DigIn! Blog

CES 2012: Augmented Reality Steps into Toys

by Limor Schafman

Toys and games for kids have become that much more exciting now that interactivity and augmented reality are joining the fore of how children can play and learn.  

There were three examples at CES that are worth noting.  First, during the Microsoft keynote by Steve Ballmer, the Kinect was showcased through a partnership with Sesame Workshop in creating Kinect Sesame Street TV.  Microsoft is taking current TV programming and turning them into interactive experiences - partially streaming video; partially interactive video game - all with the intention of keeping children engaged while learning. (Note: thank you to GameSpot for this video).  In the video you will see the learning component, coupled with the interactive participation of voice and gesture enabled through the Kinect with Sesame Street characters reacting to viewer actions and responding immediately depending on what the viewer - shall we call them now players/actors/active learners do.

         

2012 International CES: Unusual and Cool Finds at CES

by Limor Schafman

You've heard about the Samsung and LG seemingly paper thin 3D OLEDs (let me tell you they are amazing and the wall of 50+ LG 3D screens at the entry of the booth was mind boggling), but there were other small finds at CES that you may not have heard of so I will share them here. 

 

The Intel keynote with CEO Paul Otellini showed us what the power of chips can do beyond the gorgeous ultrabooks that proliferated the show floor.  Here we see the Adidas store footwear wall that was showcased in the London flagship Originals store and resulted in a 5% uptick in new product sales in two weeks.  

Then we move to the futuristic with the Aerial 3D Display made by Burton - these

are laser lights that truly create Star Wars like 3D holograms in regular air (in other words they do not need to have another particles in the air like mist in order to be seen as most laser displays require).  The laser lights can be interactive.  Apparently, you can make the lasers interactive with the Kinect, and probably any other interactive device like a tablet or smartphone. The can go as high as 5M in the air and 3M wide.  They can be multi-colored as long as they do only one color at a time.  

 

 

This is the Printing Dress which was featured at the Microsoft booth.  Made almost entirely out of paper, it allows you to tweet and display the text as art on the skirt.  While clearly a prototype - if you pear closely under the hem of the dress you can see the massive keyboard which is not condusive to elegantly moving through a crowd - the barrier between thought to public communication has lost one more brick.

 

Robitics in small sizes had a presence at CES as shown by Cubelets produced by Modular Robotics.  These are plastic building blocks that have sensors built inside and when you combine them, you can get the combinations to have different capabilities.  Matt, who works for Cublelets, gives us a great demonstration.  The Cubelets are available for direct purchase at the Modular Robotics website.   

 As you may have guessed, mobile devices are becoming the interface to our lives - they will (and in some cases already do) control our HVAC home systems, or TVs and radio systems, our car settings and garage door system, etc. etc.  Shelby.TV enables your iPhone to become your social media interactive video remote control.  Whew!  That was a lot of things together. What they do is they gather your Twitter and Facebook feeds and see what your friends are recommending you to watch. They then pick up the links, and post the friend comment with the video so you know why it is showing up on your Shelby.TV.  While you are watching, you can also comment and it will go back out to your social net.  And all this interaction between you and the TV is done through your iPhone or tablet. The app is free on iTunes.

 Another interactive I liked which was shown at the Verizon booth is the DNA Wall by Downstream which uses a mind mapping tool to display marketing information in a very dynamic way.  If you check out The Brain, you will see it is exactly the same.  I have used The Brain for a variety of projects for mind mapping a solution structure out, but also have used it for presentations.  A great way to keep the visual dynamic and the content visually structured.

And to drive out out of this blog into the next, we have Romotive's little Romo's which is a smartphone based toy vehicle in which one smartphone resides, and then another smartphone can control it.  It works with iOS and Android phones.  Very cute, very fun and just $99 if you want to give it a go.  

More CES highlights to come... 

3D Is the Future of Broadcasting

by Limor Schafman

This statement was made by James Cameron during the opening Keynote of NAB 2011 that he did with Vince Pace.  Their fireside chat was part sales pitch of their newly formed partnership - Cameron Pace Group (CPG)- and a peek into the future of 3D film and broadcast.  

Their newly formed company is a declaration of their belief that 3D will become part and parcel of all film and video capture.  They ultimately envision that having separate units to film 2D and 3D will be replaced with all film/video capture taking place in 3D with 2D being stripped out and used when needed.  

One aspect which I found both interesting and greatly appreciated about their talk is Pace's bottom line perspective that 3D needs to generate revenue and it should not be costly.  They stressed repeatedly how important it is approach 3D filimg with operational intelligence.  And that 3D is second to the way operators work, Directors direct, and to the story.  They do not believe that anyone should be forced to change how they work.  Rather, to use the expertise that people have and add the component of 3D when it makes sense.  This is clearly a message that was directed to the broadcasting audience that is value+cost sensitive.  

One example that took place this past weekend is the PGA Masters.  Of the 18 cameras filming the Masters, 6 had a 3D shadow cam on the unit which used the same eye, 2 shared robos and 2 cameras shared jibs.  The whole point of the CPG approach is to integrate 3D video capture seemlessly/with minimal impact with existing 2D operations.  And to keep costs down. And btw, the 3D picture looked beautiful.

Cameron spoke of the content gap that exists currently with regard to 3D video.  The Consumer Electronics market leaped ahead beginning last year into 3D.  Without content, purchases are low. Producers don't want to shoot in 3D because of the low audience numbers.  Regardless of this slow uptake of 3D in theatres and home entertainment, Cameron and Pace believe that 3D is the future with technology arriving within 4 years to a place where glasses will not be necessary for 3D viewing.  At this point, Cameron warned, if a company does not have experience with 3D and that content in the can, they will be behind the wave.  Production and distribution winners will be 3D-rich in content.  

The session was capped with upcoming 3D film releases for Transformers, Cirque de Soleil, The Three Muskateers, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Invention of Hugo Cabret.  And let me tell you - they looked great!