Hasta La Gadget!

Does anybody actually enjoy the laborious process of trying out clothes? The sheer physical effort, the risk of breaking a sweat… it’s just not for us. We’re much more comfortable with virtual reality fitting rooms, which is where Microsoft’s Kinect motion camera has found yet another raison for its etre. Razorfish, the folks who already impressed us with some neat Kinect hacking, now have a new shopping platform that’s said to actually wrap clothes around your frame and thereby provide a 3D preview of what you and they would look like together. The current iteration only shows some giddy ladies exploring the wide world of handbags, but they do look suitably impressed with the system. There are also sharing options via QR codes and NFC, plus the obligatory social networking tie-ins. Skip after the break to see the KinectShop on video.

Continue reading KinectShop concept is ready to televise your shopping revolution (video)

KinectShop concept is ready to televise your shopping revolution (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 03:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple is always filing patents for strange and fantastic things that never seem to find their way into actual products. But an application published today details some interesting tech that we could actually see getting jammed into a future iPhone (for better or worse). By pairing an infrared sensor with the camera already on board, portable devices could receive data from transmitters placed, well, wherever. Beyond simply blasting out text and opening links like a glorified QR code, transmitters could disable certain features, such as the camera, to prevent recording at movie theaters and music venues. If completely shutting off the cam seems a bit heavy-handed, watermarks can also be applied to photos identifying businesses or copyrighted content. Some potential uses are a little less Big Brother, like museums beaming information about exhibits to a user’s or launching an audio tour. Obviously third parties would have to get behind the IR push and there’s no guarantee that Apple will put this in a future iProduct. Still, we’re a little worried that the days of blurry YouTube concert videos may be coming to an end.

Apple camera patent could stop smartphone bootleggers in their tracks originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 20:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Your windshield is good for more than just keeping bugs out of your mouth. It’s also a big blank canvas waiting to display helpful info like directions, traffic notifications, and safety information. A number big name manufacturers like GM and Pioneer have offered up heads-up display concepts over the past few years, but what makes MVS California’s Volumetric Head Up Display really neat is its impressive implementation of the volumetric aspect, using lasers to project images on the windshield in a such a way that gives the illusion of depth. So, if the system is being used to give driving direction via GPS — its main application, at present — it can make a turn arrow appear lined up with an exit half a mile down the road. The prototype showcased at this week’s Augmented Reality Event 2011 projected in red only, though the company says it’s capable of full color. How long do we have to wait for the future? MVS is hoping to get the thing into cars as a premium option in the next few years for around the same price of current high-end navigation systems. Surprisingly dull video of reality augmenting 3D lasers after the break.

Continue reading MVS California’s Volumetric Head Up Display is a 3D laser show for your car’s windshield (video)

MVS California’s Volumetric Head Up Display is a 3D laser show for your car’s windshield (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 May 2011 14:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Popular Japanese glasses company Zoff have launched a new service on their website allowing users to try on their glasses using AR.

After downloading a plugin for the program users align their heads with the area marked out and the glasses appear on your face. It is impressive to see the glasses stay on the face as you tilt and move your head giving an idea of how they look from any angle. It was also possible to move a fair distance away from the webcam and the glasses still “stayed on”. You can then switch between a whole range of colors and styles to see which suit your face best and purchase them directly online. As you can see from the video you can also have a fair amount of fun seeing how a certain type of glasses may look on any face like object, or even making a particular celebrity look a little less/more cool.

Although AR mirrors are nothing new, and we have blogged about Shiseido’s Digital Cosmetic Mirror before, the technology is becoming more prevalent in the online marketplace aimed at driving sales up. Used with webcams in your own home this kind of AR technology could be great to help out those living in particularly remote areas too, where a short trip to the shops is impossible. Bringing the “high street experience” into the comfort of your home would also help those who have disabilities and find it difficult getting around busy city centers.

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A cardboard cut-out, really? You pasted a 50-inch rectangle of stiffened paper to the wall in order to preview the flatscreen of your dreams within your new Vitsoe shelving system? For shame. A true nerd, nay, a real man would have cast aside those arts and crafts for Panasonic’s new Viera AR Setup Simulator app. Just grab the wall or pedestal AR marker from the printer and place it wherever you hope to showcase that new Panny. Then watch the app augment your reality through the iPhone’s camera. Don’t cost nothin’ but your time, starting with the 60 second video embedded after the break.

Continue reading Panasonic Viera AR Setup Simulator app augments the reality of your TV dream (video)

Panasonic Viera AR Setup Simulator app augments the reality of your TV dream (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 08:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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