Wrapping It All Up

     Before taking this class, I really had not even scratched the surface of technology. I always considered myself a "tech-savvy" person but I have come to the realization that I'm really not all that "tech-savvy." I was born at a time where technology and the Internet and mobile phones were being first utilized in real life. I started playing on the computer when I was younger and we started downloading/uploading music onto an old media player on the computer. CD's were the cool thing to have and I can even remember using cassette tapes as well. Technology itself has just evolved and shot off since then. Looking back now, I sometimes wonder if I could ever survive without the technology that I use every day. 
     Pre-Info3Pt0 class I never would have used that amount of technology in everyday life. I guess what I would call my level of usage of technology is very basic. I use my BlackBerry everyday so I can have emails sent to me and not need my laptop. I use my iTouch but solely for music purposes. I have few apps on my phone and my phone I use pretty much for texting and if I call anyone it's usually family. But really, I just use bare bone minimum technology compared to what we talked about, learned about and utilized in class. The only time I really had a blog was when I was in middle school and it was a LiveJournal. My facebook I use obviously to socialize with all my peers and keep in touch with some family members and my twitter I just really use not to the extent that we did. All in all, I'd say that pre-class I probably wasn't utilizing the technology we have available to the extent that we can use it to be effective. 
     In class, we have covered everything from mobile technology to security issues to social media to technology and education. It's been interesting to go into each of these topics in depth and really explore them and see how the technology has evolved since then. Using a blog to relate our topic to technology was really interesting and effective to a degree. Looking at some of the blogs, I'd say that I learned a lot in comparison to what I posted on my blog. It really gave us a chance to explore what field of study we are currently interested/majoring in and see how technology has and is and will be affecting it. We looked at our topics from new perspectives and took it to new levels each and every time. I sometimes had to get a little creative since a couple of these topics were really hard to relate to but then I ended up having a couple personal experiences that I could share and I hope it helped the blog when I couldn't find the research to back up the issue. 
     Post 3.0 Class I would say that I think I'm going to stick with the minimal amount of technology that I still use. While I have learned a LOT with this class I feel better prepared for using the technology we have. I'm probably going to try and use my iTouch more for apps and the same with my BlackBerry. The apps we looked at were actually pretty helpful and I could use some of them to help organize my life because I like to have a system and be organized. I'm glad that we have learned through a broad variety and I feel that I have learned about security measures and I plan on putting some of those into practice. All in all, I feel that technology affects my field of study and the setup for this class was very fun and different from my typical classes. But, I think that theatre requires more hands on experiences more so than lecturing and I would find it difficult to incorporate technology into some of my classes. I enjoyed using all the different things such as WIMBA, Pronto and being able to have my laptop in class. It really helped me focus sometimes and other times I would get distracted and end up on Facebook. But incoporating the social media such as Twitter and Facebook into the assignments helped because we ALREADY go onto these sites daily. I learned so much from this class and felt that there was still so much more to learn in terms of technology and I feel like you have to constantly keep yourself updated because technology keeps advancing every single day. This was definitely a great class and a great experience and while it was overwhelming at first I was able to adjust.

The Future of the Theatre

     Theatre has and always will be affected by technology. Now when you go back to the days of the Greeks it's very obvious that theatre was still occurring at that time but as technology has grown and become very much a part of our daily lives it has made theatre much better. We have grown from the days of just using torches and having to create masks that will make performers' voices louder. Technology has made theatre more of a "spectacle" as it is sometimes called and it has made the lives of those working in the theatre. But, there are always technical issues that occur every once in a while and it's unfortunate and inconvenient when it happens during a performance. 
    In regards to the positive consequences of having technology involved with the theatre is that we are able to do so many things on computers and our lights, sound and even methods of creating scenery and props and costumes have advanced. In regards to light and sound we have computerized lightboards and soundboards. From personal experience, when I was a sound board operator my job was very easy. Every day all I had to do was turn on a computer to have the SFX (sound effects) program running and unlock the soundboard. Then, each setting for how loud each set or type of speakers was going to be and I never once had to change them up or move them around. It was really that simple. The only thing I had to do was basically learn the system and learn how to check the speakers and make sure everything was working correctly. That's a major benefit to having soundboards automatically save the settings for speakers for a certain show. With one click of a button you have automatically unmuted or muted the speakers needed/not needed in a specific show. 
     There's always a downside to technology because there are times when technology fails. While I was an assistant stage manager on an opera here we used a projection screen in the background of the stage to show the audience members where in South America the principal singers were traveling to. Anyway, so right before a show we were checking the projections screen and the original laptop we had for projections was not working. Turns out, there were several viruses on the computer and anyone that possibly put in a flash drive or other piece would contract those viruses as well. So, we had to get a new laptop to use for the projections but the powerpoint version was wrong and then as we were about to open the show they were still trying to fix the problem. And they had been working on this for about an hour so we ended up having to close the traveler curtain and then have it open again during Act I. It's times like those that technology really does fail sometimes and takes awhile to fix because sometimes you aren't able to pinpoint the problem right away. 
     As for the role of technology in the future it's hard to say what exactly will happen in the world of theatre. My professor told me during our interview that she heard something about followspots not needing human operators. That, eventually, we might get to the point where a lead actor can wear a little chip and the followspot will follow that actor and not need a human operator. Apparently, there are a few versions out already and they're still very, very new to the theatre world. So, obviously, they are going to have a few kinks and problems but with technology evolving so quickly nowadays it's not impossible to say that the engineers of these followspot lights will work out the kinks very quickly. 
    In regards to what I specifically want to study, Stage Management, technology has made that job so much easier. We now have cellphones and email and in this way our communication is so much better because not all directors, designer, performers, etc are located in the same place. The job of the stage manager is to bring all the aspects of the show that have been working separately and bring them together. While everyone, no matter their job, is working towards the same goal. They work separately up until the rehearsals move onto the stage and go into tech week and being able to have the technology we use makes the job of the stage manager so much easier. They communicate on headset and have the ability to put separate areas of the show onto one channel so they have the ability to communicate with one area only. The other aspect is that while on headset the stage manager can hear everyone talking to them at once. While stage managers still use a lot of paper and pencil, it's a method that doesn't fail. We can create documents for paperwork on laptops which again gives us the ability to multi-task while sitting in on a rehearsal. Another innovative method we use at CSPAC is that we have a wiki for all rehearsal and performance reports and all lists of costumes and props requested. It's a central place where everyone involved on the show can go to one place and all the information is there and according to my professor they just started using that only a few years ago and it has proven to be quite effective. All in all, technology is constantly changing and there is no way to nowhere it's going to end up in even just a few years. 


Below is the interview I had with my professor. 

Apps For Your CrackBerry

What are the latest and greatest apps to have on your BlackBerry? Below are just a few of the many new apps you can download specifically to BlackBerries.

NFL Game Center 2010

     The newest sports app, directly from the NFL, to have on your BlackBerry helps keep major football fans updated on their teams. I mean, what else do those major NFL die-hard fans live for during the football season? Of course this would be a must-have for any of those out there that live and breathe football and cheer for their team. Any fan is able to customize the app to their liking by having a "My Team" feature and it keeps you updated on that specific team(s) by sending you "My Team Alerts." You're able to get quarterly game audio highlights, any big in-game plays through audio, pre/post game conferences, stats, live scoreboards, play-by-plays, injuries, team rosters and more! What fan wouldn't appreciate this? It's a great way to keep updated in case you can't make it home to see your team play. For only $4.99 I would say that's very reasonable for how well the app keeps you updated on your favorite team.

http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/18214?lang=en

System Dash

     While this app has been around for a few months and isn't exactly new to BlackBerry users it has recently been updated to be more compatible with the BlackBerry6. But overall, it's fairly new and everyone might not know about it and it's a fairly useful app to have if you like keeping track of certain features on your mobile phone. For those of you that like to have a memory booster and keep track of your battery levels (and have the device alert you to them) and overall just get more about your device in-depth it gives you a look into it and it's at a fairly cheap price too. The reviews have little to no complaints about the app and said it was easy to use and well worth the 5 or 6 dollars they paid (though the price has been dropped to 2 or 3 dollars).

http://software.crackberry.com/product.asp?deleteDevice=1&id=67489

Rdio

      For all the music lovers out there this is an application you will want to have on your BlackBerry. This is the newest music streaming service and it's available on both your mobile device and your desktop. You're able to add songs to your online collections and the coolest feature that has been stated in a review about this app is: "the ability to resume a song/album/playlist from where you left off last, when transitioning from desktop to mobile, or vice versa." (crackberry.com). The collection of music is very wide and you're able to get music without a cellular signal which is awesome! The app is only $4.99 and a good price for those that love to listen to a lot of music. It also comes with a free trial. But it might not be popular for people who already have Pandora and don't want to pay the money for this app.

http://www.rdio.com/

Evernote

     If you ever have trouble remembering multiple things at once (and let's face it..we all do) and if you don't have anything with you to take down notes with; take it with Evernote! The app for the BlackBerry that keeps you organized and synchronized in life. You can take snapshots, take notes, reminders and the list goes on. While it has been around and is a basic BlackBerry app for awhile it did receive a new update and now supports more systems (such as OS and 6). But it's such a helpful app to have simply for the fact that it keeps you organized and you are able to sync it with your desktop and you're able to search for whatever you're looking for through the BlackBerry. Like the link below says: "Evernote turns your BlackBerry® into an extension of your brain." (BlackBerry App World).

http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/1700

BerryReader
     A basic BlackBerry app has been updated and recently named "BerryReader." It is a Google Reader app and you're able to read any news article (and more) you would want and the list of improvements to the app is huge. Within those improvements it includes: added e-mail, twitter, and facebook support, you're able to choose "hide/show feed" and more. What's also good about the app is that it stays connected to the Google Reader account and you can continue to read your story even if you don't have a network. 

http://software.crackberry.com/productMobile.asp?id=66853&section=

Any of these apps are available at the below website with reviews and information on every single one of these and many more! 
http://us.blackberry.com/apps-software/appworld/
Credit goes to this website:
http://crackberry.com/crack-team/software

A New Way to Protect Your Smartphone?

    Mobile technology is becoming more and more sophisticated as the years go on. Heck, every few months there is a new phone with brand new features or more sophisticated features than the last one and then people have to have these phones. So what is the latest and greatest feature for smartphones nowadays? A new feature as face and voice verification is now being tested at the University of Manchester and being tested on a new Nokia phone. How will this be helpful and useful to the public? Or is this just something that is completely unnecessary and something to hype up the technology being used in cellphones?
    As always the new technology that scientists come up with is to try and be beneficial to the public. Why else would you come up with a new feature, application or idea? The idea of facial and voice recognition technology is already in use with other types of technology out there in the world. It is used with laptops, the new Xbox Kinect, webcams and more. It is a great security feature to have on a phone because than if you lost your mobile phone noone would be able to hack into it (in theory because we always know there is going to be a person where if they try hard enough they can find a way to accomplish a task). But, anyway, the point is that this can be very beneficial and helpful to those that lose or misplace a phone. At the same time, how much more will you as a customer have to pay for this type of a feature on your smartphone? Is it really worth it? 
  How the feature works is that there is a camera used to scan your face and is able to identify where you are as in a location of the area. There has been preliminary research and tests on this kind of a feature. " 'Existing mobile face trackers give only an approximate position and scale of the face,' said Dr Phil Tresadern, lead researcher on the project. 'Our model runs in real-time and accurately tracks a number of landmarks on and around the face such as the eyes, nose, mouth and jaw line.' " (University of Manchester). Obviously, they want to expand the project and research and they have a plan for this because it has been 20 years in the making.
      The future plan for this feature being used in mobile technology becomes more complex than what already exists on pre-existing technologies such as the ones mentioned before (laptops, webcams, etc). "Eventually it will be able to tell who the user is, where they are looking and even how they are feeling." (University of Manchester). What they also want to do is also be able to eliminate the use of PIN numbers and passwords to have to log into features such as the internet and other applications that might require these things. It really is a great feature to apply to mobile phones because it can enhance the security of it so much and save people from having to remember several different passwords and then have to save said passwords into the phone where a person could easily find them on the phone and thus that person loses their privacy and security on their mobile phone. 

Photo Credit goes to this website:
http://www.itp.net/564263-alliance-sees-improved-cellphone-security-in-saudi

If you're interested in reading the article I'm going to post the link below:
http://esciencenews.com/articles/2010/10/26/new.software.brings.facial.recognition.technology.mobile.phones

Photo: Generic or Informative?

Obviously, my blog has a lot to do with theatre. So I included this photo of an Ancient Greek Theater because it informs you as to how far we have come. But to also remember that those basic techniques the Ancient Greeks created are still used to today and still very effective. I also just happen to love this photo because it shows how much they really had to vocalize to reach their audiences, how little stage they had to work with, and how many people really appreciated the arts and showed up for events such as theatre; and it is still very much loved today. But, we have come so far with technology, costuming, lights, sound and so much more that it has become a LOT more than just this where they put on simple masks and only had 2-3 people on stage speaking (not including the chorus). Again, I chose this photo because I think it is informative of the history of this beloved art but it also helps us to appreciate what new technology we have to improve and expand on this topic as well.

2-D vs. 3-D. The New Norm?

     Combining the two topics of theatre and economics has been interesting and we have managed to find a great middle ground. We have found that 3D theater has been gaining popularity the past few years; especially with groundbreaking titles like Avatar coming out. The history of 3D theater and the technology that has evolved with it has changed quite dramatically. Along with it, many questions arise. Why has it become so popular? Why does it cost more money to see a 3D movie? Does it cost more money to make an actual 3D movie? Is this helping the entertainment business grow and make more money? Do people prefer it to the regular 2-D movies? And finally, is this going to become the new norm? 3D technology is slowly but surely moving into the household.

            When did 3D even make its first appearance or when did the idea first emerge? “Like the electric car, the 3D process has been around for more than 100 years.” (Otto, 1). This seems strange because 3D really hasn’t seemingly gained much popularity until just recently. It was said to have been “First pioneered and patented by William Friese-Greene in the late 1890s.” (Otto, 1).  But, they did not have the technology that we have today. The whole process is completely different from when it was first started because, not only do we have digital technology, but because it required two projectors and now, today, it only requires one projector. Heineman (as he is quoted in this article) states: “older 3D technology involved the use of two film projectors, one that projected a left eye image and one that projected a right eye image.” (Steenhuysen, 2). Obviously, the 3D technology has advanced quite a bit; but not enough where you do not have to wear those silly glasses!

             Since the new Avatar movie and its great popularity in 3D, this form of entertainment has taken the industry by storm! Obviously, it was not that popular in the past because there were not that many 3D movies being made. But now it seems like every commercial you see it is advertising that particular movie in 3D. Personally, I just don’t understand the need for 3D. Not only does it cost more to see a movie in 3D but just wearing the glasses are uncomfortable. I took a really quick 2 question survey among my friends and peers just asking whether 1) they would prefer to see a movie in 3D or 2-D and 2) would they pay the extra money to see a movie in 3D. The answers were unanimously against 3D. Many of them said that it didn’t make sense to have the movies in 3D and many also agreed that the glasses were uncomfortable to wear and just made viewing time less enjoyable. While the average college students here may not want to see the movie or pay the extra money it is quite popular amongst other people in general.

Avatar, and director James Cameron, can take credit for that hype. This movie raised the bar for so many different aspects of the film industry. The new technology and cameras they were using and the technique of viewing the movie. Yes, you still have to wear the silly-looking glasses when viewing the movie but it “requires audience members to wear polarized glasses.” (1). People have complained in the past about having headaches after watching a 3D movie but with these new glasses they had the audience wear they have also said, “It is a vast improvement on the sometimes headache-inducing techniques that relied on cardboard cutout glasses with red and green lenses and rose and fell in popularity in the 1950s.” (1). And yes, we all remember those glasses that we had to wear when entering the theater that just really did not make the movie better. In addition, they have developed a new, lightweight camera for when they filmed the movie. “His camera rig is now lighter — up to only 50 pounds — and the two camera lenses can dynamically converge on a focal point with the help of a computer, which is crucial for sweeping camera moves and action sequences.” (1). Obviously, this helped when they filmed the movie because then they could carry or maneuver the camera in ways that they could not before (having it in an awkward spot, having it hung for a longer period of time, etc.). Finally, it raised the bar on capturing the action needed for the movie. The new technology they used was able to “creates computerized images from real human action.” (1). This was great because, obviously, aliens are not real and having the actors in a costume and make-up would not really capture the image that he wanted for his movie. He wanted the aliens to look a certain way in this movie and he could create them using new digital technology. Judging by the box office records and the overall performance of the film, it is safe to assume the public’s response was rather positive.

We observed the three dimensional thrill sweep through movie theatres all through the last year. More expensive 3D movie tickets triggered an emphasis on 3D showings, bringing forth more profits for theaters throughout the nation. In March 10^th of this year, the Motion Picture Association of America released a press release making reference to the newfound success of three-dimensional technology and its importance to the long-term success of the movie industry.  Bob Pisano, president of the MPAA, mentions in the press release: “Digital technology is the foundation on which 3D has been built. Together, digital presentation and 3D hold the promise of a dramatic game change in moviemaking and movie going. The global film audience is voting with its feet, and those feet are planted firmly in the direction of local cinemas that have the latest technology.” Having the “latest technology” is the driving force, and it was here that we decided to take a look at this evolving force as it begins moving into the household. 3D television has seemingly gained more steam in the past year and a half than it ever had before. The spike in popularity of hit 3D movies like Avatar has the nation buzzing about the technology, and the business world is listening. Samsung and Sony are leading the push for production of household 3D TV sets in the United States, with Toshiba not far behind them. Time Warner and DirecTV have caught the 3D fever and have launched 3D networks in ESPN 3D and Discover 3D. In a nutshell, the functionality of 3D televisions revolves around tricking your brain. As Jonathan Strickland explains: “…by showing each eye the same image in two different locations, you can trick you brain into thinking the flat image you're viewing has depth. But this also means that the convergence and focal points don't match up the way they do for real objects. While your eyes may converge upon two images that seem to be one object right in front of you, they're actually focusing on a screen that's further away” (1). We mentioned the “silly glasses” you must wear to get the full 3D effect when watching this content, and it’s not much different with household technologies. Strickland continues: “The LCD lenses in the glasses alternate between being transparent and opaque as the images alternate on the screen. The left eye blacks out when the right eye's image appears on television and vice versa. This happens so fast that your mind cannot detect the flickering lenses. But because it's timed exactly with what's on the screen, each eye sees only one set of the dual images you'd see if you weren't wearing the glasses” (3).

            Understanding how the technology works, we set out to interview area experts about the technology and its impact on our immediate market. Mr. James Thomas, a senior home theater specialist at Best Buy, spoke about the buzz being created by home theater technology. When asked about the marketing efforts of his company centered around the current technology, Mr. Thomas explained how Best Buy has significantly picked up its marketing of the technology “because it is very profitable and brings a lot of customers into the store.” Going into the local Best Buy stores we noticed quite a number of people frequently huddled around the 3D demos, eager to experience the technology first-hand. With previous technological trends, we had similar experiences in the way excitement was being generated surrounding the technology. Much like the latest Apple products, we suspected there would a group of individuals who just had to own the technology upon its release based merely on its potential. Mr. Ted Hinden, a home entertainment consultant for the same company, confirmed our suspicions as he explained: “early-adopters have had the technology in their hands, and are most excited about the buzz in recent months, as it will be the driving force for the release of more content.” Both Thomas and Hinden explained the differences between customers who might be more likely to pick up one of these handsets. Thomas mentioned: “Families with children and movie lovers love 3D and are willing to spend the premium to make the family happy, whereas older couples generally do not see much benefit in it. For some it is rather inconvenient, especially if they have to wear 3D glasses on top of their normal glasses.” After conducting a brief survey, we confirmed what Mr. Thomas had mentioned. 3D appeared to be a hit mostly to the younger crowd, especially the students we surveyed on campus. Some of the older folks we spoke to were rather indifferent about the technology, with some wondering about whether it was worth the money, and others confusing it with high definition television.

After conducting our research along with interviews and surveys, we found the prevailing sentiment to suggest that 3D technology is here to stay and it represents the (not so distant) future of home entertainment technology. Both Hinden and Thomas spoke about the profitability of this technology, and as we know, money makes the world go round. With this in mind, providers are only going to supply more and more 3D content, subsequently driving up the demand for the technology, and eventually bringing down the cost, which is what will propel the technology into more households around the nation. As Hinden said: “for the longest time, 3D has been looked at as the future of home entertainment technology. The future is now here and it is only a matter of time until 3D televisions are a part of our everyday lives.” 

Here are the sources we used (I'm going to include a couple other articles that I found interesting):

"Avatar Raises the Bar on 3D Technology - Entertainment - Movies - TODAYshow.com." TODAYshow.com: Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira, Ann Curry, Al Roker, Natalie Morales - Video, News, Recipes, Health, Pets. Web. 10 Oct. 2010. <http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/32127705>.

Steenhuysen, By Julie. "For Some, 3D Movies a Pain in the Head | Reuters." Business & Financial News, Breaking US & International News | Reuters.com. 09 Jan. 2010. Web. 10 Oct. 2010. <http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6080XO20100109>.

Strickland, Jonathan.  "How 3-D TV Works” 23 June 2009.  HowStuffWorks.com. <http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/3d-tv.htm>  14 October 2010.

http://www.reelzchannel.com/article/816/a-tour-through-the-history-of-3-d-movies

Mr. Ted Hinden. Home entertainment consultant, Best Buy.

Mr. James Thomas. Home theater senior specialist, Best Buy. 

http://www.buffalonews.com/entertainment/television/article103454.ece

Do Security and Privacy Really Exist?

     In terms of my topic, I feel that security and privacy exist in the theatre. In my experience so far in college, I have found that security and privacy are pretty important. In addition, I have looked at professional theatre companies privacy and security rights. Mostly, it has to deal with the people coming to see the performances and how the box office will not share their information or ask for major personal information. In addition, the audience members cannot tape performances or take photographs (and that is more than just for not blinding the actors). It's because, normally, a theater will hire someone to take photos or videotape a show so that they can put the show into their archives and normally that information is available online to the public or displayed inside the building.
    Speaking from personal experience (and it's not that much so far), we have a lot of security in regards to keys and gaining access to rooms and other supplies in the building. Theatre does use a lot of technology nowadays and that technology is usually very expensive (i.e. sound boards, genies, projectors, etc.) How it kind of works (from how I have observed it) is that if you work for a shop or in the building you can have access to certain keys and you get a certain code where the lock-box will recognize who you are. Each key is numbered (for specific rooms) and it recognizes when the key has been removed or replaced and who has the key if it is removed from the slot. Clearly, technology is key in regards to the issue of security because you don't want anyone to be able to have access to these rooms. Even in high school only the advisor for our club could have keys to the auditorium where we had meetings and rehearsed because it was a school building; and because keys can fall into the wrong hands. Obviously, at professional theaters there is a level of security such as swipe cards, codes, or keys that are only given to certain people because security is important and vital.
    The other issue is privacy of performances and not having anyone videotape or take photographs that isn't asked to do that for the theater. Theaters keep an archives of previous performances and that usually includes who was in the show, dates of the show, and photos and/or performances. Obviously, audience members aren't allowed and shouldn't be taking photos or videos of the performance because it's distracting to the cast members but because it is a privacy thing. Yes, it is a publicized event but at the same time it's respect for the theater. And looking at security/privacy policies on professional theater websites it talks about, mostly in regards, to customers buying their tickets from box offices and how much personal information will be needed/shared with them. For example, on this website it gave you a detailed list of questions and answers for certain issues such as security. “Security. We have security measures in place to protect the loss, misuse and alteration of the information under our control. These security measures include a firewall to prevent unauthorized access to our systems and maintenance of registration information in a separate database.” It’s just comforting to a customer to know that security measures such as this are in place on websites; even if you’re just ordering some tickets for a show.

To see this website’s information here is the link:

http://www.5thavenue.org/about/legal.aspx