Pong in Scratch

Pong in Scratch – Video

Pong in Scratch – The Game 

In this project for NMD 100, our goal was to recreate Pong, the classic ball and paddle game. This was a simple project that required some basic game stylized code. Initially I started out with the standard mechanics of the ball and paddle. I was able to quickly add in a power up type system that allowed the player that last bounced the ball to gain a speed advantage.

Upon going through some stock background imagery in the builder, I discovered an X,Y plane. This gave me the idea of giving each of the players the ability to defend the X bounds, or the Y bounds. Thus, this expanded out how much interactivity the players had, and gave the game a different twist.

Victorian Internet: Part 1

This posting is in response to the first half of reading through the book

The Victorian Internet by Tom Standage

For a very long time I considered myself much more interested in future technologies. Fusion, lasers, quantum computing, artificial intelligences, faster then light travel. Sometimes, it is good to step back and look back upon what all this could be founded on.

The Medium is the Message

The reading in NMD 100 class is an excerpt from the book Understanding Media: the extensions of Man by Marshall McLuhan.

In this, we explore another concept of what is new media, and what it means. I think it opens a lot to my own personal feelings of what new media is. It talks a lot about how media is really what we use to complete our tasks. Media is a tool, and if used correctly can bring a great deal of power to the user.

I find it very interesting how McLuhan describes Artists. They see the world for what it is, and knows how to express an incoming change. They can soften the blow of a new technology and help smooth the implications that it imposes. So the role of the artist is to be ambassador of the technology. This is an incredibly interesting concept to consider, and lends the artist more credence than generally assumed by the population.

Media in this context is anything that extends the human form. My own personal theory of  evolution in the human context meshes very well with this concept. It is through our industrial, and digital evolutions that we develop the tools and resources to be able to express ourselves upon the world.

The artist is not just a painter or a drawer. The artist is the person who is aware, and knows how to manipulate those around them to see the world view as they see it. In this attempt. cultural shock is alleviated and society’s adoptions of the new may become swifter.

It is through the artist’s eyes that we can see the future. They are creative in their conjectures based on fact. They see possibilities beyond the here and now and can find ways of evolving beyond the biological, by finding and creating the tools they  need. We were not fitted with claws, but we have great machines that can dig the earth for us. We need not technology. For without imagination  our technological existance could never be.

Most importantly, knowing where you are, and what has come before allows the artist to see what can be. Many times it has shown that similar societal changes have occurred in response to the introduction of a new media. Understanding this allows the artist to know what symptoms exist in society. Then the appropriate remedy can be used to train those who are about to be impacted, to better accept what will become.

Interstellar funded in part by science

Interstellar – Imagination to Reality

The above link is the subject of this post

I think that this article is one of many that prove another of my theories. That the only limit is our imagination. In this, the persons creating the special effects for the movie were going for accuracy and factual representations. In this they were going for a Science fiction movie instead of a science Fiction one.

Time and time again, we are proven that if a person sees something that they want, they will achieve it or create it. I think there was a story back from the 1980’s when a computer engineer saw a new development on an apple machine. They had though that Apple had created a whole new idea, and it was the observer’s idea to try and copy and make it work in their systems.

Long story short, Apple had never developed the system that the observer saw, and the observer created something simply by the basis that they saw it could be done. I feel that any creation should be fueled but the thought that this is possible, and it should be.

The computer models that the Interstellar team developed pushed an envelope that we had no idea existed. Through science and discovery they were able to get as close to a black hole phenomenon as possible through computer simulations. In it they were even able to discover other aspects of black hole behavior that we would never have thought to be able to see without actually approaching and entering a black hole.

I think that this really captures the capacity for human imagination, and reveals our limitless capacity for creation. The limit is our tools, and our tools are created by us.

Impacts

In class yesterday, we discussed New Media and whether it is negative, or positive concerning the impacts on society.

It was treated more as a debate, and the ensuing discourse was plotted. Each side has good points and the lines started to blur between wether the person was at a table of for or against. Most of the discussion was centered around the internet and its specific impacts.

This is not a recapping but a capture of thoughts afterwards.

Scratch Project 1

Lazer Squirrel will save the Earth

A simple beginning scratch project for NMD 100. In this project we worked on creating a short narrative.

Nettle Virtual Holograms

A Russian company called Nettle has developed a way for 2d images to create a 3d hologram that is viewable from all angles.

This is pretty amazing considering that hologram technology has been struggling to develop for decades. I truly can’t put it any better myself, so hear is how they describe their work:

MotionParallax3D by Nettle

The MotionParallax3D technology used in the Nettle product line is employed in the following way:

• The user wears special 3D glasses with active infrared markers
• The tracking system monitors the position of the markers and pinpoints their exact location in space
• The 3D engine uses the marker location data to generate two projections of the 3D scene (one for each of the viewer’s eyes)

New Media History

This is a response to: And lead us not into thinking the new is new: a bibliographic case for new media history by Benjamin Peters published by New Media & Society.

New media history has a lot to tell us. It gives us the initial human reaction, the human acceptance, and the human embrace. I found this especially compelling whilst also reading the book The Victorian Internet by Tom Standage.

It has brought about a change in my own mind of how the history is filled with just as interesting and exciting stories as the present. Yes, the technology of today is absolutely incredible. Yes, the technology can yet still be more incredible. Looking back on the past though, reveals that technological history can be just as exciting.

Between these two readings I am compelled to think that a study in New Media history can help us solve many of the social issues of today. It is absolutely incredible to compare victorian era society to modern society and see so many parallels.

This revelation helps us to predict, and even manage change. At the same time it holds us back. I had sudden alarms going off in my head during the reading and was left with the question of purpose. By most technical standards, the technology I am using today can be considered old media.

What is the New Media of today? What can I do to become part of that? What does it need? Is it even time for that new standard? Is society even ready for it?

Even more important, how well can I document my progress? It is humbling that my work is built upon the work of hundreds of thousands of people who have come before me. Each one applying their own personal improvement, and innovation. Is it not therefore my duty as a New Media professional to continue that inquiry? Is it my job as an intelligent and talented individual to continue human progress, and push the boundary further. My offer of service, time, and effort can become part of the record of innovators. I can make history with my future. That alone, would be incredible.

Exo Glove Poly

Exo Glove Poly

The Exo Glove Poly is probably the first assisted movement device that I have seen that can be used while washing hands. The non-invasive method of interface as well as the flexibility of the glove are huge benefits.

The box seems clunky, and awkward. In the implementation upon a a wheel chair, this isn’t too bad of an option. The level of mobility and flexibility that the glove offers is exceptional and obviously gives the wearer a degree of articulation.

It works pretty much on the same basis as tendons already serve in the fingers. A non surgical tendon replacement option. This is an option where surgery isn’t. The nature of the material appears to be non abrasive and far more comfortable then conventional straps or buckles. The glove also does not limit the wearer to certain tasks. This is a reasonable option for those who still wish to cook, or paint.

This is a reasonable basis for future non surgical mobility restoration devices. In theory it could be a basis for construction devices, or scientific tools for oceanic exploration. Rather then rely on many motors and gears, this could serve as a concept platform for mechanical fins on submersible drones or subs.

For more information, and videos of it in operation go to the above cited website. It is part of a group called Atlas of the Future which hosts a number of projects ranging from technological to sociological topics.

Tesla Energy

 

The above video is pretty amazing. This man has passion, vision, and money. Kinda a hard thing to beat. However, the introduction of Tesla Energy is absolutely amazing. Now I just wish the guys and gals in the crowd would shut up and let him be humble.

Elon Musk is the kind of guy I would love to become. A man with dreams, and passion, and the ability to push that forward. Is he the genius behind it? No, he has hundreds of talented men and woman behind him, pushing the envelop, and daring to achieve it. He is knowledgable on his projects, and is aware of how they should be shaped. It took the brilliant minds of his teams to come up with a solution to fit the bill.

The implications of this technology are far reaching, and have real consequences. What is absolutely amazing, is they are already developing the infrastructure to produce it. They have adopted a contract to become a supplier. The trust in their product is substantial.

I think one of the greatest things is that they aren’t keeping this for themselves. They are making it open to others to use and reproduce. It is an incredibly brave thing for a company to do. It is in that sharing though, that you realize the value of what they are giving, and what the company believes in.

It is all of this that makes New Media worthwhile. Identify the problem. Assemble a team of people. Conduct technological wizardry. Solution is produced. It sounds like new media specialists are really just reality debuggers.