HUA HIN, Thailand - President-elect Barack Obama embraced it to winning effect,
voters used and cursed it, broadcasters paraded it. Technology played a
groundbreaking and arguably winning role in the US presidential election this
week.
For tech bravado on the big day, CNN's hologram-like images took the prize. The
news giant wowed viewers with its holographic projection technology which
"beamed" reporters into the studio in true Star Wars fashion. CNN's election
day started with the innovative "Magic Wall", which displayed fancy graphical
representations of the results as they came in. That was a prelude to the
hologram technology, seen by a record audience of 13.3 million viewers on
Tuesday night.
CNN used more than 30 high-definition cameras to film reporter Jessica Yellin
on location. The data were sent to the studio where
the image was reconstructed in the form of a 3D holographic projection of
Yellin "beamed" into the studio to conduct interviews, apparently
face-to-face with studio-based presenters Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper.
The effect was a more natural conversation flow, CNN said. The result was
remarkably realistic, and it was hard to credit that reporters could not
actually see each other. One projection displayed, disconceringly or
deliberately similar to Princess Leia in Star Wars, a whitish-blue aura, giving
the broadcast a true science fiction feeling. Another reporter appeared in a
manner Star Trek's Scotty, of "beam me up" fame, would have been proud
of.
CNN worked with a California consulting company and two overseas firms to
develop the technology, although CNN vice president and Washington bureau chief
David Bohrman said: "It was an ornament on our tree. It certainly worked. We'll
see where it ends up, if anywhere," indicating that it may not be used very
often.
Fox, ABC, NBC and CBS also showed off their investments in new technology,
including high definition studios, giant wall screens and all manner of fancy
graphics.
Up in space, International Space Station astronauts Michael Fincke and Gregory
Chamitoff took advantage of a Texan law passed 11 years ago to submit their
votes from orbit 350 kilometers above Earth. The votes brought to four the
number cast from outer space in NASA's 50-year history.
Earth-bound Americans frequently found their less-publicized votes more
difficult to register, often facing lengthy queues and malfunctioning machines.
Voting machines broke down, optical scanners jammed and touch screens proved
temperamental. The DVICE website shows an
interactive map detailing the voting methods in each state.
The Internet, which played a huge role during the campaign, also played its
part on the big day. Thousands of people logged on to micro-blogging website
Twitter to submit comments and observations, the submissions at times flowing
at a speed that produced an unreadable high-speed ticker tape effect.
Video sharing website YouTube got in on the act, with clips of citizens casting
their ballots on the site's "Video your Vote" section, clearly keen to share
their experiences in what had been billed as one of the most historical
elections in memory.
The Obama campaign helped to set out the path to victory with its video game
canvassing [see
Obama in the game, Asia Times Online, October 18, 2008]. By voting day,
YouTube users had spent 14.5 million hours watching Obama campaign videos,
while in another use of the Internet, around 3.2 million people donated to the
campaign via its website. At the same time, Obama's Facebook page had 2.6
million supporters and around 850,000 "friends" were recorded on the MySpace
social network.
Several websites assisted voters in directing them where they could cast their
vote, including whereivote.com, which supplies a database of all polling
stations and plots the nearest one on a map when you enter an address. Voters
could also read up on candidates, check their voter registration, and view
ballot information. The Obama campaign used Google maps to assist voters in
seeking local campaign resources.
Technology and the Internet have never played a greater part in electing a
nations leader. If Obama can continue to embrace and encourage these methods of
communication during his presidency he will continue to gain the support of
followers who have put him there and harness the elusive younger generation
already online and keen to participate.
Martin J Young is an Asia Times Online correspondent based in Thailand.
(Copyright 2008 Asia Times Online (Holdings) Ltd. All rights reserved. Please
contact us about
sales, syndication and
republishing.)
Head
Office: Unit B, 16/F, Li Dong Building, No. 9 Li Yuen Street East,
Central, Hong Kong Thailand Bureau:
11/13 Petchkasem Road, Hua Hin, Prachuab Kirikhan, Thailand 77110
