In the coming months, we’ll start discussing learning theory in the blog a lot more than we have. With more projects getting off the ground, we’ll need to talk about their conceptual models and theoretical underpinnings.
Some of the terminology we’ll be using may be unfamiliar to many readers. To help with this issue, we’re working on a “Jargon Board” to define potentially confusing terms as they come up. Suggestions are always encouraged.
We will not be posting tomorrow (Wednesday) due to the SOPA blackout. For more information, please read this.
Last night brought something we don’t see all that often in Newport: snow. I don’t mean freezing rain or a brief dusting of wet fluff, either. The street outside received a solid, inch-thick sheet of the stuff, which remained pristine for a considerable length of time.
Late last night, we could hear snowball fights echoing through the frigid air. A neighborhood dog, donning a striped sweater, followed her family into the orange glow of the streetlights to play.
At around 1:30 a.m., my wife and I managed to get a few photos of a snowy Nye Beach. I’ve attached the clearest of these below.
Mogees is a gestural touch interface system developed by Bruno Zamborlin. It works with any contact microphone and rigid surface. The actual resonance of the surface affects the sound, plus the system recognizes the kind of contact the user is making (tapping, scratching, slapping etc.). In other words, it can turn just about anything into a hybrid digital/physical instrument and an innovative touch interface. Watch the video for examples, including some cool echoey effects from a balloon.
Mark brought this project to my attention recently. I’m not sure I would call any of these methods “inconspicuous,” but Marilyn Manson and Lady Gaga might disagree with me on that point. However, I suppose fashion might evolve in the future to match the increasing prevalence of facial-recognition systems.
To the extent that this pertains to the Visitor Center, I expect that most people will find our simple opt-out measure preferable to an extra hour in front of the mirror. That may only be because our systems (which aren’t interested in your life outside the Visitor Center [sorry]) are currently the only ones likely to be encountered by a visitor on any given day here in Newport. That could change, and that extra hour might be worth it if you’re not confident in the benevolence or ownership of the eyes in the sky.
I’m interested in what develops from techniques like CV Dazzle, both in terms of facial-recognition systems and anonymity measures. If nothing else, the world will be more interesting to look at if this catches on. If avoiding surveillance becomes an avenue of personal expression, then are you truly seeking anonymity or just trying to avoid a particular kind of undesirable scrutiny?
Feel free to share your thoughts with us. We’ll wait for you to do your hair and makeup, if you’d like.
Here are a couple of models Mark made in SketchUp to show the proposed size and placement of the wave tanks:
