gdp's Comments

Bus-Tops : Processing/Generative Arts competition winners!

Fri, 9 Mar 2012 12:56:58 +0000

Well done! We\\\'re hoping to get out to an installation to film them yes - it can be really tough because of the fact they\\\'re all really high but at the very least we\\\'ll do an in studio shoot of them on a test screen.

Bus-Tops : Final day for Processing submissions

Fri, 2 Mar 2012 08:30:56 +0000

Sinan from OpenProcessing will let me know today I imagine so I reckon winners announced super soon!

Bus-Tops : Bus-Tops Prototype Installation: July '11

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 16:49:56 +0000

Hi Tobias, thanks for your feedback and sorry that your comment didn't appear immediately. We have made quite some changes in the design, mostly to do with the angle and the screen. So yes, we have addressed the colour of the silicon and the rim. Thanks too for the complement on the wood. Though it refuses to fit in with the shelter, we're very happy with its graceful appearance, and the story behind it. And like in your SMSlingshot, there's something nice about the way it contrasts with the tech inside.

Bus-Tops : Bus Tops - we're going to do it!

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 17:10:02 +0000

Hi 'Little child', I do understand your views and hope that I can change your mind a bit, or at least get you to see the project in a slightly different light. "Just another advertisement." - oh definitely not, the only content seen on the screens will be art, no commercial interests will ever be a part of the project. "No access for wheelchairs! " - this is true, but the art will be accessible to everyone through multiple channels - online in realtime, on mobile, and on other partner screens around London and the world. We have also been talking with TFL about potentially having some screens which are visible via a viewing platform. "The time to watch it is too short, people have to hurry up in a bus. You can´t expect other people to wait just you are watching your screen. " This is actually part of what makes the project so interesting, I think. Being on a bus is a very practical experience; you are going somewhere. By injecting something unforeseen and beautiful into that experience is our primary motivation, and the duration (approximately 20 seconds on average) is an element that artists creating work for the canvases will be taking into account when creating work. "When it is raining cats and dogs or snowing, you can almost see nothing. " Actually the light output of the screens is very eye-catching, with a quick wipe of the window with your sleeve when it's very fogged up you'll be able to see it. I think that's a delightful thing to happen on a fogged up bus-ride really. "In the autumn in the area of trees or pigeons, it looks dirty. " Our choice of materials will limit what dirt etc can accumulate and we will also be doing regular cleanings courtesy our partners at TFL. "This is NOT democratic public design accessible to EVERYONE, but LIMITED to people that go by bus and are able to go upstairs. " Well I can see your POV but I don't agree I'm afraid. I hope this has answered some of your questions at least! warmly, Alfie.

TechCrunch : Google Calendar Caught In An Infinite Loop For Some Users

Wed, 9 Jun 2010 10:20:22 +0000

I was getting this on Chrome and when I switched over to Firefox it worked fine there.

Bus-Tops : Bus-Tops update

Wed, 2 Jun 2010 08:21:03 +0000

Hi Helen, how do you mean exactly? We're doing materials research and prototyping at the moment...

IntoMobile : 80% of developers say 70% revenue share is not enough

Thu, 13 May 2010 10:27:32 +0000

Well, to be entirely accurate, Docomo in Japan started that rev share model many years ago.

Bus-Tops : Bus-Tops update

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 11:29:20 +0000

Hi KC, there's nothing *wrong* with the network as a platform, it is still that after all. The difference is that this metaphor lets us play with strong themes of identity and the experience of living in London in a framework that, for us at least, provides a multi faceted depth to the interaction between the platform, the artists and the public.

Bus-Tops : Bus Tops - we're going to do it!

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:07:47 +0000

I Know right? :D I almost sound angry with my passion!

Bus-Tops : Bus Tops - we're going to do it!

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:59:04 +0000

Alison you know it!! I'm a Dalston kid so we're going to reprazent!

Bus-Tops : Bus Tops - we're going to do it!

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:35:36 +0000

Thanks Guys!! Obviously excitement doesn't quite cover it, but wow!!! Shirin, really miss talking with you, really looking forward to seeing you soon. Mei! Let's play games!!

Bus-Tops : Bus-Tops - a call to artists!

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 08:55:51 +0000

Oh Billy, that is an AWESOME idea. I kinda like the idea that this could actually be a semi-theatrical production, hiring some buses for a day specifically to give players a whole framework for a london-wide adventure. We're actually doing our presentation to the selection committee today at 15:15, so I'll make sure and mention this idea because it's exactly the right side of whimsy and fun :)

Bus-Tops : Bus-Tops - a call to artists!

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 07:11:28 +0000

Not quite sure what you're after Viv? The pebbles are just like any of the other installations across the canvas, the only difference is that there isn't any real chance to create narratives for travellers.

Bus-Tops : Bus-Tops - a call to artists!

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 06:44:49 +0000

Hi Greg, we thought long and hard as to whether we should have screens below too, and due to many factors we've decided it is not the way to go. Not least is the invitation to vandalism. We have not yet gone into prototyping of course, so we may yet work out a way to make the screens visible below, but for the moment we are working on the assumption that we will be providing real-time access to view all screens via the web and mobile/mobile apps.

Bus-Tops : Our original submission images

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:42:03 +0000

Hallo mate, so-long-time! One of the major constraints when working with this street-furniture is that we are not allowed to in any way affect the structure. So no drilling, no afixing that breaches the fundamental structure. So we're working with clamping and industrial-strength Velcro for the affixings. The other issue with your idea is that TFL are extremely wary of *encouraging* people to climb onto the roof's of shelters to investigate (health and safety innit) and so using the roof's only seems a good compromise as they wont be visible from street-level. That said, using the roof's is a big part of how we want people to feel when they see them - kind of WTF? Really were building on the guerilla potato and turf art seen on lots of Hackney routes.

Bus-Tops : Bus-Tops - a call to artists!

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:44:38 +0000

Hi Beth, you're bang on with the meta-relationship the canvases can have to the nature of public transport and the conversations we all have around it. The canvases provide the perfect way to reflect that relationship so we're hopeful that ideas like yours will be given voice through them.

Bus-Tops : Bus-Tops - a call to artists!

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 20:54:11 +0000

Helen that is such a gorgeous idea! I've often been on a bus and listened to the one side of a conversation occuring on a phone-call and thought how great it would be to somehow record that and tie it to the place it happened (well, not record the call but you know what I mean). This is exactly the kind of idea that I think is what makes having these installations something that will provoke incredible creativity.

Bus-Tops : Bus-Tops - a call to artists!

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 07:16:25 +0000

Mad and wonderful is what I think :) Dark and arresting.

Bus-Tops : Bus-Tops - a call to artists!

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:28:59 +0000

Billy - that was awesome. That kind of animation should totally be possible and you could achieve it either through direct upload or through using the animation tool-kit on-site. That said, although that kind of work is interesting and suitable, what I wonder is what if you had all 40 screens that you could use for, say, an exhibition? If that sort of animation was your form, what story would you tell? Imagine that on a Sunday some mates plan to get on the 19, 243, 55, 176, 232 and #4 buses at specific times just to see an exhibition sprawled across the city on multiple screens... Chris - in terms of how long looped content can/should play, we're thinking two main things that impact this. The first is that the average time spent at a Bus Stop is about 20/25 seconds. You're not guaranteed to arrive just as an animated piece starts of course, so we're thinking that 10 seconds is a good length to create for. The second is that we're looking at the screens almost as though they're exhibition or broadcast space. As an artist wanting to work with specific screens to tell different stories, when you submit your work you would (perhaps) submit for a time window. For example, people taking a night bus coming back from a club in Old Street are in a totally different frame of mind than that of a 7:15 commuter going to some shitty job in a warehouse. I like the idea of scheduling to address this kind of temporal issue. The screens *are* all networked together, and they are connected to the net (tiny Linux box, Arduino board and 3G cards). Because any work sent to the screens needs to go through a moderation process online before they get there, this limits the kind of dynamic real-time work we'd love to see, but this will still be possible with artists that we're working directly with through curation. We are going to expose pretty much all the data we possibly can via API, stuff like: * Location (lat/long) * Currently displaying work (thumbnail/large image/gif/mp4) * Comments made (date/time/UID) * Last/Next displayed work * Scheduled time(s)/Locations * Series locations and scheduled times (for works across multiple instances) * Posts/all time (all posts made to an instance) Off the top of my head - we haven't yet done a lot of work on the software.

Bus-Tops : Bus-Tops - a call to artists!

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:14:09 +0000

Ah Theremin, we're not assuming that, just painting a common picture of experience. Ellis, those examples are wonderful, really whimsical and exactly the kind of thing that would work on the canvas I think.