Friday, November 19, 2010

Kinect Sees In 3D, Microsoft Sees In Green [Update]

 

Microsoft has hoped to pick up the motion controlled game craze right where Nintendo left off with the Wii. So far it looks like they have actually made their first craze. After just 10 days from its launch on Nov 4th, Microsoft has reported 1 million Kinects sold. Hmm, Microsoft and craze. Those are 2 words that most people don't quite imagine being in the same sentence. They seem to be taking pages from both Nintendo and Apple Corp here, delivering all the flash of a new iPad with the cutesy UI and branding of Nintendo's Wii. Although there hasn't been gameplay from a single "gamer's game" shown except maybe Child of Eden, the hardware itself seems to deliver on many levels. Its the kind of device that this site was created for. Now that it seems to be a big ticket holiday seller, I think the chances are actually good of getting some good official software from developers.

Note, the poster of that Youtube video obviously isn't a fan of Always Sunny.

Update: Microsoft has now announced that 2.5 million units have been sold in the first 25 days. Thats 100,000 a day, for those keeping count.

Back After Boring Hiatus

About-Interface is back after a not-so-short break. What did we miss? I'll try to patch in some important stories as I go.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Mind Controlled Wheelchair Works With Help of AI, Swiss Engineering

As an assistant in Millán’s laboratory at EPFL in Switzerland, Michele Tavella at the Rolex Learning Center (Hey, I knew some of that money they charge for time pieces had to go somewhere), tests out a wheelchair he is controlling with his thoughts.


“wheelchair


“When I want to turn left, I imagine moving my left hand,” says Tavella. “And this is very natural and very quick; I can send a command in about a second.”


Source: EPFL

Video after the break

I Only Have Eyes for Mario

This news comes from Johnny Lee's Procrastineering website. The folks at Waterloo Labs have devised a way to control Super Mario Bros. with only the eyes, which I have to wonder if is any bit as fun to play as it is to watch someone playing.

Google's Liquid Galaxy is "Google Earth on Steroids"

After taking a little time off, I've decided to update just in time for some last week's news, cold off the press!

Liquid Galaxy, called by many: "Google Earth on steroids", does more than just connects the dots, it connects the apps! Take Google Earth, Google Sky, and allegedly 8 quad core computers, and you've got Liquid Galaxy.