@RachaelS_DTC
Lev Manovich describes the difference between new media and old media in his book The Language of the New Media. He organized his ideas by defining new media through five principles; numerical representation, modularity, automation, variability, and transcoding. Manovich realizes that these principles do not work for all new media objects, but they show “general tendencies of a culture undergoing computerization” (27). An example of a new media object is a projection keyboard where a virtual keyboard is projected on a flat surface. This new technology follows all five principles Manovich uses to describe a new media object. First, it shows numerical representation since it follows algorithms to process functions. The projection keyboard also shows modularity. Modularity is described as a media objects that is composed of multiple structures create this objects (29). The projection keyboard is composed of a projector, laser, sensor and other important structures that allow this object to function. The projection keyboard can process things automatically, showing he presence of Manovich’s third principle. Keystrokes on the virtual keys are detected by a sensor to determine which keys were used. This process is automatic and the user only needs to use the virtual keys and the device will compute the desire keystrokes onto the computer. The fourth principle applies to the projection keyboard since there are multiple forms of projection keyboards and they can be used for multiple devices. Laptops, ipads, and other computers are able to use projection keyboards. Transcoding, the last principle, includes the “blend of human and computer meaning” (37). Humans are able to create meaning from the use of a projection keyboard. In other words, humans can use the virtual keys to instruct the computer to do a task. Humans create a meaning for the computer as the keys are used. New media objects are different that old media objects by how they affect our culture. As technology advances, meaning between humans and computers are able to be conveyed easier. Manovich explains this idea through the five principles he created to define new media objects.