(1)Manovich’s argument about the relationship between the subject’s mobility, simulation, and the virtual is saying that people want to be immersed in a medium (going as far back as paintings from the Renaissance) and that content creators (artists, film makers, etc.) have an obligation to keep them immersed. Manovich believes that there is a “virtual world” that is created when a person observes these mediums. This virtual world forms a sort of triangle, with the eye of the viewer being the top point, and the edges of the “screen” being the two base points. A great new example of this complete immersion is brought to us by the creative minds at Google.
In the past year Google has offered investors the ability to opt in to their Google Glass product. This Google Glass device comes straight from the futuristic movies, allowing one to tap into the internet directly from their glasses, with the display being the glasses themselves. Need directions to the theater, but you have forgotten your phone? Simply ask Google Glass for directions, and have a heads up display in front of your very eyes. People love it so much, that they wear the Glass as often as they can, as seen in the excerpt from the technology section of BBC news(2):
Early users of Glass were very excited about the product, which enabled them get information in a small screen above their right eye, take photos and videos, and get directions. The technology blogger Robert Scoble said he could not now imagine living a day without the product, and was even photographed wearing it in the shower.
Another very important device that has appeared in the recent years is the smart phone. In the past week, think about the places you have visited. How many people have their phone out, just to kill the time? According to a survey conducted in 2012 from the Pew Internet and American Life project(3) there are more adults in the United States who own a smartphone then those who own a traditional cellphone or no cellphone at all. But what exactly are people doing with their cellphone? Well just about anything really. (4)From killing a few minutes while waiting for a bus, to looking up a fact to settle that bar bet, the entire world of information is at people fingertips, and people’s eyes remain glued to their screens to try and catch it all.
The biggest question then remains what makes the smartphone and Google Glass so successful? Portability. If we go back in time, to the start of the portability craze, we will find a device called the Safari. (5)The Safari was a portable television, powered by a large rechargeable 12V battery, and allowed a person to watch their favorite shows on the go. The biggest problem that I can foresee as to why the product never took off is due to its size. The device itself weighed 15.5 lbs, and the screen was extremely small in comparison to its size. If you think to devices today, they are getting lighter in weight, yet the screen sizes are all increasing. Who knows, maybe in the future we will have Google Glass, but imbedded into our actual eyes.
1) Manovich, Lev. "The Screen and The User." The Language of New Media. Cambridge: MIT, 2000. N. pag. Print. 2) Cellan-Jones, Rory. "Google Calls End to Glass Experiment." BBC News. N.p., 15 Jan. 2015. Web. 21 Feb. 2015. 3) "Smartphone Research: Infographic." Pew Research Centers Internet American Life Project RSS. N.p., 16 Sept. 2012. Web. 22 Feb. 2015. 4) Gross, Doug. "Have Smartphones Killed Boredom (and Is That Good)? - CNN.com." CNN. Cable News Network, 26 Sept. 2012. Web. 22 Feb. 2015. 5) "Philco Safari First Portable Battery Operated Television 1958." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2015.
In the past year Google has offered investors the ability to opt in to their Google Glass product. This Google Glass device comes straight from the futuristic movies, allowing one to tap into the internet directly from their glasses, with the display being the glasses themselves. Need directions to the theater, but you have forgotten your phone? Simply ask Google Glass for directions, and have a heads up display in front of your very eyes. People love it so much, that they wear the Glass as often as they can, as seen in the excerpt from the technology section of BBC news(2):
Early users of Glass were very excited about the product, which enabled them get information in a small screen above their right eye, take photos and videos, and get directions. The technology blogger Robert Scoble said he could not now imagine living a day without the product, and was even photographed wearing it in the shower.
Another very important device that has appeared in the recent years is the smart phone. In the past week, think about the places you have visited. How many people have their phone out, just to kill the time? According to a survey conducted in 2012 from the Pew Internet and American Life project(3) there are more adults in the United States who own a smartphone then those who own a traditional cellphone or no cellphone at all. But what exactly are people doing with their cellphone? Well just about anything really. (4)From killing a few minutes while waiting for a bus, to looking up a fact to settle that bar bet, the entire world of information is at people fingertips, and people’s eyes remain glued to their screens to try and catch it all.
The biggest question then remains what makes the smartphone and Google Glass so successful? Portability. If we go back in time, to the start of the portability craze, we will find a device called the Safari. (5)The Safari was a portable television, powered by a large rechargeable 12V battery, and allowed a person to watch their favorite shows on the go. The biggest problem that I can foresee as to why the product never took off is due to its size. The device itself weighed 15.5 lbs, and the screen was extremely small in comparison to its size. If you think to devices today, they are getting lighter in weight, yet the screen sizes are all increasing. Who knows, maybe in the future we will have Google Glass, but imbedded into our actual eyes.
1) Manovich, Lev. "The Screen and The User." The Language of New Media. Cambridge: MIT, 2000. N. pag. Print.
2) Cellan-Jones, Rory. "Google Calls End to Glass Experiment." BBC News. N.p., 15 Jan. 2015. Web. 21 Feb. 2015.
3) "Smartphone Research: Infographic." Pew Research Centers Internet American Life Project RSS. N.p., 16 Sept. 2012. Web. 22 Feb. 2015.
4) Gross, Doug. "Have Smartphones Killed Boredom (and Is That Good)? - CNN.com." CNN. Cable News Network, 26 Sept. 2012. Web. 22 Feb. 2015.
5) "Philco Safari First Portable Battery Operated Television 1958." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2015.
--Michael