Look at this photo for a moment... a long moment. Let digest what you are seeing. The art piece above entitled "Pixel Bulb" by artist Marcus Tremonto looks like a throw back to old lightbulb technologies. Some paper glued onto the wall to look like a pixelated light bulb. *Yawn*... next post. But look again, those plain pieces of paper aren't plain... they're lighting the room.Using "2D electroluminescent paper" - or for the commonly techie (incredibly thin OLED screens). This piece is a perfect oxymoron for the digital age, and in doing so has brought me much hope to technologies grasp in the art industry. Who said digital art had to be displayed in the format from which it was built? Why not take some of that technology and throw it onto the old... and get well... something truly inspiring.
This little device pictured above has created quite a stir in the passing weeks. Given all the hype about an impending Apple Tablet, people have taken little notice until recent videos of a working prototype. The device above is called a Courier, designed by Microsoft. Oddly enough, everything about this device strays from that which you would expect. The market sector of this device is quite vague. It is not so much a netbook as it is.. well... a booklet.
The Courier in action:
The Design.
This device definitely strays far from Microsoft's standard Window's interface. You treat the device more like an actual journal - pinching flicking, scratching down, writing notes, cutting out newspaper-like clippings, hand-writing recognition, voice memo's, etc. Yet it is also a web browsing and application device like your typical netbook. Honestly it is one of the biggest leaps towards replacing the analog desktop with well... a truly metaphoric one. It goes without saying that this truly is a revolutionary design - ironically revolutionary in that its purpose is not to create a device for us to learn how to use, yet instead to create a device that may replicate how we already pursue our daily tasks. But with the caveat of a digital background processing - we are welcomed with an infinitely customizable interface, organizational strategies that won't require carrying a small filing cabinet around with you, and a dedicated desktop - always at your finger tips.
Who knows... maybe this is the beginning... the beginning of the end of paper!
The device above you is a visionary prototype designed by Kopin, a display manufacturer for the military. The device above is outfitted with a tiny .34 in. SVGA display - that is, it has the resolution greater than many smartphones at 800x600ppi (similar technologies could produce a full HD 1280x1024 at a mere .56 in.) Given the displays placement, it is claimed to approximate a 15in desktop computer. Placed at a slightly downward angle, it will not obstruct the viewer's vision; instead they have to look slightly downward, as we naturally do when watching where we are walking. The device is also outfitted with Windows CE running on a Texas Instruments OMAP 3530 chip with a ARM Cortex 8 core as well as wi-fi and Bluetooth support. The computer itself is controlled by verbal commands and head movements.
Given all of this, I find that which is most exciting is the cost: between $1,500 - $2,000 this device is by no means cheap. But these prices are realistic. Typically I see new technology such as this retails for 10K - keeping it well out of reach for the average consumer.
This device feels like the direction of future cellular and computer technologies. The ability to just continuously wear an unobstructive device, giving us easy access to our computer/cellphone/music needs seems very attractive. The device above is by no means minimalistic, and to be honest, you would probably look like a cyborg walking around with one of these. But the truth is, such a device is pushing technology further. The applications of a device that is wearable seems endless. For instance - reading on one's back, checking e-mail on the go, keeping a planner/calendar nearby, breaking news at a glance, supplemental streaming information when playing video games, an on-board music player, etc.
Regardless, that which makes this device so revolutionary is not that it is a computer, not that it is a display, but that it is a movement towards continual usage wherever we may be - as Bluetooth was for cellphones. Granted I feel this design will go much further in the future - Bluetooth was about not carrying your phone. This device is very well changing the needs of your phone. The biggest current issue in cell phone technologies is screen real estate. Such a device sounds like a very promising solution.
My biggest concern is that similar to current cellphone usage issues. A wireless device should not imply use to multi-task when people should not be multi-tasking - such as when driving.
Behold, that which is pictured above is in fact a new sub woofer, the HTB2SE-W, designed by KEF. AT $1,200 retail, this sub woofer is by no means for the light-pocketed, though for this price one gets a 10-inch driver powered by a 250 watt amplifier - while simultaneously streaming your music wirelessly.
The design above may be considered futuristic, almost space-ship like. The design very effectively misconstrues one's natural expectation of audio devices, though does it do so effectively?
I most certainly feel that it does. The glossy black oval screams futuristic technology - a union of smooth, rounded curves consumed with a plethora of advanced technology innards. The left perfect circle reminds me of the speaker covers of 80's boom boxes, though with one, this device is just a more effective cyclops. It is the perfect combination of form and function. One could place this on a table acting as a metaphor for a vase of flowers, or next to their glossy black, rectangular widescreen - giving an effective, yet subtle, contrast. But instead of just being visually appealing, we may saturate the room with wonderful, wonderful music... who can compete with that?....
Just a few days ago the new ZuneHD by Microsoft was released. With a capacitive touch screen, HD radio, HD video output, wifi, and of course 16 and 32 Gb music varieties it definitely sets itself in the path of Apple's iPod. But does it have what it takes to take a chunk of Apple's increasing market share?
As a music player. The design of the new ZuneHD is beautiful. Its metal alloy shell and glass screen give it a solid feel as well as a clean minimalistic asthetic. No longer does it feel like a huge chunk of plastic, but instead a fine electronic device - of a build similar to that of say the HTC Hero or of course the original iPhone. The UI has been updated to 3.0 giving many muchly appreciated changes, fewer glitches, and speedier screen flow; ultimately, the Zune's interface has become quite organized and optimized for finger usage - a nod I wish the Windows Mobile development community would take.
The device has begun to approach the appeal popular in the iPhone, or maybe more accurately the iPod Touch. With gaming capabilities and Wi-Fi, the gap between a computer, telephone, and music playing device is increasingly narrowing - as are Apple's competitors.
Regardless, the ZuneHD does have much room for improvement. On the forefront is the lack of web-browser and of course telephone chip set. No web browser puts the ZuneHD at an immediate disadvantage of both the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch. And the muchly anticipated Zune Phone seems yet another year or more to the horizon.
It amazes me with Microsoft's work force that they are unable to employ the necessary means to quickly catch up to, and surpass Apple devices in the mobile music device sector - yet alas, this seems to continually be the reality of the situation.
The ZuneHD does not display HD, contrary to the name. This bothers me the most. HD radio is nothing more than radio at a different signal, and an HD output is about as useful as carrying around a second monitor with you. The misuse of the term HD has bothered me to no end, yet alas it seems the corporate world is continuously able to trick the everyday consumer into thinking "HD" means something ground-breaking and revolutionary.
This successive jump onto the HD bandwagon naming strategy is quite saddening and a pore reflection of honest, creative design.
Jabra has recently announced its new HALO Bluetooth headset. Packed with two stereo speakers and a microphone it'll pair, via Bluetooth 2.0, for all your wireless music-listening and friend-chattering needs. But does it defy all that is the Bluetooth headset stigma?
From visual conception Jabra has definitely introduced something evolutionary. The black, sleek design is minimalistic, yet simultaneously a nod to the over-the-ear headphones particularly popular in the 80's. The matte finish gives the headset an overall clean look professional enough for office or the morning job. The HALO also folds for storing, granted I question how useful this tri-fold mechanism really is. In wearing them I imagine it'll feel slightly like wearing a hair beret... a futuristic hair beret. But hey! Is that so bad? I can see us all wearing something similar in about 2040, but has Jabra jumped the gun? I think not, this is a perfect opportunity to shift the headset environment from that of ridicule... to... well.. music-lover with style (and bent hair.)
Opinions? Leave them in the comment section below.
Scientistsat Stanford University are out to completely re-design the way we see camera technologies. As of today, typical digital camera software is provided by, and only by, one's camera manufacturer. Yet Stanford Computer Science professor Marc Levoy and graduate student Andrew Adams hope to change this with the introduction of open-source software dubbed "Frankencamera." Ultimately, the goal of such efforts is to let users around the globe control every aspect of their camera from ISO and shutter speed, to focus algorithms and effect masks.
Levoy and Adams have currently designed the first system able to perform in-house High Dynamic Range (HDR) imaging composites using a Linux kernal as its foundation. Future goals involve the creation of an Apple App Store - like environment from which to download new algorithms. Levoy and Adams are also currently investigating possible web-based applications that may directly communicate with the camera thus optimizing images given user ratings, previous photographs, etc.
Nokia, Adobe Systems, Kodak, and Hewlett Packard are currently funding further research and have awarded Adams a three year fellowship to continue his work.
From a photographers standpoint, the idea of an open-sourced software would prove quite valuable. Photographers would be able to gain their specific niche in the imaging market given their very discrete software techniques applied. Granted the non technical photographer may have problems jumping aboard - which could cause quite a disadvantage in this make--it-yourself frontier. These technologies would also prove quite valuable to the average consumer - giving them a variety of downloadable add-ons - as well as opening up the market for independent programmers. Hopefully this may soften the current blow of the current bisected market of Nikon and Canon technologies.
A Linux kernal is always a great starting point given its time-proven stability. From here, accessible software from which to control and manipulate such system architecture need be developed, therein laying a foundation for a quite promising future.
