All posts filed under: Technology

Ex-machina (2015) by Alex Garland

Will robots take over the World? The Advance of AI and its Impact on Humanity

Published by milan

As reported by Bloomberg, 2015 was a especially significant year in regards to artificial intelligence. Computers have been getting faster for decades already but we didn’t see such an exponential progress on AI until recent years, and a serious amount of investment from major tech players such as Google, Facebook and Microsoft. The latter have recently developed Skype Translator, an additional feature that can automatically translate from more than 50 languages. Amazon released Alexa an intelligent personal assistant capable of voice interaction, and Facebook has launched a variety of projects through its AI research lab, FAIR. Will robots take over the World? Robots have become part of our daily life. Wherever we turn, we come across a robot in one form or another. The modern world couldn’t be imagined without their assistance. AI technologies are advancing at such a rapid pace that one day it can be more of an existential threat than progress. So the questions are, What will happen that day when robots become aware of their own existence? Will robots—AI take over the World? Shall they remain supportive to …

Surging Seas 10 feet

3 Mapping Technologies That Will Change How You See NYC

Published by jamesonz

New York City has always been a city in flux, with compelling local histories buried as quickly as new histories are born. These three innovative mapping technologies from artists and developers worldwide allow users to explore the city in entirely new ways — all from the convenience of a smartphone or laptop. Don’t take NYC at face value; use these three tools to uncover the past, future, and hidden present of your city. 1. Surging Seas Surging Seas is an interactive map with a unique premise: displaying the coastline changes that would occur at various forecasted sea-level rises over the next century. The map was created by the ever-creative team at Stamen, a digital agency based in San Francisco with a special focus in mapping and research technologies. For Surging Seas, the developers aimed to differentiate themselves from existing forecast tools by creating a map that highlighted the “land that’s lost,” showing how even “minor” changes like the 13 feet rise caused by Hurricane Sandy can radically alter the shape of the city. 2. Spyglass …

6 Genre-Bending Artists You Should Follow on Instagram

Published by jamesonz

Instagram can be a gold mine for creative inspiration, but it sometimes feels like artist accounts on the ubiquitous social media platform are more self-promotional than authentically engaging. With 400 million active users, it can be hard to find quality content outside the tropes and cliches. Here’s a roundup of some of our favorite artists using Instagram in unique ways — from digital installations to math-infused origami masterpieces. @prismspecs New media artist and programmer Grayson Earle is constantly breaking down boundaries between tech and art with interactive exhibitions and hand-crafted digital games. The process, from conceptual sketches to halfway-completed hardware, is documented on his Instagram account alongside a heavy helping of glitch art and tongue-in-cheek tech humor. People Pattern #loop #glitchart #generativeart #netflix #videoart @illuminator99 @saddestlunch A video posted by Grayson (@prismspecs) on Jan 28, 2016 at 8:32pm PST Earle is based in Brooklyn, where his work was most recently shown in the AgitProp! exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum.   @sopopomo Manila-born, Texas based artist Dan Lam and her friendly [and touchable] neon-hued sculptures.  A …

Pixel Pushers: New York’s School for Poetic Computation is Art’s Answer to Coding Boot camps

Published by jamesonz

Artists make no money but get to make beautiful things. Computer programmers make money — but have to do boring work. …At least, that’s what most of us who have been shuffled through the American education system are led to believe. New York’s School for Poetic Computation (SFPC) stands in stark contrast to the separation of computer science and the fine arts. Similar to “coding boot camps” like Hack Reactor and General Assembly that have sprung up to provide the practical web development education unavailable in most colleges, the SFPC is small, nimble, and results-oriented. The difference is, while coding boot camps strive to pump out node.js aficionados, SFPC is creating a different breed of computer programmer: the artist as technologist. School For Poetic Computation is equal parts The Factory, childhood blanket fort, and mad scientist’s lab. —Lee Tusman, SFPC student Founded by an interdisciplinary group of creatives and scientists in 2013, the SFPC program centers around a loosely-structured 10-week program that brings together students from a variety of computer science backgrounds to create aesthetic-oriented …

Digitized Fabrics Could Turn Your Wardrobe Into Wearable Touchscreens

Published by jamesonz

While smartphones that bend and flex under pressure are just now coming onto the market, Google and a handful of scrappy startups are imagining a future where sensitive, connected surfaces will make the jump from the phones in our pockets to the shirts on our backs. Literally. Tech Startups like Athos have been working towards this goal for years, creating Bluetooth-enabled fabrics that operate through a series of integrated Bluetooth sensors. But Project Jacquard, a new initiative from Google, is taking the technology to the next level with an experimental conductive fabric that has “technology woven in.” Jacquard allows potential smart clothing startups to weave conductive yarns made from metallic alloys blended with traditional mediums like polyester and silk into regular fabrics, essentially turning the finished yards of fabric into giant woven touchscreens. Motion capture and touch sensitivity paired with an arsenal of integrated electronics allow app developers to “hack” the resulting garments on an intimate level. While current consumer tech “wearables” like the Microsoft Band enable users to track their physical stats through their …

Eyewriter Brings Grassroots Tech to Urban Streets

Published by jamesonz

What happens when an artist looses their hands? A new tool from a unique creative team at Eyewriter.org allows disabled artists to literally express their eye for design. When LA graffiti artist Tempt One was diagnosed with the degenerative disease ALS, it seemed that hope was lost. The once-prolific artist became completely paralyzed, with his only connection to the outside world the eye-tracking computer systems available to the profoundly paralyzed. But the story doesn’t end there. By partnering with a collection of arts and technology organizations including OpenFrameworks, FAT Lab, and the Graffiti Research Lab, Tempt One has grasped onto eye-tracking technology as a life raft and begun the development of a new medium: an open source, widely available eye-tracking system to allow paralyzed artists to share their visions with the world. “Art is a tool of empowerment and social change, and I consider myself blessed to be able to create and use my work to promote health reform, bring awareness about ALS and help others.” —Tempt One For a pop culture whose only exposure …