Perspective is the word.

            When you walk down a lane, especially when you're unaccompanied and clear-headed, your mind consciously or subconsciously tends to drink in every miniscule detail of the setting around you. This has always set me off wondering where all this information goes. It's just that the mind has been trained to ignore information that is of little or no interest at that particular moment and buries it deep into the recesses of the remarkably capacious human brain. Does that mean that the information is superfluous? Or are we missing out on something?

         The average human eye is always on the lookout for something that is best-looking or visually attractive. Let's look at an analogy to gain some insight into this. You're travelling and need to stop somewhere to satisfy your famished belly. You're on the lookout for a restaurant in a place that is alien to you. There are two restaurants, one that looks run-down and another that looks really new and majestic. There are two ways one can look at this situation. The natural inclination is to choose the one that looks better. The rationale behind this decision could be the argument that the restaurant looks better because it is doing better business making it an obvious choice. But for all we know, the one that looks run-down serves cleaner and tastier food. Maybe it looks run-down because the restaurant has sunk it's roots so deep that nothing can displace it making the management complacent about the looks of the restaurant. But not many people take this vantage point. As the old saying goes 'The first impression is the best impression'. As much as this is true, we should also keep in mind another old saying 'Looks can be deceptive'. Thus before forming ideas intuitively, a little investigation will do no harm at all. It is always good to be a little circumspect before being judgmental. So what does all this mean? It means that it will not suffice to just be observant. It's what you do with the information assimilated that counts.

            This philosophy can be instrumental in solving every issue that plagues this world fraught with misery. It's always important to keep in mind that nothing is unimportant however trivial it might be. There is no saying when something might crop up that will make you regret your ignorance and naivety. In the end, it all boils down to one word. PERSPECTIVE is the word!

The Amazing Race App

I have grown tired of hearing the previous generation going on about how games from their childhood were better than sitting in front of a screen and pushing buttons. I have to admit that video games have their limitations, but their awesomeness cannot be ignored. With the inception of the Wii and the Kinect, video games nowadays involve more physical exhertion, these still require you to be present in front of a TV screen. But why don't we have games that involve venturing out into the real world? Unfortunately wearing augmented reality specs and shooting virtual creatures that spawn in the real world is still too futuristic.

Apart from games, the other big pastime for kids is television. One of my favorite shows was “the amazing race” on AXN. The thrill of watching people racing against someone (or time) to overcome obstacles was entertaining. I think it was these same elements that made Dan Brown's books so exhilarating to read. If watching/reading it is fun, playing it is twice so. One of the most fun times I ever had was playing treasure hunt with Kushal and Arun at Mood Indigo. But why cant we do it more often? Because you need a big team of organizers to set up these games, but that was before the age of mobile phones. You can probably see where I am going with this. :-)

Let us consider the hypothetical game in my mind. One phone represents a team. The teams meet up at a single point. (Use GPS to trigger this). Once the game starts they will get different clues that will lead to their next pit-stop. Here they will be given a certain question regarding the location/monument which refers to a specific part of it. Solving this will point towards a certain part of the monument. Maybe a  statue/painting/fountain. (Use your imagination ;-p ) The team has to take a picture of this item and send it to he server where it checks whether the answer is right or wrong and awards them the next clue and so on. First one to the final pit-stop wins.

Of course you can add many things to this.  Using GPS, the teams can keep track of how far the other teams have progressed. Add a scavenger list and budget restrictions. We can have time-outs where teams can choose a time penalty to get the location of the next pit-stop. The teams in front will be getting harder questions. etc etc. The tough part will be collecting enough data to generate maps or clues to play at different locations. Also to make the content large and dynamic enough so that its enjoyable for frequent players. 

This is yet another silly idea that came into my head. A quick Google check shows that no such app currently exists. I think this would be a fun way to spend a day with your friends and to explore your city. What do you think? Please leave your comments below.

Unique, Unconventional and Unceasing Entertainment - The Artist

As I entered the theater last Monday, I didn't have an inking of what to expect. The Artist, I knew had won five Oscars. I also knew that it was a black and white silent film, but what I didn't know was that I'd be completely mesmerized for a hundred minutes barring the ten minute interval in-between. After the first ten minutes of the movie, I knew I was watching something special. The fact that it has won 5 Oscars should rouse enough curiosity in people to make them watch this movie at a theater. But for the odd sceptic, who might dismiss this movie thinking it's black and white and silent, you will be missing out on a delightful experience.

The storyline is more or less cliched in it's essence. It's about the downward spiral of an actor, George Valentin, who is simply adored by audiences across the world. Along comes Peppy Miller, who is the next big star in Hollywood. George and Peppy work together on a film as George not only takes her under his wing, but also realizes that an undeniable spark develops between them. Over the course of the next few years, silent movies fade into obscurity as "talkies" burst onto the scene. Peppy is the new fan favourite and George finds himself struggling for not only work, but also a purpose to live.

Everything about this film is remarkable. The acting is top-notch and the film is visually appealing despite being black and white. The attention to detail in each and every scene is outstanding. There are a few scenes from the movie that are unforgettable. They will remain etched in my memory for as long as I can remember the movie. There's a scene where George is sitting at a mirror table drinking whiskey. You see nothing but George, his reflection, and the alcohol. He pours the contents of the glass on the tabletop as the look of disgust on his brow intensifies. This scene is stunning and words wont do justice to how you feel when you watch it. The brilliant soundtrack in the film takes you back to the early 1920s. The chemistry between all the actors is sizzling, the comedy is absolutely hilarious, the storyline is gripping and you feel emotionally connected with the characters and the story.

I entered the theater with a hint of cynicism. I haven't always liked all award winning movies but the artist most certainly isn't one of them. Now, I would brave the sun, rain, hail, snow and tortuous queues to watch the movie once more. Kudos to Michel Hazanavicius for this exceptional movie. I will be on the look-out for his next movie. To the entire cast, producers and everyone else involved, BRAVO! The Artist obviously is unique and unconventional in the age we live in and it unquestionably is entertainment galore.

P.S.  The dog in the movie deserves a special mention. To me, personally, the dog stole the show. Shouldn't there be a category for the Best Animal Actor Award?

The Future of Education

Recently, in my computer graphics class Prof Perlin was explaining the process of transition from horse drawn carriages to motorized cars. Initially the designers just replaced the horse with an engine. It took some time for them to realize that many restrictions on the previous design were irrelevant now. He then went on to explain how he thought that the same way pages on a book were no longer relevant as we move into the e-book era (http://blog.kenperlin.com/?p=7902). Also because I have been trying to put together some suggestion for improving my college, I started thinking about how the education system should change. I know that these may not be truly novel ideas. But for me these are original. So, I just thought of documenting them.

The general layout of the system I propose is as follows:

Each class room is fitted with a display screen with touch capability (I shall refer to this as the Board from now on.) and every student and teacher is supplied with individual touch screen tablets (shall be referred to as tablets from now on).

Now there will be a distinctive hierarchy in this system. The teacher's tablet has authority over the tablets of the students (of his class). The students have to log on to be granted attendance. Once logged in, the system cannot go to regular mode unless the teacher allows them to do so. During the lecture time, the teacher can put the students' tablet to one of the two modes 

1) lecture mode or 2) exam mode. Thus the tablets cannot be used for leisure activities during class time. In both the modes the teacher can allow access to limited apps (e.g. calculators,periodic tables,etc) if he or she wishes to do so.

Lecture Mode:

In this mode the contents of the boards are replicated onto the tablet, including the content written by the teacher. Now the students can choose to save these markings, and also add to this with their own comments and notes. The teacher can also use this platform to distribute his/her notes. Assignments and exams announced can be automatically marked on student calendars. Enabling sound recording in the classroom can also enable students to access the lecture outside the class environment, if he or she wishes to do so.

Exam Mode:

Exams will be written on the tablets. Once the teacher enables the exam, the students can access the question papers. At the end of the exam duration, the content is automatically submitted. Similar systems can be adopted for assignments or homework. A more secure version of this system can make board examinations also easier to implement.

The content itself needs to be revolutionized because we are no longer using static text books. Using videos, animations, interactive tutorials can help students in understanding concepts much more easily. Assignments can be in the form of interactive games.

Now when the tablets are used by individuals, it is much easier to apply restrictions for internet access and the apps that can be installed on the system. There can be forums for students to collaborate and to ask doubts. Even Teachers can have forums to collaborate on the content and material. There must also be a framework, which will enable teachers to create courseware easily. The content itself will be more dynamic; the interaction with students and teachers is not just direct, but collaborative. Hence it will evolve constantly.

Use of plagiarism detection techniques can make sure that these practices are discouraged at an early stage. The data itself can be on cloud, so that it is hardware independent. Also this in a way can be used by students to document their thoughts. The performances of students can be evaluated using the many statistical and pattern recognition techniques available. Also using these statistics as feedback we can analyse various trends to enhance the educational experience.

As it always is with technology, the possibilities are endless. This is just a rendition of my imagination of how the future of the education system must be. Please post your thoughts/ideas in the comments section..