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The Immersive Lens

The Immersive Lens

Written 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 21: AI Challenge Part 2

    Episode 21: AI Challenge Part 2
    Jun 1 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.

    The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence has democratized software creation, introducing the world to "vibe coding"—the conceptual approach of leveraging large language models to construct operational programs through natural language prompting alone. This breakthrough means foundational technical constraints are dropping precipitously, letting non-programmers turn creative ideas into standalone digital reality overnight. In this high-stakes episode, the team circles back to review their individual achievements and technical frustrations after attempting three tiered challenges: crafting an interactive game, managing dynamic file handling, and mastering spatial hardware programming.

    Throughout the discussion, the team's distinct perspectives come to light. Guest Jen Carney shares her journey from utilizing standard text-based AI assistance to developing highly engaging logic apps, noting both the sheer speed of development and the occasional math counting quirks encountered with Google Gemini. Video engineer Jeff Kidd opens up about his shift from procedural skepticism to outright fascination after watching the AI build an interactive Editing Decision Trainer completely from scratch. Meanwhile, Paul Engin reveals his trials in navigating spatial design architecture using the Galaxy XR and Apple Vision Pro, highlighting where the boundaries of web-based spatial interaction currently stand. Ultimately, Dave and the team deliver an optimistic verdict: despite a few limitations with secondary file links and platform limitations, AI-driven programming expands creative potential, redefining how educators and enthusiasts can design custom digital media.

    2nd Annual Community Convening at FLCC

    https://www.flcc.edu/events/all-events/2026/june/flx-ai-hub-community-convening.php

    Vibe Coding Challengehttps://www.theimmersivelens.com/p/vibe-coding-challenge.html

    Zorkhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sierra_Entertainment

    King's Questhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King%27s_Quest

    Sierra (makers of King's Quest games)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sierra_Entertainment

    CSC 145 - AI-Partnered App Creationhttps://www.flcc.edu/courses/csc-145/

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

    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!

    #SpatialComputing #XRDevelopment #VibeCoding #TechPodcast #HumanAICollaboration #FutureOfCoding #SoftwareDemocratization #DigitalMediaDesign #InnovativeTeaching #ComputerScienceTrends #AI #EdTech #GenerativeAI #HigherEd #Podcast #FLCC #NewMedia #TechTrends #TechHistory #TheImmersiveLens #CommittingAI #TechEthics #DigitalClone #ValKilmer #VisionPro #AppleVisionPro #CursorAI #AIFails #PromptEngineering #CreativeTech

    ✅ 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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    1 hr and 12 mins
  • Episode 20: Committing AI

    Episode 20: Committing AI
    May 25 2026
    In this episode of The Immersive Lens, hosts Paul and Dave tackle when it is (and is not) appropriate to use AI.In this episode of The Immersive Lens, hosts Paul Engin and Dave Ghidiu explore the fascinating (and sometimes chaotic) realities of integrating artificial intelligence into our daily workflows and creative endeavors. The conversation centers around the concept of "committing AI," moving past the initial novelty to examine the practical, ethical, and unexpected consequences of relying on generative tools. Whether discussing an AI coding assistant that took a prompt a little too literally or tracking the latest breakthroughs in image generation, the episode highlights the shift from experimental tech to an unavoidable cultural and professional standard.With their signature blend of humor and tech-literate insight, Paul and Dave unpack a variety of real-world case studies, including the use of Apple’s Vision Pro in surgical environments and the tells of AI-generated writing. They balance the undeniable efficiency of these tools against the critical need for human oversight, proper boundaries, and clear institutional policies. Ultimately, the hosts land on a verdict of cautious optimism: while AI is fundamentally reshaping industries like education and media, success relies entirely on viewing it as a collaborative thought partner rather than an automated replacement for human creativity and critical thinking.Gone in 9 Secondshttps://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/claude-powered-ai-coding-agent-deletes-entire-company-database-in-9-seconds-backups-zapped-after-cursor-tool-powered-by-anthropics-claude-goes-rogueVal Kilmer Resurrected by AI to Star in ‘As Deep as the Grave’ Moviehttps://variety.com/2026/film/news/val-kilmer-ai-film-as-deep-as-the-grave-1236691042/Introducing ChatGPT Images 2.0https://openai.com/index/introducing-chatgpt-images-2-0/‘Safer, smarter, and more connected’: Apple’s Vision Pro used in world-first VR-assisted surgery, and it could be the future of medicinehttps://www.techradar.com/computing/virtual-reality-augmented-reality/safer-smarter-and-more-connected-apples-vision-pro-used-in-world-first-vr-assisted-surgery-and-it-could-be-the-future-of-medicineWikipedia:Signs of AI writinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Signs_of_AI_writingBurstiness & Perplexity | Definition & Exampleshttps://quillbot.com/blog/ai-writing-tools/burstiness-and-perplexity/AI Detectors Don’t Work. Here’s What to Do Instead.https://mitsloanedtech.mit.edu/ai/teach/ai-detectors-dont-work/AI Engagement Guidehttps://www.flcc.ai/tools/ai-engagement-guide.htmlThe Opposite of Cheatinghttps://www.amazon.com/Opposite-Cheating-Teaching-Engaging-Thriving/dp/0806194960/AI can't write your college admissions essay. Here's why.https://mashable.com/article/ai-college-admissions-essayAI-Generated “Workslop” Is Destroying Productivityhttps://hbr.org/2025/09/ai-generated-workslop-is-destroying-productivityBlue books make an "out of step" campus comeback in the AI erahttps://www.axios.com/2026/03/14/ai-blue-books-colleges-jobsA college instructor turns to typewriters to curb AI-written work and teach life lessonshttps://apnews.com/article/typewriter-ai-cheating-chatgpt-cornell-ce10e1ca0f10c96f79b7d988bb56448bThe IBM Selectrichttps://www.ibm.com/history/selectricThe Use of Emojis to Increase Clarity in Internal Communication Among Neurodiverse and Multicultural Employeeshttps://www.theseus.fi/handle/10024/887013Mentions: @MIT @Apple @Samsung @Meta @Android @GoogleFLX AI Hub: https://www.flcc.edu/ai/FLCC New Media: https://newmedia.csc.flcc.cloud/✅ 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 19: ViveCode Challenge & Unboxing

    Episode 19: ViveCode Challenge & Unboxing
    May 23 2026
    In this episode of The Immersive Lens, hosts Paul and Dave chat with Jenn Carney about AI and education. Then Dave throws down a Vibe Code Challenge. Lastly, Jeff, PaulnThe episode kicks off with a critical look at the current state of artificial intelligence in education and media, specifically examining why highly hyped tools like OpenAI's Sora and Khan Academy's Khanmigo are struggling to maintain traction. The hosts and guest Jenn Carney, a biology professor, discuss how these setbacks highlight a crucial missing ingredient in educational tech: genuine human connection and engagement. As AI continues to evolve, understanding what drives actual student interaction is more vital than ever for educators and developers alike.Transitioning from theory to practice, Dave issues a multi-tiered "vibe coding" challenge to Paul, Jenn, and producer Jeff, pushing them to use AI models to build functional web applications without writing traditional code. The episode culminates in an exciting unboxing of the new Galaxy XR headset, an $1,800 mixed-reality collaboration between Google and Samsung. Ultimately, the team demonstrates that whether you are coding by vibes or exploring spatial computing, the future of emerging tech relies heavily on lowering barriers to entry for everyday users.What to know about the Sora discontinuationhttps://help.openai.com/en/articles/20001152-what-to-know-about-the-sora-discontinuationThe Walt Disney Company and OpenAI reach landmark agreement to bring beloved characters from across Disney’s brands to Sorahttps://openai.com/index/disney-sora-agreement/Khan Academy’s founder says AI tutoring revolution hasn't come for education, yethttps://www.boston25news.com/news/khan-academyrsquos/2UFWOVJK2AZLRJFD5YZVO36IPQ/AACC Conferencehttps://www.campusworksinc.com/american-association-of-community-colleges-aacc/The Gum Wallhttps://www.pikeplacemarket.org/vendor/the-gum-wall/The Crumpet Shophttps://thecrumpetshop.com/AACC Presentation - Innovationhttps://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1fbrCJzqqzfny5oopOKfJRwJwqfnmr--m1w3QARkcJmw/AACC Presentation - AI Challengehttps://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1tUUAmdbrc1F5f1gpOXcuXxP3WJAVm5k4YVQnJ6zkKQQ/The AI Challengehttps://www.theimmersivelens.com/p/vibe-coding-challenge.htmlMark Zuckerberg is building an AI clone of himself. Most people just need help with their inboxhttps://fortune.com/2026/04/28/technology-ai-agents-three-person-unicorns-zuckerberg-clone-future-of-work/Samsung Galaxy XR Headsethttps://www.samsung.com/us/xr/galaxy-xr/galaxy-xr/Google's XR Gemini Extension Lets You "Vibe Code" WebXR Experiences In Secondshttps://www.uploadvr.com/google-vibe-coding-xr-gemini-extension-webxr/WebXRhttps://immersiveweb.dev/Mentions: @MIT @Apple @Samsung @Meta @Android @GoogleFLX 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!#ImmersiveLens #VibeCoding #GalaxyXR #AIinEducation #EdTech #MixedReality #SpatialComputing #NoCode #TechPodcast #FutureOfLearning #AI #EdTech #GenerativeAI #HigherEd #Podcast #Sora2 #VibeCoding #FLCC #NewMedia #TechTrends #TechHistory #UXDesign #WebDevelopment #XR #extrendedReality✅ 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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    53 mins
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