(Or, for you folks in the southern hemisphere, the Winter Photo Contest.)
Things have been a little quiet around here this week. That’s partly because I’m lazy but also because I’ve been preparing for this contest. There were nearly 200 entries in the first contest. That’s an impressive turnout but I’d like to see a lot more people entering this time around. The more people that enter, the better the prizes will become, so please spread the word!
If you were worried about the looming deadline for Flickr’s prestigious Blink of an Eye exhibition, relax. The exhibition has been moved back to August so they’ve extended the entry deadline to midnight PST on July 5th.
Researchers at Georgia Tech have announced completion of a prototype device, built using off-the-shelf components, that can prevent unwanted digital video and still photography in a given area. There is obvious interest in the project from the security industry and also the film industry where it could be used in theaters to prevent bootlegging.
The system is in its infancy and there are a lot of kinks to work out. But technology like this will only improve. It’s just a matter of time before you can buy a wearable device that will project a “zone of privacy” wherever you go. That’s all good, but I think we should all be on the lookout for legislation in the next few years, backed by the film industry, that attempts to ban anti-photography countermeasures. Countermeasures might include active devices that block or impede the anti-photography system or might be as simple as using a film camera. It’s not too hard to imagine is it? A ban on film cameras because they circumvent this system? They’re already trying the same thing with television recording devices. We might all be writing our representatives about this in a few years.
window ball, originally uploaded by fotogail.
Photos posted in this category are selected from the contributions of members of the Photodoto discussion group at Flickr.com.
Adobe is looking for hobbyists (not pros) in the San Francisco Bay area for a study they are conducting. They want to send 2-3 researchers to your home to observe you working with photos on your home computer. Specifically they want people who:
I spoke with someone at Adobe who indicated they are looking for three different profiles: people who are into scrapbooking and who have a lot of time to spend on perfecting their projects; younger people who are online a lot, blog, and use camera phones; and people who have at least 1,000 photos on their computers that they’re willing to bring in.
The study should last about 2 hours and they’ll pay $100 for participating. Send an email to csinfo@adobe.com if you’re interested.
Photodoto