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The Immersive Lens

The Immersive Lens

By: Finger Lakes Community College
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 The Immersive Lens features faculty experts from Finger Lakes Community College exploring how emerging technologies are reshaping learning and work. Each episode offers clear, practical conversations about new tools, apps, and ideas—cutting through the hype to highlight what actually matters for educators, professionals, and the curious alike.Finger Lakes Community College
Episodes
  • Episode 6: Whacha ya wearin?

    Episode 6: Whacha ya wearin?
    Feb 16 2026
    Welcome to The Immersive Lens — the show where emerging tech meets creativity, education, and real-world impact. Hosted by Paul Engin (Professor of New Media) and Dave Ghidiu (Professor of Computer Science) at Finger Lakes Community College, this podcast dives into the technologies and creative innovations reshaping how we live, work, and learn—from AI and augmented reality to the future of media, design, and learning.In this episode of The Immersive Lens, hosts Paul and Dave tackle …Topics Covered:Google StitchYouTube PremiumSupergirl TrailerThe Hero's Journey -Joseph CampbellAccessibility - I'm not RemarkableApple WatchCasio World TimeBook: Natural Born CyborgMeta GlassesGoogle AuraRabbit OS2Cicret BraceletIn this episode of The Immersive Lens, hosts Paul Engin and Dave Ghidiu discuss emerging technologies and creative media tools before shifting to their main topic. They review "Google Stitch," a new AI tool that allows designers to reimagine websites and export the code, as well as new visual editing features within Google Gemini. The hosts also touch on YouTube Premium's new A/B testing features for thumbnails and titles, share their reactions to the latest Superman and Supergirl trailers, and praise Apple’s emotional new commercial regarding accessibility.The central discussion focuses on the evolution and utility of wearable technology, ranging from smartwatches to future concepts like smart glasses. Paul advocates for the Apple Watch Ultra, citing benefits like battery life, sleep tracking, and health anomaly detection, while Dave expresses hesitation due to privacy concerns and a dislike for constant notifications. The conversation expands to cover smart rings, clothing, and the potential for augmented reality glasses to eventually replace smartphones. They conclude with a buyer’s guide, suggesting users consider factors such as battery life, ecosystem compatibility, and specific health tracking needs when choosing a device.🔗 Links & Resources:FLX AI Hub: https://www.flcc.edu/ai/FLCC New Media: https://newmedia.csc.flcc.cloud/🎧 Subscribe to The Immersive Lens to stay curious and connected!#AI #EdTech #GenerativeAI #HigherEd #Podcast #Sora2 #VibeCoding #DigitalEthics #FLCC #NewMedia #TechTrends #TechHistory #UXDesign #WebDevelopment #ProjectIceberg #FutureOfWork #ScreenTime #FoldablePhones #VisionPro #TheImmersiveLens #EdTech✅ Subscribe so you never miss an episode—and share with a friend who loves tech, creativity, or the future of education.Recorded at Finger Lakes Community College in the heart of New York’s Finger Lakes region.https://www.flcc.edu/https://www.theimmersivelens.com/Stay curious. Stay connected.Thanks for looking through The Immersive Lens.
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    39 mins
  • Episode 5: AI Production - Creation of a Holiday Video

    Episode 5: AI Production - Creation of a Holiday Video
    Feb 9 2026
    Welcome to The Immersive Lens — the show where emerging tech meets creativity, education, and real-world impact. Hosted by Paul Engin (Professor of New Media) and Dave Ghidiu (Professor of Computer Science) at Finger Lakes Community College, this podcast dives into the technologies and creative innovations reshaping how we live, work, and learn—from AI and augmented reality to the future of media, design, and learning.In this episode of The Immersive Lens, hosts Paul Engin and Dave Ghidiu discuss the escalating competition in the AI sector, specifically OpenAI's "Code Red" response to the dominance of Google’s Gemini 3 model. They detail OpenAI's development of a new model, code-named "Camed Garlic," which reportedly relies on user feedback telemetry rather than professional evaluations to regain ground. They also highlight significant industry milestones, such as the announcement that the AI short "Critters" will become the first feature-length AI film next year, and the release of Meta's Hyperscape Capture, which allows users to create digital twins of physical spaces using Quest 3 headsets.They go on a deep dive with engineer Jeff Kidd into the creation of an AI-generated holiday greeting for Finger Lakes Community College, a project that required between 30 and 40 hours of work rather than a simple "prompt and done" solution. The team utilized a complex "tech stack" including Google’s Nano Banana for generating character sheets, Google Flow for animation, ElevenLabs for audio isolation, and traditional tools like Photoshop and After Effects for "blue screening" characters into scenes. Ultimately, the hosts conclude that while AI provides animation efficiencies, producing professional-quality work still requires significant human intervention and traditional production skills to resolve issues like character consistency and lip-syncing.Topics Covered:—-- Add and remove below just a reference Dave Ghidiu delete this—--Project Iceberg: MIT’s interactive tool mapping AI exposure and job market disruptionScreen Evolution: From 4:3 CRTs to 16:9 HD and the new age of FoldablesDesigning for Devices: The struggle of creating content that works on a watch, a phone, and a desktopThe "Fold" is Dead: How scrolling culture has changed web design and user engagementImmersive Tech: Apple Vision Pro, Meta Quest, and the future of "infinite" screen real estateMentions: @MIT @Apple @Samsung @Meta @Android @Google🔗 Links & Resources:OpenAI Declares ‘Code Red’ as Google Threatens AI Lead匚尺丨ㄒㄒ乇尺乙 -- An animated short created with AIMeta Horizon Hyperscape Capture (Beta)Finger Lakes Community College Holiday Card 2025Google Gemini (Nano Banana, Veo3)FlowElevenLabsRankin-Bass RudolphFLX AI Hub blog post - behind the scenes—-- Update above Dave Ghidiu delete this—--FLCC Holiday video: https://youtu.be/HDEq6fLejOA?si=dzMW4puOt0USVmVAFLX AI Hub: https://www.flcc.edu/ai/FLCC New Media: https://newmedia.csc.flcc.cloud/🎧 Subscribe to The Immersive Lens to stay curious and connected!#AI #EdTech #GenerativeAI #HigherEd #Podcast #Sora2 #VibeCoding #DigitalEthics #FLCC #NewMedia #TechTrends #TechHistory #UXDesign #WebDevelopment #ProjectIceberg #FutureOfWork #ScreenTime #FoldablePhones #VisionPro #TheImmersiveLens #EdTech✅ Subscribe so you never miss an episode—and share with a friend who loves tech, creativity, or the future of education.Recorded at Finger Lakes Community College in the heart of New York’s Finger Lakes region.https://www.flcc.edu/https://www.theimmersivelens.com/Stay curious. Stay connected.Thanks for looking through The Immersive Lens.
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    42 mins
  • Episode 4: Does Size Matter?

    Episode 4: Does Size Matter?
    Feb 2 2026

    Welcome to The Immersive Lens — the show where emerging tech meets creativity, education, and real-world impact. Hosted by Paul Engin (Professor of New Media) and Dave Ghidiu (Professor of Computer Science) at Finger Lakes Community College, this podcast dives into the technologies and creative innovations reshaping how we live, work, and learn—from AI and augmented reality to the future of media, design, and learning.

    In this episode of The Immersive Lens, hosts Paul and Dave tackle a question as old as the smartphone itself: Does screen size matter? From the bulky CRT TVs of the 90s to the sleek, foldable phones and immersive Vision Pro headsets of today, Paul and Dave explore how the evolution of screen real estate has fundamentally shifted how we consume media and develop content.

    They discuss the challenges developers face when designing for an ecosystem that now includes everything from smartwatches to ultra-wide monitors, and how user behavior changes based on the device in hand.

    But first, Dave drops a bombshell about "Project Iceberg"—an interactive data visualization tool from MIT that maps job markets and AI exposure risk down to the zip code. Is your career safe from automation? Dave and Paul break down the data.

    Topics Covered:

    • Project Iceberg: MIT’s interactive tool mapping AI exposure and job market disruption

    • Screen Evolution: From 4:3 CRTs to 16:9 HD and the new age of Foldables

    • Designing for Devices: The struggle of creating content that works on a watch, a phone, and a desktop

    • The "Fold" is Dead: How scrolling culture has changed web design and user engagement

    • Immersive Tech: Apple Vision Pro, Meta Quest, and the future of "infinite" screen real estate

    Mentions: @MIT @Apple @Samsung @Meta @Android @Google

    🔗 Links & Resources:

    Project Icebergs: https://iceberg.mit.edu/

    Quest 3: https://www.meta.com/quest/quest-3/

    Vision Pro: https://www.apple.com/apple-vision-pro/

    a-ha - Take On Me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djV11Xbc914

    FLX AI Hub: https://www.flcc.edu/ai/

    FLCC New Media: https://newmedia.csc.flcc.cloud/

    🎧 Subscribe to The Immersive Lens to stay curious and connected!

    #AI #EdTech #GenerativeAI #HigherEd #Podcast #Sora2 #VibeCoding #DigitalEthics #FLCC #NewMedia #TechTrends #TechHistory #UXDesign #WebDevelopment #ProjectIceberg #FutureOfWork #ScreenTime #FoldablePhones #VisionPro #TheImmersiveLens #EdTech

    ✅ Subscribe so you never miss an episode—and share with a friend who loves tech, creativity, or the future of education.

    Recorded at Finger Lakes Community College in the heart of New York’s Finger Lakes region.

    https://www.flcc.edu/

    https://www.theimmersivelens.com/

    Stay curious. Stay connected.

    Thanks for looking through The Immersive Lens.
    Show More Show Less
    41 mins
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