The (old) CuriousWorks Blog » Kinect

Testing the Kodak Zi8

eliasnohra — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:19:57 +0000

Today I got to play with our new snazzy raspberry Kodak Zi8. Its like a Flip camera, but HD and with an external mic input!

Tested it very quickly in the office today and its looking promising. It can shoot in 1080p, 720p, a lower res, and also 720p @ 60 fps. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get the computer to like the 60 fps footage. Saves as H264. I’ve only tested on a mac so far which doesn’t have specific software support, so I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do with this on a PC.

Although there is no way to monitor audio through headphones, you CAN adjust audio levels! FTW.

SUPER easy to use, a total cinch.

Below is a video of me testing the different video modes with and without an external microphone (and its at a lower res than what was filmed). Hope to do more extensive tests later. Will post new developments!

Download now or watch on posterous

Kodak zi8 test.mp4 (19607 KB)

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Turn Your Sketches into a Photo Montage

Morgan — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:29:35 +0000

A pretty amazing little piece of software right here!

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Making Physics Phun

petercossey — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 06:11:41 +0000

At our recent DS Frenzy day at our Randle St Warehouse we discovered some homebrew software for the Nintendo DS that allows kids to play with physics and gravity using a drawing interface. It’s hard to explain in words but a lot of fun to play with. Check out the videos after the jump.

We’ve also discovered some very similar software for PC’s and Macs that I think would be great to use in schools. Phun 2D Physics Sandbox is a free program which is not a game but more like a physics sandbox that allows you to create and experiment with gravity, friction, materials and physics! I’d love to see how primary and secondary school science teachers might integrate this into their classes.

Here are some videos to check out:

Technology for a Community Writer’s Kit

petercossey — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 03:33:15 +0000

How can Aboriginal Education Officers (AEOs) use technology to create local educational resources for their schools and communities? This is a question that has been at the centre of a project we are currently working on.

CuriousWorks is one of the groups working on the Community Writer’s Kit project in Kempsey. The project is being run by Indij Readers and involves a number of schools in the Kempsey area. The project is focussed on delivering training and support to AEOs around creating local materials that relevant to kids from the local community and also create a way for local Indigenous communities to have a connection with the materials that kids use in class.

Sharon Hughes, an author from an earlier Indij Readers project. Click on the image to check out Sharon's book.

The great thing about the project is that contemporary stories from the local community get a chance to be published and used by kids in schools. We’re excited about being involved because it’s a very hands-on approach to making stories, it’s very connected to local communities and it has a DIY attitude. Our involvement is to do with the technology side of things and we’ve helped put together what I’m going to call a Portable-Community-Media-Pack.

I made a video to break it down. Here are the items in order:

Mouse Pad
Mouse
Digital Camera
Flip Ultra Video Camera
Mini Tripod
Laptop with WiFi
USB Flash Disk (8GB)

Just add Internet!

Nintendo DS Saturday Frenzy 1!!

eliasnohra — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 11:05:49 +0000

This is the event all you Nintendo DS fans have been waiting YEARS for. CuriousWorks is proud to host the very first DS FRENZY!!

Bring your Nintendo DS and all your DS-wielding friends to CuriousWorks HQ for some gaming and homebrew fun! The day’s activities will include:

A Mario Kart tournament
A Tetris tournament
Oodles of multiplayer gaming action
Prizes so lame you’ll wonder why you bothered
An introduction to the world of DS Homebrew
Interfacing your DS with audio devices via MIDI & OSC
A chance for you to show off your personal DS projects and experiments

WHEN??

12pm – 4pm, April 4th, 2009

WHERE?

CuriousWorks HQ – Suite 402, 11 Randle Street, Surry Hills, Sydney

WHAT DO I BRING??

Your Nintendo DS, games, and any homebrew applications you want to show off

HOW MUCH IS THIS GONNA COST ME?

A gold coin donation goes to allowing CuriousWorks to host further DS Frenzys and other awesome events.

BUT I’M A BIGGER NERD THAN YOU

If you’ve got some cool homebrew you’ve created or you use your DS in inventive ways, please share it with us n00bs!! This is a casual event and aims to be both a fun and potentially informative exchange.

Send any queries through to elias@curiousworks.com.au

I’m pumped! Time to get some Tetris practice in….

Watch out, Elias, RED SHELL!!!