubt succeeded in. Even if some of the people didn't know what Adobe was for, the wall made them curious enough to look them up, leading to some potential new sales. (Link to YouTube video)
And that's really it. That's the end of this blog. Now, go bug someone else. I need to get working, hahaha.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Blog Assignment #2
On Friday, our class went down to Toronto to visit the office of a company known as GestureTek. A rather interesting company, given what they've made, though I do feel their office is kind of poor. Then again, it's not their main office so I suppose that makes it acceptable.
For starters, we were guided around by one of the higher-ups of GestureTek (One of the founders of GestureTek, actually), Vincent John Vincent. Of course, we weren't really told much we didn't already know from research, but oh well.
He spoke to us on each of their various products; some were rather interesting as we couldn't find too much on them or they didn't look to work so well (Though seeing them in person they looked a lot better), while others were as dull as I originally found.
One thing Vincent brought up to us was how their technology is mostly used in museums, despite some of the other applications it has. One such place is the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, according to the GestureTek website (Link).
Another thing Vincent saw to bringing up, something many of us were aware of, was that they had hardware and software designed specifically for rehab and that using it excelled a person's rate of regeneration. I don't know if this is true, and probably won't unless I could speak to people who have used it, but it sounds to be of great benefit. A number of places make use of the technology, too (Link)
One thing I learned that I was not aware of was that some of what GestureTek has designed is actually used by several weather stations across the USA. This surprised me to learn, and I'm rather upset I can't find any links regarding it. Hopefully something will come along.
Along with this, we were told that some of their technology was used in games for a japanese show! This is another thing I wish I could find a link to, just so I can watch. Finding more entertainment applications is cool, I believe. It's a shame they seem to only have these videos at their office.
Some of their other technologies were cool, and I kinda wish I could learn more. What caught my interest when seeing it was the GroundFX, because it reminded me of something shown at E3 in 2006, I believe, by Nintendo. I had to wonder if perhaps what Nintendo used then was, in fact, GestureTek technology (Link)
That's really all for now, though. Missing two links and that annoys me, mostly because I can't the links I'd want on the GestureTek website or anywhere else.
For starters, we were guided around by one of the higher-ups of GestureTek (One of the founders of GestureTek, actually), Vincent John Vincent. Of course, we weren't really told much we didn't already know from research, but oh well.
He spoke to us on each of their various products; some were rather interesting as we couldn't find too much on them or they didn't look to work so well (Though seeing them in person they looked a lot better), while others were as dull as I originally found.
One thing Vincent brought up to us was how their technology is mostly used in museums, despite some of the other applications it has. One such place is the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, according to the GestureTek website (Link).
Another thing Vincent saw to bringing up, something many of us were aware of, was that they had hardware and software designed specifically for rehab and that using it excelled a person's rate of regeneration. I don't know if this is true, and probably won't unless I could speak to people who have used it, but it sounds to be of great benefit. A number of places make use of the technology, too (Link)
One thing I learned that I was not aware of was that some of what GestureTek has designed is actually used by several weather stations across the USA. This surprised me to learn, and I'm rather upset I can't find any links regarding it. Hopefully something will come along.
Along with this, we were told that some of their technology was used in games for a japanese show! This is another thing I wish I could find a link to, just so I can watch. Finding more entertainment applications is cool, I believe. It's a shame they seem to only have these videos at their office.
Some of their other technologies were cool, and I kinda wish I could learn more. What caught my interest when seeing it was the GroundFX, because it reminded me of something shown at E3 in 2006, I believe, by Nintendo. I had to wonder if perhaps what Nintendo used then was, in fact, GestureTek technology (Link)
That's really all for now, though. Missing two links and that annoys me, mostly because I can't the links I'd want on the GestureTek website or anywhere else.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Blog Assignment #1
So here's the first blog I need to write for my Multimedia Pioneering class.
Today our speaker was Song Ho Ahn, a former employee of the now defunct Immersion Studios. He spoke to us on new technologies that allow mass numbers of people to control and influence what they are shown.
To begin with, we were shown a number of web applications done for learning purposes; one was how to park at a terminal at Pearson International Airport, another was a simulation of what life was like at a viking colony located on the coast of Newfoundland, while a third was a police tutorial on measuring skid mark distance. These quick programs were not much, for they were really only on an individual basis. However, as an edutainment tool, the simulation of a viking colony somewhat succeeded at this (Link to Viking Simulation Info) After that, we were shown a program that allowed a user with a webcam to move the head of a 3D-drawn image. The future intent of this program was to allow facial recognition, so mouth movement and expressions could be detected (Link to Facial Recognition Info). At this time, the program looked rather promising. It could eventually have affects on online gaming, particularly in games like World of Warcraft, where players currently do not have control of facial models (Link to WoW.com).
A lot of the work now being done in the Visualization Design Institute is done using a program called Ogre, an open source 3D graphics engine. The engine can provide some rather decent 3D effects, and being open source it does not really cost anything (Link to Ogre).
After this, we were brought into a studio where we were brain washed... ok, no, we weren't. We were given a much more solid example of a mass of people affecting something through technology. We used tablets to affect an immersive video as we attempted to remove some life-threatening object from within a person. This was one of Immersion Studios museum exhibits and may still exist in some locations. However, one client of this game, the Montréal Science Centre, appears to have dropped this for a new exhibit (Link to Montréal Science Centre's current immersive exhibit).
Today our speaker was Song Ho Ahn, a former employee of the now defunct Immersion Studios. He spoke to us on new technologies that allow mass numbers of people to control and influence what they are shown.
To begin with, we were shown a number of web applications done for learning purposes; one was how to park at a terminal at Pearson International Airport, another was a simulation of what life was like at a viking colony located on the coast of Newfoundland, while a third was a police tutorial on measuring skid mark distance. These quick programs were not much, for they were really only on an individual basis. However, as an edutainment tool, the simulation of a viking colony somewhat succeeded at this (Link to Viking Simulation Info) After that, we were shown a program that allowed a user with a webcam to move the head of a 3D-drawn image. The future intent of this program was to allow facial recognition, so mouth movement and expressions could be detected (Link to Facial Recognition Info). At this time, the program looked rather promising. It could eventually have affects on online gaming, particularly in games like World of Warcraft, where players currently do not have control of facial models (Link to WoW.com).
A lot of the work now being done in the Visualization Design Institute is done using a program called Ogre, an open source 3D graphics engine. The engine can provide some rather decent 3D effects, and being open source it does not really cost anything (Link to Ogre).
After this, we were brought into a studio where we were brain washed... ok, no, we weren't. We were given a much more solid example of a mass of people affecting something through technology. We used tablets to affect an immersive video as we attempted to remove some life-threatening object from within a person. This was one of Immersion Studios museum exhibits and may still exist in some locations. However, one client of this game, the Montréal Science Centre, appears to have dropped this for a new exhibit (Link to Montréal Science Centre's current immersive exhibit).
Saturday, September 15, 2007
So... yea...
Welcome to the distorted world of me. I'm your host Andrew, but you can all refer to me as my usual moniker, Skye.
So this is a place where I can just freely discuss whatever I feel like. It'll also be the place where I place some entries for my grad school program, Interactive Multimedia, as required by one of the courses.
But of course, the question is what I would even write about? Honestly, blogging seems like a silly concept to me, nothing but a public journal. Why would I want to let people read a journal? For many folks, journals are a grand source of privacy, meant to allow one to keep their memories intact and to be a source where they can gain knowledge from their past experiences. Why would I want to make this public? I don't know, but perhaps there is something to blogging that I'm missing entirely, something that takes it beyond a journal and into a new realm I've never thought to look at. I guess I'll find out.
Another thing you'll see me write about is various tidbits of info regarding my three literary works: Star of Destiny, a collection of stories that revolve around an event known as the Dawn of Fate (The primary of which is based on a character named after my appellation, Skye McCloud, and the woman he falls in love with of whom the title of the work is derived from, Star Yunai), Hope Everlasting, the story of a spawn of horror as he attempts to save a world that appears to be doomed to end, and Snow, the tragic tale of a young woman living in a world of science, where she will act as the return of the unknown element referred to humans as magic. You'll get things like what I personally think of my own writing (I often look down upon my works, so don't worry. I'm not some egotistical simpleton who believes their work is far beyond others)
Beyond this, who knows? I guess it will depend on whatever I feel like writing about. Well, this marks the end of my intro. I hope you enjoy your stay in my world, filled with its distortions and oddities.
- Skye
So this is a place where I can just freely discuss whatever I feel like. It'll also be the place where I place some entries for my grad school program, Interactive Multimedia, as required by one of the courses.
But of course, the question is what I would even write about? Honestly, blogging seems like a silly concept to me, nothing but a public journal. Why would I want to let people read a journal? For many folks, journals are a grand source of privacy, meant to allow one to keep their memories intact and to be a source where they can gain knowledge from their past experiences. Why would I want to make this public? I don't know, but perhaps there is something to blogging that I'm missing entirely, something that takes it beyond a journal and into a new realm I've never thought to look at. I guess I'll find out.
Another thing you'll see me write about is various tidbits of info regarding my three literary works: Star of Destiny, a collection of stories that revolve around an event known as the Dawn of Fate (The primary of which is based on a character named after my appellation, Skye McCloud, and the woman he falls in love with of whom the title of the work is derived from, Star Yunai), Hope Everlasting, the story of a spawn of horror as he attempts to save a world that appears to be doomed to end, and Snow, the tragic tale of a young woman living in a world of science, where she will act as the return of the unknown element referred to humans as magic. You'll get things like what I personally think of my own writing (I often look down upon my works, so don't worry. I'm not some egotistical simpleton who believes their work is far beyond others)
Beyond this, who knows? I guess it will depend on whatever I feel like writing about. Well, this marks the end of my intro. I hope you enjoy your stay in my world, filled with its distortions and oddities.
- Skye
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