Hasta La Gadget!

Electrostatic interfaces – systems that make your fingers “feel” textures on a smooth metal plate – have been around for a long time. They haven’t quite caught on because the sensation is a little creepy and it’s not quite foolproof. However, a researcher at Disney Research in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Olivier Bau, has created a unique system that creates these sensations on any surface using a special wearable system that actually controls the electricity sent to nerves in your skin.

His Revel project is an example of this technology in action. An object is treated with a special paint and then a “generator” attached to the body. As you move your finger along a surface, the system changes the way the surface feels to the touch and can recreate ridges, etched lines, and other sensations. It’s the first step in true universal interaction with objects.

Bau also discussed other projects in the works including one in Tokyo that allows you to create invisible physical objects by controlling the muscles in your hand. That’s right: you could pick up an invisible chess piece and your fingers would freeze at just the right spot so it would feel like you’re holding something sold.

Bau now lives in Los Angeles but is continuing work on the “invisible” for Disney’s research arm. I asked him if he had to wear mouse ears at work and he very demurely refused to answer.

Last month we heard rumors of Harrison Ford possibly returning to reprise his role as Han Solo in the upcoming Star Wars: Episode 7. The news came from a Latino Review reporter, although there were conflicting reports coming in at the same time. Today, on the other hand, isn’t speculation as Carrie Fisher has confirmed she’ll return as Princess Leia in Star Wars: Episode 7.

During an interview with Palm Beach Illustrated, Fisher was asked if she would be coming back as Princess Leia:

Question: Disney is going to continue the Star Wars saga, producing movies set to hit theaters starting in 2015. Can you confirm whether you’ll reprise the role of Princess Leia?

Fisher: Yes.

Reports of Fisher returning as Princess Leia first circulated this past November when she said she would return to the Star Wars franchise, but it was later confirmed her remarks were tongue-in-cheek and in no way confirmed her return.

If reports of Harrison Ford’s return turn out to be true, we’ll personally be calling Mark Hammill on an hourly basis to make sure he’s aware he’s the last piece of the puzzle missing from the old cast returning to a new Star Wars film.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Cyclists Breath Blamed By U.S. Lawmaker For Global Warming, Samsung Invests $111.6 million Into Sharp,

The new owner of Hulu could turn out to be… one of the existing owners. After an aborted sale attempt in 2011, new rumors suggest current part owners Disney and News Corp are talking over the possibility of one buying the other’s stake out. The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg both tag people with knowledge of the situation as their sources, indicating a disagreement over the video streaming website’s business model — it announced $695 million in revenue last year — as a reason for the talks.

Reportedly News Corp. prefers a subscription based model, while Disney sees an advertising-focused approach as best. Both of them own about a third of the site, while Comcast / NBC Universal owns most of the remaining third but can’t vote, and according to the rumors would remain as a minority investor if a buyout took place. Also playing into this is CEO Jason Kilar’s announcement he will leave the company by the end of Q1, so hopefully any decision on its future are made by the time a new leader is in place.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD

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Source: Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal

After Disney purchased the rights to the Star Wars universe from Lucasfilm late last year, news of a new Star Wars being planned started coming out, with Star Wars: Episode 7 expected to be directed by JJ Abrams. Star Wars fans are understandably skeptical of the new film, but the inclusion of one actor may have single-handedly saved the film.

According to Latino Review reporter Umberto Gonzalez, Harrison Ford will be returning to reprise his role of Han Solo in the upcoming Star Wars: Episode 7 film. The deal Harrison Ford has agreed to is reportedly “significant.” (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Acrylicize Walls Up With LEGO Minifigs, President Obama Criticizes Patent Trolls,

Like many Star Wars fans, I’m simultaneously excited and filled with dread at the thought of more Star Wars films coming now that Disney has acquired Lucasfilm. I’m excited that new movies are coming, but I’m worried the movies might not fit with expectations. An story is making the rounds that Disney is developing standalone Star Wars films based around individual characters.

This is similar to what the X-Men franchise did with the X-Men Origins: Wolverine movie. The tip on the standalone films comes from Disney CEO Bob Iger. He said that Disney was working on a “few stand-alone films.” He didn’t offer any specifics, but rumors suggest that the first standalone film would focus on Yoda.

Work on the standalone movie is said to be progressing alongside the new Star Wars trilogy. The first installment of that new trilogy will be directed by JJ Abrams, and is due out in 2015. The standalone films are reportedly expected between 2015 and 2021 and are being written by Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg.

The first Star Wars film we can expect from Disney will be written by Michael Ardnt, who wrote Toy Story 3 and Little Miss Sunshine. Iger noted that Disney plans to make Star Wars 7, 8, and 9 over a roughly 6-year. He said there would be a few other films released during that period. Star Wars fans may or may not know that Kasdan worked on the scripts for the original trilogy including The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

[via BBC]

Standalone Star Wars films planned by Disney is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
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