Motion portraits
Posted on September 19, 2007
OK. I think this is both creepy and cool.
Motion portrait, a Japanese company, has come up with a way to transform a digital photograph of a face into a 3D animation that can blink and move its eyes, turn its gaze to follow the movement of the mouse cursor, express a range of emotions, sneeze and more — all in a matter of seconds.
This could be quite useful to the gaming industry and social networking sites. But can/will we use it in our industry? Probably not in its current version. It looks too animated.
But who knows what the future could bring. If we’re still trying to do talking-head video in 10 years, maybe this could be a way to cut down on expenses? (Now, now, I jest.)
Oh, and I can’t resist linking to an animated Shih Tzu (watch his head and eyes move with your cursor).
Here’s a sample of what it can do to a still photo:
Web reading impacts book publishers, too
Posted on August 21, 2007
I’ve been focusing my attention so much on what’s going on with newspapers, that I hadn’t thought about its effect on books, as shown in an Associated Press-Ipsos poll:
The typical person claimed to have read four books in the last year — half read more and half read fewer. Excluding those who hadn’t read any, the usual number read was seven.
That choice … is reflected in book sales, which have been flat in recent years and are expected to stay that way indefinitely.
Analysts attribute the listlessness to competition from the Internet and other media, the unsteady economy and a well-established industry with limited opportunities for expansion.
If the root of what newspapers are doing is telling print stories, it’s wise to look at what’s going on with comparable industries. People clearly are changing the way they’re consuming information (not just news).
It also underscores how important it is for newspapers to redefine their business as information providers. If people identify a newspaper as being only a “paper” we could likely start hearing quotes like this, as they apply to news video:
“If I’m going to get a story, I’ll get a movie.”
Sony’s flexible full-color paper screen
Posted on August 12, 2007
You could also call it e-paper, which could someday revolutionize how we receive our daily “print” newspaper. (Link via Editor’s Weblog; video with narration found via a YouTube search)
Details from the video:
Sony researchers have developed a full-color flexible plastic display that shows video. The 2.5-inch screen supports 16.8 million colors at a 120 x 160 pixel resolution. It’s an OLED (organic light-emitting diode display); the pixels produce their own light, which enables the screen to use less power and can be made thinner.
More doom and gloom for newspapers
Posted on July 28, 2007
>> AP ending ‘asap’: No real surprise, says Doug Fisher. “E&P and some others seem surprised at this. Why? AP continued to distribute ‘asap’ through its members’ Web sites. But the 18-to-34 set isn’t going to ‘newspaper.com’ to start or end the day — or much in the middle, for that matter. Those readers tend to go to more socially oriented sites that let them share stories, photos, experiences, etc. Most newspaper sites are still far from that.”
>> The next three years are critical for newspaper Web sites, according to Howard Owens. He says: “I know there are those who would say the prospects are bleak now. I disagree. I remain hopeful. But I would say the trends now are neutral. Our fate hangs in the balance.”
>> David Johnson at the LostRemote gives some good analysis of Fortune’s “Can the Washington Post survive?” “Anyway you look at this, it isn’t a pretty picture for anyone in the news business,” he says. “Print is bleeding, but our customers, the guys like Jordan Bitterman who buy our advertising space, go to bed happy at night knowing they don’t need to pay us a lot to reach our online audiences.”
>> Advertisers better enjoy their shut-eye while they can get it. Sharply increased online rates are on the way, says Lucas Grindley. “If newspapers respond to market demands, the amount of money it costs for a simple banner ad is about to jump dramatically. Just guessing on the exact figure, but I’d say online CPMs have a strong likelihood of at least doubling within the next two years.”
>> And Lucas has a warning for newspaper employees: Prepare for salary cuts across the board. “Plan now,” he warns. “Many of you will make less money in the near future. Instead of cutting bodies, some newsroom managers will consider slashing salaries as a better option.”
Shift happens
Posted on May 10, 2007
This slideshow based on content by Karl Fisch has been around. But in case you haven’t seen it yet, check it out. Here are some of the points I found most interesting:
>> The number of text messages sent and received every day exceeds the total population of the planet.
>> It is estimated that a week’s worth of New York Times contains more information than a person was likely to come across in a lifetime in the 18th century.
>>There are about 540,000 words in the English language — about 5 times as many as during Shakespeare’s time.
>> We are currently preparing students for jobs that don’t yet exist, using technologies that haven’t been invented, in order to solve problems we don’t even know are problems yet.
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