Bites of 8-Bit

FREE DAILY TRENDS

13 MAY 2013

Spot On

Free Wi-Fi hotspots are emerging in atypical venues

9 MAY 2013

Apps Against Extinction

New mobile campaigns protect and build awareness of endangered species

25 APR 2013

IPSo Facto

Indoor Positioning Systems are the next frontier in mobile navigation

24 APR 2013

Get Psyched

Virtual therapy is bringing emotional healing home

19 APR 2013

Tipping Point

New technologies advance the art of appreciation

17 APR 2013

Make Some Noise

Digital tools simulate aural environments to boost listeners’ productivity

12 APR 2013

Getting Cloudy

The cloud yields a new generation of online organizational tools

29 MAR 2013

Small Gestures

Forthcoming wireless devices control computers through physical movements

21 MAR 2013

Lighten Up

LED light bulbs are getting cheaper, subtler, and more efficient

20 MAR 2013

What’s the Password?

New gadgets help users keep their online passwords secure and organized

18 MAR 2013

Close Encounters of the 3D Kind

New technologies are poised to make 3D printing more accessible

14 MAR 2013

Full Alert

Sensory alert technologies keep users apprised of physical and social stimuli

8 MAR 2013

Whose Vine Is It Anyway?

Novel digital tools illuminate the emergence of Vine

6 MAR 2013

Ain’t No Dummy

High-tech mannequins enliven brick-and-mortar shopping

5 MAR 2013

Crowd Control

New apps help commuters avoid congestion

28 FEB 2013

(Sm)art Galleries

Museum are using apps to enhance the visitor experience

27 FEB 2013

Snap Decision

New digital tools facilitate crowdsourced decision-making

26 FEB 2013

On the Road

Automotive marketing shifts into high gear

22 FEB 2013

Summing Up

Apps use algorithms to distill content into key points

21 FEB 2013

Conversation Piece

Online discussion boards are cleaning up their comments

Call it harmless nostalgia or stunted culture, but the past is ever-present in contemporary society. In few places is this more evident than in the idealization of 8-bit. The visual and audio aesthetic has been reborn in pop culture, album packaging, and even prime time. Now, it’s being applied across media arts, as innovators increasingly apply the out-of-date digital treatment to forward-thinking works.

Mark Ferrari Landscapes: Usually identifiable by a hyper-pixelated appearance, the 8-bit aesthetic was recently elevated in a series of digital landscapes by artist and videogame veteran Mark Ferrari. Using color cycling, an animation technique that allows 8-bit to surpass its graphic limitations through some visual trickery, Ferrari rendered images of nature that defy the blocky quality of classic 8-bit. The collection runs on HTML5—widely regarded as the Web platform of the future—but in spite of this modern foundation, the effect is decidedly nostalgic. Surveying the animated landscapes, replete with flowing waterfalls and rippling waves, children of the ’90s might experience a sudden wistfulness for their favorite adventure games.

8-Bit Radiohead: Radiohead fans who missed out on last week’s performances (including a tantrum by Thom Yorke) can console themselves with a videogame-inspired homage to the band’s still-felt impact on electronica. Last month, YouTube user Quinton Sung uploaded fully realized, 8-bit versions of what are arguably the band’s best albums: OK Computer and Kid A. Surpassing the standards of the chiptune meme, which usually features little more than a brief, chipper take on a pop song, videogame theme, or even another meme, Sung’s meticulous, note-perfect compositions recreate the two albums entirely. The result perfectly encapsulates the NES vibe without sacrificing the albums’ experimental sound.

Mixtape Alpha: Though not the first tech tool for making music on the go (see: Mogees), the Mixtape Alpha may be the most endearing. This pocket-sized 8-bit synth resembles the iconic mixtape, right down to its label-maker-inspired logo. The Alpha boasts an impressive range of capabilities for its size: four voices, four effects, and five notes allow a decent breadth of experimentation. Intrepid music-makers can hack the device to yield other, weirder sounds in an acknowledged ode to circuit bending. Users can record songs directly onto the synth and listen via headphone output—meaning the practice of trading tangible mixtapes may be on the verge of a comeback.