7 Sins - Sugoi ne~

This week topic was about 'spectacle' and 'spectacular' performance or events. Thinking about it, spectacle sounds like 'glasses', though I could be wrong. But in this case spectacle is something a bit lower than spectacular. Its like a rating of performance or events that was done by someone. If it wasn't something spectacular enough to see or watch, then it's just another spectacle event. In other words, it wasn't 'that' amazing enough. Oh and the title, 'Sugoi ne', is just another word for amazing in Japanese.

Today we were presented with concert performed by 4 well-known diva. I only knew only 3 out of 4 that were presented, though I forgot their names except for Madonna & Cher. I had to agree saying that Madonna's concert was indeed spectacular, or even more than that, but I prefer the other two much because they weren't all that crazy and so hype. And as for Cher, I enjoy some of her music, but the 'changing into drastic costume' is kind off not my thing. Actually, the whole concert act is not what I prefer :D

What I prefer to watch is illusionist artist do their art. They may not be as spectacular as a huge concert being performed, but there something spectacle and not very common enough for me to see and appreciate. Here are some fine example of the I mention about:

I'm sure you've seen these works of art before, Am I right. Well I've never seen one 'Live' but really amazed in how they tend to make our brains think that what they've drawn looks like a reality. And this final one is what may be consider as something spectacular...



I don't know if its 'photoshoped', but if it were true than this is something that I'll salute :D

Click on any of the pictures shown, it is linked to where I got them.






Well my next personal trip is going to the city of lights, I-City. Just going there to get some (maybe) spectacle pictures. We plan on going there tonight, or by this week.

...just hope it'll stop raining..

Upside down 9 - Going back in time - something fishy

The answer is week 6 :D

Our destination this week is Petrosains.
Petrosains located top floor, center court in KLCC. Petrosains is to me somewhat okay bu not as good compared to Aquaria. There is alot of information regarding various thing, most of is about earth resource and other earth substance. The exhibition was huge and we were running out of time to get to know every single thing that was presented there. Most of the exhibition were good but some were either not interactive enough or wasn't regularly maintained. So I suggest that they increase more on visual interaction and less one words and regularly do a maintenance check on all the exhibition, replace things that are missing or stuffs that aren't functioning properly. My favorite exhibition is the helicopter simulation which was simulated quiet well with the graphic, movement and sound effect. The other one is the 'magic art' interaction, I think that was the name of it. The simulation about your shadow being interacted with the objects projected to the screen (wall).

The next place on our list is Aquaria which I enjoyed most. The thing that attracted me most was because that was many life forms were presented. Other than various life forms, the environment that was set up in the exhibition was well done. Maybe It's because I love nature more than modern environment is why I enjoy it more. What I favored was the undersea tunnel. It's like we were walking on the ocean floor, watching various water creatures swim by. I was thinking it would be nice if there were more sea creatures and lengthen the undersea tunnel until the exit. Anyhow, it was a great experience and even though I've been to both places before, Aquaria never cease to amuse me (yet.

eXtra 5 - Sharing EXP

I would like to share this quite interesting game entitled 'Mount & Blade'.

It's a rather complex game but that's what makes it very interesting and fun to play.

here's a more elaborate info at Wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_and_blade

This game may not have the best graphics, but it supplies a great value of entertainment. It's a how they say it a 'single-player open-ended action role-playing' and you play as a whatever you choose to be, a king's son or even to the lowest a street urchin. But mainly you are on a quest to conquer the 4 kingdoms in the Medieval age. The game gives a wide choice of variety from who you want to become, to the choice of answers you'll make to keep your relationship up with the kings and their tribe, or be the opposite of it.
Game control is (as a viewer), seems complicated as attacks, functions, actions and effects varies to what kind of weapon you choose. Defending also depends on your weapon, if they're one-handed, you can equip a shield. Seeing it in my point, it seems a bit easier to defend yourself when using a shield. The downpour would be that one-handed weapon usually happens to be weaker than two-handed ones.

I've not tried the game, but I would recommend you to try it out, It's a lot of fun but may be confusing for the first ten tries, MAYBE. For me, its more enjoying to watch than playing it.

5 is not 'S' - Walt Disney

This week we learned about how Walt Disney, thought, designed, and made something a dream into a reality and successful theme park.

It started out as Walt was tiredly waiting his children as he watch them have fun at a not so amusing park. It then hit him an idea of establishing a theme park where the whole family could enjoy. The idea of creating a wonderland for both kids and adults first started out with pieces of ideas and whole lots of sketch before generating or giving birth to a great idea. He thought of ways to lessen the stress of people having to wait in line and what new unique ways that he can 'plus it' when creating not only the theme park, but everything inside it as well.Before he could make his dreams a reality, he morgues his animation studio to buy the land and set up his first theme park, Disneyland in Anaheim, California. His favorite 'subject' was a train, let it be any kind. So he came up with the first idea in the world into as to make a train that would go around the entire park.

After establishing his first theme park, Disneyland, his name hot on the market and it turned out to be a huge success. He then thought doing another at Florida. But this time because his brand was a huge success, he bought the a swampy area at Florida secretly by using weird and never heard company names to cover up his name. his plan had been carefully planed out he then announced his plan to the public at unveiling Disney-world. The price of every square feet of land around Florida nearing the big project was raised, that was the effect of letting the secret out. Unlike Disneyland, Walt this time came prepared after seeing how Disneyland turned out. He figured new ways to 'plus-it' and planned out new tactics into making Disney-world the ultimate fantasy world that was like no other. His plan into making people not see whats happening of stage or whatever things that can ruined the fantasy, image of the park was a success. But sadly, Walt Disney died of cancer before he could see the big project come to life. The project had come to a stop after that tragedy and most of his crew had given up because they had lost the hope and dreams that what could have been done. A last, the project was raised up once again, constructed and finished by his brother and until this day, Disneyland around the world is the best image to look up to at every theme park creators.

I say 3 things that I'm impressed with what I would believe it to be the key to his success.
One is that no matter how small or ridiculous that idea may be, it can turn out to be something great later on.
Secondly is to think something way beyond of how to solve problem and create a new look that no one else or few people has done it before.
Lastly, the best of all is that no matter how ridiculous your dream may be, as long as there's a way to do it, just go ahead and do it. No matter how hard it is to get it. One of the best human that was ever born is those with a HIGH HOPES AND STRONG SELF-ESTEEM.

Twenty4 - Ego

Well since we weren't lectured on some new experience or went anywhere this week, I might as well thought of bringing up and share my own life experience. This week is about ego.

This quite an interesting but sensitive topic to post and previously I had to think about it and how to write it in a way that it hurt others much. Well this is what I came up with.
Ego means a sort of emotion that triggers the human needs in wanting to show something that he/she is/was great at doing something and has the urge on telling it to someone to show their accomplishment. However the only difference between letting others know in a non or egoistic way is by the tone or how often it is said by the owners mouth.

Things that I notice from whatever information that I obtained from experienced people or egoistic themselves is that they have the urge in showing off ego is because they want attention. Some people tend to depressed and feel the lack of attention faster than others. This may however be the affects of their (egoistic) background, surroundings. It may be the effects of being neglected by everyone, their families or friends. Neglect-ion from the family causes the child not the be corrected and thus attraction is needed and this 'ego' habit is brought up either by self or influenced by friends.

The other interesting reason that stumbled on was that egoistic may happen because of we humans tend to try or make ourselves look better than others. Only that not all of us are bold enough to show it to others. But as for our egoistic, they tend to have a habit where they must show it off. It's a way for them to tell to the society that they are not those who should step on or bullied by. Other than that it is also a way to tell that they are knowledgeable and not out-dated and they are important people of the society. By having this done they fell themselves (egoist) something needed/wanted in the society and not trash, and have hopes into continuing their lives.

Egoist tend to leave their mark everywhere around, but their favorite place is in the internet. Markings that most (probably all) egoist leave on the net are things like 'flamers', 'threats' and many other (mostly) negative behavior.

3's a crowd - 'IMAX'

Well (I'd say) that wasn't the best trip ever. The word 'IMAX' that came to mind brought a bit of excitement. To me the excitement wasn't much because the movie we went to watch was, 'Prince of Persia' which was something I went earlier with my friends and watch it and because I'm not a 'Movie-mania' kind of person, watching it the second time wasn't what I wanted to do. But because we thought that we were going to watch it 'IMAX' style, I decided to go along. Well, all that was a dream turned out to be another disappointment for me.
The screen was definitely a memo of IMAX but the projector wasn't there to stay. The commercial was badly stretched but thank god not the movie. But since they had a big screen, they went and enlarge the movie a bit (not until full screen) and that was a great idea breaking up the picture. What we went to watch was something that somebody had uploaded on Youtube.com. Well, at least the sound system wasn't bad, is something I would like to say. One of the big speakers wasn't functioning to well and needs a bit or lots of TLC. The sound was also how would I say it, 'Broken', wasn't sharp and clear.
You know, I had a feeling that something like this would happen. Two things that tells my heart that this wasn't something I wanted was one, the commercial was stretched. The other things was that they said that IMAX was no longer functioning, so I thought, 'If IMAX wasn't there anymore, wouldn't they take their expensive camera along with them too?'. Sigh, I guess I'll just have to wait until I can go to the real IMAX to see how great people say it is to shows on really BIG screen.

In the end I had to say, that was the lousiest 7 Ringgit I had wasted on, no offense.

A 2nd chance - Tech Experience

Technology as Experience by John McCarthy & Peter Wright tell us how users take top priority in understanding in technology usage.

The technique is elaborated into 2 major part, each of them play an important aspect into making the virtual world an experience for life. The first one is 'The Four Threads of Experience' and the second one is 'The Six Sense-making Processes'.

First up 'The Four Threads of Experience'

Compositional is a way of how the user makes up the possibilities of solving, creating a situation and a solution to it. This will makes the user apply the technique that they have encounter in life or make up new ones and test out the result.

Sensuality in designing and adding life to the virtual space by giving out from the most comfortable, acceptable environment to the most cruel and unforgiving surrounding with the adjustment in texture and space when presenting the virtual world.

Emotional is the feedback from the user indicating how they run trough the exhibition, whether they enjoyed it or not.

Last but not least is the SPATIO-TEMPORAL. This is the after effect after going through the virtual world. It's the summary of elements rolled into one and see whether the user experience something good and is he/she willing to come back to it or not.

Now for 'The Six Sense-making Processes'.

Anticipation, is the urge to try new or current possibilities that the simulation offers.

Connection is how we interact with others on social basis. A warm friendly environment will surely attract more users, however take note that monitoring on it is a must as there will be those who are rebellious.

Interpreting are stuff that we human tend to do naturally. By interpretation is one of the major reason into making the user how they feel when visiting the virtual world. Designing and making interaction that would satisfy your needs rather making the user feeling stress and not wanting to use the application anymore.

Reflecting is how the human reflects their daily life and situation into the virtual world. It is also how we gain new experience either testing it out in the virtual world or taken experience from the real world. Reflecting one's self feelings with the new or old experience that we make or use.

Appropriating is the sense of choosing the appropriate or our desired way of doing things. This gained by the multiple test that was done when conducting, making a solution and how we experience it. From experience we then choose the most desired way of doing things.

Recounting is the process of storytelling, sharing our experience with others. This is a way of recap on what we have done/gone through. It can also be way of putting ourselves into thinking a new way or idea in solving previous problem that had been dealt with.

This is something like a summary of what I understand the article 'Technology as Experience' by John McCarthy & Peter Wright. From what I can say is that they focus on every aspect they could when creating something that focus on user's needs and interest. I could not add more as from my point of view, everything is there. The original article can be found in the link below. If there is any correction to be made in my review regarding this article, please leave a comment and I'll try to correct it A.S.A.P.

http://mmr2043.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/mccarthy.pdf