For years, characters on sci-fi shows and police procedurals have been asking technicians to do the impossible with grainy, out-of-focus images. Suspect’s pixelated faces are transformed into crystal clear mugshots and reflections of partial license plate numbers become usable clues thanks to the vague, catch-all phrase, “Let’s enhance this.” As anyone who has worked with image editing software before (or simply used a computer) will tell you, “enhancing” isn’t really a thing. That is, until now.
Yes, as long as you’re not afraid to look like a bit of an idiot talking to your computer, you can now harness the power of futuristic crime-solving technology. When you begin your investigation on Enhance.Computer, you’re given 60 seconds to find a hidden code on a grainy image using the commands “ENHANCE,” “ZOOM IN/OUT,” and “MOVE UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT.” In some ways, it’s like a simplistic version of a point and click adventure game, except there’s no pointing or clicking. You just sit there repeatedly commanding the image to enhance like you’re some tertiary CSI character.
This game comes to us from Brooklyn-based programmer and artist Nicole He, who specializes in experimental games that employ voice command technology. If you’re tired of solving mysteries, we’d recommend checking out her quirky augmented reality game Garden Friends, wherein you help a cartoon plant grow a big garden using your voice.
[via MetaFilter]
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