Microsoft Photosynth is an experimental technology developed in the mid-2000s.
Photosynth was a system that could reconstruct three-dimensional spaces from ordinary two-dimensional photographs.
In other words, it transformed flat images into immersive, navigable 3D environments — something quite revolutionary at the time.
Photosynth was based on an algorithm called Structure-from-Motion, or SfM.
This technique compares multiple overlapping photos, detects common feature points, and calculates the relative position of those points and the camera angles that captured them. Through this process, it generates a 3D point cloud. This meant users could not only flip through photos, but actually move through the reconstructed 3D space, as if exploring it physically.
For example, when people uploaded photos of a tourist site from different angles, Photosynth could automatically combine them to recreate that site in virtual space.
It was a fascinating fusion of human perception and computer vision.
It’s important to note that Photosynth was not a 360-degree panorama viewer like Google Street View.
While Street View simply stitches multiple panoramic images to look three-dimensional,
Photosynth actually analyzed the photos to calculate real 3D spatial data.
Although Microsoft discontinued Photosynth in 2017,
its technology and vision lived on in later developments such as 3D scanning, photogrammetry, and metaverse or VR reconstruction tools.
Even though the platform itself no longer exists,
Photosynth remains one of the first major attempts to turn digital photographs into spatial data accessible to the public.
Photosynth explored how photography can connect memory, space, and collective human perspective in a new way.[/list][/list]
wk4.1 Data Presentations
-
felix_yuan
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Wed Oct 01, 2025 2:40 pm
Re: wk4.1 Data Presentations
Marshall McLuhan
Canadian Philosopher, media theorist, 1911-1980
He's considered “the father of media studies”
"the medium is the message"
global village
predicted World Wide Web 30 years before invention
Understanding Media: the Extension of Man, 1964
(In this book) medium = media = technology
he defines media as any technological extensions of the body, or any new technology
including from light bulb, cars, speech to language
medium shape people’s way of understanding the world
“the medium is the message”
media study should focus on the medium itself rather than the content it carries
the form, the characteristic of medium has grater impact on the society than the message it carries
medium is the message — light bulb is a medium with social effect without any content, "a light bulb creates an environment by its mere presence”
content has little effect — it doesn’t matter what the tv is playing
media engage viewer’s — passage in the book can easily be reread, but movie needs to be rewatched again in whole to study the individual part
McLuhan observes that any medium "amplifies or accelerates existing processes", introducing a "change of scale or pace or shape or pattern into human association, affairs, and action", which results in "psychic, and social consequences".
This is the real "meaning or message" brought by a medium, a social and psychic message, and it depends solely on the medium itself, regardless of the 'content' emitted by it. This is basically the meaning of "the medium is the message".
It’s like mechanization. Workers deal with the tool, the product they are making isn’t that different. It’s the tool that has impact to the workers.
analyzed how new forms of media change the perceptions of societies, the effect of the medium
Hot and Cool Media
Cool Media: requires participation, need more senses, foster involvement. Because they have low information definition. User need to fill in the gaps
Television: many other things may be going on in the living room, users need to filter out and capture the sound and visual content from the TV
For example
Comics: users need to fill in the sound by head
Hot Media: low participation due to high resolution and definition. One sense is filled in high definition.
For example
Film: only visual is fully captivated since it’s dark around
Print: Everything needed to be seen is there, no gap needed
The content of medium is always another medium
The Gutenberg Galaxy: The Making of Typographic Man, 1962
Analyzed the effect of mass media, especially printing press
→ mass communication → global village: people communicate like in a small village
Invention of movable type changed the human culture completely
Movable type → all senses serves for a visual domination → change culture → nationalism, dualism, rationalism, automatisation of scientific research, uniformation and standardisation of culture and alienation of individuals.
Guntenberg Galaxy: The change from oral, tribal culture to visual, individualistic, due to invention of printing technologies
oral tribe culture
people experience in childhood, and transit
as a key that unlocks something of the nature of the oral culture.
manuscript culture
the Gutenberg era
coming with the movable type
the emerging electronic age
The global village
electronic media → aural/oral again
induvidualism → collective identity
the visual, individualistic print culture would soon be brought to an end by what he called "electronic interdependence": when electronic media would replace visual culture with aural/oral culture. In this new age, humankind will move from individualism and fragmentation to a collective identity, with a "tribal base." McLuhan's coinage for this new social organization is the global village
the book is in mosaic form
McLuhan recommends that the browser turn to page 69 of any book and read it. If you like that page, buy the book. Just like picking one piece of mosaic and decide if you like it
Canadian Philosopher, media theorist, 1911-1980
He's considered “the father of media studies”
"the medium is the message"
global village
predicted World Wide Web 30 years before invention
Understanding Media: the Extension of Man, 1964
(In this book) medium = media = technology
he defines media as any technological extensions of the body, or any new technology
including from light bulb, cars, speech to language
medium shape people’s way of understanding the world
“the medium is the message”
media study should focus on the medium itself rather than the content it carries
the form, the characteristic of medium has grater impact on the society than the message it carries
medium is the message — light bulb is a medium with social effect without any content, "a light bulb creates an environment by its mere presence”
content has little effect — it doesn’t matter what the tv is playing
media engage viewer’s — passage in the book can easily be reread, but movie needs to be rewatched again in whole to study the individual part
McLuhan observes that any medium "amplifies or accelerates existing processes", introducing a "change of scale or pace or shape or pattern into human association, affairs, and action", which results in "psychic, and social consequences".
This is the real "meaning or message" brought by a medium, a social and psychic message, and it depends solely on the medium itself, regardless of the 'content' emitted by it. This is basically the meaning of "the medium is the message".
It’s like mechanization. Workers deal with the tool, the product they are making isn’t that different. It’s the tool that has impact to the workers.
analyzed how new forms of media change the perceptions of societies, the effect of the medium
Hot and Cool Media
Cool Media: requires participation, need more senses, foster involvement. Because they have low information definition. User need to fill in the gaps
Television: many other things may be going on in the living room, users need to filter out and capture the sound and visual content from the TV
For example
Comics: users need to fill in the sound by head
Hot Media: low participation due to high resolution and definition. One sense is filled in high definition.
For example
Film: only visual is fully captivated since it’s dark around
Print: Everything needed to be seen is there, no gap needed
The content of medium is always another medium
The Gutenberg Galaxy: The Making of Typographic Man, 1962
Analyzed the effect of mass media, especially printing press
→ mass communication → global village: people communicate like in a small village
Invention of movable type changed the human culture completely
Movable type → all senses serves for a visual domination → change culture → nationalism, dualism, rationalism, automatisation of scientific research, uniformation and standardisation of culture and alienation of individuals.
Guntenberg Galaxy: The change from oral, tribal culture to visual, individualistic, due to invention of printing technologies
oral tribe culture
people experience in childhood, and transit
as a key that unlocks something of the nature of the oral culture.
manuscript culture
the Gutenberg era
coming with the movable type
the emerging electronic age
The global village
electronic media → aural/oral again
induvidualism → collective identity
the visual, individualistic print culture would soon be brought to an end by what he called "electronic interdependence": when electronic media would replace visual culture with aural/oral culture. In this new age, humankind will move from individualism and fragmentation to a collective identity, with a "tribal base." McLuhan's coinage for this new social organization is the global village
the book is in mosaic form
McLuhan recommends that the browser turn to page 69 of any book and read it. If you like that page, buy the book. Just like picking one piece of mosaic and decide if you like it
-
jcrescenzo
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Wed Oct 01, 2025 2:17 pm
Re: wk4.1 Data Presentations
Measuring the Grey - Lev Manovich
Manovic is author, artist, theorist and professor who popularized the term Cultural Analytics and founded the Cultural Analytics Lab.
Manovich argues for using computational, visualization, and big data methods to explore contemporary and historical cultures.
His book, Cultural Analytics (2020) focuses on five major points recommending how we should investigate and research big data to bring about a more inclusive and democratic society.
Manovic is author, artist, theorist and professor who popularized the term Cultural Analytics and founded the Cultural Analytics Lab.
Manovich argues for using computational, visualization, and big data methods to explore contemporary and historical cultures.
His book, Cultural Analytics (2020) focuses on five major points recommending how we should investigate and research big data to bring about a more inclusive and democratic society.
- Apply design methods and be human-centric when dealing with statistics and machine learning. Use data visualization, media and interaction design towards analysis of contemporary culture.
- Think about the cultural objects and their relations to humans and human behavior. What do comic books say about our behavior, our leisure time, our values?
- Have a good understanding about historical and cultural changes in a society
- Study images and interactive media who often received relatively little attention.
- Be critical of traditional data science and their methods. In a sense too much data science is directed towards business interests.
A great example of cultural analytics is Manoich’s study of Manga book repository. They apply machine learning to measure the gray scale of thousands of Manga books. By looking at variation, they show how the style of Manga has changed over decades.
Website: https://manovich.net/
Cultural Analytics Book: (free on Libraries)
https://search.library.ucsb.edu/discove ... s&offset=0
Re: wk4.1 Data Presentations
General Systems Theory (GST)
Developed by Ludwig von Bertalanffy in the mid-20th century, is a scientific framework for understanding how complex systems function as organized wholes. It argues that the behavior of a system cannot be explained by studying its parts in isolation, but by examining the relationships and interactions among those parts.
Key concepts:
Open systems: Systems that exchange energy, matter, and information with their environment, maintaining balance through continuous interaction.
Feedback loops: Processes where outputs of a system are fed back as inputs, allowing self-regulation and adaptation (e.g., balancing or amplifying effects).
Hierarchical organization: The arrangement of systems within systems, where each level (cells, organs, organisms, ecosystems) depends on and supports the others.
Equifinality: The principle that a system can reach the same final state through different paths or initial conditions.
Emergence: The appearance of new properties or behaviors at the whole-system level that are not present in individual components.
The GST provides a universal language to describe systems across biology, engineering, psychology, and social sciences, emphasizing interdependence, structure, and dynamics rather than isolated components.
Related to these concepts, it is worth mentioning the work of Fritjof Capra, a physicist who applied GST’s principles to living systems and ecology, emphasizing networks, self-organization, and sustainability. He also integrated ideas from Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela on autopoiesis—the self-producing nature of living systems—and explored how structure, process, and pattern are fundamental aspects of all systems.
Another important contributor is Donella Meadows, who translated systems theory into practical tools for understanding and managing real-world social and environmental challenges. She introduced concepts such as stocks and flows, feedback loops, and leverage points—places where small, strategic interventions can produce significant change. Meadows described this as engaging in the “dance of the system,” highlighting the need to work with, rather than against, systemic dynamics.
Finally, modern complexity theory recognizes that highly interconnected systems cannot be fully controlled—only influenced or perturbed—because of their nonlinear, adaptive, and emergent nature. Together, these perspectives represent an evolution in systems thinking, expanding our understanding of how wholes, relationships, and change shape the world. Within this view, we find dynamic harmonics beyond equilibrium, as seen in phenomena such as hurricanes, where order and chaos coexist within self-organizing patterns.
Developed by Ludwig von Bertalanffy in the mid-20th century, is a scientific framework for understanding how complex systems function as organized wholes. It argues that the behavior of a system cannot be explained by studying its parts in isolation, but by examining the relationships and interactions among those parts.
Key concepts:
Open systems: Systems that exchange energy, matter, and information with their environment, maintaining balance through continuous interaction.
Feedback loops: Processes where outputs of a system are fed back as inputs, allowing self-regulation and adaptation (e.g., balancing or amplifying effects).
Hierarchical organization: The arrangement of systems within systems, where each level (cells, organs, organisms, ecosystems) depends on and supports the others.
Equifinality: The principle that a system can reach the same final state through different paths or initial conditions.
Emergence: The appearance of new properties or behaviors at the whole-system level that are not present in individual components.
The GST provides a universal language to describe systems across biology, engineering, psychology, and social sciences, emphasizing interdependence, structure, and dynamics rather than isolated components.
Related to these concepts, it is worth mentioning the work of Fritjof Capra, a physicist who applied GST’s principles to living systems and ecology, emphasizing networks, self-organization, and sustainability. He also integrated ideas from Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela on autopoiesis—the self-producing nature of living systems—and explored how structure, process, and pattern are fundamental aspects of all systems.
Another important contributor is Donella Meadows, who translated systems theory into practical tools for understanding and managing real-world social and environmental challenges. She introduced concepts such as stocks and flows, feedback loops, and leverage points—places where small, strategic interventions can produce significant change. Meadows described this as engaging in the “dance of the system,” highlighting the need to work with, rather than against, systemic dynamics.
Finally, modern complexity theory recognizes that highly interconnected systems cannot be fully controlled—only influenced or perturbed—because of their nonlinear, adaptive, and emergent nature. Together, these perspectives represent an evolution in systems thinking, expanding our understanding of how wholes, relationships, and change shape the world. Within this view, we find dynamic harmonics beyond equilibrium, as seen in phenomena such as hurricanes, where order and chaos coexist within self-organizing patterns.
-
shashank86
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Wed Oct 01, 2025 2:36 pm
Re: wk4.1 Data Presentations
An Anecdoted Topography of Chance by Daniel Spoerri
* Anecdoted - A meaningful story behind an event or a person, or a time period
* Topography - The arrangement of the natural and artificial physical features of an area
Daniel Spoerri wrote this book after a party in the Hotel Carcassonne at 24 Rue Mouffetard. He notices a blue table top with many different items (79 items in total) and starts recalling all the anecdotes and details related to each item he can think of. He goes like, "Oh, I got this red wine bottle from the store where the cashier calls me Gentleman!!! and the store is located on my way to so and so.....", and looks at the egg cup holder and writes, "my wife serves egg in the morning with this egg holder for breakfast" and does the same for each item writing about 3-4 pages for each. That's it.
Why did he do that? What does he say about it?
After all, this is how Sherlock studies and investigates. Archaeologists study the findings. How the human body is studied after being dissected. By tracing backward a story or an event or an action related to the visible subject in the present.
One major thing to notice, it is all a study of how a moment is formed. You can take a moment and imagine all the information, energy, work, ideas, and life that have been invested in forming this moment of yours, or a very moment of others.
So is it just studying about objects, or the topography realized, or is it also about us? Because…how far can you go tracing backward? And when you come back, and look at it, the things you started describing. The person who describes them all? Our spontaneity, our memory…….
Does it make you think, how we got here, in this room? Because 2 weeks ago, we were all strangers, now we do seem pretty meaningful together. What are the chances of us having an impact on each other's lives 3 years down the line? So what is a chance?
Now, you all think, why is the title named An Anecdoted Topography of Chance? Is Chance what makes life? Or do many life events come together to make a chance that makes something happen?
* Anecdoted - A meaningful story behind an event or a person, or a time period
* Topography - The arrangement of the natural and artificial physical features of an area
Daniel Spoerri wrote this book after a party in the Hotel Carcassonne at 24 Rue Mouffetard. He notices a blue table top with many different items (79 items in total) and starts recalling all the anecdotes and details related to each item he can think of. He goes like, "Oh, I got this red wine bottle from the store where the cashier calls me Gentleman!!! and the store is located on my way to so and so.....", and looks at the egg cup holder and writes, "my wife serves egg in the morning with this egg holder for breakfast" and does the same for each item writing about 3-4 pages for each. That's it.
Why did he do that? What does he say about it?
After all, this is how Sherlock studies and investigates. Archaeologists study the findings. How the human body is studied after being dissected. By tracing backward a story or an event or an action related to the visible subject in the present.
One major thing to notice, it is all a study of how a moment is formed. You can take a moment and imagine all the information, energy, work, ideas, and life that have been invested in forming this moment of yours, or a very moment of others.
So is it just studying about objects, or the topography realized, or is it also about us? Because…how far can you go tracing backward? And when you come back, and look at it, the things you started describing. The person who describes them all? Our spontaneity, our memory…….
Does it make you think, how we got here, in this room? Because 2 weeks ago, we were all strangers, now we do seem pretty meaningful together. What are the chances of us having an impact on each other's lives 3 years down the line? So what is a chance?
Now, you all think, why is the title named An Anecdoted Topography of Chance? Is Chance what makes life? Or do many life events come together to make a chance that makes something happen?
Re: wk4.1 Data Presentations
Internet of things
The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the vast network of physical objects—or "things"—embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies for the purpose of connecting and exchanging data with other devices and systems over the internet. It's about bringing the digital intelligence of the internet into the physical world, allowing everyday objects, from your toaster to industrial machinery, to share information and work together autonomously.
One of the earliest examples of a connected device appeared in the early 1980s at Carnegie Mellon University. Students there connected a Coca-Cola vending machine to the internet. Why? So they could remotely check if it had cold sodas available before making the trip. This ingenious hack was an early demonstration of the value of remote monitoring and data exchange for efficiency and convenience, directly foreshadowing today's smart devices.
For this connected ecosystem to function, four key components are essential:
The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the vast network of physical objects—or "things"—embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies for the purpose of connecting and exchanging data with other devices and systems over the internet. It's about bringing the digital intelligence of the internet into the physical world, allowing everyday objects, from your toaster to industrial machinery, to share information and work together autonomously.
One of the earliest examples of a connected device appeared in the early 1980s at Carnegie Mellon University. Students there connected a Coca-Cola vending machine to the internet. Why? So they could remotely check if it had cold sodas available before making the trip. This ingenious hack was an early demonstration of the value of remote monitoring and data exchange for efficiency and convenience, directly foreshadowing today's smart devices.
For this connected ecosystem to function, four key components are essential:
- Sensors & Actuators: These are the eyes, ears, and hands of IoT. Sensors collect data (like temperature or motion), while actuators perform actions (like turning a valve or adjusting a thermostat).
- Connectivity: Devices need networks—whether Wi-Fi, 5G, or specialized low-power networks—to communicate and transmit data.
- Data Processing: Raw data must be collected, filtered, and analyzed, often in the cloud, to extract meaningful insights.
- User Interface: This is how we interact with and control the systems, typically through applications or dashboards.
- Efficiency & Automation: Automating tasks, optimizing processes, and reducing human error, such as a smart home automatically adjusting lighting.
- Cost Savings: Enabling predictive maintenance on machinery to prevent expensive breakdowns, and optimizing energy use in commercial buildings.
- Improved Decision Making: Providing real-time data for businesses, leading to faster, more informed choices.
- Smart Homes: Connected thermostats, security cameras, and voice assistants.
- Smart Cities: Managing traffic flow, monitoring air quality, and optimizing waste collection.
- Healthcare: Wearable fitness trackers and remote patient monitoring devices.
- Industrial IoT (IIoT): Optimizing manufacturing processes, supply chain management, and asset tracking.
Re: wk4.1 Data Presentations
Metadata means “data about data".
Some of the most common kinds of metadata include:
Descriptive metadata
Structural metadata
Administrative metadata
Technical metadata
Preservation metadata
1. Metadata used to describe the data file， it always looks like:
Title: what it’s called
Author/Creator: who made it
Date created or modified: when it was made or updated
File type & size: what format it’s in (e.g., .docx, .jpg, .mp4)
Description or tags
For a photo, metadata might include camera model, exposure time, GPS location, and the date the photo was taken.
2. In Digital Design / Files
Revit, AutoCAD, or SketchUp files), metadata might include:
Project name, version number, author, and client
Drawing scale, sheet title
Material tags, dimensions
3. In Web / Databases
For websites or digital documents, metadata tells search engines(en) or systems what the page or file is about
A museum’s online collection might include metadata like artist name, year, medium, and provenance
Metadata is information that describes other data. It is used to organize, find, manage, and preserve data by providing context such as who created it, when, where, and how. In short, metadata makes data easier to understand, search, and use effectively.
Some of the most common kinds of metadata include:
Descriptive metadata
Structural metadata
Administrative metadata
Technical metadata
Preservation metadata
1. Metadata used to describe the data file， it always looks like:
Title: what it’s called
Author/Creator: who made it
Date created or modified: when it was made or updated
File type & size: what format it’s in (e.g., .docx, .jpg, .mp4)
Description or tags
For a photo, metadata might include camera model, exposure time, GPS location, and the date the photo was taken.
2. In Digital Design / Files
Revit, AutoCAD, or SketchUp files), metadata might include:
Project name, version number, author, and client
Drawing scale, sheet title
Material tags, dimensions
3. In Web / Databases
For websites or digital documents, metadata tells search engines(en) or systems what the page or file is about
A museum’s online collection might include metadata like artist name, year, medium, and provenance
Metadata is information that describes other data. It is used to organize, find, manage, and preserve data by providing context such as who created it, when, where, and how. In short, metadata makes data easier to understand, search, and use effectively.