Month: August 2016

Week 8; #EMPJ Drones Blog

Posted on by lnminaglia

When I think of drones, it is hard to not think of an ecommerce giant near my up and coming neighborhood. Maybe you have heard of Amazon. It may not have revolutionized the way drones are used today but it sure did bring more attention to the buzzing rigs.

Amazon’s struggle with the FAA to obtain rights to make human-less deliveries possible, seems like there is no simple solution around passing a regulation that exempts Amazon from falling under privacy laws. The facts are that when people operate technology there is always a place of concern for security and… power.

What if the drone was misused and captured a photo of someone’s environment that they wanted to keep private, either for their own well-being or for their children’s sake. However, when technology continues to evolve, ultimately removing human contact from the ‘working world’ as we currently know it,  eyebrows seem to always rise. Especially, when compiling such a gadget that is efficient, prompt and safe without human supervision. (Personally, more computer-operated daily needs will just aid in closing the gap with inevitable ‘human error’.)

But maybe there is a simple answer? Drones that aren’t equipped with cameras and have scanners built-in? Maybe this will lighten the scrutiny of capturing unwanted images, risking privacy legality, etc.? A scanner can properly track and update someone on a delivery as well as keep sufficient inventory records, just as well as a camera. Yes visuals are always nice and can stream live feeds like when resolving an issue, customer support can pin point a problem almost immediately. However, I think a compromise is necessary to establish trust of humans operating unattended computers before

Nonetheless, what does this have to do with journalism and its future on aerial drone spacial imagery? Well… nothing. I am going to be frank and admit I was just trying to pull a local tie with this week’s topic.

Well, maybe there is one connection…?! The FAA and the rest of the drone-connessuior. As Syracuse’s very own Skyworks, a collaborative group of sophisticated young ‘techies’ who are changing the misconception of the drone, ‘operator’ by educating qualified, drone-connessuiors to reassure campus regulators,  that good old fashion training is what will help build the trust of the FAA.

I feel that aerial/ spacial drone imagery is another unprecedented form of visual communication that just like other forms of content creating platforms also went through to get the acceptance that it has now.

If there weren’t people pushing the boundaries then regulators wouldn’t have a job. People wouldn’t see how the world looks through someone else’s eyes. I believe, understanding other human perspectives creates a more powerful grasp on one’s own life.

I find myself stepping back from my ‘own frame of reference’ a lot more often (as of late) to fully learn manerisims and gestures like never before. It is like I am living in the present and everything around me is real-time. I am standing still. Maybe to smell the lumber that is around me from new construction? Or to hear a swift whisp of the wind? But when I pause my mind for those few moments, I hear the most beautiful converstations exchanged among other humans passing by.

I find it so facisnating to learn that people are not speaking about things you would normally assume when walking to work or to the grocery store. And from these converesations I have my Notes App nearly full with documented enlightenment of conversations that sparked new views on everyday things around me that could one day fill a hole of communication that no one knew was there.

That is how I feel about drones and the perspective it can give to an audience. The views of a sporting event that is seamlessly produced with all the engaging angles to feel like you are there. Drones provide a special element that can make you appreciate stories on a whole new level that otherwise would be depicted and aired in a way that the storyteller wanted you to see it.

I think that aerial imagery and 3D objects will transform your vision and transport your mind into the immersive storytelly of journalism that humans have never experienced before. Not only are drones an embodiedment of a newly immersive way to look at the world but it is a gateway for exposing new  capabilites of colabirated technologies for a deeper immersion 0f storytelling to audiences everywhere.

 

 

Week 7:Dream Up Your Own Sensor Array; #EMPJ

Posted on by lnminaglia

What Is the Human Body’s Limit Before Damage?

When watching certain sports my curiosity raises about the affects of human-to-human impact on one’s internal organs and/ or bones. Questions like, ‘how much pressure does it takes for internal organs to be damaged?’ or ‘what is the amount of preassure it takes to break a human’s bones?’ This may sound weird, however, I believe that knowing data based off degrees of pressure, force and movement measurments of bodies can be udnerstood in a way that could potentially aid in prevention of injuries and/ or gain knowledge for knowing the limits you can push yourself till it is no longer healthy.

Data of this sort can be collected and analyzed from utilizing “Triple Axis Accelerometer Breakout” sensors and “Force Sensitive” sensors. Athletes would wear the “force Sensitive” sensor sown into their uniforms to measure the pressure applied at moment of contact (either with one or more athletes, or impact of objects like ground, etc.). The “Triple Axis Accelerometer” sensor can be attached either to helmets or any other physical object that may be a potential’impact’ point a body may injure themselves on.

Motion of an athlete’s body compared to the applied pressure at the moment of impact can be analyzed to receive data that reciprocates different outcomes based off of different body movements and impact. Athletes from a variety of sports in several impactful situations will give the most insightful information to be obtained to understand true and accurate results.

Moreover, an inertial perspective from sensors will enable to capacity to which we can understand the body’s true strength (internally). I think that this is a story that would take a few months to receive information desired in order to understanding the body’s limits and/ or resistance before injury.

Links of product info below:
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/9375
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11446

I’d love to hear more ideas to fulfill this story concept. Thanks-Lacey

References:  inertial definition – Google Search. (2016).Google.com. Retrieved 23 August 2016, from https://www.google.com/search?q=inertial+definition&source=lnms&tbm=is

internal injuries – Google Search. (2016).Google.com. Retrieved 23 August 2016, from https://www.google.com/search?q=internal+injuries&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwitounL1tjOAhUFy2MKHcwCBLsQ_AUICCgB&biw=1251&bih=651#tbm=isch&tbs=rimg%3ACdxm1cKuLaadIjgYMCnZtfX0VqZBzSycY3QqwotHXPaX7gPaftwBKzZbI8Gqg5-M-KhTeQIt1PgpDLUG2Zjc-bmrsioSCRgwKdm19fRWETv4ZtlVFifLKhIJpkHNLJxjdCoRWP8tfZHXhS4qEgnCi0dc9pfuAxEIUy54xxWqzSoSCdp-3AErNlsjEa4en7-sVJdiKhIJwaqDn4z4qFMRKPgM0qBKWe8qEgl5Ai3U-CkMtRGCs-MJR6iXhCoSCQbZmNz5uauyEV1h0hEPv

Week 6; #EMPJ;Pitch a VR Story

Posted on by lnminaglia

First and foremost, I would like to continue my conversation o fmy ‘field test idea’. This week I was looking forward to learning more about VR and AR as well as 360 video concepts with journalism. And to my surprise, my exact idea (to the T) literally has already been done by a guy at Empathetic Media.

I was disappointed, to say the least… however, I still feel that there is something that I could add or attempt still with my idea and AR as an app for newsoutlets. I know that I need a trigger that activates certain stories or do I just attempt to uttilize AR with one story?

These are all things I need to think about. I truly was hoping to get some kind of revolation to what technology besides Unity I would need to ask my professor if I could barrow. But I think there is one that I will need if I am actually coming up with specific content. I would need a 360 camera. This is the only accessory I would ask for in order to create content within the AR realm on Unity to activate VR stories within the platform itself.

Nonetheless, I think that two great stories could be around Micheal Phelps. One in which would be really fun to recreate a world where you could have maybe a gamification aspect of his swimming world at rio and then certain triggers could activate AR within locations YOU are to know what a certain perspective of the Olympics felt like or looked like from where you are (anywhere in the world ) maybe triggers could be certain similar surroundings that set off a story or feature of the app?

For my second idea could maybe the wildfires that are taking place in California. Although these are not uncommon in So. Cal. as of yesteraday almost 100K people had to evacuate. I think from the footage on Facebook, this concept would be quite interesting to recreate, especially the crazy skies from the inferno.

Furthermore, this week we are to describe a story in the news that would be a great story to tell if we were to utilize VR tools. I think that I may actually have to go with either Ryan Lochte’s mugging situation (because I can only imagine his face when he was being mugged). Or the fires would be very itneresting to see via VR. Perhaps it could be a little bit of  an ‘Oregon Trail’ kind of game?! Like through VR you could learn about the fire and eevacuations, what the emotions are like when in a situation like this and find best routes of evacuates given different scenarios?!

Another idea comes from my 6th sense. I truly freak myself out sometimes when things I dream or if I have wierd daydreams that actually come true. Well, I know that I have gained OCD from having this sense because I knock on wood like nobody’s business. LOL Moreover, what I am trying to get at is earthquakes. I literally have a preminition everytime an earthquake happens. This last preminition was on Monday morning when it was still dark out and I completely was panicking in my head because I was fearful that it was the Won De fUca that was going to shift or Mt Rainer was going to cause the disaster but it turned out that there was a 5.4  earthquake else where in Asia.

But I think that a VR story of earthquakes over time from histiory would be an interesting feeling to go through and to see the emotion and preparations. To the aftermaths especially with new rules and regualations that come into place after one happens. Even a VR scenario of Mt Rainier and the evauation plan and maybe experience the VR scenarios of the volcano explosion, etc.

However, let’s just…’God forbid’ and knock on wood for right now at least. Any of these ideas would be interesting to simulate and get people’s reactions especially if they have never been in a natural disaster or natural scare like this. (Annotations could greatly tell a story like these as well).

One last thought…for VR sports stories: through AR and VR created with Unity, someone could be immersed within thier own reality via camera, trigger and sports scenarios via the content of the story. Examples: the story is created solely for the purpose of AR and elements can be viewed and interacted with via an app running in the background. What if it were about the LA Rams training camp and how they are utilizing all of these new era or modern methods of relaxation and physical theropy. So elements of their workout can be seen with in your world and activated to learn more about each technique when you are certain places walking around or when you find certain stories you are activating the next. There could be a gamification feature but I am not sure why that will add or should it add anything to the actual story for journalism purposes.

However, maybe a weather app is best to start with or even a traffic app. so that AR is not gamification but activated via you and interest in the annotations of story.?! I need some feedback. 

Until next time- Lacey. Oh and go Hawks!

http://www.recode.net/2016/8/12/12405918/getty-photos-rio-olympics-360-robot

Week 5 #EMPJ; 3D Models and Annotations

Posted on by lnminaglia

Week 5: Blog

This week covered quite an amazingly educatinoaly array of topics, yet some pretty ironic topics that really conneted with me because I had earlier, (prior to sitting down and opening the asynchronous lessons) I had thought about several stories or ‘field tests’ that I thought would be cool to recreate from the new technology that we have learned thus far in EMPJ and in the asychronous sessions my questions were brought up and kind of covered! Weird!?!

Based from the new technology software and utilities we have learned such as Unity, 3D object capturing,., Virtual Reality, 360 video, and so much more I began to think how I could create something that an audience would immerse themselves with on a daily basis? This kind of question is just one of several that give me some of the reasons I get so excited about where journalism and technology is headed.

Actually, this week I thought I was going to get the chance to utilize what we were learning and apply to a real project as the lesson was still going on. However, as most people in my class found out that Autodesk has an issue with overloading server issues. (My one 3D object took two days to process. It is an application on my phone.) This really should not take that long but I really wanted to apply this to my sister’s training video that she asked me to shoot for her and her collegues that would be sent to Germany for focus groups. Becasue, how much cooler would it be than just regular video to easily scan up load and annotate how-tos for a training and the people viewing the training could be immersed into the actual lesson understand from a whole new level at their own pace?!

Nonetheless, I think that this would still be something easily done for future training with my sister’s division at her job. Now something that I thought might be kind of interesting applied to my field study and career would be using Unity and creating either a news based or weather based (maybe even a traffic based) AR app on their phone. So that they could get updates or turn an app on and pull the phone up in front of them. Then stories or weather related content (like advisories or tips, etc,) would be annotated in the immeresed enviromenmt of their screen with their normal reality.Honestly, a little like Pokemon Go but not a game and more utility use rather than gaming. Therefore, the app would run in the background and notifications or if they wanted to click see action (even, perhaps virtual stories or live from a streaming feed thety could click on that) going on around them created by that broadcasting/ media company.

Nevertheless, that is all I want to say for now. I can’t wait to discuss more about this in class. TTYL-Lacey

 

 

Week 4 #EMPJ; Journalists & Tech… Ethics are Essential!

Posted on by lnminaglia

As I reflect on not only this weeks content in Emerging Media Platforms in Journalism, but over the last few weeks, we have had a constant variable arise that isn’t something that our class is really focused around. Nonetheless, the variable that I am talking about is not any less vital to learn. I am referring to ethics. It something that should always be brought to ones attention when handling information that pertains to other people’s lives.

I am proud to say that I came from an undergraduate program that enforced a very high standard of a code of ethics through the Edward R. Murrow School of Communications at Washington State University. It gives me such honor say that I continue my education in an elite program that upholds just as prominent of a standard code of ethics at the Communications@Syracuse program through the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.

However, between the time after my undergrad time and starting my masters degree, the understanding of what was ethical, bias and/ or either became somewhat grey. I think this was because social media, new technology, and citizen journalism. It seemed that people attempting to utilize new techniques and/ or fiddle with social media were not considering areas or boundries of the professional ethics of the journalism industry. Well, some journalists didn’t either and I found myself a little baffled to see how they had a career and I was watching people judge this amazing industry because of the fools who were not educated enough or chose to ignore how to be a good journalist. An industry that was built from the best and elite people was being demoralized by people not thinking before using, basically.

With social media as an immersive platform for new technology. New audiences were reached and doors of new ethical conundrums were opened. The new ethical horizans broadened and concerns needed and still need to be considered as this tech age is booming faster than ever with the internet of things.

Furthermore,’my ‘grey’ opinion was not only formed from ‘citizen journalist’, but because of how new technology is becoming so interactive, immersive, and with 360 (all around us) is being captured to now. This week’s asychronous lesson has made it even more apparent that I will continue to uphold my standards and never forget what ethical considerations I need to consider before and during production for every journalistic story I produce. It is my responsibility to remember that I owe it not only to myself but whomever I am telling the story to or of that I have transparency.

I think that being trusted and known that I am an ethical journalist is one thing that I have always stayed true to myself and anyone whom has ever known me. If anyone would ever question that it would be obsurd. That is why for transparency of 360 and getting out the way for the audience to fell like they are the one doing the interview makes sense. I think maybe show that you are walking out of shot. This could eliminate the shot of ‘hidding’. To ‘stage’ anything would automatically qualify as a docufilm for sure and not a hard story. It would be a feature and not breaking.

Future technologies will be ever evolving and I need to be ready for transition to tell the truth in any scenario. If I can show the truth and easily portray the story then that is the best story. If it can not be done that way then maybe it is not they right story for you. There are always ways to show and tell your audience how and what is going on without having to recreate something. That is entertainment. 🙂

#EMPJ