[-empyre-] empyre Digest, Vol 77, Issue 7

[Alan Sondheim]

I was fascinated by the link Paul Brown sent in,

http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/onepercent/2011/04/new-augmented-reality-app-unle.html

- because of the creativity unleashed; the iphone, whatever, becomes an 
active tool instead of a receiver. I have two questions, occasioned in 
part by my relative poverty in relation to this discussion (I can't see my 
own pieces!) -

1 - What, if anything is being done to eliminate the various headgear or 
even smartphone receivers that are current necessary to receive AR and its 
extensions? The last issue of Lusitania, Beyond Form, Architecture and Art 
in the Space of Media, focuses on the physico-inert-kinetic constructs of 
situated responsive liquid architectures, some of which have been 
realized. But even these require an over-emphasis on things. I was taken 
in this regard by Newstweek which runs interference on a wide variety of 
platforms, augmenting inscription.

2 - A vast number of people already carry smartphones etc., constantly use 
them on the move (too many walks/hikes with people staring at the screens 
etc.); for them, the media environment is already amalgamated, physical 
reality already augmented simply by the presence of the screen. So there's 
an enclave set up in the midst of the practico-inert, one occasioned by 
surplus income, local/technological accesspoints, etc. The second question 
is related to the first and my previous post - what can be done to extend 
this, breakdown the enclave? The uses are tremendous - think of a device 
that might be employed around Fukushima, directly outlining radiation 
levels as AR. This would have application for all sorts of pollutions; one 
might use it in a firefight, for example, in order to avoid oncoming.

Sorry, I'm writing blurrily at the moment. ... What I'm asking - how does 
one break the enclave - the sense of privilege AR implies - how does one 
make the creative version of the $100 or $10 laptop here?

Why is this important? It's not in a lot of places, but in the US at this 
point, 1% of the country owns 95-99% of the wealth (depending on the 
stats) and the relative income of the poor is decreasing quickly: 
http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110408/ts_yblog_thelookout/off-the-charts-income-gains-for-super-rich 
and http://l.yimg.com/a/i/ww/news/2011/04/08/inequality.jpg - these are 
people who would socially benefit from AR, and yet it's totally out of 
reach. I might add that the elderly obviously fall into this category as 
well, etc.

So is there a way for AR to reach out? Is there a technology that doesn't 
require technology? Or an AR-technological equivalent, say, of the old 
Bread-and-Puppet Theater?

Finally I want to thank everyone for an fascinating discussion, and it's 
really heartening to see so much amazing work, so many directions! I 
particularly want to thank Patrick here, and Mark Skwarek, who has 
nurtured me to some extent.

- Alan




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