ITP Spring Show 2007

by Tim Yu

NYU's ITP (Interactive Telecommunication Program) students are once again harnessing interactive technologies to bring you futuristic projects that are both artistic and practical. This Spring Show, like all the ITP shows in the past, continues to push boundaries of interactivity in the real and digital worlds.

What can you expect at this Spring's show? Two among many projects to look out for are The Red Carpet, an installation by Jaewook Shin and Christian Bovine, replicates the experience of walking on a Red Carpet and responds to the amount of skin revealed by the user. More skin results in a greater amount of flashing lights and crowd sounds. A more practical project, Improving Posture and Pressure for Handwriting by Daniel Soltis and Heidi Press, measures handwriting pressure and foot position to help grade school students improve their handwriting posture.

Showcasing a range of interactive sights, sounds and technologies, ITP's Spring Show will run 8-9 May 2007 from 5 to 9 pm. Click here for more info.

ITP Spring Show 2007
Tisch School of the Arts
New York University
721 Broadway, 4th Floor, South Elevators
New York, NY 10003 map
tel. +1 212 998 1880

Jason Young at Wade Wilson Art

by Evan Orensten

We first wrote about Jason Young back in 2003, and recently featured him in an episode of Cool Hunting video.

His new show just opened at Wade Wilson Art in Houston and runs through 26 May 2007. It features recent work including his curling stones (above) and resin paintings.

Wade Wilson Art
4411 Montrose Boulevard
Suite 200
Houston, TX 77006
+1 713.521.2977

28 Weeks Later

by SummerSeventySix

A British zombie film helmed by a Spanish director paid for with American cash isn't my usual bag, but it turns out it's one of the best "London films" I've ever seen.

I didn't really love Danny Boyle's "28 Days Later," so when I headed to the world premiere of the sequel, I had low-to-no expectations. However, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (whose debut Intacto is also superb) has made a stylish and relentless horror film that casts the English capital in such a depressingly apocalyptic light, I was nervous about walking out of the cinema.

As the name suggests, it's more than six months since the Rage virus took hold of Britain and decimated the population. Now, under the US Army-led peacekeeping force, the country is slowly being repopulated with refugees moving back into a heavily fortified zone in Canary Wharf, one of London's business districts. That some of the images eerily echo what's coming out of Iraq only adds to the feeling of unease.

I'm not going to go into the plot anymore, as there is plenty about it elsewhere. Suffice to say the performances are all strong, but it's the look of the film that sold it for me. The sheen Fresnadillo gives it via some smart editing and witty, inspired photography of the city lifts it from being a run-of-the-mill follow-up to an engrossing, and downright scary, film. Surprisingly.

You can see a trailer here and "28 Weeks Later" is in theaters on 11 May 2007.

SimulSays

by Josh Rubin

SimulScribe, the brilliant and simple voicemail service that transcribes your messages into an email (20 November 2006) has just launched a new application that beats Apple to visual voicemail. SimulSays, released today, is a downloadable application for your BlackBerry Pearl or 8800 that shows your transcribed messages and lets you play them back without having to dial in. Even better, you can easily reply to a voicemail using SMS or Email if the message is from someone in your address book. I've been testing it for a few weeks now and find it indispensable!

Existing SimulScribe users can download SimulSays by pointing their mobile phone's browser to mobile.simulscribe.com. If you're not a customer, just go to simulsays.com to sign-up.

If you're not on the Pearl or 8800, don't worry. SimulScribe plans to roll out SimulSays for other devices soon, starting with Windows Mobile in June.

P.A.M.: Dreams Freud Dreamed

by Tim Yu

Every item in P.A.M.'s new Spring/Summer collection (titled "Dreams Freud Dreamed") has character, creative design and boasts quality construction. T-shirts, sweatshirts and jackets incorporate subtle stitching details, at times creating unique triangular shapes and textures. The graphics used are eye-catching but not loud and the jewelry is imaginative and striking. Creative cuts and details make P.A.M. a label to look out for this summer.

The Moonshake Jacket, a combination windbreaker and hooded sweatshirt, is a two-in-one reversible jacket. A light cotton sweatshirt is stitched and incorporated with a light-weight nylon jacket creating a white outer shell with grey lining (pictured below right, click on image for detail.) Isis, a T-shirt constructed from extra lightweight cotton, is perfect for the hottest summer days. Plain and simple on the front, the back features a patchwork of pyramids sewn together, hence the name. (Pictured below left, click on image for detail.)

A key item from the collection is the Fang Necklace, which is made of silver that's oxidized to give off a hint of black (above). It's a good compliment for accessorizing with the simplest of outfits.

Available for purchase online, check out the entire collection at Firmament