Reflection for February 16th

In reading about the Magic Book, I noticed great symbolism between the piece of art and the direction the digital phenomenon is taking new media. To physically read the book, then to experience a three dimensional pop-up, to finally immersing yourself within it’s own virtual reality, takes you through nearly all stages of the transparency myth. We see evidence of at least two of these in the recent resurgence of 3D video technology. Not only are viewers immersing themselves in the story of a film, but now visually experiencing the film as if they were actually there. Even video game technology has taken gamers into high definition virtual reality. Games like Grand Theft Auto and World of Warcraft have created virtual universes for gamers explore and virtual characters that react to the gamer as if it were actual human interaction. And you know it’s still media because in games like Grand Theft Auto the gamer is constantly bombarded with virtual product placement and other forms of advertisements.

I disagree that a media form can ever become entirely extinct. I do believe that the technology in which some media originated will eventually become obsolete and replaced. Then the media form evolves like your seeing with print media establishing their new presence on the web. The next major technology to go has to be radio, but not radio as a medium, but the physical transmission of radio waves sent to receivers around the world will eventually cease to be. However, in cases of disaster, like the Earthquake in Chile, actual radio technology was an integral part in the rescue mission allowing for communication to the affected area. So, I take that back that technology will always have a place.Though, we are seeing some serious competition to your conventional radio station. Satellite Radio, Ipods, Pandora, are all slowly but surely putting terrestrial radio out of business. My theory is as long has human beings still have to physically operate their automobiles and they aren’t controlled by computer, there will always be the need for prepared music, talk, or informational audio programming, supported by advertising.

We spoke last week how Apple’s best quality is their interface design. They have taken GUI and nearly perfected it as far as I’m concerned. Looking at the Fakeshop website, I noticed major similarities between it and my MacBook screen. Currently I have a window up for Pages as I type this post, a window up for Safari where I have a tab for FaceTwit, a tab for e-mail, a tab for Facebook, and a tab for Pandora, and I still have a Final Cut session opened in another window for some video editing I plan do later. Once I run four fingers downward on my track-pad, the windows spread out, showing different kinds of textual and audio/visual media running simultaneously so I can easily identify where I’m going next. Which brings me to my next point, the T-Garden. Here I find similarities between the art and practical functions of new media technology. For instance, this track-pad on my MacBook Pro. It allows me to do a variety different thing depending on how many fingers I use on the pad and what direction I move them in. Also, touch screens on new smart phones, can understand what word you type as you slide your finger along the touch screen keypad. Like the visitors of T-Garden assert their physical presence as they interact with the system, we do the same things everyday with these readily available technologies.