The preferences over camera sizes are interesting. In the 2000s, when I actually paid attention to my surroundings, compact cameras were small yet bulky, now having compact cameras at a small and slim size. Lets face it: we don’t want a lot of weight on our hands, literally. Now big companies like Sony want to make one of the smallest cameras to put on your eye, to record videos, with the possibilities of recording with enhanced accuracy since our eyes can see at a resolution as much as 576 megapixels.
Not only will the SONY contact lenses enhance accuracy for video recordings, but also have a wireless processing unit and a storage unit. Therefore it does include numerical representation, which Manovich says is one of the five principles of new media. According to the article, SONY believes that these lenses will be a solution for different complicated tasks like with critical surgeries, recording criminal activities and spying. The lenses will include tilt sensors for feature aperture control, autofocus, and image stabilization. Attached to the article, comes a diagram showing the lenses with parts such as a wireless communication processing unit, antenna, circuit units, and much more, therefore modularity, where independent parts are present. An average blink are between .2 and .4 seconds, so after .5 seconds the lenses can start or stop recording. The blinking function, despite having sophisticated parts attached to the lenses, is a “low-level” automation. Variability exists, if modulation exists as well (Manovich, p.46), because of how Google and Samsung have patent pending for video recording contact lenses as well. Even Snapchat wanted these lenses too. And lastly, transcoding, in which a culture layer and a computer layer, which is a human and computer mixture, can coexist which is already true to this product for being technological but also humanized because finally something can be seen from ones’ point of view.
Although an interesting invention in the works, the major problem of privacy is a deal-breaker for simple people like myself. The problem with innovation is the boundaries of inventing a bit too much. According to Athique for Digital Media and Society, he said “Certainly, there can be few technologies that have been so prevalent within popular culture as the computer (aside from the car). (Athique, Chapter 1, p.18)” He then goes into how computers used to represent ultra-modernity and dependence (on technology). So can these lenses become something as widespread as the computers that represent ultra-modernity and will be heavily depended on? I personally do not think so.
Questions to think about:
- How would you think any company be able to restrict and minimize any potential foulplay to occur when using these lenses, like invasion of privacy?
- Are we, society/companies/developed and developing countries, TOO focused on the next best thing and why?