New Media-Manovich

New Media as described by Manovich (2002, p.48) shows the combination of all the types of computers that came before. Dagguerre's Daguerreotype and Babbage's Analytical engine for example; the Daguerreotype process allowed camera images to be permanent  and created the way to create images on a silver-coated copper plate. Whereas, on the other end of the spectrum the Analytical Engine was for data and information which was input on punch cards. Manovich states: "...graphics, moving images, sounds, shapes, spaces and text become computable..." (2002, p.48)
For example, the film Avengers Assemble has a website but also an app for Apple and Android devices. On the website it gives links to share it on Facebook, Twitter and Google +. These all incorporate what Manovich calls "another set of computer data." (2002, p.48)
"Computer data" falls under the category of "numerical representation" in Manovich's work (2002, p.49). This idea of "programmable media" is one which allows the producer to create new and improved media items such as sounds, video and images compared to what was previously available using just a camera or a microphone. Photoshop, GIMP and many other image manipulation programmes allow users to make images from scratch or manipulate and change existing images, even just by adjusting the levels in the image. These images can then be mass produced for magazines, the Internet, newspapers etc. Manovich mentions this in the text "...into a set of repetitive, sequential, and simple activities that could be executed by workers who did not have to master the entire process and could easily be replaced". However, although these are factory-like conditions, all churning out thousands of the same product, individualisation is a main point of new media. The idea that each product, no matter what it is, can be personalised to suit the user. This is shown even in the way that Android Smartphones allow the user to change their background colour and theme, so as to make the phone different to other peoples. 
New media is changing the way we see products today, and although it is inherent in our everyday lives, old media such as newspapers are still a big part of society. As seen by the figures of USA Today-the print version exceeds the digital version massively. So, old media isn't compeltely forgotten. Yet. 



Bibliography


Manovich, L. (2002) What is New Media and Principles of New Media from The Language of New Media

BBC Newspaper Figures date accessed 16/10/13 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23587385