Month Long Question Ideas

Disney Animation

1. It seems that CGI (Computer Animation) has taken over. For example Toy Story 3 is coming out this summer. Toy Story was one of the first computer animated movies of its kind and since then more animated films have followed. Is CGI Animation (Computer Animation) better than traditional cartooning? Is traditional cartooning valuable? Is it just a thing of the past? Is traditional cartooning on its way out?




2. When referring to Disney Animated Movies, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” is considered a “G-Rated” movie for kids. Yet, there are some horrible scenes in my opinion that are not suitable for children for example. You might have seen several G-Rated movies yourself that contain language, violence, themes, and images that are not considered acceptable for children. Therefore, one must ask the following: 1) What is the rating system based on? 2) How does one determine what is a G Rated Movie verses a PG-13 Rated Movie? Furthermore, is there a MIC Technology that would allow automated censorship by computer and a pre-determined set of guidelines rather than human observers who could fail in their duties?

Finding a Job

1. How will finding a job of mediated experiences be easier and/or harder in the future? Is there a way to make the finding a job process easier and what would that be?




2. Is it people who define the job or does the job “being designers of mediated experiences” define us?

3. One of my favorite shows on TV is “Undercover Boss” that comes on Sunday Evenings. The point to the show is for CEOs to see the truth in what goes on behind the scenes of their companies. Is society loosing touch with people or human interaction? If so, is there a mediated experience that we could develop in order to fix this problem? OR Is developing mediated experiences such as Facebook the problem? Are we all plugged into the internet and loosing site of more traditional forms of communication? OR Do we define being plugged into the internet as a new way of life and communicating?


Future Technologies

1. As things are rapidly changing each day there seems to be a new set of rules for things; Is there an easier way to learn future technologies?





2. In today’s world there seems to be a lot of different gadgets doing a lot of different things. Where do we draw the line? How do we juggle all of these gadgets to suit our needs? How does one pre-determine what is the appropriate gadget for he or she? What are consumers of today looking for and what will they be wanting in the future? Where is technology going in
terms of advancement?

Mediated Experiences / Pop Culture

1. What defines a Mediated Experience and could virtually anything be considered a mediated experience?

2. In terms of pop culture and mediated experiences what makes an idea or fad cool and/or popular? What makes something catch on fairly quickly?

Multimedia Fusion 2.0 / Vex Robotics

OMG!!!! Kids are making their own video games now! Why buy the games, when you can create them yourself? This puts a whole new perspective on things! Back in my day I was just happy with Mario Brothers. This is super cool! Check it out!!!

http://www.clickteam.com/eng/mmf2.php

OMG!!!!! Kids are making their own machines now!!! Why buy the remote control car when you can create one yourself? You can create your own Wall-E Even!!!

Hello Class! I need your thoughts! I am excited! I have an opportunity to maybe be a teacher for the University of Michigan. I will be teaching summer courses there from June - August 2010. It will be a Summer Day Camp Program in which I teach Elementary and Middle School Students basic New Media principles. Lessons will be done for you. All I have to do is learn them, then teach them. I have never lived outside of Indiana or never really had the college experience away from home. So this will be a new experience for me if I get the position! I feel like it would be a perfect opportunity for me. Perhaps this is my calling to get my foot in the door! You never know right? You know it is all about networking! My boss from my weekend job told me about it. I went through my first interview and it was a success! Now I will be going through a 2nd interview!

In addition to teaching web stuff and flash animation they want me to teach something called Multimedia Fusion 2.0 and Vex Robotics. Does anyone know anything about this? All I know is from what I have researched from Google. My topic could also translate into some "Mediated Experience" disscussions. What is Vex Robotics? What is Multimedia Fusion 2.0? From the videos I can't believe that kids are doing this! It should be simple for us adults right? It looks very complex, but at the same time maybe once I get the hang of it, it will be easy! Vex Robotics looks very cool! Looks like they have some competions in schools. Looks like that these kids are putting parts together and making a robot out of them. Very Cool! They just might be the next inventors of space technology or the colonization of Mars. You know I wrote about a guy who invented an alternative power source. He use to work for NASA. He used his invention, originally for Mars, and applied it to what we need here on Earth. I am not sure if people even knew we needed this. It reminds me of the cell phone. People didn't realize they needed it until they started using it. More and more as I walk past people now I have such a new perspective on life and technology. The cross between people and technology is a blur for me now! I think this is what Steve has been trying to tell us. It is all starting to make sense to me now! I see people constantly on their mobile devices. Technology is constantly changing! If someone could fill me in on this Multimedia Fusion 2.0 and Vex Robotics I would appreciate it. I think from researching it I have some idea of now what they are. This is too cool! Very Awsome! What do you think of my discovery? Any Comments would be most appreciated.

My Card Game Idea

I never got a chance in class to express my card game idea. One of my favorite games that we usually will play at family get togethers is Taboo! For those who do not know the rules of the game or how it is played go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taboo_(game). I was thinking that you could play with a deck of cards much similar. For example, if you had a 2 of Clubs in your hand. You would be trying to make your partner say the card that you are holding without he or she seeing your card. However, you would have to explain what card you had in your hand without saying 2 of Clubs, Clover, Black, etc. This would make the game more challenging! My idea would be a relationship builder game. My idea would be for example married couples to work on communication, maybe a marriage counceling thing. The idea is to communicate with your partner.

As for a mediated experience I would say that we could design an application that would help improve marriages. As you know most marriages die out in the first year or at least people do not stay married like they once did. I think this might help re-kindle a relationship. I also see it as an on-line dating thing. I have even thought about making the way we search for jobs more fun! What about making a profile much like you would do if you were dating. Then employers or companies could also make a profile, much like your facebook fan pages and the two could unite. Basically instead of matching two people together to form a relationship. You would be matching an individual with a company to form a work relationship. A lot of people have the skills, but not really sure how to network. Companies maybe looking for someone in particular, but they are not sure how to find these people. I also see it as a way to connect people in the housing market. How about doing the same idea with connecting an individual or family with a home. Both finding a job and finding a home can be time consuming and a pain. Why not make it fun? Just something I am thinking about right now. Like Taboo is fun! So why not make job hunting or finding a home fun?

Green Sky Media - 03/01/10

March 1, 2010 - 10am, Company: Green Sky Media ( http://www.greenskymedia.com/ ), Presentation - Small company, Up to 15 students, Target: Video Production & Photography

On my birthday (March 1st) I decided to go job hunting! LOL ha ha Actually there was yet another student tour from IUPUI going to Green Sky Media. So I thought to myself why not go? My career advisor always tells us the best way to find a job is through networking. Sometimes just going on these student tours, job shadowing, or getting your foot in the door is key. It is all about developing relationships with people. People in your field. Perhaps you might not get the job, but perhaps they might know someone that might lead into a different job.

We went to Green Sky Media today! It was awsome! There website is http://www.greenskymedia.com/. They have some pretty interesting things. You should check it out! I was impressed! They not only do photography such as weddings, graduations, senior photos, etc. They also develop advertisements. One of the ones that cracked me up was a stop animation of limes with swords against salt pepper shakers. It was really cute! I always loved stop animation. I loved some of the Holiday Classic TV Specials growing up as a kid like Rudolph. I am hoping to maybe get a job there. If not, maybe some freelance work. If nothing else I really had a great time meeting the folks that work there. They are based in Carmel, IN.

Student Group Tour - 2/26/10

February 26, 2010 - 10am, Company: Bluefish Wireless ( http://www.bluefishwireless.net/ ), Presentation & Tour (approx 1-2 hours), Up to 15 students, Target: Informatics & Media Arts Science - Developers

February 26, 2010 - 2pm, Company: Innovative i ( http://www.insidethei.com/ ), Presentation & Tour (includes a view of a Screen Room)

Up to 15 students, Target Students: Media Arts & Science

Today was awesome! I got to go on a student group tour to Bluefish Wireless and Innovative. As you know Beth Haggenjos is our IUPUI Career Advisor. She has been organizing these trips for us. It is all about networking! I am ready to graduate! I am only 2 months away from graduating from my Masters Degree in New Media Arts & Science. It is time to find a good paying job! It is time to get my life started! I met with several other students on campus. Our first stop was a company called Bluefish Wireless Management. It was founded in 2001. They started out as a retail store for cell phones. Then they moved to their corporate offices in 2002. They work with a company called Sprint. They make their money off of commissions. I found that very interesting. They also work with other famous companies like IBM, Kellogg’s Cereal, Government Agencies, CISCO, etc. The guy there told us about a system they developed in which they called "Chuck Norris". They said Chuck Norris kicks butt and this system does too! LOL Most of the interns there that became full time employees told us a lot of interesting things. One you have to get your foot in the door somehow. That is key! You got to network! The best way to do this is to enter into an internship. That is what I have been doing, but haven't had much luck of landing a full time position. So far I have been in 3 internships. One of the guys said that most of your learning happens on the job site. School can only teach you so much. I have heard that before. I can't wait to finish school! Can you believe it? Me, Rick J. Morris will have a Masters Degree. Now how many people can say that? I am planning on having a big open house!

The next big company we went to was a company called Innovative. The outside of the building was not as fancy as bluefish, but the inside was pretty cool. They showed us the latest informatics new media projects they have been working on. They have been developing projects such as video promotions for the 2011 and 2012 Super Bowls. As you know Indy (Indianapolis, IN) We are going to be hosting the Super Bowl in 2012. I think that is awesome! Just think Our City is going to be going to converted into a Football Paradise. I got to see first hands the big plans of how all the streets downtown are going to be turned into what reminds me of a carnival. They are going to have rides and everything. The buildings even are going to be decorated in Football decorations. They even made videos for our Indiana Pacers Basketball Team. They told us always beware you might think the project kicks butt, but the client however might have other ideas. They had developed a pin ball machine advertisement for the Pacers. The client didn't get it so they had to redo the whole project. They went with the monster basketball players downtown playing a little b ball and them crashing down on Conseco Fieldhouse. It was awesome! I see why they chose that one over the other. We got to go on a tour of both places. This company in particular had cool offices. They had little toys on their desks and on shelves. They even were the designers of some of the Children's Musuem Exhibits. I had a blast! It was fun! On my birthday this coming Monday March 1st I will be going on yet another tour.

Could Jurassic Park be a reality?

Could Jurassic Park be a reality? Could Extinction be the thing of the past? Could we resurrect Dinosaurs in a living state of being? If you recall the movie Jurassic Park was about resurrecting the Dinosaurs. The plan was to make a living dinosaur through DNA. Later their idea was to make a park in which people could view these Dinosaurs. Can you imagine living in a world filled with these creatures? Could we use new technology to recreate the past? And if so would this be dangerous for us humans? Many of the dinosaurs would be meat eaters and be predators of humans. Could we have a Dinosaur Park and view the Dinosaurs much like we do the Indianapolis Zoo here in Indy? I am not talking mechanical Dinos either. But, the real genuine article.

Well According to another 60 Minutes Episode it may be possible to recreate the extinct. Scientist have made a breakthrough in discovering the genetic coding of animals. One in particular species is the Wooly Mammoth. According to this video it would be fairly easy to get the genetic coding or DNA from an old hair sample. Better yet find the extinct animal frozen in snow and ice and use the tissue to break the genetic coding. You may have heard of the cloning of a sheep or animals. Scientists now have discovered a way to change the DNA Genetic Material in extinct's family counter parts to recreate them. They suggest reconstructing the DNA Genetic Material in eggs so that extinct species that have been gone for millions of years can relive again! How far is going too far? Is this playing God? Will we be killed by Robots or Dinosaurs? This brings up a strong concern of mine. Yet again my point is that most of Hollywood at the time might seem very farfetched, yet some of the technologies seen in movies are now becoming possibilities. This kind of scares me a little bit. Could we be destroying ourselves here or are we really making our own lives better? I think with anything if they are going to do this that they need to set limitations or be protective of the technology in which they have invented. I wouldn't want the human race to become extinct.

What kind of game are we playing with? In class we talked about finite vs. infinite rules. We know in basketball the finite rules, but this is something different. I would say this is dealing with infinite rules. I do not think we know what we are dealing with here. The rules are unfamiliar. Are we breaking the rules of extinction here? What is breaking the rules? Will breaking the rules of extinction change the world? And if so how will it change the world? Is breaking the rules here a bad or good thing? Could this be the solution to extinction? Is extinction ok or not ok? Why or why not is it ok? What does everyone else think? What are some of your ideas?

Link to 60 Minutes Video relating to this blog.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6078982n&tag=cbsnewsSidebarArea.0

Could a New Energy Source Change the World?

I swear you can get the best ideas for blogging when you watch 60 Minutes. They have a lot on there about new inventions and things coming up. I saw on 60 Minutes the other day that one man invented a new energy source. It is called the "Bloom Box". The guy who invented it is K.R. Sridhar. It will require no outside sources. Just think if we did away with all of the Nuclear and Coal Powered Power Plants how much cleaner our environment would be. Also just think that our houses would no longer be required to be next to one of them. You could build your house literally anywhere. The disadvantage of solar power is you need the sun in order to power. This will require no sun to power our homes and businesses. Can this box really do it all? According to some studies it can! I think this opens up much in the way of possibilities.

K.R. Sridhar is an entrepreneur. His project was funded by a guy who loves finding individuals that want to change the world. Isn’t that what we all in a since want to do or will do? How it works is you compact beach sand into squares and you coat both sides with a special blue and green paint. Only this guy knows what the formula is and how it works. You stack them up and these babies put together can construct a great amount of energy. They could literally power a whole house or even a whole company such as Google or eBay. Google was his first client and is already using this form of technology. He originally developed the technology for colonization on Mars. I think this is a cool and different idea. It really will change the way power is created in homes and in commercial buildings. It also claims to hold power and be able to regenerate itself. Isn’t that also our complaint about perhaps the power might go out? We had mentioned in class about if only we could find a power source that would be good for like 400 years. Well how about forever. That works for me! How about you? The power from what I understand actually regenerates itself. Therefore, he has produced a never ending energy source. Not to mention that the materials used to create the object are natural and plentiful. What does everyone else think?

Links

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/18/60minutes/main6221135.shtml

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=17752