10 Revolutionary Computers

http://www.technewsdaily.com/10-revolutionary-computers-0295/12

The evolution of computers throughout the years slightly mirrors mankind's in the sense that we upgraded our abilities in accordance to what we really needed to operate.

In the beginning, computers were birthed with the idea of making life easier for people, but for pioneering inventors this meant making complex machines that could only do the most simple tasks when compared to today's machines. The first computers that were actually built, not just blueprinted, were used in war time. The ENIAC was able to crunch algorithms which would be used by artillery operators to help them better aim the mammoth death machines. After the war, computers were created to help the business sector. Especially businesses that dealt with numbers and records, like accounting and life insurance.

It was not until the Xerox PARC Alto entered the computing ring that the idea of a personal computer came into play. While the concept was a new one, the Alto showed that a computer could be made with a wider range of people in mind. you no longer had to be a programming genius to operate a computer, because there were now features that made it more accessible. For example, it had a Graphical User Interface that was manipulated on a monitor through the use of a mouse. These things would forever change the way people used and interacted with computers.

Elementary My Dear Watson.

Around mid-February mankind was able to witness history, as a computer bested some of Jeopardy's most talented contestants. Ken Jennings, of 74 games won in a row fame, and Brad Rutter went up against IBM newest inventions. Its name is Watson, named after the IBM's founder, Thomas J. Watson. Watson is a "room-sized" super-computer built to acknowledge human-asked questions, after which is supposed to present an answer in the Jeopardy format. 

While the super-computer was far from a perfect specimen at this point, it is very important to point out how well it did in deciphering some of Jeopardy's most labyrinthine questions. Just reading this question in the article made my head hurt, "William Wilkenson’s ‘An Account of the Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia’ inspired this author’s most famous novel." This just goes to show the raw computing power of Watson. Its ability to break down such a question into its constituent parts is awe-inspiring.

While it is entertaining to watch some of the greatest Jeopardy players get beat down by a computer, it is imperative to consider what this actually means to the human/computer dynamic. There are talks that this technology would be put to use to assist doctors by answering their queries by pulling information for their encyclopedic medical memory. Additionally, it is said that it would be used to assist customers' buying concerns by answering and questions they have, as well as operate as a customer support entity. One notion that gets glossed over is the one where the writer speaks of a world in which, "intelligent machines will understand and respond to humans, and perhaps inevitably, replace some of them."

Oh, the humanity!

MZTV.com: Interactive 3D Gallery

This was a very interesting site to explore. The layout was very clean and it displayed a lot of information without being cluttered. The TVs that were showcased were very interesting. It is exciting to see how the design sense changed over time to accommodate the time periods of each TV! The ones that I liked the most were the ones that were very curvy in style. They reminded me of what I thought astronaut's helmets looked like back in the 50s and 60s.

Televisions are wonderful things, and it was intriguing to see how they have evolved throughout the years!

Experimental Art

The presentation we saw in class was a very interesting one. It was cool to see how those artists were able to de-contextualize items and the spaces they inhabited.

One of my favorite pieces was the one were they set up many fans and dumped a large amount of dirt on the ground. Over the next few weeks they would make dunes that were reminiscent to the ones in Egypt.

It was interesting how the artist only strives to attain that "perfect peak" in the sand, and how he was waiting so long for that one element. I learned you can't rush art!

Evolution of Singing in the Rain

Singing in the Rain: The Original

 

Singing in the Rain: A Clockwork Orange

 

Singing in the Rain: Volkswagon

What Happened? (1952-1971)

What cataclysmic shift occurred in this time that forever changed the attitudes of Americans? While it would be a huge generalization to say that just one thing changed everything, it would be hard to overlook the pivotal role drugs had in this time. Prior to this, times were straight and rigid, a counterculture aspect of society had not really taken hold in America.

The fifties were wholesome and rooted in the very stringent ideals of generations before. I believe that the counter culture movement started truly gaining steam at the time of the Vietnam War. People were generally upset with some of the motivations and actions taking place in that land, and for once people weren't afraid to stand up for what they believed in. Grass root campaigns that were fervently against what the war meant started to sprout up across the United States, thus the counter culture movement started to blossom.

With this new atmosphere of defying the norm, people started experimenting with things that were new and different. The idea of doing what you wanted to do started to spread across the states, and what people wanted to do was drugs. This experimentation started leaking into even more popular culture after its inception, where it ended up in mass media. In movies, you could see a dramatic increase in the vibrancy of colors and sounds that were not as prevalent in the decades prior. Characters started to lose  their roots in the real world and became more abstract.

War of the Worlds

The War Of the Worlds production that was played on the radio startled man people. It wasn't because it was vulgar or bad in any way, but because of the way it was presented. The performance was in the style of a real life broadcast that portrayed and emergency situation where aliens were attacking earth. The believability of the piece was heightened because of that fact that the announcer never broke character, there were no commercials, and that there was little to no introduction. The real magic to the piece was that listeners would tune in mid reading and think that these events were really transpiring. The performance the actors put on was so convincing that people were literally freaking out that the world would end. To me, this is endlessly interesting and I found it a pleasure to listen to.

Abel Gance: Napoleon

Abel Gance's Napoleon was a master work of its time. Napoleon was the story of France's Napoleon, starting from his childhood onto some of his victories as a great leader. While the story is captivating on its own, its the vision and creativity of Abel Gance that really makes this movie legendary. The original cut of Napoleon was a six hour epic that managed to combine techniques that were unprecedented in the world of silent film. Among these techniques were the use of hand-held cameras which gave the viewer a more believable point of view, so that they felt more a part of the action than just a spectator. Additionally, Gance hand-painted many scenes to add that extra sense of vibrancy to the theatrical presentation. Napoleon's ending was also very innovative in the sense that it was presented as a triptych, which means the viewing area was broken up into three distinct areas with their own contents in each zone. Even though the film drifts slowly into obscurity in mainstream culture, the techniques and unrelenting daring of its director will never be forgotten in the eyes of true movie enthusiasts.

Frame-by-Frame

 Untitled Stop-Motion Film
http://www.wimp.com/cooldrawing/

I chose to share this video because I thought it was very interesting. It was one of the first stop motion videos that I was ever really fascinated with. The use of the dry-erase board was a smart decision, given the redundant nature of frame-by-frame animation. I think the coolest part of this video is the fact that the artist "interacts" with the drawing so it seems like he is physically modifying it as it goes, but in reality it is just a series of creative editing and other camera trickery. I think the music enhances the viewing experience, and a lot of times it seems like it's the driving force behind a lot of what's going on, especially in regards to tempo and timing. The visuals themselves are very interesting. They go from natural to abstract, but in a way that feels very seamless. You should definitely check it out!


AT-AT Day Afternoon
http://vimeo.com/13135717

Although this video isn't exclusively frame-by-frame, I wanted to bring it to peoples' attention. I think it's important because it shows that frame-by-frame can be used in conjunction with conventional filming techniques. Here we see that there is a segment where the AT-AT appears to be running next to a dog that is fetching a ball in the park. In the "making of" video, it shows that they used meticulous frame-by-frame capturing techniques on a green screen to make this shot. In post-production, they edited each frame to make it seem like the AT-AT was running along side the dog. The subject matter of the video was very entertaining to me. In the video, they breath life into an old toy, which acts like a dog and shows a day in a life of this hypothetical creature. It was beautifully shot and was a perfect example of how frame-by-frame can be relevant outside of its own little world.

Ninja Moped - "Insert Coin"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFz_IuNTjts&feature=player_embedded#

Last but not least, I present you with this amazing stop-motion animation that is made with just a blanket and some coins. When I watched the animation for the first time, I was blown away with the technical skill involved with making such a complex animation in such a non-conventional way. They were able to "draw" some pretty realistic figures with the use of just coins, which is a very laudable achievement. The story is about a videogame type environment that is reminiscent of Tron. Watching movies like this are very inspiring and I hope that maybe one day I'll be able to make something just as fascinating!

Crash & Burn

The Stock Market Crash of 1929 was unprecedented in its ability to crumble a countries morale and business structure in one fell swoop. It wouldn't be until nearly eight decades later that something equally catastrophic would happen, and that was the Stock Market Crash of 2008. If you can look past how dramatically it destabilized a whole country and look at the similarities instead, it starts to get interesting. The biggest of the similarities was the banks' willingness to partake in "abusive practices" that ultimately spoiled the whole system, which then eventually crumbled under all the bad business. There are many other factors that played into it, but the bottom line was that the greediness of man led to its downfall, twice.

Links you should check out:

http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0805167.htm

http://www.webpennys.com/commentary/comparing_1929_to_2008.html

Good Enough For Jazz

After researching the topic of jazz, I have discovered that even though its origin can be generalized to the Southern regions of the United States, it's birth is much more expansive. It has an interesting beginning in the fact that it has been influenced and morphed dramatically since its older Ragtime days to what contemporary jazz is at the current. Jazz is a fusion of soul and technical prowess that can be played in a laid back way, or a very emotionally binding way. It can be whatever it wants to be. To put it simply, jazz is a chameleon, but in no way can it be overlooked in the history of music and performance.

Links you should check out!


http://www.apassion4jazz.net/