Heidelberg Archives

Elevation to Art Form

Nov 17, 2006

The Heidelberg Montana graf shop somehow simultainiously at home and at odds with the twee surrounds of the old town. To what extent does the ability to see what other people have been doing in the same field, essentially comparison shopping legitimise the medium?

"Iranian grafitti?"
"..."
"Its all political isn't it?"

Indeed you might expect so.

Location: Germany / Germany » Heidelberg / Japan » Tokyo

Data Transmission Mechanisms

Nov 16, 2006

An intriguing keynote presentation by Oxford University's Dominic O'Brien of at the World Wireless Research Forum on using solid state lighting to transfer data. Background research and information can be found here. Essentially it turns a solid state light source such as an LED traffic light into data transmission mechanism.

For thousands of years people have used light sources for low data transmission mechanisms - whether its hilltop beacons to warn of an impending invasion, ship to ship morse code or more recently the extensive use of car head-lights and tail-lights in Tehran's car to car flirting culture. The inventive step is to increase the data rates, reduce error rates and get the base technology - LEDs down to a mass market price point.

Whilst its likely that most of the data transfer will be ambient - unnoticed by humans the inherent properties of the data delivery mechanism (a light source) and the simple fact that humans have built in senses to process light (eyes+) makes for a number of interesting applications. For example what kind of visual cues will indicate that that that light source is compatible with your device? The type of content that is being transferred? That the data transfer process has completed? How does today's use of light map to light + metadata tomorrow? A simple example is that whilst it takes you 0.5 seconds for you to notice that the car in front is indicating to turn right your car already noticed in 0.1 seconds. Extrapolate this to all the cars on a freeway during rush hour - each passing information on to the car in front, the car behind. Yes the car behind you is really a doctor on his way to an emergency.

In 2012 when you're flashed by the teens in the car behind are they telling you to get out of the way or trying to download tunes eminating from your sound system/rear indicators?

And what if anything does this have to do with the maclaim graf found in a Heidelberg alleyway above? Only that the medium can be the message and you shouldn't assume that the message will be friendly.

Location: Germany / Germany » Heidelberg

Infrastructure Covered

Nov 16, 2006 | 0 Comments

The inherent properties of infrastructure that support its blending into the background. The speed at which this transformation process occurs.

How does our awareness and appreciation of infrastructure (and the services it represents) change as what we perceive as infrastructure increasingly becomes mobile?

Location: Germany / Germany » Heidelberg

Relative Metrics of Success

Nov 16, 2006

Hard to figure out whom this advert is aimed at - its extolling the number of devices success of Bluetooth with a full page spread in the USA Today.

Location: Germany / Germany » Heidelberg

Whose Finger on the Trigger?

Nov 16, 2006 | 1 Comment

From Heidelberg above and by A1one in Tehran below. The universality of emotionally evocative content

Location: Germany / Germany » Heidelberg

Supporting Cyclists

Nov 15, 2006 | 1 Comment

Support for cyclists who want to have something to hold and don't want take their feet from the pedals. Spotted at a traffic junction on a Heidelberg cycling path.

Location: Germany » Heidelberg

Personal TV

Nov 13, 2006

A mobile phone user sits alone watching live baseball whilst sitting in Komazawa Koen, Tokyo.

One of the surprising findings of a recent research study we did in South Korea was the extent to which Mobile TV was used in the home. Given the competition in the home from large screens, good audio, high definition and known content why would anyone watch mobile TV in the home space?

Its turns out that people really value control over the watching experience. No need to negociate with other family members over control of the remote or control of the sofa. Curled up in bed with a hot cup of cocoa. Of course. Want to multi-task whilst you're instant messaging/downloading/doing homework? Why Not? Extrapolate this contol over the experience to contexts in and outside the home. The key benefit from Mobile TV is not mobility- very few people will watch whilst actively on the move - its that the experience is personal. Its time to start thinking about Personal TV.

Picked up in a recently published summary of Mobile TV research published by Dr Shani Orgad. Plus a few slides from the South Korea study can be downloaded from here with a full paper due once a suitable venue to publish is found.

In the big scheme of things does a more personal experience for you imply a more impersonal experience for the rest of us? Are your personal experiences socially connecting? Or do they cut you off from everyone except your media?

Location: Germany » Heidelberg / South Korea » Seoul / South Korea