Magic Mirror, Magic Mirror
Wednesday, 26. November 2008, 21:19:28
Magic mirror that is without
Magic mirror that is within
-- Gaelic rhyme
I was watching a television commercial the other night and there was
this girl on the commercial using a laptop computer. On the screen there
appeared to be what looked like a mirror. So I thought, hey, they
actually have a software now where you can call up a mirror on the
screen of your computer and look at your own face and stuff?
So today I went in search of such. As it turns out, the only thing I could
find was something called the Makeup Mirror that you can download off
the Cover Girl Makeup site. But as it turns out, this isn't a mirror at all,
it's a program that lets you look at various Cover Girl makeup colors.
And then I got to thinking about it. A mirror on a screen? How exactly
would that work? It really seemed impossible.
A normal, modern day mirror of the type that we have in the bathroom
or hallway is basically a pane of flat glass that has been given a rear
coating of metal -- usually a combination of tin, silver, and aluminum.
To be honest, I wasn't able to find out how this works exactly. It has
to do with reflectivity, but such concepts go beyond my feeble brain.
What is clear with today's mirrors though is that somehow the combination
of the glass surface with the metal backing produces the reflection.
But if you take a piece of glass and put black construction paper
behind it, it doesn't become a mirror. Colored surfaces do reflect
light (black cloth reflects less light than white cloth, which is why
white clothing is cooler in the summer). But there seems to be a
difference between that reflectivity and the type of reflectivity that
operates with metals. You can see your face reflected in a silver teapot.
You can't see your face reflected in a pane of glass (the glass of your
computer monitor) and a silver background.
Here's an example.
Not much reflectivity in that, of course. That's because it is the color
silver (RGB 191, 191, 191) represented by pixels on the screen, not
the actual silver metal.
So it seems that there could be no computer software that brings up a
mirror that you could use to put on your makeup or comb you hair. You'll
just have to use a little mirror that you keep in your bag. Or perhaps
resort to a true magic mirror -- better be damn careful with that one.
But there is one other possibility. Computers are a new technology. So
maybe we have to look at new means to make mirrors. Like cameras, for
example. For laptops that have webcams mounted on them, it might be
possible to create a quickly accessible program that takes the image
from the webcam (i.e., your face) and just feeds it back to you onto the
screen of your computer. And in fact there would also be the possibility
of using this method to eliminate the old glass mirror bugaboo -- that
you are always looking at a reverse image of yourself -- by flipping
the image horizontally. And I would suggest creating the software so that
it puts a nice little attractive mirror-type frame around the image --
take your choice of a variety of frames, of course.
Here is something quite similar to what I am talking about, though this
one seems needlessly complicated with the facing glass and ring of lights
features. It seems to me that the developers of this software weren't
quite able to leave the past behind. It is also far too large to take
with you on the go. Hell, you might as well use an old-fashioned glass
mirror as that thing.
Well, so much for that. Looking into all of this I discovered that certain
animals seem to be able to comprehend mirror images and some don't.
Here's a list from Wikipedia of those that do:
- Asian elephants
- Bonobos
- Common chimpanzees
- Dolphins
- Magpies
- Orangutans
- Pigs
- Llamas
- Humans
They don't say anything about dogs. But I do know that I've found my
dogs Baron and Sasha occasionally looking at the glass door at the
bottom of my television cabinet. I can't think of what they'd be looking
at if not the reflection, especially Sasha, who actually will bark
looking at it. That's hardly formal research, but I thought I would
throw that in.
WIDGETIZE
Aqualion # 26. November 2008, 21:38
edwardpiercy # 26. November 2008, 21:42
Hmmm. And you know, there might also be applications to mirrors for motor vehicles as well. Although it's my theory that objects in those types of mirrors would be closer than they appear. Call me crazy, and most of you probably have, but I think that would be the case.
Aqualion # 26. November 2008, 22:07
edwardpiercy # 26. November 2008, 22:18
BTW I've added some new paragraphs to the post since the time you read it. I did come up with a few ideas.
I_ArtMan # 26. November 2008, 23:06
the camera is the best idea you had. forget about the silver content in the pixels... too much trouble for the purpose. that's a good picture of nicole.
@martin,
but then it wouldn't be you... duh.
my reflection has changed a lot. and not for the better. i think that's why i stopped shaving.
edwardpiercy # 26. November 2008, 23:15
Aqualion # 27. November 2008, 00:09
edwardpiercy # 27. November 2008, 00:17
He must live a pretty depressing life.
Well, I hope the buy in your mirror doesn't beat the mirror and break it. Cause then you'd have to go to the expense of replacing it.
ellinidata # 27. November 2008, 01:25
this way I would put my make up to look more natural (if that is possible),
I left one morning for the office and I forgot to turn the light off,
it burned my comforter and part of it melted,
I was lucky that my house help found it before a fire broke,
now I got a mirror with special light again ,
this time the light emphasizes the phrase that is written on the top of it: "You look fabulous today"
I suspect my next mirror it will be 5X since the older I grow the more lights I need !!!
edwardpiercy # 27. November 2008, 03:43
What's that Vincent Price thing from -- ???? !!!!
ellinidata # 27. November 2008, 04:52
I do more than sleeping on my bed...including spreading all my make up on it and my mirror too! the Vanity has this Italian old mirror that I never use...I like electric mirrors
edwardpiercy # 27. November 2008, 05:02
ellinidata # 27. November 2008, 05:12
10,000 spend in old good times,
when is sold money that my kids one day will use who knows in what!!
I hope they keep it for their kids but I don't see it happening
wickedlizard # 27. November 2008, 13:31
edwardpiercy # 27. November 2008, 17:52
ellinidata # 27. November 2008, 19:46
Aqualion # 27. November 2008, 20:02
wickedlizard # 27. November 2008, 20:46
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAI9mF_cBu0&feature=related
Here ya go!
ellinidata # 27. November 2008, 21:09
I know Ed will enjoy this!!!
thanks for leaving it in my neck of the woods too!
many will visit as well! *hugs*
edwardpiercy # 27. November 2008, 23:32
What I'm talking about is something that you could have on a laptop computer so a woman could put on her makeup on the bus or something.
But what the hell do I know. Maybe it's possible for a computer screen as well.
I was thinking that if I could draw in my bathroom mirror like that, it would mask the fact that I need to clean it!
Thanks for the links, they were very interesting!
(It would help if the person that made that first vid could spell "mirror" correctly. --
wickedlizard # 28. November 2008, 09:24
edwardpiercy # 28. November 2008, 20:16
Don't these computer programmers understand the importance of being able to put on your eyeliner?
Well, probably not.
wickedlizard # 28. November 2008, 23:30