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The real-world impact of virtual identities
Can you truly be held responsible for something you've done in a virtual world? Should the implications of your actions carry over to "the other side"? If so, then to what extent? This has been a daunting subject, even since the days of Tron, but a recent book by Jacob van Kokswijk entitled "Digital Ego" addresses this very issue.The comparison of the virtual identity to our real-life identity is becoming of ever-increasing importance. This not only pertains to consequences and responsibilities in both realms, but also economic factors such as an advertising target audience. Will this trend continue to grow as the casual virtual world blossoms, and we begin to blur the line between a physical and virtual existence? Let us know your opinion.
Virtual Worlds 2008 overview
The 2008 Virtual Worlds conference has come and gone, and the aftermath is gracing news sites all over the web. In a particularly in-depth article at Virtual World News, we get a first hand account of what went on. It's a no-brainer that the majority of business attendees focused on how to make money in virtual worlds. The Wall Street Journal calls this "virtual business 2.0", which is basically a few buzz words thrown together in an attempt to look hip and cool. We're certainly not saying that business has no place in a VW, but it can become a scary thought, ultimately.Another prominent avenue explored at this event is that of children's virtual worlds, which are becoming increasingly popular. Neopets, Nickelodeon, Barbie and Dinokids were all on-hand to make sure their piece of the pie was well-represented.
Is the VW Space Up! interface developed by Apple?
Nice interior huh? And how 'bout that 7-inch touchscreen display slapped onto the center console. Pretty sweet right? You're looking at the inside of VW's third iteration of their Space Up! -- the Space Up! blue -- just revealed at the LA auto show. Now try this on. Reader Joona wonders if this is the result of recent collaborations between Apple and VW. After thinking about it some, we're starting to wonder too. As Autoblog describes it, the concept touchscreen monitor "controls all conceivable functions" and is meant to demonstrate how future human-machine interfaces might look and operate. The touchscreen (no mention of multi-touch support) uses proximity sensors to react to gestures, apparently, without actually touching the display. The user can simply touch the "main menu carousel" to navigate to the desired category or manipulate the system with simple hand gestures near the display. Autoblog says, "Visually, this control is just as spectacular as it is intuitive." Now, chew on this for a second. VW announced earlier this week that all new VW models in 2008 2009 will have touchscreens. Is this what Apple has in store for us at January's MacWorld? Who knows, but it's a compelling story, eh? Now, anyone have a video of this in action? A few more pics after the break.Update: Found a video on YouTube. It's a slightly older version of the Space Up! revealed in Tokyo but the control panel looks the same. Interface in action at about 1:10 in and then again at 4:00. Update 2: Jumpin' Johosephat, reader Rat128 just nailed it. That looks like cover flow on the dashboard. In fact, that artwork is from Jack Johnson's In Between Dreams... an Apple fave.Update 3: Second video found courtesy of Edmonds Car Space showing a slightly different design of the carousel in much more detail, quirks and all.Read -- All VWs to get touch screensRead -- Space Up! blue
Apple and VW in talks over "iCar"?
You've got to love a story that starts: "It has been reported..." Nonetheless, leftlanenews has a report that Uncle Steve and Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn "met earlier this month in California to discuss the possible joint-venture." Apparently there's been some market research that shows a market for an Apple upgraded automobile (no, really, people like Apple's electronic gadgets?). Nonetheless, I think this one is still in la-la rumor land, though maybe this lends some credence to that Apple GPS rumor we posted about in June. In any case this makes me feel even better about a white Apple sticker on my Jetta! So what do you think, are you ready to run out and buy a VW/Apple iCar?Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
Volkswagen conjuring up adaptive sunshade
Just a day after a clever Jetta owner figured out how to chart his joyrides with a Wiimote, it looks like Volkswagen has a trick up its own sleeve, too. Reportedly, the automaker is developing an "adaptive sun visor" that recognizes the position of the sun and darkens the areas that require it in order to make your drive a less squint-filled one. The technology supposedly works around curves and elevation changes, meaning that leaving your sunglasses behind may not ruin your afternoon commute. As expected, further details are few and far between at the moment, and while there's no set date (nor vehicle) for the innovative sunshade to be launched on, the sun-lovin' Eos wouldn't be a bad guinea pig.[Via Foursprung]
Car modder repurposes Wiimote as accelerometer
Looking to collect a little acceleration / braking data on the cheap? Even if you're just scouting alternative uses for that oh-so-handy Wiimote, a recent project from klee just may suit your fancy. A proud owner of a 2000 Volkswagen Jetta managed to rig up a Wiimote-based tracking system that gathered information on g-forces, acceleration, turning, and overall speed, and thanks to a little Excel computation, the results are neatly graphed once the outing concludes. Of course, you may need a little help in the script writing department, by judging by the looks of things, most everything you need is awaiting you in the read link -- you know, except your own Wiimote and a Vee-Dub.[Thanks, Matt]
LG announces VW Beetle PMP: colorful, not much storage space
Volkswagen may have a crush on Apple -- you'll recall the "buy one Fox get one iPod free" iFox promotion -- but it seems that LG is the DAP manufacturer with a little thing for the German automaker, announcing a Beetle-themed PMP at the Seoul Motor Show. Like the efficient little car that inspired it, the unnamed flash player sports front and rear badges, comes in one of three primary colors, and only features enough "trunk space" (2GB or 4GB) for your shorter trips -- road warriors should look for an 8GB luxury vehicle or hard drive-based media SUV. Codec support is lean but adequate, with MP3, WMA, OGG, MPEG-4, and WMV 9 files playable through headphones and/or on the 2.6-inch LCD, resolution unknown. Also a mystery are price, release, and availability, so VW fans will have to continuing getting their fix from the I-Playaz Beetle-shaped DAP speaker or jet-powered bug for the foreseeable future. [Via Everything USB]
Widget Watch: Volkswagen creates Dashboard and Yahoo! widgets
It's nice to see the widget train making its way across the land, and yesterday I noticed that Volkswagen of all companies has even hopped on board. The German car company has released a Rabbit Widget for both Dashboard and the Yahoo! Widgets Engine that lists free public events in over a dozen US cities. The widget's design is obviously heavy on the revitalized Rabbit they seem to have replaced the Golf with; in fact, I can't find this widget anywhere else on VW's site besides the actual Rabbit page. On the right, the widget displays names of the events with small icons that help categorize said event (General Interest, Theatre, Music, etc.), and clicking on any event provides a brief description and links to more information. At first a widget like this that helps promote a German car doesn't make much sense, but part of the Rabbit's marketing campaign is all about saving you money, so a free events widget then makes a bit more sense. Ultimately, it's a unique widget with a great design that's hocking quite a few events that some of you major city goers might not otherwise know about.
Volkswagen crafts electrophoretic bumper sticker, road rage imminent
Volkswagen is making absolutely sure that it doesn't fall behind the curve with regard to technology, as its Electronics Research Laboratory in Palo Alto, CA is hard at work on an electrophoretic bumper sticker. While this creation may not go far in producing more aerodynamic vehicles or burning less fuel, the novelty factor is high nonetheless. The company states that its sure-to-be-popular add-on is a "wafer-thin, highly flexible foil that can display text and images like a computer monitor," and envisions drivers of the future letting fellow roadsters "know how they're feeling as moods change." While we can't imagine the tell-tale sticker having much good to say while stuck in rush hour traffic (or just after being pulled over), it's just one more distraction to keep from paying attention to what matters most.[Via CNET]
Jada Toys' I-Playaz Volkswagen Beetle DAP speaker
To say that adding another iPod speaker system to the mix would be overkill is a gross understatement, but when the sound machine is housed within a chromed-out Volkswagen Beetle, we can't help but notice. For those who already ride dirty in that pimped out shopping cart and rock that gold microprocessor around your neck, Jada Toys' I-Playaz VW Beetle is sure to get your motor running. Sporting brobdingnagian spinning rims, 3.5-millimeter audio input / audio output jacks that double as an aftermarket exhaust system, built-in speakers, "multicolored lights," and an on / off switch to flip those block rockin' beats on at a moment's notice, this Chub City toy can shake, rattle, and roll to the rhythm of your favorite cuts. The car "moves and shakes to the beat" when your iPod (or DAP of choice) is pumping tunes through it, and there's even an built-in jam in case you want to boast about your toy while the 'Pod recharges. Although this isn't quite as fly as driving your riced-out Honda Civic around with a PSP, the bling factor here is surprisingly high for just $29.99, ya heard?[Via iLounge]
Music Thing: VW's free guitar deal
Each week Tom Whitwell of Music Thing highlights the best of the new music gear that's coming out, as well as noteworthy vintage equipment: So, VW is giving away a free guitar with (almost) every car sold betweeen October and December as part of a slightly baffling promotion of the iPod-friendly auxillary input in their new car audio system. Yeah, I'm a little confused, too.The guitar is made by First Act, an interesting company who got rich selling children's guitars in Wal-Mart. They're very marketing savvy - with a large custom shop churning out one-offs for bands like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Franz Ferdinand. The firm was founded by one Bernard Chiu, who made a fortune selling air humidifiers in the '90s.The VW GarageMaster guitar looks ok, if you can excuse the clunky-looking VW logo control knobs. And the cheesy VW gang sign on the headstock. In a world of identical Fender/Gibson clones, it's nice to see a guitar that's part Hagstrom, part Rickenbacker, part Burns, with a scratchplate to match the colour of your car and a VW logo at the 12th fret.The only real innovation in the VW guitar is a built in active analog amp modelling circuit, which I'm guessing works a little like a SansAmp pedal. It means you can plug the guitar straight into your VW car stereo and... well, I'm not exactly sure how you're supposed to play in your car, but that's the idea. Of course, if you like the guitar but don't want to buy the car, expect these things to be all over eBay in a few weeks, and cluttering up lofts for years to come.
New Volkswagen Touran sports automatic parking
Joining the lengthening list of automakers giving folks a break when it comes to parking in those tight spots, Volkswagen has announced that its upcoming Touran van will be the company's first vehicle to include ParkAssist. Utilizing those spiffy ultrasonic sensors on the front and rear of the automobile, a control unit determines the available space and best suited trajectory to maneuver the vehicle into a parking spot. "Acoustic and visual displays" help guide the (probably overwhelmed) driver into the correct starting position, and once he / she throws it in reverse, ParkAssist takes over. As the system's name implies, it's not fully autonomous, and the system still requires you to apply acceleration / brakes while it handles the steering end of it. While this may not be as adventurous as riding shotgun in a vehicle on autopilot, the promise of parking within 15 seconds of ParkAssist kicking in is rather impressive, and you can expect this fancy (and likely costly) option to be available beginning June 2007.[Via Gizmag]
VW's Golf GTi "53 plus 1" is fully autonomous
You might think Volkswagen, of all car companies, would argue the best part about driving is the bit where you're driving (i.e. "fahrvergnugen"), and that drivers are, you know, wanted. Not so any longer, friends; looks like the higher ups got the Stanley bug and pimped their ride -- though not in any normal sense of the vernacular. They've begun showing off a new cloak and dagger prototype vehicle dubbed the VW Golf GTi "53 plus 1" (you're allowed not to catch the Herbie reference), which apparently uses a rig of laser sensors, GPS, and a radar net to drive itself at speeds of up to 150mph. We'll give you a moment to let that sink in. Now, why they had all this technology under wraps while Stanford was busting ass overhauling one of VW's own Touaregs for the DARPA Grand Challenge is beyond us, but unlike those "driving pleasure" types, you can give us a safe (clean burning) robo-car any day of the week. Except Sunday, that's drivin' day.[Via GoRobotics]
iTunes Users Prefer VW and Audi Over Other Car Brands
In keeping with our poll theme today, a Nielsen/NetRatings survey found that users of iTunes and the iTMS are more likely to buy VW's or Audi's. Maybe this shouldn't be much of a shock seeing as both of those brands are set up for iPod integration. My favorite quotable from the post about this poll on edmunds.com is:While it may seem like a small market to corner, iTunes users are seen by many ad firms as one of the most desirable segments as they tend to be young, educated and flush with disposable income.Why thank you! *blush* Oh wait a minute, that means they're going to market to me. I guess I'll just avoid those pesky commercials by getting my TV from the iTMS.[also at the BBC NEWS thanks iFelix!]
