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NTT's Visual SyncAR brings augmented reality to video, spices up the second screen (video)
The second screen has largely asked that you take your eyes away from the action, even if that is to play along in real-time. Visual SyncAR, however, brings that tablet or mobile right back into the thick of things. Developed by Japan's NTT, the platform uses digital watermarks that presents a timecode to the app running on the second device, allowing it to display content in sync with whatever is on the primary display. In the video after the break you can see the concept being illustrated with playful examples that interact with the program, but more useful applications include the ability for users to pull up subtitles for public information videos, or overlay sign language. Naturally, there's also a massive potential for advertisers, who we're sure would be more than keen to embrace the technology, and ably guide you from their commercial to an online outlet or additional promo material. Especially if they're selling a cure for all that inevitable arm ache...
Browse through this interactive map of Apple's suppliers worldwide
Apple releases a list of all of its hardware supplier partners about once a year, as part of its Supplier Responsibility program. But the most recent list of suppliers included not only company names, but also addresses for each, and so a site called ChinaFile took all of those addresses and put them into an interactive Google map. With a few clicks and drags, you can now visually browse and see just where Apple is getting all of its various iPhone, iPad, iPod and Mac parts from. As you can see above, the distribution is one of the most interesting views. Obviously, the majority of Apple's suppliers are still based over in Asia, and when you zoom in, you can see that big number is split between Japan, China, Hong Kong and South Korea. But Apple also gets parts from the US and Europe, and even places as far away as Brazil. Unfortunately, what this map doesn't show you is exactly what products and parts come from which suppliers. In a few places, you can guess, and in some places the information isn't very relevant (the address in Australia, for example, is just an address Down Under for a supplier that primarily works out of Asia). But nevertheless, this is an interesting look at just how global Apple's hardware business is.
Autodesk partners with Lego to create 3D interactive Mindstorm EV3 instructions
If you think it's hard putting the "Lego Discovery Fire Station" together, how about building and wiring a fully-functioning Mindstorm EV3 robot? To give you a leg up, the Danish toy outfit's joining forces with Autodesk to put together 3D interactive building instructions for the latest generation of Mindstorm mechs. The effects and 3D software firm will use its Inventor Publisher software to create interactive plans that run on iPads, Android devices and web browsers for five different 'bots. That way, you'll be able to actually put on your builder's hat and not just giggle enthusiastically at the final result.
Paradox announces two iOS games for 2013, including a Magicka game
Paradox Interactive has been primarily a PC gaming studio. It has enjoyed success on Steam with titles like Magicka and Europa Universalis. But last weekend at an event in Iceland, Paradox announced that it's making the jump over to Apple's handheld platforms, with two forthcoming games. The first is a version of Magicka for tablets, which will appear on the iPad. It's subtitled Wizards of the Square Tablet, and like the PC game, it's about (up to) four different wizards combining seven different elements into spell groups, and tossing spells around that can be both helpful or harmful. The game looks excellent, and seems like a nice tablet-based twist on the popular and well-made Magicka series. The game promises lots of single- and multiplayer action, and should be available soon. Paradox is also working on a more tactical game called Leviathan Warships, which will feature some top-down multiplayer battles with 10-second turns. Each ship in a player's fleet will have a balanced set of strengths and weaknesses, making for a very strategic battlefield across a series of maps. This game doesn't seem as far along (or as close to release) as Magicka's tablet version, but it does look good, and we'll keep an eye out for it. Paradox, as I said, has been doing very well on the PC, and it's not too surprising that the company has started testing the waters on mobile platforms. This is a great duo of first releases, and hopefully we'll get them in our hands very soon.
BBC's Connected Red Button launches on TiVo, brings true web TV with one tap (hands-on)
Much as smart TVs might seem like a recent revolution, audiences in the UK have had access to interactive, multi-window content on their boxes for over 13 years. The difference (and in many ways, the problem) is that this bonus "Red Button" material has been delivered over the old-school digital broadcast signal rather than over the web -- which is why today's launch of the Connected Red Button service makes a whole lot of sense. Starting with the 1.2 million people who happen to own a Virgin Media TiVo box, pressing red will bring up an overlay suggesting programs from iPlayer and the radio channels, tailored by BBC staff to what they're currently watching, plus further curated web content from BBC News, Weather and Sport. They'll be able to read articles in overlay mode, or click on a video to throw it fullscreen. The content isn't new of course -- it can already be accessed via the multitude of apps that the BBC has for iPlayer and other services -- but it'll now be delivered through a much simpler, app-free interface that is already used by around 20 million people per month. We've had a play and can certainly vouch for it being straightforward -- check out our hands-on video after the break to see for yourself. Of course, it'll only work if your TV is linked into the web somehow, which is the reason the BBC gives for initially only providing the service to TiVo customers. Starting in 2013, it'll roll out the Connected Red Button to Freeview, Freesat, BT Vision, YouView and other connected devices -- basically everything except Sky, which BBC execs say they regard as a "closed service" rather than as a "platform." At the same time, there'll be an awareness campaign urging the mainstream masses to get their TVs or media boxes online and thereby prepare for the inevitable.
Assassin's Creed 3's interactive trailer takes a trip to Bunker Hill
Following its launch video, Assassin's Creed 3 now has an interactive trailer to get you in the mood for hooded executions, Revolution-style. It takes you to the Battle of Bunker Hill, where you're charged with assassinating Major John Pitcairn.The major really did die during the battle in 1775, and it's chronicled he was taken out by a rifle shot. Thanks to the choices offered in this trailer, you can rewrite history. Well, as far as the two choices on offer go.
Bad Piggies gets a ... cookbook
As if our recent exploration of the Angry Birds universe didn't convey the franchise's might, here's another sign. A Bad Piggies cookbook is available. Actually, the hardcover, real-life version of Angry Birds: Bad Piggies' Egg Recipes was out for the holiday season last year, long before the Bad Piggies game was ever announced. But now that the game itself is out, Rovio has decided to take the book digital, and so you can now buy the cookbook on the iPad as an interactive app. For a limited time, the book is debuting at a price of just 99 cents, so grab it quick if you like. Rovio has reached out its Angry Birds claws into yet another merchandising realm -- where to next?
Build-a-bear's new store concept wants you to choose, love, stuff and fluff with high-tech (video)
If little Johnny thought Build-a-Bear had nothing for his tech-savvy toddler sensibilities, he'd better think again. The plush toy-seller has just launched a new high-tech store concept that it hopes will help re-engage children otherwise distracted with tablets, phones and game consoles. The new additions include a 55-inch interactive digital sign out front, with touchscreen and Kinect functionality, complete with unlockable content via barcodes. Once inside, four Samsung SUR40 smart tables loaded with custom software offer a range of different parts of the teddy-making process, as well as interact with the toys in real-time -- like a virtual bubble bath -- thanks to a purpose-built tagging system. The sound side of things also gets a lick of paint, with six audio "zones" created, using ultrasonic speakers that can target sound to specific parts of the store and stop all the collective noise from reverberating like something from a bad dream. The first such shop is already open in St Louis, with five more locations to follow: Pleasanton CA, Annapolis MD, Troy MI, Fairfax VA and Indianapolis IN between October and November.
YouTube brings interactive quizzes to videos with Questions Editor beta
Feel like something's missing from your YouTube viewing experience -- like some good 'ol multiple-choice questions? The chronic learners among us will be happy to hear that the site is testing an interactive -- and potentially educational -- feature that lets users add quizzes to their clips. A new page on the YouTube site describes a "Video Questions Editor Beta," which lets channel owners display multiple-choice questions on top of their videos as they play. The page is pretty blank at the moment, but the beta is up and running for those who opt in. Don't get too excited, though: YouTube's disclaimer states the feature "represents work in progress," and "there is no plan for long-term support of the feature."
Motorola Mobility launches Android-powered HMC3260 'Cloud Broadband' media streamer
Motorola will be supplying China's WASU Digital Group, a cable and broadband provider, with the HMC3260 Android entertainment device for cloud-based, broadband internet streaming. Dubbed "Cloud Broadband" by the operator, the device will provide the primary connection for "hybrid fiber coax networks," while also offering an 18.5-inch touchscreen interface, based on an unnamed flavor of Android. WASU claims the device will allow "easy access and search" for on-demand HD video services, storage, games and apps, on top of regular cable TV services. There's no mention of internal storage or any other specs or service details, but adding an Android-based touchscreen to a broadband connection device? Sounds like a promising idea.
Disney Research's Botanicus Interacticus adds capacitive touch to ordinary plants, we go hands-on
Sure, you spend plenty of time talking to your plants, but have you ever made them sing? In partnership with Berlin-based Studio NAND, Walt Disney's experience development arm, coined Disney Research, has found a way to take human-plant interaction to an almost freakish level. The project's called Botanicus Interacticus, and centers around a custom-built capacitive sensor module, which pipes a very low current through an otherwise ordinary plant, then senses when and where you touch. Assuming your body is grounded, the device uses more than 200 frequencies to determine exactly where you've grabbed hold of a stem. Then, depending on how it may be programed, the sensor can trigger any combination of feedback, ranging from a notification that your child is attempting to climb that massive oak in the yard again, to an interactive melody that varies based on where your hand falls along the plant. Because this is Disney Research, the company would most likely use the new tech in an interactive theme park attraction, though there's currently no plan to do much more than demo Botanicus Interacticus for SIGGRAPH attendees. This week's demonstration is giving the creators an opportunity to gather feedback as they try out their project on the general public. There's four different stations on hand, ranging from a stick of bamboo that offers the full gamut of sensitivity, including the exact location of touch, to an orchid that can sense an electric field disruption even as you approach for contact. While interactive plants may not have a role in everyday life, Botanicus Interacticus is certainly a clever implementation of capacitive touch. You can see it action just past the break.%Gallery-162014%
Breakfast's super-speed reactive electromagnetic display is 44,000 dots of promotional awesome (video)
TNT wanted to launch its new crime show Perception, in style, and we have to give it to 'em, this is pretty cool. Working with professional technological tinkerers, Breakfast, they created a 23 x 12 foot display made up of 44,000 electromagnetic dots. Imagine those ticker boards you see at train stations, jazzed up with a little modern flavor. The dots are white on one side, black on the other, and move at 15 times the speed of their typical rail-station counterparts -- giving a real-time effect. The installation is set up in Manhattan's Herald Square until July 29th, and is fully interactive. When pedestrians walk past, the board updates to reflect their movement, and this "silhouette" interacts with words and images on the screen. Extra sensory stimulation also comes from the noise the board makes, literally letting you hear your movements. If a picture paints a thousand words, then 44,000 dots in a video paints even more. Head past the break to see the beast in action, plus more details on how it was done.
BBC launches updated, interactive live video player ahead of Olympics; lines up 'summer of 3D'
As the London Olympics creep closer, BBC is unveiling more of the technology it plans to use to bring the Games home to UK viewers. In the last few days it's shown off both the new live video player shown above, as well as a new Facebook app in beta for BBC Sport. The interactive live video player is built to deliver up to 24 HD streams during the Olympics, along with alerts for key events and extra information and stats. It will work on computers and tablets that support Flash, and for those notable ones that don't, there's a stripped down version for mobiles and iPads that loses the extra interactivity. The BBC Sport Facebook app will also be able to stream the Games, but also let you see if any of your friends are watching the same stream or what sport is the most popular. Finally, the Beeb has lined up what it's calling the "Summer of 3D" with a lineup that includes Planet of the Dinosaur, Last Night of the Proms, Wimbledon and the Olympics. There's a lot going on, hit the source links or check the press releases after the break for the highlights.
Microsoft will roll out Kinect-enabled NUads on Xbox 360 this fall (video)
Microsoft's Xbox Live Advertising team first showed off its highly interactive NUads platform at the Cannes festival last year, and today announced they will start rolling out to Xbox 360s this fall. The first advertisers up are Toyota, Unilever and Samsung Mobile USA with Kinect-enabled ads that let viewers respond to questions after a 30-second spot by voice or gesture. According to Microsoft this is great because viewers can easily see real time stats of how others are voting and advertisers get immediate feedback. While we've all wanted to shout down an ad at some point (just look out the window Zooey, seriously) there's probably going to be a contingent that thinks letting advertisers accumulate data from behind that Kinect camera lens is a little creepier than they'd like. Check out Microsoft's pitch for the tech in press release and video form after the break.
Toddler-friendly Vinci Tab II makes its way to online retailers
Though already available through Amazon and SkyMall, the Vinci Tab II -- who we met in a previous life -- has found its way to WalMart.com and is moseying to other e-tailers such as ToysRUs.com, Diapers.com and YoYo.com next month. The Vinci carries a 7-inch (800x480) display, a 3-megapixel camera, 1.2GHz Cortex A8 processor, 8GB of intenral storage, a microSD card slot, runs Android (flavor unspecified) and is touted as the only tablet certified for child safety. The tab also supports three levels of premium educational apps and includes a few samples, interactive storybooks and animated music videos for your rug rats to work their noggins.While the slab's first incarnation lacked WiFi to minimize radiation exposure to little tykes, the latest iteration can pack WiFi for those who'd rather not update apps via microUSB. Interested in keeping your young'un busy? You'll be set back $249 for a WiFi model or $199 if you forgo wireless connectivity -- a hefty drop from its predecessor's $389 starting point.
NHK working on Hybridcast interactive TV platform (video)
NHK is working on Hybridcast (an entirely different system to the Hybridcast 3D-delivery setup it demonstrated last year), a system that uses the internet to make vanilla TV broadcasts interactive. It works by pushing HTML5 overlays to your tablet and TV, so you can play along with quiz shows or follow a travelogue from the comfort of your couch. The company is planning to build a set-top-box with the technology ready for sale next year, with integrated TVs hoped to arrive from Sony, Toshiba, Panasonic, Sharp and Mitsubishi shortly afterward. You can see what the residents of Japan can expect by watching the video after the break.
Daily iPad App: The Little Girl Who Could Fly is a delightful interactive book for children
Today we are stepping outside our typical app reviews for the iPad and looking at an interactive book. Because of their interactive elements, these titles stray over into the app category. This particular title, The Little Girl Who Could Fly from YellowPixie, is an animated, illustrated adapatation of Karl Capek's children's book, The Man Who Knew How to Fly. The digital book opens with an illustrated page that has the book's credits, a start reading button and two toggles for controlling the background sound and the narration. The narration is pleasant and is an excellent accompaniment for younger children. Each page of the book has navigation arrows that let you move back and forward through the pages. There's also a home button and a toggle to turn off the background sound on every page. The 20 or so illustrations throughout the book are light-hearted and colorful. They are animated and move along with the story. Each page is filled with adventure as there are three to six illustrated items that'll move or make a noise when your child taps on them. My favorite is the teacher's hat that'll do a flip when you tap on it. Your child can also tilt the iPad and control the main character when she is flying. There are also two mini-games within the book. One will let your child color along with the lead character and another is a dress-up game that the little girls in the audience will enjoy. The games pop up in the middle of the story, but they fit in with the story line. As a result, the games add to the story and only minimally distract from it. The storyline about a girl who proves she can fly is fun. My children read the book, both with me and by themselves, several times. It's definitely geared towards the younger set, but it's not an early reader like See Jack Run. It's a storybook with a delightful tale that's perfect for a parent or an older sibling to read to their three to six-year-old. Set aside some time when you first read the book to your child as some of the words are long. You may have to explain the meaning of words like delegation and 90-degree angle, before you let them loose on their own. You can download The Little Girl Who Could Fly from iTunes for US$4.99.
Japanese researchers show off 'interactive' plants: real leaves, artificial emotions
Looking for a little more companionship from your household plants? Then a team of researchers from Keio University in Japan may have just the thing for you. They've developed a rather elaborate system that promises to lets plants react to you and display a variety of different emotions (see "anger," pictured above). Yes, that's a real plant sprouting up out of the box, which contains sensors and microphones that monitor its surroundings, as well as some actuators that are connected to the plant itself with some fine cords. Lest you worry about the safety of the plants themselves, the researchers say that they've had plants rigged up like this for nearly a year and none have wilted. Of course, there's no indication of a commercial version just yet, but you can get a glimpse of the current state of things in the video after the break courtesy of DigInfo TV.
PSA: Interactive Starry Night now available for the iPad (video)
Greek Artist Petros Vrellis is a big admirer of Vincent Van Gogh, which prompted him to produce an interactive version of Starry Night. It took him a patience-sapping six months to produce the original PC version, where finger swipes redirect the painter's famous daubs into a light and sound show. Of course, there was such a clamor from users all desperate to have a go, that he managed to produce an iPad app in a little under a month. Now you can pick it up from the App Store at the source link, or head on past the break to see this new version in action (you really do have to see it).
Sony shows off PlayStation Vita's augmented reality chops at GDC, leaves the AR marker cards at home
The PlayStation Vita's current augmented reality mini-games may be anchored to a handful of marker cards, but it doesn't have to be that way. Front and center at Sony's GDC booth was "Magnet," a developer tech demo that shows off the next generation handheld's markerless chops. The application maps out the texture and patterns to create its own marker, which would allow developers to create more natural AR experiences that won't burden players with the hassle of carrying around marker cards. Sony says the tech demo won't be evolving into a full game, but hopes it will inspire developers to build something new and exciting for the handheld. Although staff on hand couldn't say for sure that this is an off-shoot of Sony's SmartAR technology, we think it looks awfully familiar.
