Convergence Reading

The Saul Hansell article seems to be conveying the idea of convergence's affect on advertising. Advertising at present in and in the past is ostensibly what keeps the film rolling and "entertainment" on cable and television. With the ride of TiVo and the pay per view options, there is less opportunity for advertising to drag us in kicking and screaming while Madge is asking if our hands are soft. It makes sense that the next step is to charge for the specific items the consumer wants. With this, the idea of HAVING to watch the commercials is gone, and their being in the background still paying and maintaining is there. The jukebox television or iPod or cell phone or any number of other electronic device will be consumer driven rather than industrially driven.

In the Steven Johnson piece, I am finding it disturbing to actually see an problem articulately described as a form of social networking. Not only are we "learning" to advance our thinking via reality shows and TV dramas. Though the thought is, our social and mental capabilities are "advancing" through the social connections of these shows, I feel it is taking away from the days where our brains were given the opportunity to socially grow with ACTUAL social interaction, and reading and discussion. The Internet allows for the "wu@" and "gr8". Kids are not learning spelling and grammar or being corrected. What happens in the "social networks when these kids are adults? Will it then be acceptable to have interactive television shows in these socially acceptable languages? My real question is, are we REALLY expanding our brain capabilities, or are we simply finding ways to "intelligently" dumb down outside influences in the name of laziness.

Convergence Ideas

I found a couple more sites of some cool stuff.
Lonelygirl15

Pre Halo2 stuff. This was a way to introduce Halo2 but also have the user running around and using their GPS and learning from the information they gather on the site.
I Love Bees

V66

Something I just thought of from high school days. There was this channel that was on all day. It was pre-cable in EVERY house, around the V66 days. The channel scrolled a phone number at the bottom of the page, and if you wanted a particular song, you would call in the number as you saw it scroll by. Then it would confirm the selection, and you would wait to hear it. It was something I remember being on the phone with friends and saying.. "I'm going to order A-ha.. you order the Lizzie Borden and the Axes video." We got the sense that we were in control of the channel if we all ordered enough songs.
These days I am sure there is something on cable, that can be connected to via online, or through your cell phone to select videos or music. I have VideoDJ in my phone, and I can watch a channel that is similar to, if not actually MTV. Perfectly simplifying and making it more personal.

Foggy Ideas

I found this online, and there seems to be a mix of ghostly like images and tangibility.
http://www.fogscreen.com/en/index.html
Well, I think it is cool. :)

Also, ther is a lot of REALLY cool stuff out there. I also found this: http://adverlab.blogspot.com/
advertising is just out of control with sneakiness.

Broadband Mobile Convergence Solutions

Here's another one:
http://www.sys-con.com/read/396893.htm

Convergence Technologies

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19055328/

Gardner article

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Gardner/?p=2416

"The revolution will be handheld"

This columnist states that the iPhone marks the beginning of a "new era" of media.

Is this hype? Maybe we'll have to wait and see (is Seth in line already?)

TV Convergence

Hey all. Here's an interesting article that was in this Sunday's Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/24/arts/television/24itzk.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

More convergence

http://video.on.nytimes.com/

Convergence web site

http://www.convergenceculture.org/

Projecting!

We'll try a revised seating next Monday -- with everyone sitting closer to me so that everyone can hear me AND see the screen!