Hasta La Gadget!

Kickstarter success 3Doodler proved there was a market for 3D printing without the geek requirement, but can crafting in the third-dimension really be as easy as wielding a hot nib? True, you won’t be creating any replacement machine parts, but with a $99.99 price tag that’s probably no surprise. We caught up with the $2.3m […]

Sony has just announced the VPL-VW500ES 4K projector at IFA 2013 in Berlin, and though it didn’t name a price, said it’ll be much cheaper than its first 4K projector. Before you start re-arranging your theater room, though, the original VPL-VW1000ES cost a cool $25,000, so “cheaper” might be a relative term. If you’re undeterred, though, you’ll get full 4,096 x 2,160 4K resolution thanks to native 4K SXRD panels — technology that Sony lifted from its commercial cinema projectors. Other perks include 1,700 ANSI-lumen brightness (compared to 2,000 for the VW1000ES), a 200,000:1 contrast ratio, “Super Resolution” Blu-ray to 4K upscaling, Motionflow tech for less blur, and support for HDMI 2.0 — which permits 60fps 4K. Again, Sony hasn’t mentioned a price yet, but we did see it at a French retailer for 10,000 euros, meaning a $10,000 price seems feasible.

Sony also dropped a Full HD 3D model, the VPL-HW55ES projector, which replaces the VPL-HW50ES as its top 1080p dog while using the same SXRD tech. It boasts 1,700 ANSI-lumens, a 120,000:1 contrast ratio, a 5,000 hour lamp, an optical engine upgrade and Reality Creation technology. Both projectors offer wireless HDMI compatibility, and will arrive at some point next month. For more minutiae, check the PR after the break.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Sony

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What do you think of skateboarders and the sport that they are involved in? For some of us, it is the unique stunts that they are able to do with a skateboard, stuff that would never have been dreamed up of before perhaps a century or two prior to today. Skateparks are special places created so that skateboarders have a safe space for them to express their creativity through the various handplants and grinds that they perform, and more often than not, such skateparks would also see bladers and cyclists congregate as well. There is this particular skatepark in Sao Paulo, Brazil, which has been specially created for the Contato Multimedia Festival, an architectural lighting company 3DM that has overlaid 3D projections onto a half-pipe there so that it will create an enchanting optical illusion along the way.

The particular method which was used to develop this clever optical illusion is known as projection mapping, and more often than not, this particular technique is normally reserved for large scale light shows that other cities such as Sydney and London have showcased in the past. At least this particular idea is a fresh one, and to see it appear in a more “underground” location certainly adds to its appeal.

Skatepark Transformed Into Glowing Canvas original content from Ubergizmo.

A few months ago we found out about the Durovis Dive, a virtual reality gaming headset for Android smartphones. A similar device called vrAse is now looking for funding on Kickstarter. The company behind it claims that future versions will be compatible with all smartphones.

Like the Dive, vrAse uses your smartphone to display 3D content. vrAse is also highly customizable. For instance, you can change its case or its optics to fit your needs. In its default state, its optics can emulate a 200-inch movie screen, though they don’t specify what distance that would be viewed at. Most of all, you can easily upgrade its “hardware.” All it takes is to swap in a better phone.

Pledge at least £48 (~$74 USD) on Kickstarter to get a vrAse case as a reward. But before you pledge know that the Kickstarter release of vrAse will only be compatible with six smartphones: the iPhone 5, the HTC One, the Sony Xperia Z, the Samsung Galaxy S3, the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 2.

I’m excited to see 3D gaming being more and more affordable, but I don’t think we can compare vrAse to the Rift. First off, the vrAse is only compatible with media and games that are in Side by Side (SbS) format. Second, it doesn’t seem to have its own head-tracking software, which is a big part of what makes the Rift so immersive. Perhaps developers can integrate head-tracking into their games or apps if vrAse takes off. Finally, the Rift has a distinct advantage in terms of hardware, because PCs are more powerful than even the latest smartphones. Still, I think many people would love to enjoy immersive 3D video or mobile games for the right price. Perhaps Dive and vrAse are on to something here.

[via DVICE]

In an interview with the BBC, Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President for Skype, Mark Gillett, confirmed that the company is working on 3D video calling functionality. Though he warns that it will still be awhile before such a feature is available – and probably longer yet until it is widely adopted – he also states that […]