The first prototype of Piano Gloves created by Scott Garner using Arduino and Processing. The concept is simple including gloves with buttons at the end of the fingers connected to Arduino which are fed to custom Processing app that generates the sounds.

via scott.j38.net/interactive/piano_gloves/

Just before you think ‘Oh no, not another drawing app’, here is something really refreshing, thinking about drawings in a whole/new/old way.

If we were ever to understand marks that a pencil or charcoal makes, it would be a close networks of cross hatched lines endlessly overlapping one another. Thicker, bolder pencil points mark darker where lighter/sharper give us thin, razor sharp marks on the paper. Now if we think digitally, how would this be translated?

Vellum does just that. Created by David Lu, instead of using brush (particle) mechanism so common amongst other drawing apps, it creates mesh like trails, wireframe ribbon like marks that resemble marks left by pencil pretty well i’d say.

The app is now available! still in development, and should be available within few weeks. To follow development, make sure you follow Vellum on Twitter or David while he tackles ad-hoc provisioning for CAN amongst other things =].

Features:
Minimal design · No complex menus or sliders
Pinch to zoom · 2-Finger swipe to pan · Tap to toggle navigation bar
3 handsome tools · Graphite · Ink · Scratch

(via Lenny on Twitter)

Platform: iPhone
Version: 1.0
Cost: $1.99
Developer: David Lu

Rhonda, a 3d drawing tool originally developed by Amit Pitaru circa 2003 has now entered private beta. Those that registered would have received an email earlier today announcing the beta together with the download link and introduction video (see below) by Zach Lieberman (openframeworks).

Built with openFrameworks, this beta version is a bit different from the one you saw James using on the main page. The video on the main page shows James using a Cintiq Wacom tablet and a track ball. But for this first release, the team wanted to create a version that everyone could use without having to purchase additional hardware.

The team also points out that this being the first beta release – expect the unexpected.

Having had a quick play, it’s exactly as expected. A little difficult to get used to but the idea is pretty simple. You draw on the workplane then rotate the view to add new contours. Because, as many agree, this is quite an incredible tool, it deserves a much closer look. I look forward to writing an extended review once the app is ready for prime time. For the time being, I will have a play + enjoy seeing how Rhonda develops.

The team behind Rhonda:
Amit Pitaru
James Paterson
Zach Lieberman
Zach Gage

Rhonda

Zach Lieberman (openframeworks) and Zach Gage (synthpond) have just joined the Rhonda Team.  ”Rhonda” is a 3D drawing tool originally developed by Amit Pitaru circa 2003. The first half of the video below shows James Paterson doing a drawing start to finish. In the second part James is cycling through various previous drawings, created between 2004 and 2005.

For the last several years Rhonda has been shown in galleries, museums, festivals and conferences. It’s very exciting to hear that the team is now working on the app and will be creating releases of Rhonda for various platforms.

You can find out more here and see some of Amit’s past work here.

See also Sonic Wire Sculptor by Amit / Mac + Windows

(via zachlieberman)

PhiLia 01 is a new iPhone application created by the the Austrian visual artist Lia, one of the early pioneers of Software and Net Art who has been creating digital art, installations and sound works since 1995. The app is about artistic harmony, expressed through interactive generative movement, sound, form and color. Not too dissimilar from the Universal Everything’s V&A Installation at the Victoria & Albert Museum – context very different, the App is an interactive piece that engages touch, motion and complexity aesthetic.

When you start the app you are greeting with a vertical line of offset circles which if you shift the device to one side slide across the screen. You can continue to do this until you introduce an effector which colours the discs the colour of your choosing and slows down the discs that pass through the area you touched. This results in an offset of affected discs creating an illusion of deforming spline made up of circle shapes. You can further increase the complexity by introducing trails, sporadically rotating the device and changing the radius of the circles replicated. You can reset by double tapping or start again by shaking your device. A number of other options are includes such as ability to change the speed, disable all direction and turn off sound.

I found that attempting to maintain integrity of the spline by gently rotating the device produces most satisfying results. Touching the screen at different areas of the vertical spline with associated rotation create a sensation of a living form that alters shape in an elegant and very poetic way.

Whilst the app provides a wonderful first time experience it unfortunately falls short of continued engagement. Once you have tried it, it is hard to see how you may want to explore it further. I am generally of belief that apps on the iPhone should always try to provide alternative ways of engagement, ie an ability to export, connect and transport generated content by maintaining the original form. Whilst camera.app function creates still images it also offers ability to save these. If the app is an interactive motion piece, it should also provide a way to transport this motion experience to other devices including your computer. Ability to create screenshots of these wonderful interactive motion pieces in PhiLia 01 undermines the engaging experience the app provides. If this is a piece of interactive digital art, surely it should not conclude in the form of a screenshot? I only mention this because there are a number of apps available in the appstore that behave like a link between the iPhone and computer. Using OSC, you can use iPhone’s multitouch and accelerometer capability to interface with custom desktop applications. Whilst most of these apps only provide a link, only synthPond explores this in the form of integrated functionality. PhiLia 01 should provide the same, a transportable interface to further experience beyond the limitations of iPhone/iPod touch hardware. It could morph itself, transport and behave like an interface to desktop app or a projection to be experienced full scale. It could also provide a WiFi link between neighboring devices running the same app that could stimulate real-time interactive collaboration and exchange. PhiLia 01 could be many things but definitely not a screenshot generator.

Create your own personal art by using your fingers (multitouch) to interact with the elements on the screen. Tilt the device to change the direction of movement. Change various parameters that influence the behavior of the elements by accessing the Menu, which you can open by tapping the lower right corner of the screen. Store your favourite moments of freshly-created absolute beauty and coherence by accessing the Menu choosing to save the image to your Photos.

Am I beig harsh, yes, I am, but only for the single reason the app is so wonderful. Looking at Lia‘s past work you can see the beauty and amazing skill. Like many artists exploring the platform, one has to realise that even though the AppStore is a great platform to distribute digital artworks what unerlines this exchange between the user and the artist is a real opportunity to engage, inspire and motivate. It is more than just porting your creations to the platform but making most of the opportunities the platform offers in ways that can inspire even the mainstream audience.

Created with openFrameworks

Platform: iPhone
Version: 1.1
Cost: $2.99
Developer: Lia

Philia 01 Support Video from Lia on Vimeo.

1. Crosswords
Are you are crossword addict? If so, look no further as this app by Standalone will make you drop paper all together. Feature rich with ability to download latest puzzles from various newspaper providers including subscription only Times.

Platform: iPhone
Cost: £5.99 Light Version Free
Developer: Standalone
Crosswords
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2. Muddled
All these letters but can you make words out of them? Compete against the clock to make most words using the letters provided. Fun and challenging. 

Platform: iPhone
Cost: £1.19
Developer: Lonely Star Software
Download
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3. Wurdle
How many words can you put togehter using a 4×4 board or even 8×8? Draw words with your finger. Great use of touch.

Platform: iPhone
Cost: £1.19
Developer: Semi Secret Software
Download
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4. Quordy
Similar to Wurdle but from the makers of Muddled so if you enjoy the interface this is the one for you. Also includes extra features such as sending a challenge to a friend.

Platform: iPhone
Cost: £1.79
Developer: Lonely Star Software
Download
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5. Scramboni
Compete against players online to come up with a word using most letters available. The quicker you are the more points you score. No fame and fortune, just fun :)

Platform: iPhone
Cost: FREE
Developer: ByteClub LLC
Download
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If you are like me and do enjoy anything retro specially related to computers, then this is one application you want to have on your iPhone and its FREE!!

Description:
Touch the screen and draw pixels. Feel like your back in the days creating art for your favorite videogame. Share your pixels online at thepixelrepublic.com. Pixelize your own images or take a picture then pixelize it.

Application Title: Pixel
Platform: iPhone
Cost: FREE
Developer: Toomuchspace 
Download
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