Samstag, 8. Januar 2005

Interactive dominoes. "Digital Cubes", by Simon Schiessel, is a "dominoes" game played with electronic cubes. Placed next to one another, the cubes continually exchange information in form of light patterns. Each of these autonomous mini-computers contains a microprocessor, a display, and infrared interfaces on each of its four vertical sides. One source alone generates uninterpretable information and it is only when two cubes are combined that the visual static sharpens into a decoded pattern and words become legible. Each cube accommodates four terms, one per contact surface. Depending upon which vertical surfaces touch, their orientation, and the number of connected cubes, combinations of the following word groups scroll across the displays "marquee" style: "evil, good, smart, dumb; happy, sad, bored, excited; big, small, plenty, nothing; now, never, yesterday, tomorrow." See also the fascinating Block Jam musical interface that Henry Newton-Dunne created for Sony. Each block enables you to modify the "tempo," "tone," and "direction" of a sound. [we make money not art] 10:46:45 AM    comment []

The Rough Guide to... The DaVinci Code. You may love it, you may hate it, but chances are you have read Dan Brown's record-breaking novel The Da Vinci Code, or at least thought about buying a copy when packed into the Underground and surrounded by 300 other people all reading it. Mass hysteria, I say - it's neither very well written nor very revolutionary, but this tale of murder, love and intrigue across France, Italy, England, Scotland and history certainly is a run-away bestseller. There have been any number of follow-on books to help readers "de-code" The Da Vinci Code, all of them less expensive than the well-rounded liberal arts education that would accomplish the same. But classic travel guides publisher Rough Guides has recently published The Rough Guide to the Davinci Code, something of a departure in travel books. In addition to giving deeper historical background on many facets of the novel, the Guide also (as you would expect) provides maps and location guides for visiting the spots detailed in the book, city by city. Interesting concept, and one paying off for Rough Guides - this unusual departure from the standard travel guide is selling quite well, though not as well as the fiction it is based on. [Wanda Lust] 10:44:09 AM    comment []