Hi, I’m Bret Bernhoft, a Web analyst and podcaster with a passion for entrepreneurism.  Based in Portland, Oregon, I’ve been working with the Internet for the past six years now in a variety of roles. From Internet media and research to Web development and analytics. For my friends, I’m the go-to web guy (but I just like to think of myself as passionate).

My current project is a community called “Being Bipolar”. It’s an online resource designed to provide a common space for the bipolar community to meet and share. I also host a podcast for the community where I discuss relevant topics and share my own personal insight.

If you would like to contact me, please feel free to use the form below. Or, you can email me directly at bret@bretevan.com.

Being Bipolar Podcast

Media Fragments and Meta-Context

This post is under construction and is gradually being added to.

Description

  • “Enabling participants to immediately recognize and interpret the larger meaning of brief media segments/cuts.”
  • “Each frame/image will be explained in a way that 1000 words alone cannot.”

Operation

  • As the brief media segment/cut is played/displayed, the recipient(s) is able to access a “mental codex” or “map of context” that allows the individual to attribute meaning to what is being shared.
    • Imagine if, by agreement, an artificial “mental codex/infrastructure” was able to be transmitted with each media segment?
  • The media would most likely be environmentally consumed, and not in a stream format (similar to TV or radio).

Current Application

  • Tightly edited YouTube videos representing imagery that can be easily recognized and translated by a participant.
    • Commonly done today with media segments/cuts that are no longer than 5-8 seconds.

Sound Spheres

This post is under construction and is gradually being added to.

Sound Spheres

Description

  • A physical device that emits sound(s) which can only be heard within a specific radius from it.

Qualities

  • On the outside of the “sound sphere” you cannot hear anything emanating from the source device. But, on the inside you are immersed in what is being emitted by the device.
  • The area that the sound can be heard in is actually an example of “interactive spatial-media” that can be influenced by an individual in it.

The space inside of the radius surrounding the emitting device is the most important part to how this works. Essentially, the technology that is being described here is the ability to immerse a listener in a “field” or “aura” that responds to gestures and other inputs. Those inputs can have a variety of impacts, but will mostly influence the listening experience.

Description of Experience

It could be said to be like walking into another Universe. Imagine having a device setup inside of a noisy convention center. On the outside of the sound sphere, the listener would be flooded with conference noises. But, once the person entered inside of the sound sphere they would be fully taken away by the change in audio environment. The listener, by walking into the “projection radius”, would be only able to hear what was being emitted.

A similar headphone experience to the inside of the sound sphere would be this: