traces ,national conference 2011

Generally the results shows for "America's Got Talent" are long, drawn-out hours featuring a few performances that you can fast-forward your DVR through in order to get to the results. But on Wednesday night's show (July 20), there was a an acrobatic act called "Traces" that blew us away.Part research project and part art exhibition (now on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York), the effort involved using GPS tracking devices to trace where things like cellphones, batteries and printer cartridges end up after being discarded -- and, in the case of 40 netbook computers, some tracking software and their built-in webcams, which recorded data and images that were sent back to MIT at regular intervals (with the new owners' consent, of course). It was amazing. The choreography was spectacular and they even seemed to be telling a bit of a story during the act. We definitely think if Steven Retchless doesn't win, he should try to get in with this group. Traces is scheduled for an off-Broadway run at the Union Square Theatre, running from July 29 to Oct. 9.According to the report, it's not necessarily that they're victims of discrimination. It's that Asian-Americans don't toot their own horns, don't flourish in American-style networking and office politics, and may struggle with communication.

"The Asian culture is that you work hard on your own, and the belief is that you'll be recognized based on your work," said Joel Ma, who was born in Hong Kong and now works in global procurement at Hallmark Cards. "But western culture is more about whether you're assertive enough."

MIT's Backtalk project / art exhibit traces the unseen life of discarded gadgets

Sooner or later, the device you're reading this on will either be sold, donated, recycled or otherwise disposed of; and unless you're particularly nostalgic about old gadgets like us, you likely won't ever give it much more thought. But no matter how you get rid of it, that device doesn't just vanish off the face the Earth. It's that extra life that got the folks from MIT's SENSEable City Lab thinking, and the Backtalk project is what they've come up with. Part research project and part art exhibition (now on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York), the effort involved using GPS tracking devices to trace where things like cellphones, batteries and printer cartridges end up after being discarded -- and, in the case of 40 netbook computers, some tracking software and their built-in webcams, which recorded data and images that were sent back to MIT at regular intervals (with the new owners' consent, of course). Some of the results can be seen in the video after the break and the site linked below, but you'll have to check out the exhibit first-hand to see the full scope of their findings.


source by engadget