It is not at all unreasonable that a film is subject to certain "legal assessment" before its release. After all, no person or company wants to get "stuck" in a negative way when a movie plays a "sensitive matter". For "2001," Stanley Kubrick made a great effort to convey publicly that HAL 9000 had nothing to do with IBM, but in April 1966, almost two years before the premiere of the film, sent a letter referring to "the state of affairs with IBM "in relation to psychotic behavior HAL 9000-murderer who was going to show on the big screen ...
Already there are countless occasions when we talked about artificial intelligence in one form or another redirect all their might against the human race. One of the best examples is definitely in "2001", which turns 45 years old next April. The film has been studied by experts of all kinds, but in general, what we get closer to those who follow the tech world is the reaction of the AI system HAL 9000, and its consequences. Almost two years before the film's release, the actions of HAL 9000 caused some concern in Stanley Kubrick, who through a letter sent to Roger Caras Productions Polaris requested additional information on IBM's position as to HAL 9000, because as puts it in the text, one of the main themes of the story is "a psychotic computer".
Both Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke has said repeatedly that the "advance letter" between HAL and IBM was just a coincidence. Officially, HAL belongs to "Heuristically programmed Algorithmic computer", but the fact is that IBM, like other companies, has a presence in the film (some no longer exist, as in the case of Pan Am). The fact that IBM "being there" and HAL 9000 was dedicated to killing astronauts Kubrick warrant concern, but equally interesting is the response of Roger Caras. To be completely sure of the situation, contacted DC Faces Hollister, Corporate Director of Public Relations at IBM, which made it clear that the IBM name was not associated in any way with the failure of HAL 9000, and that obviously was not an IBM machine.
The final position of IBM stated that if it was associated by name to the "equipment failure", there would be no objection if Kubrick decided advisory companies mentioned in the credits of the film, nor would objections provided that IBM is "buried "in the list with other companies, and that was not specifically advertised as providing" technical advice "to HAL 9000. The decision no doubt came to fruition, but this response "diplomatic" makes it clear that in the halls of the giant blue someone asked the same question that Kubrick. Do not forget that IBM was going through a golden moment with the complete success of your system 360, and tarnish his reputation with a film, it was more indirect association, was crazy.
We deal with icons, bars, windows and many other parts of what is considered a conventional user interface. With hundreds of applications that embellish the optimized and customized to our liking, science fiction, film and the development itself of science has shown us that yes, maybe this generation of user interfaces has been pretty girl. That's why we started to review and find the potential players of the new generation of user interfaces.
Introduction
In the stone age of the modern computer, the command line was all we could ask for in the user interface that ran daily programs. Then, closer to medieval computational came Windows 3.1 and other operating systems and showed the world the face of all operations aesthetic that made computers. From then on things have evolved and today we are naked, unless you're a programmer, to an application without any visual indication on their operations. And so as we look at the present and repudiate user interface changes in Windows, Ubuntu, YouTube and Gmail, also think about the future and imagine, thanks to the movies and games, different methods exist that are near. Here are some of the stars of the new generation of user interfaces we were remembering and list it for you.
Flexible OLED Displays
Are still very rare, but the devices of the near future will be equipped with OLED Pantas flexible, responsive and will lose the current rigidity of the screens on smartphones and tablets. As you know, the OLED is an organic semiconductor that can project light even when being stretched or bent. The user interface will be one of a kind, because if you want to zoom'll just have to bend a little screen or if you want to increase the volume of the music you'll just have to bend a little tip of the screen. Interaction improvements will be seen, because currently the touch technology is making many technical efforts to win the hearts of those who have a devotion to the security that the analogue.
Voice User Interface (VUI)
The revolutionary event of activation of computers and electronic devices through the voice was extraordinary in the early days of his "discovery", and for those who do not remember you leave a link to video of Chris Schmandt MIT, filmed in 1979. After detecting voice began to improve and today works so well, that we are to see in action in the translation from language to language in real time. In this act we also saw the promise Siri regarding user interface via voice, but can not say it was a success in terms of technological capabilities, but optimally meets what is demanded. For now, the problem persists for this method becomes the main part of an operating system is the correct detection of voice, but we are far away from anything to achieve an efficiency of above 70%.
Interfaces gestures
A decade behind us a call science fiction movie Minority Report portrayed a future in which interactions occur mainly systems using gestures. To do so, the consequences communicate intentions computer, is wearing a pair of gloves with which the protagonist, Tom Cruise, too fast conducting search operations, data collection and analysis. Moving his hands looking videos, images and text files, but overall it was what he did to control your entire system. Models exist today as this and to present Neoteo prototypes, where the incorporation of the classical Z axis X and Y become 3D motion system. Also there Move, Kinect and Wii, which somehow are ways to control the computer and consoles through natural movements, and with the addition of touch screens, the feeling Minority Report is a constant. According to studies, a system similar to that used in the movie named will be available to the market within 5 years.
Brain-Computer Interfaces
Many of them know that much has been said about them. Present in every invention of science where a human head becomes the guinea pig, the EEG revolutionized the way we get information from the brain, but also served as a platform to communicate and make the brain frequency and neural signals in certain activities or actions. Every thought has its own brain wave, and each wave brain can be mapped to trigger actions, so Tan Le, co-founder and president of Emotiv Lifescience, I neuroheadset EPOC, which lets you run commands on a computer at the thought of them. It lacks several years of development to be effective, but the video below will show that we are close.
Augmented Reality
If one were to place bets, probably we would play for augmented reality, which is currently showing who and who is prepared to serve as a fully functional user interface (see Wikitude and Drodishooting) and can provide much help in several genres of activities and uses . Google Project Glass and showed what we can do with them, and it was not a campaign about how powerful they are the engineers of the company with the CG, but it is a serious project and running. The screens and keyboards projected onto walls or furniture also enroll in augmented reality, and that we have already seen with different devices. Interacting with the real world in real time to fulfill a dream, and the good thing is that thanks to advances in the connections and glasses, augmented reality is closer than ever.
User Interfaces for your clothes
Maybe a little tricky because almost any computer can "wear", but this type of user interfaces refer to those computers or electronic devices that you can carry in your clothes or integrated jewelery, not on them. From jackets and pants that help you stay warm thanks to nanosensors modifiable according to the wishes of those who put them up smart watches, which are emerging gradually progressive. Sony has already launched an Android SmartWatch earlier this year that can be paired with your Android phone via Bluetooth. Provides notification of new emails and deTwitter. As with all smart phones, you can download applications at Sony SmartWatch. The idea of these computers "wearable" is that you can keep your hands free and managing operations otherwise.
Tangible User Interface (TUI)
PixelSense of Microsoft was one of the pioneers of this technology demonstrations that gained few followers in digital music and digital art conventions. This is an interface that combines the physical with the digital realm to allow full recognition of real world objects. But do you single? The interface of a computer recognizing objects that are placed on the screen, indicating increasing them some data or information about them in detail. In the future it would use to measure directly objects of all kinds and have an accurate measurement of size, weight, mass, density and even composition. Microsoft Surface, the project modernized catches light of physical objects through their reflection with infrared cameras. Then the system reacts to the disposition of the objects on the screen. Advanced versions of this technology may incorporate sensors instead of cameras to detect objects. Also, the system could be programmed to detect only specific sizes and weights, also to integrate via a label system. Imagine all uses
Those are some of the participants of a new generation of user interfaces that the near future we could give for us to use computers in a way never before experienced. The bet is made because the projects are up and evolve, waiting to test us with new and intuitive ways to experience inmersivamente to computation. So if your grandmother or mother still not adapted to the mouse, let them know that they may not even have to get used to. The new generation of user interfaces is only a few steps. Do you know any other? Can you think of another besides these? What news do you have on it? Share, comment, debate.
Currently there is little information available in the world and online. Yes, compared with what will in 8 years. Is that, can you imagine the situation in which there are 5200 GB of data per person in the world? That is, 5200 GB multiplied by nearly 7 billion. If you plan to live 8 years, you should start to imagine, because EMC has conducted its annual study called The Digital Universe and concluded that by 2020, there will be 5200 GB of data per person in the world and that this need for better systems housing, and connection analysis.
As much as we look to the future is right there, to the rank of a slap technological frontier now and tomorrow will run every day, but always keeping the same distance. Besides inventions and achievements of science, the overabundance of information on the network works with this view, serving notice that more and more of everything and multiply uncontrollably. The obviousness is not a valid scientific classification, but the exponential growth of data now revealed as true in a study of the Digital Universe made by the EMC recently. This report on the status of the accumulation of information in the world, the institution said that growth is such that by 2020, there will be 40 zetabytes information and that only 15% of it will be in the cloud.
The best way to understand these numbers are in the transition of those 40 zetabytes to what are 4 trillion gigabytes. That number corresponds approximately to 5200 GB for every human in the world. Nor does it help?? And yes, it is a lot of content. As much as 57 times the number of grains of sand on all the beaches of the world. The interesting thing is that this ridiculously large amount of data will tend to double every two years from 2020 and that only 33% of information they contain can be valued by us. The reason for this are the projections of internet access of people and the progressive computerization of all services and shops, but the biggest factor that will bring the machines and bots that generate content in cold blood while communicating with each other through different networks. In the original article give an example, the safety sensors that communicate with each other to make real-time checks, or smartphones also making connections with others.
The content that the study on the EMC Digital Universe refers includes all sorts of information, from YouTube videos to the logs of botnets. Completely exposed, these data could be analyzed to find patterns of social media use in finding information or even scientific studies yet unrevealed. All this type of analysis will force future behaviors have ruled with the organization of information (which even scientists generate new careers for information management) and more efficient, so that members of the research team said in future years to begin to label more information. But especially, will label better, then rules that help us find and better analyze the information available in the world. The study also revealed that most of the information in the digital universe consists entertainment and media (68%). It was also mentioned that the networks will become relevant to lower latencies and infrastructure of these networks and servers will be an item to be the most urgent update.
Ladies and gentlemen, another round is more in the titanic clash between Mountain View and Redmond. The market for Internet search remains a very sensitive issue, and in his last term, Microsoft has launched the "Scroogled" seeking to expose you some details about the presentation of results in Google Shopping service. With Black Friday over, purchases through the Web come to another dimension with the arrival of the Christmas season, and from the perspective of Microsoft, its Bing search engine delivers results "more honest" compared to the competition.
I well remember a line from the movie "Antitrust", 2001. Tim Robbins's character mentions that when you're on top, people attack the quality of the product. Departing and returning from fiction to reality, we find Google under media pressure in Europe and Latin America, while the Federal Trade Commission is considering making a claim against the Mountain View giant. Meanwhile, who reminds us that it is still at war with Google is Microsoft, through its recent campaign "Scroogled". The term "Scroogled" is no more than a corruption of the English word for "j * Dido", but the advance of Microsoft goes one step further.
Microsoft's complaint alleges that when searching for products on Google Product Search, the user does not receive the results "more relevant", but actually receives first ads that have been paid, getting priority. Technically, Microsoft is right, because Google Shopping recently adopted a scheme known as "pay-to-play". This works for now only in the United States, but will expand to other countries in 2013. However, as I have found other specialized portals, Bing does exactly the same. In addition, the video makes the mistake of saying that the results are for "the highest bidder". The results are sold, but no bid involved.
Another spark that draws attention, another brush to take into account and keep anecdotally. It is not the first time Microsoft comes to crossing Google, and definitely not the last. This new campaign reminds us to "G-Mailman", another invention of Microsoft, although at that time it was under attack was the Google Mail service. Personally I think it is an appropriate time (despite it's proximity to Christmas) so that Redmond enter into this kind of duels. And while Bing has about 16 percent of searches on American soil (which is primarily directed this campaign), the overall numbers clearly indicate that Bing should have other priorities before impact advertising. Moreover, the "pay for performance" is another variant of product placement, and it is not necessary to mention what we saw in series like "Hawaii 5-0" or movies like "The Amazing Spider-Man" ... Right?
Technology is advancing by leaps and bounds. Commented Rodolfo Carpintier, founder of the Internet incubator and investment DAD, that the growth rates of the companies "are getting faster" and "the problem is that the products are short star 'forcing' reinvent '. World renowned firms such as Apple products have led to its fullest, are required to "be able to do it again."
The demand is high and a poor reception from consumers can reverse the ranking. Example of Nokia, fourteen years at the top, has fallen four places in the ranking of companies with greater sales numbers. "The thing to do is what they've done well to repeat many times," summarizes this technological expert. Experts agree in indicating that it is "very important" to have a workhorse that identifies the strength of the brand.
Samsung, the consumer electronics to mobile
The Korean firm is present in the world of "smartphones" with its Galaxy models. Its Android devices have driven to a high level after HTC became the first mobile operating system available. So popular and so successful has your SIII, which has already outsold its direct rival, the iPhone, in the market Unidos.En of 'tablets' struggle to gain a foothold with a powerful Galaxy Tab, which has received the congratulations of the experts.
And is that Samsung makes its way into the second position worldwide mobile phone sales (23% market share). The data speaks for itself. During the second quarter of 2012 sold 50.2 million "smartphones" worldwide. Immersed in the legal battle with Apple in which he had to pay one billion fine for copying designs, the company is present in other sectors such as consumer electronics and entertainment, heavy industry, financial services and even industry chemistry. Can claim to have sold the first plasma TV in the world.
Apple, design and art
The Cupertino company competes in the mobile device market with two products of remarkable success: the iPhone, whose sales account for two thirds of total company profits, and iPad, the king of 'tablets'. The technology firm that embodies concepts such as art and design, has a very robust arsenal of products focused on the publishing, advertising and creativity. The iPhone 5 broke all sales records. Only on the first day of orders placed 2 million units, double that of its predecessor, the iPhone 4S. So much is the impact that their owners are "more satisfied" than the rest of other brands, according to a survey.
Star can also boast about the urban legend that their computers are alien to computer viruses. Besides others, developed Safari, your browser exclusively, but his philosophy of total control only makes is in its iOS operating system. Can not forget the iPod (Classic, Nano, Shuffle and Touch), which changed the music consumption model since its launch ten years ago. Your success is undeniable: 275 million units sold since.
His latest surprise, a mini version of the iPad, has already begun to manufacture a whopping figure of four million units per month. Another of his successes have been implanted worldwide Apple Store where they bring their products to their fanatical followers. Betting on Apple means jump through hoops, given the tight control exerted on the applications.
Microsoft, king of operating systems
Two decades on top They note his career as one of the most important companies in history. The Redmond company you must have been able to introduce operating systems in homes with Windows, its hallmark and so are known mainly. After several upgrades (Windows 95, 98, Millenium, NT, XP, 7 and 8), is the platform for excellence. It is found in 90% of computers. It is the most widespread, both in homes and businesses. Its interface is recognized by all for its simplicity and popularity. It is their flagship, along with the office suite Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook) with much of users daily living, but now has stiff competition with Google Docs services, OppenOffice.org or iWork.
With its recent launch of Windows 8, which focuses mainly on the world of mobility, waiting to enter the "tablets" and mobile devices, but has had a tepid sales start. Now with Surface, whose arrival in Spain is rumored to spring next year, have begun to expand the manufacture of hardware. With a strategic agreement with Nokia, the Windows Phone 8 will seek progress terrain. They can also boast integrated Internet Explorer, which has generated so many complaints until May and was the world's most used browser. He has had several legal problems by favoring Internet Explorer browsers detrimental to other existing and its technology has been overtaken by other competitors like Chrome.
No slouch in the fighting in the field of gaming with the Xbox 360, rival Sony Playstation 3. The product, made in collaboration with Intel and Nvidia, has sold 24 million units, according to official figures. Microsoft's strategy has been, in many cases, buying competitors products and services, such as Skype, which it acquired last year by 9,000 million dollars. They owed MSN, now integrated with Skype, and instant messaging service known.
The truth is that if Apple has managed to make its stores of his trademark, Microsoft intends to do the same. For this, the company is looking for the formula that best suits each city and open environment in which one of these stores. The plans of the company is already carrying these stores in Europe.
Google, the search for excellence
Developed by the Open Handset Alliance, Android bet is betting on Google. By working in the cloud, to have everything in sync, for robustness and speed. Samsung or HTC make their devices with this platform, currently the highest penetration. In fact, worldwide reached a market share of 50.9% in the fourth quarter of 2011, more than twice the second operating system (Apple iOS) more quota. Leads this market segment.
81.7% of the new "smartphones" in the Spanish market with the Android operating system, according to the latest report on buying habits, possession, spending and use of mobile telephony in Spain by the consulting firm Kantar Worldpanel. Compared to the share achieved in the same period last year, has improved its share from 58.1% to 81.7% mainly due to sales of the cheaper models. Per share, followed by Android platform Symbian (Nokia), with 4.9% of the renovations, and in third place is iOS, starting to feel the effects of the release of the iPhone 5 and it is 4% of the renovations. For its part, RIM (Blackberry) has a share of 3.4% and the Windows (Microsoft), 2.9%.
But what is known by Google, that bill more than $ 100 million a day for the ads 'online', is to be the biggest search engine in the world, and has a powerful array of services and products that have been developed as its Gmail email account or your own browser Chrome acquiring companies in many cases, as in the case of management platforms Blogger or YouTube video. The recently initiated into the world of technology even associate their logo with internet. However, the company founded by Sergey Brin and Larry Page, has been accused of repeatedly skipping the privacy of its users.
The nickname "Internet giant" is accompanying him. It is present even in the world of mobility. Google has a range of devices called Nexus. The first was made by HTC Nexus One, followed by two "smartphones" manufactured by Samsung, the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus. Already in 2012 it introduced the first "tablet" Nexus, the Nexus 7, manufactured by Asus, which have accompanied the Nexus phone 4 and the "tablet" Nexus 10, presented last October. Nevertheless, in recent years has suffered severe failures. Your social networking strategy has been great fiascos (Google Wave or Google Plus) versus successful platforms like Twitter or Facebook. To this we must add that have not yet found the key operating systems with the Chrome OS project.
He lives with his parents in South London and still receive pay, as good teenager is. He's only 17 and has just launched an iPhone application, whose edition beta has managed to charm many and get up to a million dollars in funding.
His name is Nick D'Aloisio and application that has launched the careers technology called 'Summly'. This "app" condensed or summarized the news in three paragraphs that fit on the screen of the Apple smartphone. Users can customize the categories of items, and have a link to the original news piece can visit if they liked or hooked after reading the summary. "I designed Summly because I realized that my generation does not read news in a traditional way", says Nick.
The prototype attracted the attention of the company Horizons Ventures (also sponsoring Facebook or Spotify), which invested $ 300,000 in November 2011, when D'Aloisio still was 16. The beta was downloaded more than 150,000 times and was chosen for the golden apple of technology as the application of the week in the UK.
Yes, the little genius has had more sponsors, among which are known as Ashton Kutcher, Stephen Fry and Yoko Ono. Thanks to all of them, has gotten up to a million dollars in funding, which has been able to launch the application and even create your own business.
The last application for Android OS camera 4.2 allows not only to pan as the company, but also upload them to Google Maps. Thus, users of Google can help in mapping platform with 360 degree views, the style of which offers Google Street View.
Google Photo Sphere is an application that created with great precision at 360 degree panoramic images by automatically overlapping the edges of each frame. Photosynth is similar to the popular Microsoft application.
Taking Photo includes a plurality of views, comprising the sides, up and down and around, to create an authentic experience in 360 degrees. The result is similar to that obtainable with other panoramic apps designed to create, as the equivalent of Microsoft, Photosynth.
But this app is included in the latest version of Android, JellyBean, includes the ability to upload the image to Google Maps. The images appear on the platform of virtual maps of the world most important as blue circles.
When you click on them, open the user's photo, with the shooting date and signature. Can also access a virtual gallery displaying the catalog of all the images shared by internet users.
The difference to the images that users upload from Panoramio, is that Photo Sphere integrates a 360 degrees, similar to that provided in Google Street View. With this tool, photo enthusiasts can share more realistic images of various parts of the world with others.
But, in addition, may compete directly with some of the 360-degree panoramic offered by Google Street View. To do this, you must be a user account on the social network in Mountain View, Google+, through which the image will be loaded in Google Maps.
The application is available in the latest version of the Google OS, Android 2.2. The Californian company at an event yesterday presented their latest gadgets, tablet Nexus 10, along with a 32GB version of the Nexus 7, 4 and the Nexus smartphone latest JellyBean, and other applications.
Granted: It's like someone trying to announce a perpetual motion machine, but before preparing the pyre, explore a little more. According to the announcement of the British company Air Fuel Synthesis, have managed to produce five gallons of fuel through a process that removes carbon dioxide from the air, and hydrogen from water vapor. Although the experimental sued about three months, with improvements in the mechanism and the use of energy from renewable sources, fuel could create a much larger scale, to be used in activities that require a more balanced carbon footprint.
This kind of news will probably form the nightmares of senior executives of companies involved in the oil (not to mention Arab sheiks): What a brilliant mind with a couple of test tubes able to avoid making holes in the ground for fuel. So far, these nightmares have not materialized, and our dependence on oil remains intact, but that does not mean there are not people trying to change things. And that's how we find these developments. Get water and air fuel looks like something out of a science fiction novel, but a small company called Air Fuel Synthesis apparently has become reality.
The result was just five liters of fuel, and the whole process took three months, a level of efficiency that makes it impractical for commercial application in the short term. However, the potential is huge. The small pilot plant intake air carbon dioxide and hydrogen combined with steam from forming methanol (or methyl alcohol) which is subsequently converted to gasoline. The principles used are well documented, and the process was checked visually by members of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in London. According to Peter Harrison, CEO of Air Fuel Synthesis, the final product looks and smells like gasoline, but it is much cleaner and clearer than the petroleum.
What is the next step? Now that the proof of concept is complete, those involved will concentrate on increasing production capacity to around 1200 liters per day, using energy from renewable sources, and enter into production by 2015. Some possibilities have been considered, such as providing fuel to racing teams for greener activity, and not ruling out the possibility of developing jet fuel. The gas obtained in this conversion may be applied directly to internal combustion engines without modification. Efficiency is key, and oil has several decades of government insured, but we have to monitor Air Fuel Synthesis closely.
The Galaxy SIII Mini is a compact version of Galaxy SIII, the flagship of the brand, and meets some (but only some) of the qualities of his older brother, as the appearance, easy and intuitive, the design or colors . But the similarities end there. The new Mini has just been introduced worldwide for the Korean company, although prices are not known.
For starters, its features, except for the fact that it incorporates Jelly Bean (Android version 4.1), closely resemble those of other terminal of the midrange Samsung, such as the S Advance. But the advantages of Jelly Bean could be reduced because of the processor, a dual core to a GHz, far from embodying the Galaxy SIII (four cores at 1.5 GHz).
The screen is four inches (it's funny how it has changed the concept of "mini" in the mobile phone), and although it is Super AMOLED with a resolution of 800x480 pixels, the density of which has fallen from the providing the S III (Mini gives 233 pixels per inch, while the S III has 305.96).
The new terminal weighs 111.5 grams and measures 12.1 inches high by 6.35 cm. wide, with a thickness of only 99 mm. Neither the camera, which drops to 5 megapixels, is the same as the S III (which is 8 megapixels). And the front, a VGA camera, is also far from the S III Original, 1.9 megapixels.
It is, in short, a new mid-range terminal of the Korean company adorned with the appearance of Galaxy S III but with far fewer benefits. That said, the new Mini perfectly fulfills the requirements of this category. It also has the Voice of Samsung S system, the voice assistant that allows you to unlock the handset with a simple command, or take action with the voice as play songs, raise or lower the volume, or start organizing calendar automatically the camera to start taking photos.
The new Mini also features other interesting features of the original S III, as Smart Stay, by which phone's camera tracks the user's eyes and keeps the screen on while looking. Or Call Direct, which allows calls automatically with just holding the phone to your ear from a text message or contacts.
I recently saw how it worked closely Touché, the system was developed for Disney Research highlight a new generation of tactile surfaces and detection based on capacitive sensors. In a new development project, Disney showed Capacitive Fingerprints, a technology that uses electricity to create ydetectar multiple users to each have a particular detection when using a multi-touch screen and interactive activities for different altogether.
Founded on the idea of sharing technological devices with which we have around, the new tablets are betting on a system that is multi-touch. Least embarrassing clearer wording and concept, the multitouch is the format that is thought and developed to be standard in the coming years. Of course this is as much, but the idea of multi touch is designed not for the fingers of one person, but to tell who is doing a touch on the screen and who is performing another. Multiplayer games, artistic collaboration and other uses overlook with a tablet that, by reading fingerprints instantly difference could two or more users playing surface. Disney Research has hands on the project and showed us anything in this video.
Capacitive Fingerprint is the name given to the project that tries fairy remodel the capacitive system changing physical detection by AC frequency to account for the exact electrical impedance of the fingertips in contact with the screen. As seen in the video, when a user touches the display surface, an electric capacitive sensor crosses the body thereof to the floor to measure the impedance is. What makes testing different frequencies within milliseconds, and the data provided will be used as the user profile in question. As all have a different impedance (small groups), our data will be associated with, for example, given a stroke color.
Capacitive Fingerprinting system created by Disney Research Pittsburgh has many implications for interactive design, including personalization and collaborative interaction in the contact surfaces, security and others. While still, and it shows that the delay between action and reaction is quite annoying and almost useless for fast games and activities, the evaluation of this new approach to detection shows that the technique has considerable potential and further research is needed to resolve small obstacles that are generated on the way to a final product.
We have seen in the past some of the things being cooked in the ovens of Microsoft Research. Augmented reality, virtual reality, advanced mapping and interfaces in alternative spaces have a common goal, and that is to put aside the keyboard and mouse. This time, it comes Digits project. In order to obtain the highest sensitivity and ability to detect possible Digits uses a bracelet with an infrared camera and a laser line generator, which enable gesture recognition in real time.
Gesture recognition has a much larger presence than we imagine. You may automatically think of Microsoft Kinect, but a digital camera make your shot when it detects a smile is also a way to recognize a specific gesture. If we let our minds float a little more, eventually reach the recurring example of "Minority Report" and the famous gesture driven interface. It may take many years, and may not even be available between home systems, but in the same way that the touch screen is displacing keys, advanced gesture recognition will return the favor to the touch screen. In regards to our hands, the Kinect lacks the resolution necessary to detect them correctly, however, Microsoft Research have created something with much greater precision: Digits.
An infrared camera, a laser scanning and inertial measurement unit is all you need the Digits to run as long as the package is installed on a bracelet at a reasonable distance from the user's hand. Although this is just a prototype, Digits can detect and recognize gestures in real time, to the nearest hundredth of an inch. In part, this is reminiscent of the great Leap Motion, but one of the most important differences is that Digits not need to be at the computer to work. In fact, do not even need to look at the device. For a smartphone, with simple gestures the user is able to tune to a different radio, change the volume or skip to the next song.
By itself, Digits can probably get a place among the game as follows control, but things get even more interesting when you consider the possibility of combining the Digits with some Google-style Glass. Dynamic gesture recognition and augmented reality is presented as a great combination, and who finds a way to "do better", you will get a substantial advantage in a market waiting to be exploited. The next step will be to evaluate methods to miniaturize the device. Will this development to remove once and for all to the keyboard and mouse? Given the status of the project, will have to wait a while to find out.
Robots are many. Some are bipedal, with wheels, crawling, they can swim or even some that can display facial expressions. But virtually all of them must be programmed so they can do what they do. But a few, like Baxter, are capable of learning new behaviors from the guidance of his own, without writing a single line of code. Baxter costs about 20,000 euros, and many believe that in the future many robots will learn as he does.
In the last two decades have seen how robots stopped being tools for the assembly line of a manufacturing plant or protagonists of a science fiction novel to become sophisticated learning tools or entertainment. The advance of microelectronics and low price of servomechanisms, coupled with breakthrough occurred in processing power and memory of microcontrollers has enabled even robotics enthusiasts can design and build their own models. However, in almost all cases, regardless of concerned business models or built at home, it is necessary to write programs that tell the robot in question and carry out certain task. If we want our newly built biped robot one step, we have to write a program to turn your servo and respond to stimuli received from its sensors so you can get it right This task, of course, is not accessible to all potential users of these interesting devices.
Baxter, a new robot designed and built by Rethink Robotics, is based on a concept that, while not entirely new, has been implemented well enough to work perfectly and perhaps mark a trend in the market robotics. Instead of using traditional programming to learn new tricks, simply manipulate their own limbs showing him what to do. Suppose we want the robot takes an object that is on the right and moved 40 centimeters to the left. Instead of writing a program in a complex programming language, indicate when and how to move each of their engines, just put it in "program mode", move your right arm to the object, open the "hand", placing on property, close, move the arm 40 inches to the left, open hand again to drop the object, and keep all those movements in a. Thus, Baxter has "learned" that sequence of movements without writing a single line of code.
As mentioned, this form of teaching a robot is not new. However, it is the first time we see one, for the market (ie, outside a laboratory) with a lower price to 20,000 euros and that works as well. Baxter complements their learning skills with a "face" based on an LCD equipped with very expressive eyes, which helps a lot when it comes to understand that's what we're trying to communicate device or what it is "seeing" with their cameras. It is designed to help small assembly lines, parts handling light tasks or assist in packing / unpacking, but if the system works as well as it looks, certainly appear similar to Baxter models but cheaper and for the home. 'd Point you to one?
Your partner is there, the other side of the table. Suddenly, his face turns and looks at you with wide eyes, as making a huge force without leaving your seat. I start feeling. Spend 10 seconds and the pain starts. 15 seconds and you can not breathe. 20 seconds: your head explodes. Thoughts that kill, my friends. And no fiction of the 80s, is an invention that has shown some hackers in Louisville Kentucky where thanks to a helmet EGG, an air compressor and intense thoughts can destroy a watermelon with the mind.
David Cronenberg knew it did when all this blew fructose on set. Was creating one of the most memorable murders in history, where one person flying brains to another, literally, and without using any weapons but their own mind. In this, that science fiction and softcore ochentosa has much gore, lies an analogy that hackers Luisville a Kentucky community have fully exploited llamadaLVL1 enthusiasm splashing any fan of the genre. In their experiment, the lucky passers of a park could live the prodigious experience EGG put on a headband and then to concentrate, leaving a watermelon with their minds. If you want to burst with envy with us, look at the video of the show.
The experiment has some components that are particularly striking, as the presence of a headband Star Wars Force Trainer, a toy company Uncle Milton brought to market so you could move a pingpong balls in a tube using the power of the Force electric waves in your brain. Thanks to hack the device and taking into account the alpha and beta waves in your brain for transfer in wireless pulses, scientists (and then the surprised participants) were able to activate an air compressor which was situated on a table inlaid with a watermelon. Jumping into the air suddenly watermelon, made her explode overhead to the astonishment of those present.
To make the pulpy enchastre of poor tropical fruit, the system also used some Arduinos and some Xbees to make connections and get the signals arrived with enough force to activate the air compressor. So Mind Over Melon created, the game where watermelons explode with mind is a common thing. While waiting for the boys of the hacker community and indications drafted Mario Sacco convince us to build our home version of Mind Over Melon, you can go looking for the name of the film to which we referred at the beginning of the article.
The oil spill caused by British Petroleum in the Gulf of Mexico spurred the development of innovative methods for separating the water intake. In this context, a team of scientists at MIT have developed a new technique based on ferrofluids-fluids with magnetic nanoparticles suspended in them, capable of cleaning oil spills magnetically. The method in question seems to be so efficient that the recovered fuel could even be reused to offset the cost of cleaning.
A team of scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), U.S., has developed a system to separate oil from water. Basically used a water repellent substance ferrous-based nanoparticles that are mixed with the oil. The oil "sticks" to these ferromagnetic particles, which can be retrieved later using magnets. When reseparated oil nanoparticles, it is pure enough to be reused. That is, the process not only cleans the spill but allows recovery of spilled oil, which the authors of this work could be taken to offset the cost of cleaning. The MIT team that participated in this development consists of Shahriar Khushrushahi (Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science), Markus Zahn (Professor of Electrical Engineering) and T. Alan Hatton (Professor of Chemical Engineering).
Zahn explained that he knew "several previous works related to the problem of separating water ferrofluids. In general, this is accomplished by pumping the mixture through a pipe while a group of magnets positioned outside the pipe to divert a channel ferrofluid or outer side, through a perforated wall. "But this system only works when you know in advance the concentration of ferrofluid and if this is constant, something almost impossible to achieve in the case of an oil spill occurs at sea. In these cases, the concentration can vary greatly. "Let" says Zahn, "the separation system comprises a bypass channel with magnets along one side. If the concentration of the mixture oil-ferrofluid were zero, the water would flow naturally by both branches. For the same reason, if the concentration was low, much of the water would end up in the intended branch oil, whereas if the concentration is high, most of the oil will flow into the branch devoted to water. "
MIT investigators modified this scheme two ways magnets placed perpendicular to the current flow, and immersed in the liquid (rather than placed outside the pipe). Thus, the mixture is processed aboard an oil recovery vessel, passes through these permanent magnets, Cylindrical, and can be separated with high efficiency even when the concentration of oil is highly variable. In the experiments that were conducted in the laboratories of MIT rates were achieved excellent separation of oil and water. Khushrushahi ensures simplicity of this system is a great advantage, since it can be manufactured on a large scale and deployed at sea for days or weeks with little power (only the need for pumping, magnets are permanent) or tasks maintenance.
Cargo, aimed, fired and exited the backfire. Straight to the face, like one of those famous facepalm that abound on the Internet, Oracle received more bad news. Is that as he lost the duel for a trial of two years and a half in front of Google, the jury understood that Oracle had exceeded their demands and 1,130,350 to be paid to the Mountain View for expenses and damages. Another case where the oracle could not foresee anything.
The ring is a cooker that burns incessantly angles. Within her feet burned two contenders, whom enclosure lights dazzle as much as their own go blind the public glare. And then the referee mutters, faces shrinking eyebrows, mouth guards are embedded in the jaw and four gloves collide in the center, begins combat. So, two years and six months ago, began the race to put in sidewalks opposite two heavyweights of the computer industry. In one corner, Oracle, with its better-known database with thousands of patents to his name. On the other side, Google, the company that, if today we were to hazard a dystopia, rule the world in a few years. The cause: patent infringement and a claim of 6 billion dollars from Oracle. In that trial, Oracle alleged violation of seven patents and other claims 132, but each complaint was rejected.
After two and a half years of assaults, legal strategies, covert payments to blogs and websites to speak in favor or against each company, to show voltage compatibilities between services and products, and then to make all this a telenovela of computing, the judge's verdict is already public knowledge and it appears that Google has benefited by being absolved of any guilt and responsibility. So, in the costume of innocence made at trial and the victim makeup, Google came to seek redress for the expenses he had to face during these two years and six months. Google demand was for $ 4,030,669 to cover costs for various commercial litigation and damages. Anyway, the judge seemed excessive and after appropriate calculations, Oracle reached sentenced to pay $ 1,130,350 to Google. Something like: pay for having bothered.
Faced with the possibility of winning a sum of nearly 6 billion dollars, losing 1 million and something does not seem so bad for these companies where the risk is part of their daily actions. What matters is that perhaps guilty of this development of the trial could have been the lawyers, says the specialized site Groklaw. But not everything has gone wrong, because the controversial scene that had settled on the unethical practices of Google and Oracle to pay bloggers celebrities to speak ill of the company and thus adverse influence on the ruling power, were also dismissed by the judge, who said that all this came to nothing and the trial died. The backfire, Oracle. Things that happen
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a date. Or at least, we have those who follow technology closely. It's official: The Cupertino giant has sent out invitations, and September 12 is the day that the world of mobile devices will run a little slower than normal. All eyes will be on the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco, where they will present the highly anticipated Apple iPhone 5. The mountain of rumors that have accumulated over the past months will be to the side, and finally we can see if the sixth generation of the device that completely changed the mobile meet expectations.
This is the "Rumor Control", here are the facts: From a housing completely made of glass to the removal of the home button has been speculation all the flavors on the iPhone 5. In fact, many expected the iPhone 4S instead, and were a little disappointed to see that the plans were different from Cupertino imagined. However, we have a certainty, and its filing date. Confirming the many advances that have been floating around the Web in recent days, Apple has sent out invitations for an event for high profile on 12 September at the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco located. Even has transcended a picture of the invitation, which teaches the number 12 with a considerable size, and a detail that has not escaped anyone's eyes: The Shadow of the 12 has been altered to take the form of a 5.
Still, the latest focus of discussion seems to have taken shape around his name. We've been called iPhone 5 for a long time, but technically it is the sixth generation. With that in mind, there are few who believe that Apple will adopt a different name like "The New iPhone", "The Next iPhone", "Next iPhone" or similar variant. Oddly enough, the failure called "iPad 3" to the new iPad sowed doubts among certain group of consumers, not to mention the stealth "iPad 2.4", it is impossible to differentiate visually compared to iPad 2. Personally, I think that this time Apple will give consumers the name "iPhone 5" with a simple question of "mindfulness" and marketing. After all, Microsoft did something similar with Windows 8, despite being told several times that the name was not confirmed.
With the invitations already sent, has been considering the possibility that the event is exclusive for the iPhone 5. This is because there is great expectation for the iPad Mini, which probably has its own presentation in early October. However, in the last hours details have emerged indicating that the iPhone 5 will share the stage with the iPod line. Within these there are rumors update details for the Shuffle and Nano series, along with a "third" that may not be the iPod Touch, but a completely new device. Why a new iPod? Basically, the theory has been installed on the iPad and iPod Touch Mini could end up competing with each other. I'll stop here, because if we continue invoking Article rumors have about 27 pages. The answer to all this and more, come next Wednesday.
After the launch of Windows Vista crashed, the possibility of a "downgrade" to another operating system installed was particularly in the minds of users. The right to downgrade is also present in Windows 7, and as expected, Microsoft has confirmed that users of Windows 8 Pro buying a computer with preinstalled system, will be able to download both Windows 7 Professional and Windows Vista Business if they wish.
We are practically on autopilot until the release of Windows 8 on 26 October. We know your RT variant for Windows tablets will be particularly studied both by users and by the press, since its goal is far more complex than its desktop counterpart has. But every time we talk about Windows 8, the adoption factor comes into play. The new operating system is a huge change for Microsoft, a change that not all users are willing to accept at first. The most sensitive factor remains its new interface, because it not only requires an adjustment period, but also hardware settings in some cases (for example, dedicated applications do not work on resolutions lower than 768p).
Still, there is a downgrade. This possibility gained much popularity in the era of Windows Vista, when millions of users purchased new computers and found that his new hardware had stability and compatibility problems (lot no drivers), and a much lower yield due to that operating system. The rate downgrade to Windows XP was important, especially in the business environment (the numbers speak for 35 percent), although the downgrade lost some substance with the appearance of Windows 7 (which also allows downgrade to XP), much higher to Vista in many ways. And now follows Windows 8: Redmond has confirmed that users of Windows 8 Pro preinstalled on a new computer will have the right to downgrade to Windows 7 Professional and Windows Vista Business. There is even the chance that some manufacturers decide to deliver a Windows installation disc 7 along with the computer to make the process easier (or alternatively, sell those same systems with the hologram of Windows 8 and Windows 7 installed), but will to wait a bit to see how many decide to take that route.
Now if you're thinking about the fine print, it's because there is. As you noticed, the right to downgrade also only apply to OEM versions, reaches Vista Business, Windows XP so it will not be an option in any case. Redmond's intention of burying once XP remains there for more than the operating system still has more than one year ahead extended support. How popular is this option to downgrade? Probably not as much as it was with Windows Vista. Microsoft has learned from its mistakes, and Windows 8 has already demonstrated with ease that has no compatibility issues and / or performance of Vista. It is a choice for users, and as such, we welcome.
In the creation of video games or in the production of advanced 3D content in general intentions when emulating the physical mechanics of humans and animals are an issue that reveals the engineers thinking about everything that comes in both environments immersive virtual. The Rift Oculus and other systems are not forcing ask for better games and better physical, and as we can all pay for our systems ODT "walking in place" is as real as possible, an engineer created The Simulacrum, an economic ODT gives realism to your steps, but still has much room for improvement.
From the earliest days of the FPS, for example, the pursuit of realism in the composition of the characters has been prolific, leading us to see interesting characters who respect physical movement believed unique reality. However, in the evolution of the ways of moving, jumping, walking, running, kicking and hitting other complex movements, walking on the characters was always a matter of discussion, especially when viewing augmented reality controlled characters scanning or physical controls like Kinect. For the form of walking and running is as real as possible, using ODTs (running ciantas omnidirectional), but these are very expensive. However, an engineer creóSimulacrum, economic ODT system for anyone to have a sense of realism only when walking.
As you can see in the video, each foot that rises sends a signal to the console to advance a specified interval. Doing that is something that does not represent a significant difficulty, but what I have taken a little more work was naturally allow rotation of the character. This means that each pad is really able to rotate about its vertical axis, allowing the foot to be represented more naturally in their movement. When you lift your foot to take a step, the pad is "behind" and then the body draws on both feet moving as the previous position of the character, which creates a smoother projection of the character walking. Through the use of Simulacrum, and enable movement for all angles, the turns become real enough, but the engineer in charge acknowledged that they had been "very fast" in the video.
The project plans to develop and is gathering as much information as possible about the different scenarios that can be found, but also has to answer some considerable criticism like that is not really a breakthrough in immersion, the idea that only lift one foot to make it spin almost like an extra button to push. This, despite the change of direction of the body is when it exerts some pressure on the "field means that the iteration steps becomes quite negative towards results are achieved. Besides the positive which means the cost ($ 100 to manufacture), intuitively capture the movement of the legs, the alleged preservation of natural movement in the walk, the absence of latency, high compatibility, the device is plug and play and open source. It is in the latter where we see the greatest potential for development Simulacrum and overcome difficulties and make today is to compare it to a real-ODT is a bit exaggerated.
Different activities use accurate information that needs to be updated in real time, and some of the most delicate in determinations and judgments made at the time, are those who need to know the exact location of an object, its speed and movement. Determining when this takes heavy equipment, but researchers by PositionIT have created an application able to calculate distance, speed and direction of objects with a smartphone.
As a slap naive skepticism of those who thought they would succumb to give more than what was asked, now have become not only technological bells and whistles and more ways to stay connected, but also practical tools for everyday life. Applications with flashlights, complex calculations, translators, GPS maps, currency and unit conversions, bookstores and evolution of the video camera, sound recording, make smartphones even McGiver devices could get into your pocket. Now, with the invention of the engineers at the University of Missouri, much more.
Researchers have developed a prototype application that combines GPS smartphones with a compass system and other complex computations to create a model that can calculate the exact location of an object and follow its path, measuring the speed and direction leading in which it projects. Researchers say PositionIt application could allow a single portable device could replace several pieces of equipment, both for soldiers in the battlefield to engineers and mathematicians in the field geographers. Even with other utilities such as measuring distances and sports championships. The portability and it would be all that is sought to be as small as possible and parallel systems unused, although these could be used to provide further precision to the system.
The operation is as follows: when the target size is known, the software can determine the distance to the target using a single image captured by the camera of the smartphone and the comparison of their relative size in the image at actual size known target. PositionIt software then combines this information with the location's distance and GPS compass reading to compute the longitude and latitude of the object.
When the target size is not known, an additional image must be captured, so that the software can use the two images to triangulate the location of the destination. In addition, the software can also keep track of the direction and calculate the speed of a moving target from a short video captured on your smartphone. Still in development, the timing of its release is still far in advanced prototype, and all law enforcement agencies and technical occupations in the field have cast an eye on this app to calculate distance, speed and direction of objects with a Smartphone.
We all want to find interesting ways to use your computer. Some of us like to keep everything as conventional as possible-except for the operating-system modifications, others like the hardware that everything changes and others like the combination with the software. If you like the last two and want to use your computer without a mouse, you can try Npointer, a tool that uses your hand or head to control the mouse cursor via webcam.
While there is an industry that happens to sell hundreds of dollars mice based on the technology they have to give up more dpi, more responsive, flexible steps, support for right and left handed, improved ergonomics and faster response, there are all Moreover the actions of modern computing forever wants rid of the mouse. Everything you touch is perhaps a demonstration of this (and Mario gave his opinion on the matter), but is also seen in the wireless management or representing scanning technology using cameras and motion sensors. With a similar logic to the latter appears NPointer, an application by a gesture control system, you can turn your hand and your head in the mouse of your computer.
It is a gesture control software that records movements of the hand or the head via a webcam and then translates them into movement of the mouse pointer. Clearly it is a very useful tool for testing to be part of a new generation remote control of computers or for people with disabilities, who for some or other condition can not use a mouse to have fine motor impaired. In the past we saw many similar applications, but this is a bit different from all the others because, first, it works great. At the start, offering a menu screen to perform key actions such as mouse clicks, double clicks, handle the scroll wheel or drag files or text. Npointer configured quickly and the better your webcam, the procedure will more fluently.
Six virtual action buttons are all that the user needs to map their hands after handling or NPointer head. Replicated similarly to the directions and actions of the mouse, you can move your head or hand to move the pointer and start the desired action. Use the Scroll option head is something you have to experience or yes. Although it has a steep learning curve and may need some time to get used to it and small synchronization errors both in gestures and in data capture by the webcam, NPointer shown as a utility if he takes the juice adequate and the accompanying development can become a window to the improvement of life for those who have motor difficulties, for those who have delusions of futurism or for those who have broken the mouse in the middle of work.
