Soda journal http://soda.co.uk/journal this is where soda members speak en fiddian@soda.co.uk Copyright 2008 2008-10-30T16:47:00+00:00 London Calling http://soda.co.uk/journal/entry/london_calling/ awards Got an Awesome idea? Would a grand help kick it off?
Fiddian is delighted to be a founding trustee of the Awesome Foundation’s London Chapter launched today. The Awesome micro funding concept is soooo.... simple, no strings, no contracts. The ten trustees put a £100 a month into the fund, folk submit a 2,500 character proposal, the best 10 make diddy presentations at our monthly event, the winner walks with £1,000, huzzah! Oh it’s $1,000 in the USofA you lucky luverly Lundoners! There are just two rules about the submitted idea: 1.It’s awesome 2.The money has a meaningful impact on its realisation All we ask is that winners come back to the event sometime and tell how their project went. No idea is too small.

]]> 2010-05-06T08:28:00+00:00 MASH goes Virtually Real 4 Cybersonica @ iDesign09 http://soda.co.uk/journal/entry/mash_goes_virtually_real_4_cybersonica_idesign09/ news, play, art, exhibitions, projects, GAS For iDesign, the digi day of the London Design Festival, Soda are providing a couple of instances of MASH to provide a social media mood-wall around the event.

Soda MASH


Curated by Cybersonica the Virtually Real show showcases interactive artworks, technology showcases and demonstrations. Alongside Soda will be Squid Soup, The Sancho Plan, VisionLabz, Kinetica Museum, Monome (i want one, please!), MOTH, SHOWStudio, Jason Bruges, Lichtfaktor etc etc Check iDesign09 for more info. Tweet #idesign09 and Flickr tag relevant images idesign09 Come and say hi to Fiddian if your coming along.

]]> 2009-09-21T14:45:00+00:00 Liverpool gets MASHed http://soda.co.uk/journal/entry/liverpool/ Fiddian is taking the latest version of Soda’s MASH to the fantastic b.TWEEN 09 Interactive Media Forum at FACT in Liverpool. MASH is Soda’s RSS-aggregating, montage-generating, ever-changing, painterly-mash-up- making, ‘givin’-cool’ system for screens, large or small.
bTWEEN09 MASH grab
MASH can be readily branded and customised to suit a range of purposes: permanent public screens, corporate installations or for shows and events

The b.TWEEN 09 MASH picks up feeds from Twitter (a #btween09 search and bTWEEN boss, @Katzy‘s witty words) and Flickr uploads ( tagged btween09)

The dynamic collage will be projected in b.TWEEN 09’s networking space. Contact fiddian (at) soda.co.uk for more info.

]]> 2009-06-10T17:10:00+00:00 Post Me_New ID http://soda.co.uk/journal/entry/post_me_new_id/ Fiddian’s off to talk Robotics and Avatars in Dresden at the International media art festival CYNETart_08. The Post Me_New ID forum will bring together interdisciplinary practitioners in art and technology to discuss in various formats, from keynotes to Quickfires, issues concerning contemporary and future forms of networked creations and multi-identities. 

]]> 2008-10-30T16:47:00+00:00 great e(ARTS08)Scapes http://soda.co.uk/journal/entry/great_earts08scapes/
Fiddian is off to Shanghai to launch bTWEENScapes at eARTS08 a collaboration with Chinese artist take10. At bTWEENScapes, folk can write short texts which then summon a sequence of images uploaded to Flickr and tagged eARTS08. These subjective inputs interlink the repository of images building a semantic, but dislocated, visual journey. A custom MASH variant displays the resultant illustrated narratives on the huge 360 screen in Shanghai Science Museum’s car park. Tag urban images with ‘earts08’ at Flickr.com and creat texts at bTWEENScapes, go on you know you wanna!

Our GAS application then reads these texts and images and dynamically displays them on the largest panoramic screen in the world erected for eARTS08. The work is commisioned by eARTS08 and funded by the British Council Shanghai. bTWEENScapes is derived from b.TWEEN2CULTURES: commissioned by Just-b. Productions for b.TWEEN06 with support from Visiting Arts.

]]> 2008-10-17T16:03:01+00:00 Fiddian gets Neurotic http://soda.co.uk/journal/entry/fiddian_gets_neurotic/ projects neurotic-at-the-12-bar

In Fiddian’s performance Neurotic, giant pogo-ing robots attend 3 punk gigs. Neurotic questions how learning develops through the empathetic responses of the brain. The robots’ own neural networks are modelled on so-called ‘mirror neurons’ in the brain which stimulate mimicry.  Each robot is exposed to punk records that Fiddian collected as a youth. The intention is that the robots develop their neural connectivity through ‘listening’. See www.fiddian.com for more details

To give the robots’ ‘musical taste’ Fiddian has worked with Jons Jones Morris (software) Professor Peter McOwan (computational biologist) and Dr. Barry Gibb (neurologist).

Performing to younger robotic versions of himself, Fiddian fronts the band Neurotic and the PVCs (Punk Voice Choir) which includes the project’s Musical Director and punk guitarist Andrew Tweedie (Menace), drummer Chris Bashford (Chelsea) and bass player Rob Bartram (Chester). Fiddian sings tracks written with the band especially for Neurotic to test the robot’s acquired taste.  Each night, Neurotic and the PVCs and support bands aim to excited the joint mechanical and human audience to the point of synaptic dancing delight. 

At the gigs, the robots’ instinct to pogo highlights the neurology of pleasure, learning, taste and ageing. Neurotic invites consideration of how taste is embodied in human neurons or Artificial Neural Networks. The scientific and cultural issues related to Neurotic will be explored on a dynamic website and open forum before, during and after the performances. Neurotic and the PVCs band page
Support bands: Fumadores, Gertrude, Red Eyes, Viva Las Vegas, Scrotum Clamp and Toxic Slut.

Neurotic is generously funded by the Wellcome Trust

Performances were at the ICA London July 3,4 & 5th 2008 then touring in 2009 TBC.

]]> 2008-04-16T13:51:00+00:00 Newtoon research report http://soda.co.uk/journal/entry/newtoon_research_report/ play, learning, mobile, newtoon ”Newtoon not only helped learners understand scientific concepts but also helped them experience the scientific design processes and develop their digital literacy.” - Newtoon research report (1mb pdf) via www.futurelab.org.uk/projects/newtoon.

]]> 2008-01-16T11:00:00+00:00 Passing by http://soda.co.uk/journal/entry/passing_by/ play, art, elsewhere Passing by Soda friend and collaborator James Tindall brings us Passingby, a never ending video journey assembled from brief travel glimpses from around the world. Add your own clips via youTube or just sit back and enjoy.

]]> 2007-11-26T16:48:00+00:00 Make way for play http://soda.co.uk/journal/entry/make_way_for_play/ play, presentations, Ed
On Friday 19th October I’ll be taking part in the 2007 Cinekid Festival, which is an annual Film, Television and New Media Festival for Children that is held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. In the morning I’m promised to be providing brain-food for media/ICT creatives and in the afternoon I’ll make way for play.

]]> 2007-10-08T12:38:00+00:00 Daintywalker returns in an all new Constructor http://soda.co.uk/journal/entry/daintywalker_returns_in_an_all_new_constructor/ daintywalkerWe’ve just launched the latest version of our award-winning Constructor application. Read more about it on the New Sodaplay blog.

]]> 2007-09-25T11:40:00+00:00 Sodarace UK Tour 2007 - Final Leg - Manchester http://soda.co.uk/journal/entry/sodarace_uk_tour_2007_final_leg_manchester/ We now begin the final leg of the Sodarace Uk Tour 2007, and what a few months it has been.

After starting at the Cheltenham Science Fair, then onto At-Bristol, over to Pontypridd for the ‘All over the shop’ exhibition week then up to Scotland for the MiEast of Scotland networking event, we now find ourselves starting an 8 week installation at the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry.

Our time at Manchester will also integrate their 2 week Science festival in October which looks set to be a very busy and exciting few weeks.

If you have so far not managed to make it down to see Sodarace for any part of the tour then now is your chance to get to see it while it is still on the road.

Sodarace will finish at the Manchester Museum on the 4th November and begin it’s journey home to London.

]]> 2007-09-08T16:34:00+00:00 Sodarace UK Tour 2007 - 4th Leg - Scotland http://soda.co.uk/journal/entry/sodarace_uk_tour_2007_4th_leg_scotland/ Well after our week over at ‘All over the shop’ Sodarace is about to make a long drive but short trip up to Perth, Scotland on the 7th September.

Sodarace will be part of a day long networking event supported by Perth and Kinross Education and Children’s Services.  The event is the MiEast of Scotland: Technology and Moving Image Education; Let’s Create Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence and is being held at the Horsecross Exhibition Centre.

It looks set to be a very busy and fun day with Soda giving a an hour long talk on Sodarace to all the attendees and getting them all interactive with the kiosks…

After our short visit in Scotland, it’s down to Manchester for the final leg of the tour.....................watch this space!

]]> 2007-09-01T16:22:00+00:00 Sodarace UK Tour 2007 - 3rd Leg - Wales http://soda.co.uk/journal/entry/sodarace_uk_tour_2007_3rd_leg/ Sodarace is now on it’s 3rd Leg of the UK Tour 2007 and this time we are down in Pontypridd.

This time we are part of a week long exhibition called “All over the shop”, this is an exhibition of: installation film digital art painting. 

The exhibition is set in a shopping precinct in Pontypridd where a run of empty shop’s have been turned into small galleries where featured artists will all show their work.  ‘All over the shop’ is a collaboration between CF37 ART.net, Inga Burrows & Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council.

]]> 2007-08-25T15:15:00+00:00 Sodarace UK Tour 2007 - 2nd Leg - Bristol http://soda.co.uk/journal/entry/sodarace_uk_tour_2007_2nd_leg/ Sodarace today begins it’s 2nd Leg of the Uk Tour 2007 and this time we are in Bristol.

The exhibition will be running from today at At-Bristol , one of the UK’s most exciting hands-on science centres, until 23rd August 2007.  The kiosk will be set up in the foyer of the beginning of At-Bristols tour section and we expect a large number of people in every day.

If you missed Sodarace at TheCheltenham Science Festival back at the beginning of June then here’s your chance to see it again down at At-Bristol.

See you there.

]]> 2007-07-23T14:30:00+00:00 Irrepressible.info on Facebook http://soda.co.uk/journal/entry/irrepressibleinfo_on_facebook/ elsewhere, irrepressible, Alex Irrepressible News For its first anniversary we revisited Irrepressible.info and added a brand new news aggregator. Users can now read and submit censorship relevant news.

Amnesty’s pledge has received close to 70,000 signatures exceeding our original expectations by far and the “censored fragments” have become wide spread through the internet receiving millions of views every month.

And we are delighted to see the irrepressible.info API being put to good use on Facebook. Add the irrepressible.info app to your Facebook profile now and help spread the word!

]]> 2007-06-13T13:06:00+00:00 Sodarace begins it’s UK Tour 2007 - Cheltenham http://soda.co.uk/journal/entry/sodarace_begins_its_uk_tour_2007/ Today Sodarace begins the first leg of it’s UK Tour 2007....

From 6th - 10th June 2007 our newly built Sodarace kiosk will show the latest version of Sodarace @ the Cheltenham Science Festival.

Every year the Festival sells over 15,000 tickets. Since 2002 their free interactive science space – the Discover Zone has attracted over 100,000 people through the doors.

The time there promises to make a very exciting start of the tour with hundreds of people a day visiting and playing with the kiosks.

So come down and visit us if you happen to be in the area, it looks set to be a great few days, see you all there and we’ll keep you updated about the next legs of the Tour soon.

]]> 2007-06-06T14:26:00+00:00 b.TWEEN Users as developers http://soda.co.uk/journal/entry/btween_users_as_developers/ Fiddian is leading a panel entitled ‘Users as developers’ at the UK’s biggest interactive media industry gathering b.TWEEN07 on June 15th. The panel will look at what strategies can be employed to meaningfully involve users in content and application development. Sodaplay, Newtoon and Animoodle will be Soda’s key exemplars. Come along, say hello and contribute to the debate. b.TWEEN07 is… Innovation, Information and Inspiration for Digital Entrepreneurs… Turning Creativity into Cash

]]> 2007-05-17T15:01:00+00:00 Secret Moovl fan? http://soda.co.uk/journal/entry/secret_moovl_fan/ news, elsewhere, play, learning, moovl One of my countless automated internet spys recently noticed a brand new moovl blog on the interwebs. Soda is clueless as to who is running it, but whoever it is - they are doing a good job promoting our much loved Moovl.

Bets are on our publisher being the culprit - but nobody really knows. A mystery! 

]]> 2007-05-17T14:36:00+00:00 Soda Rocks (or Pops) Cannes http://soda.co.uk/journal/entry/soda_rocks_or_pops_cannes/ news Alex in CannesAlex and Fiddian went to Cannes last week for the Content360 pitching competition at MipTV and won the Children’s Content category. They pitched ‘Rock or Pop’ a fast paced online game comprising a series of user generated multimedia ‘this or that’ mini games. The prize is a development contract with the BBC with the aim to find a way to make ‘Rock or Pop’ work across CBeebies and CBBC. Rock...........or Pop!

]]> 2007-04-23T20:14:00+00:00 Digitally Ours http://soda.co.uk/journal/entry/digitally_ours/ art, exhibitions, Ed Ed V ZachSoda is appearing in Digitally Yours, an international digital art exhibition collaborated by Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova museum and The Regional Art Council of Southwest Finland. As well as featuring Sodaplay the exhibition has been an opportunity to work with Zach Lieberman on an all new version of Ed v Zach.

]]> 2007-03-30T16:44:00+00:00