iOS6 has some map-parent problems

Apple's iOS6 released last week alongside the new iPhone 5. iOS6 contains innovative features such as the ability to decline calls with a custom message or callback reminders, a camera upgrade allowing the user to take a panorama photo, upgraded Safari browser capabilities, and so much more. However, the inclusion of the new Apple Maps system has caused some ridicule by users and the online community.

The new system allows you to look at city and street maps, but now it gives you a 3D view of buildings and bridges. This can look gorgeous, as evidenced by this picture:



However, the quality of this program is not always as consistent. In some areas, roadways and buildings appear wavy or contain 90 degree angle vertical drops between streets or roads. In this image you can clearly see certain buildings and monuments look like they're melted pieces of clay, causing many to claim iOS Maps has caused "the apocalypse."



The quality of these images has hit the web in a big way, prompting bloggers and websites to post numerous gaffes, inaccuracies, and inadequacies present. theamazingios6maps.tumblr.com is one such website that finds and posts many of these mistakes; top-down versions missing and mislabeling giant landmarks, random discolorations, among others.

The popularity of these blogs and images and how infamously low quality this maps system is compared to the Google Maps service prompted Apple CEO Tim Cook to release a statement to users apologizing for the low quality:

"At Apple, we strive to make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to our customers. With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment. We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better."

With the release of iOS6 and subsequently the iPhone 5 and the overall success that each are having with users, it doesn't look like this minor hiccup will cause many problems for Apple. However, it does show maybe a little wavering in the confidence and consistency of a Tim Cook-led Apple. 

A Creative Cloud!

     This week it was brought to my attention that I've been missing out on probably one of the biggest advantages of being a student. And that of course is taking advantage of student discounts for software! Now this is not new at all! But what I was missing was that Adobe had created a resource to help students and educators to afford their products without shelling out hundreds of dollars! 

 

    They created the Adobe Creative Cloud! It's wonderful! You just have to subscribe to their service and pay monthly for all your favorite programs. You pay for as long as you need it! So if your talking a graphic design course and you can't afford to upgrade your Creative Suite, now you can download it for a small fee each month until your done with the class! The best part is the pricing, its $20 cheaper if your a student or educator! Whooohoooo! We all love saving a little dough!

     Adobe is offering quite a few programs from Photoshop, Lightroom, Fireworks, Speedgrade to Illustrator, After Effects and Audition! Check it out, it might be the best thing since spam in a can! Plus they are also offering a free 30 day trail!

Service With a Smile

Hey everyone,
it's always helpful to be courteous and kind to SMDC patrons; if we create a benevolent and beneficial experience with people who use our services, they will be more likely to come back. Here are some ways we can provide this experience for our customers:

-Communicate clearly(Speaking and Listening) Being intentional when conversing will help  ourselves and our patrons from getting confused or frustrated when solving a problem.

-Be patient. This is very important as we deal with a myriad of different issues with our technology and other concerns our users may have. If we fail to be patient and become frustrated then we are not providing a comfortable or safe environment for our patrons.

-Smile. A smile is a simple way to brighten another person's day. It's easy and usually they will smile back returning the good vibes.

-Give suggestions, educate, and talk about the different resources we have to offer. "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he will feed himself for a lifetime" We need to help educate people on how to use their programs instead of always just doing it for them. It will help them along the road in completing different projects and they will benefit from learning new sets of skills.

These are only a few of the many things we can possibly do to create and enriching experience for our users. Do what you can to keep students and faculty coming back to the SMDC for more.

Infographics: Aren't They Just Pie Graphs by Another Name?

Have you ever heard of infographics? No doubt you've seen them. More and more, infographics--a combination of textual information and illustrations--are being used in print and web publications as a more engaging and effective means of portraying stats, data sets, quantifiable relationships, procedures, relational networks...just about anything that would otherwise require a solid paragraph of text (or more) to explain.

We've all seen pie charts, bar graphs, and density maps before, but they often lack the design clarity and aesthetic quality to elevate visualizations of information above board room-level boredom.

So are infographics really all that different? Read on.

Color Correcting with Gels

Ever wonder what those gel sheets in the advanced lighting kits are for?  They help "fix" lights to work with ambient or background light.  Basically, if room lights have a different color (or, more technically, temperature) than the lamps in the kit (such as daylight [more blue] or fluorescent [more green / orange] the gels can adjust the lamps to match. 

You can find out more from this Lowel EDU page:

http://www.lowel.com/edu/light_controls/gels.html 

Smart Board Studio 2

Recently, there have been questions regarding the smart board in Studio 2. Many users have been having trouble using the pen and have came to the desk saying that it won't work and the light on the smart board is red, indicating the pens don't work on it. One solution is to restart the computer (through the first monitor). This will reboot the entire system (computer and smart board) and the pens should be good to go afterwards. The reason seems to be that after a certain amount of time, the computer goes into power-saver mode, disabling the smart board. So, if a user has problems with it, a simple solution is to reboot. Just remember to tell the user to save any work to an external hard drive before restarting.

National McNair Scholars

One of our very own, Ashley Evans, will be presenting her research at the National McNair Scholars hosted at the University of Delaware on October 11-12.  McNair Scholars from across the nation will present their research, too, and you can read the article in UDaily.

Ashley will also be a participant in the Poetry Slam.  Win the money, Ashley!

The Importance of Using A Backdrop For Photography Purposes

Many beginner photographers overlook the importance of backdrops. It is commonly found that they set up what would have been a stunning photograph and only later discover that a distracting background element was also captured. The photograph may no longer be focused on the intended subject and is therefore ruined.

However, with the availability of the Backdrops at the University’s Student Multimedia Design Center this can be easily avoided! The Student Multimedia Design Center offers Diamond Cloth backdrops in white, black, blue and khaki that can be checked out by students of the University.

By using a simple backdrop, such as the ones offered at The Student Multimedia Design Center, you will be able to isolate the subject of your photograph and create a more professional effect. So, the next time you are planning a photo shoot please stop by The Student Multimedia Design Center for a backdrop and always remember that what you capture behind your subject can make or break your photographs!

Video code of ethics

With great power comes great responsibility.

One video on YouTube has stirred major trouble around the world inciting riots in at least fourteen African countries resulting in the death of several Americans in Libya. Media can be a powerful tool for both good and evil so I would encourage everyone to develop and adhere to a strict code of ethics.

A Pledge For Online Video Responsibility has developed a code of ethics.  It addresses issues such as "cyber-bullying", respecting others right to privacy, special protection of minors, respecting others' reputation, respecting others' right of publicity (one I really appreciate), video service provider guidelines, legal responsibilities, ethical obligations, being transparent, and respecting the truth and the facts.

 

A Pictures Is Worth a Thousand Words

Hey Guys!

I stumbled upon this remarkable story the other day.

Check out this link:
A Love Story in 22 Pictures

I love how, even without words, these 22 pictures say so much. This is an incredible use media! The viewer cannot only sympathize, but also becomes drawn into the story to experience these events personally. I truly hope this inspires your creativity and tugs at your heart strings. Afterall, the beauty of art is how it can cause the viewer to feel something... and, if you are anything like me, you will feel this message strongly.

> Taylor Patterson

Multimedia Use in the Classroom

This UDaily article posted a few days ago talks about how Prof. Perez is using a digital tablet to write equations and information on top of programs like SPSS and PowerPoint so that information is more easily understood in the classroom. It's interesting to think of how this was so easy to do and commonplace when overhead projectors were used, and now that computers and PowerPoint presentations are the primary means to teach in lectures, handwriting is almost forgotten about. The ability to write on top of slides can be very valuable. Quickly amending notes and adding crucial information without moving to the chalkboard streamlines workflow and keeps information in the same place without having half the lecture on the chalkboard and half the lecture projected.

If you are interested in trying out a tablet, we have a Wacom Bamboo Fun tablet available for 3 day loan at the Student Multimedia Design Center.

If you would like to use a tablet for graphic design, photo editing, digital painting, or for more artistic means than just writing on PowerPoints, we also have a Wacom Cintiq 24HD tablet in Studio 5. This tablet has an integrated HD screen that lets you draw directly on top of the screen onto your digital documents. The studio can be reserved up to a week in advance in 2 hour time slots. Pen and nibs are available for loan at the desk.

Wacom Bamboo Fun

Rise of the 3-D Printers

The library has numerous printers, but none like the 3-D printer which can create physical objects. After reading the article "3-D printing: the shape of things to come" I was mind blown by this new technology. I've been printing on paper throughout my life and here comes a new device that can duplicate models from the computer into real life objects. This makes me wish I was a kid again because then I could simply print off any action figure that I wanted. The article asserts that " Hod Lipson, director of Cornell University's Creative Machines Lab states their focus is on electric wires, batteries and motors", which could be very helpful to the SMDC. If we ever needed more batteries for cameras or wires for students to borrow they could simply print out more. Even though the price for one of these new printers is steep I think the benefits outweigh the costs. 

If you could afford a 3-D printer would you buy one?  I definitely would.

VTC Online Training

Since starting work in the Student Multimedia Design Center, there have been a lot of programs that I have discovered and have been curious to find out exactly what they are used for. Programs such as blender and adobe illustrator are programs I never knew existed, but upon working here it is an obligation of mine to learn them. That is where VTC online training comes in. VTC or Virtual Training Center is an online site that has detailed instructional videos on thousands of programs. The best part is that the University offers a membership free to students and faculty. All you need to do is request a username and password from the IT department. I will leave the link at the end of the blog post. With this teaching tool we can better serve the students and the questions we get on the day to day basis. Also I finally get to learn Photoshop!

Link to IT request form: http://www.it.udel.edu/learnit/online-training-resources

Inside the Secret Program to Build the World's Best Maps

Alexis Madrigal's article "Inside the Secret Program to Build the World's Best Maps" offers a look into how how Google puts its maps together using "Ground Truth."  The Library has many people using Google Map and Google Earth to look things up, but most have little idea how the various data elements are put together.  For anyone who wants to know more about the way things work, this is cool stuff.

Basic Shapes and Gradients Tutorial for Illustrator

Interested in learning some basics in Adobe Illustrator?

Chris Spooner consistently offers clear, creative, and helpful tutorials. I completed this "Ribbon Style Logo" today and picked up some new methods that are already improving my workflow and confidence with basic shapes, gradients and color management.

After fall wraps up, I will have one more semester to take advantage of the classes that offer instruction on Adobe CS. However, as an English major and Interactive Media minor, I've unfortunately taken about all the relevant classes I can without declaring the VC major (not a good idea considering that I'll be graduating in the spring!).

That being said, it looks like I'll have to make do with tutorials. I always resisted tutorials in the past, but the time has come to humble myself and get to work. Maybe I can dedicate myself to finishing one every Thursday? Try to hold me to it.

Bruce Willis and iTunes

Some of you may have seen this floating around news sites recently: a rumor that Bruce Willis was suing Apple over iTunes's user agreement that doesn't actually give one ownership over music and thus enable one to leave them to one's children. Though it was a rumor it did raise interesting discussions such as in this article. This is one big advantage of buying CDs, IMHO. Also the sound quality is better on a CD. Of course in this age of streaming music, many are choosing not to buy music at all.
While on the topic, just a reminder that if you are helping someone who wants to make an audio CD that will play in a CD player, you must use a program to do that. Just dragging files onto a CD will not make it an audio CD. In iTunes, create a playlist and then choose "Burn playlist to disc" and make sure the setting is on Audio CD.
Rich

Google Docs as Online Backup for Files!

I absolutely LOVE Google Docs! For many many reasons but one of my biggest reason is because you can use Google Docs as an online backup for all your files (even video projects!). Over the past four semesters I have grown accustomed to just putting all my papers and video projects onto Google Docs after working on them in word. The brilliant thing is, if for some strange reason I need to get that paper and I don't have my computer I can go to any of the computers on campus and get my document right then and there. It is such a great tool to have in your toolbox. You don't have to worry about your computer crashing and losing all your files because they are all online. You also have a ton of space to store all your files. According to the Google Docs help page you have 5GB of storage space. It is a great thing and I definitely recommend it!

A Unique Type of Typography

So although this is from fall of 2011, I just found this today! This "bubble wrap" typography was created by Spanish graphic design studio Lo Siento. Now there is not much written about the process of how this was created but from I can tell, they used just plain old water colored with dyes. They then used a needle to inject the water into the bubbles, doing so in a fashion where they could create words. In this case "NEXT CREATIVITY". I imagine that the needle they used was very small, which allowed a tiny hole to be punctured in each bubble, however, the hole would be small enough that no water would be able to escape.

As an artist myself, this is a very unique and interesting way of typography that I have never seen before or would have thought of myself. I plan on experimenting with this method myself, making my own typography. I may even take it a step further and try and make large scale images out of it, similar to pointillism projects I did in an art class in high school. Materials are easy enough to find, except for maybe the needle. If I do happen to succeed with this method, I will post my results when complete.

If you would like to see the design created by Lo Siento just follow the link here.

New Sony Action Cam

The Sony Action Cam, set to be released at the end of September, has some of the coolest features I've ever seen for a camera. First off, the camera can film in both HD and STD and has multiple attachments such as a water-proof case, handlebar mount, and a headband. The camera comes equipped with effects like slow motion and SteadyShot image stabilization, so users can edit their videos on the spot. Overall though, the coolest feature to the Action Cam is that the cameras are WiFi enabled, meaning that video can be instantly transmitted to the cell-phone app and the app can also control the camera remotely. The 90 gram camera is priced at about $270 with WiFi or $199 without WiFi. If you would like a more in-depth view of this camera, you can check it out here: Sony Action Cam

Create Custom Fonts with FontStruct

The idea of creating a custom font has always excited--and eluded--me. Last semester, I posted about how to do this very thing with Inkscape. Surely, I thought, a detailed video tutorial for a free, easy-to-use program should have been enough to finally set me on my typographic quest.

Oh, but how I have forsaken the path.

Maybe FontStruct can help me along. It's a free, web-based, modular font-builder (whew!) that exports your character-set in TrueType format for cross-platform use. At the very least, it's fun to experiment with. Judging by the gallery, it is quite capable of creating some unique and useful fonts. Give it a try!

Good Video about Studio Lighting

Now that we have four different light kits going out for three-day loans, I thought it might be nice to post a video that shows some lighting techniques with the results...

- Diana (via Nadine's login)

New Wireless phone charging speaker and headphones

TDK has just come out with a new headphone set and a speaker cube that charges your phone wirelessly.  The headphones are pretty pricey ($250) but have a built in amp that increases the volume 6dB and drives up the base.  The wireless charging speaker comes in at a whopping $400 but can charge your phone inductively by simply setting it on top of the speaker and can connect to your phone through Bluetooth.  The wireless sound cube also has the capacity to switch from omni-directional to directional sound mode in order to optimize your sound quality whether you place the device in the middle of the room or in a corner.  The somewhat retro design of the speaker and the headphones make them a very good looking set although you might have to put in a few extra hours at the multimedia center to be able to pick them up.