zcam
Latest
Facebook adds a sound and music library you can use for video
Facebook has a bunch of new tools for video creators. First up, it has launched a community hub for 360 degree video (which isn't live for everyone just yet) that gathers educational bits like how to use 360 degree cameras, how to edit said videos and a primer on spatial audio. Speaking of editing, the social network has also launched 360 Director, a page with tools for adding annotation, setting zoom level, and the ability to save a video as a draft, among others. Facebook will also loan out the pricey cameras, starting with the GoPro Fusion and ZCam S1 at launch.
Microsoft's Project Natal roots revealed: 3DV Systems ZCam
We had a hunch that 3DV Systems' technology -- which we actually toyed with back at CES 2008 -- had something to do with Microsoft's newly unveiled Project Natal motion tracking solution, and today details have trickled in to us confirming as much. As the story goes, 3DV Systems was initially hoping to have the ZCam in the manufacturing process by the tail end of 2008, but Microsoft swooped in and acquired the outfit just weeks after it blew minds in January. At the time, not much thought was given to the pickup; now, however, we're treated to a bona fide ZCam brochure which details the actual specifications behind the Xbox 360's newest friend. Granted, we have every reason to believe that Natal has advanced significantly from what you'll see in the gallery below, but it's still a tasty nugget of behind-the-scenes information. Of note, the former 3DV Systems VP of Business Development was quoted as saying that the target retail price of the ZCam was $100, though it still had aways to go as of early 2008.
Microsoft almost definitely planning motion-sensing 3D camera for Xbox 360
If shots from the barrel of Mr. Blurrycam just aren't legitimate enough for you, how's about corroboration from The Wall Street Journal? A breaking report has confirmed that Microsoft is indeed "developing a new videocamera for its Xbox 360 videogame console that will allow players to control games with the movement of their bodies," or at least that's the good word from the all-too-supposing "people familiar with the matter." It's noted that unlike Nintendo's Wii, the Microsoft camera won't require gamers to "hold any hardware in their hands to control in-game action," but in the same vein as The Big N, it seems as if the device will debut at E3 only to sit around in a lab for a year before shipping to consumers. Boo.[Thanks, Chuck]
Microsoft's motion-sensing Xbox 360 add-on a result of 3DV acquisition?
We've already gotten a pretty thorough rundown of the motion-sensing Xbox 360 add-on that Microsoft supposedly has in store for this year's E3, and it looks like the folks at Ars Technica have now pieced together a few more of the pieces and figured out exactly where the device might have came from. Apparently, the device has been around in some form as far back as CES 2008, where little-known upstart 3DV was showing off its own ZCam system which, according to Ars, was able to perform just about all of the functions that Microsoft's device is able to. That didn't exactly cause a huge stir at the time, but it was apparently enough to attract the interest of Microsoft, which reportedly went after the company shortly thereafter and seems to have finally gone through with the acquisition earlier this year. Coincidence? Maybe. But Microsoft's history is certainly pushing this one into the more-likely-than-not column.
Forget about the mouse, use your hands with the ZCam from 3DV
The ZCam is combination of hardware and software from 3DV Systems. It'll allow you to control the windows on your desktop, simply by moving your fingers (like a poor guy's Minority Report). At the CES they are showing a working prototype (Windows only), which uses USB 2.0 and up to 60fps, and with its 3D recognition technology, the user can bring elements back and forth, and more importantly, play videogames. It is expected to be on the market by the end of the year, for a "competitive price".[Vía Engadget ES]
3D camera aims to offer Wii-like gameplay [update]
Wii's success was bound to cause a few imitators to emerge from the deep, dark crevices below the earth and embrace the light of the surface. The most popular one that seems to keep coming up is the Vii, but now a new camera from a company called 3DV Systems out of Israel has become the latest. Called the ZCam, it's a 3D camera for your PC that will pick up motion much in the way the Wiimote senses your actions and translates them into in-game movements.During a recent demonstration of the device, 3DV Chief Executive Zvika Klier said "The Wii has shown us the way, but this device can take things so much farther." The camera isn't limited to two dimensions of movement, however, as it can also track depth. Klier demonstrated both an airplane game where movement of the aircraft was controlled by his arms, using his thumbs to activate machine games and drop bombs, and a boxing game. As you can imagine, the boxing game had him throwing punches and bobbing and weaving as he played. "The Wii has shown us the way, but this device can take things so much farther," he commented. "With this, we can really put you into the game," he said.So, do we have a Wii killer on our hand, folks? Would you like to know more?Update: Sorry folks, I didn't mean to use the same line twice in one paragraph (obviously) and the post has been fixed.
