Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2016 17:53:40 -0700
From: Toby Schachman
Subject: Memex Jam (was: Laser painting (was: "serengeti"))
On Wed, Mar 16, 2016 at 4:51 PM, Glen Chiacchieri wrote:
Something feels a little awkward about keeping this picture on the wall (the meta experience mixing with the experience), but I wonder what it would be like if these pictures were stored in the drawers beneath the diorama and to show guests we could take out the picture we wanted and somehow project the video the picture represented somewhere on the walls so our guests could all see it easily.

Yes! This is the type of thing I want to try to brainstorm at the Memex Jam:

- How to use the platform to augment our memory
- The relationship between physical memory (printed photo) and digital memory (video "file")
- How to put digital memories "at our fingertips".

A quick riff:

The Video Coaster Maker is a photo printer in our space. You can make a video coaster by emailing a video or youtube link to ****************. When you do this the photo printer prints out a representative frame from the video and also stores the video data itself in the video coaster database/archive.

To watch a video coaster, just scan it with a Video Coaster Viewer. The viewers are instrumented iphones in distinctive yellow cases. They are strewn about the space, like our laser pointers. When you scan a video coaster, the viewer uses its camera to recognize the coaster (google goggles style) and pulls up the video file. You can watch the video on its small screen, or you can "push" the video to a big screen or projection. Just point the viewer at the screen you want to use. (The screen you're pointing at is also recognized using the camera.)


There are all sorts of form factors this could take:
- Maybe the videos are in binders as Bret suggested, and they start playing as soon as you open the page to the video.
- Maybe a phone-shaped thing is awkward, instead we put a small camera in a laser pointer so you can point at something and it will recognize it.
- Maybe the coasters have RFIDs and you play them with an RFID booper.
- Maybe the viewers are also our cameras: use them to take a video of your prototype and get the video coaster as soon as you finish recording.
- Videos are just a start: what is the analogous system for other types of digital files?
- Etc. etc. (Memex jam!)