Otis Singleton
Electric Sheep is a screensaver and collaborative artwork run by thousands of people worldwide. When a computer goes to sleep, the Electric Sheep screensaver comes on, and the computer connects with others over the internet to create morphing abstract animations known as 'sheep'. The animations are fractal flames, and users can vote for their favourite ones. The more popular sheep reproduce according to a genetic algorithm, evolving to cater to the preferences of the global audience. The Electric Sheep screensaver is available for download on Mac for free, although there is also a premium Gold version that offers high-definition imagery.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cost | Free to download, with a monthly subscription plan available |
| Compatibility | Mac, MacBook Pro, iMac |
| Resolution | HD Gold Sheep (1280x720 pixels), 4K Sheep |
| Features | Trip through a wormhole, iTunes plugin, animated desktop backgrounds, realistic fireplace |
| Similar Apps | G-Force Platinum, Hyperspace, SBArt, Fireplace 3D |
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$153.63 $175.21
What You'll Learn
Electric Sheep screensaver download for Mac
Electric Sheep is a unique screensaver that displays morphing abstract animations known as "sheep". It is a collaborative project, with thousands of users around the world contributing to the creation of these animations. The animations are formed by combining the ""spare" processing cycles from idle computers on the distributed network of those running the screensaver application. The Electric Sheep screensaver is available for download on Mac from websites such as MacUpdate and Screensavers Planet.
On MacUpdate, users can download the latest version of Electric Sheep for free and also have access to 45 user reviews to understand other people's experiences with the software. The reviews are quite mixed, with some users complaining about the low resolution of the animations and the need for a subscription to access higher resolutions. The subscription model seems to have confused some users, who were unsure if they needed to pay for an account to use the software. However, there are also positive reviews, with one user describing the screensaver as "beautiful and astounding and, seemingly, endlessly inventive".
Screensavers Planet also offers the Electric Sheep screensaver for Windows and Mac. The website provides safe downloads and assures users that the files have been checked for viruses. Users can read through reviews from other people who have downloaded the software, although these reviews seem to be less positive, with complaints about the complicated setup process and the screensaver not working as expected.
It is recommended that users only download the Electric Sheep screensaver if they have a high-bandwidth, always-on internet connection such as DSL or cable modem. The screensaver should download and display within a minute, but due to server load, it may take longer, so patience is required. Users can press F2 to monitor the download progress and F1 to access help during the setup process.
Overall, the Electric Sheep screensaver for Mac appears to be a fun and inventive way to display abstract animations on your screen. While there are some negative reviews, many users seem to enjoy the collaborative nature of the project and the ability to vote on their favorite animations.
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Electric Sheep Gold version
Electric Sheep is a collaborative abstract artwork run by thousands of people worldwide. When their computers are asleep, the screensaver starts rendering fractal movies, known as "sheep". The free and open-source service allows users to vote on their favourite animations, which drives a genetic algorithm to create new sheep. The Electric Sheep community can create and submit sheep parameters, download and tweak existing parameters, or mate sheep together to create new fractals.
The Gold version of Electric Sheep offers high-definition 720p imagery and faster downloads. While the standard Electric Sheep service is free, the Gold version requires a subscription. The subscription cost is approximately $0.13 per minute of unique 720p video. This is more expensive than Sheep Dreams, which offers 1080p video at $0.10 per minute. However, a Gold subscription is not required to play Sheep Dreams gold sheep.
The Electric Sheep screensaver is recommended for users with a high-bandwidth, always-on internet connection. It should download and display within a minute, but due to server load, it may take longer. The screensaver was created and released as free software by Scott Draves in 1999 and continues to be developed by him and a team of engineers.
While some users have praised the improved image quality of the Gold version, others have found it disappointing, especially on larger screens where the image quality may be insufficient. Users have also noted that the animations are rather basic and boring compared to other screensavers on the market, such as G-Force Platinum, which offers sharper visuals and more features at a higher price.
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Electric Sheep as a collaborative artwork
Electric Sheep is a collaborative abstract artwork founded by Scott Draves. It is run by thousands of people worldwide and can be installed on almost any device. When the computers of these users go into sleep mode, the Electric Sheep screensaver comes on, and the devices start communicating with each other via the internet. They share the work of creating morphing abstract animations known as "sheep". The animations are generated using fractal flames, with several of their parameters animated.
The computers running the screensaver render the fractal movies (sheep). The sheep motif is carried over into other aspects of the project: the 100 or so sheep stored on the server at any time is referred to as 'the flock'; creating a new fractal by interpolating or combining the sheep's fractal code with that of another sheep is called mating/breeding; changes to the code are called mutations, etc. The parameters that generate these movies (sheep) can be created and submitted by members of the electricsheep mailing list, members of the mailing list can download the parameters of existing sheep and tweak them, or sheep can be mated together automatically by the server or manually by server admins (nicknamed shepherds).
Anyone watching one of these computers may vote for their favourite animations using the keyboard, which drives a genetic algorithm. The more popular sheep live longer and reproduce according to a genetic algorithm with mutation and cross-over. Hence, the flock evolves to please its global audience. The computer-generated sheep parameters and movies are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (CC-BY-NC) license; user-generated sheep parameters are under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license. Both are automatically downloaded by the screen saver.
The Electric Sheep are a free and open-source service. The Gold Sheep are an HD premium version. You can design your own sheep and submit them to the gene pool. The result is a collective "android dream", blending man and machine with code to create an artificial lifeform. The screensaver was created and released as free software by Scott Draves in 1999 and continues to be developed by him and a team of about five engineers.
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Electric Sheep and copyright issues
Electric Sheep is a collaborative abstract artwork run by thousands of people worldwide. It is a volunteer computing project for animating and evolving fractal flames, which are distributed to networked computers as a screensaver. The screensaver displays luminous, twisting, elastic shapes and abstract tangles and loops of glowing filaments.
However, Electric Sheep raises certain copyright issues that the current system cannot understand or handle. Firstly, it is a collaborative artwork where both the audiovisual display and the code are continually changing. This dynamic nature cannot be reconciled with traditional copyright law, which assumes a degree of fixation. Secondly, digital art spans three statutorily defined authorship categories, resulting in multiple and potentially conflicting copyright interests within a single creative work.
To address these issues, the computer-generated sheep parameters and movies are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (CC-BY-NC) license, while user-generated sheep parameters fall under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license. These licenses help balance copyright protection and user creativity.
Additionally, the underlying code and visual artwork are separate elements with distinct copyrights. However, delineating boundaries between them or disentangling individually copyrightable components can be challenging. As Electric Sheep involves constantly uploading new algorithmic parameters and recombining them, the need for a modernised copyright framework becomes apparent.
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Electric Sheep and alternative screensavers
Electric Sheep is a free and open-source service and a collaborative abstract artwork run by thousands of people worldwide. When their computers are asleep, the screensaver comes on, and the computers communicate with each other over the internet to create morphing abstract animations known as "sheep". The animations are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (CC-BY-NC) license, while user-generated sheep parameters are under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license.
The Electric Sheep screensaver is available for desktop and laptop computers. It is also available for Android, iPad, and Apple TV. On Android, it works as a Live Wallpaper, Daydream, or an interactive app.
There is also a premium version of Electric Sheep called Gold Sheep, which offers high-definition imagery and faster sheep downloads.
Some users have expressed disappointment with the image quality of the Electric Sheep screensaver, finding it blurry and pixelated, especially on larger screens. As an alternative, some users have recommended G-Force Platinum, which offers sharper and clearer images, although it is more expensive.
Other alternative screensavers include:
- Gravitarium
- Hyperspace
- My Living Desktop
- Fireplace 3D
- Castaway-themed screensaver by Paramount
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Frequently asked questions
Electric Sheep is a collaborative abstract artwork run by thousands of people and their computers all over the world. When a computer goes to sleep, the Electric Sheep screensaver comes on and the computer connects with other computers to create morphing abstract animations known as 'sheep'.
You can download Electric Sheep for Mac for free from MacUpdate or Uptodown. You can also purchase it from the App Store.
The free version of Electric Sheep is a lower resolution and may appear blurry or pixelated on larger screens. The paid "Gold" version offers high-definition imagery and faster sheep downloads.
Users can vote on sheep that they like or dislike, and this voting data is used to generate new sheep through a genetic algorithm. Users can also create and submit their own sheep designs to the gene pool.
Once you have downloaded Electric Sheep, you can set it as your screensaver in your system settings. If you are having trouble finding the screensaver settings, you can search for help in the Apple Support Community.
