Term PAPER ABSTRACT

SURVEY OF NEW MEDIA-TERM PAPER-ABSTRACT
In my paper, I plan to discuss how remixing and sampling has affected the music industry today. In particular, I want to discuss how it impacts and basically shapes the hip-hop community in several ways. I will use quotes from the very insightful DJ Spooky about how the 20th century was such a defining time period in remixability and mash-ups, because of how media changed.
A large aspect to my paper will be based on how well I can highlight the contrast in how music absorption by the public changed from the 19th to 20th century. Such events as the invention of the radio and record player made music more readily available over a large area. For the first time in history, music didn’t just have to be heard live; Rather, it could be listened to multiple times, and more importantly, at the will of the listener. This change is so important today because the vast availability of different music is the fundam ental element that sparked the birth of remixing and sampling. By being able to hear music over and over, people began to have the idea of instead of starting from scratch (or simply creating music based on genres they heard in their town or village), they could take the completed work of another person and alter it in a way to make it unique and unique sounding to that individual. In a way, by remixing, it became possible to define one’s own music vicariously through the work of another.
Also I will have to talk about the negative backlash of remixing and sampling. So often today people consider those who sample the work of other artists to have a lack of creativity; that they are using the work of another person as a crutch. In my paper I will counter act this point by explaining the certain level of homage that is automatically delivered to the original piece by altering it. It is not an insult, rather, it is a compliment [to the original] that the artist was so inspired by the music that they thought they needed to make their own song using it; that they believed in the piece so much as to make it an integral part of their own original song. I will cite the work of such producers as Kanye West, who seem to constantly sample, and how a whole new meaning can be given to a song by utilizing the sample as a jumping off point for creativity, not a hindrance to it.
Also, a key point to this will be being able to define what exactly a sample is. In this day and age, when one has the ability to listen to thousands of songs by simply clicking a mouse, it is impossible to say that every artist in some way “samples” the work of another previous work, simply by being inspired by it. By listening to a song we enjoy we are given ideas about several things. For the musician, even subconsciously it is possible that they receive ideas about a song of their own because of something they heard. In this sense, it is fair to say all work today is a remix of several thousands of songs, because artists/musicians always affect other artists, which is reflected in their work.

Chad Cain-ABstract

Paper topic: The Cyborg



I thought for my paper I would explore the idea of the cyborg in American film. Because the scope of this topic is so large I will have to narrow my focus down to only a few movies. I find that particularly in American film, the cyborg is presented as being an unstoppable, destructive force, hell bent on eradicating humanity. I thought I could start by looking at the borg in Star Trek. Then move on to the unstoppable technological bionic android gone awry, like seen in the movie The Terminator. I will link Donna Harraway’s ideas in The Cyborg Manifesto to the human whose mind has been colonized by a simulated reality from which s/he cannot unplug, as in The Matrix. I think that will prove a good blend because it is a great example of the machine-human binary system. I’m also interested in computers with human-like minds, like HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey, and link that to computer applications such as cleverbot. I can explore the idea further of machines being able to replace life, and quarrel with the concept of whether or not machines will ever be considered alive. Mostly I want to focus on what seems (at least through Hollywood cinema) to be an extreme paranoia of the human race concerning Cyborgs, and whether or not they will replace and control us. I think with all this, I will have enough for ten pages. I’ll probably wind up having too much. If that is the case I will narrow my focus down further and omit a few films from my analysis.

All You Need is To Have No Life

I disagree with the notion that games ought to only have static affordances, and no new skills or tools etc. From experience playing games like that, while there is a certain level of mundane repetition, it encourages the player not to try and breeze through the game as fast as possible, but to take their and time and look for every available means to improve themselves along the way. It teaches them to be thorough, which I feel encourages less laziness, not to mention a level of strategy when it comes to deciding on how one should spend a limited amount of money.

Learning From a Video Game

I disagree with the Norwegian author about how games with levels are promoting capitalistic competition. This is not what games are teaching. American market competition is healthy competition that keeps society at a balance or slight unbalance. Competing in a game is directly related to exterminating an opponent completely.

There is not much to learn from video games. They are simply forms of entertainment. They are very enthralling because they are an interactive way of experiencing something we wish we could in real life (without dying). The strategy argument was somewhat understandable, but usually these things are specified in a game in a way that it really does not relate to anything outside of gaming and even that category of game. Games are for fun. Learning is not fun. It is interesting at many times, but not as appealing to a bored human on a repetitive schedule as killing aliens is.

I will say that video games do help develop hand-eye coordination, but ONLY for those who have grown up on video games. It seems that adults of this time are helpless with game controls and buttons. They are not as quick because they are not as accustomed to what our generation of gamers considers gaming basics.

...and we learn the same way here in America as they do in Norway, it probably just costs more.

Abstract for term paper Danielle Reedy

With the new age of technology communicating is becoming easier every day. We have many social networking sites such as myspace, facebook and twitter. These sites make it possible for many people from very far away to converse almost instantly without using the phone. It is easy for us to keep up to date on our friends; we know where they are, what they are doing, even what they are having for dinner that night. These sites have made it possible to share almost every aspect of our lives on a day to day basis with friends and strangers.
Other then social networking sites there are many other ways to communicate using new technology. I am specifically interested in ways of communicating using media that is artistic. One way that is growing at a rapid pace is collaboration channels on youtube. Collaboration channels are youtube channels that involve two or more members that post videos almost every day in order to keep in touch.
Another artistic form of media communication is website like post secret and learning to love you more that consist of people who post things about themselves anonymously. Although these are not meant to be the kind of communication from one person to another they are meant to communicate a greater message to a larger group of people.

Sources:
http://www.apexart.org/exhibitions/grover.htm
http://www.learningtoloveyoumore.com/
myspace.com
facebook.com
twitter.com
postsecret.com
http://nerdfighters.ning.com/
http://www.san.beck.org/Life18-Art.html
youtube.com

Violence & Video Games

It is hard to connect with what the author is stating in this article. Apparently, people see images from in-game play even when they are not playing the game. I am in no way a "gamer", but there have been occasions for me where several hours have been spent playing a video game - be it mario kart, halo, etc. In no way have these games had an influence on me, violent or not, after I finished playing them. This may be for the reason of my gameplay being based around a social gathering, and not being completely subdued into the game with concentration on nothing but. It is also debatable with the comment that the author made comparing violence in video games to violence in movies/on tv. I do not necessarily agree that violence is worse on film/tv. I think the control over the violent acts that a gamer has makes it much more influential to violent acts than being spoon fed similar content through a scripted source.

Term Paper Abstract

Whether you are a gamer or not, it is evident that video games have undoubtedly been a new force in today's media. Games over the years have evolved rapidly, with many new features being implemented over time. In particular, I plan to discuss the communication aspect that gaming now offers the masses, and how it actually may promote social interaction (both virtual and actual), contradicting the common notion that many gamers lack social skills or are socially inept. Years ago, games were only meant to played by one or two people, sitting in the same room. Now hundreds upon thousands of people can log into an account and play the game together all over the world. Headsets now are considered standard for the Xbox 360 and PS3, and the use of such tools promotes players to interact with one another on a field only possible when people were sitting in the same room. Some multiplayer games nowadays are much easier when cooperating and communicating with other people, such as in titles like Left 4 Dead, which encourage players to stick together lest they want to be beaten by a horde of zombies. The Nintendo Wii and titles like Mario Party lend themselves to group sessions between people. Games such as Rock Band and Guitar Hero actually have messages during loading screens that encourage players to have their friends pick up instrument peripherals and rock out to music. And even more recently, Microsoft has released an update for the Xbox whereby users may hop onto their Twitter and Facebook accounts with full functionality.

I plan to also touch upon the subject and theories of the cyborg, and the notion that players may have these "alternate" lives or realities on the screen.

Possible sources:

Facebook and Twitter on Xbox:

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/support/systemupdates/default.htm

Sherry Turkle's Life on the Screen

Nintendo Wii General Info:

http://www.ninentdo.com/wii/what

Brian Panebianco-Abstract

In my paper i will talk about with Locative Media and how Youtube can be used in a Locative Media Project. It can get points across and provide a video of information about a certain place or thing to help the Locative media project take shape to make more sense and overall be more user friendly for the participants.  The point of a locative media project is to follow instructions from a Global Positioning Device either accessed directly from a cell phone or through the Internet from an iphone or laptop to guide participants through a place and for them to hit spots where information or a task will be provided   In this paper I will be talking more about locative media projects, I will talk about the growth and importance of Youtube, and I will talk about the possitive effect Youtube has on a Locative Media Project when it is incorporated.

Term Paper Abstract -- Jesse Papineau

Many statistics are widely disputed or potentially skewed, however there is little debate about the amount of American homes that have at least one television set in them – nearly 100%. A 2008 survey (taken by Internetworldstats.com) reported that 80.6% of American homes have access to a PC. While this means that 1 in 5 television watchers do not have a computer, this does not stop the ever-growing trend of moving “television” programs to the new one-stop hub that is a computer (and that is Web 2.0). Hulu, one of the most popular websites that offer streaming TV content, was created by effectively merging most of the content from NBC Universal and News Corp. (Fox's parent company) onto this one site. According to NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker, “If we didn't do this, we knew someone else would.”

So what does this all mean for the future of television as we know it? While there are plenty of people who do most of their television viewing on their computers now, the majority of Americans will continue to own TV sets for years to come. While streaming websites can provide high quality sound and picture, they cannot come close to matching the highest resolution that can be found on many new high definition (HD) televisions. Experts in this field predict that in about a decade, 'Ultra HDTVs” will be able to deliver four to 16 times the resolution of current HDTV sets which will certainly give many consumers a reason to not solely use their computers to watch television.

However, Hulu (and other websites that provide streaming television) is not the only way for Americans to watch TV programs when not around an actual television set. Websites such as Amazon.com and iTunes' media store allow consumers to buy episodes of their favorite shows for a small fee (usually $1 - $5) right after they air so that they can watch them on-the-go (on a digital media player) or at home at their leisure. Just ten years ago, nobody would have dreamed that many Americans would actually prefer to watch television shows on a three inch screen, however that is the new reality that we're living in. My term paper will examine all the ways that Americans can watch television without actually watching television -- because why would you want to do that?

Sources:
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/140/the-unlikely-mogul.html
http://www.davidhauser.com/MINDdrift/2009/11/can-hulu-apple-and-netflix-cha.html
http://www.tvpredictions.com/ultrahd112309.htm
http://www.articlesbase.com/internet-marketing-articles/over-57-percent-of-american-homes-have-access-to-highspeed-internet-service-852410.html

Term Paper Abstract

I want to reiterate the importance and significance of McLuhan’s theory of the tetrad of new technologies in Laws of Media: The New Science. By examining technological developments long after his time, I will confirm McLuhan’s theory still correct, and call attention to its paramount significance. I will explore the pros and cons of the tetrad on cellular phone text messaging and internet social networking sites. I will reveal what each form of media enhances, obsolesces, retrieves, and reverses. The results should be eye opening, and encourage people to rethink the way we approach our future technological advancements with McLuhan's tetrad in mind.


Boyd, Danah M. "Taken Out of Context: American Teen Sociality in Networked Publics."
Diss. Brown University, 2001. Print.

Campbell, Richard, Christopher Martin, and Bettina Fabos. Media & Culture: An Intodruction to
Mass Communication. 7th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009. Print.

Kay, Roger. "The Drawbacks of Federated Identity: A Potential Nightmare in the Guise of
Convenience." Technology Pundits. Endpoint Technologies Associates Inc., 29 Sept.
2008. Web. 01 Dec. 2009.
.

Marshall, McLuhan,, and Eric McLuhan. Laws of Media The New Science. New York: University of Toronto, 1992. Print.

McLuhan, Marshall. "The Playboy Interview: Marshall McLuhan." Interview by Eric Norden.
Playboy Mar. 1969. Print.

Idea Summary

Anthony Prentice
Paper Topic Idea

My paper will explore the different aspects for the lack of technology infusion in the United States. It will look at the rising of the Iphone, the uprising of newer technology in Japan, and then it will focus on what this media means for the future of technology.
I’m interested in looking into what has made the Iphone such a great phone and the idea behind Iphone, the smart phone technology and where the technology could go from here, given the opportunity, and the infusion of Asian influence
Looking at places like Japan and different parts of Asia, you see an influx of newer technologies being unlocked and available for users. This technology is newer and makes greater use of smart phone capabilities over what we in the United States have yet. I want to pose the question as to why that is , and go over possibilities.
Places that have this upgraded technology have better access and better user equipment. I want to explore what would happen if this technology was released earlier in the United States and how that would of effected users and user interfaces of technology in production.

Michael Hearn - Term Paper Abstract

The Internet is possibly the most expansive and interesting case of technology changing and shaping the concepts of communication and networking in modern society, since with its freedom of expression, various forms of creative contribution, and multiple social connective outlets, has influenced the way people interact with each other in this day and age. Most especially young adults and teenagers, and generations outside of that target group are involved in the many ways people become a social figure on the Internet.

Obviously since this medium is entirely dependent on users and their input, customization, creativity, and networking with others, these facets of communication are very audience interactive and defined by their desires and needs, not so much a third-party invented format for people to interact within. Much like Kaprow’s Happenings, sometimes these methods of communication aren’t necessarily based on a greater mean outside of the ability to communicate. In some cases, a site can exist just to offer the ability to communicate with someone else. Citing multiple forms of communication and networking available on the Internet, and the chronological buildup of how these websites and services formed and grew, there are a variety of ways to show how interaction with other people has changed, with multiple artistic and kinesthetic implications that previous artistic movements and theories can support and explain.

Other links:

http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2008/08/06/study_facebook_improves_commun.aspx

http://www.insidefacebook.com/2009/06/08/will-facebook-and-twitter-become-communication-tools-or-identity-platforms/

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/27/technology/internet/27omegle.html?_r=1

http://www.ubu.com/historical/kaprow/index.html

Abstract-Bern Tierney

For the final paper I would like to look at the effects youtube has had on our generations.Explanation of the Internet and how it works will also be summarized. The history and the upbringing of the site will also be explored. I will explore the ease and communication aspects of the site and the accessibility of it. I think the sites popularity and it's ability to connect people. I would also like to explore the connection between the cell phone and youtube and discuss how these technologies become intertwined.
I think the issues of youtube are also interesting; as peoples information is boardcast to everyone, as well as copyright infringments that occur in this web cite
sources:
http://www.businessinsider.com/is-youtube-doomed-2009-4http://mashable.com/2009/04/23/susan-boyle-video-profits/
<http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=136388>
http://www.danah.org/papers/FacebookAndPrivacy.html

Amanda DiStefano- Abstract Paper

The Cut Ups







- Brief definition/Intro

- Technique

- History in fiction and literature

- Art/Influence in music

- Email cut-ups

- Behavioral cut- ups

- Pop Cultural influence

- Kinesthetic Experience

- Analysis

In the opening paragraphs I will provide a brief history, and in plain terms the definition of what the cut- ups were all about. I will also cite what I plan to discuss in my paper. I will further explain the technique used by the cut-ups and define the style in a relatable manner. Through audio samples, research, and other works of art I will better explain the cut-ups mission. Articles I plan to use are ones about Brian Gysin’s view on the Cut-Ups and Art, Remixability & Modularity by Lev Manovich and The Art of Reproduction by Walter Benjamin. The different group of cut ups that have developed recently and through pop culture will also be discussed along with the relation to a kinesthetic experience. An analysis will close the paper, and hopefully I am able to find an appropriate work of art to do just that.

Term Paper Abstract - Grant Reighard

In exploring how people interact with technology, I am looking at new(er) methods of input and feedback from the devices we use. When it comes to tactile and wearable interfaces, advances are pushing us away from just pointing and clicking with a mouse and typing on a keyboard in response to a graphical user interface (GUI). I would like to highlight some emerging and popular digital-physical hybrid technologies in the paper.

Touch screen technology, such as capacitive touch sensing is a relatively mature electronic technology that allows a user to interact directly with a 2D or 3D interface on a flat display. Not only good for ease of use and speed, this interface coupled with graphic layouts essentially are an extension of the person's hand, as they are using their fingers directly on the display.

Virtual Reality is a means of putting the user into a virtual space that is generally navigable through arm or leg motions, and a Head Mounted Display provides the visual feedback. This is useful for accessing fictional or experiential realms that are unattainable otherwise.

Augmented Reality is the concept of layering data and information over top of a (generally) live feed of audio or video. This is an incredible way to enhance our interactions of the physical world around us, by incorporating compiled metadata about the locations we visit. In a sense, this technique is similar to the way we interact with objects on a computer (access to description and other specific traits), but shifted to the real world.

http://science.jrank.org/pages/11562/Virtual-Reality-Cultural-Implications.html
http://www.guidebookgallery.org/articles/beyondthegui
http://www.immersence.com/publications/char/2003-CD-VSSM.html
http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1409240.1409250
http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=166134

Ryan Bercaw - Abstract Paper

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_27/b3941024.htm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2007/jan/09/mirror.digitalmedia

http://bigthink.com/jeffjarvis/is-the-internet-killing-the-newspaper

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20070110/113748.shtml

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3677/is_199504/ai_n8730110/

http://www.wikinvest.com/concept/Impact_of_Internet_Advertising

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/20471

Over the years, we hear more and more about the decline of newspapers. This is nearly always linked to the rise of the Internet. The prevalent age groups of newspaper readers gets higher and higher as less young people take interest in them. As the Internet grows, it becomes a greater haven for quick, free information. A common belief for the reason of newspapers dwindling is their inability to cope with and embrace our age of new media. Other entertainment and news mediums such as television and magazines have found ways to make use of the Internet, and while many news papers such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal have made large Internet news sources, it’s undeniable that their readership continues to shrink.

Word of the downfall of newspapers started in the early days of television. Ad revenue shrunk, but loyal readers kept the companies going. As readers shift to the more convenient and to the point style of Internet news, newspapers face serious trouble. Not only is the Internet the new best place for advertisers, it’s also easily to track sales and adjust business strategies.
The Internet just seems to continue to improve all aspects of newspapers, while newspapers themselves haven’t offered enough to keep, or bring in new readers.

Of course newspapers are being hit the hardest in America. Improved literacy and cheaper manufacturing and production costs in other countries have created a rise in newspapers there. Many people in America have even gone on record saying that they are sure the newspaper industry is not in trouble, but the shifting of readers and advertisers from newspapers to the Internet makes the future of newspapers look dim.

Abstract for final paper

Silver Ogbogu
Survey for new media
November 30, 2009.
ABSTRACT FOR FINAL PAPER
In class, we discussed the evolution of technology and how it enhances our communication. I will explore the reasons for the creation of devices such as the Nintendo Wii. This paper will concentrate mainly on four aspects of how the Nintendo Wii impacts its users, mainly by how it enhances, retrieves, obsolesce, and replaces the devices that preceded it. This paper will explore a brief background on the Nintendo Wii in order to establish a foundation. Moreover, the Nintendo Wii will be examined in terms of how it enhances users’ interaction with video games. Furthermore, the Nintendo Wii will also be compared and contrasted to other video games.
Based on how technology has evolved, this device, Nintendo Wii retrieves a lot from the other devices that preceded it. Also the Wii’s purpose is not only to entertain but to keep its users active. Therefore, this device is packed with entertainment and fun-filled physical activities which will guarantee productivity.
Surely, the Nintendo Wii could be obsolete in many ways. Since it is different from other video games, it serves a unique purpose. If anyone has ever seen the Wii user in action, they will without a doubt know that it has a distinct function compared to other video games. Particularly, the primary purpose for video games are to entertain the user without the user having to exert themselves or use much effort and energy. However, the Nintendo Wii was designed with an additional and uncommon feature found in video game, the motion sensor feature, which forces its users to engage in physically active situations. Furthermore, the Wii replaces several excising items.
Sources possibly to be used for the paper:
http://www.nintendo.com/wii/what
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/nintendo/6672402/Nintendo-Wii-most-popular-console-among-female-gamers.html
http://reviews.cnet.com/consoles/nintendo-wii/4505-10109_7-31355104.html
http://www.google.com
http://library.temple.edu/articles/dbfinder/;jsessionid=56174D96C4E1AEAE776E825F4954EC64?subjects=39&bhcp=1

Ben Musser - Abstract

The main focus of my paper will be the progression of GPS. I plan on beginning with the how it began as solely a military tool. It could even be said it was used for ‘negative’ reasons, spying and such. Eventually the technology was made available for consumers and so began the TomTom and Garmin age. GPS’s were built into people’s cars and made for hand held use. Using it for a directional and location tool became its main focus. I may discuss its integration on smart phones and how everyone always knows where they are at all times now. From there I would like to discuss how GPS started to be used as something more than a tool for getting around. GPS opens us up to the rest of the world, so it was only a matter of time until people began using for more than what originally intended. Geocaching will be the next topic of focus. Geocaching is the recreational activity of hunting for and finding a hidden object by means of GPS coordinates posted on a Web site. Discussing this will display how its uses slowly began to go beyond ‘practical’ means. I plan on discussing different aspects of Geocaching and how there are various types of puzzles that involve GPS and problem solving. From there I’d introduce more abstract art forms that involve GPS, such as locative media. Teri Rueb would be a focus point, also some of the walks I’ve personally seen in the “Walk Philly” project. There are several discussions about the idea of our relationship to the ‘place’ like ‘The Poetics of Augmented Space: Learning from Prada’ and Drew Hemment’s ‘The Locative Dystopia.’ The overall goal is to display how something can go from a strict tool with a specific reason, to an art medium in a matter of years. Looking at things differently can yield various results, using things we see everyday for something different all together.

My sources so far include:

www.geocaching.com

Lev Manovich, The Poetics of Augmented Space: Learning from Prada

Drew Hemment, The Locative Dystopia <http://www.makeworlds.org/node/76>

http://terirueb.net/i_index.html

http://www.turbulence.org/blog/archives/000776.html

Design Study map

I decided to design a map showing some of the cultural art organizations in Philadelphia. These non-profit organizations would be interesting to learn about. So I created a map indicating where these organizations are located. In addition, a group of people would use the map to get to these locations. When each person arrives at a location he/she would learn about the history of the organization and how it helps the community. A brief tour with the organization through the community might be suggested. Afterwards, the people would also share their experiences with others.



rules:

1. Similar to tourists, the exercise would be carried out in groups.

2. Participate by interacting with speakers from the organizations.

3. share your experience by blogging it.


View Design study map in a larger map

Term Paper Abstract - Nick Sulikowski

I’ve decided to explore virtual reality as a topic. I’ve framed this abstract as a sort of outline of what I intend my paper to talk about.

First I wish to discuss the slow progression towards full immersion, with things such as higher resolution TVs, IMAX, motion sensitive video games, and 3D projection screens.

The next section shall look at how once photorealism is achieved and the uncanny valley overcome, the next step is to take the image and feel as if one is standing within. It’s about the many doors that working in VR open, how it can change entertainment, art, and society the for the better.

Then I’ll look more closely at each medium that is changed, and examine all of the ways that virtual reality can detract from entertainment, art, and particularly social interactions. I see the increase in digital interaction with VR, or even with facebook is similar to moving from a rural area to a city. The flow of information increases as does encounters with people, but real conversation, socializing, and connecting diminishes.

Ultimately I hope not to absolutely demonize computerized interaction, but to point out how it causes changes for both better and worse.

Sources to be used:

1)http://www.voyd.com/texts/LichtySLCIACWhyVirtualArt.pdf

2) http://www.voyd.com/texts/MySoCalledSecondLife.pdf

3)http://74.125.155.132/scholar?q=cache:AxcRv1mzdBQJ:scholar.google.com/+virtual+reality+entertainment&hl=en&as_sdt=2000

4) http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=e3dT_29znBoC&oi=fnd&pg=PA3&dq=virtual+reality+healthcare&ots=mLHiu-w5Q8&sig=6jkiCmeRmTFEGJS7VmNQ2yHCGS4#v=onepage&q=virtual%20reality%20healthcare&f=false

5) http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol12/issue4/ellison.html

Term Paper Abstract - Zach Rocchino

Zach Rocchino
Survey of New Media
December 1, 2009

Locative Media as a Facilitator for Human Connection

Technology is all around us. It pervades every possible corner of human life from birth to death and spans all genres and cultures. The more we develop newer, better, faster machines, the more they become similar to the humans who created them. Many technologies are simple extensions of human abilities and are modeled closely after them. Communication technology has become huge in recent years with the standard consumer having at least one cell phone if not more communication devices. The Global Positioning System (GPS) has also been a huge step forward in determining exact geographic place on the face of the planet. Although these technologies make some things drastically easier (such as sending a message across the world or connecting two people who could never physically meet), they have also made it much harder for humans to connect with one another in emotional ways. Everything is facilitated by technology and this could have a drastic effect on the social skills of humans when interacting in real space. In my study, I aim to describe the ways in which Locative Media, a form of new media that tries to discern the linkage between people and technology and makes them think critically about the spaces they are moving through and the design of those spaces, can actually be a way of bringing people close together. Not in a physical sense, but in the emotionally connected sense. Drawing on readings from class and specific case studies of these plans put into action, it is my goal to prove that the blurring of lines between humans and other humans as well as humans and their environment can not only be facilitated by technology, but strengthened by it.



Resources:

Psychogeography and the derive: http://www.geog.leeds.ac.uk/people/a.evans/psychogeog.html

Algorithmic Psychogeography: http://socialfiction.org/psychogeography/algoeng.htm

Murmur: http://murmurtoronto.ca/about.php

Urban Tapestries: http://urbantapestries.net/

Blast Theory: http://www.blasttheory.co.uk/bt/index.php

The Game of Being Mobile: http://con.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/13/4/369?rss=1

Invisible Cities - Italo Calvino - http://www.sccs.swarthmore.edu/users/00/pwillen1/lit/citysum.htm

http://www.ludic-society.net/tagged/

http://www.landlines.org/

http://pacmanhattan.com/

http://www.appliedautonomy.com/isee.html

http://www.appliedautonomy.com/txtmob.html

http://www.kurator.org/wiki/main/read/Hack+Commissions

Term Paper

I would Like to explore the evolution of smart phone technology, but in other countries such as Japan. I'd like to go more in depth about the lack of technology coming over to the United States, and the reasons that keep us from getting newer technology faster, whats keeping us from it and where this technology, when available, will take us in the future

Term Paper Topic

For my term paper I would like to explore artificial intelligence. I would like to discuss the future of media and culture including the economy and politics. I would like to use popular resources like movies, websites, and modern technology.