I was (once again) surfing the MIT Media Lab's page (I really really want to go there for grad school in a few years) and was looking into the projects being explored in the Fluid Interfaces group (when applying to the Media Lab you need to list 3 groups you would like to work with and so far my top picks are Camera Culture, Fluid Interfaces, and Opera of the Future) and I was amazed with the stuff being developed there. The project that interested me the most is called Sensei and it is an application designed to aid children with language learning. It runs on a cell phone (it is being tested on a Samsung Galaxy using Android software) and operates by pointing the phone's camera at an object and it will recognize the object and tell you the word for that object in any language you want (I gather that it both displays it and also pronounces it). What's amazing is that they're working on having future versions of the project be not only able to recognize objects but also detect whether or not you are pronouncing it right when you practice it. I think this is brilliant and would do wonders for the field of language learning in general (not just applied for children) - I would love to have something like this on my iPhone.
Speaking of the iPhone, I'm really happy that I got it because I'm getting so much use out of it. I keep applications that are helping me practice my Chinese and learn basic Japanese, Dutch, and Korean. Best part? Most of those apps are free - for the basic pack! I also have some really great Chinese dictionaries installed (one with 20,000 characters and another with 40,000), one of which allows me to create study flashcards, can magnify the characters to see them better, AND also has an animation mode that will show you the proper stroke order for the character.
Other great apps for the iPhone? I have an excellent Currency Converter (OANDA Corp), Measurement Unit Converter (ConvertBot), Instrument Tuner (tun-d - can help tune over 20 instruments), NYC Subway Map (CityTransit), Expense Tracker (Mint), Lightmeter (LightMeter), Fitness Trainer (Nike Training Center for Women), and Cocktail Recipe library (Mixologist). I'm also a huge fan of the Panascout Lite app from Panavision that is designed to help define the cinematic composition of a frame prior to filming and the American Airlines app (because I'm a frequent flier on American Airlines) that helps me keep track of all of my airplane connections and segments, I can check-in through it, and it even acts as a digital boarding pass for some airports! The camera is also really nice (5 megapixels with a LED flash). The camera is so good and versatile that in fact, a well-established Korean filmmaker shot an entire 30-minute film with it and it is said that the film's image quality "can play with the best of them". Currently experimenting with building a steadicam and tripod mount to see if I can do some quality ultra-low budget filmmaking on it.
Speaking of the iPhone, I'm really happy that I got it because I'm getting so much use out of it. I keep applications that are helping me practice my Chinese and learn basic Japanese, Dutch, and Korean. Best part? Most of those apps are free - for the basic pack! I also have some really great Chinese dictionaries installed (one with 20,000 characters and another with 40,000), one of which allows me to create study flashcards, can magnify the characters to see them better, AND also has an animation mode that will show you the proper stroke order for the character.
Other great apps for the iPhone? I have an excellent Currency Converter (OANDA Corp), Measurement Unit Converter (ConvertBot), Instrument Tuner (tun-d - can help tune over 20 instruments), NYC Subway Map (CityTransit), Expense Tracker (Mint), Lightmeter (LightMeter), Fitness Trainer (Nike Training Center for Women), and Cocktail Recipe library (Mixologist). I'm also a huge fan of the Panascout Lite app from Panavision that is designed to help define the cinematic composition of a frame prior to filming and the American Airlines app (because I'm a frequent flier on American Airlines) that helps me keep track of all of my airplane connections and segments, I can check-in through it, and it even acts as a digital boarding pass for some airports! The camera is also really nice (5 megapixels with a LED flash). The camera is so good and versatile that in fact, a well-established Korean filmmaker shot an entire 30-minute film with it and it is said that the film's image quality "can play with the best of them". Currently experimenting with building a steadicam and tripod mount to see if I can do some quality ultra-low budget filmmaking on it.
