NOT your Average GIF -WOW to Cinemagraphs!

"American Celebrity"  ( Double click image to open in GIF view)

"Anna"      ( Double click image to open in GIF view)

Collaborating talents, Photographer and Video person, photographer Jamie Beck and motion graphics artist Kevin Burg create  animated GIF to a level of fine art, with their "cinemagraphs" of animated creations that are "something more than a photo but less than a video." Beck takes the photos and Burg applies the motion-graphics in "a highly collaborative process" that can take several hours of manual editing.
Mesmerized by the results, I want to share some of my favorites from their glowing results and an interview by My Modern Met with the creative artists.

"Meet me at the Bar"   ( Double click image to open in GIF view)

Related articles

• Story Behind Those Stunning Cinematic Gifs (mymodernmet.com)

"Driving Ms Verdi" Google Driverless Car

Google Driverless Car -Sebastian Thrun 

One of my dreams is coming true- a Driverless Car! 

I had the pleasure of meeting Sebastian at M.I.T. a few years ago, at which time he presented the robotic car competitions of his Stanford University labs. Now in his TED presentation - we can see the video's of the Google Driverless Car he is committed to perfecting in recognition of a friend who died in a car accident as a youth. 
 The Google car has already test driven over 140,000 miles along the West coast - with a trip as from San Francisco to Los Angeles successfully navigating curves, obstructions, and road traffic.  Thrun contests it will save lives, ease off on the environment by saving fuel, and provide us humans more time to enjoy our lives.
Set my destination and watch me sit back while the cameras and laser tech guides the way- I am ready when it goes retail. Or better yet, use me as a test driver - I'd love to have a chauffeur! 

 

 

Is this a Google search or an Ad?

Thanks to Seobook.com for sharing their images for us to see
"HOW THE EVOLVING ALGORITHYM SHAPES THE WEB"
This very well done infographic portrays the Google search and use of advertising in searches. "Google has used their amazing marketshare to bend the web to their will", according to SEO Book.com.
It is now the most profitable and powerful companies and is powered by ads. Research has shown that the ads do undermine the credibility of search engines. Googel both measures and monetizes the publishing ecosystem with over $1billion in online ad revenues. Seobook contends that "Their (Google) editorial philosophy and and ad porgrams have likeyl had more impatct on the shape of the web than anything or anyone since Tim Berners Lee created it.

With these comments and info in mind, we (users) need to take it into consideration as we log in to "google" the world for info and data- that we are buying into the advertising world and being used for marketing. I see my gmail with prompts of ads that relate to the words from my gmail messages and become alittle leary.
Who's watching over my Personal life? collecting my INFO and messages?

Big Brother ? or Google?




Infographic by SEO Book

Here is a great image of tracking the Google Algorithym search.

Welcome to iPAD2

Praises are in order for Apple whose iPad2

delivered us the many features that make this device

 the standard for all mobile tablets.  A lighter version makes it easier to carry and built in covers save the cost of an additional accessory. Now with a built in camera and video camera- one can use wifi for FACE-TIME and have one of the BIGGEST viewing screens for taking photos and video. I see it being set up for wide shots and working it's way into more settings.

The apps for photo and video editing are available making for quick editing and uploading to our clouds or social networking accts.

The faster operating system has been a nice feature that will come in handy as we add more functions.
All in all, I think it is a nice time to buy an iPad if you don't have one already. It is one of those advances in techology that gets better with age and gets used in our lives "once we get our hands on it".  

The Art & Technology of Film " SKYLER"

"SKYLER" the art(&tech) of film-making

"SKYLER" film by Director / Artist Clenet Verdi-Rose


Coming to a theatre near you...


"Skyler", a great film and marketing example for us digital designers and techies, as it exemplifies the integrated roles of film maker/ creative artist and the role of technology in relationships today.  Checkout  the website's  social media profiles of character conversations and the collage poster composed from still photos from the film.

"Skyler" director, Clenet Verdi-Rose, began as an artist and took his creative skills to the screen directing- much like
Tim Burton, Academy Award Director whose drawings will soon exhibit at Los Angeles Museum of Modern Art.  Creative artist meets technology as the Skyler director, Clenet,  took digital stills from the film and used Adobe Photoshop and plugins to create collages of photos for the poster and marketing website.

The film, "Skyler"  also incorporated examples of Social Media communication that are now impacting relationships and are portrayed on it's website as the actors use Skype texting, and Facebook profiles. 

iPAD2 Intro by Steve Jobs

Jim Wilson/The New York Times photo of Steve Jobs/iPad2

iPAD 2  Steve SpeakThe time has come, Steve Jobs is talking about the newest iPad 2 describing it's much awaited new features of Face-time, cameras, and photo and video editing software. The new case has little magnetic tabs which allows it some safety and stability as a stand. It is not my intention to use an iPad as my primary camera; however, it will make mobile communications using iChat video and Skype usable with images. Looking at the video on the Apple site  ,  the video makes it look pretty tempting for more people to use and integrate this device for family connections and documenting gatherings. 

There will be a faster operating system with longer battery life with iMovie and Garageband. 

Look forward to seeing it come out on March 11, 2011! 

 

Google Jules Verne Logo

Immersed in Technology "DIGITAL_NATION" by Frontline

Digital Nation - Frontline Virtually Amazing  

How much of YOUR life is in the Digital World? Multi-tasking, googling for answers at an urge, reading less novels, writing more paragraphs...and on. 

Thank you PBS /Frontline for this extraordinary show reviewing the many, many ways our lives have changed with technology as we rush into a world infused with technology touching our lives - changing the way we learn, what we do, and how we live.  Leaving us with more questions.
 "more and more of our experiences are moving into the virtual world".

That it will change us is certain. Neil Postman stated at Harvard in 1997 -
"ask how it (technology) will change our lives before embracing it".  However, many changes happen without our control and we must learn to adapt - we need to find the balance.

Is Technology is now bringing us back together again in a different way--- IBM office Park hub for 1980's and it is empty but in IBM's Second Life - people are at home, hotels all over the world meet regularly in 2nd Life IBM world. Their  Innovation Strategist reports, "None have met in real life- only know each other from virtual world."

Virtual human Interaction life studies at Stanford University reports how human minds reflect small  distinctions in  differentiating stuff- if it looks real - it can be percieved as "real"-especially if the  avatars wear our real faces. The "Swimming with whales" experiment results show that kids believe they swam with whales at 3 yr old after viewing computer simulations.


Where is this all taking us- with multi-tasking and googling , meeting in virtual worlds, being in the same house whle all in different worlds?

Many things to ponder and this fantastic piece reviews many of our lives' changes and offers few answers but VERY IMPORTANT questions.   Go to PBS for the full version and add your story to Digital_ Nation.  

Thanks Google Chrome Team - 21 Things!

After struggling to open my GMAIL today, I finally opened the Google browser, Chrome  and found some real gems - number 1 -a great new browser and a cool book of 20 things. This online book was designed by the Min Li Chan and the  Google Chrome team called "20 Things I Learned About Browsers and the Web". 

 Love the way it teaches one about internet use and a layman's terminology with tips to protect one's privacy.  Reading online with pages that flip and good size type also make it "user friendly".  Recommend to all. 

MLK"I have a dream" - so should WE

Martin Luther King
In remembering our past, we define our future. Thanks for the technology that brings our history
to refresh the motivation of those no longer here to forge forward today.

Apps for MAC-- what do you think of that?

 MAC App Store "Open for Biz"

Just downloaded the App for MAC app for my laptop. You need to have Snow Leopard OS X
and it takes a few minutes and is free. What is NOT free - is most of the apps. Some cost a hefty $79 like the Aperture one. Like to say that I have tried them but... so many cost money and I have them on the  my iPad and/or iPhone- and don't need to pay for a duplicate.

I am still working my way thru some of them. It is nice for those who have no iPad and like to try the features of some apps, like Evernote and Things. Not crazy about repeating apps on 3 devices- if I buy it once- would like to have it for several uses.

Composer is a fun app and Evernote- well, it works as well on the Mac as it does on the iPad.
Guess the advantage is that one who has no iPad can still enjoy some of the apps on MAC. :  )

Movie Making iPhone "only on the iPhone"

 iPhoneFilming

Pan Chan-wook, South Korean film director  known for "Old Boy" "Thirst", and "Lady Vengeance, has used an iPhone 4 to shoot for the 30 min.  film, "Paranmanjang" with a budget of $133,000 or 150 million.  He is quoted as saying it provided many angles as the size of camera provided numerous cameras with variety of shots.

The directors attached lenses to their phones( something I will research and come back with more info)
        "only on the iPhone....."  at least this movie.