This video has been getting a lot of attention recently, which is odd, since it came out last Christmas. The man-child in the video is Johnny Chung Lee, a computer engineer with a PhD in human-computer interaction (bet you wish we offered that).


Dr. Lee has uncovered several, innovative uses of the Nintendo Wii's infrared remote, uses the people at Nintendo were probably unaware of.

By reversing the positions of the wiimote and sensor bar, and utilizing the capabilities of a VR monitor, he has created a head-tracking 3D environment that could potentially change the scope of virtual gaming.

In this video, he shows how a wiimote and a homebrewed infrared pen can be used to create a digital whiteboard, with touchscreen capabilities.



He accomplished all of this with a $40 game controller and some imagination. I would love to see some capstone projects that take these concepts and build on them. The hacks are inexpensive and he offers the software for free, on his website. Go visit his site and YouTube channel for more information and additional projects.

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/
http://www.youtube.com/user/jcl5m

Put down the Max MSP and BUILD SOMETHING!

PC Modding has been around for a long time. From the classic beige boxes of the eighties, to the newest generation of gaming consoles, mods allow anyone with the know-how to create swag that's one-of-a-kind.

I joined the long-standing mod community last semester, when I modified an old iBook G3 and an ancient 486 Toshiba laptop. I used different varieties of spray paint and some various metal accessories to give the laptops a visual overhaul.

I can't tell you how much fun it was taking those old systems apart and I would highly-recommend this hobby to anyone looking for an outlet for their artistic/mechanical creativity.

Here are some website collections that will give you a good idea of just how far you can push a successful mod.

http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2007/06/cool-computer-case-mods.html
http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/07/cool-computer-case-mods-part-2.html

Also, check out this guy's site: http://www.benheck.com/ My friend Tyler led me to this website. Mr. Heck is kind of a modification god. He's made laptops out of just about every vintage console/computer you can think of. He created the ATARI 2600 portable, featured as the beginning of this entry. The man is incredibly talented.

Keep in mind, you don't have to go all-out to have a successful mod. I've found some sites that offer simple tools that really help personalize PC and Apple computers. Since most New Media students use Apple laptops, here are some sites that sell easy mods for Mac portables.

http://www.icolours.ca/ - icolours are gel inserts that change the color of the apple logo, on the back of your ibook, powerbook, macbook, or macbook pro. I've used several in my mods and they are pretty nifty. Of course, you could use any colored gel to get the job done. This little activity does void your computer's warranty, if anyone was wondering.

http://www.macstyles.com/ -This website has vinyl decals that allow users to personalize their apple laptops with a variety of skins. Some of them are pretty hokey, but the solid colors are decent looking (especially the macpads).

So, take a crack at modding, if you're interested. If not, at least take a look a some of the ingenious mods in the websites above. Someday, I'd love to offer a mod-based undergrad course. We'll have to wait and see...

A new artist was recently brought to my attention by our new graduate professor, Leon Johnson. Leon was somewhat appalled that I (and the rest of my class) was blatantly unaware of this artist's existence, so I thought I would redeem myself by sharing with others. The artist's name is Banksy.

Banksy is an anonymous, British artist that uses stencil techniques to create political and satirical graffiti. He's also known for placing his own work in the Louvre, shutting down a Disney World ride via Guantanamo-detainee blowup-doll, and recreating Stonehenge with porta-potties.

He's definitely worth a look. His street art is amazing!

Here's his website: http://www.banksy.co.uk/

He's also self-published several books of his art work.

• Banging Your Head Against A Brick Wall (2001).
• Existencilism (2002).
• Cut it Out (2004).
• Wall and Piece (2005)

It has been speculated that Banksy may actually be a network of dedicated artists, but I'd like to believe that only one man is responsible for all of it.

http://www.thegnomonworkshop.com

This is a site that some of you may already be familiar with. For those of you in the dark, the Gnomon Workshop is a website that offers professional-grade training on numerous software applications, such as Photoshop, Maya, 3Ds Max, Shake, and ZBrush. Classes are also available on subjects ranging from sketching and painting, to storyboarding and character design.

The software workshops are instructed by art professionals, many of whom work for visual effects studios, such as ILM. The classes are available on mail-order DVD and for digital download.

These resources are great for any New Media students looking to augment their digital art skills, especially those interested in 3D animation, or game design.

I recently ordered Photoshop for Digital Production from this website and I'm avidly trying to obtain additional funding, in order to purchase more of these workshops. All of the discs will be available for students to screen and borrow from the CML. I'm also hoping to teach some advanced seminars on the workshop material.

I strongly encourage anyone who is interested in art to take a look at this website. There are numerous previews and free tutorials available.

http://thegnomonworkshop.com/tutorials.html

Have fun.

This is the first, official CML Grad Blog post. I will be using this space to host information pertaining to the Collaborative Media Lab, the New Media department, and emerging technologies.