Tag Archives: New Media

Google, A New Media

Posted on January 15, 2013 by | Comments Off on Google, A New Media

As I sat and wondered what I was going to talk about as a new media I was checking my email on my Nexus and could hear the notifications on my phone and found myself thinking about how much Google has become so intergraded into not just my life but millions of others. I then realized that Google in its own right is a New Media. Google has become much more than just a search engine but a fluid entity that made technological advances by being on every device, or platform, used by its users. These are just a few of the many things that Google does that shows its talents at variability.

Google Drive
Google has leapt into the cloud computing craze by giving its users free space to store
and share documents that can be retrieved on any platform.
Google+
To give their users a sense of community they initiated their own social site that is synced and available across all platforms.
Chrome Sync
This feature makes it so that a person’s personal settings, including bookmarks and browsing history follows them to any device they use, including mobile devices. For example my bookmarks from my desktop are synced to the mobile Chrome browser on my Nexus.

Google really puts Manovich’s definition of Variability to the test by showing how liquid it is by using sophisticated algorithms along with databases to transfer and change data as quickly as the user alter them across multiple platforms, as shown with their Chrome Sync. These are not simple copies but like what Manovich states Instead of identical copies, a new media object typically gives rise to many different versions. This is true with the cross platform syncing because a browser on a mobile device is different than what is on a laptop or desktop. (Manovich)

Audra Mann
@WSUVcollegeMom

Work Cited

Manovich, Lev. “What Is New Media?” The Language of New Media. n.d. 36, 37.

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Week 1 Blog Response

Posted on January 15, 2013 by | Comments Off on Week 1 Blog Response

@JaredAbrahamWSU

 

My name is  Jared Abraham. I am a DTC major and am in my first semester at Washington State University Vancouver.

Tablets and smartphones have revolutionized the way we we interact with our  computers, our televisions, and our friends. As well as, giving us instant access to people around the world in an instant. One of the many ways that we are able to  do this is  through applications. Applications, or apps, by using cellular data provided by various phone companies like Sprint and Verizon, have the ability to connect someone from Washington to someone in Rome in a matter of seconds. For instance, Facebook has given everyone who chooses to use it, a window into peoples lives through their status updates. Although Facebook started out as a website only, with the quick rise in popularity of smart devices the social media company has launched several different apps, ranging from the original Facebook app to the Messenger app. Facebook has also purchased some apps launched by different companies like Instagram.

All of these apps have what Lev Manovich calls the principals of new media (The Language of new media, pg.27). some of these principals can be found in Instagram.  For instance, an example of Manovich’s first principal, Numerical Representation (pg. 27) could be Instagram. Instagram is a photo editing app that you can install on your smart device, using algorithm to remove or add noise to or from a photo(pg. 27). Instagram could also be an example of “Modularity” (pg. 30). An example would be the pixels of an image.

It is exciting to think how far technology has advanced in just the past five years. We can only imagine what new innovations and advances will be made in the next five years.

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iBooks Author

Posted on January 15, 2013 by | Comments Off on iBooks Author

@v_kono

Hi, my name is Vitaliy. I graduated from Clark College with an Associate in Arts Degree. This is my first semester as a freshman at WSU Vancouver. The plan is to major in Computer Science.

iBooks Author is an application created by Apple to create gorgeous, multi-touch textbooks for the iPad. According to Manovich, there are five characteristics that identify a new media object. The characteristic of numerical representation applies to iBooks Author because it is an application that stores information electronically using a binary code (Manovich 25). The characteristic of modularity is also satisfied by iBooks Author. Manovich states that elements are combined together, yet still continue to remain separate (Manovich 30). In iBooks Author, the author has the option to make his/her textbook interactive by adding widgets such as galleries, videos, diagrams, 3D objects, and much more various items. These elements are all combined in a digital textbook, yet still remain separate from one another. Automation is the third characteristic that defines a new media object. Automation assists the individual through “agents” such as templates so that “human intentionality can be removed from the creative process” (Manovich 32). iBooks Author has many templates designed by Apple to assist the individual and make the textbook look stunning instantly. The fourth characteristic of variability is also achieved by iBooks Author. A new media object must be able to arise in many different versions in order to have variability (Manovich 36). With iBooks Author, the individual can create textbooks for a variety of subjects, as well as create more volumes for the same subject. The fifth and final characteristic, transcoding, has not been left out by iBooks Author. The media that is generated must be readable by the human, as well as the computer (Manovich 45). There is no doubt that that the textbooks can be read by applications such as iBooks or iTunes U, and these applications can decide if the textbook is the correct file format, file type, or size. iBooks author is a powerful, yet amazing tool for creating digitally-interactive textbooks, and fulfills the characteristics of a new media object.

 

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Kik Messenger

Posted on January 15, 2013 by | Comments Off on Kik Messenger

@_CougQueen

Hey guys! That’s my twitter name, ^^^^^, follow me! My name is Bethel Muasau, I am a freshman here at WSUV, majoring in Biology, wanting to become a Family Practitioner.

In “What is New Media,” by Lev Manovich, he talks about all the possible media objects made through computers and media objects not made by computers. There are five characteristics that define new media according to Lev Manovich; numerical representation, modularity, automation, variability, and transcoding. A new media object that has been in use of lately is Kik. It is not as popular as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or even Tumblr. Kik was created by Ted Livingston from Waterloo University, in Ontario, Canada. It took Livingston 15 days just to reach a billion followers, “it took twitter two years to do that,” says Livingston. Kik is a free instant-messaging application that enables users to send messages to their friends, see when they’ve been delivered and when their friends actually have read the message. It even lets users know when their friends are typing a message. According to Manovich, the first characteristic that was mentioned that defines new media is numerical representation. In the article, it states, “numerical representation is a media object that is converted from analog media sources than composed of digital source,” (Manovich 27). On Kik, it allows the times to change and because of this, the binary code that contains 1s and 0s, are converted so that times, dates, and thanks to something called “digitization,” data can be continuous as well as represented with good quality, (Manovich 28). The second characteristic modularity – is the structural parts of new media, (Manovich 29). On Kik, the messages and the way the contacts are presented are organized the same way, every time you log on. Units presented each time you log on come in choices to either create new message or add new contact or add a smiley face, all of these units make up Kik. Third characteristic that defines media is automation. As Manovich said on page 30, automation is almost defined like automatic. The media object can be created or fixed automatically. Every time you “Kik” a friend, and there is no service, Kik will automatically inform you that the message has not been sent or the message is not able to be sent. The fourth characteristic is variability – otherwise known as existence of different, potentially infinite versions, (Manovich 32). This step would not be possible without modularity. This is the storage part of Kik, or any other new media device. Because there were other social networks such as MySpace, Facebook, and Tumblr, Kik was made so that there would only be messaging involved. Kik only involved messaging another person or other people. Lastly, the fifth characteristic – transcoding. According to Manovich, (45), “Transcoding is the ability for an object to combine “cultural layers” and “computer layers” to create a certain experience or mood for the user.” On Kik, the cultural layers are things such as what you want to input and people you want to add. The computer layers are the edits to things you want to input onto the object. Combining the two together creates the mood, as said, for the Kik user. Kik is a new media object that could be used effectively according to Manovich’s five principles.

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New Media Objects: Lev Manovich – What is New Media?

Posted on January 14, 2013 by | Comments Off on New Media Objects: Lev Manovich – What is New Media?

@DTC_AlexTDTran
There are various different examples of new media within the world today. These examples range from a variety of items found on the internet as well as in everyday life. For example, an item such as an alarm clock can be interpreted to be “new media” following the terms given out by Lev Manovich. This is because the terms used do not all have to be included in this one digital item. If it fulfills any few categories of “new media” then it can be considered to be new media (49). This follow me as problematic; however, irrelevant to the topic in question. Primarily, these terms are just guidelines in an attempt to define new media as he stated (49). What then is something that can be considered to be “new media”? A cell phone, a tablet, a desktop monitor, anything that seems to involve automation and numerical representation is adequate to be considered “new media”. A cell phone for example would fall under the terms, numerical representation, modularity, automation, variability, and perhaps transcoding. Simple things such as numerical representation and modularity can be seen immediately. Any cell phone is coded with a numerical system that follows algorithms in order to act or function. Modularity means that it includes multiple different objects or created from such objects (51). “Apps” and other parts of the cell phone is more than enough to fulfill this category. Furthermore, automation and variability are also very basic additions to cellular phones (even though Manovich calls them more middle ground (63)). Automation within cellular phones through the use of voice mails, alarms, etc. Variability can be seen through the various amounts of cell phones out there that serve the same purpose. It seems that variability is a must now in society not because of the need for it to be new media but rather for the necessity of being different. As for transcoding which has a broader definition involving culture (63) it can be seen throughout different cultures the need or lack of need for a cellular phone. Many cultures still use verbal communication passed on through other people as well as letters. In more modernized and less egalitarian cultures one can see the use of cellular phones more often not just serving as a method of communication but a way of organizing his/her own thoughts, reading emails, reading the news and also browsing the web. Although cellular phones are not as modern as they seem to be, they can still be considered new media as it’s technology develops. However, it seems that perhaps anything technological can be considered to be new media for as long as it fulfills one of the 5 or infinite requirements.

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Chris Stansberry New Media

Posted on January 14, 2013 by | Comments Off on Chris Stansberry New Media

Twitter Name: @Stansberry_DTCV

Hi class my name is Christopher Stansberry, I’m in my second semester as a Freshman here at WSUV and I plan on majoring the business major Management and Operations. I graduated from Heritage and did running start at Clark my senior year. I wish everyone the best in this course.

In the book “The Language of New Media” Lev Manovich sets specific guidelines he believes are the outline or definition of new media objects using five key aspects. These factors include the presence of numerical representation, modularity, automation, variability. and transcoding. Broken down, Manovich means all new media can be “composed of digital code” (27), as well as “assembled into larger-scale objects [while] continuing to maintain their separate identities” (30). Also new media has allowed for “human intentionality [to] be removed from the creative process” (32) in addition to the ability to “give rise to many different versions” (36). Since 2001 there have been several new media objects arise that are still subject to Manovich’s definition including the social networking site Instagram. Instagram, mainly used on mobile devices as a application, is a place where people can share pictures often with chosen editing filters taken from there devices for everyone to enjoy in a news feed format that allows users following you the ability to ‘favorite’ or ‘comment’ your pictures. The app is essentially software that has been created by programmers using a interpreting language which can be boiled down to binary code, portraying the new media object Instagram as being numerically represented. Modularity is also shown in this website since the collection of functions and programs combined to create the application can separately be edited to fix bugs, make improvements, or change small things such as the color of the favorite or like buttons. When you upload a picture to Instagram you have the option of editing the photo with a number of options such as preset filters, zooming, cropping, focusing, and even borders. This is an obvious example of automation. Automation is set in place to make it easier for the next user, and the editing features on Instagram make it so anyone can be a photographer. Variability is displayed because the application could exist in infinite forms. The code could be changed so many ways that there is ultimately a never ending possibility of ways the app could appear or be used. According to Manovich, “in new media lingo, to ‘transcode’ something is to translate it into another format” (47). Instagram has computerized photography and made it solely digital. Instead of having photos developed and scanned into a computer for others to enjoy online, you can now take the picture and share it instantly from Instagram, which has created a whole new culture and terminology. When users speak of Instagram you’ll often hear of how many favorites they got on their picture, or how there ‘feed’ is cluttered with pictures of this or that, in addition to terms like “photo map”, “profile pic” or “avi”. Instagram is one of many revolutionary new media objects that continue to shape the definition of new media.

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YouTube – A New Media Object

Posted on January 14, 2013 by | Comments Off on YouTube – A New Media Object

@MyDtcAccount   –   Jonathan Crabtree

An incredibly popular new media object that has exploded since the early 2000s is YouTube. The numerial representation is exemplified in the fact that each video is made using a computer. The continuous data, such as the individual photos that in turn create the video, is turned into discrete data (code) that the computer can read and show to the user as a fluid video (Manovich 27). On a somewhat related note, modularity is also key when talking about new media. An example for YouTube is that, while the videos themselves are what the user watches, they are made up of many independent files that act together to create a new, larger, more entertaining piece (29). Luckily for each viewer, the process is automated, meaning that the person watching the video does not have to piece all those files together himself. Using carefully constructed algorithms, the computer is able to play each still picture in rapid succession automatically in order for the user to percieve a video (30). If an account is created, YouTube is never the same after every video played. It learns the account owner’s preferences and will pull up different suggested videos based on what the user has previously watched. This variability creates a different experience for every single user (32). The final characteristic that a new media object must comply with is transcoding. YouTube has an exhaustive list of categories that each video falls under, and which kind the user chooses depends on mood, goals, or time of day. However, to the computer, they are all the same. Simply numbers telling when and where each colored pixel should be displayed.

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New Digital Media Object

Posted on January 14, 2013 by | Comments Off on New Digital Media Object

@PerrinKyla

The Wii system by Nintendo is a new media object because the games and creation of the system was created by computers, making it digital. Nintendo has been producing consoles and games for many generations that continue to become more and more advanced. The Wii games are based on body movement while holding a controller. There are games for both young children and adults that are based on television shows, movies, other video games, and workout routines. The first characteristic of numerical representation means that the Wii has a visual representation that can be broken down and that it was created on a computer and originated in a numerical form (Manovich 28). In the second characteristic of modularity the Wii has media elements that are included in the games such as images, sounds, shapes, and behaviors (Manovich 30). Majority of the time the voices that are used in the video games are the same voices from the actors and actresses in the movies the games were based off of. Automation does not seem to have as much of an effect of the Wii system as some other new media objects but it does have 3-D graphics that are used in the games to set up the backgrounds and settings (Manovich 32). The characteristic of variability is in my opinion one of the most important, if not the most important characteristic. There are many possibilities for making characters and games for the Wii. In variability, instead of making identical copies, there are many different versions available (Manovich 36). On the basic Wii sports game Mii characters can be made to fit each players personality and on most other games different characters can be chosen and dressed up however the player wants. In the final characteristic of transcoding, there is a culture layer and a computer layer that is incorporated into each game, meaning that human culture is represented by the computer. In other words there is always a story and a plot to the games (Manovich 46). The Wii games can also be translated from or into another format such as Xbox or Play station. The Wii system could even be considered transmedia because the games being used are the same media as movies to relay the same information (DTC slide 29) but no matter what the Wii is a new digital media object.

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New Media Objects: Pandora Internet Radio – Star Preston

Posted on January 13, 2013 by | Comments Off on New Media Objects: Pandora Internet Radio – Star Preston

@starlingpreston

I curiously find myself using a new media object everyday, the Internet radio, Pandora. According to the presentation (slides 5 and 6) new media is digital, which means that it is produced with the help of computers. First off, Pandora is accessible through personal computers, smart phones, and other technological devices such as Ereaders. Seeing that Pandora is localized through the Internet and computers, it must have numerical representation; a binary code (Manovich 25). The second principle that is typical of new media objects is modularity, where one can link websites on others in order to endorse their site. (Manovich 30). Pandora has a side bar on the right hand side where companies can link their products and ads. The third characteristic that is typical for Pandora and new media is automation (Manovich 33). According to Manovich this is when processes are set automatically. On Pandora, once a station is set up, similar genres of music are played until the operator stops the music with the stop button. Pandora also automatically plays commercials every three to five songs, much to the users irritation. The fourth characteristic that Manovich states that is common in new media is variability, infinite possibilities and suggestions given by the new media. (37). Pandora offers music selections based the users taste and preferences. Unless the user gives the song a thumb down, Pandora will continue to offer different suggestions. The last characteristic is transcoding, the way new media is associated with cultural categories and new media stereotypes (45). A user on Pandora can search through many different music categories ranging from Disney music to David Bowie. It offers different varieties of music, offering new varieties of music to different people. It’s a way of digitalizing music; no longer must one wait for their favorite song.

One aspect I did not realize that was part of Pandora was the option to buy music. This shows how everyday life is becoming more lackadaisical. One no longer has to venture out to buy a CD; they can just download after purchasing it.

Completely customized and generated by the computer, Pandora is truly “digital”.

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