Design of Immersive Online Hotel Walkthrough System Using Image-Based (Concentric Mosaics) Rendering

Conventional hotel booking websites only represents their services in 2D photos to show their facilities. 2D photos are just static photos that cannot be move and rotate. Imagebased virtual walkthrough for the hospitality industry is a potential technology to attract more customers. In this project, a research will be carried out to create an Image-based rendering (IBR) virtual walkthrough and panoramic-based walkthrough by using only Macromedia Flash Professional 8, Photovista Panorama 3.0 and Reality Studio for the interaction of the images. The web-based of the image-based are using the Macromedia Dreamweaver Professional 8. The images will be displayed in Adobe Flash Player 8 or higher. In making image-based walkthrough, a concentric mosaic technique is used while image mosaicing technique is applied in panoramic-based walkthrough. A comparison of the both walkthrough is compared. The study is also focus on the comparison between number of pictures and smoothness of the walkthrough. There are advantages of using different techniques such as image-based walkthrough is a real time walkthrough since the user can walk around right, left, forward and backward whereas the panoramic-based cannot experience real time walkthrough because the user can only view 360 degrees from a fixed spot

Film policy and the emergence of the cross-cultural: exploring crossover cinema in Flanders (Belgium)

With several films taking on a cross-cultural character, a certain ‘crossover trend’ may be observed within the recent upswing of Flemish cinema (a subdivision of Belgian cinema). This trend is characterized by two major strands: first, migrant and diasporic filmmakers finally seem to be emerging, and second, several filmmakers tend to cross the globe to make their films, hereby minimizing links with Flemish indigenous culture. While paying special attention to the crucial role of film policy in this context, this contribution further investigates the crossover trend by focusing on Turquaze (2010, Kadir Balci) and Altiplano (2009, Peter Brosens & Jessica Woodworth)

Report of the Stanford Linked Data Workshop

The Stanford University Libraries and Academic Information Resources (SULAIR) with the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) conducted at week-long workshop on the prospects for a large scale, multi-national, multi-institutional prototype of a Linked Data environment for discovery of and navigation among the rapidly, chaotically expanding array of academic information resources. As preparation for the workshop, CLIR sponsored a survey by Jerry Persons, Chief Information Architect emeritus of SULAIR that was published originally for workshop participants as background to the workshop and is now publicly available. The original intention of the workshop was to devise a plan for such a prototype. However, such was the diversity of knowledge, experience, and views of the potential of Linked Data approaches that the workshop participants turned to two more fundamental goals: building common understanding and enthusiasm on the one hand and identifying opportunities and challenges to be confronted in the preparation of the intended prototype and its operation on the other. In pursuit of those objectives, the workshop participants produced:1. a value statement addressing the question of why a Linked Data approach is worth prototyping;2. a manifesto for Linked Libraries (and Museums and Archives and …);3. an outline of the phases in a life cycle of Linked Data approaches;4. a prioritized list of known issues in generating, harvesting & using Linked Data;5. a workflow with notes for converting library bibliographic records and other academic metadata to URIs;6. examples of potential “killer apps” using Linked Data: and7. a list of next steps and potential projects.This report includes a summary of the workshop agenda, a chart showing the use of Linked Data in cultural heritage venues, and short biographies and statements from each of the participants

The Cultural Adaptation of Internet Dating: Attitudes towards Online Relationship Formation

This study explores the social approval of internet dating through the ranking of vignette scenarios. The scenarios are manipulated by the conditions of face-to-face interaction, presence of mutual acquaintance, and use of internet technology. Measures of legitimacy, predicted longevity, and social perception test for changes in attitudes of the varied ways in which a hypothetical couple meets. One of seven randomly distributed scenarios was ranked by a total of 346 undergraduates to disentangle the above conditions and test for an effect on social approval. Situated in the framework of cultural adaptation, script theory and the saturated self, support is found for low cultural approval of internet dating. Conditions of face-to-face interaction, issues of trust, and affinity to the internet demonstrate clear effects on the approval of relationships formed through internet dating