Sunday, June 21, 2009

Twitting from Tehran


With the government media censorship and crackdown on Iranian protestors and Internet sites, Iranian are finding ways and means to get news and images out to the world. Photo by AFP/Mehdi Fedouach.

The government has blocked many sites. Facebook and YouTube are being monitored. Service is reportedly much slower than normal. Even mobile phone service has been affected. Slower service provides the opportunity for security forces and the police increased ability to filter data. Note Iran's telecommunications industry is a monopoly.

Remote proxy servers have been set up so Iranians can access blocked websites from inside their country. Other Internet companies and individuals around the world have stepped in and maximizing technology to help Iranians communicate and organize.

Twitter users are using an application that allows users to tint their profile pictures green. Not the La Salle color but the trademark color of the opposition. This application was developed by a man from Israel. In fact, Twitter re-scheduled maintenance shutdown so that users could continue to access the microblogging site.


Other Twitter users outside Iran have also shown support by changing their listed locations and time zones to Tehran. This is meant to make it more difficult to see just how many people were tweeting from Iran. Photo was uploaded on Twitter last June 21, 2009.

Mousavi’s Facebook account now has 66,000 supporters who have organized protests through his public page.

Google's video sharing site, YouTube, has seen an increase of video that relates to the Tehran crisis. Try searching for "Iran election protest" video and see how many results you will get. CNN’s iReport gets news video from Iranians on the streets.

Both Google and Facebook have responded to the need for Iranians to be able to to communicate in their own language. They have launched Farsi services. There are more Farsi speakers working on translations on Facebook. Farsi also refers to the Persian language. It refers to the language spoken in Iran.

I remember back in February 1986, on my when Filipinos marched and protested in EDSA against the rule of the late Ferdinand Marcos. News spread fast through radio and pagers. Now, Blackberries and Twitter help spread the message and news. Definitely, more proof that technology works for people, specially, for Iranians, who are calling for change.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Project Natal

I really couldn’t believe it when I saw it on TV. And further searched it on the Internet. Yup, am talking about the Project Natal.


“Project Natal" is Microsoft's no-controller 3D motion and voice recognition technology for Xbox 360. Photo by David Sprague shows Kudo Tsunoda, general manager of Microsoft Game Studios, demonstrating the new motion-sensing technology for controlling games called Project Natal. Sources say that Natal will be sold as a “stand alone” peripheral. This means you can use it with your existing Xbox 360.

According to a Microsoft story, the user is the “controller.” What does this mean? No cables. No joysticks. Only your body and your voice. The new Xbox 360 has a motion-sensing device that follows or mimics your movements and actions. It’s camera and sound sensors can detect a players movements as well as voice commands.

"We want Xbox to be the next-generation social and entertainment network," said Shane Kim, corporate vice president of strategy and business development for interactive entertainment. This new technology was unveiled this month at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, in Los Angeles


One of my favorite directors, Steven Spielberg, who also attended the E3 Event said, "This is a pivotal moment that will carry with it a wave of change, the ripples of which will reach far beyond video games." Photo by David Sprague shows Don Matrick, senior vice president of entertainment and devices, with Steven Spielberg.

Coming from Spielberg, then, must admit, this new technology would get most kids and gamers like me excited.

This is proof that technology works as it definitely takes games to a totally new level of experience.

Here's a video courtesy of YouTube:



Until this technology comes out in 2010, the gun controllers for my Sony PlayStation's Time Crisis will continue to be a part of my gaming experience Soon, they would be jurassic.