Power to the People

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SportsNation_(TV_series)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SportsNation_(TV_series)

Think about it...interactive televisions.  A TV show where what you say happens, or even comes on the screen.  Although being recidlious in concept, believe it or not we are not far away from it.  For years shows like Mad Money and day-time talk shows listen to viewers via phone call and do what they think the show needs, but I'm talking more then just that.  Shows like "Sportsnation" are ran on poles that viewers vote on online at their website, and whatever highlight they want to see comes on.  The video is a literal democracy, with the power given to the people and for the people.   The show is typically 60% material generated or suggested by fans, including videos from the internet, athlete Tweets, and online polling.  The viewer now does not have to keep both hands on the remote, but can keep both hands on the keyboard so they can type away what they want to see.  It is a match made in heaven, a sports show and interactive viewers.  But what is stopping it from simply this?  Will the next season of 24 involve texting into Jack to tell him which door to open?  Will movies have online ballots to see if the basketball team decides to go for the tie or the win?  The options are endless.  Let me end with an example to keep you thinking.  If the old media example comparable to this would be the "Goosebumps" books where you turn to a page indicating the option you choose, is the world just trending towards the same things just newer versions?  It seems to me there is a "circle of life"

Newseum: a new museum and a news museum

New Media has a variety of different benefits which we have discussed over the course of this semester. The quick and informative aspects of New Media are what I feel to be two extremely important contributions. While I was on the phone with my dad the other day, he asked me if I have ever heard about the Newseum. History was always his favorite subject and after a long awkward pause on my end, he demanded I check out the website. I looked it up online and it says it is "Washington D.C.'s most interactive museum." The overview continues to explain that the Newseum "offers a unique environment that takes museumgoers behind the scenes to experience how and why news is made." This website allows us to see the different exhibits and theaters that will be available to attend at the museum. The website also lets us buy tickets, shop online, read about current events, and it even provides a virtual tour. There is also an interactive element to this website that goes way beyond the endless amount of hyperlinks. There is a "Fun and Games" section that lets us play news trivia which tests our knowledge of events in entertainment, politics, sports, and general news . The questions range from "who gives the state of the union address?" to "who won the 2001 PGA Championship by one stroke?" This fun and entertaining website helps us get a sense of what the Newseum will be like. If you were wondering about the conversation with my dad, he asked me if I would ever get tickets. Considering I go to school in Michigan and live in NY, this question is extremely hypothetical but I probably would have automatically said no before checking out this website. The whole aspect of the Newseum actually seems pretty cool. What I also found interesting was that besides the usual links to twitter and Facebook, there was also link to Groupon.com (The New Media website I blogged about a few weeks ago). This website screams "Informative and Interactive" and therefore it is a source of New Media that I recommend you take a look at!

The Official Opening in Washington D.C.

Here's a Link if you want to check out the "News Mania" game and see if you could get a perfect score for all three levels.

(Image: http://livedesignonline.com/architainment/Barbizon_NewseumOpening.jpg)

Blurring the Lines of Reality

Source

Second Life is a virtual world accessible via the internet. It is a free client program that enables its users, or “residents,” to interact with each other through avatars. Residents have the ability to explore, socialize, participate in activities and create and trade virtual property and services with one another. This interactive site takes virtual gaming to a whole new level, as it truly lives up to its title: Second Life.

Perhaps you recall the computer game that this resembles almost identically, The Sims. In this game, users are able to create avatars just like in Second Life, and they can explore, socialize and participate in activities as well. In my opinion there are a few major differences between Second Life and The Sims. The first difference is that in The Sims game, users are not able to interact with other users. The Sims that they create can interact with other Sims, but these are computer generated, not user generated. The second involves the parameters set in place by the creators of each respectively. That is, in The Sims allows its users to live within the world of its developers’ imaginations, while Second Life allows the user to push those boundaries and create more for themselves.

These two differences are important in the sense that they set these two similar virtual worlds so far apart from each other. While The Sims is classified as a game, and usually played in this manner as well, Second Life is a way of life for some people. Residents on this site dedicate tons of time and money towards their "second lives," if you will. Second Life has a classification all of its own, actually. There is no manufactured conflict or set objective, it is an open-ended experience for the user.

            So what are the psychological effects that Second Life has on the user? Self-perception has such a great effect on the way that we go about our daily routines. When cloaked in an avatar, confidence and insecurity can change immediately. Not only does this affect how we act when on Second Life, but it can also affect our real life behaviors. Furthermore, on Second Life, the user has the ability to decide what they look like, what kind of house they live in, who they associate with and their profession as well. In this sense, people can be who they would like to be in real life, if they were given the opportunity and resources to make the choice without any restrictions.

            I think that it is unimaginable how much interactive new media, such as Second Life, can affect its users to such a great extent. Not only do media and technology, in general, affect interaction in the sense of less face-to-face contact; but we are now seeing how much interactive media, specifically, can have psychological impacts on an individual.

Thrifty Thinking

http://c.photoshelter.com/img-get/I0000EDMV_MJ.S9s/
s/650/650/pile-of-metal-junk-cdg-001.jpg

"One man's trash is another man's treasure".  This is the slogan of the concept behind theSalvation Army a store I happened to be in over the weekend.  I was trying to find a sweater or jacket for a mixer/party.  Something interesting, unique, something that would make me an individual.  Instead I ended up in the electronics section, seeing all of the discarded toys that used to be "hip and cool" electronics.  I saw things like:

• 8-track players
• gameboys
• portable TV's
• VHS players
• and anything else one could imagine

What is so interesting about this "pile of junk"?  I find it kind of sad that this stuff was our old "New Media".  Gameboys were the rage of the 1990s, VHS players revolutionized the way people watched movies and TV shows, and for about a few months even 8-tracks had some slight popularity.  This all made me question the basis for our society, "If we are in a society based off of consumption and advancement of technology, then what happens to last years versions?  A small percentage ends up in thrift stores, antique and novelty stores, and maybe even a museum, but a large majority ends up rusting in a dump.  What is the life span of New Media, is it as long as there is nothing better?  New Media is fresh, new and hip, but once it loses the title of New, it just becomes someones trash and any other type of media.

The Scary Power of Facebook

After the revolt in Egypt, it became very apparent that Facebook has power ...so much power it's kind of scary. With all this power however, it's important that Facebook has the appropriate safeguards to keep itself and its users safe. Because Facebook became a vital tool to many activists in publicizing the events in Egypt, Facebook executives are believed to be worried that they will lose its power in countries such as Syria, where it has just gained a foothold. It's believed that if Facebook becomes too influential, the Syrian government would implement policies to restrict and monitor use within its country. 

In regard to Facebook providing adequate safety to its users, an example of this came during the Egyptian revolt involving Wael Ghonim, a Google executive. Ghonim, was the administrator of a pro revolt Facebook group, and when it was discovered by the Egyptian government, he was thrown into jail for violating Egyptian law. This brought up an interesting question: is Facebook responsible for Ghonim breaking the law on their website? In recent weeks, Facebook pages trying to mobilize protestors have sprung up in Algeria, Bahrain, Iran and Yemen, which is putting even more pressure on Facebook to take a stance on their platform being used by activists. According to Ethan Zuckerman, a senior researcher at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard, "this is an incredible challenge and an incredible opportunity for Facebook, Twitter and Google." I'm going to keep this one short because just like the rest of you I need to work on my website....but it should be interesting to see how Facebook "checks" its own power in the coming days and weeks. 

Simple, Yet Bold

Source

I believe Apple.com is one of the most effective websites on the World Wide Web at this time. In terms of content, Apple provides plenty of it. Of course, the audience that this site is aimed towards is those interested in Apple products. The site provides information about all of the products that it has to offer, as well as the option to buy these products online immediately. The site gives current owners of Apple products the resources they need to update the software on their products by downloading updates straight off the website. In addition, there is a support section which you can access online, or set up a reservation to speak with a trained Apple “genius” in person. The site is constantly being updated with current information on the newest Apple products. For Apple product owners, there is really no other website they will ever need to use in order to fix, update and protect their products as well as learn about and purchase new products. 

Apple.com provides plenty of content without
overloading the viewer.

The design of this website is striking. There is a sense of simplicity with the majority of space encompassed in the white background, yet there is rich imagery and strong, bold type applied where necessary. When you first enter the site there is a large advertisement in the middle of the screen for the newest product: the iPhone 4. This ad allows viewers to order your new iPhone a day before it even goes on sale. On the bottom of this homepage is four different pictures each with a simple heading introducing new Apple products and allowing the viewer to watch TV ads for other products. The design is so simple, and yet so prominent that the reader is drawn in but not at all overwhelmed. 

This is the first image a viewer of the site would see,
the homepage of Apple.com.

The navigation of this site is also simple. On the top of the page is a menu bar with eight categories: Home, Store, Mac, iPod, iPhone, iPad, iTunes and Support, with a search bar on the end if you’re not sure what category to look under. When you select the product you’re interested in, for example, Mac, you’re brought to the Mac page. At the top you can select the specific model of your Mac and then another menu bar comes down which allows you to search applications, accessories and servers for your individual computer. Meanwhile, the main menu bar remains on the top of the page so there is almost no way to get lost while navigating this site. 

Apple.com provides simple navigation for the user.

By integrating these aspects of content, design and navigation in the way it does, Apple.com provides for an effective site that finds a balance between necessary and sought out information versus overload. Not only has Apple proven to be effective in producing and selling great products, but advertising and maintaining a great website to go along with all their products needs as well.

Obviously Apple

After doing some looking on the internet, I found Apple's Website to be exceptional in terms of its design, navigation and content. Also, I found that it followed many of the principles that Ross Larson said were important in his essay. In terms of design, there were many things I liked about Apple's site. First of all, I like how it lays out a button to click for each of its devices on the top of the screen. This overlaps with navigation, because the design of the website is so simple and easy to use that it makes navigation seamless. On many big company websites, it's easy to be overwhelmed with options to click. Apple's site has plenty of white space, but at the same time presents you with many options filled with great information. Something that I also thought was cool in terms of the site's design was how crystal clear all of the images were. For example, the iPhone 4 that is featured when you enter the website is so real looking that it might just fall off the screen into my lap. I think the main thing with the design of the Apple website is despite having a large number of products, the user is not overwhelmed with information.

In terms of navigation, something I mentioned earlier is how easy it's to go from product to product. There is a tab bar for all of Apple's products, ranging from computers to iPads. Something that we read about in Larson's essay is how important it is to categorize things. Apple does an excellent job of allowing the user to go to each item and allowing them to learn more about that topic in simple sections or bullets. Something I liked about the site in terms of content is that once you pick a certain item on the top toolbar, there are many options available for the user. You can learn about any item's design, features, prices or capabilities and all of the options are color coded so you can easily set them apart. I think the way Apple made its website simple and easy to navigate is what makes it such a successful and user friendly place.

Citation: http://pocketpc-live.com/images/2010/apple-logo.jpg

Computers Anonymous

In class the other day we spoke about how powerful Facebook is, and once again while attempting to study for my Econ 101 midterm I realize how addicting it is. It literally addicts people to the point that were almost hypnotized into clicking the Facebook link on our favorites bar because its just to tempting. But the sad thing is that Facebook ins't even the most addicting activity that the Internet has to offer. Online games such as World of Warcraft literally become your life and identity. People spend hours upon hours leveling up their trolls and shamans so that they can defeat the evil dragon and secure his lair. I truly do believe that in a few years there will be rehab for computer addicts, because if theres an addition, then theres a rehab. It's something that we all need to take a step back and evaluate, the status of computers in our daily lives. Yes they make things easier and by no means am i proposing we revert to the typewriter. All I'm saying is that Facebook, as it's name entails, was designed to present who someone is, like a face, and instead it has encompassed their entire beings. I guess Carl Jung said it best when he said "Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic be alcohol or morphine or idealism" and the fact is this idealism is the over reliance of computers.

Superbowl performance- a bust?

After the most watched even on television, the Superbowl, there is always a buzz about the half-time performance and the commercials. You can read about many of these ratings on The Washington Post Website. One user says:

"The Peas don't possess even a fraction of the musical credibility owned by recent Superbowl halftime performers like The Who, Bruce Springsteen or Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. But the abundance of Tron-esque effects in their performance, not to mention the trademark Peas spunk, managed to make this halftime spectacle more entertaining than expected."

I don't know how you feel about this quote, but I'm going to have to agree. Although I enjoy listening to the Black Eyed Peas' music, like I Got A Feeling, Where is the Love, Let's Get it Started, I don't think that they are a very talented bunch. In concert, their voices sound horrendous. Especially at the Superbowl. The only reason I was entertained was because of their energy, and surprises, like when Usher and Slash showed up on stage. Most of all, I liked their dancers that lit up. What did you think of that? My favorite was when they all got together and made green arrows pointing to the stage. I also loved when they all swayed together and made pumping hearts. The idea was very cool, but could have been preformed better. Definitely not my favorite Superbowl half-time show. My favorite might be Michael Jackson's performance, but it's hard to tell with all the superstars that get on stage. 
Here is an image of the Black Eyed Peas lit up performance:

image from: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2010/11/20/alg_black_eyed_peas.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/2010/11/19/2010-11-19_black_eyed_peas_rumored_to_play_super_bowl_xlv_halftime_show_report.html&usg=__KCBUn_oZj38dTpJy0QDMjI6Oe_s=&h=364&w=485&sz=52&hl=en&start=0&sig2=DNrDvlvVyXF5HyCgM03Ipg&zoom=1&tbnid=AXQqVwLRJecNFM:&tbnh=124&tbnw=165&ei=t_9RTfCyCMP78AaQt8TMCA&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dblack%2Beyed%2Bpeas%2Bsuperbowl%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den%26biw%3D1057%26bih%3D706%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=318&vpy=252&dur=1839&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=175&ty=80&oei=t_9RTfCyCMP78AaQt8TMCA&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:0

Light, Layered, Linked

"Light, layered, and linked are essential when writing for the information age."Ross Larson goes on to explain what exactly this entails in his text, Purpose and Structure. Well, each of these three precepts mean exactly how they sound. First let's tackle the idea of light. What this really means is having a website that is simple. The main ideas do not seep into the background, the title is clear and bold, and as Larson says, it is the whole concept to "make text easy on the eye." The next step is layering. This idea required the designer to create an organized structure for the website. Headings, evenly spaced text and subjects that are broken down into parts are all significant when determining the layout and design. Lastly, links are required to guide the audience and to determine the different sequential events necessary for the viewer. Overall links can make the content seem reliable and layering and lighting can make the website easily accessible. When a virtual library was mentioned in Larson's text I immediately thought of Mirlyn. http://mirlyn.lib.umich.edu/ is an online website that contains all three of these major elements. Primarily it has a white background and the title is written in blue and yellow. This makes sure the audience can focus on the words. The next thing I noticed was the structure of the website. It has a specific audience, people who are looking to find information about a specific topic, and it appeals to this audience. We are able to click the Mirlyn Catalog and we are able to type in almost anything and receive an answer. Let's say I type in "Successful Websites." In an extremely organized way with the headlines in bold there are a list of different categories that pertain to the different "Successful Websites." For instance, I could choose a specific format, language, place of publication, and I can even check for availability. The linkage procedure is extremely important as well because I am able to click on any hyperlink and it will guide me to a different website that will aid to my research. How much easier can this get? I have a research paper due in another one of my classes and we all know where I'm going to go to begin my research. Mirlyn is an online library that knows its target audience and therefore, can engage with it's viewers. Seriously, type in anything and there will be at least one result pertaining to your search and if all else fails there is always the link to "Ask a Librarian". Actually interacting with a librarian through the internet, like I said, how much easier can this get? Simple design, easy access, and multiple hyperlinks, Mirlyn is the role model for success. To even make life easier, get Mirlyn Mobile. This way if a computer is out of your reach you could still use this device on your phone!

Image: http://www.lib.umich.edu/marketing-and-communications/news/mirlyn-mobile-here

Apps Reach New Heights

Religion and college admission. Hmm, I think we could all agree those are two relatively important things in life, right? Personally, I'm a Blackberry user, so I don't have any applications on my phone, but imagine being able to make your confessions through your iPhone, or even better find out what your odds are of being accepted to nearly any college in the country. Let me first tell you about "Confession: A Roman Catholic App", which for a mere $1.99 allows its users to privately (the app is password protected) make their religious confessions through their cell phone. According to the article, the app was created with the the "help of two Catholic priests." To me, this application brings up some really interesting questions. First of all, I wonder whether it's morally and religiously ok for somebody to use digital technology for religious purposes. I believe something like making confessions or praying is should be done in person, not through technology. The idea that you can be sitting in a boring class discussion and while confessing your sins to Jesus kind of scares me, and is an example of technology I never would have imagined seeing. At this rate, who knows, maybe I can convince my Dad to go to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services through video chat or some new ridiculous phone application.

The second application I wanted to talk about is a new Facebook application called Admission Splash, which allows high school students to enter their GPA and test scores to find out their probability of being accepted into any given college. However, one of the major flaws with this application is that it does not take many important factors into account, such as extracurricular activities, legacies, application essays and even the high school you attended. In fact, something many professionals fear is that many students will get their hopes up that they will be accepted into a school, only to be let down when the actual admissions letter comes in the mail. Although it’s amazing that such an application could be created, I don’t know if it’s something I would want my teenage child spending their time on. But look on the bright side Taylor, Rian, Brandon and Sophie….we’re all in college already. 

Citations: http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/mobile/02/08/confession.ap/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/social.media/02/08/fb.app.college.mashable/index.html

The web's "perfection" at its finest

Blogger.com is an easy to use, efficient website. It has a clear purpose, to create a blog platform with a lot of capabilities that anyone from beginner to expert can use. I think this website does an amazing job with its visual design because there is a lot of free space, so there is not much, or any, clutter. This makes it easy to follow and search for exactly what you're looking for. It is incredibly simple and all important data is larger than the not so important data, so there should be no trouble finding what buttons to click and where to find them to achieve your purpose. For example, if it is your first time on the website and you don't have an account, there is a big orange arrow that you have to click which will bring you right to the page that you need to start filling with your new blog's information. The best part is, once you're there, actually making the blog takes less than five minutes, and there is a help option if you need any help at any point. Blogger is so easy that even first time users, like me, can have an up and running blog within hours, and with little to no outside help. Everything is just so easy, it's mind-boggling: "how do I publish my post? Oh, it must be the big publish post button in bright orange at the bottom of my post". Everything really is made just that simple. All navigations are like that as well, how do I change my blogs settings? Just click on the settings tab at the top and I will get a bunch of options. It is all clearly layed out, without any mess or distractions. Great job blogger!!

The Perfect Website

It's hard to create a website, and it's even harder to make one that can be considered good. In todays world websites become outdated every day, so in order to be known as a a enjoyable website it requires being up to the minute with whats new and whats now. Think about it this way, about 5 years ago people had to decide what search engine to use, Google or AskJeeves. Now when you think about it, Google dominates the Internet and Ask is some website that if possible would be covered in cobwebs. Based on this fact I believe that a website like Google is the definition of what is easy to navigate, simple, and reliable. When you open Google all you see is the name of the website and a empty box. No instructions. No advertising. No complexities. If one can't understand Google's user interface, they honestly shouldn't be allowed to use a computer. It is the easy of the easy to navigate, all it requires is typing in what you want, and it magically brings you to it. To put it simply, Google defined New Media because it encompases all New Media within its database. Google is the Internet.

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=google&view=detail&id=5EEE89B5F5FD2E11C9200A94C16639A61A1AC025&first=1&FORM=IDFRIR

Don't you mean you're "reading" your book?!

The same way the ipod revolutionized the way people listen to music, Audible.com is revolutionizing the way people read books. Well, sort of.
A commercial of the website came up as I was watching TV the other day and I couldn't help but take a look. The commercial stated that Audible.com had over 80,000 audiobooks online that could be listened to on one's computer, ipod, ipad, and even in one's car. It even made the bold statement that it's collection included almost any book you'd want to listen to. I decided to test the theory and searched for three of my favorite books: the kite runner, outliers, and blink. Surprisingly, the site had them all. Unfortunately for my friend who searched for her favorite books after me, they did not have any of the Harry Potter collection. I guess it's just luck of the draw. This screen shot of the website below shows a small selection of the books you can listen to:

Anyway, after checking out the site for some time, I couldn't help but wonder whether I would consider it new media or not. On one hand, it is just a collection of books, same words, same plot, and just regular book are old news, not new media. On the other hand though, these are audible books. One's that you could listen to on new media devices. I kept going back and forth and couldn't come up with an answer. Right when I would say "ok it's definitely new media, it's even all on a computer and you can choose the one you want to listen to", I would refute myself and say "...but it's not interactive at all, just listening to someone else tell you a story without being able to talk or ask questions". Thus, I am asking you. What do you guys think? Can you help me out here...

A New Wave of Interactivity

In his article “The Myth of Interactivity,” Len Manovich discusses not only the aspects that make a new media interactive, but he also gives us a better understanding of what it means for something to be interactive. Manovich explains 

New media is interactive. In contrast to old media where the order of presentation is fixed, the user can now interact with a media object. In the process of interaction the user can choose which elements to display or which paths to follow, thus generating a unique work.

This new phenomenon of interactivity allows the viewer to not only to view pages, as they could in the past, but to add, subtract, comment on, reply to and alter the pages they are viewing. In this sense, as Manovich puts it, the viewer becomes a “co-author” of the page they are viewing.

Another point that Manovich makes in his article is that of the propaganda that these interactive sites entail. By this, I mean that even when a viewer is simply reading an article online, they not only need to turn their focus away from the advertisements flashing all around the screen, but they also need to have great focus just to read the article through! Within most, if not all, online articles there are links throughout leading the viewer to other segments, articles or even websites.

However, with user-generated content and customization options, viewers can potentially avoid this propaganda all together. A great example of this interactive new media is The Subservient Chicken. In this platform the viewer is literally dictating exactly what they would like to see the chicken perform. In this sense the viewer is the primary author, because they are deciding exactly what they will be viewing.

The Subservient Chicken

Another great example is the BBC website. On the bottom of the page there is a link for the individual viewer to customize the page. The viewer can add or remove their preferred topics, as well as choose the color scheme for their page. Igoogle also has a similar format, allowing the viewer to select their interests, choose a theme for their homepage and linking them to the news, their e-mail and YouTube videos that match their interests and previous searches.

The Igoogle homepage customization page

These examples of use generated content help to steer away from the propaganda that Manovich refers to by allowing the viewer to control the path in which they wish to take. With all of these interactive new medias, one has to wonder to what extent people are receiving the same information. In other words television and radio news stations would dictate the same information to all of the viewers or listeners respectively. How will it change our society to be able to choose what news and information we want to hear?

Manovich's Truth in Interactivity

In Len Manovich's book "The Myth of Interactivity", he states that in interactive media, "the user can choose which elements to display or which paths to follow, thus generating a unique work" (55). Examples of such interactivity are displayed through websites like Subservient Chicken and Moodstream. The former is a website with a man dressed as a chicken on a video screen. Under the video, there is room for the website viewer to type in a command, that the chicken will follow. For example, if you type jump, he will jump, and if you type sit, he will sit. This is a very interactive site, as the chicken follows personal demands, making it a unique experience for the viewer, one in which she/he can see only what he/she wants to see. Moodstream is very similar in that it creates a unique experience through sound and image. You control dials and buttons to tell the site what your mood is like, and it plays music and shows images that follow the tone you described.
Manovich also states that "once an object is represented in a computer, it automatically becomes interactive" (55). As I have been calling various websites and links online interactive, this quote really made me think. Is this really true? Do things automatically become interactive once represented in a computer? At first I thought sure, there are less interactive websites that others, but does that mean there are none that are't interactive at all? I need some help in this because my instincts tell me there must be non-interactive websites, but I can't even think of one. Any thoughts?
Lastly, the first thing I thought of after reading Manovich's article is the popular iphone/ipad application the Talking TomCat. This is because the Talking Tomcat application is the most interactive thing I can think of. It allows users to do whatever they want with the cat, and get it to say whatever they want. It's quite fun too! If you don't know what it is, here's a good explanation...

Google, Twitter & Egyptian Technology

This graph shows the change in internet access in Egypt
from January 27th to 28th. 

I'm sure that everyone has been following what's going on in Egypt....we're all watching history in the making here folks. However, something that everyone may not know is that the Egyptian government cut off access to technology, in hopes of containing the growing cries for change. As you would imagine, one of the first things the government did was cut off internet access. To make matters worse, over the weekend, many cell phone towers were shut down which made it impossible for anyone to reach the internet from their celluar device. However, Google and Twitter, two companies which are known for their devotion to their users decided to team up. Together, they were able to launch three international phone numbers, which can be reached from any landline worldwide. The idea behind this is that Twitter users in Egypt can phone in their tweets free of charge. They simply provide their log in information and are able to verbally post any message on their Twitter instantaneously. This also allows Twitter users to call in and ask for the recent tweets of whoever they follow on the networking site. Twitter also launched a site called twitter.com/speak2tweet, that allows Twitter users from around the world to view tweets coming from protestors in Egypt. I believe the work of Google and Twitter is ground breaking, because it's helping millions of people to overcome the "restrictions" that are being put on them by the oppressive Egyptian government.

Citation: http://media.computerworlduk.com/cmsdata/news/3258465/Arbour_Egypt_Internet_cutoff.jpg  

Interact with Manovich

In the text "The Myth of Interactivity" by Len Manovich, the author says various things about interaction with New Media, but I will focus on one phrase that has made me wonder for about an hour. He states "we will interpret interaction literally equating it with physical interaction between a user and a media object (pressing a button, choosing a link, ) at the expense of psychological interaction". This quote is basically stating that people only consider interacting with media when you click here or watch a video, but what Manovich is saying is that their is also a psychological interaction that you don't even think about. My take on what he is saying may be unique, but hey this a blog and I'm the author. I believe Manovich is saying something along the lines of the idea that you are interacting with New Media even when you don't realize it. For example, when you open a webpage you teach yourself to filter out the advertisements and things you don't want to see, subconsciously interacting with the New Media itself. It is an interesting concept, the idea that New Media is so involved in our minds and daily lives that it no longer requires our full intention spans, and actually requires very little when say compared to reading a book or the paper. Surfing the net is something you can do while listening to music, having a conversation, iChatting, doing homework, watching TV, and of course sitting in class. But do we really not even realize we are doing this? I for one am a great example. ESPN.com is a website with ads for companies like Old Spice, UFC, and even Verizon, but the fact is I didn't even see them until I looked for them. My eyes only travel to the places I want to see, to the things I want to see. As a whole society has become less interactive on a psychological level with New Media, and in order to understand its true potential, we all need to sit down, ignore the distractions, and start opening our eyes.

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