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Light Blue Optics touch interface pico projector passes through the FCC
Last time we saw Light Blue Optics' Light Touch, it was deep in the bowels of CES, where we got to play with its touch-sensitive projections. Well, the little laser pico projector has finally made its way from that dark trade show corner into the bright lights of the FCC. It still turns any flat area into a WVGA touchscreen using holographic laser projection (HLP) and infrared sensors, only now it's more finger friendly and supports multi-touch gestures. It also has a 3.5mm headphone jack and a single mono speaker so you aren't surface computing in silence, and there are composite video and micro-USB ports for pulling content from other devices. Of course, the Light Touch still only projects a 10.1-inch image, so it won't be turning your wall into a touchscreen. But, it should do just fine turning a tray table, desk, or perhaps even the nearest person planking into one.
GE's new holographic storage burns 500GB discs at the speed of a Blu-ray
Holographic disc storage may not have worked out so well for InPhase, but the folks at General Electric are still trying to make HVD work. Their latest breakthrough, shown off today at an IEEE symposium in Hawaii, is a new micro-holographic material which is 100x more sensitive than its predecessor and ups recording speed to that of Blu-ray discs. In the two years since we saw it last some of the hyperbole has apparently been lost -- no claims of "two to four years left for Blu-ray" this time around -- but manager Peter Lorraine still thinks the DVD-sized discs have a future in archival and consumer systems. That's getting tougher to imagine in a world with FiOS and Netflix streaming, but if there is ever another disc format you may be looking at it right now.
EVE Evolved: Building a better UI
It's no secret that EVE Online has a poor user interface. With its drop-down menus for interacting with objects and text lists to show information like market orders and nearby objects in space, EVE has thoroughly earned the nickname "spreadsheets in space." The UI has changed drastically since I started playing in 2004, but in recent years, it's fallen behind the development curve. In a new devblog this week, CCP Snowlax suggested that the UI developers at CCP have lacked the framework necessary to do what they wanted with it. The existing framework had become bloated with eight years of development, and the underlying rendering engine wasn't even capable of using custom shaders. With Incursion 1.6, CCP pushed live a completely new UI framework that makes cool features like holographic UI elements possible. With the new Carbon UI framework in place, developers are taking another look at redesigning the EVE user interface. Screenshots of the new features being used in the upcoming Incarna expansion are impressive, but that's all taking place inside stations. I can't help but wonder how these new technologies could be applied to the space-faring portion of EVE and whether there are more fundamental challenges to overcome in UI design than adding flashy graphics. In this week's EVE Evolved, I give some thoughts on the development of EVE's UI, from the necessary evil of the overview to some things I'd like to see change.
Hacked Kinect duo teams up with HD projector to make 360 Snowglobe display (video)
Flatscreen displays? Decidedly old hat; students from Queens University have a better idea: snowglobes. Hacking together a 3D HD projector, two Kinect sensors, and a hemispherical mirror mounted inside of an acrylic sphere, "Project Snowglobe" has created a pseudo holographic display -- presenting a 360-degree view of a digital object. The all-angles display is compelling, but it's strictly a single-user affair; the object isn't actually projected in 3D -- it instead follows the movements of a lone Earthling, rotating and shifting position, in sync with the viewer. The display standard of the future? Maybe not, but pretty darn cool, all the same. Hit up the video after the break to check it out.
DARPA's next-gen wearable display: augmented-reality, holographic sunglasses
The US military seems to adore the idea of wearable displays, hence its continued efforts to make them a reality. We know it seems like just yesterday that DARPA tapped Lockheed Martin to build low-power, lightweight augmented-reality eyewear, and it was actually four full years ago when the wild and wonderous dream was to craft HMDs as small and light as "high-fashion sunglasses." Well, that dream lives on, this time with holograms: the lenscrafters at Vuzix just received a cool million to develop goggles that holographically overlay battlefield data on the wearer's vision. It all sounds very Dead Space (or, you know, like a Top Secret version of Recon-Zeal's Transcend goggles), promising realtime analysis of anything within sight. The company believes the finished product will be no more than 3mm thick and completely transparent when turned off. If all goes well, expect this to trickle down to consumers in short order; soon you'll have full "situational awareness" -- including relationship status -- of that mysterious stranger you've been eyeballing from across the room.
DARPA's Urban Photonic Sandtable Display enables 3D battlefield planning without goofy glasses
You probably point and laugh at your friends when they have big, bulky 3D glasses perched on their noses in theaters. That kind of tomfoolery just won't do amongst the military brass, who frown at the slightest hint of snickering in the operations room. This new 3D system, called the Urban Photonic Sandtable Display (UPSD), should help. It's a DARPA project, a fully holographic table (no glasses required) that can be scaled up to six feet diagonally and allows visual depth of up to 12-inches. The technology comes courtesy of Zebra Imaging, which earlier wowed us with some insane 3D printouts, and the data will come from LIDAR systems like this ROAMS bot. No word on when the system will be deployed to the field, but it should allow grizzled commanders and uppity businessmen to find unobtanium deposits, even if they happen to be located right under a big 'ol tree.
British airports now beaming holographic security agents (video)
They've brought you presidential election coverage and promoted worldwide access to PCs, and now they're telling you to take off your belt and throw out your hairspray. Starting today, London Luton and Manchester airports will beam in images of holographic agents to prep passengers for the security line. Holly and Graham -- you heard right -- and Manchester's Julie and John are meant to cut queues, as well as human inconsistency. According to Luton's Glyn Jones, "Holly and Graham are not going to have a hangover; they're not going to have a row with their partner the night before." Just what we need: an army of holographic squares taking our jobs and making us all look a drunken mess in comparison. Thanks, technology. Update: So it appears these aren't traditional holograms -- they're actually huge sheets of glass that are cut out in the shape of people, with the projection beamed on them. It's the same tech that Gorillaz use on stage, made by a company called Musion. Check out another video where the camera moves around the side.
ZScape 3D holographic prints take maps to the next dimension, sans spectacles
As the video above shows, Zebra Imaging's so called ZScape prints pull off some pretty amazing 3D visual effects despite being based on old school hologram technology. These prints are made using a variety of 3D data sources -- think AutoCad and the like -- that are then rendered as thousands of holographic elements by recording laser light onto a single film-based material. The resulting images are easily viewed without glasses or spinning mirrors, and just require a run-of-the-mill halogen or LED light source to reveal 360-degree, full color representations -- akin to what a physical model might look like. Fancier versions can also be made using overlays and layering techniques to show more information. To date, over 8,000 ZScapes have already been developed for the US military, but surprisingly their prices range between $1,500 for a 12- x 18-inch version to $3,500 for the largest 2- x 3-foot size, making them relatively obtainable for those not on Defense Department tabs. If the video of Seattle pulling an Inception above didn't impress you enough, be sure to check another embedded video after the break.
World disappoints us once again: Japan loses 2022 3D holographic World Cup bid
Look, we don't know anything about World Cup bids. They probably have a lot to do with "infrastructure" and "taking turns" and stuff like that. But really, world? You couldn't pick Japan just this once? Japan's incredibly great 2022 World Cup bid involved projecting 3D holograms of the games live onto soccer football fields around the world, allowing folks that can't make it to Japan for the actual games to get a pretty great simulacrum, while standing next to people that look like them and are probably rooting for the same team. "I have to admit that the idea of this blows my mind away," said Japan's committee chief Kohzo Tashima. Did you get that, world? Japan was offering you 3D holographic full field broadcasts, and you just turned a cold shoulder. Congrats, Qatar, we hope you're happy with 2022, and we're sure you earned it based on whatever arbitrary metrics FIFA uses to select World Cup countries. But you'll never earn our hearts. Video of Japan's bid is after the break.
Verizon pushes for holograms in 10 years, wants to deliver it via FiOS
Apparently, there is something out there called 3D television that's soon to be all the rage in homes nationwide (we bet our friends at Engadget HD could tell us a thing or two about it). And what does all that new and exciting 3D content mean? That's right -- new and exciting bandwidth requirements, which is music to the ears of folks at Cisco and Verizon. Hell, Cisco predicts that streaming video (including 3D content) is expected to more than quadruple bandwidth demands by 2014. But that isn't the wild part -- the company's CEO John Chambers is predicting that in ten years holograms over IP will become commonplace. Apparently, Verizon has been conducting experiments with the technology over its FiOS network -- and when not sending spooky, holographic disembodied heads out into cyberspace, its CIO Shaygan Kheradpir has been testing a 1Gbps link in his home on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Apparently, this kind of connection will have to become commonplace before we start seeing holograms in our homes, but we're pretty sure that Kheradpir only pointed out this last fact to make us jealous.
NICT's fVisiOn makes you see immaterial bunnies (video)
Japan's National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) has been chasing holographic damsels in distress for as long as we can remember, and honestly, the technology's still not quite there, but the team that brought us the gCubik has managed to create a low-res 3D hologram table that impresses anyhow. Using an twist on the famous optical illusion toys that use convex mirrors to make objects appear to float in the air, NICT hits a specially-designed optical filter cone with the light from 96 pico projectors. The result is a series of familiar-looking rabbits, teapots and the occasional rubber duck standing five centimeters high and visible through 120 degrees, a good sight better than the two-degree radius afforded them by the original technology. The best part is there's no case enclosing these creations, unlike competing ideas, so we'll eventually see 360-degree tables where your fingers can frolic alongside the ethereal leporidae. Watch the lead researcher demo a prototype after the break.
Researcher promises petabyte Hyper-CDs as we struggle to maintain interest
Holographic storage sure has a lot of potential, but so far all those promises have resulted in nothing more than broken dreams. Now we have some new promises, promises that we'll report with due skepticism. Romanian scientist Eugen Pavel is pledging that his company, Storex Technologies, can create a "Hyper" CD-sized disc (120mm diameter, 1.2mm thickness) capable of absorbing a whopping 1,000,000GB. Yes, a petabyte on a disc. This could (in theory) be achieved thanks to the company's expertise in "glass-ceramics compositions as well as read/write mechanics and optics concept(s) applicable to high-density data storage." You know, the ability to fit lots of stuff into small crevasses. Pavel also claims a 5,000 year disc lifetime, which is interesting, because back in 2000 he talked to PC World about another disc that could last 5,000 years -- one that would store a whopping 10TB. There is, apparently, no expiration date on his optimism. Ours, however, is getting a wee bit stale.
InPhase out of business, assets seized for back taxes
It's been something like five years that we've been eagerly waiting for InPhase to finally release that revolutionary holographic storage solution, and while there has been plenty of drama in the way of release dates promised and pushed back, and even some layoffs to keep things interesting, the company has been pretty, pretty quiet lately. As it turns out, this has been due to the fact that employees have been busy enough updating their resumes. "We were expecting it for a long time," said one employee, among the sixty or so who picked up their final paychecks last week. "So it wasn't a big surprise." To put a finer point on things, it's been announced that the Colorado Department of Revenue has seized the company's assets for non-payment of taxes. According to The Register, the state has changed the locks and announced that everything on the premises will be auctioned off, down to the fixtures and furniture. This is certainly an ignominious end to a once great idea, but as you know every cloud has a silver lining: If you're looking to get into the holographic storage business, drop us a line. We've heard that some equipment is becoming available soon -- and at a great price.
Light Blue Optics' Light Touch turns any surface into a color touchscreen display (video hands-on)
Ever heard of a small company called Light Blue Optics? Probably not. But it's companies like LBO that make events like CES truly worthwhile. Tucked away in a small suite overshadowed by the million dollar spreads owned by industry giants like Samsung and Sony is a tiny startup looking to attract the attention of OEMs with its full-color holographic laser projection technology. The Windows CE-powered Light Touch represents the company's very first effort to create an interactive projector that allows users to interact with the displayed image as they would a modern touchscreen display. Despite our skepticism, we came away suitably surprised -- impressed even. Granted, our hands-on was performed in a lowly-lit room on par with the lighting you might find in a fine restaurant. Still, the 15 lumens were effective at lighting videos and the touch sensitivity was far more accurate than we expected -- so good that we were quickly typing out phrases on the QWERTY with few mistakes (admittedly taking a reasonable amount of care to strike the right "key"). The projector only supports single-touch at the moment though multi-touch is just a software tweak away. See the video after the break and prepare to be suitably amazed at watching a laser projector create a touchscreen display.%Gallery-81902%
GE Global Research holograms increase security, redefine 'going green'
GE Global Research in collaboration with SABIC Innovative Plastics has developed a new class of holographic materials that can be processed in plastic to create a wide range of novelty products, credit, or identity cards. Instead of just being stamped onto the surface of the card like typical holograms, these new cards rely upon thermo-plastic based volume holography to store the data (binary images, 3D images of your face, fingerprints, and even animations) within the card itself for an extra degree of tamper-free security. And because the holographic material can be injection-molded, it could ultimately be applied to a variety of personalized products including laptops and cellphones. GE Global Research is intent on commercializing the new holographic materials by 2012, until then we've got a video that gives a good idea of how your 3D mug might look pressed into those government or corporate mandated ID cards of the future. Check it after the break. %Gallery-78893%
GE shows off 1TB holographic discs but Wolf Blitzer remains skeptical
We're confused as to how technology that was supposed to be available in 2006 can still be featured at an Emerging Tech conference in 2009, but so it is for General Electric's attempt at holographic storage. Predicting drives for archival purposes in two or three years with consumer products around two years after that, manager Peter Lorraine claims Blu-ray has "two to four years of life to go" and expects licensees to clean up with speedy 3ms access time, 1TB+ storing (up from a mere 200GB), backwards compatible hardware. The latter portion, plus other breakthroughs in cost and reliability are listed as reasons to believe the market will catch HVD anytime soon, but right now it's about as likely returning to a matching 2006-era MySpace page or believing Wolf was staring at anything other than a mark on the floor on Election Night. [Via Physorg]
Touchable Holography uses Wiimotes to add touch to holograms
Researchers from The University of Tokyo have demoed a touchable hologram at Siggraph 2009. The project, called Touchable Holography, involves the use of Wiimotes placed above the display to track hand motion, and an airborne ultrasound tactile display created in the university's lab to create the sensation of touch. The result is a holographic image that produces tactile feedback without any actual touching, and without degrading the image itself. Check out the video after the break for a fuller, more stunning explanation. [Thanks, Adam]
General Electric makes breakthrough in microholographic storage
Technical VersionGeneral Electric researchers announced today that the company has made a breakthrough in the development of microholographic storage discs for mainstream use. Using G.E.'s current technology, a single holographic disc could ostensibly hold 500 gigabytes of data -- about 100 times the size of a standard DVD -- and still be readable. Better still, these discs should be commercially viable when they're introduced in 2011 or 2012, coming in at around 10 cents per gigabyte (a pittance compared to Blu-ray's initial price of $1 per gigabyte).Layman's VersionYou know those holographic Jurassic Park stickers you have on the spine of your middle school Trapper Keeper? They're putting those on CDs to make them bigger! That is to say, on the inside. They'll be the same size on the outside, and should still fit snugly within your Saved By The Bell CD case.[Via Engadget]
Deutsche Telekom exec sees holographic TV within a decade
Deutsche Telekom, the parent company of the better known T-Mobile, has certainly made a name for itself over at the IPTV World Forum. The outfit's Chief Innovation Officer Christopher Schlaffer was quoted as saying that both 3DTV and holographic TV were definitely primed to take off within the next ten years. His reasoning for such a bold assertion was this: "Storage capacity and processing capacity is exploding. There is no doubt that bandwidth is tripling every year, so ten years from now are we going to be looking at 1,000Mb connections in every home on average? I would say yes, absolutely." Granted, this is just one guy's opinion on what may or may not happen, but given just how quickly the television viewing experience is morphing right now, we suppose it's not all that far-fetched. Besides, some of this has to come true if we're to enjoy the 2012 Olympics in 3D, right?[Via ElectricPig]
Light Blue Optics showcases holographic laser projection technology at CES
Light Blue Optics may not be as familiar a name as say, Optoma or Texas Instruments, but it's bringing an equally interesting approach to pico projection at CES. Showcased in Vegas last week was the outfit's holographic laser projection technology, which is reportedly brighter and smaller than existing alternatives. The demo system will also check in with double the brightness and at half the volume as its previous setups, and it's looking to wow with a conceptual rig that features a "table-down mode that allows the user to control the projector simply by touching the projected image." Now, if only these guys could push resolution to 720p+, we'd really consider ourselves fans.
