Sparkles of caffeinated nonsense
While helping out $prettybigUKnanopublisher in optimizing their visibility, I came across these odd guidelines for Google News:
Display a three-digit number. The URL for each article must contain a unique number consisting of at least three digits.
[...]
If the only number in the article consists of an isolated four-digit number that resembles a year, such as http://www.google.com/news/article2006.html, we won’t be able to crawl it.
Now, this is weird and quite evil.
…or how SL can help an architecture (r)evolution.
Hat tip: SecondLifeLab
Why do I blog this: architecture is an amazing discipline, that studies the way spaces interacts with people and influence interaction between them. Usually we’re used to think at spaces creating a context and people reacting to it. Reflexive Architecture flips the concept, presenting not just an element, but the space (context) itself being shaped by (reacting to) the actions of avatars (agents / people).
Why do I blog this?: Aibo and the Nabaztag are definitely two of the most interesting examples of interactive gadgets. Aibos are sensitive to the physical environment and “learn” from it, while Nabaztag focuses on reacting to network events (feeds, email, other Nabaztag statuses) to create instances of peripheral (ambient) knowledge. The idea of these two agents interacting is fascinating, and gives some early hints at the Internet of Things and spime concepts.
The TENORI-ON, Toshio Iwai’s new interactive digital music instrument, was presented last week in soho.
Why do I blog this?: musical instruments are very efficient worlds where to test interactions, which are intrinsecally social. They also create intimate game spaces, where the reward bounds the player (as in both music player and game player) to a learning experience. I think the Tenori-On is a very interesting exploration of the boundaries and overlaps between toys, musical instruments, intimacy and social spaces.
From the Official Linden Blog (emphasys by me):
[...]While Linden Lab does not offer an online gambling service, Linden Lab and Second Life Residents must comply with state and federal laws applicable to regulated online gambling, even when both operators and players of the games reside outside of the US. And, because there are a variety of conflicting gambling regulations around the world we have chosen to restrict gambling in Second Life as described in a revised policy which is posted in the Knowledge Base under “Policy Regarding Wagering in Second Life”.
Now, I’m not a gambler and sincerely not interested in this specific issue at all, but I always considered virtual spaces like SL interesting just for one tiny little quality: they help us abstract physical constraints and, more specifically, space. Now this means, among other things, making business relationship possible, more profitable (for the parties involved) and sustainable (for the environment itself).
But what we have here is quite the opposite: a transaction that is forced to abide to the federal laws, even if conducted by two individuals who live and operate in countries other than the USofA, and that never “experience” the US at all, being the physical space of the transaction totally wrapped by the virtual world share illusion. This is like having a u.s. made tv set that refuses to display porn to under age public even if in a country with different age limitations (and where thus it could be perfectly legal to display it).
Standout Jobs is a startup, and they need a ruby guru. So they did this video explaining who they are, what they do and why. And what they need of course.
You may not agree with their arguments, but this way of posting job ads rocks!
Besides, we at Headshift need some coding power too… if you like the idea of working where the social media happens, close to a decent coffee kiosk and 20 meters from the Tower Bridge, well, get in touch (I may do an ad video too… for the time being, you can have an idea of the place thanks to Rik :) ).
Still on the wave of “products are people too”…
A couple of moving images for your delight and inspiration.
First is a short digital animation by Sarah Orenstein, Winner of the 2006 Renderyard Film Festival [via Shirousagi]
Then we have something special: Soulafrica- Bu Ma Deme.
I discovered this video by chance, but it happens to have been directed/made by that sweet redheaded compulsive photographer that is Lu. Well done friend!
With all the twitter-ado going on these weeks I haven’t really cared much after this blog.
Well I have updated it to wordpress 2.2, which is quite something (thanks DreamHost, I <3 one-click instals ;) ).
As a nice side-effect, the layout (that also could use some love) is working again (maybe you noticed trouble with commenting from not-logged in sessions).
Enough with silly techie-details, let’s review briefly what’s going on in this finally warmer London.
Last friday I went to a dinner in fitzrovia with Stowe Boyd, Steph, Suw and some other usual suspects of the social media scene. Paolo and Monica made it too, and I was really impressed by the effort. Had a lovely mortgage-centric chat with Paolo too.
Oh and Headshift was strongly represented, with no less than a headcount of three (Lee and Lars were there too).
Sadly I had to leave soon, just to realize how much I love this people: forget about social networking, business and rumor-gathering (even if that’s obviously that’s also part of no the game)… but no matter what’s the context or topic, they can quench my thirst for challenging and witty thoughts.
Anyway, after this early appearance at the aforementioned dinner, we headed to the Kinetica museum in Spitalfields, where I joined Dave for the launch party of Sound Waves exhibition (check his review on the Londonist!)
I’ll add to that only that it was pretty cool, I enjoyed myself a lot playing with the installation, all sound and somehow interaction centric; you can check a few pictures here (sorry about the quality… I don’t have a proper camera these days).
The girl you can see in the latest picture is Olga. I met her at the first BarCampLondon, where she presented Artstrem, see here for my previous post on the subject. Now she’s launching the mobile version of the service… and was at the Kinetica to demo it. I was so happy: It’s cool to follow a friend’s project from presentation stage to live on a mobile phone near you!
The main source of inspiration for the RItaliaCamp in the Toronto City News…
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDkEPvIwarI[/youtube]
This is not a complaints line, it is a solutions playground.
My favorite usual suspect, GG bangs together Derrick De Kerckhove, Bruce Sterling, Elio Piroddi, Massimo Ilardi, Alessandro Zaccuri, Gianni Biondillo, Gianpiero Perri (CNR) in Pomezia (near Rome) for “La città Come”, about the concept of City as…
Given all the braincycles that I’m wasting in conversations nowadays about architecture, cityscapes and social interaction (and some also about urban nomads), it’s a pity that I just received notice of the event now: this could have been well worth a flight to Rome (and not only for me I guess…).
Please please put all videos on the net, as you already did for the Bruce Sterling one!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7os_UPGl-Q[/youtube]
Here the flier and the invite to the event.
Update: …and here if you want to follow on upcoming.org
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