Soft Sensors

A student crafts literally warmer and fuzzier computer interfaces

Lara Grant just graduated from the Interactive Telecommunications Program at NYU where she literally crafted out her own niche in “wearable technology.” “It’s not a real major, just my interest,” the 28-year-old Brooklyn resident explains. Her thesis, Soft Sensors, fuses the digital world with physical experience by creating computer controls out of felt. With so much anxiety about an increasingly digital existence, her project refreshingly …

PEN Your Story Challenge

An Olympus contest bringing dream projects to life with its new, powerful digital camera

With the Olympus PEN E-PL1, you can take your photography to new places. Compact like a point-and-shoot, it packs an SLR-quality sensor, HD video recording, and eye-popping in-camera filters. Its Live Guide makes experimenting with depth-of-field and shutter speeds easier than ever. (Check out CH’s review and field test of the EPL1’s predecessor, the E-P1.) What would you do with this much camera in the …

Ouroboros

Animated geometric shapes and colors in a video installation on the history of the universe

The video exhibit “Ouroboros” at ISE Cultural Foundation explores the creation and history of the universe, using the iconic image of a snake eating itself as center to the work. The piece consists of six projections in 3-D, using geometric shapes and imagery to transform the space. This compellingly unique mix of science and art fits the talents of Ourobos’ creators exactly. Renaissance man Ali …