Ourstories.org by Unicef, one laptop per child (OLPC) and Google is an oral history project, in which location is not only a set of longitude and latitude, but a social place in our world. The project is…
“a joint initiative to preserve and share the histories and identities of cultures around the world by making personal stories available online in many languages. Using laptops, mobile phones and other recording devices, children will record, in their native languages, the stories of elders, family members and friends. These stories will be shared globally through the Our Stories website, where they can be found on a Google Map.
By making these stories accessible around the world, the Our Stories project hopes to contribute to a better understanding of our shared humanity across countries and cultures, across religious traditions, across languages, and across generations.”
“In the work the listener is asked to locate various substances that form the contemporary urban environment (glass, stone, concrete etc.). As they mark the location of each one they begin to hear interwoven stories connecting them to remote locations around the world, soundtracked with a generative music score. The narratives are progressed and concluded as the listener returns to the locations they chose. The piece is reflective and sometimes melancholy, it touches on issues of climate change and global awareness, but ultimately encourages the listener to treasure the moments around them…”
Suzy Bennett reports on her experience with the iPhone as a travel assistant for a trip to Madrid:
“Before I left for Madrid, I downloaded several guides on to my phone: six podcasts, an audio walking tour, a guide to Madrileño restaurants and bars and a Spanish phrasebook, produced by Rough Guides.
I also “bookmarked” – saved – the Lonely Planet and Rough Guide website addresses, plus a selection of travel blogs for reference.”
There are several observations on the activities of the traditional guidebook publishers like Lonely Planet to cope with the “digital challenge” (e.g. lonelyplanet.tv “a kind of You Tube for travel videos”).
Where? Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Bristol (UK) When? 3-4 december 2007 What? two day conference for mediascape enthusiasts, involving workshops mentored by industry professionals, speakers from a range of backgrounds, a showcase of mediascapes and plenty of networking Registration closes on Monday, 19 November 2007!
More at http://www.mscapers.com/mscapeFest07
Posted by Andreas H. Bock 
