VIRTUAL ILLUSION

dezembro 21, 2008

Jobs #17

MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Tenure-Track Faculty Positions within the MIT Media Laboratory

The MIT Media Laboratory (www.media.mit.edu) is seeking candidates to fill two tenure-track faculty positions.

The Media Laboratory is a broadly cross-disciplinary research organization with a particular focus upon the human uses of new technologies. Appointees to these new positions will be expected to: establish and lead their own research groups within the Lab; develop collaborative linkages with other faculty, research groups, and Media Lab sponsors; supervise masters and doctoral students; and teach classes in the Media Arts and Sciences program.

The Search Committee will welcome applications from candidates with backgrounds and interests in any of the Lab’s current areas of activity. In addition, it especially seeks applicants interested in developing research programs in the areas of: (1) Social computing and community technologies, (2) Storytelling technologies, games, and entertainment, (3) Persuasive technologies, and (4) Privacy, safety, and trust.

To apply, please fill out the form below.
Application deadline: January 23, 2009

Appointments will be within the Media Arts and Sciences academic program, at either the Assistant or Associate Professor level. Candidates should have a doctorate (or equivalent) and a strong record of research.

Questions? Contact: faculty-search@media.mit.edu

de crianças para crianças

Foto de Daily Mail

A Universidade de Leipzig acaba de publicar mais um interessante estudo sobre a acepção das crianças sobre os media para crianças. Aqui listam-se jogos para crianças a partir de outras crianças. Obrigado Gudrun Ziegler.

"Die SpieL.E.tester", computer games in the test - for children from children! Children see the world with their own eyes - Recommendations of the ten best computer games for children - written by children. A ranking list as part of an educational media project of the University of Leipzig.

The testers are twelve adolescents aged 12 to 15 years from different schools - Humboldt High School, Max Klinger Gymnasium, Free Middle School and Dr. P. Rahn and partner Heinrich Pestalozzi School. They created the ranking list under a media educational project. Claudia Philipp and Anja Schweiger, both from the Working Group on Media Education and Training and Hartmut Horkan professor at the Institute for Communications and Media Studies. The project is being promoted to the professorship for media and pedagogy at the University of Leipzig in Saxony Regional Institute (SLM).

Aqui fica a lista para os interessados em utilização académica, assim como ainda pode ir a tempo das compras de Natal.

1. The Sims 2 (Electronic Arts - EA)
2. Need for Speed Pro Street (EA)
3. The Settlers - Heritage of Kings (Ubisoft)
4. Rayman Raving Rabbids (Ubisoft)
5. Anno 1701 (Ubisoft)
6. City Life (Deep Silver)
7. Jack Keane (CDV)
8. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (EA)
9. Crazy Machines 2 (Novitas)
10. My Animal Centre in Australia (Brain Game / Koch Media)

dezembro 19, 2008

Investigação em Comunicação

A Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia divulgou os resultados da avaliação externa feita aos centros de investigação da área de Ciências da Comunicação. A nossa unidade, CECS - Centro de Estudos de Comunicação e Sociedade (Universidade do Minho), foi distinguida com a nota máxima: EXCELLENT.

Para além da área, no quadro abaixo publicado pelo Público é possível ver o excelente desempenho da Universidade do Minho.

dezembro 11, 2008

mar de sonhos

Vinicius acaba de postar o tópico História dos Logos Hollywoodianos o que me fez despertar o interesse pelo objecto de abertura do cinema. As histórias que se contam aqui são interessantes, mas não suficientemente profundas para se poder apaziguar tanta curiosidade. No entanto ao ler os comentários ao texto fiquei intrigado com o seguinte:

I have never noticed until now, but almost all of these logos have clouds and a skyline in them. I wonder if there is a reason behind that.

Assim fui novamente observar os logos e não é que é real. A presença de nuvems e horizonte é uma constante. Mas como explicar tal incidência. Como demonstrar que não é apenas coincidência. Vamos primeiro olhar para os logos propostos e já agora adicionar mais alguns nomeadamente de França retirados de Fabrice.info.

E agora algumas definições,

"Dreams are the images, thoughts and feelings experienced while asleep." Wikipedia

"Imagination is the ability to form mental images, or the ability to spontaneously generate images within one's own mind." Wikipedia

"Fiction is the telling of stories that are not real. More specifically, fiction is an imaginative form of narrative." Wikipedia

As nuvens e a linha do horizonte podem assim corresponder a algo que a nossa imaginação apela constantemente quando necessita de mudar para um discurso de ficção de não verdade de pura imaginação e sonho. Apela porque é algo intocável, algo livre e puro, podemos ver mas não podemos tocar e sentir e daí, talvez, a constante referência.

dezembro 09, 2008

tendências nos jogos digitais

"Video gaming is now a bigger industry than DVDs, box office revenues, movie rentals, music or even books. Advertising Pawn presents another report from the Super Task Force United (STFU) commissioned by notorious advertising agency RDA International."

dezembro 08, 2008

Top 10 Everything of 2008

TOP 10 de tudo de 2008 da TIME. Escolhi algumas referências de alguns tops, deixo o link directo para cada um dos tops para que possam ver a ordem completa de escolhas da Time.

Top 10 Video Games
Grand Theft Auto IV
LittleBigPlanet
Spore

Top 10 TV Ads
It's 3 a.m.
Obama's infomercial
Fate, according to Nike
Fed Ex's horror flick
I'm a PC

Top 10 Albums
Death Magnetic by Metallica
Third by Portishead

Top 10 Movies
WALL-E
Synecdoche, New York

Outras listas interessantes:
Scientific Discoveries
Magazine Covers
Viral Videos
TV Series
Editorial Cartoons

Jobs #16

Position in Multimedia/Communication

The Department of Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is seeking applicants for the following position beginning Fall, 2009.

Tenure-Track or Academic Staff position in Multimedia/Communication.

The successful candidate must have academic preparation and demonstrable experience to teach undergraduate multimedia and communication courses. Ability to teach in two or more of the following areas is required (Introduction to Multimedia, Multimedia Production for Web, Multimedia Production II with Flash, Writing for Multimedia, Interactive Communication and Advanced Multimedia Production, other Multimedia specialty area). The successful candidate should be open to working individually with students on independent studies or senior Multimedia Projects. Willingness to teach courses in the Electronic Media or Journalism emphases will be considered an asset.

Candidates should be familiar with a variety of digital video, audio and related multimedia technology and software for Windows and Macintosh operating systems. Expertise in XHTML, CSS and Actionscript is required. Candidates should also be able to contribute leadership skills toward the enhancement of the College and Department’s multimedia and communication programs. The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is in the process of launching a Games and Interactive Media Program. Any expertise in Game theory, analysis and production is a plus.

Requirements for positions: Terminal degree in Communication or closely related field is required for a tenure-track appointment. ABDs and individuals with master’s degrees will be considered for a non-tenure track appointment. Faculty may also teach and direct theses and projects in a growing graduate program. Our department expects research/creative activity to complement its primary teaching mission, and evidence of refereed creative media production and/or quantitative or qualitative scholarly activity is required for tenure. Service to the department, university and community as well as participation in related academic and professional organizations is expected. Faculty at UW-W teach a 4-4 load; academic staff teach a 5-4 load. The department has a three course prep limit.

How to apply: Submit a completed application packet (hard copy; on-line not accepted) containing: a letter of application, curriculum vitae, names and contact information of three references, graduate and undergraduate transcripts and evidence of teaching effectiveness to Dr. Jeff Herriott, Chair, Multimedia Search and Screen Committee, Department of Communication, UW-Whitewater, 800 West Main Street, Whitewater, WI 53190. Review of applicants begins January 5, 2009 and will continue until filled. Only completed application packets will be reviewed. For complete description and updated information see http://www.uww.edu/cac/about/employment.html

The Communication Department at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater has approximately 600 majors, 200 minors, and a growing graduate program with a planned Multimedia emphasis to be developed in the near future.

Conferências de 2008

Conferências de relevo na área deste blog decorridas em 2008. Em destaque as conferências nas quais participámos como organização, revisores ou moderadores.

dezembro 07, 2008

criando mundos

SL a place where you can build things (Philip Rosedale, 2008)

Philip Rosedale é o fundador de Second Life (SL), um mundo virtual 3d com milhões de habitantes, feito de milhões de mundos e simulações. É também presidente da Linden Labs, a companhia por detrás de SL. Philip Rosedale fez uma comunicação, na The Art Center Design Conference 2008 inteiramente dedicada ao Serious Play, integrada na track "Playing well with Other". Essa comunicação realizada em Maio pode agora ser vista numa das sessões específicas da TED, a TED Partner Series.

A comunicação, que se pode ver aqui abaixo, não tem o brilhantismo normal das comunicações TED, talvez porque o formato em que se desenrola no meio de outroas comunicações não tenha aquele carácter único e de destaque que normalmente são conferidas às conferências TED. Por outro lado aquilo que Philip tem para nos dizer resume-se à definição do SL enquanto Virtual Environment (VE) e o seu impacto enquanto meio de comunicação. Não que julgue ser uma má comunicação, porque não é, apenas esperava mais. Esperava ouvir mais do que aquilo que já sabemos, esperava ouvir uma perspectiva vinda do interior do objecto capaz de me iluminar de alguma forma e nesse sentido fiquei decepcionado. Contudo julgo que é uma comunicação a ver e ouvir e como tal deixo a seguir ao vídeo a transcrição de algumas deixas que me parecem relevantes.

"Technology is being used to allow us to create and share (..) SL and VE represent the best we can do to achieve that right now (..) Virtual Worls (VW), like space, they allow us to reinvent ourselves."

"SL is 20,000 computers connected (..) WoW comes on 4 DVDs, SL is 100 Terabites of user-created data, making it about 25,000 larger."

As duas grandes diferenças entre a Web e o SL:

"The web is text to text links (..) in SL information is presented to you using the most powerful iconic symbols that you can possibly use with humans." [One Picture is Worth Ten Thousand Words].

"Experiencing of creating, consuming, exploring information is in VW implicitly and inherently social (..) in Amazon you can't talk to other people while shopping (..) experiencing information together (..) the trend is to use technology to connect with each other."

Já agora e dentro desta sequência fica o convite para que submetam trabalhos à SLACTIONS 2009.