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MediaShed News
Submitted by richard on Wed, 2008-06-04 06:14.
“Tantalum Memorial – Reconstruction” 01SJ Biennial: “Superlight” at the San Jose Museum of Art “Tantalum Memorial – Reconstruction” is the first in a series of telephony-based memorials by the artists group Harwood, Wright, Yokokoji. The title of the work refers to the metal tantalum, an essential component of mobile phones, and is a memorial to the Congolese who have died from wars over the mining of this metal. The work is constructed from redundant electromechanical Strowger switches - the basis of the first automatic telephone exchanges. Members of London's Congolese community trigger the switches when they make phone calls through “Telephone Trottoire” - a “social telephony” project also designed by the artists with the Congolese radio programme Nostalgie Ya Mboka. The precisely poised movements and sounds of the switches create a sculptural presence for this otherwise intangible network of circulating conversations. In “Tantalum Memorial – Reconstruction”, Harwood, Wright, and Yokoji weave together the ambiguities of globalisation, transnational migration and our addiction to constant communication. The “Coltan Wars” Since August 1998 there have been 3.9 million deaths and over 361,000 refugees created by the so-called “coltan wars” in the Congo region. Coltan ore is mined for the metal tantalum - an essential component of mobile phones and other communication devices that is now coveted by dozens of international mining companies and warring local militias. Although the conflict has continued up to the present day it remains almost entirely unknown outside of Africa. Almon Strowger Almon Brown Strowger was born in Penfield near Rochester, New York. An “Telephone Trottoire” “Telephone Trottoire” is a “social telephony” network aimed at the Congolese community in London, approximately 90% of whom are refugees or asylum seekers. In the Congo, where free speech has been censored for over forty years, people spread information while standing on street corners – by “radio trottoire” or “pavement radio”. Produced by the artists in collaboration with the Congolese radio programme “Nostalgie Ya Mboka”, “Telephone Trottoire” calls people up and invites them to pass around stories or topical news items over their phones. Submitted by richard on Sun, 2008-03-30 05:31.
time lapse Spitting and communication 2003 The underground staff “spit kit” – sample spittle and identify assaulters through DNA. Also traffic wardens in Edinburgh and bus staff. Staff have been given a pair of sterile latex gloves, a self-sealing bag and two sterile swabs to collect a sample to prevent the evidence being lost. Pass on to police for analysis. Communication through gobbing. The problem of scale - many natural processes are beyond human scales of perception, too long or too quick. Submitted by richard on Sun, 2008-03-30 05:29.
We need a new name for our conception of "eco media"! Bandwidth Questions 1. How far can such a new conception of nature as media advance the public’s understanding of and investment in ecological issues? Establishing Principles: Submitted by richard on Sun, 2008-03-30 05:23.
Context
The approach will draw on our previously successful ‘free-media’ programme which finds resources, channels of communication and inspiration in the surrounding man-made environment. This work will extend the ‘free media’ by incorporating organic and inorganic materials found in the rural environment. Our immediate aim is a new perception of nature and a strategic approach to ‘mapping out’ and incorporating ‘natural media’ systems. Our results will be presented as field studies in reconfiguring and augmenting the natural environment as a media network. We anticipate this to be of particular relevance to ecological art and design, naturalists, those monitoring environmental change and those developing policy aimed at the publics engagement with the ecological agenda. Submitted by richard on Sun, 2008-03-30 05:15.
Bright Sparks 3
Intro This project poses the question of understanding of the ecosystem as a communications network. There are many implicit forms of media in nature that operate as transmissions of chemicals and energies – atmospheric flows, tides, reproductive hormones, scent markers, migrations or geological distributions. Many kinds of media thus defined pass through us without our being conscious of them. These different processes can be reinterpreted or used as the potential carriers of encoded contents or ‘messages’. ‘Eco media’ is the result of integrating this ‘natural media’ with human media so that its contents and signals are accessible to humans and non-humans alike. The ultimate aim of ‘eco media’ is in immersing the public in the communication network of nature, to create a feedback loop and enable people and nature to talk to each other. Submitted by felixdragan on Wed, 2008-02-13 17:34.
MA in Interactive Media student Currently studying: Media and Culture Industry Submitted by richard on Tue, 2007-11-13 22:28.
images
Submitted by moniquenw on Tue, 2007-11-13 04:55.
Learning Activity: Research the Laurie Grove Baths Student Name: Monique Natalia Wiradisastra My objectives: The resources and strategies I will use are: Submitted by Tomas Arenas on Tue, 2007-11-13 04:32.
MA Interactive Media Student Name: Tomas Arenas Date: 12-10-07 My objectives: I’m looking for a meaning, for a feeling, for that something that could bring personality to the building. I want to study the spatial attributes of the building and their functional, emotional and symbolical meanings (currents and formers). I want to know how this building could trigger a feeling, a thought or a sensation for us as students, for the average people who just pass by, or for the ones who used to come when it was working as a bath. Submitted by novazembla on Mon, 2007-11-12 21:31.
Vincent's Perl Code
#place linux perl header here
print "TEST DATA\n";
print "#################################################\n";
#first get actual time converted into the number of seconds from 00:00
my $timeInSeconds = getTimeInSeconds();
print "TIME IN SECONDS:" . $timeInSeconds . "\n";
print "\n#################################################\n";
# test urinal function. the function returns true if urinal flushes.
print "urinal: ";
if (urinal($timeInSeconds)) {
# it's true (1) so it flushes
print "flushes!\n";
} else {
# it's false (0) so no action
print "inactive!\n";
}
print "\n#################################################\n";
# test the power consumption function.
print "Power Consumption: " . powerUsage($timeInSeconds) . "\n";
print "\n#################################################\n";
# test the movement detector functions.
print "Movement detector indicates: ";
if (movementDetector()) {
# it's true (1) so it flushes
print "activity!\n";
} else {
# it's false (0) so no action
print "no activity!\n";
}
print "\n#################################################\n";
# this method returns the number of seconds passed already today and is just
# a helper function.
sub getTimeInSeconds {
# retrieve time information
my ($sec,$min,$hour) = localtime(time);
# calculate and return number of seconds.
return ($hour * 60 * 60) + ($min * 60) + $sec;
}
# this method simulates the flushing interval of the urinal
sub urinal {
# get the first argument it's the actual timestamp
my $timestamp = shift;
# the urinal flushes every x minutes in seconds
my $interval = 900;
# flush lenght in second;
my $flushLength = 60;
# check if urinal flushes
# % is a modulo operator and returns the remainder of a devision (e.g.: 24/5 = 4) --> 24 % 5 = 4
if ($timestamp % $interval >= 0 && $timestamp % $interval <= $flushLength) {
# apperantly the urinal flushes right now.
return 1;
} else {
#no flushing
return 0;
}
}
# this function returns an estimation of the actual level of power consumption of the LGB
sub powerUsage() {
# get the first argument it's the actual timestamp
my $timestamp = shift;
# this is a representation of the power usage of the LGB in form of a mathematical function
# based on an estimated sample and estimated with a polynominal regression analysis.
# calculate and return the current power usage
return 8.5303654e-93*($timestamp**20)
+1.0676401e-86*($timestamp**19)
-4.6480158e-81*($timestamp**18)
+4.4422658e-76*($timestamp**17)
+5.0305359e-71*($timestamp**16)
-1.2326941e-65*($timestamp**15)
+5.9061408e-61*($timestamp**14)
+4.1528408e-56*($timestamp**13)
-5.285163e-51*($timestamp**12)
+1.6155833e-46*($timestamp**11)
-5.8320484e-42*($timestamp**10)
+1.4573385e-36*($timestamp**9)
-1.4989895e-31*($timestamp**8)
+7.8930969e-27*($timestamp**7)
-2.474806e-22*($timestamp**6)
+4.8413829e-18*($timestamp**5)
-5.8897369e-14*($timestamp**4)
+4.2691101e-10*($timestamp**3)
-1.6333479e-06*($timestamp**2)
+0.0021441309*$timestamp
+5.9974494;
}
# this method simulates one of the movement detector
sub movementDetector {
# the sensor detects activity in x percent
my $activity = 5;
# get random value and compare it with activity percentage
if (rand() <= $activity/100) {
# apperantly someone walks in front of the activity sensor
return 1;
} else {
# no activity
return 0;
}
}
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