Most of us have heard of the big social networking sites like Myspace and Facebook, but until yesturday I had never heard of "exclusive" social networking.
The idea is to give different(usually affluent) social groups a place where they can meet other people in the same social group, and not have to come into contact with people from different social levels.
There are more than a few different sites, many of them have a monthly subscription fee and some even need proof of net worth in order to join.
It is an interesting view of how even on the internet people actively seek division from people who do not fit into their own peer groups.
The design of dissent
This is a book and an exhibition based around it. The book is called "The design of dissent: socially and politically driven Graphics." and the exhibit is by one of the co-authors and a graphic designer Mirko Ilic. The exhibit includes many images talking about the current war in Iraq and several images of George Bush with dark undertones.
The Kingdom
This is a film that is designed to highlight some of the realities of the oil industry particularly in Suadi Arabia. It begins by showing statistics of the worlds oil production and consumption and shows just what an alarming amount the United states uses in comparison to the rest of the world thus setting the political background to the film. It then cuts to a baseball game being played in one of the oil company controlled westernised areas of Saudi Arabia where oil workers from America live under American law and don't have to conform to the general islamic based laws. You don't learn much else about the worlds oil industry but these few pieces do help you to understand some of the American senators decision.
From this point onwards things go downhill. There is a terrorist attack on one of the compounds in which many Americans are killed. There is then a secondary attack on the rescue workers in which an FBI agent is killed. This sparks the FBI into action and they are itching to get to Saudi Arabia in order to carry out an investigation and bring the perpetrator to justice.
This film is not as bad as I expected it to be, but I have to say it is not one of the greatest ever made. Its a good watch if all you looking for is a bit of violence and some political tension but it never gets any deeper than that it doesn't really deal with any of the statistic shown at the beginning of the film and is basically an excuse for some violence. I suggest watching it is your bored and have nothing better to do otherwise don't waste your time.
From this point onwards things go downhill. There is a terrorist attack on one of the compounds in which many Americans are killed. There is then a secondary attack on the rescue workers in which an FBI agent is killed. This sparks the FBI into action and they are itching to get to Saudi Arabia in order to carry out an investigation and bring the perpetrator to justice.
This film is not as bad as I expected it to be, but I have to say it is not one of the greatest ever made. Its a good watch if all you looking for is a bit of violence and some political tension but it never gets any deeper than that it doesn't really deal with any of the statistic shown at the beginning of the film and is basically an excuse for some violence. I suggest watching it is your bored and have nothing better to do otherwise don't waste your time.
Falling Water
Falling Water is a house built by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1935. It is incredibly ahead of its time and is built over a water fall hence the name. The strong lines and jutting concrete produce a powerful image in contrast to the water below and the surrounding forest. There cannot be any other building like this, so perfectly placed and aligned as to blend in with nature whilst being so strong and brutally designed.
The Hitchhikers Guide Quadrilogy
The Hitchhikers Guide to the galaxy is an amazingly well written well thought out story comprising of four books in total. I have read all the books and they are some of my favorites. It is for this reason I was terribly excited when I heard that they were making a film. I had hoped that it would be as good as the film transfer from of the Lord of the Rings books but I was sadly mistaken.
The film left me feeling empty and betrayed by a film industry that is obsessed with making money of their loyal fans. What they had done was try to compress the books into one film, where they should have made four separate films. a lot of the story was wrong and cut up and even the well descibed space ship was turned into a ball (in the book it was described as looking like a sleek trainer). It is for this reason that I am now wary of seeing films adapted from books as they tend to damage the memories of what you have read.
If you have seen the film I urge you to read the books as you will see what you missed out on in the cinema, and possibly feel how I feel.
The film left me feeling empty and betrayed by a film industry that is obsessed with making money of their loyal fans. What they had done was try to compress the books into one film, where they should have made four separate films. a lot of the story was wrong and cut up and even the well descibed space ship was turned into a ball (in the book it was described as looking like a sleek trainer). It is for this reason that I am now wary of seeing films adapted from books as they tend to damage the memories of what you have read.
If you have seen the film I urge you to read the books as you will see what you missed out on in the cinema, and possibly feel how I feel.
Blade Runner
Blade runner is a film directed by Ridley Scott and staring Harrison Ford. I have many problems with this film and to this day have never got to the end, dispite having tried on a number of occasions. The Screenplay is very slow and sedate nothing like what the title makes you envisage, and this is probably the reason I get bored with it, even though the story is about artificial superhumans it just doesnt do anything for me.
It was released in 1982 and has been heralded as an all time great movie. Unfortuanetly I disagree but perhaps I will eventually get round to watching the end of the film.
Athough I don't like the film much for its storytelling it is remarkably ahead of its time in terms of vision and special effects. It manages to dipict a vast city stretching on into the distance and I can only assume around the world, and high into the atmosphere. The city is made mainly of large glass buildings with add billboards dipicting some familiar names and even the garbage vehicles are extremely futuristic and well thought out.
I guess I cannot say all bad things about this film afterall. I do like this films version of the future but I just don't like the part it is telling me.
The Gun Seller
The Gun seller is a book That I read whilst on holiday when I was about 12 Years old. Back then I did not notice who it was written by and it is only recently that I discovered that it was Hugh Laurie.
The book is about Thomas Lang an ex-army mercinary living in London. After being approached with a job offer in which he must assassinate a business man Thomas tries to warn the target and ends up getting involved with an arms dealer. The arms dealer needs lang to help with some advertising that invloves a terrirst attack but Lang doesnt go along with the plan and tries to stop it.
I really enjoyed this book and have read it several times, its fairly fast pace and well written. Its a real boys book because of the subject though, so if you dont like guns and helicopters dont bother reading it.
The book is about Thomas Lang an ex-army mercinary living in London. After being approached with a job offer in which he must assassinate a business man Thomas tries to warn the target and ends up getting involved with an arms dealer. The arms dealer needs lang to help with some advertising that invloves a terrirst attack but Lang doesnt go along with the plan and tries to stop it.
I really enjoyed this book and have read it several times, its fairly fast pace and well written. Its a real boys book because of the subject though, so if you dont like guns and helicopters dont bother reading it.
The 2012 olympic logo
The Olympic logo chosen for the 2012 Olympic games in London has always been one of my most hated designs, especially considering some of the other far superior ones that I have seen. It certainly is not the worst design that I have ever seen but the reason I hate it so much is that it is for something so prestigious and well funded you would have thought that someone would have been able to do better.
This is an image from one of Benetton's ad campaigns back in the 1990's. It came under fire because of its negative connotations in the united states, because black women once were forced to nurse white people's children whilst their own went hungry. I think this is a tremendous miscalculation from the People at Benetton and although it has never been released in the States or the UK it has damaged benettons image.
They did still use this image in campaigns in 77 countries.
The road to perdition
The Road to Perdition is a film adapted from a graphic novel, starring Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law, Tyler Hoechlin and Daniel Craig. Tom Hanks plays a body guard cross assassin for a crime syndicate, until he is forced to flee with his only remanining son after his wife and other son are killed by the syndicate. It is a tail of survival set during the great depression as the pair travel towards perdition in search of safety. It deals with the father son relationship and you watch them grow into friends throughout the film, while they evade and cause trouble for the syndicate along the way.
When I watched this film I was not expecting much. The name and the cover did not inspire me, however I'm glad I did as it is now one of my all time favourites.
When I watched this film I was not expecting much. The name and the cover did not inspire me, however I'm glad I did as it is now one of my all time favourites.
"The Wind Singer" Part of the "Wind on Fire" Trilogy
"The Wind Singer" Is a book initially set in the fictional city of Aramanth. Aramanth is a large walled city which is divided into several rings and at the centre lies the "Windsinger". Each ring is coloured a different colour and has a certain level of prestige, and depending upon your status within society you get to live in the colour ring alocated to you buy the Examiners. Examiners are at the highest level of society and live in the white ring, right at the centre of the city. The story follows a brother and a sister as they struggle to deal with the opressive society and fight against it. Eventually the siblings have to escape the city through its sewer system in search of the voice of the windsinger.
I read this book a couple of years ago and the other two in the series, it is a thoroughly gripping read and escalates as you proceed through the trilogy. I strongly recommend trying it if your having trouble getting back into fiction as it compels you to read on in order to discover the many secrets it presents.
I read this book a couple of years ago and the other two in the series, it is a thoroughly gripping read and escalates as you proceed through the trilogy. I strongly recommend trying it if your having trouble getting back into fiction as it compels you to read on in order to discover the many secrets it presents.
Worlds tallest bridge 2004
I first came across this bridge whilst watching the discovery channel and it was talking about the construction of this massive bridge. It is located in the south of France and is awe inspiringly large, even rising above low level clouds. The way it cuts across the valley is very beautiful and its ability to stand even though it is so thin give it an exiting look.
Damein Hurst - Shark
This is Damien Hurst's shark I saw it when I went to the Saatchi gallery in London on an art trip whilst at school. This image does not do it justice the sheer scale of the tank alone is astonishing and the shark inside is simply huge. Some people may frown upon this piece of art as cruel and it may be, but it is still a tremendous piece. The title of the original exhibition was "The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living" and this piece demonstrates that well.
The Bullring - Birmingham
I first went Birmingham at the beginning of the summer to see a friend who goes to Aston university. It is then that i saw the bullring shopping centre, it is an extremely ambitious piece of architecture that has been placed among some older 1950/60's buildings and it really stands out. Although the odd placing it really works as a building and really demonstrates the image Birmingham is trying to achieve. It is dynamic, surprising and impressive and really brings Birmingham into the 21st century.
Tigerland
I saw this film only 2 days ago and loved it. It reminded me of films like full metal jacket and other great American war/military films. It is set in 1960 America when they are at war in Vietnam and focuses on a private who is stuck in the army and will be off to Vietnam in a couple of weeks. He struggles with the idea and trys to find ways to get himself out of the army and along the way makes friends with someone who enlisted who feels it is his duty to fight for his country. I wont tell you any more for fear of ruining the film but i would recommend a watch especially if you are a fan of full metal jacket.
Georgia O'Keefe
I'm sure many of you have seen these before, i studied her art during my GCSE and A-level art courses. The main point of interest for me is the use of almost overpowering colours to create these amazing close-ups of flowers and the way that they look like they could be on fire with the brightness.
Buckminster Fuller Geodesic buildings
This is Buckminster fullers dome. It was created using a geodesic structure. I was introduced to these types of building last year in our design theory modules when we were looking at tiling and using a small inventory to create complex patterns. The reason this building is so great is because it does not conform to the standard idea of what a building should be, It breaks the rules. With its complex construction and mind boggling complexity it has to be one of the most inventive building in the world.
Primer
This is an American Sci-fi film about the accidental invention of a time machine. It deals with multiple time-lines throughout, and has to be the most confusing film ever created. In order to demonstrate just how complex it is here is a link to a time-line of the film.
Timeline
Although this film was created on a budget of only $7000 it has remarkably good production values and could pass for a far more high budget movie.
It is good, but leaves you confused about just what happens and does require watching at least twice in order to begin to understand what is happening.
Cuban Council
CubanCouncil.com
I came across this site after my brother asked me to create an image for one of his own sites, he used this as an example of the kind of thing he was looking for. It caught my interest because it was similar to what I was looking for in terms of photoshop art but it had been used in a commercial manner. I particularly like this website though for its creativeness with visuals and language.
Learning to code
There are many people out there willing to help you learn code. The best thing to do is to start small, don't set yourself and enormous project with out any real ides of how to achieve it, you will only get frustrated and give up, as I have so many times.
As I have already said there are many languages used to make web sites but only a few are necessary, in my opinion. These are HTML, PHP, JAVASCRIPT and MySQL. However PHP and MySQL especially, are only necessary if you want interactive sites which store data.
I myself and relearning a lot of these languages and as part of my project I am going to post links to the sites I create. Unfortunately my internet connect is not set up yet at my flat and I have to use the library computers to post here so it may be a couple of days!
As I have already said there are many languages used to make web sites but only a few are necessary, in my opinion. These are HTML, PHP, JAVASCRIPT and MySQL. However PHP and MySQL especially, are only necessary if you want interactive sites which store data.
I myself and relearning a lot of these languages and as part of my project I am going to post links to the sites I create. Unfortunately my internet connect is not set up yet at my flat and I have to use the library computers to post here so it may be a couple of days!
Wordpress
Wordpress is another software package much like phpbb but offers a different set of abilities. It primarily allows you to create a personal blog and generally the styles work well, but you can also create your own but knowledge of HTML and CSS is required.
The great thing about Wordpress is that you can create lots of accounts and effectively create a news stand for a community of bloggers where they could write the content for you allowing you to just run the site.
Again there is little or no scope for wealth generation from this software and is only for the casual user.
The great thing about Wordpress is that you can create lots of accounts and effectively create a news stand for a community of bloggers where they could write the content for you allowing you to just run the site.
Again there is little or no scope for wealth generation from this software and is only for the casual user.
Joomla
Joomla is a much more powerful piece of software. It is basically a content management system allowing you to create a whoel host of different website from blogs and forums to online shops. It is designed to be modular allowing you add different plugins to achieve different ends. Agaan a basic web knowledge is recommended with more advanced skill a definite bonus.
This is a better option for people wanting to create shops and make money but still has the draw backs of being not 100% customisable and limited to the plugins that you can get.
This is a better option for people wanting to create shops and make money but still has the draw backs of being not 100% customisable and limited to the plugins that you can get.
PhpBB
PhpBB or “Php Bulletin Board” is popular piece of software used for creating forums. It offers Usability and Customization tools as well as the back end of a forum system and as the name suggest is written in PHP. The good thing about this system is that it allows novices to create forums on their own servers without having to be a coding wizard. However it does have its drawbacks. Although it is customizable there are limits to what you can create and how you can style it, and unfortunately visually the you always know it is a Phpbb.
This software is primarily designed for the casual host who just wants a forum and an online community and has no ambition over that. There is a possibility for a small income from a forum like this but it would require the site's traffic to be come very large otherwise advertisers wouldn't see any value in it.
This software is primarily designed for the casual host who just wants a forum and an online community and has no ambition over that. There is a possibility for a small income from a forum like this but it would require the site's traffic to be come very large otherwise advertisers wouldn't see any value in it.
Internet Revolution 2.0
The internet is becoming an increasingly competitive place to be with websites springing up all the time often in direct competition to existing ones. I believe that we are seeing the next web revolution in action (what some people call web 2.0). "Web 2.0" refers to the internet becoming more than a one sided creator to user system, you are now able to add your own content and comment on other peoples content with ease, and with more and more people having access to the internet all over the world the internet is becoming a very busy place, just look at all the bloggers.
The reason for this explosion in new sites it the relative ease of running an interactive website, this site for example is completely free to me and took me all of 10 minutes to set up. There are other solutions however, a home server is a fairly simple thing to create, at my house for example my brother runs a server with a couple of small forums nothing major but he did it with in a small amount of time with an old PC he bought off eBay. And there are plenty of applications and people out there able to help a novice create there own forum or blog, things like "phpbb" and "wordpress" are great pieces of software that allow you to instantly create a blog or forum from your own server and manage its look, feel and content from a handy administrator page.
From there you can learn to script yourself. There are a few different languages that can perform different tasks on a website, and even if you've never seen them before they are fairly easy to learn. The most basic of which is HTML this can perform simple layout tasks and store data in a fixed format, however when it is combined with other languages such as php and Mysql it becomes a seriously powerful tool and would allow you to create pretty much any website that you see on the internet, and whats best about all these languages is that the are opensource, meaning they are freely developed and free to use pieces software. There are other solutions however for example asp.net which is in direct competition with php but these solutions are not free and generally do not have the support base and communities that the opensource software does.
The first internet revolution came about because sites became easy to access with lot of people buying home computers, this second revolution is happening because content is becoming easy to create, view, edit and comment on. I think this is a great time to be involved with the internet and I hope it continues.
The reason for this explosion in new sites it the relative ease of running an interactive website, this site for example is completely free to me and took me all of 10 minutes to set up. There are other solutions however, a home server is a fairly simple thing to create, at my house for example my brother runs a server with a couple of small forums nothing major but he did it with in a small amount of time with an old PC he bought off eBay. And there are plenty of applications and people out there able to help a novice create there own forum or blog, things like "phpbb" and "wordpress" are great pieces of software that allow you to instantly create a blog or forum from your own server and manage its look, feel and content from a handy administrator page.
From there you can learn to script yourself. There are a few different languages that can perform different tasks on a website, and even if you've never seen them before they are fairly easy to learn. The most basic of which is HTML this can perform simple layout tasks and store data in a fixed format, however when it is combined with other languages such as php and Mysql it becomes a seriously powerful tool and would allow you to create pretty much any website that you see on the internet, and whats best about all these languages is that the are opensource, meaning they are freely developed and free to use pieces software. There are other solutions however for example asp.net which is in direct competition with php but these solutions are not free and generally do not have the support base and communities that the opensource software does.
The first internet revolution came about because sites became easy to access with lot of people buying home computers, this second revolution is happening because content is becoming easy to create, view, edit and comment on. I think this is a great time to be involved with the internet and I hope it continues.
Spore
Another Game from the "Sims" creator Will Wright. It was released on September the 5th but I only go my hands on it yesterday. Its a great game as promised and really fun to play. For those of you who don't know, the game centre's around the evolution of your species from a tiny microbe up to a space faring civilization in 5 stages, microbial Stage, Creature Stage, Tribal Stage, Civilization stage and space stage. The first stage doesn't take too long and can be completed in around 20 minutes after that the stages get longer, as there is more to achieve in order to progress. You get to the space stage after about 4-5 hours of game play, and this is when it really opens up, as you fly around space Trading and fighting to expand your empire.
Graphically the game is very impressive, but only if you have the hardware to handle it, this game requires a lot of power so make sure your system is up to it. My favorite visual feature is the the way as you progress through the stages you gradually zoom out from the planet revealing more and more detail and then you can zoom out past the solar system to a cluster of stars and then on to view the whole galaxy, its quite impressive.
The editors are also really nice, throughout the game you decide how everything looks using the integrated editors. You decide how your creature evolves and what your the building and vehicles look like, and its all very intuitive and customizable, or you can pick other peoples designs through the "Sporepedia" which is a massive ever growing database created buy the users and can be accessed from within the game, should you be feeling lazy.
This game is truly revolutionary and the developers have done a great job and I love it.
Graphically the game is very impressive, but only if you have the hardware to handle it, this game requires a lot of power so make sure your system is up to it. My favorite visual feature is the the way as you progress through the stages you gradually zoom out from the planet revealing more and more detail and then you can zoom out past the solar system to a cluster of stars and then on to view the whole galaxy, its quite impressive.
The editors are also really nice, throughout the game you decide how everything looks using the integrated editors. You decide how your creature evolves and what your the building and vehicles look like, and its all very intuitive and customizable, or you can pick other peoples designs through the "Sporepedia" which is a massive ever growing database created buy the users and can be accessed from within the game, should you be feeling lazy.
This game is truly revolutionary and the developers have done a great job and I love it.
LHC - Large Hydron Collider
Today is the day that the Large Haydron Collider at CERN was switched on. The world hasn't ended as so many people predicted, and as far as I know Geneva still exists. The purpose of the collider is to smash tiny particles together with a tremendous amount of energy, these interactions will form other particles that don't naturally occur and even create tiny black holes. It is thought these experiments will help us understand what exactly was going on during the "big bang".
A lot of people have been scaremongering and saying that it would cause the end of the world, not today however, because today was only a test at low energy and it wont be used at maximum energy for at least 1-2 months, maybe we'll all die then.
The reason I am talking about this structure is because of the sheer size of the structure they created. It spans two countries (Switzerland and France) and has a circumference of 27km. Architecturally its nothing special to look at just a giant ring on the surface of the earth but it is still a major feat of engineering and has to be seen as one of the great pieces od 20th century architecture.
A lot of people have been scaremongering and saying that it would cause the end of the world, not today however, because today was only a test at low energy and it wont be used at maximum energy for at least 1-2 months, maybe we'll all die then.
The reason I am talking about this structure is because of the sheer size of the structure they created. It spans two countries (Switzerland and France) and has a circumference of 27km. Architecturally its nothing special to look at just a giant ring on the surface of the earth but it is still a major feat of engineering and has to be seen as one of the great pieces od 20th century architecture.
Chevrolet Captiva Advert
I was very amused when i first saw this ad, it is a brilliant way of looking at the social dynamic of siblings in a comical way and highlight some true to life stereotypes i.e. boys like cars, where girls appreciate a much deeper fantasy world. This advert also highlights the inability of men to grow out of these childish stereotypes.
Photoshop Paintings
In my first year me and a friend stumbled across a tutorial on how to create realistic looking star maps and planets. The tutorial was written by a Graphical artist called Greg Martin, the work he creates in photoshop is astonishingly detailed and impressive. Take a look here:-
Greg Martin
These picture inspired me to try my hand at a few of these images, with surprisingly good results:
IMAGE TO FOLLOW
Greg Martin
These picture inspired me to try my hand at a few of these images, with surprisingly good results:
IMAGE TO FOLLOW
There is still hope
The Alfa Romeo 8C is a spectacular looking car however many of us will never even see one in anything other than an photograph, but all is not lost for Alfa Romeo has saved the day with the introduction of the MiTo an 8C inspired hatchback designed to compete the the Mini and the upcoming Audi A1. It shares many of the visual elements of the 8C but all in a smaller and more affordable package, thanks Alfa Romeo you've made my day, Again.
Best Looking car of all time!
The Alfa Romeo 8C "Competizione" is in my opinion one of, if not the best looking production car ever designed, from its long nose and low grill, to its wide hips and Italian round tail lights, every piece of this car is a pleasure to lay your eyes on. The first car was delivered to its owner in October of 2007 and but that time all 500 had already been sold, no chance for me then! The car was designed for Alfa Romeo's relaunch into the American market this year after it pulled out in 1995, and what a way to begin, well done Alfa. I will probably never see one in the flesh, and with only a few coming to the UK, sadly most of us wont.
Cambridge In Colour - Photography
Cambridge In Colour
Some Of my favorite photos - take a look.
They were created by Sean McHugh, who uses a process called HDR (High Dynamic Range)Photography, using multiple photos to create stunningly deep and rich colours in a single image and keeping everything visible.
Hope you enjoy!
Line Rider - What a game
www.linerider.com
I came across this game early in my first year when it wayou were looking for ins still in its beta stages. and just looked like a high school project. It is a great demonstration of how fun an uncomplex flash game can be with a little imagination. The most interesting thing about this games is how far it has come in just a year, from being an obscure beta, to a series of Macdonald ad's, no doubt earning the coder a tidy packet. Just goes to show that even a pet project can end up being a huge success
I urge you to try it out, Its Great fun!
Hello World!
Hey Everybody, This is the very first post on my shiny new blog "Untapped Mind".
Basically as part of my University course I have been asked create a blog, further details will be given to me shortly about the specific requirements, but for now I'll just get on with it.
I intend to write this blog based on my own personal interests and experiences. I will be writing about subjects ranging from new technology and computing, which I have had an interest ever since my dad bought our first computer, through to my graphic design work and illustration, onto my travel experiences be them great or small, and my opinions on political happenings. I will also try to give you updates on any work I produce be it personal or as the result of a design brief, so expect to see some pretty pictures, and be hearing about new briefs and projects that I am embarking on.
In terms of experiences, this includes everything that I do, if I deem it interesting and worthwhile talking about I will try and post about it. Any comments are welcome, but I doubt many people will read this, so lets see how it go's!
Basically as part of my University course I have been asked create a blog, further details will be given to me shortly about the specific requirements, but for now I'll just get on with it.
I intend to write this blog based on my own personal interests and experiences. I will be writing about subjects ranging from new technology and computing, which I have had an interest ever since my dad bought our first computer, through to my graphic design work and illustration, onto my travel experiences be them great or small, and my opinions on political happenings. I will also try to give you updates on any work I produce be it personal or as the result of a design brief, so expect to see some pretty pictures, and be hearing about new briefs and projects that I am embarking on.
In terms of experiences, this includes everything that I do, if I deem it interesting and worthwhile talking about I will try and post about it. Any comments are welcome, but I doubt many people will read this, so lets see how it go's!
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