Hasta La Gadget!

The first time we featured programmer Will Powell, we learned how he was able to make a crude version of Google’s Project Glass augmented reality glasses. It turns out that Powell has made another version of his hack that is capable of translating spoken language and displaying the translation in subtitles.

Like with his earlier project, Powell used a pair of Vuzix STAR 1200 glasses as the base of the hack. If I understood what Powell said on his blog, a Jawbone Bluetooth microphone picks up the audio and sends it to a mobile device, which then processes the words using translation API made by Microsoft. The translation is then passed on to a Raspberry Pi, which sends a text of the translation to the Vuzix display and a transcript of the conversation taking place to a TV. Below is a shot of the subtitle being displayed on the glasses’ monitor:

And here’s a shot of the transcript on the TV:

Finally here’s a demo of the hack in action. Note that there is a significant delay in the translation, which according to Powell occurs mainly when the audio goes through the translation API.

The sheer number of gadgets needed plus the fact that the Raspberry Pi is physically connected to the glasses via an S-video connector means that this is not a portable system, but I am still amazed at what one man armed with off the shelf parts can do. Besides, all devices – including the ones Powell needs – get more powerful and smaller in time. The time when we’ll be able to reenact Casa de mi Padre is closer than we think.

[Will Powell via Ubergizmo]

It’s time for another after-humans full-length movie to hit theaters with its roots coming from that all-powerful soap box and launch point : the Internet. The source of this feature is a short all-CG video called Ruin. This video (also shown in this post) will bring you on a journey through a one-populated human city that’s since become overgrown by nature untamed – can’t wait for the full show!

It appears that The Hollywood Reporter has a tip on the creator of the special effects short, Wes Ball, speaking with Fox to create a full-length feature film. Ball will co-write the film with T.S. Nowlin. McG (Joseph McGinty) will likely be producing the film with Steve Tzirlin from Lucasfilm.

UPDATE: Ball has now confirmed – “I can now reveal it is set up with the good folks at 20th Century Fox to be developed into a full length feature.” Exciting!

The plot in the short centers on a man with a motorcycle attempting to escape a futuristic flying machine not unlike what we’ve seen in the Terminator film series. This short contains a fabulously real looking set of effects including device-mounted camera perspective, light, dark, and shadow effects, lens effects, fabric physics, and of course some explosions to keep it all very lively. Transparent tablet computers, human hair, and a society covered in leaves included.

Should we see this film follow the storyline we’ve seen here, we can expect an evil corporation by the name of Haven Nanosystems to be oppressing the remains of the human race in an impressive display of action and Mad Mad-like environments and technology.

BONUS: Also check out this WebGL music video experiment that Ball participated in called ROME in which his animations – some taken from the Ruin animations – are used in an interactive landscape. Great stuff!

[via The Verge]

Ruin post-apocalyptic CG short gets Fox green light is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
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Which is the sexiest lightsaber ever? Luke’s? Vader’s? Darth Maul’s? I reject that last one on principal, simply because it was in the prequels and the lightsaber battles sucked so bad. No, this custom double-bladed beauty right here is the sexiest ever as far as I’m concerned.

This weapon was completely hand-crafted by Slothfurnace, who is known for making some of the finest Jedi weapons this planet has ever seen. This blade is modeled after the saber featured in the SWTOR video game. Yep, this is the undisputed king of lightsabers in my opinion. If you’ve seen sexier, I’d like to see it.

Slothfurnace clearly knows how to make a kick-ass weapon. It’s just too bad that no one has the Jedi powers to use them in this universe. You can find more pics of the build process here.

[via Obvious Winner]

The last time we saw a Tusken Raider and a Pod Racer together, the Raider was shooting at it. That’s not the case here. Either things got so bad in the race that he ended up pushing it and refuses to give up or he’s just starting this kid off young, hoping to make him a Pod Racing champion.

This Tusken Raider is not wearing the traditional gear of his people either, unless there’s a Nike Store on Tatooine now. This custom-built Anakin’s Pod Racer baby stroller was spotted being pushed in the last leg of the “Course of the Force” race in San Diego.

That Pod Racer looks sweet though. Look how shiny it is. And the little Anakin has a lightsaber at the ready just in case any other racers try to pass him.

[via Obvious Winner]

The Falcon has never looked so graceful in flight as it does while this girl is walking down the street, though it does tend to rock back and forth with every movement of her hips. Hey that’s only because she’s navigating an asteroid field of cat calls and TIE fighters.

This sexy Millennium Falcon skirt is the work of Landa Calrissian aka Jennifer Landa. You might remember her from her Death Star Dress at last years San Diego Comic-Con. This year she’s all about winning the Kessel Run and of course our hearts.

I’ve never seen anyone wear a ship so well.

[via Obvious Winner]