For decades, we’ve been waiting for oh-so-futuristic hologram technology to make the leap from Star Wars movies to our living rooms, and it hasn’t. It sounds like it’s right around the corner, though, after Skype announced that it had developed 3D video chat technology in the lab.
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Nintendo’s announcement of the Nintendo 2DS is one of the most surprising developments in the gaming world this year. As an entry-level variant of the Nintendo 3DS, the 2DS can play all 3DS games and thousands more DS games. But unlike the 3DS and the 3DS XL, the 2DS can’t be folded. It’s upper screen also can’t display stereoscopic 3D, hence the lose-lose situation regarding its name. It’s an honest name, but for some people it will be like being told that a Honda Bivic exists. And it’s a Civic.
According to Kotaku, the 2DS’ screens are the same size as the ones on the 3DS. The lower screen is still a touchscreen and the 2DS will also come with a stylus. But as you can see its Circle Pad and face buttons are on the upper half of the device. I think the buttons were shifted up so that the shoulder buttons – which are at the top of the device – will still be within your index finger’s reach while your thumbs are on the Circle Pad and face buttons.
Aside from the “slate” form and the lack of a stereoscopic 3D display, the 2DS has a few other deficiencies compared to its big brothers. For one, it only has a mono speaker, but you can still get stereo audio via its headphone jack. It also has no physical Wi-Fi switch; you’ll have to toggle that from within the menu. So it’s a lesser device, but that means it also has a lower price. It will only cost $130 (USD), $40 cheaper than the 3DS and $70 cheaper than the 3DS XL.
*Update: Kotaku also shared Nintendo Europe’s nifty comparison chart (pdf) between all three 3DS models.* The Nintendo 2DS will be available on 10/12/2013, which is also the day Pokémon X and Y are released. That timing should help push units right from the get go; it will be enough for many people to see that the 2DS can play the latest Pokémon game. But only time will tell if Nintendo’s questionable naming scheme and hilarious yet also depressing decision to ditch their system’s main feature will pay off.
Will customers think that there are 2DS games? Or that the 2DS can’t play 3DS games? Will developers still care about the quality and functionality of stereoscopic 3D in their 3DS games? Will Nintendo finally realize that they have to come up with a practical naming scheme for their devices? Seriously, why didn’t they just name it the 3DS Jr.?
Skype is working on a technology that will no doubt be impressive when used once and then promptly ignored for the rest of time – 3D video calls. The project was revealed in an interview with the BBC to commemorate Skype’s 10th anniversary (which makes me feel old), but it could be another decade before we see that project bear fruit.
Microsoft’s Corporate VP for Skype Mark Gillett told BBC that Skype’s labs has been doing work on both 3D capture and 3D display of video calls, and while it’s impressed with the progress made in monitors and TVs that can produce a 3D image, the company still believes there’s a lot of work needed to be done before the 3D capture technology is where it needs to be. That’s because there’s too much tuning required to get the multiple cameras you need for producing 3D images angled as you need them for live video calls.
Gillett said in the BBC interview that Skype has the tech working in the lab, but needs the hardware ecosystem to be able to support it before it’s introduced. But he also said that 3D video chat would take longer to catch on with consumers than other 3D video tech in all likelihood, which begs the question of whether it ever really will.
3D movies and broadcast television efforts have been seen by many industry watchers as something of a flop, after all. The BBC abandoned plans to use 3DTV tech for its programming, citing weak demand and the need for glasses as part of the problem, neither of which helps encourage the massive cost related to filming and airing 3D content. Sony also seems pretty much to have discontinued (though no official proclamation has been made) its dedicated 3D display for PlayStation gaming, despite 3D gaming being one of the best use-case scenarios for the tech.
In the BBC article, Gillett says that Skype is looking in the near-term at more practical improvements, like bringing 1080p video calls to hardware beyond the upcoming Xbox One console. Building 3D calling capabilities in the unlikely event that the tech takes off in a big way may turn out to be a prescient move, but for now it seems like a case of building something no one likely wants. Maybe fix the way Skype syncs up IM conversations across platforms instead? Please?
In an interview with the BBC (which has canned making its own 3D content), Skype’s VP Mark Gillett says that the Microsoft VoIP service has been working on developing 3D calls. Don’t expect the capability to arrive soon, however, as Gillet soon added that it could be years before the tech gets to Skype users. “we’ve done work in the labs looking at the capability of 3D screens and 3D capture… we’ve seen a lot of progress… but the capture devices are not yet there.”
“We have it in the lab, we know how to make it work”, he added, saying that the company was looking into the device ecosystem and the capability to support the feature before it ever made it to a consumer launch. Also, if you liked the sound of full HD video, expect it to hit tablets and other laptops before it reaches your smartphone. The VP explained that due to the higher-level processing it entailed, it was looking into those platforms first.
Filed under: Internet, Software, Mobile, Microsoft
Source: BBC
SensoMotoric Instruments (SMI) have returned with a new pair of the Eye Tracking Glasses. We saw SMI unveil what they were referring to as the first pair of 3D glasses with full eye-tracking capabilities back in February and as of today they have returned with Eye Tracking Glasses 2.0. And along with the 2.0 tag, […]
Iceland-based startup Kúla has devised a hardware extension for digital SLR cameras that lets you create 3D photos and videos. The 3D images are viewable (after converting them with its dedicated software) on a 3D TV or other stereoviewer. They can also be converted to anaglyphs and viewed using a retro pair of 3D viewer glasses if you want to pretend you’re living in the 1970s.
The hardware camera add-on, which is called Deeper, fixes over the SLR’s lens and adds a pair of mirrors either side that are used to capture the dual images required to create the 3D effect. Kúla says it’s generating a “hyper stereoscopic” 3D effect because the distance between the mirrors is greater than the distance between the human eye, which apparently results in a deeper 3D perspective. They’ve put sample images online if you want to test out their claims (and have some 3D glasses to hand and/or advanced eye-crossing skills).
3D remains a relatively niche technology vs the glorious 2D screen technologies we continually ogle on our phones, tablets, smartwatches, TVs, etc. 3D TV adoption continues to be slow, meanwhile the 3D phones that came along in 2011 went away again in the blink of an eye, after it became apparent no one wanted to buy them. (It’s a slightly happier story for consoles, with Nintendo managing to carve out a market for its 3DS handheld console in Japan, forecasting sales of more than five million units this year.)
Part of the problem with 3D is it typically requires people to replace a perfectly good existing gadget before the end of its useful life. And while viewing 3D content might be of interest once in a while, it’s not necessarily enough of an urge to push an early upgrade. So Kúla’s take — of adding a 3D function to an existing 2D device — makes a lot of sense. However, it still remains to be seen whether there is enough of a 3D-content generation appetite to raise the €55,000 it’s asking for on Nordic crowdfunding site Karolinafund.com to bring Deeper to market.
If it gets funded, the Deeper add-on will apparently fit lenses of Ø77mm diameter by default. They are also offering Ø52, Ø62, Ø67 and Ø72 mm adapters. The cheapest pledge price to get the Deeper add-on is currently €59. Kúla says it’s hoping to be able to ship to backers in September, assuming its funding flies.
The gang of multi-function 3D printers — that is, ones that can also mill and etch your new creations — just grew by one. Mebotics Multifactory is a customizable device from a team of talented makers out of Boston’s Artisans’ Asylum (including Judah Sher, who created this amazing Distro cover for us) that also has an onboard computer loaded with an open source OS that connects to a phone or tablet via WiFi for remote operation. If it works as intended, you’ll be able to print out four-colored plastic masterpieces, as well as etch wooden and metal creations even if you’re in another continent. Unfortunately, it’s not something you can snag at Bed, Bath and Beyond, but the company is running a pre-sale on Kickstarter. Interested parties will need to pledge at least $3,495 to reserve a unit, but be warned — the project has set a lofty $1 million goal.
Source: Mebotics, Kickstarter
Are you a shop owner looking for an eye-catching advertising platform? Perhaps you have a design firm and you want a flashy way of presenting your concepts? Or maybe you’re a genius, billionaire, playboy and philantropist who already has plans for an armored suit but not the extravagant display worthy of your grand schemes? Check out the new Holocube HC40. And give me a pair of your spare jet boots while you’re at it.
While it’s not as arresting as Holocube’s human-sized displays, the 2013 release of the HC40 boasts a number of improvements over the previous model that make it a visual spectacle nonetheless. First off, it’s got a new LED backlight display with 1080p resolution and a 178º viewing angle; the previous HC40 only had a 720p resolution. Rated at 170W, it consumes 100W less power than its predecessor, perhaps due to its switch to a 4GB CF for storage and its use of a heatsink for cooling. The previous model used a 40GB HDD and fans to keep cool.
The new HC40 is also lighter than the previous model, thanks to its sheet metal housing and synthetic optics. Its housing is also much slimmer and is finished with matte white or matte black to provide more emphasis on the hologram. Finally, Jan Vanbriel of Holocube boasts that the new HC40′s built-in 7W sound system is also much better than the previous model. Man, we really bashed the previous model didn’t we? Technology is harsh.
The HC40: a display fit for Cortana. Or at least her upper half. Fire up your omni-tool and head to Holocube’s website to order the HC40.
If the Makerbot 3D scanner weren’t enough to get you excited about the longevity of 3D printing this week, the Microsoft Windows 8.1 exploration of 3D printing standards might. What the team at Microsoft is doing this week is going through how users of the next-generation update of Windows 8 will be able to work […]
MakerBot is best known for its 3D printers, turning virtual products into real ones, but the company’s latest hardware to go on sale, the MakerBot Digitizer, takes things in the opposite direction. Announced back in March, and on sale from today for $1,400, the Digitizer takes a real-world object and, by spinning it on a […]
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