This Saturday I played Manhattan Story Mashup part of the Come out and play festival. I've never played a game quite like it. I was skeptical at first but ended up having a lot of fun. In fact, it was way more fun that I expected.

The Story Mashup game is simple. Players receive words on their phone and have to take pictures of the words they get. The images are then uploaded to the game server and distributed to other players. Other players then try to guess what the picture is (you're prompted with four words to guess from). All the while, you're receiving images form other players and try to guess what they were taking pictures of. The pictures in the end make up a story. Players get points for guessing pictures correctly and you get even more points if someone guesses your correctly.

Images from the game were displayed on one of the enormous screens in Times Square. I was also wearing the Waymarkr while I was playing (yes, I had two phones on me, such a frakin' nerd). We took the server down once and provided feedback to the ]game designers. I did find it frustrating that on the web site you can't search by user. I'd like to be able to go see the photos I've taken and see where they ended up in the story. I'd also like to be able to find the images taken by my friends too. All in all this was probably the most exhilarating user test I've ever been a part of! Way to go Ville and Jurgen.

More photos via Flickr.

Yesterday, Mike Bukhin and I presented WayMarker at Conflux. We launched the beta site in conjunction with the show and are excited to open up the project to a larger community. The visitors and participants of Conflux had many questions ranging from technical, to privacy, memory, and its sociological use. With the public beta release of the software, there is now a blog for the project too.

We were excited to see the WayMarkr project blogged on We Make Money Not Art this morning. Thank you Regine! And thank you Christina Ray and Sarah Pace for putting on a great conference this year. If you're in the neighborhood and looking for your fix of psychogeography head over to Conflux. There is still one more day of exciting projects, walks, street games, performances, and presentations!

The abstraction of reality becomes beauty as identifiable images create shapes. Its these shapes which concern themselves not so much with the viewer, rather, with how they create a composition. A mirror, a wiper, a duality of interior and exterior, signs. We know we're inside a vehicle. But how have we gotten here? And why are we here? A hand gestures in the foreground. Someone is with us.

Earlier this week we launched the web site for Alan Kaplan Photography. Alan's photos often tell a story or form a visual narrative. The site was completed for TODA in collaboration with DGB Design.

I came across this photo today on Gabe's Flickr account. The picture was taken at one of our rooftop barbecues over the summer. Its always amusing when you don't know you exist somewhere and you stumble across you self unexpectedly. Take a peek (even if I do look ridiculous), there are more great summer photos in that set. You've got an eye Gabe. Nice pics!

Classes are back session

Things have fired up and are in full swing at the ITP ranch. Its good to be back. I'm enjoying the diversity of all the classes this semester. I'm still in need of a fourth class though (right now I'm only registered for three classes and am on three waiting lists for other classes). More to come on that once things shake themselves out.

Circulating on the list serv this week:

It looks like we'll all be screens some day (video).

And, Dan and Mushon get a plug on We Make Money Not Art

Hey guys, stop hitting on girls on the subway. I know they're hot but it makes them nervous, uncomfortable, and I haven't seen one get off the train with you, ever. I've observed it all too often lately. A guy approaches girl on train, the girl seems disinterested, the guy persists with more bad pickup lines, the girl gets annoyed and gets off the next stop regardless if its hers. Yes, you do have approximately two minuets in between stops where they can't get away, but, give it rest. This tactic just doesn't seem to work. So guys, go back to the gym, or the bar, or wherever you prowl for women and stop hitting on girls in the subway, its lame.

On the tech front I've been testing the Waymarkr as much as possible with the upcoming beta release at Conflux. The photo left was captured on my way to work yesterday. I like it and hope you do to.

Oh, and a big what's up to Struktour! I have no idea what's going on on your site (mainly because I can't read it) but it looks pretty fresh. Thanks for the linkage!