MEFT 3102

We’re looking at the artificial this week – so this video below, by well-known robot researcher, Australian Rodney Brooks, is really very interesting … you might also look at Ken Rinaldo’s site … you might also check out the links for Mitchell Whitelaw’s excellent book on this topic – Metacreation.

and here is a robot that can re-assemble itself.

New Scientist has quite an interesting piece on the future of photography.

For those interested in following up the topic of the cyborg, there’s a great new issue of the journal Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences on precisely this topic, with contributions from Andy Clark, the always interesting John Protevi and Casper Bruun Jensen and many others. You can access the articles through the library site. Go to the catalogue, type in “phenomenology” and “cognitive sciences” and click the button underneath that says “journals”. The journal title will come up, and you should be able to get electronic access once you put in your student number and password.

Just some quick links to get you going on this, consider the following interfaces. They are all poised to make a considerable change in everyday experience.

Jeff Han (Multi-touch)

Fingertapps (the multi-touch company)

and of course the iPod touch/iPhone

One of my favourites – brain ball ..

EEG interfaces, as below, or here – the neural impulse activator …

or consider this rather interesting and beautifully simple project ..

or consider the history of the iPod and the Walkman that came before it …

one of the experts on this, Michael Bull, interviewed by Wired.

a criticism of the Walkman versus the Ghetto Blaster ..

The very generous Chris Caines from UTS, thought we might be interested in this documentary he made – Thumb Candy: A blog based documentary about texting and SMS culture in the Philippines. In itself it’s a great example of a digital aesthetic. And of course it’s about a great example of the shift in everyday life involving digital media. So thanks Chris!