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The Sky Factory brings the lorf's most beautiful creation to your ceiling (video)
Sometimes when we're sitting at our interplanetary Engadget HQ blogging about terrestrial tech, we miss the comforts of home. You know - stuff like Chipotle, Crystal Pepsi, and checking out some good old-fashioned leaves and things breezing around in the skylight. Then The Sky Factory sent us our own personal sky. In HD. We hid in the airlock while they were installing the arrays of HDTVs and video processors in our recessed ceiling, so now the illusion of lying in a field of gently waving aspens, magnolias, or palm trees is more reality than fantasy. Missing stuff is for amateurs. We're still waiting for the clear soda and mega-burritos but this makes the wait a lot more tolerable.%Gallery-96757%
Phirtual bees make us feel pretty excited for the phuture
The somewhat rough look of the school project made by Karim Amrani in the video shouldn't fool you -- it's a pretty cool implementation and combination of virtual experiences and physical sensation. Take a look at the full video to watch people's reactions to the piece -- it's pretty fascinating stuff.
L'Artisan Electronique ushers in the era of the virtual pottery wheel (video)
Want to reenact Ghost but don't care for all the messy bits? Let lasers do the work for you. L'Artisan Electronique uses a laser scanner to detect your hand-sculpting gestures, transfers their gently urging instructions over to a computerized 3D model, and -- should your production exhibit sufficient creativity or je ne sais quoi -- prints it out using a 3D ceramic printer. This is part of a Design by Performance exhibition taking place over in Belgium and is seriously one of the cooler things you're going to come across today -- or any other day, for that matter. See it on video after the break.
360-degree gaming on a projector-equipped iPhone
Our friends at Joystiq found this one -- it's a jailbroken iPhone hooked up to a picoprojector, with the software using the compass and the accelerometer to determine exactly where the projector is aimed. That brings in a fun augmented reality touch -- you can move the iPhone around real space to determine where a turret is pointed in the virtual one. It's a little harder to explain than to show, but the hardware in the iPhone tells the projector what you're looking at, so moving the iPhone moves the view. How do we get from this interesting jailbroken solution to a real game? The iPhone hardware needs an upgrade, and best-case scenario is that it gets a projector built into the iPhone itself. There are already phones that have projectors built in, but as I learned at Macworld when I used this projector, the limiter isn't the projector hardware; it's the battery. The power source was as big as the iPhone itself, and even then only lasted about the length of a movie. So it'll be a while, probably, before Apple is convinced to include a projector in the phone, and then delivers hardware that can actually keep it sleek and streamlined. Until then, this demo makes the old gears go about what's possible with a setup like this. Very cool.
Sixteen new Apple patents, from CoverFlow to iDVD
The USPTO published a whole slew of new patent applications from Apple today, covering everything from iChat to some CoverFlow animation. Patently Apple has the whole writeup as usual. Probably the most interesting thing among them is a "virtual keyboard for media players" that uses a modified QWERTY keyboard, with more than one letter on each key. That doesn't seem like an idea that Apple will ever use, but maybe that was one of the prototypes that was originally being worked on for the iPhone. There are also some more technical patents for iChat video encoding and error adjustments on touchscreens, as well as overall patents for the MacBook Air SuperDrive and iDVD. It seems like the USPTO is just cleaning out Apple's old patents -- most of these were filed back in 2007. Now, maybe they can set the legal patent team up on newer accomplishments.
Breakfast Topic: The Personal Aesthetic
Recently, a commenter on a post mentioned that I use a similar screenshot for a lot of my The Care and Feeding of Warriors posts. I looked over it, and he was right: since I race changed to draenei, in fact, quite a few of the screenshots have been silhouetted, facing downwards shots that I often take just because I am playing my character and suddenlt stop and say "wow, that's cool" - I'm not a terribly sophisticated visual thinker (for that, I go to my wife, who has a landscape artist's eyes and a remarkable grasp of light and nuance) but I know what I like. One of the reasons I like playing draenei and tauren are connected to the classes I like to play: shamans, warriors and DK's are the only classes I've consistently gotten to max rank, and in all of those cases I tend to play large characters. When race change became available I agonized over it (silly as that is) even though I'd always said I'd go draenei because I'd grown so accustomed to the way my human character moved, and watching old avi files of Burning Crusade fights I'd tanked really brought it home to me. In changing my character's race, I've changed his silhouette, I've changed the way he swings a weapon, I've changed the way he looks in every aspect of the game. I don't do that spinning one handed smash when I tank anymore, it's much more of an arching, down-angled slash. My Shield Slam is different. Granted, I'm okay with that. But it got me thinking about why I choose the races I do and the classes I do.
Apple applies for head tracking patent, Johnny Chung Lee says 'you're welcome'
Pablo Picasso is quoted as saying, "good artists copy and great artists steal." Good thing the quoter was Steve Jobs then, because the latest Apple patent application to go public looks very much like something Johnny Chung Lee pieced together with a Wiimote way back in 2007. Filed for in June 2008, the new patent is for a system tracking the location of the user's head and responding to his movements in a fashion that should generate a realistic three-dimensional viewing experience sans those pesky glasses. We've got video of Johnny's setup after the break, and as he himself describes it, the idea behind a "desktop VR" is to unbound imagery from the screen surface and to make your monitor or TV act like a window unto whatever is being displayed. That means Apple will need a new branding scheme should this application turn into a real product -- iWindow just might be the least likely product name in the history of consumer electronics.
Study: Playing in a guild actually lowers stress
A new study done by researchers at Australia's Queensland University of Technology says that spending time online playing World of Warcraft with others can actually be good for your mental wellbeing -- within moderation of course. Researcher Huon Longman studied WoW players who played alongside guildies in game, and found that players often shared their real-life concerns with their virtual associates, which resulted in lowered levels of "anxiety, depression, and stress." In short, it seems that when you build relationships and share emotions even with people online, it can help you deal with problems in real life as well. That follows what we talked about earlier this week with Dr. Hilarie Cash -- games like WoW can definitely complement real-life relationships and actually help you relax.But only when used in moderation -- Longman also found that 10% of the sample he studied played considerably more World of Warcraft than normal, and that those players not only didn't experience a bigger benefit to their wellbeing, but actually experienced more "negative psychological symptoms." A good balance of virtual and real life can have a lot of benefits, but falling too much into virtual life can actually cause more problems psychologically, according to this researcher's work. Obviously, this is one study of many about how playing these games can affect how we think, but the results are definitely reflected in experience: in-game relationships, used in moderation, can definitely help you deal with the real world in a healthier way.Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
Why do people buy virtual goods in MMOs?
Massively multiplayer online gamers spend hours -- so many hours -- working towards obtaining virtual gear. Epic armor sets, mounts, player housing, faction ships... the list goes on, and will continue to go on. Our collective fascination with these intangibles ensures our desire for them -- and for those things beyond a player's reach solely within the virtual realm, real world cash makes all things possible. This is the research focus of Ph.D. student Vili Lehdonvirta of the Helsinki Institute for Information Technology, who breaks down our buyer's impulse according to three criteria: Functional attributes, such as speed, hitpoints, teleportation. Hedonic attributes, or how the virtual gear looks or sounds, its provenance or its connection to the background fiction of the setting, and of course customizability. Social attributes, particularly the prestige accorded with ownership of a rare item. Have a look at his "Virtual item sales as a revenue model: identifying attributes that drive purchase decisions" for a thorough analysis of why many of us are so inclined to obtain something that's ultimately ephemeral, which goes beyond the simpler "useful vs. decorative" angle.
New tech puts ESPN anchors on video game gridiron
Don't be surprised if this Sunday's edition of ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown looks a bit more like a game of Madden. According to a New York Times report, the Disney-owned sports network will use the "EA Sports Virtual Playbook" and a special studio and camera setup to allow "both real and virtual people move around the ESPN set to demonstrate plays and possible situations." It sure sounds a lot simpler than getting real NFL players to crash around the set, but we'll reserve judgment until we see it in action this weekend.
Exclusive WAR in-game item to be released with C&C: Red Alert 3
So you're one of the lucky few -- well one of 60,000 anyway -- who got your hands on the Warhammer Online Collector's Edition, and without any of the order snags people have been reporting. Well congratulations! You've got the Greenskin miniature, the graphic novel, the art book, the virtual items and the exclusive quests. So now you can sit back and relax, secure in the knowledge that you have the most badass collection of Warhammer Online gear ever assembled, both in-game and out.... right? Actually, wrong. For the Warhammer Online player who simply must have everything, there's one more step to go as it turns out. There's another exclusive in-game item called "Korssar's Helm" that allows you to transform into a bear. The catch? You need to order, or pre-order, Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 to get the WAR item...
MMObile: extensions of our social and gaming networks
How many times have you wanted to check on your game stats, switch skill training, or buy something at an auction house while you were nowhere near your computer? We have a host of mobile devices and services available to us with speed increases every year, but still connections to our online social networks are quite limited when we're not in front of our computers. Shouldn't more companies focus on allowing our mobile devices to act as extensions of our computers and consoles? That's what Tom Sperry, CEO and President of Exit Games Inc. thinks. He lays out his vision for how things can improve, in this scenario:
Lessons learned in virtual worlds
Nic Mitham from K Zero is going to offer up the key things he's learned about virtual worlds in the last 18 months. But who is Nic Mitham, you wonder, and what is K Zero? Mitham describes himself as a "one time corporate strategist, ad man and analyst. Now spreading the metaverse word." K Zero describes itself as a virtual worlds consultancy, 'specialists in connecting real world brands and companies with the residents and environments of virtual worlds.' Mitham's most recent blog post, '50 lessons I've learned in virtual worlds' is an introduction to his upcoming series of reflections on the unpredictable nature of the metaverse. The series of posts will be a look back at what Mitham's seen in the 18 months he's been immersed in the virtual. It's chiefly aimed at those interested in doing business in virtual worlds. Mitham writes,"The point to getting my 50 lessons 'out there' is to attempt to ensure mistakes made by companies along the way are not repeated by others and also to hopefully assist new companies in this space get traction as quickly as possible, because that's in the interest of everyone."That's not to say that only biz types will get something from his blog; the series of insights is likely to have some significance to the people who populate the virtual worlds already in existence, and those who will flock to the birth of new worlds in the future.
MapleStory reaps over $29 million in U.S. virtual item sales
2007 proved to be a good year for Nexon in the United States, particularly with its free-to-play MapleStory. The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) reports that the although the game has 85 million users worldwide, only 5.9 million of them are U.S. players. Given the relatively small percentage of its player base located in the United States, it's surprising that MapleStory made an absolute killing on in-world transactions in 2007; the WSJ reports that 'Nexon's U.S. revenue last year more than tripled to $29.3 million from $8.5 million the prior year.'Jeremy Liew provides some additional commentary on the Nexon windfall over at Lightspeed: "With $30m in US sales and 6m US registered users, assuming a 20% "active player" rate and 10% "buyer rate", that implies an ARPU of $20/mth which sounds about right and is consistent with number we've seen from games in Asia. It sounds like the US will be following very similar models of virtual goods monetization that we've seen in Asia." It's interesting that the predominantly Asian business model of legitimized RMT is already gaining some degree of acceptance in the United States, albeit a slow acceptance. Via PlayNoEvil
Virtual items trader receives Red Herring award
Red Herring has named Live Gamer, a virtual items trading company, as one of the top 100 privately held companies in North America in 2008. The annual Red Herring 100 North America Awards are given to companies identified as the most promising tech startups. Love it or hate it, RMT is not going away. The virtual trading economy, which includes avatars, items and in-game currencies, is estimated to be a market worth more than USD 1.8 billion. Much of this trading takes place on the black market, exposing buyers and sellers alike to potential fraud. Live Gamer aims to remove the sketchiness from virtual item trades, enabling secure player-to-player trading while taking business away from some of the banes of the MMO world: virtual item thieves.
Game developer sued for virtual losses
Shanda, operator and developer of several popular online games in China, is being sued by a gamer for RMB 100,000 (USD 14,300) in losses resulting from technical issues in Legend of Mir 2. The plaintiff, named Wen, claims to have spent roughly RMB 200,000 (USD 28,600) on virtual items in the game. Wen filed the lawsuit in Shanghai, following the disappearance of more than 30 of those virtual items over the course of a year.Shanda is no stranger to controversy, or to the legal system of China. An assistant manager at Shanda received a five-year prison sentence in 2007, following the discovery that he and two conspirators established an illegal trade in virtual items in 2004 and 2005. The trio netted a cool RMB 2 million (USD 286,000) in just 14 months. Although the lawsuit presents little in the way of financial distress to Shanda and there is no way of knowing if the company was negligent at all in respect to Wen's grievance, this is yet another incident of negative publicity related to Legend of Mir 2.
Plans underway to mirror 2010 Youth Olympics in virtual Singapore
You've never been to Singapore? Just point and click.Singapore's Media Development Authority have announced plans for a 3D interactive online version of their city, dubbed Co-Space. There's no shortage of interest from potential developers; fifty firms have come forward in answer to the MDA's call for proposals. Although the amount set aside to fund the project hasn't been made public, interactive and digital media are considered 'strategic' to Singapore, with a overall backing of $500 million.
Virtual Worlds Help In Addiction Therapy
Virtual worlds are all too often spoken of as something you're in danger of becoming addicted to. We've all heard the stories of inertia, bloat, pallor and unemptied cat trays. But Professor Patrick Bordnick, associate of the University of Houston, is using VR to help treat addictions in the course of therapy. As Professor Bordnick points out, imagination alone isn't a particularly powerful tool to recreate the situations in which a recovering addict learns to say 'no': 'As a therapist, I can tell you to pretend my office is a bar, and I can ask you to close your eyes and imagine the environment, but you'll know that it's not real'. Rather than ask the patient to visualise a bar stocked with alcohol or a party where cigarettes are on offer, Bordnick uses a VR helmet along with other components such as olfactory stimulation and actor participation to create a highly plausible and immersive environment. Although the patient consciously knows he is taking part in a VR simulation, the immersion has proven sufficient to build intense cravings, just as if the focus of the addiction had really been present.By supplying an enviroment that is realistic enough to stimulate cravings but remains controlled and safe, Bordnick can gradually train patients in the use of coping skills. As those skills will have been developed in the face of a close analogue of the real thing, the patient is much better equipped to contend with the challenge of the real-world situation.
Sportvision breaks backboards during NBA 2008 All-Star Game
Last night's All-Star game continued tradition by debuting new broadcast technology, as you may have noticed Sportvision's "Backboard Slideout" graphic, superimposing pictures and text on a virtual screen during free throws. It was pretty slick, almost indistinguishable from a real billboard. We've gotten pretty used to virtual graphics (does anyone remember football before the yellow first down line?), any opinions on this latest use of the tech, or predictions on how if it can withstand the power of a Dwight Howard dunk?
Posey makes playing with snap-together blocks okay for adults
C'mon, be honest -- the unofficial cutoff age for playing with Legos sans kids is sometime way before puberty, but thanks to a new development from Carnegie Mellon University, we adults may soon be able to unashamedly indulge in those desires once more. Posey, hailed as a "hands-on way of interacting with computers," features a plethora of snap-together, sensor-laden parts that can communicate with PCs through ZigBee. When a user attaches a leg to a body, for instance, an on-screen representation immediately mimics the movement, providing hours of fun and some real promise for future applications. No word on whether these things are set to go commercial anytime soon, but we'd sure love to replace this aging (and seemingly busted) voodoo doll with one of these critters, pronto.[Image courtesy of Posey Code Lab Wiki]
