A Waste of Biomass
These bright white leaf bags shine on top of a hill of yard waste. A few years ago, I rode my bicycle past the base of this huge composting pile and nearly passed out from the smell of methane.
Location for a Rockin’ Video Shoot
This concrete chunk graveyard would be a great place for a Rockin’ Video location!
Who Owns Imagery?
Shepard Fairey responds to the lawsuit regarding his use of a photograph to create his famous Barak Obama Hope poster.
As a photographer, I have mixed feelings toward Mr. Faireys’ appropriation of the image. This is an argument that has been going on a long time, and Fairey shows examples of other derivative works.
Copy ’cause you can
The rules these days- if it’s out there on the web, it’s fair game. Post a photograph on a site-and who knows… It may end up being someone’s desktop wallpaper. The A.P. in their battle against Fairey must know their images are used / appropriated countless times. It’s just when the appropriations become more popular that problems ensue. The original photograph was made by Mannie Garcia, on assignment for the A.P.
Woe to the Unsung Urinal Designer
Did the 1900’s urinal designer try to sue Duchamp? I am not trying to minimize the work of the original photographer, artist, or craftsperson, good golly I’d be pissed too if one of my images was used in this fashion, but any image of Barak Obama made by talented photographers, becomes virtual public property, because at this point, Barak Obama is public property.
Consider images of public property. Niagara Falls is public property, anyone can look at it, everyone ′owns′ it. But if I make a photograph of a photograph of the Falls, is that my work? Sherrie Levine pushed this notion in her 1980’s work, rephotographing Walker Evans’ images, made in the 1930’s. Spare me the postmodern / patriarchy / art history blah blah (there’s tons of it out there: 1, 2, 3 ), but Levine is a thief.
I would like a new medium format camera with a macro lens, may I walk into Ms. Levine’s’ house and take one? (She probably doesn’t have one of these anyway, as it’s not the best equipment for copying works of others). What’s the problem? She can bill the Estate of Walker Evans or Marcel Duchamp.
Future Human Clones of Levine will be my Art!
When technology advances to the point of cloning, I will be long gone, but for those of you in the future reading this I recommend getting some of Ms. Levine’s DNA and copying her. Dozens if not hundreds of little Levines walking around, all created by you! Yours to exploit, profit from, and gain international acclaim in the Art world! You, Artist of the Future will be a hit in the pre-post-post-neo-post-whatever movement!
Mr. Fairey states that the original photograph was made more famous by his use, no doubt this is true. The image became famous because of what he did to it. The original is interesting, but would it have become the inspiring image that Fairey created? No way.
Would you make a print of the original and hang it up in your wall? Doubtful, meanwhile, the 11 x 17 poster is wall worthy and worth saving.
A ‘Good’ Photograph is not Easy
Artists who work with appropriated photographs do not understand what led to the making of the image. A good photograph is primarily about timing. The right place at the right time, access to the subject; split into fractions of a second to get the right / best shot. Photographers will go to _extreme_ physical lengths to get the good photograph. For landscape imagery that means traveling to and from locations in the dark, better to get the directional warm sunrise and sunset light. Carrying heavy equipment, supplies, and maybe even water and snacks for long days on location. Don’t forget a first aid or maybe a snakebite kit. Photographing in winter ups the risk – tripod manipulations can lead to frostbite. For a photojournalist such as Mr. Garcia, access is primary, but if he is not able to throw an elbow to make room, get his camera over the TeeVee bubblehead in front of him, and make a good picture, he’s out of business. For photographers, the process of making the image may take a lifetime of training, where the skills they possess are recorded at 1/250 of a very important second. How can the outright knowledgeable theft of Levine, and the cavalier, almost generational repurposing by Fairey compare to the risks of the photographer imagemaker?
The Inadvertent Icon
The original created for consumption in the 24 hour news cycle still exists, but I’m guessing that the original never had a life outside of screens. Was the original ever printed on paper? Doesn’t matter, once it’s on the web paper becomes secondary to the image itself, but with the transformation done by Fairey, the image is no longer a screen image, but a sticker, a poster, a print, a brand and importantly and inadvertently an Icon.
- Photograph: Mannie Garcia
Illustration: Shepard Fairey
Guerilla Political Sign – shredded
This sign hung over a nearby expressway last fall. This bridge had numerous Ron Paul signs, homemade and almost all destroyed within hours of their ‘illegal’ hanging.
The Perfect Mobile Device
Cell phones rule the mobile world, voice and text prices are cheaper every day, but the full mobile experience has yet to be realized.
The problems with many of the current devices that try and do it all is that they usually do nothing well. For music, we want ipods, for cameras, give us real SLR’s, for voice give me an old school analog phone, and for text give me a desktop, or at least a real size keyboard. Jam all this on a machine that fits in your pocket and it’s not the quality we truly want.
Interesting how drastically inexpensive desktop computers are now. There are still ultra horsepower machines available, cooled with multiple fans, ventilated like a production factory. But what people want now is not a big fast beast sitting in the cave, but rather a tiny box that they can take anywhere. The same experience from anywhere that I can get from _ my _ network.
What do people want in a Portable / Mobile Device? What Features are Necessities? Voice, Text, Games, Camera, Music (via mp3 or provider download), Web Browsing, Social Networking, Content Uploading (text and image), Cable/satellite TV.
Why not a do it all box now?
a. Bandwidth (but that won’t last long) but the limitations of b. Screen Size and c. Featuritis.
Too many features means overly complex menus, keyboard compromises and low resolution image ceilings, the current do it alls are lacking in at least one feature.
Of course, some cell phones are purposely limited in features – made ultra simple with voice as the only application. These machines even include fake analog dial tones.
The do it all box should be a computer with connectors…almost like a desktop (!). The small box will have sub boxes you will click in combinations. The main box is also connected wirelessly to whatever big fast cheap pipe you choose to the outside internets [sic].
The vanilla box has the computer, an operating system, and the ‘antenna’, what it won’t have is a big screen. The big screen will be in your pocket, rolled or folded. The mp3 player will be a small box that clicks onto the big box, the camera will be another small box, the foldable large keyboard another accessory.
But- all of the above features and benefits can be negated due to bad connectivity, if you can’t get a signal your magic machine is useless.
The leading makers of the devices we carry with us now know the speed of our networks will increase. Speed is not the issue, usable portability is.
It’s not a button..even though it looks like one…
This panel at the Boston Aquarium is an indicator of what button has been pushed (duh #1!). Poor interface prods viewers to push the panel itself. It looks like a button, but doesn’t act like a button, so press it harder!
Recycled Christmas Trees II
This pile of Christmas Trees collected by the town of Brighton, are turned into mulch.
Tech Poverty
Back in the old days important people had multiple analog telephones on their desk, if they’re really important; one of the phones was red.
Today your tech bigshot has multiple computers side by side with every accessory imaginable, not to mention at least one cell phone and maybe a hardline telephone nearby. Perhaps even cable or satellite TV is pumped in as well as ubiquitous wire and over the air Internet. How many outside connections; 3-4-5 pipes?
Connectivity at home and out in the world via portable device. Share information from anywhere at anytime, don’t wait to post the photograph later, post your photo online within a minute of taking it.
Voice connectivity is cheap, text connectivity is cheap, journalism and opinion are free, music and video are cheap. Cell phones are cheap, web book computers a few hundred dollars by the Holidays?
The quantity of communication channels; how many ways you have to connect and consume define tech wealth. The devices are usually one time costs, the connectivity gets charged from now to … Connectivity from anywhere worldwide is the most expensive, as telecoms can make more revenue now on worldwide versus national and regional connections.
The machines are cheap but the access to these content still costs. A fast Internet connection at home, cell phone, cable or satellite, how many thousands per year?
Device is not the primary indicator of tech poverty.
An mp3 player is not a marker of wealth. The well off have multiple devices, but more importantly, the well off have multiple ways to connect these devices to the outside world.
Cell phones rule the mobile world, voice / text / data prices are cheaper every day, but the full mobile desktop / laptop experience has yet to be realized.
More on this topic in the future…
Wetland Delineation UR B-26
Just south of an abandoned railroad bridge crossing I-390 is a trail used by hikers and bicyclists. This trail runs North / South from the University of Rochester to the official Lehigh Valley Multiuse Trail at Crittenden Road.
Recently, these warning tapes appeared on the trees near the trail. I’ve seen many types of warning tapes, but never these.
Wetland Delineation UR B-26.
Rigorous research throughout the internets [sic.] provide no clues to this specific area. I’m curious at this point when this area will show up in a search engine result.
Is it a research project in progress?
Although the most complete records regarding open space and wetlands in the region reside at the Town of Brighton. Town of Brighton open space index (.pdf) does mention that there are federal and state wetland areas north of Crittenden and East River Roads. Dry but interesting.
I suspect that this Wetland may be under the auspices of the University of Rochester, whose land borders this area. A few years the U of R completed a major environmental project, when a pond containing Chorus Frogs was relocated due to expansion of the Laser Lab.
Nearby wetlands and parks provide a buffer for this narrow corridor. I suspect there may be little danger to the area from illegal 4 wheelers (see the map below).
GPS at intersection of trail and East River Road:
N 43°06.841 W 077°38.238
The Must Have Device
Do you remember your first white ear buds? Small, white, clean. No metal band over the head – direct to ear canal. The iPod© bright white ear bud is a cultural icon, a kick butt brand enhancer and one of the cheapest and most effective advertisements for a technical device ever.
Could you imagine the small music box with the big wheel (no knobs)? When you actually use it, all other ways seem primitive. The ease of enjoyment of music and video, the easy content management, the seamless data transfer, and the brand price itself make the Ipod(r) a must have device.
Each generation satisfies more of their unrealized wants- if the solutions are successful and are adopted by the society then the wants can become needs. “I can’t survive without my cell phone!” [''I want my MTV!?''] The Wants become the Needs; Cable TV, Cell Phones, Video Games, Big Screens, Big Car (with screens), Big House, etc.
The Device
How and why does a piece of technology become a Must Have Device? Combinations of influences combine to create a device that everyone must have from Grandma to kids and everyone between.
A first generation device needs to be an improvement over the previous mechanism or thing, process or interface. It has to show a better way of doing things than before. If the device, it’s’ processes and price are balanced, potential success.
The new machine. The way this machine makes enjoyable the act of media / data / content transfer. It’s so damn efficient it’s pleasurable. How efficiently we accomplish what we used to do so slowly.
Early Adopters
Some early adopters will buy the new device because they are fans of the company, or have an interest in the new features or technologies. Some are collectors of technologies. Hard core fans will perhaps camp out in front of the store the night before a new product is released. Although this is a small number of the true early adopter community.
A device / product may be released to the public slowly if there are manufacturing limitations, but in our current economy, inventories are (unfortunately) too flush.
Some brand new or significantly updated device / processes suffer from Version-one-itis, where all the bugs haven’t been fixed. Some ’savvy’ early adopter types will wait a while for major problems to be found and hopefully repaired through online or over air software / hardware updates.
How is the desire for this must have device created?
The Apple iPod(r) is not the best selling mp3 player because of its price, I can buy many similar devices for much less money. The quality of the device is built into the device itself.
Hardware Quality Factors
- Metal, instead of plastic. (Metal better looking than plastic also).
- Relatively durable.
- Good battery life.
- Many color selections.
- Excellent selection of third party accessories. Cases, players, chargers, whatever…
Software Quality Factors
iTunes(r) resides / controls three locations; the iPod, the link between the iPod and the computer, and online music and video access usually via ITunes software. The integration between these three data / content points is easy to set up and ‘just works’ on into the future.
Social / Cultural Factors
The successful product is a cultural fad born of peer pressure, advertising, and budget. The success of the device at its stated goal (it’s operation), word of mouth and opinion via TV and WWW (reviews, sites, blogs, chats, video spoofs).
“Everyone has one” can happen if the device displays quality of design and efficiency.
The desire for the device is fueled / fooled by generalized cultural hype and the purchaser / consumer / user personalized needs and wants.
Feedback leads to Popularity
For an early adopter, price is not important. For wide market success, under $100 U.S.D. is a great place to be.
Product diversification is key, one brand many items. From the latest whiz bang to the cheapest near disposable or second device. Distribute the entire product group to everyone in the family. At least one each for Mom, Dad, Sis and Jr.
For portable devices today, a critical question is how does the device go from car to living room? Centralized minicomputers in multiple spots. The most common concern? Battery power. [I wonder how many $ millions have been made by battery and battery charger companies? I am also hopeful the men and women in Cambridge, California, Rochester (?!) or Japan or India are designing better batteries right now.].
I imagine the designers and marketers of a potential must have device in a meeting: ” If we get this in their hands we’ll make billions!” Except, for our personal budgets they might just make their dough. Most of us tech / nerd knowledge / media heads want the best of the devices. Mostly, we don’t buy. We use what we got, and what works.
By the way there is an update of your new Must Have Device(c) _ thing _ tomorrow, for the same or less money.
Let’s hope the makers of our Must Have Devices continue to make quality products that fill needs we didn’t know we had… ultimately though the quality of the technology may not ultimately matter. Technically superior devices have been discontinued when price, politics or platform doom a product.
Have you ever seen a Zune?
Photo: Stuart Isett/NYT
Niagara Falls + Contrails
Clear blue skies, except for Niagara Falls mist and airplane contrails.