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Everybody In
I think a couple of the people on this blog were in "Electronic Discourses" with Thomas Keenan and Jackie Goss at Bard, or took a similar class at some time or another. I really liked how in that class we would look at new television commercials for telecommunications companies, credit cards, etc.
Watching this Microsoft video I was initially taken by the "Ooo, Ahhh"-ness of it all. I mean, putting your phone or camera or bank card on the table like that? Pretty sweet.
After my initial fascination wore off, I began thinking about the direct connections this video made with the commercials we watched in "Electronic Discourses". I focused on one particular thing: The idea that cash is inconvenient because it is slow.
I don't want to crank up the conspiracy theories, nor belabor the notion of fascism in our government which has already been well texted by many super-smart people. What I want to know is, if you agree that beyond selling a product this video is selling a political philosophy -- what are your thoughts on that political philosophy?
--- update ---
I found this live demo. How slick is this guy? I love that he's so quick to point out that he's actually a snowboarder. The overarching themes of customization and personalization remind me so much of "Century of the Self", which TCD has plugged here several times and everyone should watch it if they haven't already.
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3 comments:
what strikes me most immediately about this (absolutely terrifying) ad is a glaring contradiction in the product's slogun. 'everybody in'? apparently so populist, yet this is technology that will be utilized by only a VERY small and fairly wealthy portion of the population. they evidence this themselves by the scenarios which are displayed - people at absurdly fancy restaurants, someone navigating a map of the "finanical district"...
'everybody in' also has a menacing, fascistic undertone - this is the technocratic state at its prime. they tastefully counterbalance this with the organic "indie"-sounding music (a quaint-but-edgy number perhaps evoking new order or early cure?)...
I really like TCD's comment. Anyone want to comment further?
well...its a very interesting video....cool technology. i would be excited to use it....if only it was within my technoligical capabilities....and that i think is the point...it should be within my technological capabilities....which is going to elaborate on shawns point. i think i have a pretty good collection of modern technolgy...an apple laptop, an ipod, a digital video camera, a scanner, a printer, a pretty good collection of things.....some of them high-end...some of them free stuff.....i think it balances out that i have high end electronics....i think this would make more sense to me as a consumer if i had a higher end cell phone....but i think that i have a higher end ipod should put me into the group of people who could use this technology...but it seems like it doesnt. i mean....i love this shit....ever since "the wizard" any tabletop interface has got me pumped....as in the diner in that movie where you play nintendo while you eat yr bacon cheese burger with disco fries. but something tells me that no matter what device of mine i put on that wacky table i am not going to get it to do shit....and there is no way that guy is a snowboarder....i saw the "feel me flow" video. i can understand that "everybody in" makes sense as a slogan for an upcoming technology...obviously they dont mean everybody...i think disputing that point is good to point out, but its pretty clear its not "everybody" in....i mean....every third word is "WINDOWS"....but it was interesting that the original commercial seemed very....tupperware party or some shit....like....lets share some photos......or get directions!!!! WOW!!!! thats new.....NOT!!!!!!....(boo-yah).....i mean really....they were pretty much just using flcikr and mapquest with a touch screen that for some reason they had to put their windows devices onto......the second video was much more revealing. firstly...ok...awesome...i am a snowboarder looking for a custom snowboard....awesome....so much clip-art that i can add to it...AND I CAN ROTATE AND RESIZE IT!!!!!!....I N N O V A T I O N !!!!!....looks like a sure-fire way to get cred on the half-pipe....as for his other example....wine tasting? jeez...so many wines to choose from...what am i going to do???? its called MD 20/20....and the best meal to accompany that? motherfucking hot wings....its not rocket science.
dont get me wrong....obviously the technology is awesome...and probably going to be developed to be more successful....but really....even as someone who feels almost up to date with current technology...except for cell phone....which i guess in the biggest deal in this case...being that the phones they use are computers and mp3 players and all that shit combined....but i watch enough people struggle for 20 mintues with their food stamp cards to know that this is not a grocery store technology. i mean....people ask me to read what the card machine is saying to them....to think that they are going to be able to throw thier windows bluetooth phones on the table and show pictures of whatever the fuc they would take pictures of if they could is pretty preposterous....although to say that this is being marketed to them is stupid. i mean...this isnt even being marketed to me, and i read the nytimes technology pages pretty frequently...adn still dont see a real reason to investing is even the most basic bluetooth or multi-purpose portable device.....so its a cool technology...but it would be cooler if it was an ad trying to sell the $100 laptop to freshman college students.....i think that is the direction techonology shoud, and in some ways IS heading.
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