Fun With Transparent Screen Backgrounds 450
herberts writes "Looks like the amusement factor of 'transparent' screen background is getting bigger and bigger. The french Mac fan site Mac Bidouille opened up a dedicated part of their web site where fans can post shots of their transparent backgrounds." Other great transparent background shots can be found at Flickr.
It will be profitable (Score:5, Funny)
This should take about ten seconds
Re:It will be profitable (Score:5, Funny)
Well, frankly, that's between you and your girlfriend !
Re:It will be profitable (Score:3, Funny)
Ouch! Talk about twisting the knife!!
Re:It will be profitable (Score:3, Funny)
Is that what the kids are calling it nowadays? :-)
Rene Magritte did this long ago... (Score:5, Interesting)
Don't you guys ever look through those big books of surrealistic art in bookstores and libraries? Much of the imagery that we consider 'weird' and 'futuristic' now was first conceived and painted back in the 1920s and 30s. Guys like Salvadore Dali, Yves Tanguy, Joan ('Ho-ahn') Miro, Max Ernst, and Rene Magritte created the modern fantasy landscape look.
Their work was a step beyond the inflamed, blood-soaked, passionate, and sex-obsessed imagery of the 19th century Decadent Romanticists like Gustave Moreau, Klimt, and DeVille. It was this over-stimulated buffoonery led to the disaster of the Great War. Surrealism was an attempt to invoke the primal mental forces that lay beneath duty, religion, and even consciousness.
Since you'all have broadband you can find this images and paintings easily on the web. They are definitely worth the trouble to find and view them.
Re:Rene Magritte did this long ago... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Rene Magritte did this long ago... (Score:3, Funny)
The crap wasn't Picasso's (Score:3, Informative)
Many of those Picasso pretenders produced complete garbage that was all but indistinguishable from the scrawl
Wow... (Score:3, Insightful)
Funny you should say that... (Score:5, Funny)
Actually, this guy [flickr.com] almost has his hands on the time.
AhahaHAHAHAHahahahaha I am so, so sorry.
Re:Wow... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Wow... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Wow... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Wow... (Score:3, Funny)
Proof that Steve Jobs was right! A single mouse button improves productivity!!
Re:Wow... (Score:2)
*Ba-dum-tshhhh!* [ilovewavs.com]
Re:Wow... (Score:5, Funny)
SO STUPID!
Re:Wow... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Wow... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Wow... (Score:3, Funny)
Looks like fun (Score:2, Interesting)
Very cool (Score:5, Insightful)
And it has to be said: These people have way too much time on their hands!
Re:Very cool (Score:4, Interesting)
What if Apple embedded an actual webcam in the back of their laptops, and allowed a live background? Then you'd really have a truly transparent background
Re:Very cool (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Very cool (Score:3, Funny)
Right on dude! Glad someone is pointing out these blatant distortions of the English language.
Another one is 'remote control'. How can they call it a remote control when THE DEVICE IS RIGHT THERE IN YOUR HAND!! If it was truly a remote control it should be able to be on the other side of the room when you u
Re:Very cool (Score:4, Insightful)
When your laptop screen is all white, you're looking directly at the backlight.
They're not very convincing. (Score:5, Funny)
Re:They're not very convincing. (Score:5, Funny)
How about partial transparency? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:How about partial transparency? (Score:3, Funny)
Transparent Desktops a Major Feature of Aero (Score:5, Funny)
Microsoft has announced that they will be building technology for Transparent Desktops into their next-generation operating-system, Longhorn. Microsoft representatives report that this technology involves cutting the back out of the monitor to allow the image behind it to show through. When asked whether this would impede the monitor's ability to display images, Microsoft replied that this was an issue that will be addressed in SP1.
Re:Transparent Desktops a Major Feature of Aero (Score:3, Funny)
This but not PNG? (Score:5, Funny)
Meanwhile, by the time they get it working, the OS community will have 16 different implementations of the TDT (Transparent DeskTop) standard, and SVG will have been extended to include it.
Live, with a webcam? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Live, with a webcam? (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Live, with a webcam? (Score:2)
I would probably end up turning it off to save CPU cycles or battery life anyways, though.
Re:Live, with a webcam? (Score:5, Funny)
As in, you walk around the house, and if you hold the laptop screen two feet in front of your face at all times, it blends right in seamlessly. But if you point it at something like a sofa, it looks like someone is sitting on it, when in actuality there is nobody there. Smoothly pan the laptop so that the sofa is out of the shot, and the ghost moves with it. But if you shake the laptop, the "person" on the sofa would visibly respond to the shaking by trying to keep his balance. And then your hard drive would crash.
Doing this with cheap, amateur-grade equipment would be really cool. Get cracking on it, oh time wasters of the world! And then sell your work to some game/toy company!
Re:Live, with a webcam? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Live, with a webcam? (Score:2)
Re:Live, with a webcam? (Score:2, Informative)
Hey, does images are staged, and there is more than one way to stage them:
Re:Live, with a webcam? (Score:5, Interesting)
Usually I'm just happy to play the movie I'm watching on my desktop though. A DVD Jukebox effect that plays nonstop is a great root window IMO.
Re:Live, with a webcam? (Score:2)
Re:Live, with a webcam? (Score:4, Informative)
Been done on British TV (Score:3, Informative)
It *kind of* worked, not that well though. On the basis that it was hacked up in a day for a low-budget TV programme, it was pretty good.
I wouldn't say the US military had the monopoly on developing cool stuff. Can they even afford to, these days?
These things suck (Score:5, Funny)
Lame. And it's probably smaller than a Nomad.
Re:These things suck (Score:2, Funny)
Re:These things suck (Score:3, Funny)
You have 2 options at this point, spend the next few hours googling to find the pc version on the net, or, just put your digicam behind the monitor, take a shot, and download a version customized for your computer, directly from your digicam.
USB camera (Score:2)
every couple of minutes. So it will look right even when you move the computer.
-M
Not likely to work well (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Not likely to work well (Score:2)
Or a static effect... (Score:5, Interesting)
If you know the distance to the object, you can do a distortion effect (I think a "punch" effect would be right, squeeze the center out towards the sides). That'd only work if the objects stays at a fairly fixed distance, if you have a glass window to the hallway you should be able to see people walking by just as if it was transparent.
If you wanted to make a really advanced variety, you could measure the distance by e.g. IR pulses or something and dynamicly apply the effect with different settings. That should work until you get as close as the camera can see (the camera must see what you would've seen in the upper left corner).
Kjella
Built-in Webcam (Score:3, Interesting)
Then you'll be able to move the laptop to anywhere and the screen will still look transparent.
Not just for macs. (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Not just for macs. (Score:3, Funny)
Just blame it on refraction.
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Re:Not just for macs. (Score:4, Funny)
Oh dear lord, have mercy on their webserver... (Score:5, Funny)
Whaddaya wanna do, KILL 'EM??
Re:Oh dear lord, have mercy on their webserver... (Score:5, Funny)
They stopped even pretending a long time ago that they cared about melting a server.
One of the best [slashdot.org] I could recall, though not direct linked, it's close enough. Over 250MB, but hey, it was Microsoft. Slashdot fights back!
More transparent fun (Score:2, Flamebait)
--
Want a free iPod? [freeipods.com]
Or try a free Nintendo DS, GC, PS2, Xbox. [freegamingsystems.com] (you only need 4 referrals)
Wired article as proof [wired.com]
Looks good in 2D not in 3 (Score:3, Insightful)
1) You really need to use a laptop because shifting a CRT monitor or even an LCD panel is tough, flicking it down is easy.
2) Try to match the resolution of the camera to the screen size otherwise you'll have to stretch it to get it to fit right. Even then it won't look right because it only looks right from one position.
3) Get a app that lets you tint and alter the gamma of the photos. My digital camera's white balance just didn't create the same yucky yellow tint that my office strip lights have. Couldn't match it at all.
4) Admit that honestly, if what's behind your PC monitor is a dusty cube wall it's probably not worth looking at anyway, and no, you won't fool anyone.
I did it (Score:4, Interesting)
The Dilbert view (Score:5, Funny)
Next, someone will figure out a way to tattoo that image onto the inside of my eyelids.
wow (Score:2)
A couple technique pointers. (Score:5, Informative)
A few pointers I figured out along the way:
- It's very important to keep the camera angle the same. If you've got a tripod, this is a good time to use it.
- Shooting perpendicular to the display (i.e. not at any sort of angle) is the simplest way of making things line up properly, since you don't have to stretch the backgrounds for perspective or whatever. (Some of the shots in the gallery are at angles and are very impressive in terms of difficulty.)
- Backgrounds with lots of stuff in them look cooler than "gosh, the wall shows behind the computer" in most cases. Elements that extend from behind the screen, or wrap around to the side or front can also be fun.
Next time I'm really bored, I'll try to work up something that has a mirror in it...People who love taking phot (Score:3, Interesting)
Infinite Cat Project [infinitecat.com]
Some people have way to much time on their hands!
it's march 27 (Score:3, Funny)
Trompe L'oeil (Score:3, Insightful)
TP 755CV: A real transparent screen (Score:5, Interesting)
The removable back was also useful for working outdoors. You could put a white reflective surface behind the screen and backlight with sunlight, making it usable no matter how bright it was.
Re:TP 755CV: A real transparent screen (Score:5, Interesting)
http://www.techfreakz.org/fishmon/fishmonscreen1.
other misc pics:
http://www.techfreakz.org/fishmon/ [techfreakz.org]
The Betta fish kept attacking dark parts of the screen where it saw a reflection.
~kyoorius
Used in our church (Score:4, Interesting)
It was built before overhead projectors were commonly used for showing the words of songs, so they didn't leave anywhere for a screen. Covering the back wall is a big wooden cross -- we used to project words onto the wall on one side of this, but it was cramped and could only be seen from one side.
But recently, someone had a bright idea. We now have a video projector, and a large screen which descends to cover the cross and surrounding design -- when it's not being used for words, they project a picture of what's underneath it. It's not perfect (the alignment and colour are very slightly out), but it's a good solution which allows everyone to see the words without getting rid of the focal point.
More here (Score:3, Interesting)
Better Flickr link (Score:5, Informative)
The Flickr link in the story only links to one person's photoset (no disrespect to that person, w00kie [flickr.com]). The Transparent Screens [flickr.com] group pool is much more interesting as it aggregates everyones transparent screen photos.
OK... (Score:3, Funny)
It looks dark through...
Now what?
j/k
Ahh, it appears.. (Score:4, Insightful)
This kind of reminds me of that HP photo/camera commercial, where that fellow snags frames out of the air, capturing screen shots from live motion in the foreground and background with each one he grabs.
These are transparent monitors, not screens (Score:3, Interesting)
First try and how-tos (Score:3, Informative)
My first try is available at Macbidouille [macbidouille.com] and I wanted to say how these things are TRULY done, not some wild guessing/oversimplification/cheesy head-on way out.
Depending on your patience level, this technique works for as many levels of transparency as you'd like to fake.
--Great Designers, Great Design. [stundesign.net]
Re:how ? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:how ? (Score:3, Informative)
Much more painful to pick up CRT and take a picture. I know I don't want to move my 19" monster anywhere...
Re:how ? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:how ? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:how ? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:how ? (Score:2)
As to the color being slightly "off", of course it is. No self respecting Photoshop hack would miss adjusting the colors slightly to give just this impression. And there are slight issues in getting the two images aligned also, but nothing that can't be done with minimal effort in Photoshop.
Re:how ? (Score:3, Insightful)
-Put camera on tripod
-Take picture without computer in frame
-Put computer in place with the desktop set to a solid green color
-Load Photoshop and layer the images together with the "computer in place" image on top
-Cut out the screen's solid green so the image underneath shows through
-Adjust the image behind to be slightly offset and mess up the coloring a bit to fool people who fall
That really defeats the point (Score:3, Insightful)
Find a few that make you suspcious, and I'm sure a lot of people will point out why they were not done in PS.
Re:That really defeats the point (Score:2)
Ah, but obviously any such flaws were added in photoshop as well! Just to prove that it wan't done in photoshop!
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Re:how ? (Score:2)
Seriously though , that gave me the best laugh ive had in long time
I used to have a clip on camera for my old Ibook , and i know they still exist . so it would be fairly easy to turn it the other way and angle it down to get the perspective correct.
One thing that did strike me as odd
Re:how ? (Score:5, Funny)
Been there, done that, made my co-worker cry in frustration because the computer was "locked" even after several reboots.
Re:how ? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:how ? (Score:5, Funny)
Heh. You fools using desktop wallpaper to mess with other people, what a waste of time. I useta have a wallpaper image that was a screen-grab of my daily work apps. Boss comes by? *click* Desktop button! (Admittedly, though, I attempted to highlight my wallpaper a few times.)
Work avoidance > messin with people.
Did one better than that (Score:5, Funny)
I swapped around the Red and Blue cables and carefully adjusted the colour settings in Windows 98 to swap all the R & B components around so all menus, etc looked normal.
Of course, the moment she started browsing websites all the images loaded wrong.
Took ages for them to figure out what was wrong - video driver reinstalls etc.
Got a written warning for that one, but was worth it!
Jolyon
Or so it looks like your doing work (Score:3, Interesting)
Apparently he does it so people think he's working. Fooled me.
Re:how ? (Score:2)
Re:how ? (Score:5, Interesting)
A) Take a picture, and move the screen where the picture was.
The problem with this is perspective. lenses are not flat scans of the world, and you'll see (in fact in some of the shots you do see) some perspective distortion, especially with stuff like vertical lines.
B)Take picture with and without screen and photochop it.
Actually, the best non-cheating way to do this is:
C)
1) Set your camera up on a tripod, at the scene where you want your monitor.
2) Remove monitor.
3) Take picture.
4) replace montor.
5) Take another picture.
up to here this is the same as method B), the photochopping. But instead of pasting the background (And cheating), you crop the first photo to the dimensions of the monitor in the second photo.
6) Set the cropped picture as background.
7) Take the money shot.
8) Wait for the pulitzer folks to get back to you.
Re:Oh gesh... (Score:2, Interesting)
Before the corporate buyout, Slashdot would have posted cool stories all the time no matter the day. But since OSTG took over, they save the good stories for weekdays just because they know they'll get more adviews on a Monday. Blah!
Comment removed (Score:5, Informative)
Re:How do I... (Score:5, Funny)
Inside of a monitor? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:How do I... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:This just a digicam pic then a creative lineup? (Score:3, Interesting)
Being a eye-candy-whore my self, I must agree this is really cool. At first, I saw the laptop and though they actually disassembled the LCD it self and the lights.
I have yet to see someone who will really take apart the whole LCD installation to where its truely tranparent. I would do it without a doubt if I wasnt some poor engineering student who doesnt know what the fuck.
Re:This just a digicam pic then a creative lineup? (Score:3, Interesting)
Though you never know what technologys around the corner and how it will work, I think LEP/OLEDs achieve significantly higher density than LCDs and if there power output increased and the clusters of 3 colors had enough gap between each cluster to let light though something might be workable.
Re:What a confusing mess (Score:3, Funny)
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2am? Which 2am? We ain't got no 2am here. (Score:4, Interesting)
Hell, it's not even like in the UK we had a 2am last night. My clock went straight from 1.59am GMT to 3am BST