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UNC researchers develop a system for creating 3D models using images pulled from Flickr, off-the-shelf components
A group of researchers from the University of North Carolina and the Swiss university ETH-Zurich have teamed up to develop a system for creating 3D models of famous landmarks using photos from photo sharing websites like Flickr. Unlike previous projects at Microsoft and the University of Washington, the team at UNC used a home PC (albeit one with four GPUs) to process millions of images pulled from the Internet and construct 3D models of such landmarks as the Colosseum and the Roman baths at Sagalassos (above). And all the models were created in less than a day. According to UNC Chapel Hill's Jan-Michael Frahm, the process improves on current commercial systems by a factor of 1,000 to one. "Our technique would be the equivalent of processing a stack of photos as high as the 828-meter Dubai Towers, using a single PC, versus the next best technique, which is the equivalent of processing a stack of photos 42 meters tall – as high as the ceiling of Notre Dame – using 62 PCs," he said. "This efficiency is essential if one is to fully utilize the billions of user-provided images continuously being uploaded to the Internet." He sees any number of uses for this technology, from AR integration to 3D maps for rescuers in case of a natural disaster.
PlayStation Network adds HBO content before Zune / Xbox 360, follows iTunes pricing
Congratulations PSN, you are the first video game console to sell content from HBO. That means you can't buy True Blood, The Sopranos or Rome on Xbox via Zune yet, but you already could on iTunes if you were willing to pay $3 per episode. Contrary to a few reports, that premium pricing doesn't extend to the rest of HBO's lineup which share their $2 per episode pricing with the SD versions of most TV shows on the PSN and elsewhere. It's actually not a terrible price, with the season two DVDs of True Blood available for $32 on Amazon buying all twelve episodes one by one will only cost an extra $4, and still let you avoid any that don't feature your character of choice removing their shirt. the only sad part is that just like iTunes, there's still no HD availability, so we hope you like 480p -- and if you're reading this site, you probably don't. Hey Sony, make a big deal when you've negotiated some higher resolution or lower prices than what's available elsewhere, and tell HBO to stop crowing to the Wall Street Journal about its ability to charge premium prices when it really isn't -- when you sell an episode of The Wire for the same price as the pilot for Bionic Woman that's nothing to brag about.
HBO joins PlayStation Network video service
Time Warner's premium cable channel is coming to the PS3 and PSP later today. Sony has just announced that programming from HBO will be made available via the PlayStation Network video delivery service in North America. The initial selection includes the both the first two seasons of True Blood (Season 2 debuts on DVD today, as well). In addition, select seasons of Big Love, Entourage, Eastbound and Down, The Sopranos, Sex and the City, The Wire, Rome, Da Ali G Show, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Flight of the Conchords will also be available, with "more titles and additional seasons to be added each week." Pricing information wasn't made available in the press release, but we believe it will be similar to the content currently available on iTunes: $2.99 per episode. HBO enthusiasts will definitely want to stay tuned for tonight's PSN Tuesday update.
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood announced and detailed by Ubisoft
Click to Colosseum-size This morning, Ubisoft officially announced Ezio's return to the Assassin's Creed franchise, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. Though the game was outed and cursorily detailed in some placeholder box art last week, the official press release shared some specifics: the single-player campaign ("set in the living, breathing, unpredictable city of Rome") is expected to last 15 hours, and sees Ezio recruiting and training "promising young Assassins" for deployment across the historical capital. Rather than using money earned to bolster a villa, you'll fix up Rome itself, which will change Ezio's social standing, unlock missions and curry favor with various factions. The release promises collaboration with Da Vinci, Machiavelli, and Caterina Sforza, and describes new "secret weapons." Ubi is throwing in poison darts, parachutes, hidden blades and guns, not to mention an "advanced flying machine" -- which is presumably useful in more than a single mission this time. Multiplayer -- developed by Ubisoft Annecy, who created the online component of Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory -- is said to feature "multiple authentic character classes" (presumably the characters seen in the gallery below) each of whom will use "signature weapons and killing moves." We'll look for more details and a more specific release date than "Holiday 2010" at E3, perhaps on a giant advertisement emblazoned on the side of the convention center. %Gallery-92693%
Lonely Planet giving away free iPhone guides in honor of Eyjafjallajökull messing with Europe
Did Eyjafjallajökull mess your week up? The answer is probably "no" if you're asking who Eyjafjallajökull is. For those of us who did have our week interrupted by that big exploding volcano in Iceland, Lonely Planet is offering thirteen of its City Guides for free in the App Store (and okay, they're free to all, no proof of volcano-interruption required). The aptly-named "Volcano Relief Sale" is being held in hopes of helping travelers stuck in unfamiliar places find "access to practical information as well as suggestions on what to do whilst stranded," according to Tom Hall, Lonely Planet Travel Editor. "That's why we're giving away iPhone city guides to major affected destinations." Those destinations include: Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Budapest, Copenhagen, Istanbul, London, Moscow, Munich, Paris, Rome, Stockholm, and Vienna. I've been to all but two of those destinations, and if you're stuck in any of them, you really should be thanking Eyjafjallajökull (and now, Lonely Planet). The thirteen City Guides are normally priced between $10 and $15, so this is quite a bargain. But act fast, the City Guides will only be available for free until April 22 -- hopefully a date which will also see many more planes back in the air. [via Macworld] [Image by NASA Goddard Photo and Video]
EU scientists develop LifeHand thought-controlled prosthesis
We've seen plenty of developments in neurology and robotics over the years, including the Smart Hand prosthesis and targeted muscle reinnervation, and now researchers at the Bio-Medical Campus University of Rome have announced LifeHand. Connected via electrodes to an amputee named Pierpaolo Petruzziello, the device is able to perform complex movements and is controlled by thought alone. "It's a matter of mind, of concentration," said Petruzziello. "When you think of it as your hand and forearm, it all becomes easier." The five year project, funded to the tune of about $3 million by the European Union, is just the beginning -- they still have to figure out how to make the implants permanent. Get a closer look below.
HTC 'Touch.B' is an Android-powered Touch2?
If you glance at this thing for just a fleeting instant, you might actually mistake it for a Touch2 -- but it's not. A closer look at the button layout shows a decided lack of keys required by WinMo 6.5, which leads us to the logical conclusion that the so-called Touch.B here -- previously known under the codename "Rome" -- runs Android. MobiFrance doesn't have any additional details on the phone, its specs, or where it might launch, but if it does in fact run on the Google juice, it's looking like a possible successor (or kissing cousin, perhaps) of the Tattoo. Now that we look at it, we're not actually seeing the buttons that'd be required of an Android device, either -- and we have heard rumors for ages now that HTC would be releasing devices running a homegrown dumbphone platform -- but we'll hold off on the conclusion-jumping until we get just a little more detail. [Thanks, clo75]
Vin Diesel's Tigon Studios developing ancient world MMO: Barca B.C.
Have you ever hoped to play a massively multiplayer online game set in the ancient world? What about playing a Carthaginian soldier fighting the Romans in the Punic Wars, circa 200 B.C.? Action film star Vin Diesel certainly has, it's his dream game. In fact, he's so taken with the idea that his game company Tigon Studios is developing the Punic Wars MMO, titled Barca B.C., which he announced in an interview with Destructoid's Brad Nicholson.Diesel didn't give many details about the upcoming title, and it's still in an early stage of development. Destructoid reports that Tigon Studios has been working on Barca B.C. for roughly three years, and it could take up to another four years before release, according to Diesel. [Via Kotaku]
The political machinations of EVE Online
Game journalist and EVE Online player Jim Rossignol has been coming to grips with the idea of conflict in EVE, in a series of articles written for Eurogamer. Rossignol began by looking at "the basic principles of killing people" and progressing to the large scale conflicts between alliances. This week, Rossignol goes a step further by looking at the politics at the heart of much of the large-scale conflict in EVE Online, and how despite all the freedom the developers give players, it was inevitable that power blocs of players would be at each other's throats. "Players plus resources, plus more players, equals conflict. That's the basic mathematics that powers EVE Online. And it's been working for over five years now," Rossignol says.
Official: HBO arrives on iTunes, standard pricing be damned
It's official. HBO content just entered the digital halls of iTunes with variable pricing. Episodes of Rome and The Sopranos pop for $2.99 while The Wire and Sex and the City (yes the complete series) go for the iTunes "standard" pricing of $1.99. We just fired-up iTunes and confirmed it just like the rumor predicted. With Apple backing down from its strict, flat-rate pricing policy, don't be surprised to see additional content from previously iTunes-shy providers arriving in succession.Update: Deadwood ($2.99) and Flight of the Conchords ($1.99) are also available with "much more" apparently in the works.Update 2: Apple just released the PR.[Thanks, Turki]
Rome wasn't built on the DS
One downfall of being a history major is that every time a game is announced with the word "history" in it, something in the "must have" part of your brain clicks, making you want a piece of software that you suspect won't be all that great, anyway.The latest game to attack this blogger's mental stability is another addition in Slitherine's History Channel line, called HISTORY Great Empires: Rome. (Note: The History Channel is now just called History, which is why you don't see the word "channel" somewhere in the game's title.) We heard whispers about this game before, but now know that it will release sometime this summer. This Black Bean title, which is some kind of follow-up to The History Channel: Great Battles of Rome game, involves strategy, diplomacy, city-building, warfare, exploration, and all that good stuff. There will also be some "bonus" minigames involved. History nerds that we are, we'll be looking out for this.[Via press release]
History Channel aims at schooling you on ancient civilizations
When it's late at night and we're ready to relax in our beds, we usually watch The History Channel or police chase videos. By the time we go to bed, that's usually the only thing that's on aside from infomercials. It's a tough break, but we're not complaining.So, we were immediately interested in this new line of games from The History Channel and Slitherine Strategies. The first game, which is The History Channel Pocket History: Rome, tasks the player with taking over the Roman Empire. Not only must they build and extend the Empire's cities, they must also manage the economy and govern the population.This first title is scheduled to release in April 2008, with subsequent sequels to follow in that year.[Via DS-x2]
Really, there's a History Channel game?
We still don't believe it. There's actually a History Channel game on store shelves right now. And it's for PSP. Great Battles of Rome is now available for Europeans to play, and it's certainly one of the most intriguing licenses we've seen in quite some time. We haven't mustered the courage to find a copy, but can any of our European readers care to share their experiences?Here are a few screenshots from the PSP version of the game:%Gallery-4011%
Hitl ... errr History Channel game coming to PSP
History Channel is turning their sights once again to video games--and this time, the subject is Rome. Black Bean Games (Evolution GT, SBK-07) is handling development duties of The History Channel: Great Battles of Rome. Players will play the role of a Roman legionnaire and will fight against barbarian hordes, as well as rival countries. It is promised to have more than just combat, though. It will have an empire-growing strategy element as well. The developers haven't confirmed if the corner of your PSP's screen will have a giant "H" in it during gameplay, though. [Via PSXextreme] [Update: Clarified the writing for readability.]
Greenpeace at Apple Store Roma Est
Continental Europe's first Apple Store - Italy's Roma Est - received a huge number of visitors this past weekend, including Greenpeace. One representative, dressed as "Eva," offered a fig leaf-wearing "Ecco Steve Jobs" a green, eco-friendly Apple. The couple also brought two large, "green" iPod cutouts. If Google's Italian-to-English translation is accurate, they were eventually asked to leave.Greenpeace has been after Apple to stop using toxic materials in manufacturing of their machines for quite a while now. If there's one thing you can say about these folks, it's that they're persistent.
Apple Store Roma Est: Your reports
The day has finally arrived! Italy's first Apple Store opened in Rome this weekend. It's quite a big deal, as this is the first store on mainland Europe, and a number of people are traveling great distances just to check it out. The folks at ifoAppleStore made a special trip, as did WeLove Apple. Finally, reader nevrozel sent us these first interior shots.So, has anyone else made the trip to Roma? Let us know!
Apple Store to open in Rome
Website MacScoop discovered that Apple will open a store in Rome later this month, the 31st of March at 9:00 AM. The first 1000 visitors will receive a free Apple T-Shirt because you know those Italians, they're really big on wearing free T-Shirts...not! Even though Italian society continues to change, as far as I can tell from a sampling of relatives, the Buon' affare-ness of the free offer will almost certainly be offset by their complete disdain for the brutto figuro brutta figura[1] of the T-Shirts. Remember: It's more important to look good than to feel good! Apple Store Roma Est aprirà sabato 31 marzo alle 9:00. Prendete parte ai festeggiamenti per l'apertura di Apple Store, Roma Est. Partecipate all'inaugurazione e, se sarete fra i primi 1000 visitatori, ricevete gratuitamente una T-shirt Apple. Oh by the way, if you're looking for a job? Apple Roma is hiring.[1] Thanks for the correctionsUpdate: I want to send regards to all our Italian readers who have stopped by to wish me well with my love life in such marvelously emphatic terms. I believe the translation you have been given is incorrect. This post only reflects that my Italian relatives, from an older generation, would never wear a t-shirt--free or not. The "look good/feel good" line comes from Saturday Night Live and Billy Crystal.
Italy intros sensor-laden foundling wheels to care for abandoned babies
While dealing with a widespread problem of abandoned children is an issue we have no interest in tackling, Italy's Family Affairs Minister Rosy Bindi apparently feels that hooking up hospitals with "modern-day foundling wheels" is the best solution. Based on an idea that dates back hundreds of years, the sensor-laden hatches that are now being installed in Italian hospitals are accessible only from the outside, and feature a specially designed window in which an unwanted child can be deposited into a warm, cushioned bed. In a recent incident, the sensors alerted the staff at Casilino Hospital, which arrived in a mere 40 seconds to care for the infant and find him a proper home. In an effort to get the message out, flyers in six languages have been posted around hospitals that encourage troubled parents to bring their child to one of the newfangled incubators. Still, we're not experts on foreign policy nor on taking care of rejected youngsters, but going from the cold, ruthless streets to a heated cubicle doesn't seem like such a raw deal for the kiddos.[Via MedGadget]
Italian scientists develop quake detection theory
If research at the University of Naples and the National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology in Rome proves to be accurate, folks who live in earthquake country may eventually have a few more seconds to respond to oncoming earthquakes. New research published later this month in Geophysical Research Letters shows that primary waves (P waves) from earthquakes contain enough information about its magnitude and destructive potential to alert potential victims about their impending situation about 15 seconds beforehand. While that may not seem like very much time to dive under a table, it may be enough for automated systems to shut off gas pipelines or to halt high-speed trains. This sounds very much like that Japanese system we spotted in October -- whichever one is deployed first, we'll be glad to see it. [Via Slashdot]
Total War: Eras arrives next week
Available in Europe since May, Sega's Total War: Eras will finally arrive in the States next week. For $60, this series-spanning collection includes the Shogun, Medieval, and Rome titles, as well as last month's Alexander digital download. All seven games have averaged a composite metascore of 85, and Eras offers significant savings over the separate collections, so this should be a worthwhile purchase for action-strategy fans.Medieval 2: Total War doesn't ship until November, but GameSpot has an updated designer diary and a new trailer for the fourth installment of the franchise.
