Joe Mills

Ahead of My Time

Image courtesy of Sci Fi Tech

On the top, you will find a product called The Concierge System that is being developed by Springboard Networks. On the bottom, you will find a product called Infoclerk that I worked on with a classmate at the University of Illinois…in 1996. I realize that other products have come out since that date similar to the one being designed by Springboard Networks, but I was struck by how similar this was to a design I helped create. Am I claiming our design was stolen? Of course not, I just thought it was funny. Not sure if this really fits into the inspiration category, but could it be that I inspired someone else???

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

High Dynamic Range Photography

Image courtesy of /\tus on Flickr

I’m not a big photog, but the image above caught my eye. I had never heard of HDR (high dynamic range) photography until seeing this picture on Gizmodo. Here is the definition from Wikipedia:

In computer graphics and photography, high dynamic range imaging (HDRI) is a set of techniques that allow a far greater dynamic range of exposures (i.e. a large difference between light and dark areas) than normal digital imaging techniques. The intention of HDRI is to accurately represent the wide range of intensity levels found in real scenes ranging from direct sunlight to the deepest shadows.

I know I was frustrated recently while on my honeymoon trying to take a picture of my wife outside of the Sydney Opera House as I faced the Harbor Bridge. As the flash went off, I was not able to accurately the bridge in the background with my wife in the foreground. Annoying. Anyway, I’m glad to see that it might be within my reach (financially) in the near future.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Illinois vs. Minnesota

I wanted to write something after a win, so that is why I’m posting tonight. Unfortunately, I did not watch the game. I had a meeting at school, and I forgot to record it. Yes, a bonehead play. Anyway, if you want to talk about a desperation game, this was it. We have had the lead in many games this year. Maryland, Arizona, Xavier, Michigan, and Michigan State were all winnable games. Yes, that is 5 games. I’m glad to see we finally put a team away. And, it wasn’t at home.

I’m still very concerned/mystified about our lineup. I/m not sure if Weber has figured this team out yet. And honestly, I don’t think any less of him because of it. This team is incredibly hard to figure out. There has been talk over the past few weeks that the Illini don’t have a leader. We don’t have that go to guy who can seal the deal in some of these close games. I thought for a while that Jamar Smith could be that guy, but he has faded the past couple games. Chester Frazier is way too erratic to be counted on. Warren Carter and Brian Randle let their talent go to waste on some nights. Shawn Pruitt doesn’t get the ball enough to lead. Trent Meacham is not getting the minutes. Although, he might very soon. Surprisingly, Rich McBride has been our most consistent performer over the past couple games and playing with some emotion. Who said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

I still say this team can go places, but they need to start upsetting teams and winning winnable road games. Whether or not that means we need to find a leader remains to be seen. I’m just glad we’ve got this convincing road win right before playing Wisconsin on Saturday.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

The Future of Ideas

Thanks to my bus and train rides recently, I just finished up The Future of Ideas by Lawrence Lessig. As the back of the book says:

Lessig weaves the history of technology and its relevant laws to make a lucid and accessible case to protect the sanctity of intellectual freedom. He shows how the door to a future of ideas is being shut just as technology is creating extraordinary possibilities that have implications for all of us.

Lessig has a cynical, but realistic, viewpoint of where innovation and the Internet are headed. Large companies want to have control over everything. Although Lessig argues that this is not inherently an evil position to take, I think it is. In terms of the continual boom of the Internet and technology, it only makes sense that these companies would want to continually protect their investments and any possible future endeavors. At the inception of the Internet, though, Lessig points out that it was an open system. Ideas, innovations, and information moved freely in those early days. As the years have gone by, though, companies that have invested their money and resources in the Internet are trying to get more control of it through patent protection, copyright protection, and Congressional bills. They are trying to make a buck out of what was once an open system. In turn, the “old” regime is protecting itself against the “new” by cutting off the road toward innovation. If new innovators have trouble making inroads through the Internet, then these new voices and innovators are silenced. These behemoth companies then do not have to innovate as much because they have control.

Unfortunately, this book was written over 4 years ago. And, I feel that some of what Lessig fears have not come to fruition. I only have to point to the explosion of Web 2.0 applications, MySpace, and YouTube. Although, a part of me still worries that it is possible. I love all of the innovations on the Internet, but I feel that it will end some day. As we get closer and closer to having our computers become complete media centers that house not only our information, but also our entertainment, I wonder how everything will pan out. Will these companies demand even more control of what was once an open system? Will they get it? It is funny, right after I finished this book, I came across this article about the First Net Neutrality Bill Hitting Congress. I’m glad we have people still fighting for the freedom of the Internet.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Green Living

I have been reading a blog over the past month or so called Treehugger. With all this renewed talk in global warming and the big splash, no pun intended, that An Inconvenient Truth made, I felt it was necessary to at least start reading more about how to “save the Earth”. I’ve always done my part to recycle because I felt like it was the right thing to do. After paying more attention to it over the past month, though, I feel that my personal efforts need to step up. Plus, my eye has become more sensitive to just how much gets wasted in the United States. We use useless shopping bags handed out at stores. We buy knick knacks and novelty items that serve no purpose and eventually become landfill. We print out emails. We throw away items that might have no use to us anymore, but could serve a purpose for someone else. I know I am not perfect (it is extremely difficult to be perfect in a society that prefers waste), but I’m at least trying to make an effort and be aware of my ecological footprint. I’ve started taking the train and bus to work and run errands. I try to keep things in a digital format instead of printing them out. I do my best to recycle whenever it is necessary. I don’t know if I would consider myself an environmentalist, but I want to do my part.

In turn, I have added a new category to my blog…green living. And, one of the first things I want to do is avoid buying bottled water. It always felt like a major scam to me, and I’m glad some people are starting to revolt against the use of bottled water. Check out what this food critic in the UK is doing. Now, you can call me a tree hugger.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Roxik – Pictaps

Photo courtesy of Pictaps

Pictaps is EASILY one of the coolest web sites I’ve seen in a while. Basically, you can make a very simple figure that is instantly animated to dance. Above, you will see my Circle Guy that I made. The guy in the middle dances, and the audience cheers and jumps around by him. The process to make the figure is straightforward, and if you spend enough time with it, you could make a pretty detailed figure. Not only is the premise cool, but I’m very fond of the background the designer put the dancing figure in. It could have been just a blank background, but he puts all of these other bouncing figures in the background and the “camera” moves around to create this very dynamic presentation. Worth the 10 minutes to check it out…

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Alex Gallego

Photo courtesy of Alex Gallego

I came across this illustrators site and was very impressed by the navigation. Alex Gallego is still a student, but the web design is stellar and his illustrations aren’t half bad. The buttons below his name open up a navigation that pops across the screen. To see different examples of his work, you have to drag the menu of pictures across the screen. The bluish green box is projected on what seems to be his living room wall and has an animation that is blown up to the point that it is pixelized. Worth checking out…

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Design is Good

Photo courtesy of One Laptop Per Child

I wrote about an exhibition called Massive Change at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago before, but something struck me about it just recently. I got my Bachelor of Fine Arts in industrial design from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. About a semester before graduating, I became rather cynical of the whole idea of design. I don’t know if it was my own personal opinion or something to do with my schooling, but in some ways, I felt that part of industrial design was just a way to make objects look “pretty”. While I definitely saw the benefits of making a product’s form follow its function, I felt that the design community was too bogged down in conceptual design and the beautification of products.

My opinion, though, has changed. I feel that we need design in this world more than ever, but with one caveat. As I learned from the Massive Change exhibition, design needs to think of the global community. Our world is in danger of being used up if we do not think of the bigger picture. We need designers to not just think about making that one product that is a hit for one Christmas, but to think about sustainable design. To think about how design is accessible to everyone. To think about recycled materials. To think about, and I know this is cliche, protecting our world.

The example above is the $100 laptop which I feel falls into this category of design that I’m talking about. Here is the text from the front of their website:

Introducing the children’s laptop from One Laptop per Child—a potent learning tool created expressly for the world’s poorest children living in its most remote environments. The laptop was designed collaboratively by experts from both academia and industry, bringing to bear both extraordinary talent and many decades of collective field experience in every aspect of this non-profit humanitarian project. The result is a unique harmony of form and function; a flexible, ultra low-cost, power-efficient, responsive, and durable machine with which nations of the emerging world can leapfrog decades of development—immediately transforming the content and quality of their children’s learning.

In my opinion, these are the ideas designers should be focusing on. As I get deeper into the profession of being an art teacher, I’d like to not just have my students create great looking art projects. I’d like them to start thinking about how their artistic talents can be used for the greater good. Design might be responsible for making a great looking advertisement or a great functioning mp3 player, but it can also be responsible for designing recyclable shopping bags, clean water supplies for the world, and sustainable architecture. That might be a lot for an elementary school student to swallow, but at least it gets the discussion started.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Hanoch Piven

Photo courtesy of Hanoch Piven

Simplicity. What can I say? It makes all the difference in the world. Hanoch Piven does celebrity caricatures with a mix of painting and found objects. The final piece is then photographed for use in printed materials. His portraits follow along the same lines as this one of Louis Armstrong. He reduces a person to his or her essentials and then accentuates and exaggerates it. Just plain excellent…

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Illini vs. Michigan vs. The Big Ten

The Big Ten season started last night for the Illini and let’s just say this…it was uninspiring. After laying an egg at Xavier, I expected us to win last night. We have a strong team, and Michigan was certainly beatable. Unfortunately, I saw some distressing things last night:

1. Warren Carter continues to disappear at times during games. He made silly mistakes, had bad shot selection, and was the physical force that he can be. I have heard grumblings that the Illini need a court leader. That distinction could be for Warren Carter, but he doesn’t seem like he wants it. I’d almost like to see Jamar Smith take that role.
2. Rich McBride is an awful shooter. I like his defense, but he just not be counted on to make shots. He came off the bench last night, and hit one shot. Wayne Laravee then commented, “I can’t stress this enough…but that was a big shot for McBride to hit.” He is a senior! He should be counted on for 12 points a night. He should already be in his rhythm. It is like he starts over every year.
3. We got killed by their senior guards. Lester Abraham and Dion Harris scored at will, drove the lane without contention, and constantly created offense. At times, I thought our defense looked very good last night. Unfortunately, it was sporadic. If we can’t contain good guard play, we are in trouble in the Big Ten.

With Ohio State coming to town on Saturday, it will not get any easier. They had a tough time against Indiana on Tuesday, so they are not unbeatable. It will be interesting to see what Weber comes up with for the Buckeyes.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites