Whiz-bang technology provides lots of whiz, not enough bang
Several technological gizmos made their debut during today’s inauguration coverage. Or, if not debut, they took a leap forward.
Now that it’s all over — geez, have you ever seen so many marching bands? — let’s look back and see how folks did with their new toys.
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CNN CAPTURING ‘THE MOMENT’ IN 3D
CNN was promising a giant 3D model of the Capitol, the audience and… well, everything, pricesely at “the moment” by using new software to stitch together snapshots from digital cameras, cell phones and such from viewers.
How did it go? Not so good, as far as we can tell. The most interesting use of the resulting 3D model was when CNN’s Tom Foreman used it to pick celebrities out of the crowd.
Oh wow. Hold us back.
At least they didn’t refer to it as a hologram.
We’re so underimpressed we won’t even go pull in the photo at CNN’s The Moment page. We had intended to, but when we discovered you have to install proprietary software from Microsoft… well, hell, they didn’t mention that before.
If you’re feeling more adventurous than us, please grab a screen cap or two and send us your analysis of the photo.
For a much less troublesome 360-degree view of The Moment, check out the old-fashioned panoramic photo by the Associated Press.
Find CNN’s The Moment page here. Find the aforementioned video here.
Poynter’s Sara Quinn gave it a brief write-up today, too. Find that here.
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CNN’S SATELLITE VIEW OF THE MALL
OK, this one came out a little better. In fact, the only problem we had with this whiz-bang gizmo was CNN’s breathless hype of a simple custom satellite photo.
We don’t have a transcript handy, but we were watching when Wolf Blitzer said something along the lines of this being the fastest-ever turnaround for satellite imagery for non-military use.
Fact is, this was pretty cool. Zoom in and you can see precisely where the crowds were gathered in the seating areas and behind barricades. Not bad at all.
It was painful, though, watching the CNN dimwits attempt to play with the photo on the air. Clearly, these guys have no clue how to deal with a static image. We nearly fell out of our chair when one CNN commentator asked the cameraman to focus on the Capitol building and the hapless videographer zoomed in on the west building of the Smithsonian’s National Gallery of Art.
Hey, seen one dome, seen ‘em all, right?
Find the huge, zoomable satellite photo here.
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McCLATCHY’S ‘NEVER BEFORE’ PODIUM CAMERA
This morning, the McClatchy folks in D.C. seemed all breathless themselves about a special placement for an automatic camera that had been approved at the last minute.
Editor & Publisher quoted McClatchy senior photo editor Linda Epstein this morning:
McClatchy may end up getting the closest shot of Obama’s swearing in, with a camera positioned “at the foot of the podium.”
“It will get a shot that has never been gotten,” said Epstein. “It is a wide-angle lens and I don’t think anyone has ever been that close.”
George Bridges, managing editor, McClatchy Tribune photo service, said the placement took months of lobbying of the Senate Press Photo Gallery and Obama’s own people. “Up until two days ago, they were still lobbying for it,” he said, noting the photos will be pool images available to all pool news outlets.
Epstein said the photo will be sent to all McClatchy papers, as well as through the McClatchy-Tribune News Service. “As soon as we get it, within the first 10 minutes, the remote will come directly here.”
The folks at the National Press Photographers Association shared additional technical details:
The camera was a Canon EOS 5D Mark II with wireless transmitter attached and mounted inside a Pelican case customized by Kennedy. It was mounted on a camera plate that was screwed into the platform and then mounted on a Bogen arm. The camera was wired via Ethernet for transmission through a DSL line at Kennedy’s position on the balustrade above and behind the platform. The camera was trigged via a hardwire to eliminate radio interference.
So how did it work out? Depends on who you talk to. The McClatchy Watch blog chortled over an epic fail:
What happened? It’s 2:oo EST and the photo by Chuck Kennedy on McClatchy’s main web site doesn’t seem unique or memorable at all… Chief Justice John Roberts isn’t even in the photo. Sacbee.com is using pool photos, not the never-been-gotten-before photo by Chuck Kennedy. Beware of bragging before you achieve.
But we’re not so sure. Here’s the raw shot:
We’d argue that’s a damn good angle. After all, look what the fine folks at the p.m. Daily Tribune of Columbia, Mo., did with it today:
Sweet! Hopefully, a few other papers will put it to good use Tuesday morning.
And besides: Who the hell wants to see John Roberts’ backside?
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TODAY’S BIG CHAMPION: TWITTER
We were laughing the other day at the Virginian-Pilot’s plan to cover the inauguration via Twitter. After all, experts were saying the one-to-two million people expected on the Mall today would hopelessly jam cell phone systems. How can anyone promise Twitter coverage if everyone’s struggling to get a signal?
So how did it work out? For the Pilot, not so bad. We monitored the feed all day. Pretty much everyhting Pilot reporter Patrick Wilson was pretty good stuff.
A few excerpts (and one tweeted photo):
* Uh oh - garbage cans are already overflowing.
* A crowd at New Jersey and D near the Capitol
* A woman told her friend to “stand by the Washington Post and smile.” She meant Washington Monument.
* Street preachers are hard at work. They don’t like Obama. Or Washington.
* The crowd at Washington monument is watching the ceremony on a jumbotron. Loud boos for Bush and Cheney.
* A man and woman climb on top of port-o-potty. Crowd cheers for them. We can’t move, and people seem antsy.
* As helicopter flys over, some people say “Good riddance.”
Even more remarkable was Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), who tweeted the entire day.
A few excerpts:
* Just arrived on podium. Took my breath away. I have never and will never see a more amazing sight.
* Scalia in a really weird hat.
* Just saw our spouses sitting just below us. Hope my family all made it in.
* My friend Ted Kennedy just was taken away in an ambulance. Convulsions. Please pray for the Lion of the Senate
* In my sweats back at the apartment. Gonna take a nap. Long night ahead. I have a very special treat later.
* Ran into Sheryl Crowe last night, fellow Mizzou alum. She clued me in on what time she’s playing at our ball, I won’t go early but stay late.
After all the Twittering we’ve seen this year — and all the hype about Twittering — it’s nice to see what can be done when there’s actual good content to tweet. For the second time in less than a week!
What we need now is a way to filter all those “I’m listening to Weezer!” messages…
January 21st, 2009 at 2:35 pm
I’m gonna split my props between the Pilot and Salt Lake because of the time difference. Salt Lake did a great job of using time to their advantage where I am certain the Pilot front was closed by the time that photo became available. Both are stellar, but I think timing played a huge role in the wide range of covers we saw today (especially with the parade pushing everything back over an hour). Nice work all around.
And I might just have an idea or two on your Twitter problem, Charles. That’s for another time though.
January 21st, 2009 at 2:46 pm
As soon as I read “bottom of the podium with a wide-angle lens” I knew the picture would come out like that. Why would you use a 12mm, it’s going to flatten out his face (just as it did) and you’ll get mostly legs and chins. Ugggh.
Nice try though
January 21st, 2009 at 3:20 pm
I really didn’t need to know that Claire McCaskill, the senator from my former state of residence, was back in her apartment in her sweats. Leave that little nugget of info off your tweet next time Claire.
Oh…and great headline on this post Chuck.
January 21st, 2009 at 9:42 pm
Can we get Google to label the sides of their charts? These two charts are supposedly impressive, but they contain no real information.
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/search-findings-from-us-presidential.html
January 22nd, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Mr. Apple: Should a food critic review a restaurant without sampling the food firsthand? A film critic write without having viewed the film? Why would you dare to judge CNN’s use of Photo Synth, and the technology itself, without the commitment and courtesy to at least try it? Do you have QuickTime on your computer? That’s made by Apple. Flash? Adobe.
For that matter, check out msnbc.com’s Photo Synths from the Inauguration, they use a Silverlight implementation which perhaps ruffles your timid installation feathers a bit less.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28661923/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28661889/
January 22nd, 2009 at 1:18 pm
I don’t think my dismissing the CNN/Photo Synth effort is any worse than, say, leaving an anonymous comment in a blog, “Willing.” Why do you ask?
No, quite frankly, I’m not willing to load up yet another application into my laptop unless I have a need for it. I have quite enough apps right now, thank you.
My primary objection in this case was that CNN plugged and plugged again that project. But it wasn’t until it was all done and ready to be viewed that you click the link, only to discover — Oops, first you have to load some special software.
It might not be so bad if Microsoft didn’t have such an awful track record with things like security lapses and such. I was forced to use a PC for several years at work. Sub-par software, all of it.
It also might not be so bad if I thought I might use this software again some time again soon. Doesn’t seem bloody likely.
If you need special software to view something plugged in such a visible place as CNN’s HLN, then tell us up front. But don’t suddenly hit me with that and then come back and tell me I’m the one being discourteous.