Monday, February 01, 2010

Blogging about New Media

I'm trying valiantly to blog more regularly in part because I'm taking a faculty seminar in New Media in the classroom, sponsored by Baylor's Academy of Teaching and Learning and taught (though I'm sure he'd prefer that I say "facilitated") by my friend Gardner Campbell.

I most often blog about my film work or my experiences in the film world, so this is a switch for me. I'm very interested in new media, especially where technology intersects with my field (which is, well, almost everywhere), but since this isn't a typical topic around here, I hope my regular readers won't find this too boring!

Right now, I'm a little unsure of what I want to blog about when it comes to this topic. The only thing on my mind at the moment, when it comes to new technology, is the Apple iPad and what it might represent.

It's interesting to see Apple moving away from the complexity of the standard computing interface and more towards the all-in-one solution. I love my iPhone and have quickly become a junkie who cannot live without the thing, a fact to which my wife will attest... but I'm not sold on the iPad as a device that will replace anything I currently use.

I can see it's usefulness as a media device - and especially insofar as sharing the media experience with someone would be a lot easier with the larger screen iPad than it is with the tiny iPhone. But I'm not sure it would work for me as a unified system because it doesn't, at this point, integrate all of the computing needs I have in one system, and I don't see the point of carrying around multiple devices.

I do, however, love the iPhone OS, and I think it's interesting to see that interface applied to a larger device. I'm curious to see how the iPad develops in the future and how such a device will be put to good use by filmmakers (previsualization devices?) and in the classroom.

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2 Comments:

Anonymous Mike Everleth said...

I like the concept of the iPad, especially the idea of being able to lie in bed, lounge on the couch or even commute to a job and watch a movie then switch to reading a book or do whatever else. Although, right now I don't have the financial resources to buy one or pay for the wifi and/or 3G services and buy the books and movies and what have you.

What's most exciting, tho', is its potential for film research and education. I'd love to be able to read a book like "Visionary Film," then being automatically able to switch to viewing the avant-garde film being discussed.

2/01/2010 4:13 PM  
Blogger Chris Hansen said...

Mike - I'm with you on all these things. I love the idea of the iPad as something you grab from the night table to read a little, watch a little, etc. Like you, I'm not flush enough to buy an accessory that doesn't fill multiple needs. The iPhone works for me in this regard because I really needed to have my calendar with me at all times, found it helpful to be able to check email and look up stuff online, and of course needed the phone - so having all that stuff in a single small unit is terrific.

But I'm not (yet) seeing any such need for the iPad, as much as I would love to have one...

2/01/2010 5:48 PM  

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