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Alt-week 9.22.12: Quantum Scotch tape, moving walls and scientific beer
Alt-week peels back the covers on some of the more curious sci-tech stories from the last seven days. Sometimes, here at alt.engadget.com, we're literally on the bleeding edge of technology. We get to explore concepts and ideas that are almost nebular in nature. Not this week though, where there's a distinct utilitarian aroma in the air. The glittery overcoat of future science is replaced by the rolled-up sleeves of good old-fashioned engineering. A bit of sticky tape, a proof of concept omnidirectional bike and a hardware matrix wall. After all that, you'll probably want a beer to wash it down with. Fortunately for you, it's all here. This is alt-week.
Augmented reality Tetris game uses Kinect hack, Wiimote, smooth jazz (video)
What does it take for a gaming classic to survive in a world ruled by titles like Portal 2 and Homefront? A Kinect hack, a Wiimote, and some electronic elbow grease, apparently. Trinity College student Keysosaurus -- as he's know to his YouTube pals -- has used a bit of C#, XNA, and OpenNI coding to play 3D augmented reality Tetris using Kinect body controls and a Wiimote. The Kinect gestures do most of the work, rotating the board, zooming the camera in and out, and moving the pieces into place, while the Nintendo controller is used to rotate. Video's after the break, but beware, the familiar strains of "Korobeiniki" have been replaced by smooth guitar jazz, so turn the volume up at your own risk.
