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AR app takes you inside Canada's WWII Japanese internment camps
In many ways, Canada's Japanese citizens were treated worse than their US counterparts in WW II internment camps. They had their property seized, and many were forcibly deported to Japan or had freedoms restricted after the war. Canadian author Joy Kogawa, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) and design and experience agency Jam3, have detailed their experiences in a new AR app called East of the Rockies. Based on Kogawa's novels Obasan and Itsuka, it follows 17-year-old Yuki as her family adjusts to life in a Japanese internment camp during the war.
Canada's NFB releases McLaren's Workshop for iPad, lets you create your own animated films
The National Film Board of Canada already has a few apps to its name, in addition to some other innovative internet-based efforts, and it's now branched out even further with a full-fledged filmmaking app. Now available for the iPad, McLaren's Workshop is a tribute of sorts to the work of animation pioneer Norman McLaren, known for the likes of Neighbours and Blinkity Blank. Not only does it let you watch 51 of McLaren's short films and 11 documentaries about him, but it provides the tools necessary for you to create your own animated films using three of the techniques he's known for (which you can then share on Vimeo). All that can be done for free, while two additional workshops available in the app will cost you $2.99 apiece. Head on past the break for a look at the app itself and some films created with it that were commissioned by the NFB.
One Millionth Tower documentary elevates the art of HTML5
Impressive demos of HTML5-based wizardry may be more common than ever now, but that doesn't mean there isn't still room to be impressed. One of latest to raise the bar is the One Millionth Tower documentary from the National Film Board of Canada's Highrise project. The main feature itself runs just over six minutes if you choose to simply sit back and watch, but things get quite a bit more interesting if you dive in and explore the highrise neighborhood that's the focus of the documentary, which is realized in WebGL-based 3D environment. Naturally, there's also a behind-the-scenes look at how the documentary was made, and the NFB has even made the source code available for those that want to dig deeper. Head on past the break for the trailer, and hit the source link below to check out the full thing for yourself -- we'd recommend switching your browser to full screen mode for the best experience. [Thanks, Kat]
NHK, NFB team up on future HD, 3D projects
Taking time out from working on Super Hi-Vision, NHK found time to extend an existing memorandum of understanding with Canada's NFB promising plenty of co-produced HD and 3D content to come. Don't expect big investments in sports or entertainment broadcasts however, as they'll be focusing on environment and social issues and producing for multiple platforms. Now all we need is an MOU promising all of the Canadian Discovery Channel's content here in the U.S. day and date and we should be all set.
knfbREADER Mobile uses Nokia N82 as text-to-speech device
The K-NFB, a joint venture between Kurzweil Technologies and the National Federation of the Blind, introduced knfbREADER this week, a text-to-speech program for the N82. Coupling Kurzweil's image processing with the N82's camera, a user only has to snap a pic of the document to be read and the software will speak it back and allow you to follow along on the handset's screen as it highlights each word read. The device is able to read just about all printed materials, from newspapers to glossy printed material and even US currency. Compared to earlier products -- dating way back to giant contraptions in the early 80's -- this tiny package will be a boon for the visually impaired, as there's now no need to drag something around that's the size of a photocopier. We're hoping that we see this offering expand to other sets with capable cameras, and that the pricing gives all a warm fuzzy feeling.[Via Yahoo News]
