[Satire from The Onion; for more on Frances Ha see IMDb. Are the stereotypes about presence and IMAX accurate? Let us know what you think in the comments.]

You Haven’t Seen ‘Frances Ha’ Until You’ve Seen It In IMAX

ISSUE 49•22 • May 30, 2013
By Noah Baumbach

As a director, I have always strived to present my work to the audience in such a way that it accurately reflects my artistic vision in its purest form, so that what is displayed on the screen is as close as possible to my original conception of the film. This has never been more true than for my most recent project, Frances Ha, a lively paean to youth and dreams, and one which absolutely must be viewed in the film format that it was intended to be viewed in, which of course is IMAX.… read more. “Satire: You haven’t seen ‘Frances Ha’ until you’ve seen it in IMAX”

[From Tech.pinions]

The Dividing Line Between Human and Replicant Already Happened

by Brian S Hall  |  May 27th, 2013

In the film, Iron Man 3, the good guys encase themselves in tech. The bad guys put the tech inside their bodies. This is telling. Hollywood – and most of America – remains oddly uncomfortable with the notion of technology which “alters” our self – even as it alters everything we see, hear and touch.

No surprise, then, that Tony Stark, the man inside the Iron Man suit, fires off witty bombs in the vain hope it will ease his mental suffering rather than taking a pill – blue, red or otherwise – to help resolve his constant panic attacks.

This idea that the tech we place inside us is to be feared, unlike all the tech swirling outside of us, is a dated and dying relic of our fading, twentieth-century upbringing.… read more. “Crossing the dividing line between human and replicant”

[From Motivate. Play.]

Presence and Games – An interview with Paul Skalski, Ph.D.

Posted by Jim Cummings on Dec 5, 2012

Back in October I gave a talk at the 2012 conference for the International Society for Presence Researchers.  While there I sat in on a number of fascinating presentations, including several by Dr. Paul Skalski, professor and researcher in the School of Communication at Cleveland State University.  Amongst other topics, Paul discussed the potential relationship between gameplay motivation and a player “need for presence.”  I recently followed up with him to hear more about his research, as well as his thoughts on presence as part of the player experience and how developers might better design for presence.

Jim Cummings (JC):  Can you tell us a little about your background as a researcher and player of games?… read more. “Presence and Games – An interview with Paul Skalski, Ph.D.”

[Note: For more on the topic of presence and sexuality, see the new article “Telepresence and Sexuality: A Review and a Call to Scholars” by Lombard and Jones in the current issue of Human Technology: An Interdisciplinary Journal on Humans in ICT Environments, available free here (sorry for the self-promotion!).  –Matthew ]

[From Pocket-lint, where you can watch the 1:31 minute Durex video; a 1:34 minute CNN video story is here; the Durex video followed by a panel discussion can be found in a segment of The Common Room on YouTube here]

Revealed: The future of foreplay is in Fundawear

By Pocket-lint Promotion
29 May 2013

Relationships and the act of foreplay are set to be revolutionised following the launch of a groundbreaking invention from Durex, which takes intimate underwear to a whole new level. Following months of development, Durex is excited to reveal the world’s first creation of sensory underwear, called Fundawear, which allows personal touch to be transferred from a smartphone app to a unique set of underwear.… read more. “Future of foreplay? Fundawear lets couples touch intimately over distance”

[From Human Productivity Lab via PRWeb]

Human Productivity Lab Releases New Publication, “Planning a Video Conferencing or Telepresence Project”

Detailed guide outlines end-to-end planning of a telepresence or video conferencing project

Ashburn, VA (PRWEB) May 31, 2013

The visual collaboration consultancy Human Productivity Lab (HPL) announces the release of the publication Planning a Video Conferencing or Telepresence Project. Written by HPL Consultant Richard Tucker, this guide is based on the experiences and lessons learned by end user organizations that have implemented telepresence projects, from personal systems to immersive room systems.

The detailed guide provides information for end-to-end planning of a telepresence or video conferencing project, including an overview of solution types and components, budgeting, timelines, market considerations, and requirements determination. The guide also outlines how to get hands-on experience, select a provider and implement your solution.… read more. “Human Productivity Lab releases new publication, “Planning a Video Conferencing or Telepresence Project””