WEEK 4: The Way of Understanding

For an English learner, for example, as me, the only possible way to understand a certain English term is trying my best to find out its Chinese translation. Unfortunately, this was what I failed to understand the word "embodiment" in the past week. Obviously, the Chinese-English dictionary did give me a possible definition, it still confused me when I tried to put this meaning into Husserl's, Heidegger's or Merleau-Ponty's theories. Obviously, I could "perceive" the definition, I could even "touch" it, but I couldn't figure it out.

 I. Dear Mr. Martin Heidegger (Jesus, What are you thinking about?)

This is just how I feel about the limitation of understanding. For me, without language itself, the producing of meaning seems to discontinue. Consequently, for this week's readings, I merely aware that they do talk something about another way of understanding instead of human language which I really love to read about.

So, even I have to admit that I failed to understand what they talk about, I still feel joyful when I look into the way of future understanding. At least, I could imagine about the beautiful blueprint: with something called “tangible tools”, we could understand the “meaning” by “perceiving” or even “touching” without language. At that time, I really love to review the readings again.

Work cited:

I. Davide Calandrini, 2013, http://www.toonpool.com/cartoons/Martin%20Heidegger_193958

WEEK 3

Kia ora! This is my second week in Auckland now and I’m just getting used to the bus system day by day and I decided to quit writing poems and just enjoy the cozy time here to live like a Kiwi. Actually, I have found something exciting about AT System which is so advanced. What I mean is the HOP Card system. You just swipe your HOP Card when you get on board, and when you get off and swipe it again, the machine will deduct the certain travel expenses from your card. Yes, have you found what is amazing? Yes, the machine could identify how long you have traveled. From my point of view, the most likely technology which been used is LBS. So, well done, I’m really impressed about that.

In fact, this intelligent system is a part of Human–computer Interface. Interface, in my opinion, could be defined as that systems (or objects, or humans) use some functions supported by another system to operate information transportation, meantime, the systems (or objects, or humans) don’t need to know how it works to achieve certain functions. That’s just the beauty of Interface. I don’t have to know how the HOP Card Machine works and just enjoy the convenience of it.

By the way, about the future Google cars, apart from the optimistic atmosphere diffused in last class, I personally have a lit bit concern about it. Here’s the story, try to think about it: one night, you are pretty drunk after a party. You just start your Google car engine and it just drive by itself safely and considerable fast. You won’t make any troubles on your way at all. In fact, you are just the passenger and it is Google car that send you home. Well, the legal dilemma is that, have you broken the traffic laws already?

WEEK 2: Mixed feelings on Ubiquitous Media

My first week in Auckland seems to be a little bit puzzling: moving from a developing country to a developed one, with no metro at all (Sorry, I love NZ for sure). On weekdays, I had to spend at least 3 hours on my way from Glenfield to the City, then back. Every time when I was wandering at bus stop on another endless waiting, I just took out of my phone playing stupid games or reading stupid social timelines. Admittedly, the modern mobile Internet saves me from turning into a statue in the wind, I still wonder what I could do without it. Could I just read a novel instead? I’m not sure, since this era has just passed.

A: Line 1, Beijing Metro, 05/JULY/2012  (Caixin News, China, 2012)

Mobile media have changed my lifestyle entirely. When talking about reading, I prefer talking about devices rather than books. I do love the Kindles (I just bought Everyware on it, it has a 40% discount compared with the paper books), the new Paperwhite possesses a strong sense of style. However, since I move from China to NZ, I had to change my ID from Chinese to American. Amazon told me they invented the great Cloud Reader, but I just cannot own two ID at the same time. Does it pervasive enough? I’m still not sure.

Nowadays, the use of PC has been limited, at least for me. When I decide to write, I still prefer computers. I reckon the reason is to retain a kind of sense of ritual. But I hate to use Microsoft Word! It’s the year of 2014 now, how can you imagine a writing software exists without an auto-save feature? On writing issues, the ubiquitous media is far more satisfied to me. This week, I really hope to use beautiful and convenient writing App to write something on the bus stops.

B: 小冰, the voice-driven personal assistant by Microsoft China

 (Screenshot from its official website, 2014)

Seriously, I am starting to write poems on bus stops next week. So is there any wonderful writing App to recommend? Maybe I could just ask 小冰(A voice-driven personal assistant made by Microsoft China). It is said be much more humanized than Siri. But if she knows me more than myself, it could be horrible to imagine. Just like Truman, everything is settled to be prepared for me, giant database will control my entire life. By the way, is Truman a metaphor of “Trueman”? He is a “true” man, while everything around him is just faked .

Works cited: 

Pic A: Caixin News, China, 2012, http://photos.caixin.com/2012-07-05/100407573_2.html

Pic B: Msxiaoice, China, 2014, http://www.msxiaoice.com/v2/DesktopLanding

Kia Ora!

Hello there!