Sooo... what did I think?

New communication technologies. i don't really know what i expected when i enrolled in this course at the start of the semester. mostly because i didn't know how to get information about the courses. but i knew to expect something about technology... surprise surprise. the reason that i took this class up was that i wanted to take an art course. i am studying a bach. of psychology, and there weren't really any electives that were related to my area of interest... crime and forensic science. (although now i have decided to take on the bach. of forensic science by the horns) i also was working previous to study at a school organinsing the promotions and design adds and having the free creative licence to do as i wish (they still commission free lance work off me every now and again). so communication technology sounded good. and i could always fob it off as helping me to gain a more modern form of communication skills.

i dont really know whether i have gained more communication skills. but i know i have an elevated interest in things like the history of computers, open-source software, the internet, computers and even playing games... we bought a wii... i'm not really all that fond of writting essays and putting my thoughts onto something more material, or letting people see my thoughts before i express my ideas in the material. but i have actually had a heap of fun writting this blog, and through writing my essay (i don't think i've ever wanted anyone to read an essay that i have written before, its amazing). even though i didn't get to read the text book much during the semester i might actually pick it up for a read another time. maybe.

all in all i really liked studying this course. now that the essay is done and marks are back, and are great enough for me to be proud of. and after i have finished the exam, and it was actually less worrying then i first anticipated and very entertaining with all the puns... especially the one about the open source... i think if i had to choose again, yep i would. the only thing at one point that might have made me feel a little adverse was the long lectures, especially when i didn't quite understand a little bit of the content. but all is good.

hey, even if nothing else came out of this course for me, at least i will never have to pay for software again... or i won't.. unless i really like it. or maybe if i'm pressured, or win the lottery. yeah, bill gates is going to have to make me win the lottery to buy any of his software now. maybe we can all win the lottery and "give him the bird".

eXistenZ

well well well... i thought this movie was cool. or what i saw of it anyway (I wasn't at the lecture to see the last of it due to unforseen have to sleep-in ness.) i'm definately going to track it down and watch it, and make everyone i know whatch it. the idea of the gaming consoles made of actual felsh and bones was awesomely gross. the grudeiness of the scenes of the game were awsome. so underground, now i know it had a huge twist at the end... something about a game in a game. but i gotta watch it...

ooo... noooo... microsft excel

yeah these programs are good if you are using them for work, or personal budgets, but that's about it... i found this tutorial on excel rather boring. for me i had already learnt this is year 9. other than that microsoft have wizards and what not to help you along your journey to excel and word literacy. yay... we are all little microsoft vegetables...

ooo... microsoft word...

microsoft word is really a good program for admin. while performing the mail merge exercise it made me think of so many times when this would be useful. i worked in admin for a year and the traking tool would be great if i knew it exsited. i don't know how many times i maually went and put my new writting in red and put lines through old ones so that i could show what corrections i had made... idoit. we'll i will definately use it now though. i don't know when i would use a mail merge on the other hand, but i'm sure now that i will use it if i get a chance to... oh i know, when we send out the thank you letters after the wedding.. oh yay i'm excited now. mail merge here i come...

The Nintendo Wii is Changing our Gaming Experience

When Nintendo had fallen out of the market their only hope looked like joining their competitors in filling their consoles with high-definition graphic chips, but they chose a different scope with their Nintendo Wii, appealing to a wide market with their motion-controlled machine (Gaudiosi 2007, pg 35). Their unique controller offered a fun approach to video gaming for not only serious gamers but undiscovered gamers as well. The interactions of the players with the games are much more physical (Lehrer 2006), offering a more realistic experience, but where can and will this technology go?

Nintendo knew they had to provide something unique and innovative to the table if they still wanted a piece of the video game market, so they looked to upgrade their controller design that was long overdue for a change (Gaudiosi 2007). They changed how controllers interacted with consoles with wireless Bluetooth. This allowed the detection of the motion of the player, enabling playing of tennis by simply swinging the remote as a racket, opening all alleys of possibilities for game designs (Gaudiosi 2007). The one-handed remote felt natural to hold, but made it difficult to complete more complex task like walking around while pointing the remote as a gun. This was solved with the addition of a ‘Nunchuck’, an extension of the remote held in the other hand with a joystick to control movement of the character. This could also be used for tasks like wielding a sword in one hand (Wii Remote) and a shield in the other (Nunchuck) (Canadian Press 2006), enhancing the realistic experience. The unique movement of the Wii Remote is also used in mini arcade-like-games where you preform a move with the Wii Remote to preform a task (repeatedly shaking to ascend in Sonic and the Secret Rings), and if you turn the Wii Remote on its side it can be used to steer in race-like games. Lastly the Wii Remote contains speakers and a rumble feature. The speakers emit sounds, like noises made hitting a ball with bat or blades touching in swordfight, that you would hear locally, and noises like the ball hitting the ground or the sound of a fallen enemy are made by the TV. In the same way the Wii Remote vibrates accordingly when you hit a ball. Both these features and the inventive design of the Wii Remote further enhance the realism experienced by video gaming on the Nintendo Wii.

The Physcial nature of the Nintendo Wii has been looked upon as a possible answer to solve some issues of childhood obesity (Henderson 2007, pg. 33). If not solve it completely it may eliminate some aspects of obesity that video gaming itself creates. Since the Wii was released numerous studies of the physical benefits of the console have come to light (Henderson 2007, pg. 33). It makes you wonder whether this was just an effort to get the fat fit, but the new Wii offers more than just a workout. Ever since it was release it has been viewed as inferior in high-definition graphics to its competitors, but it makes up for that with the unique interaction it offers and the realism of feeling like playing the game literally (Lehrer 2006). It is already know that our bodies are closely liked with emotions (Lehrer 2006), that the beginning of an emotional experience begins with the body. How do we know if we are nervous if we do not feel the ‘butterflies’ in our stomach? Through exciting our body, getting it up off the couch and interacting with the game, the Nintendo Wii excites our minds and our emotions, making the experience a more real and emotional one, surpassing the realism of high-definition graphics.

So the Nintendo Wii has shown innovation with its Wii Remote design and innovation with the way and amount that a player interacts with games, but how will it influence the way games are designed and presented. At present the Wii is viewed as a party sort of gaming console, purely for fun, and when it comes to serious gaming other consoles come first (Molyneux & Tucker 2007). Other machines are viewed as more powerful and more advanced, but Nintendo have a unique connection between their console and controller which may be wasted if they do not then do something unique with the games played on this unique console. We have already seen some innovation with the way the Wii Remote is used in such games as Sonic and the Secret Rings (Corbett 2007). The Wii Remote being used on its side to steer Sonic left and right, different buttons perform different jumps, slides and grinds, and when in the air by plunging the Wii Remote forward you can lock-on to an enemy and perform a homing attack (Corbett 2007). At times the Wii Remote is not entirely flawless, and there is room for improvement. With improvements to the remote’s accuracy there is possibility for improvement to the gaming experience. But what can they do that is really innovative? Something to really change the way we interact with and view video games. Creating some form of controller that is sensitive to movement of every part of the body may create a real feeling of control and realism right in your own living room. It is important to the Nintendo Wii’s success that this new technology is seized and used in a way entirely unique to video gaming.

The face of video gaming has changed drastically over its existence, but every improvement has only been in baby steeps. Nintendo have blown their competitors out of the water with their unique motion-sensitive controller, offering a more emotional and personal experience while playing video games. The possibilities of what will come next are limitless, only limited by the creative brains behind this development. Nintendo have all eyes on them at the moment, but not forever. What will they do to keep this fun little console beside everyone’s TV?

References
Canadian Press (2006) ‘Nintendo Wii Controller Turns Heads at E3’ CTV http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060512/nintendo_E3_060512/20060512 (accessed Monday 7th May 2007)
Corbett, Anthony (2007) ‘Sonic and the Secret Rings’ Gamer Iss. 3; pg. 36-39
Gaudiosi, John (2007) ‘Why Wii Won’ Business 2.0 May 2007, Vol. 8, Iss. 4; pg. 35
Henderson, Tim (2007) ‘Let’s Get Physical’ Nintendo Gamer Iss. 3; pg. 32-33
Lehrer, Jonah (2006) ‘A Console to Make You Wiip: How the Nintendo Wii Will Get You Emotionally Invested in Video Games’ Seed Magazine.com http://www.seedmagazine.com/news/2006/11/a_console_to_make_you_wiip.php (accessed Monday 7th May 2007)
Molyneux, Peter & Tucker, Henry (2007) ‘Game On’ ITNow May 2007. Vol. 49, Iss. 3; pg. 16
Poole, Steven (2000) Trigger Happy Arcade Publishing, New York
Wolf, J. P. Mark (ed) (2002) The Medium of the Video Game University of Texas Press, Austin

virtual world/chat rooms

well.. i've never been big on chat rooms of any sort. not that i'm against it or anything, but i just haven't found it to be fun. i suppose it's not always a practicle thing. i use an instant chat at the moment to talk to friends and family that are interstate. but i suppose that is just the thing. these worlds are purly for your social life. thats what it seems to me to be for, a social life. and that's probly the whole reason why i don't like it. that and you're not always too sure who you're talking to. you can tell alot about non-verbal behaviours, tone of vioce and just planly what they look like. i think i prefer that secruity. as for virtual worlds versus instant chat. it seems they are just making their social lives into games. its like if you were to just sit and chat to one person it could get boring. but if you went out let's say ten pin bowling, you can have a chat while doing something recreational. i think all these virtual worlds are starting to supplement social lives and healthy social interaction. no wonder the world is beginning to become obese

Australian

i thought this was pretty australian, also taken in melbourne on a beach. nothing like having your best friend with you on the beach while having a surf. i just added a few shapes to make it look more like a drawing. there are some transparencies on the shapes. i also adjusted the different RGB levels on the picture of the actual dog. i wanted the red in its coat to be as vibrant as the water and the grass. it didn't quite turned out how i wanted.

Friends

this photo was taken in Melbourne we a group of friends went for a trip. i just crop out separate sections of the photo and applied different filters to each. i mostly like the cut out one. i love the separation of colours. then i put a layer of transparent purple over the original image and cut out circles with a feathered edges around where i wanted to the focus. i then placed each of the cropped areas on the photos respectively.

communication

i just simply used the magnetic lasso tool and selected the lady on her mobile phone from another picture and placed her on the lovely desert image. although if you were actually in the desert it might not be as enjoyable as the picture is to look at.

to me this represents the limitless boundaries of technology. when mobile phones first cam out you could barely get reception at the best of times (i suppose that hasn't changed much). but one day i'm sure there will be a way that people could use technology in really distant palces. in the middle of nowhere where noone would really need it.

Summer in Bondi

summer in Australia: the beach and the sun. the best and only place to be during summer. turning brown in the cooker called earth.

News

this is as you may guess the world trade centre towers in the 911 emergency in America. i remember the day this had happened, it certainly proved news worthy even in Australia. there was alot of scare about terrists that resulted from these attacks. i was in high school at the time and it was qutie frightening to think of the possibilities although we all wanted to deny it.

High-Tech

this is kinda more cute than high-tech. i presume that it has origins from japan or china. it seems they like their cute little characters and their booming technology, so to combine the two makes full sense.

University Life

Books, books and more books... that's what university life consists of. there is massive amounts of reading to do, with assingments and regular readings let alone extra reading. i always wished i was better at reading.

hmmm... that essay

well first i began by looking at CyberCulture. i started with this broad topic to try and narrow down to something more specific. i got the book CyberCulture Theorists by David Bell to begin. in the process of looking on the library catalogue, and then attempting to locate the book itself (which i managed to do and i was quite proud), and looking at the other books on the shelf i also picked two more books. Cyberpunk by Katie Hafner and John Markoff, and Cyberpsychology edited by Angel j. Gordo-Lopez and Ian Parker. i kinda don't really know where this is going. i think i like the cyberpsychology side, even looking into the effect of media and advertising on society. ummm... yeah...

so what about the scavenger hunt

i used a couple of search engines. icerocket and dogpile. these are not the usual search engines i used. [normally google only cause i remember how to spell it] although now i use these all the time. i like them a lot more than google, there seems to be less junk. usually with google the first five results can be ok, most the time there are two of the one site, and once you get past 5 you need to try another search. with icerocket and dogpile i seem to be able to find what i was after relativly quickly. i'm tending to lean toward icerocket over dogpile.

the scavender hunt

1. weight of the world's biggest pumpkin
www.bigpumpkin.com congratulates Ron Wallace on his 1502 pound pumkin on Oct 7 2006.. 681 Kg (approx)

2. What is the best way (quickest, most reliable) to contact Grant Hackett?
go post a comment on his blog. (http://granthackett.bigblog.com.au/index.do)

3. what is the lenght of a giraffe's toungue?
a giraffe's tongue can extend 40cm. (http://www.africanfauna.com/giraffe.php)

4. How would you define the word 'ontology'? In your own words, what does it really mean ?
the study and the philosophy of existence and being.

5. What was David Cronenberg's first feature film?
"stereo" in 1969 it had a total running time of 65min (http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/directors/02/cronenberg.html#film)

6. When was the original 'Hacker's Manifesto' written?
the mentor 1986 (www.mithral.com/~beberg/manifesto.html)

7. Why do all phone numbers in Hollywood films start with '555'?
to prevent public ringing the numbers on the film (www.telephonecollecting.org/code.htm)

8. What is the cheapest form of travel from Crete to Rhodes?
probably ferry about 120 euros (http://www.athensguide.com/ferries.html)

9. What song was top of the Australian Pop Charts this week in 1965?


10. Which Brisbane band includes Stephen Stockwell on keyboards and vocals?
Black Assassians (www.griffith.edu.au/school/art/staff/stockwell.htm)

my communication technologies

i'm probably not as involved in as many communication technologies as others, but i do take advantage of it a little. my main ones would be mobile phone (using the multimedia messages and abusing the text message features) and email, although now that i have moved away from home i'll prob use blogs and instant messaging a load more to chat to friends and family.
over time it seems that the use of these technologies has moved from a practicality to a social use and to establish one's status. my first mobile phone was when i was in year 11 in 2004 and best feature of mine was that it could compose it's own ringtones (it wasn't the most advanced but was still pretty flash). at the time the main purpose was for socialising with my friends through text messages, but as time went on it became more practical just for short communication between myself and my parents. this usually consisted of "yes, i'll be home at 5" or "can so and so please come over today". i think that because of this communication it also put my parents at ease and they let me stay out a little later with the knowledge they can call me to find out where i was or i could call them if i got into any trouble. these days my phone is used for practicality, because with a few years i have become wise to the cost of socialising over text messages, and since i have resorted to other forms of socailising (most popular with me would be going to hang out and go skating... usually free!). the mobile phone that i currently have can do loads more than want i utilise, but it all costs money.
this world of the internet as a social epicentre is quite new to me. in the past i have only resorted to the internet for answers to my questions. "when did Munch paint The Scream and why?" and "where is the nearest pet shop?" (unfortunately it doesn't provide answers to questions like "what is the answer to this philosophy essay?"). i think now that there is distance between me and my friends and family the internet is definately going to be more of a social tool.

There's a First Time For Everything

This month is full of firsts.

small ones, big ones, enormous ones.

Most of them haven't yet totally become apparent.

let's start with the obvious ones...
First time blogging. I don't feel that i haven't blogged because i don't know much about it. And not because i don't agree with it. but rather because i haven't had a need for it. There are two purposes for this blog. the obvious being for the course. the less obvious is for communication with friends. not directly through this blog but at least i'll have the know-how.
First time at Uni. yeah that's not as obvious. i'm not straight out of school. i had a year off for work. which i really liked but i was still very eager to start studying again. i worked full-time in a college. part-time as an after school hours care assistant, and part-time as a "promotions officer" was my created title. practically i did what ever was asked and what i thought of to promote the school.(which involed a lot of add design) the school started as a primary school (in Darwin, meaning there aren't a great number of private schools and they don't differ too much from public. although this one does. i'm not being bias to say that, i really wish this school was around when i was in school.)and this year took on its first year 8's to become a College.
First time in the Gold Coast. this one is quite common. but for someone who has lived almost all of their life in Australia, and had a father in the air force and in those eight years moved around quite a bit, and has been pretty much everywhere else in australia, i feel pretty stupid. i absolutly love it here. love the weather. love some of the people. (we've crossed paths with a few knuckle heads)love the beaches. (this leads on the next first)
First time surfing. ooo yeah. it was great. not going to say much about this. i've only been a few times its not like i'm pro. but hey i really love it.
First time out of home.and away from Darwin where i have spent the last 10 years getting hot and sweaty and dodging crocodiles. (can you believe someone from townsville asked if there are crocs walking the streets. i didn't think he was serious.) am i home sick? oh no of course not i'm not weak...mummy?! its ok though. i have one ups on everyone else. i'm not doing it alone. i've got my fiance with me.
and finally this afternoon will be the
first time in our new house after living in a carvan park for the past 2 months i am glad to leave the funny canvan folk for my own bed (even if it is just an air mattress) and my own shower (yay i don't have to wear the pluggers anymore) and my own backyard. love it!

there's nothing more fun, anxious, nerving, exciting or enjoyable about firsts.