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Interactive Video Object Manipulation from Dan Goldman on Vimeo.

“Existing approaches to interaction with digital video are complex, and some operations lack the immediacy of interactive feedback. Our research in video annotation, visualization, and interaction harnesses computer vision to aid users in understanding and communicating with digital video. We are developing new approaches for computing the motion of points and objects in a video clip, and interactive systems that utilize this data to visually annotate independently moving objects in the video. We have applied this interface to construct visualizations of a short video clip in a single static image, using the visual language of storyboards. The principal advantage of the storyboard representation over standard representations of video is that it requires only a moment to observe and comprehend but at the same time retains much of the detail of the source video. The layout of the storyboard can be optimized to place the elements in a configuration that maximizes the clarity of presentation. We also explore novel interaction techniques for random video frame access using the natural spatial dimensions of a storyboard representation or an individual video frame.”

Read on.

How’s this for a hot date? My first day off in weeks and we go to… Macworld. Thank God Brooke is a nerd. She zeroed in quickly on the Nikon and Canon booths. It was sexy. She’s a catch.

Okay, so I’m not a big tech blog with press access, but I still saw some pretty nifty stuff yesterday with my measly exhibit hall pass. Here are some highlights:

• An impressive demonstration of Toonboom Studio 4. Cartoon animation made… not easy, I suppose. But accessible. The interface reminded me of a slimmed down and very specific version of After Effects.
• fluid mask 3. Really amazing keying for still images. Great demo.
• TileStack. These guys set out to design a service that enabled non-coders to create custom, embeddable web apps. They ended up reinventing HyperCard. In addition to creating your own stuff, you can upload old HyperCard stacks so that people can run them through the site! NERDGASM! It’s not open yet, but I pre-registered for an account, and so should you.
• Mac Heist. Spend $49 on $428.65-worth of Mac software. Sound good? 25% of that $49 goes to charity. Fucking A. No brainer.
• Holy shit. This next demonstration made my day: GridIron Software’s Flow. Why bother to explain what makes this software so cool when John Nack has already done it for me. Can’t wait for that public beta to start up.
• Good news: one of the guys at the Ambrosia Software booth really liked my Dinosaur Comics t-shirt (given to me by none other than Non-Shannon). Bad news: There are no new Escape Velocity games in the works.

And… here are some lowlights:

• The jackass working the softpress booth.
  

  [Brooke and Shannon are walking somewhere purposefully]
  SOFTPRESS GUY: Need help with the web? [thrusts flier at them]
  SHANNON: [not clear on question] Uh, no thanks. I do my own web design.
  SOFTPRESS GUY: What do you use?
  SHANNON: I hand code it, generally.
  SOFTPRESS GUY: Well, wouldn’t it be easier if you could… [launches on clumsy and oddly aggressive pitch for his company's WYSIWYG software.]
  SHANNON: [tunes SOFTPRESS GUY out]

• The most common type of exhibitor? Laptop bags, followed closely by skins/cases for iPods and iPhones, a lot of them sporting tacky-ass trendwhore designs. While it’s cool that computer technology has reached that level of casualness, this does nothing to dispel the stereotype of Mac users being a bunch of pseudo-arty hipsters who view their computers as status symbols instead of tools.* It would have been nice to see more open source or shareware represented in the exhibit hall instead of accessory retailers.
• The Macbook Air. I’m just not sold on the thinner is better thing. And no optical drive? No FireWire? What the hell? I’m not in the target audience, I suppose. It is pretty, granted, and very light. I guess I’m just ticked that Apple didn’t announce a big upgrade to the MacBook Pro line so the prices would go down on the previous generation. This is me shaking my fist at them.
• Nobody at the Adobe booth knew when After Effects is going to be patched for Leopard compatibility.

God damn, that was fun! Here’s to hoping I can make it next year. It’s an exciting time to be a geek.

UPDATE: It looks like GridIron Flow won a Best of Show award at Macworld. I guess I wasn’t the only one impressed. Really, do look into it. It’ll also be available for Windows, so don’t let the Mac stuff put you Windoze nerdz off.

*SEE Nomad Cafe in Berkeley