That's a nice coincidence. I've just posted a text on my website that discusses how science fiction has been prescient of augmented reality - and where we might be going with the technology.
You can read it here: http://www.littlepig.org.uk/texts/TwitterChip.pdf or here: http://www.law.ed.ac.uk/ahrc/script-ed/issue8-2.asp best Simon On 19 Aug 2011, at 11:11, info wrote: > "I don't often dabble in net.art, but every once in a while I have to > keep my hand in -- if only for the cynical pleasure of writing my own > press releases." bruces > > > Science Fiction Writer Becomes Augmented Reality Developer > > Art Center College of Design, Pasadena CA, August 18, 2011 > > Art Center "Visionary in Residence" Bruce Sterling has created his own > augmented reality. > > "Sometimes it's easiest to teach by doing," said the novelist and > design critic, speaking from Art Center's "Reality Augmented" Lab in > Pasadena. "I used to write science fiction about Augmented Reality > back when it was mostly imaginary. Now that it's become a real > industry, I had to conjure some up for myself." > > Sterling's new application runs on the "Layar" platform, available on > iPhones, Androids and Symbian mobiles. Amsterdam-based Layar was the > corporate sponsor for the special project this summer at Art Center > College of Design. This was the first course in America to concentrate > on the design of AR. > > Twenty Art Center students from various design majors have created AR > apps and also prototyped ideas for new, futuristic Layar services. > > The AR class was co-taught by creative director Guillaume Wolf and > produced by Nikolaus Hafermaas, Art Center's Dean of Special Programs. > > Sterling's new Layar "layer" is titled "Dead Drops," and is an > international collaboration with Layar coder Menno Bieringa, German > media artist Aram Bartholl and Layar artist-in-residence Sander > Veenhof. > > "I wrote a contribution for a new book about Aram's artwork," says > Sterling, "and I realized his 'Dead Drops' network meshes perfectly > with the Augmented Reality ideal. It's all about hidden data revealed > in real-world, three-dimensional spaces. So, suddenly, I had a class > project. Now I'm a registered Layar developer." > > Bartholl "Dead Drops" are thumb-sized flash drives publicly hidden in > cities around the world. Bartholl's urban intervention features in the > current "Talk to Me" show at the New York Museum of Modern Art. > > With Sterling's "Dead Drops Layer," users can scan the horizon for > handy Dead Drops that might be lurking nearby. A few taps and clicks > create a map that will lead to the site. Network users can then plug > their laptops directly into the "Dead Drops," which are commonly > embedded in brick walls and almost invisible. > > Programmer Sander Veenhof, who visited and lectured at the AR class > in Pasadena, is Layar's artist-in-residence. Veenhof's own augmented > reality works include the "Infiltr.AR" invasion of the White House and > the "Battling Pavilions" exhibit at the Venice Biennale. > > "Now that the app is launched, Menno, Sander and I have some > provocative ideas about new features," says Sterling. "Aram's network > is growing steadily. I'm writing a new work of augmented fiction > specifically created for Dead Drops." > > Sterling doubts that he will be the last science fiction writer to > embrace "Augmented Reality." > > "Layar's strategy is to transform Augmented Reality into a mass > medium," says Sterling. "That means a torrent of change in hardware > and software, plus new initiatives like the 'Layar Vision Creation > Challenge.' AR is happening today in places with core media > competence. The Los Angeles basin is definitely one of those places. > I'm pleased about this 'special program' -- I feel that it's opened > new prospects for everyone involved. I couldn't have done it anywhere > else but at Art Center College of Design." > > http://www.layar.com/layers/deaddrops > > http://www.layar.com/layar-creation-challenge/ > > _______________________________________________ > NetBehaviour mailing list > [email protected] > http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour > Simon Biggs | [email protected] | www.littlepig.org.uk [email protected] | Edinburgh College of Art | University of Edinburgh www.eca.ac.uk/circle | www.elmcip.net | www.movingtargets.co.uk _______________________________________________ NetBehaviour mailing list [email protected] http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour
