Recently Completed: Zenwerks.com

Algorithm recently completed consultancy and creative direction for Seattle-based web design and interactive development agency in the re-launch of their website, zenwerks.com

Logo Design: OJO Networks

Algorithm has just completed a logotype design for UK-based network technology firm Ojo Networks.

First Life Thoughts On Second Life

Over the last week or so I've been living virtually in Second Life. As a devout MySpace user, and fan of Web 2.0 technology in general, I have to say that I'm pretty impressed by what I've experienced so far. I know Second Life (SL) has drawn it's fair share of criticisms in the past, but as a 'newbie' I'm particularly impressed by the overall possibilities of the platform. So far I've bought a motorbike, got a haircut, bought clothes, travelled to many great (and many not so great) places, danced, chatted, and met some interesting characters.

One of the most interesting and exciting things I got to do was to hang out (something you can never do on MySpace) at the SkyNews studio, and watch an interview being conducted in real life with (then) British Environment secretary David Miliband. The interview was being broadcast on SkyNews live, where people could watch on the tv, and also being streamed in SL where we could ask questions of David. It was fascinating to be a part of it.


The thing I've found most interesting about it all is how on the one hand it really tries to mimick real life in as close a way as possible - but on the other hand it's residents vigorously separate their real and second lives. So much so that it is even perceived as hostile to broach the subject of real life. When I was a student at the Jan van Eyck Akademie I worked on creating virtual environments and also worked with Marion Delhees on the creation of a virtual avatar interaction prject (which we're in the process of resurrecting 10 yeas later...), but they always seemed so cold and mechanical in comparison to SL. In a weird way SL has the warmth of a friendship without the coldness of the technology. this might be a stretch to describe it this way (especially as the SL platform is full of bugs), but it seems much more of an emotional experience than a 'virtual' one. the term virtual always seemed so cold to me. I'm fascinated by how it seems to very accurately mirror the emotional aspects of real life, something I've never really experienced online before - it resembles playing a game, but the people on the other end talking to you are real, but they actually FEEL and LOOK real. It's a little disconcerting at first, but as I've become more accustomed to SL it's something that you just naturally begin to accept, it's a very weird feeling. Baudrillard would love it I'm sure. I've seen the simulation of genuine tenderness, aggression (and learned the word 'griefer' along the way), humor and what appears to be actual, 'real' friendship. Is it sinister and creepy? A bit, but I think the ideas and thoughts being thrown up by the possibilites of connecting people this way are incredible.

I've met people who are couples in SL but live on opposite sides of the globe in RL, and the idea of 'partnering' that SL has seems amazing to me, as I dont think I could ever really separate SL and RL in such cold a way as this. I guess these are the rambling thoughts of a newbie, but I after some years of resisting getting involved with this, my disillusion with MySpace (I'm just getting bored with it at the moment, as are the millions migrating to FaceBook apparently) has led me to seek a richer, deeper (and I guess ultimately not browser-based) online experience, and I think SL fulfills that. I'm actually looking forward to being able to make things within the world (at the moment I've just spent my time exploring and learning it all), as a means of creative outlet.

My Hero

Crispin Jones, long-time friend from the Kingston University days, and his memories of 1989's Arsenal League win. Priceless.

Can't Wait : Apple iPhone (June 2007)

Just announced at the MacWorld 2007 Keynote speech by Steve Jobs, here comes the next generation iPod - a phone, browser, mail, ipod, photos and video all in one (and it probably makes the coffee in the morning too).

Found Article: Lost In Translation

Christmas shoppers face a baffling list of acronyms
By Sean Coughlan (BBC News Magazine)

The Christmas rush to buy gadgets and techno-toy televisions is in full swing. But is there any chance of a translation from all those annoying acronyms?

Oh yes. It's compatible with "BD-Video, DVD-Audio, DVD-Video, DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD+RW, CD, CD-R/RW, MP3, JPEG".

This isn't made up - it's the list of formats that function with one of the big-selling DVD recorders of the moment. And in case you're worried, it's got DVI, HDMI and Scart sockets as well. (Scart, for the uninitiated, is a French-originated standard for an audio visual connector, standing for Syndicat des Constructeurs d'Appareils Radiorecepteurs et Televiseur. Except, having named it, the French call it something entirely different - Peritel, to be precise.)

What in the name of Alphabetti Spaghetti is all that about? How did we get into this acronym fever? You want to buy something to watch a film on the telly, not learn a programming language.

Step into the world of televisions, recorders and music players and you're entering a forest of jargon. Not only are there rival formats, there are rival formats that sound almost identical.

You've got a camcorder for Christmas morning, ready to catch that look of disappointment on your child's face. But what happens when you stick in the disc for recording? Did you say DVD-R? How wrong could you be? Duh! It's DVD+R. Of course they won't work.

Perhaps no one has told us that there's some competition to replace ordinary speech with a long string of disconnected letters and numbers.

Socket to 'em

What was the name of that DVD recorder from Sony? The one with the catchy name? Yes, the RDR-HXD860 DVD/HDD Recorder. Or that telly from Panasonic, the PDP-427XD-TS10 Plasma HD Ready Digital Television. And how about TiVo and PVR, or DVR as PVRs are called in the US. That's US as in United States by the way.

This kind of language is catching. If you buy the Humax PVR9200T it has a USB connection, boasts an EPG and works with an MP3. If you buy a KD55A20S11XTNS television you can enjoy its SXRD panel, BBE digital sound and it's got an HDMI socket, obviously. What does any of that mean?

And there's no sign of this snowstorm of acronyms lifting - with battles between formats set to intensify.

There's HD DVD versus Blu-ray. And there are DVD+R and DVD+RW backed by one bunch of manufacturers and DVD-R, DVD-RW and DVD-RAM backed by another crowd. And DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL for anyone wanting a little extra stuffing in their turkey.

But hold on. Let's get some translation. What do these acronyms stand for? Let's start with the basics. What do the letters DVD represent? It's digital versatile disc. Or else it's digital video disc. There's not even agreement over that - with another school of thought suggesting that DVD isn't even an acronym. It's just DVD. End of.

Switched on

Michael Gabriel, spokesperson for manufacturers Sharp, says that the options on offer "can be confusing for consumers".

But he says that it's a reflection of the huge amount of transition taking place in home electronics.

There's the switch from analogue to digital television, cathode-ray tube sets are being replaced by LCD and plasma, high-definition television is arriving and there's the convergence of computer technology with DVDs and televisions.

We now almost take it for granted that we can take a disc out of a laptop and stick it straight it into a DVD player and watch it on television.

"When there's so much innovation and manufacturers are looking for the next step forward, there will always be competing technologies," he says.

And he says that manufacturers are aware of the difficulties - and have been encouraging retailers to help demystify what's on offer.

Consumers have also been carrying out their own research before hitting the High Street, he says, particularly using buyers' guides and manufacturers' advice on the internet.

Ordinary folk, says Mr Gabriel, are much more switched on. But maybe we're just on stand-by.

Terms such as "Freeview" have worked, he says, becoming widely recognised by shoppers. And industry-standard logos have, apparently, become a way of raising awareness.

But yes, he concedes, "the electronics industry has always loved its acronyms."

The Whole Blog Thing

I read a report this morning saying that blogging was going to peak next year, with the majority of online users having tried it but less than half continue to use it after they've signed up. There's also mention of the infamous Technorati statistic stating that over 100,000 new blogs are created every day.

My blog is now approaching its 300th post, and I am certainly one of the converted. I have found it to be a wonderful design outlet, and a great way to keep my site fresh and frequently updated. I was hesitant in the beginning though, only really posting things of interest to me (which still continues as you can see below). I think it's a very underrated tool for designers, perhaps because its not really seen as having the same flexibility as just building the site yourself (which I also do of course). But in thinking about this I realized that it would make much more sense from a flexibility standpoint to even build my own portfolio as a blog (which is done but in dire need of updating for 2007 after my change in jobs earlier this year).

I've noticed that as I've become more of a blog user I've also become much more of a blog reader. Digg.com, Gawker.com, Curbed.com (for work not for pleasure), Gothamist.com, DesignObserver.com (who I applaud for finally becoming more blog based), even my friends' myspace blogs, are now all visited on a daily, if not hourly basis. I still wonder what makes a good blog though. For me, I think I started off just over 2 years ago thinking it would be a good way to showcase my inspiration. Now, as I write this from my wireless device on the train to New York, who knows. The technology has changed, and as a result so has what is deemed successful. I guess at the end of the day it's all about quality, personalized content, but I think to most bloggers, it's simply an indulgent way to air their opinions.

I still toy with the idea of Algorithm being entirely blog-based, and whilst converting the archives of all my projects here would be a big job, perhaps ultimately it would be a worthwhile project. Hmmmm... We'll see. Perhaps it will happen, perhaps not. I do like the idea of having a pre-fabricated search built into the site though, as such functionality is beyond my coding ability, and I love the new tagging / labelling thing in Blogger, although it seems to be taking forever to update all my posts to work with this. I guess it's worth it in the end, it feels like a great way to pass the time on this dull, wet and deary North Eastern morning.

Douglas Adams: Hyperland

Boston : Day Three (Siggraph 2006)

From Kindergarten to Total Carnage

Presentation on gaming by Matthew Shadbolt (1998)

“From Kindergarten to Total Carnage” was a presentation by artist Matthew Shadbolt . The name refers directly to the level of skill a player chooses when playing particular computer games. The simple and most basic level is ‘kindergarten’ and the most difficult is and usually results in ‘total carnage’.

With a large beam projection from the computer, Shadbolt guided the audience through some of the earliest computer games discussing the challenges of “Pong” where minimalist vertical lines engage in a bout of tennis in the black void. And from this very rudimentary stage in game development he moved to the more recent and sophisticated “Deep Blue” project, a computerised simulated chess partner that continues to challenge the greatest chess champions today. While laying out this history of gaming, he referred to classic representations of artificial intelligence in films such as the benign “R2D2” in “Star Wars” and the feminine mechanical body in “Metropolis”. He illustrated the dystopic image of technology by looking at “HAL/9000”, the rebellious computer in Stanley Kubrick’s “2001- A Space Odyssey” which rages out of control turning against its creator, man. For Shadbolt, these cinematic archetypes reveal our hopeful expectations as well as our anxieties with regards to the development of computer technology.

http://geuzen.blogs.com/info/2004/06/from_kindergart.html