Future of HCI?

Or a Geek’s Fantasy? A friend just brought my attention to this little video. I’m pretty sure it’s a scam. Still,  “Japanese company Suidobashi has announced plans to build custom, actual, operational mechs. Named the “KURATAS”, the vehicles will come at a standard price of USD $1.3 million, with additional accessories like shields and weapons available for around $50-80,000 each. You even get to choose the paint scheme.” Apparently it’s even iPhone compatible.

My favorite feature, however, is the smile-controlled firing of BB bullets. [Article]

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Casting for Extras

Going into PreProduction.

80s Shades

Vintage Shock. Great. Nothing beats vintage Carpenter. [Trailer]

Prop/Script/More

They Live!! More discussion on props & one one new iteration of the script. We are really honing sequences down to the tiniest detail.

More discussion on the augmented glasses: Nancy brought some examples in; Nicolas mentioned John Carpenter’s “They Live” as a possible source of inspiration. Homework #1: Check out “They Live”. [Screen shot]

Beyond the Obvious

Project Glass. Google Glasses is another item that has come up in our discussion about how the augmented 3D glasses would look like.

Oakley Future

Degree of Believability. An ongoing discussion is going on here at CURIOUS RITUALS about the props that will appear in the project film. It’s been especially challenging to settle on a vision of augmented 3D glasses that’s not cheesy, too sporty, too futuristic, or too now(!).

The glasses must be believable as a product one could purchase at a corner convenience store of the near future. It’s that balance of future technology and the mundaneness of it all that’s hard to capture.

[One suggestion]

superflux

Song of the Machine. Another design fiction. This one by superflux. A little bit about the project:

“What if we could change our view of the world with the flick of a switch? ‘Song of the Machine’ explores the possibilities of a new, modified – even enhanced – vision, where users can tune into streams of information and electromagnetic vistas currently outside of human vision.
Unlike the implants and electrodes used to achieve bionic vision, this science modifies the human body genetically from within. First, a virus is used to infect the degenerate eye with a light-sensitive protein, altering the biological capabilities of the subject. Then, the new biological capabilities are augmented with wearable (opto)electronics, which, by mimicking the eye’s neural song, establish a direct optical link to the brain. It’s as if the virus gives the body ears to hear the song of the machine, allowing it to sing the world into being.”

Near Field Communication

Death of the Wallet? Although only obliquely related to everyday digital gestures, the possible arrival of NFC on a mass scale may … well, you should check out the podcast. [Here]

“Google already offers a way to pay for lunch or groceries using its “Google Wallet” on an Android phone–cell providers and banks aren’t far behind with payment systems of their own. Analyst Gilles Ubaghs talks about how coupons and convenience might persuade customers to make the switch.”

Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis

Protest Against the Future. David Cronenberg, the Canadian maestro of technological body horror, is set to release a new movie based on Don DeLillo’s novel of the same title. With an intriguing cast (Robert Pattison + Juliette Binoche), it’ll be interesting to see Cronenberg’s take on the fate of our networked digital future where ponzi-scheming bankers, boyish start-up billionaires rub shoulders with digital activists, protesters, ex-wives, & the momentum of capitalism.

Gesture #?