Author Archives: Myriam Joire

Bot & Dolly’s Box takes CG into the real world (video)

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Bot & Dolly's Box takes CG into the real world video

Remember Bot & Dolly's awesome Kinetisphere from Google I/O 2012? Today the San Francisco-based design and engineering studio released Box, a film of the first ever synchronized live performance featuring projected 3D computer graphics, robots and actors. Imagine two Kuka industrial robots moving walls around and a projector displaying CG onto them in complete sync. Add a second projector aimed at the floor. Now introduce an actor and capture the entire scene with a 4K camera mounted on a third Kuka robot in sync with the other two. The result is a mind-blowing experience that takes CG into the real world. Flat walls transform in to 3D cubes, objects levitate and teleport -- it's magic.

In fact, it's even more impressive in person. The company believes that "this methodology has tremendous potential to radically transform theatrical presentations". We briefly talked with Tarik Abdel-Gawad, Creative & Technical Director and Bradley G Munkowitz, Design Director (of Tron fame) about the technology behind the performance. The project uses two IRIS and one SCOUT robotic motion control platforms (based on Kuka robots) plus two powerful high-resolution projectors. Bot & Dolly's in-house software, which integrates with Autodesk's Maya, is used to synchronize and control the performance. As such, the work serves "as both an artistic statement and technical demonstration." See the video for yourself after the break.

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Source: Bot & Dolly

iPhone 5s review

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iPhone 5s review

Forward-thinking. It's ironic that Apple's marketing slogan for the iPhone 5s invites us to look ahead to the future when, from the outside, the device looks like a carbon copy of last year's model, the iPhone 5. But just like any other odd-year iPhone -- the "S" version, if you will -- the 5s plays the Transformers card by offering more than meets the eye, with a few key improvements on the inside.

Though it's easy to dismiss this handset as iterative, the 5s is the first smartphone with full 64-bit support and a capacitive fingerprint sensor, and it also ships with a fresh, revamped version of iOS. This might not matter to folks who were content with the status quo, but it matters a lot to Apple -- and to the company's future as well -- especially if the company wants to fend off an increasingly fierce pack of competitors. But is a "forward-thinking" phone worth the investment today? %Gallery-slideshow85056%

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iPhone 5c review

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DNP The meaning of life how the Knights of Ni coopted the number 42

After weeks of leaks and speculation, the iPhone 5c is finally here. Apple's colorful new lower-cost handset slots below the iPhone 5s flagship and ships with iOS 7. This is the first time the company's launched two new iPhones simultaneously. The 5c replaces the iPhone 5 in the middle of the lineup, and the 8GB iPhone 4s is now available free on contract. Unlike years past, the iPhone 5 doesn't carry on as a second-tier device -- it's just gone. The 5c is built from steel-reinforced, colored-through, machined polycarbonate that's coated in a glossy finish. Apple's last plastic handset was the iPhone 3GS in 2009, but it only came in black and white. In contrast, the 5c arrives in a rainbow of pastel hues: white, pink, yellow, blue and green, along with a matching set of cases.

Spec-wise, the 5c is basically an iPhone 5 with an improved front-facing camera and global LTE support. The 16GB model costs $99 with a two-year commitment ($549 unlocked) and the 32GB version is $199 on contract ($649 unsubsidized) -- as such it's more affordable than the departed iPhone 5. While Apple's clearly positioning the 5c as an aspirational product, we suspect it's also less expensive to manufacture than the iPhone 5, which means the company gets to enjoy some higher profit margins. It's obviously not the cheap iPhone some folks were expecting, and frankly, we're not surprised -- it's an Apple device, after all. So does the 5c live up to the hype? Is it an improvement over the iPhone 5? Should you pony up for iPhone 5s instead? Let's find out. %Gallery-slideshow85060%

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Nokia Here research brings map data to life (video)

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Nokia Here research brings map data to life

Nokia Here collection vehicles aren't the only way the Finnish giant is gathering data about our highways and city streets. The company's researchers are also using anonymous smartphone, PND and even CAN bus data to further our understanding of traffic flow and driver behavior in different conditions. Beyond improving maps and navigation, the goal is to make our roads better and cars smarter. We recently spoke with Nokia's Jane Macfarlane, Head of Research for Here, who shared how her team is bringing map data to life with the collaboration of opt-in smartphone users and fleet vehicle operators. Take a look at our gallery below and watch the video after the break. %Gallery-slideshow73225%

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Nokia Here collection vehicle v2.0 ride-along (video)

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Nokia Here collection vehicle v2.0 ride-along

What do the Lumia 920, Surface Pro, Velodyne LIDAR, NovAtel GPS and Jetta TDI wagon all have in common? They're all essential parts of the next generation Nokia Here collection vehicle. When Here was announced last fall, we checked out v1.0 of the car which featured an elaborate but clunky set of sensors and cameras. That's also when Nokia announced it was acquiring Earthmine, a Berkeley-based 3D-mapping company. Nine months later, we're seeing the results of this collaboration with v2.0 of the collection vehicle. It's a simpler and more advanced setup which provides much improved image quality. Nokia recently invited us to take ride in a next generation Here car -- check out the gallery below then hit the break for our video and breakdown of the technology. %Gallery-slideshow73223%

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JPL’s RoboSimian flexes its robot muscles, haunts your nightmares (video)

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JPL's RoboSimian flexes its robot muscles, haunts your nightmares

Not content on landing several rovers on the surface of Mars, NASA's JPL team's been working on more earthly projects. RoboSimian is an ape-like robot designed for search-and-rescue missions that's expected to compete in the DARPA Robotics Challenge. It features four multi-jointed limbs with unique hands and no defined front or back -- allowing it to always face the right way. Thanks to its primate-like movement and posture, the robot will be able to navigate over difficult terrain, climb ladders and even drive vehicles (one of the DRC's requirements). While the project itself isn't new, JPL recently published an interesting video that shows RoboSimian gripping tools, lifting its own weight and balancing delicate objects. This means, of course, that robot monkeys will soon join spiders, cats and dogs in your dystopian nightmares. Video after the break.

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Source: JPL

Honda teases upcoming NSX with Concept-GT hybrid race car

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Honda teases upcoming NSX with ConceptGT hybrid race car

Honda's got a lot riding on the upcoming 2015 NSX hybrid (which will be sold in the US as an Acura). When it launched in 1990, the iconic first generation NSX took the sports car market by storm with an impressive (and affordable) combination of performance, comfort, design and build quality. Production ended in 2005 with the company shifting its focus towards hybrids and other green vehicles. As such, Honda enthusiasts have eagerly been awaiting the NSX replacement. While the new flagship is still being developed, the company just announced the NSX Concept-GT, a hybrid race car which is designed to compete in the Japanese SUPER GT series (GT500 class). Unlike the street version, which features a mid-mounted V6 and three electric motors, the Concept-GT boasts a 2.0L turbocharged direct-injection I4 paired with a "racing hybrid system". When it launches next year, the technology-packed NSX will compete with vehicles like BMW's i8 plug-in hybrid and Lexus' LF-CC. %Gallery-slideshow72907%

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Via: Autoblog

Source: Honda

Verizon shelves Wind and Mobilicity acquisitions, ponders Canada’s 700MHz auction

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Verizon shelves Wind and Mobilicity acquisitions, ponders Canada's 700MHz auction

Verizon's insatiable appetite for spectrum is legendary. The company's most recently been eyeing Canada's valuable 700MHz airwaves and even shown interest in acquiring troubled carriers Wind Mobile and Mobilicity. (Especially after the CRTC rejected Telus's attempt to purchase the latter.) The Globe and Mail now reports that VZW's chosen to delay its potential acquisitions of the two carriers until after next year's 700MHz auction and that the US company is considering a bid for the spectrum directly. It's unclear if Verizon is attempting to buy time, trying to push the price of the struggling operators down or simply losing interest in the Canadian market. One thing's for sure -- if the company bids in the auction it won't be able to negotiate any deals with other applicants until next year.

[Image credit: Andrew Currie, Flickr]

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Via: Reuters

Source: The Globe and Mail

ASUS MeMo Pad FHD 10 LTE specs revealed in official video

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ASUS MeMo Pad FHD 10 LTE specs revealed in official video

It's been sliced, it's been diced, it's been flaunted before. The ASUS MeMo Pad FHD 10 LTE -- a mouthful, we know -- was all but announced when CEO Jerry Shen brandished the slate on stage during Qualcomm's keynote at Computex. While we got our mitts on the dual-core Atom-based (Clover Trail+) non-LTE model in Taipei, the Snapdragon-equipped LTE version's been shrouded in mystery -- until now. ASUS just posted an official promo video on YouTube that outlines the tablet's specs: 9.9mm thick (vs. 9.5mm), 572g (vs. 580g), quad-core processor, stereo speakers, Miracast support, 5MP AF camera, 10-inch 1,920x1,200 IPS panel (178-degree viewing angles), 10-hour battery life, microSD card slot and an optional Folio Key keyboard cover. Not. Too. Shabby. Of course, it's unclear exactly which quad-core Qualcomm SoC the device features, but with LTE in the mix, we're guessing Snapdragon 800. Hit the break for the promo video.

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ASUS MeMo Pad FHD 10 LTE specs revealed in official video

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ASUS MeMo Pad FHD 10 LTE specs revealed in official video

It's been sliced, it's been diced, it's been flaunted before. The ASUS MeMo Pad FHD 10 LTE -- a mouthful, we know -- was all but announced when CEO Jerry Shen brandished the slate on stage during Qualcomm's keynote at Computex. While we got our mitts on the dual-core Atom-based (Clover Trail+) non-LTE model in Taipei, the Snapdragon-equipped LTE version's been shrouded in mystery -- until now. ASUS just posted an official promo video on YouTube that outlines the tablet's specs: 9.9mm thick (vs. 9.5mm), 572g (vs. 580g), quad-core processor, stereo speakers, Miracast support, 5MP AF camera, 10-inch 1,920x1,200 IPS panel (178-degree viewing angles), 10-hour battery life, microSD card slot and an optional Folio Key keyboard cover. Not. Too. Shabby. Of course, it's unclear exactly which quad-core Qualcomm SoC the device features, but with LTE in the mix, we're guessing there's a Snapdragon 800 on the menu. Hit the break for the promo video.

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