Earthscape is an interesting application for the iPhone that will allow you to “geobrowse” by zooming in and out of Earth images that change perspective according to how you tilt the phone. I’m a bit fascinated by our ability to view earth via images. McLuhan observed that once we saw Earth from satellites, the planet became a work of art. Others have argued that we are simultaneously leaving our bodies and looking at ourselves from the outside, creating a curious dynamic of being and observed at the same time. Does the reduction of Earth to a 3-D photo map mean we are interacting with it more, and seeing more “truth,” or is it simply another way to conquer the territory by thingifying it as an image? It’s probably all these things are true at once, so it’s difficult to know what the consequences of these kinds of apps will be. One thing is for sure, you gotta love the new euphamisms coming out of tech, such as Earthscape’s promise that with its software you can “experience social geobrowsing.”
La Plaza : Los Angeles Times : Mexico reconquers California? Absolut drinks to that!
It’s rare that ads and maps actually converge so blatantly, but such is the case of a recent Absolute Vodka campaign running in Mexico. In an “absolute world” Mexico would still have the land that was ceded in the Mexican-American war. Though the political borders of today are obviously different, the demographic one is pretty on the mark. Ultimately I hate the idea of an alcohol company exploiting the deep feelings people have regarding nationalism and colonialism– an alcohol company being its own kind of mental colonialism– but I still find this ad rather funny. I don’t mind that they stir the pot a little.
The landscape of the media industry is rapidly changing, with increasing consolidation and convergence between companies. Researchers and journalists have a need to track these changes, yet no interactive visualization tool is freely accessible online to enable this.
Check out this very cool tool to visualization corporate media interrelations.
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As regular readers know, I’m a strong advocate of mapping as a form of media education because it is the clearest example of how visuals can represent perceptions about reality and space. Thus, I was very pleased by the article below, because it links to a variety of interesting resources now available to DIY global information mappers.
Google Earth is the crown prince of the search engine’s mapping realm. The downloadable, interactive globe combines the thrill of a first-time flyer — Look, Mom, the people look like ants! — with a near-superhuman sense of control and mobility. With a click you can stand the Earth on its head and shake change out of its pockets. Selecting Google Earth icons can lead you to offbeat video clips to the all-important location of the nearest Starbucks. As the Google Sightseeing blog puts it: “Why Bother Seeing the World for Real?”
The program comes with its own built-in “layers” that pinpoint the locations of parks, landmarks and boundaries. Through its Google Earth Outreach initiative, the company has supported efforts by nonprofits to use the program for advocacy and activism. Early adopters have included the Global Heritage Fund (mapping endangered historical sites), the Jane Goodall Institute (mapping endangered primates) and Fair Trade Certified (mapping sites that protect endangered coffee growers).
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Maps can serve all kinds of purposes, some for peace, others for commerce, but all function by communicating ideas about land. In this case, I find the Global Incident Map quite disturbing, mainly because of how it filters and defines incidents of “suspicious” activity. It is a very fearful portrait of the world, through the lens of “security” professionals. And why not? Those who prosper by peddling fear need to keep us informed of how dangerous the world is so we’ll buy more security devices and weapons, like the security camera companies in cahoots with insurers to make people think surveillance makes them safer (as opposed to simpler things like street lights).
Wouldn’t it be nice to see a map that displayed every act of kindness? Maybe I’m naive, but I think the world is actually an incredibly safe place. It’s just that our perception of the future is one that’s filled with danger because we are unable to accept the fact that the universe is impermanent.
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Pygmies are using GPS to map their land in order to save sacred sites and ecologically sensitive areas. I find it an interesting and novel approach, but I’m a little apprehensive about one thing. Traditionally mapping has been the precursor to colonialism. Marking the territory precludes ownership. But given the arrogance of the Northern colonial powers to take whatever they think is theirs by right of power, then it’s nice to see the roles change. It remains to be seen if this will truly benefit the Pygmies, but anything to support their cause I’m all for. They have a right to their land, so perhaps for once the map can be the territory.
“The sets have icons on them, so they don’t have to be able to read and write. They basically go out and say, ‘OK, click, here is a sacred site,’ and a GPS point is taken and links up to the satellite,” Poynton said.
“They can wander through the forest and map all of the areas — the tombs of their ancestors, hunting grounds, sacred areas, water holes, areas of medicinal plants — these are all captured on GPS points, all downloaded on the computer,” he added.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science have done an amazing analysis of satellite images to show forced relocations in Burma. For once technology works in our favor!
Click the link below to see more before and after shots.
Consequently, Bromley noted: “Physical evidence of reported attacks on civilians sometimes can be subtle compared to the slash-and-burn types of destruction that we saw in Darfur or Zimbabwe. It’s also a lush ecosystem where plants can quickly grow to cover burn marks, and clouds and terrain often block satellite observation.” In addition, he said, maps of the area are largely decades old, with “foreign” village name spellings that are not used by reporting organizations or local people.
Despite such challenges, AAAS precisely mapped the locations of 31 of some 70 reported human rights violations by comparing field notes with information provided by the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Satellite image analysis then revealed physical evidence to corroborate reported instances of human rights violations at 25 of the 31 accurately mapped sites. Wherever possible, Bromley compared archival satellite images with newly acquired shots to examine sites before as well as after the reported military activity. In other cases, recent images revealed clear signs of destruction.
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Before / after satellite photos of Saddam’s palace in Baghdad, Iraq. Note the new parking lots, modular housing, restoration of the waterworks, and other interesting markings of new tenants in the emperor’s crib.
Give the Americans credit. They can destroy a country, but sure know how to build parking lots. But as the image map in the link above demonstrates, when America intends to bring democracy, it is no doubt couched in the aesthetic of the car. If you live or spent any time in the United States, you know what I mean. After all, Wal-Mart, the most successful creature of the American system, is a byproduct of the parking lot mentality: make an island with a big box inside it, and create the births for the cars to dock.
Incidentally, Maps of War, the site that created the contrasting images, has a number of interesting flash maps of world history.
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Bridging media literacy with ecoliteracy, written by Antonio Lopez, an old school dharma punk and media educator. Occasionally he shoots from the lip, bloviates, misspells and can be tangential.
Now available, Antonio's health and media literacy CDROM curriculum for youth of color, Merchants of Culture. This valuable resource contains dozens of video and print examples of how advertisers market harmful substances such as alcohol and tobacco to various niche audiences, including Native Americans, Latinos, African Americans, Asians, GLBT and Women. This is an excellent primer for introducing the subject of cultural marketing to high school and middle school students. This is also a great product for health professionals and councilors working in the area of prevention.
