The Flow AR app for Android devices provides the ability for multiple products and text to be scanned.
Amazon’s Flow augmented reality app functions by hovering the mobile device camera feature over a product, such as a Blu-ray or a book, so that the online retailer can retrieve that item’s information.
The A9 subsidiary of Amazon has said that the new Android version of flow has much greater capabilities.
For example, its augmented reality app version is based on a much faster system that is capable of scanning several items at one time. Furthermore, it can tell the difference between similar sounding items, and can provide multiple product comparisons in order to help users to find the best item at the lowest price.
Crossfader has developed Version 1.4 of AR-MAPS, an iPhone app that supports augmented reality (AR) on maps. AR is one of visualization solutions. This map application represents the ground on the bottom half of the screen, showing a map there. On the top half, it shows a video, with AR tags attached to destinations on it. This makes navigation easier to visualize.
“AR-MAPS supports the iPhone. On the iPhone 5 (recommended models are iPhone 4S/5), you can choose between standard maps and Google Maps. Regarding Version 1.4, the first point is, this version supports English. Also, with AR-MAPS, you can switch between AR and Map modes by changing the way you hold the iPhone.”
The system needs to learn the vibration patterns for each surface on which it is used, but does not necessarily need to be taught the patten for each key individually.
“Ideally you would train each key, but you can do just a couple,” said Mr Kraeutli.
In a video demonstrating the technology, Mr Kraeutli uses a “keyboard” printed on an ordinary piece of paper to train Vibrative and then type a text message. He also shows the paper is unnecessary for a touch typist, once the system is trained, by typing directly onto the wooden table beneath.
The good news about digital photography is that users have a number of ways to take and share moments with each other. But over the course of many years, most users have collected tons of digital photos from a multitude of different sources: digital cameras and smartphones, as well as photos shared by their friends on social networks like Facebook. That’s led to a frustrating collection of media across a wide variety of platforms and devices.
MyShoebox is launching to solve that problem by providing mobile and web apps to aggregate and organize user photos from a number of sources. It also provides unlimited storage for users to backup all of their photos and provide access to them on all the different devices that they care about.
Technology leader introduces only commercially available platform-independent AR software with SLAM and Continuous Visual Search
MUNICH & SAN FRANCISCO, 18 October, 2012- After observing a year of remarkable growth in the amount of Augmented Reality (AR) users, developers and business applications, Metaio announced at its annual InsideAR technology conference to over 500 attendees that it will introduce scalable and sustainable AR production methods in order to empower AR on every smartphone, including a unified, platform-independent solution and software development kit, a new and improved desktop publishing tool, and integration of camera technologies like continuous visual search and SLAM, effectively enabling AR on anything, anywhere. Metaio also unveiled the results of extensive R&D: Live outdoor augmented reality on downtown Munich, real-time object recognition and tracking flying at 10,000 feet; Recognizing and augmenting every image of a 100-page magazine with a mobile device; and instant, do-it-yourself augmented reality for entire environments.
SLAM camera tracking is basically real-time object and environment recognition that allows for instant digital overlays in nearly any situation. When Metaio decided to integrate SLAM into its SDK, they wanted to benchmark it to make sure it would be the best available. So they did, from 1000 feet in the air. Notice as the Drone flies over the small town that the Camera automatically and gradually learns its environment, recognizing more and more of the town and terrain. The image on the right is a skeleton display of the feature points, showing how the camera literally learns and understands what it’s seeing. This technology is available today for no-charge download in the brand new Metaio SDK http://metaio.com/products/sdk
Metaio has fostered the idea of an Augmented City for the past two years – this year we delivered the first accessible Outdoor 3-D Augmented Reality demo. The new SLAM feature and Metaio’s award-winning Augmented Reality algorithms powered this AR overlay directly on Munich’s city hall. Day or night, now anyone can witness the famous “Glockenspiel” demonstration that normally only occurs at 11am.
Also, using complex geo-locational data for downtown Munich, Metaio added brand new line-of-sight Points of Interest (POIs). No more random floating billboards on the horizon that have no connection to reality – the new POIs combine GPS and real-world data to appear exactly where they’re supposed to be. This isn’t a research demo either- it’s an experience available to anyone with an Android or iOS mobile device using the free augmented reality browser app, junaio. http://dev.metaio.com/junaio
When Metaio augments something, it stays augmented. GPS is good enough to get a user somewhere, but not good enough to “anchor” 3-D content to a physical location. Metaio is working on a “snapping” algorithm that uses GPS to get close and then “snaps” the 3-D reference to the physical location to allow for tightly-aligned, life-like augmented reality. Instead of streaming the GPS data, the models are locked in, and they’re not going anywhere once they are.
In 2009, it was difficult to augment a single page of a magazine in a browser on a PC with huge processing power. Today the Metaio SDK enables augmenting over 100 unique images, on a consumer mobile device, with no cloud necessary. And since it doesn’t rely on an internet connection, the augmented reality is instantaneous, robust and smoother than ever. Learn more about the new Metaio SDK at http://metaio.com/products/sdk
It’s no secret that the publishing world has undergone something of a shake up over the last couple of years. Kindles and ebooks, self-publishing and the success of Fifty Shades of Grey have all taken their toll on the industry—and much like other entertainment industries it’s had to move with the times or be damned. Or— which is what generally happens—do a bit of both. And while some people might think the digital publishing revolution (even though it’s not really a revolution) is just bad fan fiction, unnecessary interaction, and mommy porn—it’s not all bad.
With the old publishing methods changing it’s meant that publishing houses have looked to digital formats to release books, creating interactive apps that can augment a classic book with a wealth of bonus material, or provide a different way of reading a contemporary one. One of the successes of this way of doing things has been the release of TS Elliot’s The Waste Land as an interactive iPad app with articles, interactive text, videos, interviews and a whole bunch of DVD extras-style material that fans can dive into.
The latest literary classic to get this treatment is A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, released by Random House. The app has a wealth of material that you can read and watch, from the author’s thoughts on why Mick Jagger would’ve been a better person to play Alex in the film, to his annoyance at people calling it The Clockwork Orange rather than A Clockwork Orange.
Budweiser has once again partnered with augmented reality specialist Aurasma to create an interesting way for smartphone owners to engage with the FA Cup. The headline sponsor of the English footy tournament has made one of many fans’ dreams come true, by giving them the opportunity to drink from the iconic trophy.
All they need is an Android or iOS device laden with the dedicated Budweiser Man of the Match app, which is available now on Apple’s App Store and Google Play.
On October 11, NTT Docomo will start the Utsushite Honyaku service, which instantly translates foreign-language restaurant menus when you point a smartphone’s camera at them.
Amazon’s Appstore for Android has long allowed consumers to test apps in the browser before purchase, but a new startup debuting now wants to offer an alternative. AppSurfer, as the company is called, has a bigger vision: it wants to become the “YouTube of Android apps.” Whether or not the company can get there is still an unknown, but there’s something interesting about this idea of making apps browser experiences which can be tried, tested, shared, run and embedded anywhere.
Based in India, the startup has only 50 apps on its platform as it heads into public beta, and the majority are from local publishers. Note also that this release is targeted towards developers, not consumers, so there’s still time to improve its consumer-facing website, which is in need of a little polish before claiming a title like “YouTube of Android apps.” The company says its consumer release will include a standalone Android application for app discovery as well, and it will arrive in about two months – after the app catalog is expanded.
Star Trek fans will be able to follow in their heroes’ footsteps by being “beamed up” at this month’s Destination Star Trek London, with a new free augmented reality app.
The ‘Beam Me Up App’ has been launched by CBS Action specifically for the expo and will see Trekkies stand on a purpose-built Star Trek platform before a friend points a smartphone at their silhouette. Once the phone is aligned correctly, their image will be seen to be beamed up through the phone’s display.
Note: This text was previously released on the Huffington Post on August 31, 2012. A week before the NFl began their official season.
The NFL prepares for its upcoming season, and during exhibition games on television, as wide receivers go deep for spectacular catches, I cannot help but be reminded of exciting moments from the London Olympic Games, particularly in track & field — when Usain Bolt ran to take three gold medals in the the 100 m, 200 m and 4×100 m relay.
Coincidentally, there has been speculation that Bolt may transition to professional sports such as football in the NFL, although he may prefer soccer. The main reason behind his potential future in either sport is not because he is a good ball handler, in fact, the ball is hardly mentioned. What matters is that Bolt is fast.
Note: This entry was updated on August 19, 2012 with an extra commentary at the end of the main text.
As an educator in higher education and researcher specializing in remix culture and authorship, when I first learned about Zakaria’s admission to plagiarism, I was very disappointed in him, and thought that there was no way around it, that his admission of plagiarizing parts of Jill Lepore‘s work on gun control written for the New Yorker puts into question his intellectual integrity.
I thought that his apology was quick and to the point, but that somehow it was not enough. I thought that it was necessary for Zakaria to come forward and explain in as much detail as possible the reasoning for his behavior. And I thought that I wasn’t alone in hoping for this to happen–that if an actual explanation was delivered, it would all serve the constructive purpose of discussing the seriousness of plagiarism with students while providing a concrete example of a public intellectual who committed such an unacceptable act.
Note: This text appeared previously on Huffington post. Since its original publication on August 8, 2012, NBC decided to at least make available live streaming of the closing ceremonies. Other than this, much of what is observed in the following commentary remains relevant.
Viewers well versed in media expect delivery-on-demand for major events. This has created a peculiar tension when viewing prime-time Olympic coverage consisting of competitions that previously took place throughout the day, but which were not broadcasted live on TV. After the first week of events, it appears that audiences are tuning-in to NBC’s evening broadcast in larger numbers than previous Olympics, and this has become the network’s main justification for holding out on selected events until prime-time.
Social media spoilers are inevitable when the broadcasting network decides to block-out selected events and save them for primetime. This became evident to me as I experienced the Olympics during the first three days.
It began on Friday when I settled to watch the opening ceremony. At this time I briefly considered the fact that the broadcast was not live on the East Coast of the United States, where I live. I also realized that people on the West Coast would see the opening extravaganza three hours after me.
I said to myself that it did not matter because viewing a delayed broadcast of an opening event, sure to be considered historic, would not change my viewing experience. Such a situation is equivalent to one’s willingness to watch a television series knowing that it is a recorded production.
Things were different when I selectively viewed the first events on Saturday live on Bravo, CNBC, MSNBC, and NBC Sports. The multiple broadcasts were also complemented with apps for mobile media, well supported with the nbcolympics.com website.
Throughout the day I checked twitter and Facebook for updates and comments. I soon learned that Michael Phelps took fourth place in the Men’s 400m Individual Medley, while Ryan Lochte took first, winning the gold. However, I was not able to experience the historic moment until primetime on NBC. At this point I was more interested in knowing how it happened, and was no longer invested in the event as I would have, had it been live.
The same thing happened again on Sunday when Lochte and Phelps participated in the men’s 4×100-meter freestyle relay only to come second to France. Again, I learned about this in the late afternoon, but I waited to view it during primetime on NBC.
The decision by NBC to select certain events, from earlier in the day, and broadcast them during primetime began to be discussed as soon as Saturday, and by Sunday, stories were written on different online publications. Entertainment Weekly, in particular, ran two extensive stories. NBC apparently made its decision in order to attain higher ratings during its primetime broadcast. Understandably some people are quite unhappy about NBC’s decision, which is why, as I write this, the hash tag #nbcfail is still going strong with rants.
After viewing the events on Sunday night, however, I don’t think that the problem for NBC is that selected events are shown well after they take place. The problem, in my view, is that NBC appears to be selecting the wrong events for delayed broadcast at night.
To be specific, both on Saturday and Sunday during primetime, NBC went back and forth between gymnastics and swimming. When swimming came on, I could not help but think that I was about to see something which had already taken place. But with gymnastics, I did not mind the delayed broadcast at all. Why, I thought? I came to the conclusion that it has to do with the type of sport.
Swimming is an action sport, which deals with extreme physical performance dependent on time. It is defined by exciting moments such as when your favorite athlete does not even take third place. Add to this the possibility of breaking a world record, and you are sure to have a nail-biting experience as a viewer. Such thrill is unlikely to happen with a delayed broadcast of a major swimming competition such as Lochte’s and Phelps’ once it has been spoiled earlier in the day due to social media and online news sources.
Gymnastics, on the other hand, is a sport about physical strength, precision and gracefulness. Add to this the fact that it depends on points given by judges who, in large part, rely on aesthetics, and we have a dynamic that is closer to viewing a theatrical performance, and not so different from viewing the opening ceremony. Gymnastics is one of my favorite categories in the Olympics, and I don’t think I have ever experienced them live.
NBC’s situation actually makes apparent the fact that major networks need to better understand how to create a worthwhile experience for viewers who are likely to know already much about sporting events that took place early in the day (in this case the Olympics) which they decide to deliver during primetime.
If a network decides to hold out on a sport defined by its physical excitement, such as swimming, then an effort should be made in creating a viewing experience about how and why something happened and not “what will happen.” This approach would then make the juxtaposition of swimming and gymnastics a better fit given their differences as I explained. With this more realistic approach Bob Costas will not have to say “no spoilers” as he introduces the taped segment of Lochte winning gold while Phelps takes none, hoping that the viewers will have a thrilling experience. I did not.
The RE/Mixed Media Festival, now in it’s 3rd year, is an annual celebration of collaborative art-making and creative appropriation. It’s the artists’ contribution to the ongoing conversation about remixing, mashups, copyright law, fair use, and the freedom of artists to access their culture in order to add to and build upon it.
The festival – which this year will take place at the Brooklyn Lyceum – a 3-floor 10,000 sq. ft. venue on the border of the Park Slope and Gowanus neighborhoods of Brooklyn – will feature performances, panel discussions, live musical collaborations, hip-hop, sampling, film & video, DIY, food and drink, DJs, technology, interactive installations, painting, sculpture, software, hacking, and much more!
Note: Previously this entry read “book print.” This was a mistake on my part. It should be “book sprint.”
I recently read the “book print” New Aesthetic, New Anxieties by a group of media researchers, theorists and curators, who got together for three and a half days from June 17–21, 2012, at V2, in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
The concept of coming together for just a few days to brainstorm a book is certainly something worth considering as an act of creative critical practice. The book from this standpoint functions surprisingly well, especially because its premise is delivered to match the speed of change that its subject (The New Aesthetic) experiences in the daily flow of information throughout the global network. I personally find amazing that a book of this sort can be put together with some cohesion.
Digging through my archives, I found the list of my early updates on Facebook. When I joined Facebook back in 2008, personal updates read “What are you doing?” prompted with “Your Name is … ” I liked the idea behind positioning the Facebook user in a constant state of action. It was like a performance online. Because of this set up, I found myself always thinking of what I was actually doing at the moment that I entered Facebook, and thought of creative ways to approach the apparent triviality of the updates.
We are currently conducting a survey for a Remix Studies book project and we would really appreciate your help. The survey is quick and easy and should take no more than a few minutes of your time. Your assistance will be invaluable in the development of the book, which we hope will be of great use to students, teachers, researchers and practitioners of remix alike.
If possible, we would also be very grateful if you could help us to distribute the survey to anyone within your networks who has an interest in remix.
Kim Jung Il is dead. Sadam and Kadafi have been overthrown and executed. The model of the old-school dictator seems to be dying. Unfortunately, there’s a new dictator in town. Well, not really new, but its presence has never been more prevalent or obvious. This dictator is not just one person or regime. The neo-dictator is comprised of countless organizations, with its power being shifted and redistributed per agenda, so this dictator can’t ever really be killed off. Like any good tyrant, the neo-dictator is motivated by lust for money and power (the quench for which can never be sated). Naturally the neo-dictator’s most powerful tool is the law, laws like SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act), which are designed so content providers and their bed fellows could hold onto their outdated and dying business models. Perhaps it’s just a tactic to slow down technological advancement while they catch up.
Erik Kessels’ installation shows what 24 hours of photos on Flickr looks like in physical form. The installation got me thinking about the exorbitant amount of pictures we take today. I’ve never been a big picture taker, that was until I got a digital camera. I have a little over a hundred physical pictures I’ve collected over my lifetime, but I have thousands in digital form, most of which I accumulated in a span of 3-4 years, starting about 7 years ago. My physical pictures I view once in a while, with a definite level of fondness, sometimes wishing I had taken more pictures. I took those pictures to commemorate specific events: nieces’ birthdays, the first time I went camping with my nieces, my last weekend in San Antonio before I moved back to LA, my college graduation, nieces’ high school graduations, dad’s 60th birthday, the last party I attended in Boston before I moved back to LA, pictures from my cross-country trips, when the family dog was just a puppy, and so on. Most of my digital pictures, however, are rather insignificant.
