TECh

16/02/2016

16/02/2016

Jennifer in paradise, the first photoshopped image from 1987

imagine this: it’s 1987, and you’re sitting behind a computer, photoshopping your girlfriend on the beach in bora bora, while she gazes out towards to’opua island. it turns out, this exactly what john knoll, the co-creator of adobe photoshop was doing with a cutting-edge piece of hardware known as the pixar image computer. ‘I thought it was amazing,’ knoll says. ‘the fact that you could take an image from film, scan it in and turn it into digits and then manipulate those numbers and put it back out on to piece of film – it meant that there was literally no limit to what you could do to it in the middle.’ the photograph, which knoll later titled ‘jennifer in paradise’ would later become known as the first photoshopped image. ‘it was good to do demos with,’ knoll adds. ‘it was pleasing to look at and there were a whole bunch of things you could do with that image
technically.’
(y) Emerging Technologies

16/02/2016

making virtual reality accessible to a wider audience, google has released a DIY, folding paper product they call ‘google cardboard‘, which attaches to smartphones and transforms them into a personal, low-cost VR headset.

12/07/2014

USS Iowa Dispersing Water As She Fires All Her Main Guns

12/07/2014

for the first time in history, a sitting US president has been 3D scanned and printed for his official bust, as part of the collection of the national portrait gallery. led by the smithsonian institution, the project has seen president barack obama scanned using two documentation processes: a ‘light stage’, which captured the president’s face from ear to ear in high resolution, and traditional SLR cameras, which recorded peripheral data to create an accurate bust.

the data captured was post-processed by autodesk to create the final high-resolution models, and a life mask and bust were then printed using 3d systems’ selective laser sintering printers. both were on display at the first-ever white house maker faire, which aims to celebrate americans who are using technology to make new things.

12/07/2014

produced as part of the ‘creation to consumption’ exhibition curated by hills snyder for the sala diaz art space, the walley POS-86 by filmmakers mark and angela walley is an impossible video camera that represents a reverse trend in consumer gadgets. the short promo video parodies the endless production and marketing of video cameras, mocking the distribution of new retail electronics. ‘we began by collecting materials we owned, such as a broken handy cam, LED light, microphones, and vintage camera lenses, before visiting recycling centers and resale stores for low price electronics,’ explained mark and angela walley.

we had a lot of fun rummaging through our local recycling center for visually interesting computer parts. after collecting all our materials we spent time tearing them apart, matching the pieces to camera functions, and designing how all the parts would all come together. the main body of the camera is an old computer tower which we painted black and filled with found electronic parts,’ they add.

12/07/2014

sony has developed a magnetic tape material capable of storing approximately 185 terabytes of information onto a single data cartridge. conceived in a joint collaboration with IBM, the technological breakthrough essentially enables for a recording density of 148 gb/in2 (gigabits per square inch), which is approximately 74 times the capacity of current mainstream coated storage media. according to IT world, ‘sony used a kind of vacuum thin film-forming technology called sputter deposition. the process involves shooting argon ions at a polymer film substrate, which produces layers of magnetic crystal particles. by tweaking the sputter conditions and developing a soft magnetic underlayer on the film, the manufacturer was able to create a layer of fine magnetic particles with an average size of 7.7 nanometers.’.

12/07/2014

marblue, the company best known for their smart device accessories, has introduced ‘headfoams’, the world’s first all foam, mono-body set of headphones. crafted from a single piece of EVA foam, the same material used in synthetic wine corks, the nearly indestructible and shatterproof headset eliminates the use of moving metal parts and mechanisms. although the ‘headfoams’ are designed specifically for children ages 3 and up, they fit most heads, which feature extending ear pads made of soft foam-filled polyurethane fabric.
the headphones are crafted from a single piece of EVA foam, the same material used in synthetic wine corks.

12/07/2014

In 2013, BMW motorrad unveiled the concept ninety, a collaboration with american expert custom bike builder and road racer roland sands, that envisioned a re-interpretation of the 1973 R 90 S. during the occasion of concorso d’eleganza villa d’este 2014 at lake como, the german luxury brand previewed the future of boxer-powered engines once again, in the form of the ‘BMW concept roadster’.
typical of a bimmer roadster, the one-off bike features a tuned two-cylinder 1,170cc boxer engine, single-sided swing arm with cardan drive and a light tubular space frame. in its latest generation, it generates 123 horsepower at 7,750 rpm with a maximum 92 lb-ft of torque.
proportions with a low front and high rear form a wedge-shaped silhouette around the mid-point of the concept bike
split coloring makes for a visual separation of the dark engine area below and the light seating area above with the fuel tank and rear section. the dark bottom section moves concept roadster visually closer to the road surface, meanwhile the lighter upper section conveys lightness and a low center of gravity.

11/07/2014

Jennifer in paradise, the first photoshopped image from 1987

imagine this: it’s 1987, and you’re sitting behind a computer, photoshopping your girlfriend on the beach in bora bora, while she gazes out towards to’opua island. it turns out, this exactly what john knoll, the co-creator of adobe photoshop was doing with a cutting-edge piece of hardware known as the pixar image computer. ‘I thought it was amazing,’ knoll says. ‘the fact that you could take an image from film, scan it in and turn it into digits and then manipulate those numbers and put it back out on to piece of film – it meant that there was literally no limit to what you could do to it in the middle.’ the photograph, which knoll later titled ‘jennifer in paradise’ would later become known as the first photoshopped image. ‘it was good to do demos with,’ knoll adds. ‘it was pleasing to look at and there were a whole bunch of things you could do with that image
technically.’
(y) Emerging Technologies

11/07/2014

Brooklyn-based company dos owls have introduced ODIN, the first smart projector. the android-based device combines a rotating optical display, bluetooth speakers and internet connectivity into a compact, portable package. dos owls ODIN includes array of connection methods; built in WI-FI connects the device to the internet as well as connecting via phone’s hotspot. embedded bluetooth allows for easy communication between external accessories such as wireless speakers, keyboard, mouse and microphone. the smart projector also features ports for HDMI connectivity, a headphone jack, two USB slots and one for an internal hard drive.

the pocket-sized projector incorporates digital micromirror display (DMD) optical technology capable of beaming 115 ANSI lumens of light into a large screen size format. by placing the ODIN 3 yards away from the wall, it displays a 75 inch screen size, and 125 inches when it is 5 yards away. because of its compact size and rechargeable batter allows you to take it virtually anywhere.

a simple user interface allows for intuitive navigation and organization for installed apps. ODIN uses a quad-core processor and kitkat 4.4, which allows users to easily access the android ecosystem.

11/07/2014

making virtual reality accessible to a wider audience, google has released a DIY, folding paper product they call ‘google cardboard‘, which attaches to smartphones and transforms them into a personal, low-cost VR headset.