I can see for megabytes

September 14, 2004 10:23 PM

Do your windows overlook scenes of inspiration? Do you even have windows? Why not choose your view?
posted by sharpener (23 comments total)

Very cool.
posted by Quartermass at 10:31 PM on September 14, 2004

Then again for the price of that many plasma screens you could easily afford to have windows knocked out of your walls so you can actually see outside.
posted by clevershark at 10:39 PM on September 14, 2004

"So I found myself with access to lots of unwanted 15" panels from work"

Must be tough.
posted by falconred at 10:43 PM on September 14, 2004

Yeah, I wish I had a spare 8 panels to play around with. Of course, I would have made a personal porn theatre rather than a pretty false picture window but it is one hell of an interesting project to undertake.
posted by fenriq at 10:55 PM on September 14, 2004

Pic 4 appears to show a panel in original casing. It looks a lot like the larger mac flat panels, but all clear plastics.

This is geektastic.

"The only reason the cables are visible is becase the stupid fireplace is in the way and that wall isn't due to be remodeled for quite a while."

It's aesthetically appropriate, somehow, like finding a bug in the GUI of an OS that leaves gaping at the sudden appearance of raw, unfinished technology.

...

Oh, now I get it. These are Windows!

I couldn't resist!
(Dons asshat, runs away quickly)
posted by mwhybark at 11:00 PM on September 14, 2004

Our team is being relocated at work. The space we're moving into is affectionately referred to on campus as "the morgue," a place so deep below ground that even spiders dare not take up residence. Since it has no windows, and its depth precludes "punching out the walls", we've been looking for options...
posted by sharpener at 11:41 PM on September 14, 2004

Must be tough.

Yeah. Must be really tough.

"Boy, Julie was sorry to have said that she wanted to help solder." "It's a good thing her teammates on the girl's swimteam were skilled electricians so they could come lend a hand. It got pretty hot with all those solder guns, and we all ended up having to strip down to our underwear...

I hate this guy.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 12:05 AM on September 15, 2004

I'd rather have the daylight if it was going to be a room I was planning on spending any amount of time in.
posted by nthdegx at 12:55 AM on September 15, 2004

But... why would I want that when I have such a great view already?
posted by Singular at 2:42 AM on September 15, 2004

This is pretty damn cool but their is something about it I find slightly troubling.

Maybe its the presentation in the post -- the notion that this is a windowless room (note the French doors and telescope in the space). Maybe it is the manner (the architectural choices made) in which the windows were installed -- the installation don't meet the promise of the idea -- reinforced further by the separation of the "windows" by the fireplace.

There are plenty of video artists doing work with multiple screens and here we are presented with windows next to windows which can't even overcome the limitations of poorly considered proportioned architecture.

I like the idea but not this specific implementation.
posted by Dick Paris at 3:07 AM on September 15, 2004

Damn, Singular, can't you grow some plants or something?
posted by Blue Stone at 4:01 AM on September 15, 2004

The best view I ever had was when I worked at 9 Hoxton Square, London (used as Dil's apartment in The Crying Game) at the time when it was just about to make the transition to the cool, artsy, full-of-wankers area we know & love today.

The street life (OK, square life) that was laid out in front of me every day was brilliant, the best being the time a gang of lads managed to get their (probably stolen) car out of a wheel clamp by tieing the clamp to the railings and driving away. Straight into a Volvo estate.

If I look to my left now I see lots of sky which is kinda nice. I'm with Dick Paris on this project tho'.

Singular: How about some kind of gigantic periscope? And make a web site about how you build it ;-)
posted by i_cola at 4:35 AM on September 15, 2004

Eh. I'm less than impressed. Show me a virtual window that provides real 3D depth, and I'll be rushing to get it set up.
posted by angry modem at 5:20 AM on September 15, 2004

considered proportioned… ?

Erm, choose one.
posted by Dick Paris at 5:54 AM on September 15, 2004

Reminds me of Total Recall. There was a scene with a wall/electronic window thingy in the movie at some point, wasn't there?

What images would you have on yours? Tropical beach? Zooming through space? I might go with something underwater. Of course you could have a scene of half-naked swimmers soldering, too. That wouldn't be so bad.
posted by kahboom at 6:47 AM on September 15, 2004

There's a million zillion dollars to be made from a round porthole-looking thing that displays underwater scenes.
posted by SteelyDuran at 7:02 AM on September 15, 2004

My view from my office used to be inspirational, now the Capitol kinda makes me feel ill if not angry. I've been considering finding a giant picture of the Canadian Parliament to place over my window, though it'd probably be easier just to move to the Canadian capital, Toronto.

(Yes, I know, thanks.)
posted by Pollomacho at 7:05 AM on September 15, 2004

sharpener - I used to work on the third floor of a building where the IT department had the same problem. Their solution was to have me on speed dial and ask me for weather reports.
posted by Karmakaze at 7:06 AM on September 15, 2004

I'm less than impressed. Show me a virtual window that provides real 3D depth, and I'll be rushing to get it set up.

You mean something like this (also from the same guy's website & home).
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 7:12 AM on September 15, 2004

Wow, CD, the guy's consistent. I recall seeing that skyline thing a few years ago. He's, like, an awtist or sumpin'.
posted by mwhybark at 7:47 AM on September 15, 2004

Yeah, I kept thinking to myself, "If he hates his view so much as is clearly evident, why doesn't he just move?"
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 8:06 AM on September 15, 2004

Sad. I love the idea, but placing the windows above the fireplace? I can't suspend my disbelief because I *know* windows wouldn't be there. The chimney's in the way, and nobody ever puts windows above a mantle.

Gimmie a blank wall with these babies, and a realtime (or time-shifted, in the case of truly distant shores) video feed and I'm there!
posted by kfury at 10:35 AM on September 15, 2004

Window above fireplace?

While I could not find a photo showing such, the Villa Malaparte has a window in the back of the fireplace.
posted by Dick Paris at 5:41 PM on September 15, 2004