Faces

It all started when I found on the Internet a “fun toy” that transforms a digital portrait photo (think: passport photo) into one of several possible choices. After the visit to that website, I was off and running, finding more face fun or face research to make it my CyberScribbles topic of the week. Betcha find at least one of the sites mentioned here taking up more online time than you intended.

Face Transformer . The St. Andrews University School of Computer Science is using this web page for scientific research, they say. Before you upload your facial portrait from your digital files, know ahead of time that the people at this website (researchers) reserve the right to use your image for research. They add that they won’t publish it on the Web, in scientific journals, or in the media without your permission. If you feel comfortable with those warnings, then have at it. Here’s what the face transformer can do: change your face to look like a chimp, a drunk, or another race (East Asian, West Asian, or Afro-Caribbean); a Manga cartoon; a painting in the style of Modigliani, Botticelli, or El Greco; a baby, child, teen, young adult, or older adult. You can save your transformed image to your hard disk, too. You would be wise to resize your photo before uploading so that it will load faster. I’m sure the research team assumes that you are using your own image, not an ex-beau’s. But then, think of the devilish possibilities…

Face Analyzer . If you had fun at the face transformer site, you can add to your amusement by uploading your portrait at this site, too. The pose that works the best here is a straight-on expressionless headshot with good lighting. Once uploaded, your portrait will produce a ranked list of your personality traits: intelligence, risk, ambition, honor, politeness, income, stability, and promiscuity. The analyzer also provides you with your archetype (academic, boss, artist, charmer, blue collar, white collar, gambler, or drifter) and a race analysis. The site authors say they can determine your race and gender within 87% accuracy. They don’t rate their personality analyzer. You can read about how your archetype relates to the others, and for another bit of fun, you can access a huge file of celebrity faces and find out what the analyzer had to say about them. The Face Analyzer is billed as “the only automated face reader in the world.” How accurate is it? I have not uploaded my pix here (yet), so I can’t tell you. You are on your own. You can send me an email with your evaluation, if you would like.

Little Faces Traveling Exhibit . Andrew Davidhazy of the Rochester Institute of Technology took the imaging mechanism out of a scanner and put it into a regular 35mm camera. Then he had people pose on a revolving platform and snapped their images. The results are what you will see in this one-page display of morphed images. If you want to see more wizardry resulting from the latest photo imaging technology (but they are not faces), go to another of Davidhazy’s pages about photographing the invisible.

Beautyrank . Developed by “a team of explorers,” this website posts a portrait gallery of those they deem the most beautiful women. And, they analyze each woman’s facial features to describe why these women are beautiful, or not. For a price ($19.95), a woman can submit her portrait and get a personal analysis, with rankings for categories including eyes, lips, and nose, and positive and negative features. The truly brave (or maybe egotistical, or maybe solidly self-confident) can agree to have their photos and ranks posted online—and possibly be chosen “Most Beautiful Woman of the Month.”

Related sites: No room left to describe them here, but see for yourself: Beautycheck and Beautyanalysis.

pix

Chess En Passant

Imagine an outdoor café on a lazy summer afternoon, or a shady park where a pair of thinkers plot their next move. There is a whispery breeze off the lake, and all is quiet and thoughtful. No battery-operated boom boxes, cell phones, or Game Boys within 100 miles. Are we in another galaxy? Well, at least think summer.

I read somewhere that chess has come back into fashion as the new “in” game. Going with that slim piece of information, I have dedicated this week’s column to the game of kings. If you want to learn, or if you want to improve your game, you might find these websites helpful. One especially nifty site visually demonstrates how a computer thinks through its move during an online game with you. That enough is worth seeing. Arm yourself with the piles of information and tips at these sites, then wait for warmer weather and carry your unplugged chess set outdoors to absorb the fresh air and sunshine while you play. No, don’t wait. Play now by a cozy fire and watch the snowflakes float down.

OnlineTurbulence. Might as well start with the eyeful of bells-and-whistles website where you can watch your online opponent (computer) plan its strategies against your every move. This website is not for the beginner, but it will become a resource once a player gets hooked on the game. Make an opening move, then watch the computer analyze, via colored lines and squiggles, all the possible countermoves it can make. Watch carefully enough and you can outwit your opponent, possibly. But you had better have at least a rudimentary knowledge of the game before this website can help you. Or, you can be fascinated by the Flash graphics even if you do not have any interest in learning chess.

Intuitor. This site gives clear and readable instructions for learning how to play chess. Also, it outlines beginning strategies to get started. Better than reading the instructions that came on the back of your chess set box. Speaking of chess sets, scroll down to find websites that sell fancy ones.

Mr. Fixit Online . Lots of stuff here to keep you occupied and your mind swimming. You can play free online games and open challenges with other players. You can observe games in progress. For intermediate users, try the chess puzzles—a collection of problems to solve. Hard-core chess players can take a quiz and find out how much they really know about past great games and the world champs of chess. If you know what “Deep Blue” is, this is the place for you. Hint: it’s not the ocean.

Chessarea. Hurry! Until January 31st you can receive a free chess assessment here. Otherwise, you will have to pay for the online help. The assessment analyzes your games and evaluates your strengths. Although this site says it offers chess instructions, too, what it really offers are books for you to buy that teach you chess. You can go to Intuitor for free, online instructions. Or to Jon Edwards’ website.

Chess History. My, my. What a lively debate I found concerning the origin of the game. Nothing cut and dried here. Chess experts talk about their theories, and the consensus is that chess developed somewhere along the Silk Road, possibly by a long-ago civilization known as the Kushans. Advanced chess players might appreciate these sites, but the beginner might as well keep away from this place or he will never learn the basics of the game. Rule of thumb is to learn to play chess first, then worry about its origins later. Much later.

Jon Edwards’ Chess Site. This person from Princeton (student? faculty? Staff?—I don’t know) was the 10th United States Correspondence Chess Champion. Translated, that means he plays the game with an opponent via the U.S. Postal Service. Gives him lots of time to think about his last move. His website is full of interesting chess-related stuff, including lessons. View his links to chess stamps and you might be able to answer the quizzes over at Mr. Fixit Online . This is the place to view some fancy chess sets, too. Collectors might enjoy a Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings chess set. Easterners might like a Yankee vs. Mets board and players. Also, Edwards reviews chess books.

Journaling Sites

What is it about the turn of the calendar to a fresh, new year that makes us want to embark on some sort of self-improvement project? Are you ready to assess your progress after just a wink more than a week into 2005?

I want to suggest that you look into journaling. Keeping a journal is easy and does not involve counting calories or logging crunches. Journals allow us to keep track, to emote, to record dreams, to make lists, to write our Morning Pages, reflect on our blessings, or even to start our novels. The Internet has loads of journaling sites that can help give us ideas about what to write in those pretty (or handsome) little books.
Here are a few websites you may want to explore:

Creative-journal.com. One of the nice things about this website is that it provides plenty of prompts to get started. Among the prompt ideas is a visual prompt gallery with over 100 images. Articles include ways to achieve your goals and techniques for creative journal keeping. A nice set of links lead to other good sites. Do not let the lack of updates on the home page stop you from exploring the information here.

Center for Journal Therapy. Kathleen Adams has written one of the best journaling guides I have read, titled Journal to the Self. Although this site is largely commercial, Kathleen provides prompts that are worth checking out.

Progoff’s Intensive Journal Workshop. Ira Progoff”s Journal Workshop might be considered the granddaddy of journaling, period. If you are interested in much more than just dabbling in a bound journal, this is the place to be. You will keep a binder with many colored tags when you enroll in one of these Intensives, and you will not fail to gain insights into your inner workings. If you are truly committed to an in-depth method of journaling for self-improvement, this is the place to get the information you need.

About.com Journaling Group. I like to avoid About.com as much as possible because the site has a way of messing up my computer. If you do not have any type of pop-up blocker or an adware program on your machine, be warned. That said, this particular site has links to many other journaling websites that may be of interest to you. If you want to circumvent possible annoyances, go directly to one of the listed links for some good journaling information. By the way, I do have a pop-up blocker and a very good adware program on my machine, but I still run into problems here.

Personal Journaling . This print and web publication is on hiatus, according to Writers Digest. However, it is still possible to access some of the articles from past issues. One that I reviewed and recommend--20 Ways to Fill Page One.

Soul Food Café . I have saved this best of gems for last, because when you discover it you are likely to get lost in it. In a good way. Maybe to the point of not doing any writing in your journal whatsoever. Some very creative folks from Down Under have given us a menu of delightful activities to play around with and share with their website community. Look for writing prompts in their Box of Wonderment and be sure to order the Daily Grind. That link provides enough diversions to keep you online longer than you had intended. Some of the links include a tea leaf reading to get your journal writing flowing, they say. Stick around and play with the other fun links, including the Collage Machine at the Art Zone.

2004 Archives

Archives of CyberScribbles' weekly columns from April through December of 2004 are available at my former website.
You can find them at CyberScribbles101.