MEFT 3102

Here’s another interesting video – an “Amoeba Dance” produced live in a VJ package (VDMX), using Quartz Composer, audio analysis and some effects. The status of this image of course lies somewhere between new forms of design, new images, the generative, cross-signal processing, living coding and the impact of the digital – that’s before you get the question of this an an “artificial” life form, exploring it’s own virtuality across these domains.

So it’s a kind of an emblem of the last 3-4 weeks of the course.

More info here …

Amoeba Dance from Memo Akten on Vimeo.

Here are two interfaces you might be interested. One is somewhat literallly an inter-face … the interactive version of the Radiohead “data aesthetic” video that is discussed by Mitchell Whitelaw on his blog.The other interface involves touching plants to engage with data. This is Augmented Ecologies , A Kinesthetic User Experience.

Here’s a video of the interface in action. It uses Max/MSP (for those who are interested).

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 ..

Here’s an interesting new music video by Grace Jones. You can also read a very interesting discussion of it on Steven Shaviro’s blog (this is one of the most interesting “theory” blogs around).

Obscure tip from the early 1980s – listen to Grace Jones “Slave to the Rhythm” 45 at 33rpm, if you can find the vinyl around somewhere.