The Campfire Project

We are always looking forward. With our hearts, our minds, and especially the gadgets that dominate our lives. So promising is the allure of what’s next that for a few days in Las Vegas every year, technology companies from around the globe gather to show off their latest, greatest, and experimental devices. It’s the Consumer Electronics Show, and since 1967 it has drawn millions of people to the desert for a glimpse of the future. At least, that was the idea, when consumer electronics were still things mostly on the periphery of society – strange things that people only interacted with begrudgingly, when they had to. Today, on episode 39 of TCP and the first of 2015, a look at CES and whether or not the Expo of the Future is still relevant in the modern day.

It probably would have opened and closed in a weekend. Comedy film, The Interview, starring Seth Rogen and James Franco seemed poised to be just another stupid movie, one in which the two men are tasked by the CIA to assassinate North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un. The premise itself was so laughable, the movie so shoddy, it was easy to dismiss by most audiences. But in November, a massive cyber attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment, the film's studio, seems to have been a retaliatory attack for the film. Now the film's Christmas Day release is cancelled, the movie shelved, and worked leaders are weighing in. Today, on the final episode of The Campfire Project for 2014, we examine how a stoner comedy has become an international incident.

Sometimes you sit down to write, and nothing happens. Matt and Chris discuss writer's block and how they deal with it individually.

More than any other, Twitter has proven its worth not just as a social network, but as a social utility. It's where news breaks, information is served and careers are launched - or destroyed. Of all the social apps and services people may check during the day, Twitter is unique in both its approach and presentation. That's why it's so disappointing to see the company flounder while the service is so useful. And nowhere is this more clear than in the company's newly released strategy statement - a bumbling mess of Silicon Valley jargon that is tone deaf to say the least. Today, on episode 35 of TCP, a look at Twitter's story so far, and why it struggles to reach its potential.

The gaming industry is shifting. That much is obvious. On the inside, a push to make gaming more inclusive by telling a broader arrangement of stories has been met with intense resistance these last few months. And on the outside, as studios seek to elevate their product’s stature, new technology and approaches are being used to help games transcend stereotypes, and move them into the same cultural space as music and film. In the middle of this uncertainty, a new Call Of Duty game was released earlier this month. One of the biggest media properties of all time, the newest release, “Advanced Warfare” wants to usher in a new realm of storytelling for a franchise that has been heavily criticized, though immensely popular. With new gameplay and new narrative approaches, Call Of Duty, an industry staple, is undergoing its own shift. And it may bring part of the industry along with it.

Elections. They are the cornerstone of any democracy. Election Day is the time when we, collectively, commit to affirm, create or destroy the course of a nation — all the in name of progress. At least, that's how the story goes. But this past Tuesday, the United States had their midterm elections with an abysmal voter turnout percentage. Many, it seems, simply didn't care enough to cast a ballot. At the same time, narratives across news channels geared up for typical all-night coverage, as though the fate of the free world hung in the balance.

What’s in your wallet? Chances are its contents are the same as mine, and everyone else. Identification, a bit of cash, and cards. Oh the cards. Credit cards, loyalty cards, and discount cards. Every slot in your wallet filled with similar looking cards with a plastic strip. Each one of those multicoloured rectangles is tied to a system, one that’s well established, and we’ve been using for years. For most shoppers, these plastic cards just…are. They exist. It’s how things are done.…but what if they weren’t? Today, on episode 33 of TCP, we talk currency and why.

It didn't take long after the first shots rang out for news to spread. A gunman just stormed the capital with deadly intentions. Or was it multiple gunmen? How? Where were they? Twitter instantly flooded with reports from the scene, the horrifying truth buried underneath a deluge of conflicting updates. Is there one shooter or more? Are we under attack? Where's the Prime Minister? In the early moments of an emergency, every story seems true. By nightfall, things would be clearer. A single gunman, homeless and mentally ill, had shot and killed Cpl. Nathan Cirillio, a soldier standing guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, before running into Parliament. Not long after, he was cut down in a hail of gunfire in the Hall of Honour. A lot of emotion flew that day - fear, anger, and eventually, relief. On today's episode, as heartache gives way to patriotism in Ottawa and across Canada, we take a look at how stories of fear and triumph move during disasters, as well as their effect on society.

Long ago, taking a photo was an active process. The photographer had to set up, the subject had to pose, and everyone had to remain still. Even after the shots were taken, no one could say for sure if they were any good until the film was developed. Taking pictures took days. Today, snapping a picture takes less than a second, thanks to incredible advancements in mobile photography. What’s more, advanced camera systems come replete with a variety of sensors and radios – wrapped in what we call a smartphone – allowing anyone to review, edit, and share their snaps instantly. Images are traded like currency. In this episode, we look at how far photography, and the stories those pictures tell, have come – from specialized service, to everyday occurrence.

While the ebola virus continues to infect and kill thousands of people in West Africa, on this side of the world, a 24-hour news cycle and a hyper-connected public have created an environment of uncertainty. This week, we look at how technology is enabling the spread of bad stories, false claims, and fear of others in a terrible situation.