New Media in Art Ch. 2

Video art seems very complex. From what I gather it is basically using the television for art to be represented.  Using the television to portray art and then the audience interprets it. Original videos that were not edited and received well. Famous images being distorted and eventually a human element was added. It is almost like a canvas to me. Whatever could be portrayed on the television was something to be considered art. A strange canvas for that time and era but a canvas nonetheless. An artist can adapt to any kind of canvas and the television is no exception. Ultimately, what they did was impressive. The messages trying to be portrayed and the influenced it had. What they did was in a sense different but also unique. Although, physically using your body to the point of harm and pain seems a bit too much. It’s odd but if the message got across then at least something came out of it.

A plastic car?

This article says that a plastic car has been made. I guess it’s like they printed different plastics layers for it and put it all together. It is not for sale but for now it can be called a mobile experiment. I can see problems with this car. Granted it is a new way into making cars if it can be applied correctly, but safety is a major concern. How durable is it and how are the brakes? How will it handle in different kinds of weather? If it snows then can it even handle it or what if it gets too hot? Will the plastic become damaged or something? While it is a nice idea there needs to be some sort of reinforcement on it. If it gets in a wreck will the car still stay in one piece? I doubt it’ll ever be a mass produced thing because how much gas could it actually hold?

The Photograph of the Contemporary Art Ch. 6-8

I do like the fact that historical content being photographed as an aftermath. Usually the most interesting parts are of the conflict itself but to see the aftermath is interesting. Sometimes the general public may lose interest in it and they won’t even care about the aftermath. The photographs that really stood out to me were Valley and Destroyed Radio Installations, Kabul. The perfect images for an aftermath of a war/destruction and clearly depict that something happened there. All of it is just abandoned. Either the photographer was the only one there in a long time or it was intentionally left like that for people to see. Even the old Artillery Shells make some sort of impact. Although they are just metal those shells still represent something long forgotten and the sense of not looking back. Maybe if the battle went in favor of the British then possibly the shells could have been picked up but it seems like things like those aren't really meant to be thought of after the fighting is over. 

MMO Money Trades

Apparently, the value of the dollar dropped when World of Warcraft introduced real money to be exchanged for its currency titled “gold.” Personally, I don’t have any experience with that game but I can see what they are trying to do. While I don’t know much about World of Warcraft, I do know about Star Wars The Old Republic. The same type of market applies ot this game as well. A third party will advertise, “Spend $3.00 and get $1 Million credits” or something similar to that.  However, The Old Republic offers another fomr of currency called “Cartel Coins” that can actually be bought like a gift card. The only things worth the in game currency, known as credits, are the rare items that are no longer sold anymore. Those usually sell at the highest price possible. Some will buy them and other will try their luck and hope it’ll get released again. Also the rare modifications that can be added to armor. Those would have to be the most popular. So, whether it is “WoW” or “SWTOR” if people have the cash, and most likely trust or desperation, then that will be one of the fastest ways to make a character stronger all for the sake of money.

Art of the Digital Age Ch. 7-9

I have to say at the very last chapter I am surprised that they even mention gaming and virtual reality. While this concept seems like a dream I guess it does have the possibility to exist somewhere in the future. However, like I keep saying I think by the time it comes around the people who really wanted it when they were young might think differently about it when they grow up/mature. What was once enjoyable at one stage of their life might be replaced or totally forgotten. That’s the thing that scares me the most. Regardless, I really hope to see it one day. Technology will keep advancing and sooner or later  breakthrough will occur. Whether that is in my lifetime or not remains to be seen. Although it is like a pipe dream at the moment, it is something to look forward too. If nothing else, it is really popular with the current generation.

Contact lens

I would have never expected something like this before. It almost sounds like something out of a spy movie. The contact lens is like a telescope allowing the wearer to zoom in on things. Apparently this can help with people who are near sighted and/or diseased. If you can wink then, depending on the right or left eye it will either zoom in for you or it will go back to normal. I can't blink my left eye so this can be problematic for people who can not wink at all. I do think this is a sound idea though. People who are near sighted or are starting to lose vision could greatly benefit from this. However, there is a chance it could suddenly fail as well. If someone relied on it so much and all of the sudden it stopped working then that would be a major drawback to it.

Art of the Digital Age: Ch. 5-6

The way music is portrayed in this chapter is very interesting. Personally, i'm more of a country fan so learning that people can play music to that sort of extent is pretty astonishing. Matching the music in order so that it can react to something is impressive. Not only that but to somehow turn it into a work of art is skillful. What the computer can do with music back then and even to this day will keep on evolving and changing. The way people have their own personal labs set up is amazing, trying to obtain the right sounds. The amount of work it must have taken shows their passion for it. As for animation, I really liked the Particle Dream one. Not only does it show that art is an evolving thing but what the piece itself is about a human ,who is quite possibly a dreamer, is thinking about ideas that are coming to him or relaxing under a waterfall type thing.

Star Wars Drone

Well, I gotta say I kind of surprised on this one. A drone made to look like an Imperial Star Destroyer. That is really impressive to me. I know that drones were made to deliver pizza but to actually make one to look like an iconic space ship is really special. Granted I can imagine the pranks and all the negative association the Imperial Star Destroyer has, but this kind of thing does appeal to a fan base. The maker of this has already made other numerous Star Wars related drones.  I am amazed though that it doesn’t really affect the flight with the weight and all. It is not incredibly bulky and not something that looks like it was halfhearted. I think this is art. Now it is not something that is world changing but an artist who is expressing himself and showing support to a particular franchise by making a unique design.

Robot Valet

Apparently in Germany there is a robot valet to park your car. It is like a lift and it will scan the car and after it is done measuring it, it will come and pick up the car and place it into a designated parking spot. It is called RAY and can booked with an app. It is able to life three tons and is able to park 60% more cars than a human could. Also, with the app it the person can tell it if their flight is delayed or if there was a change in their flights. There are talks about a car that is compatibility with RAY. Their main target audience is solely business people. Some who suddenly needs to leave on business and who will be back in a few days. I think it is a pretty good idea. While I admit the main target audience is still small what they could accomplish with it is fascinating. Not only for lifting up and parking cars but I could see it as a construction like equipment or for something like a factory. However, according to the article a place in New Jersey has something to rival that.  Something like a garage that inside with the parking can be shuffled like a Rubik’s cube. I do not know though, both ideas have merit and potential flaws. I think that if the valet would expand its business and target audience, it would have more of a chance of success. 

New Media in Art Chapter 4

Virtual Reality is something that I find fascinating and I am a little surprised that it was mentioned in the reading. I always thought virtual reality was solely for gaming experiences. In the past it seems like it was really revolutionary to have something like that. Now in the present Virtual Reality is more common and a lot more mainstream. An example of that would be the Oculus Rift. It is essentially a video game device that the user wears on their head and they use their body motion and hands to play a game. It is fairly recent and with another popular culture show it seems there can be more support for it. Virtual Reality has a lot of potential. One such fictional idea would be a show called Sword Art Online. The basic plot of that is a Virtual Reality Online Massive Multiplayer Online (VRMMO) game was released and the players ended up becoming trapped in the game.  A future where Virtual Reality can become a fully immersed video game is quite interesting. Even for the medical field as well. Technology keeps advancing and so will Virtual Reality. Many different types will show up and many will either become a success or failures. The most important thing to remember is that Virtual Reality will keep advancing with the times. One era it could be used strictly for art. The next era it could be for entertainment and professional uses. No matter the use, Virtual Reality has limitless potential in order to succeed. 

No snow days?

So, I actually like snow days but according to this article that would become obsolete. Personally, in in high school the teachers just usually said something in advance or ended up emailing directions to the students on what to read. Often what we did was sometimes obvious. Either do the next assignment, read the next chapter, or wait for it to be discussed. As for distributing Laptops to students well, that may work for some but at the same time I can kind of see problems with that like students getting their own or parents complaining that their kid should just keep the laptop. I always liked the ideas of snow days, even my school took those into account. As for technology to stop that, I just see it as a double edged sword.

Chapter 3 New Media in Art

Surveillance is an interesting thing. Nowadays it seems quite normal but it must have been a shock to see something like that. It kind if reminds me of the movie 1986 and the whole "Big Brother"  paranoia thing. Even with television in regards to all the so called reality shows all of that down to a very basic form is just surveillance, People watching other people for pure entertainment. I would suspect that idea way back when would sound mad but most people nowadays see it as good entertainment. Also, the show called Person of Interest. A show about an Artificial Intelligence that sees/watches everything. From something sinister to entertainment according to the book which I think is an excellent description.

Apple Car

Well this idea seems kind if fun. It does seem like a possibility but I think before the hit the ground running a lot of tests need to done for this kind of car. Granted it appears that there are some secret projects in the work for this kind of vehicle so i'm unsure how far they've actually gotten. However, this idea doesn't really surprise me. If anything I would wonder if a radio would still be necessary in a car like that.

Reading New Media

What really stood out to me for this reading was the filmography. The history of it and how it compares to the current era with things like 4K and 1080p (HD) it has improved vastly. Breaking away from the normality for entertainment reminds me a lot of the Dada movement. No longer caring about social norms but doing it for the sake of being able to. Everything fit to a certain era and it was accepted. Breaking the societal norms seem common when creating new and exciting art no matter the kind if medium.

Drones

Apparently according to this article drones are about to be used in everyday lives. Apparently in the UK drones can deliver pizza. I wouldn't mind that honestly but paying for it and leaving a tip would be very different. Also the weather would have to be taken into affect but if only the roads are bad and if somehow the car delivering the pizza was delayed then I think this would be a wonderful idea for the pizza industry. The article does focus on agriculture a lot so I do agree that it does sound useful for that especially if operating them is cheap.

Reading 3-5

The readings of chapter three through five all offer something unique. I agree that the pictures in chapter three are "deadpan." Something while kind of simple and straight to the point offers professionalism and with that can be used in some kind of professional books. Chapter four seems like everyday pictures that anyone can take however, they are a bit more complex which I like. Any random object can be photographed but to have some sort of special meaning behind it and being able to understand that kind of meaning is something special. Chapter five in my opinion deals with more sensual photography along with certain moments in a day that can be captured. It doesn't even have to come out perfect which I find intriguing and with that in mind someone can take whatever kind of photo wanted and have it captured in their daily routine lives.

Microsoft Announcements

Microsoft held an event and announced some new things like Windows 10 and HoloLens. Holographs are going to become an everyday thing. What people will use is HoloLens but it is in a prototype stage and not ready for sale but the results apparently look promising. A comparison was made to the Oculus Rift to which I agree. Technology is surely advancing and it seems something like a holographic system would be normal.

The Reading

The introduction gave brief explanations of all of the chapters in the book as well as the start of a few examples for a better understanding of the contents and how the rest of the book is going to be formatted. I recognized one of the pictures from one of my previous classes in chapter one where it was the picture of the toilet/urinal. It was part of the Dada movement. Basically, reject all the normalcy of what was considered art and make something truly unique. Chapter one show how a photographer sets up a shot and the ultimate result of it. The second chapter is that there are stories behind the photographs.

CES 2015

Something interesting that happened this month is something called the CES show. Basically, it's an electronics show that showcases all sorts of inventions that have a futuristic feel to them. I remember an article saying that there was edible 3D printed pizza. Phones that are becoming more advanced and looking like a handheld gaming system. Virtual reality technology was present there as well. The Televisions even looked more sleek and stylish with thin 4K TVs, as well as 8K. The screens are getting much bigger and the quality of the pictures are improving. The cars present there too looked like a future type car with its appearance and what it ultimately offered.

Helvetica

The Documentary Helvetica offered showed the history of the font helvetica. The original name and how the name changed to adapt to a more broader audience. The second name for it was supposed to be Helvetia but had to be changed to Helvetica. It showed the change of an era from something that was extravagant and loud to something of a more professional and serious tone. Many people use that font nowadays. I never really noticed all the different types of fonts used in the everyday world. It seemed just so normal to me like another text on a billboard or sign but the detail and the amount of work that goes into it is interesting.