If this is legit, I predict it will be used almost exclusively to project the text "NO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY" onto snapshots of paintings, performances, and the like.

Oh good, another new way for advertising to invade everyone's lives.

That looks WAY too much like an Uzi+Silencer combo to be "airport safe." I would imagine anyone carrying this device near a high-value target gets hassled like craaaaazy.

So someone has made a device which supports the stupidity that has permeated our society in the form of police, management, and ordinary civilians acting like everyone taking a photo is a terrorist. Wonderful.

which would be ironic since every flash photograph taken would also result in the text being flashed at the painting.. which would ultimately lead to those words being burned into the painting..

but yes, i'm sure it would be used for that in some way..

also..

it really makes me want to make one and take it to the alamo.. maybe.. "Ozzy was here" written like its piss.. could really fool some folks

Hmm, that's basically a slave flash with a slide projector in front. Quite nifty.

For those of you that can't be bothered to click through the pages, a video example is at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAX_3Bgel7M

If we could just genetically engineer chromatophores into humans, we could all become multi-colored, ever-changing ad space.

It's a funny, creative idea, and I admire it as a gizmo and a feat of hacking.

But how big of a jerk do you have to be to deliberately tamper with random strangers' vacation photos?

The results are a little underwhelming, too. Maybe that's why there isn't a gallery of images on the site. The video posted by Liquide is really more informative than the web page is.

finally, a use for my old 35mm SLR and flashgun...

Man I really want to get one of these and start an urban legend.

"Julius' web page says one of the reasons he built the gizmo was to challenge the high confidence that people have that their photos are accurate captures of reality."

Say Julius, how about you challenge yourself not to be a douche and ruin my photo, you pretentious ass?

Argh. You have to be rich and useless to create something so pointless.

ah, the old Red Army Faktion logo... memories.

Someone tell Banksy!

What a self-important jerk.

what a terrible thing to say about Banksy! He's an artist!

It must be a real thrill for people to take photographs that they may only have one opportunity in their entire lives to take - and have some pretentious ass essentially destroy it with his grafitti. :o(

It's an interesting concept/project, and actually well done, but now that he's "perfected" a way to ruin stranger's pictures he should simply destroy it before someone he's angered does it for him...

It's natural for advertisers to want to use these, considering how effective and well-tolerated popup advertising is on the web, but the first product I see advertised this way will learn just how wrong the "any attention is good attention" saying is.

Press conference anybody?

Really needs a different form. Definately looks weapon like.

Your flash may be ruining someones enjoyment of the moment. Having your event that ruined someone elses moment ruined (and can be photoshopped or bought) seems karma like.

So, it's basically a Ruin-Peoples'-Fun machine? Its chief output seems to be disappointment.

Party-pooping aside, though, it really is a clever little hack.

build it into a helmet. Or a busby.

A bus boy?

Folks, I'm disappointed in you. This has pointless and mildly irritating amusement potential in much the same way as a TV-b-gone, but everybody goes all paranoid.

a hairy shako then

Stop harshing on my buzz dudes. I was just thinking "NEAT!" and then I read all these comments and you're right and whatnot, but still... NEAT!

I love the fire coming out of the reichstag one - very clever.

in any case, I'll be doing a poor man's hack of this by adding a SAW machine gun. The thing sounds like the Instant Sniper Retaliator anyway.

1. the creator is a genius
2. the people whose photos were altered now have collector's items
3. the method can be used by spies to pass signals and information in broad daylight.
4.profit!

1) photographers have had gear to do this for years,
http://www.google.com/products?hl=en&safe=off&q=front+projection+strobe&authorid=1172711&cdn=B%26H+Photo-Video-Audi...&lnk=storesugg

2) his implementation really sucks , and is terrifically inefficient,

3) and how the hell did he get a patent on it?

On the other hand , as an art piece , the use of an old camera and telephoto lens looks kind of cool.

He should use it to project images of ghosts, Jesus, or Mother Mary. Then people can sell their photos on eBay. Win-win.

Oh dear, I hope nobody thinks of using this around one of our valuable traffic intersection violator cameras! Some naughty wag might use it to send messages to the noble civil servants who monitor those photographs, distracting them from their important task.

#1 is bang on. I think it should so be used...copyright should be preserved by ingenuity, not law...

@17: Can barely hear myself type over your whining. Photos of popular attractions are stupid. You can find hundreds of them from any angle probably taken during better weather with a better camera by someone with better photography skills than you on the Internet.

I think this project is interesting from many different angles, especially those which the artist didn't focus on. This really looks into the nature of public space and how the actions of the people around you can be seen as intrusions into it, and yet advertisements are pervasive in nearly every aspect of our public lives. How one invasion is more acceptable over another is a point to consider

@30
did I tell you about my scheme to run some moss through a blender and spray the spore soup through a template onto a wall somewhere? Viola: MossMadonna, donations in jar please, keep the line moving. Could use mould too I guess (MildewMadonna)

As I posted in the gadgets area, imagine you want to take a picture of something that for reasons of insanity someone feels shouldn't be allowed, this device marrs the object with OBJECT COPYRIGHTED over and over again against the surface which can only be seen when people take a picture of it. Now that is an ingenous way to stop people ripping your gift shop off of all the photos they should be purchasing instead of taking their own.

#31 Is your Evil Genius a gift or did you work hard at it.

Is there some sort of award system on BB?

There is definite risk in that idea. Could you project out? This needs developed.

What image would be the most confusing/appropriate? A reflection of the sky? A plausible "it's not me image"? George Bush and Barak Obama sharing a ride?

ok very clever, now stop bothering the adults and RUINING OTHER PEOPLES ART and do something useful.
regardless of how little regard you have for other peoples creations (their own personal photos) you have no right to impose your wishes or influence any more than a child leaping into your field of view.

What is happening to the world when the first thing I thought upon seeing that device was that someone will mistake it as a gun and bad things will happen to him? Doesn't help that he has it in a case with foam cutouts for each part and puts it together piece by piece.

That said, it is pretty cool even if it conjures up images of Scooby-Doo villains using lights and mirrors to trick people (usually out of their real estate.)

What a lot of downers.... I'm with #33, why do people care so damn much about these goofy tourist photos? I think the idea is rather excellent. I'd be giddy if I was taking a goofy tourist photo and some random junk popped up on it!

Not only might this clever invention be used by ner-do-wells to foil public safety traffic cameras, but just think what spoilage might be achieved if cruelly used to foil the work of that coterie of noble artistes, the paparazzi!