jeffrey.taekman
ESPN has a great article on the phenomenon known as Madden Football–along the way, the game helped shape the entire industry.
Interesting story on NPR’s All Things Considered on how parts of Steven Spielberg’s 2002 movie, Minority Report, have come to pass, way ahead of time (the movie was set in 2054). The story features personalization of advertisements, the prediction of crime, and the floating screen computer interface all featured in the movie.
(Via The Future According To ‘Minority Report’ May Be Now : NPR.)
New software, developed by Xiaolin Wei and Jinxiang Chai of Texas A&M University in College Station, tracks humans in video footage, and creates 3D models of them. This new technology is expected to bring motion capture to the masses without the need for high-end equipment.
(Via Animated 3D models extracted from single-camera video – tech – 10 July 2010 – New Scientist.)
“IDEO Labs – Amazing 3D Immersion Technology
Interesting movie of an end-user experiencing a fully immersive 3D environment. A great example of how the body may be “tricked” into believing virtual objects and environments are real.
An article published today about troubles at Linden Labs, the home of Second Life, including layoffs, desertion of strategic companies from virtual space, and a stagnant user base.
HIRO III lets you feel what you see on screen: “
Researchers in Japan are developing a ‘haptic interface robot’ — the HIRO III, a robot hand that can transmit realistic sensations of touch to a user’s fingertips.
The user straps their fingers into a robot hand. Through the haptic interface the user can sense tactile sensation including the textures of surfaces, size of virtual objects and a sense of weight.
All this is embedded in a 3d display that also renders the user’s hand–positioned just as it is in real world. It is thought this accurate rendering will enhance the realism of the experience.
The developers anticipate its use in in applications such as factory work and for aiding medical procedure.
(Via KurzweilAI » News.)
While researching information for an upcoming manuscript, I came across a link to the Canadian Institutes of Distance Education Research (CIDER). This group addresses a broad range of topics including: learning and teaching application, financial and issues of access, the strategic use of technology in distance education settings, and other factors that influence distance education in Canada.
The CIDER Sessions are a collection of presentations for teachers and learners in the 21st Century. Several sessions address aspects of teaching and learning in virtual environments. In addition to the lectures, there are links to many other resources (powerpoint slides, mp3 recordings, journal manuscripts, etc.).
An excellent resource. Check it out.
This isn’t educational technology or a serious game, but I found it pretty entertaining. Those that know me know that I can rarely resist anything having to do with music.
An artist in France put together a web site called Incredibox. On this site, you mix your own song using sounds made by the human body. You choose the loop and slide it on one of the characters in the chorus. The sound automagically loops in with the other sounds.
Intellibox is available in both French and English. The artist is apparently working on a second version.
Enjoy!