POPPING THE SEAMS

part of a video-a-day series…

“Thriller” at the US/Canada border in Second Life… performed by the Collective Practice Research Group

This was the product of a class at UCSD called
Collective Art Practice.

This class has three main foci:
* to introduce students to collective practices
* to facilitate student understanding of social issues embodied in the san diego / tijuana borderlands
* to explore online space as public space, its limitations and possibilities

Fryling, Kevin. “Science Fiction Becoming Science Fact”

UB Reporter Sept. 6, 2007

This is a profile of UB faculty Venu Govindaraju in which he describes some of his research through UB’s Center for Biometrics and Sensors.

Nowadays, Govindaraju says, CUBS looks at different aspects of biometrics. “We look at facial recognition, fingerprint recognition” – as well as iris recognition, gait recognition, odor detection and hand geometry – and how to combine these different methods.”

[...]

He explains that conventional identification methods require “tokens,” such as badges, cards or keys—even passwords and PINs. “Someone else could take your keys and have the same access,” he notes. “Or I could take your [credit] card, swipe it and write a nursery rhyme for your signature.” Biometrics renders these tricks useless because high-tech cameras, scanners or smart cards ensure authentication based on person-specific characteristics—physical or behavioral.

“You can lose your keys or forget your PINs,” Govindaraju says, “but you can’t forget yourself.”

But then again, you might forget who you are. You might forget what you’re trying to do or what your values are. Everything still matches up: gait, odor, hand geometry. You’re carrying yourself around, but it’s not you.

City May Seek Permit and Insurance for Many Kinds of Public Photography - New York Times, June 29, 2007. The Metro Section. B1. Rivera, Ray.

Some tourists, amateur photographers, even would-be filmmakers hoping to make it big on YouTube could soon be forced to obtain a city permit and $1 million dollars in liability insurance before taking pcitures or filming on city property, including sidewalks.

A New Studio Will Market Short Videos for the Web – New York Times, July 11, 2007. Business Day. Media. C4. Cieply, Michael.

Expanding a hunt for commerce in the burgeoning art of Web video, Hollywood’s United Talent Agency and the Internet-based advertising agency Spot Runner have started a ministudio for digital entertainment from established actors, directors and others…

The new company, 60Frames Entertainment, is the latest effort by those versed in old media to tap the power of short videos that have attracted millions to portals like MySpace, YouTube and elsewhere.