Project Natal’s Amazing New Technology

The new technology being revealed with Project Natal is something that will change technology forever.  Some of these things have been talked about for a while, but now with a 12-18 month release date projected, we will be using them very soon.

More game interaction is something that has grown lately.  With the Nintendo Wii allowing you to have motion activated controllers, things have changed already.  However, now no controllers will be needed.  Your body and voice becomes the direction.

The trailers being released by XBox are very impressive, and live demos have proven that the technology really is as good as it looks.  People who have been lucky enough to try it are raving about how realistic it is.

The Milo project is especially fascinating to me.  To interact with a boy who remembers you and actually mimics emotion in your voice is incredible.  To be able to hand something to someone inside your game and have them look at it isn’t something I ever imagined I’d be able to do.

We’re getting closer and closer to the holodeck from “Star Trek” that I’ve been hoping for since I was a kid, and I’m getting pretty excited!

Watch the Project Natal trailer above and then click Read More to see the Milo demo.

[Thanks to Andrew!]

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Apartment Therapy’s Smallest Coolest Home Contest

I never thought I would be jealous of a 210 square foot apartment, but the winner of Apartment Therapy’s Smallest Coolest Home Contest in the “teeny-tiny” division makes me want to live there.  It’s cozy and decorated very well.  It looks like someplace I’d love to curl up with a good book and relax.

The grand prize winner of the entire contest was the 478 square foot apartment in the “tiny” division.  I actually liked the teeny-tiny apartment better, but the winners in all divisions had great places.  Even if these people live in small apartments, they clearly have enough money to decorate with good taste.  My apartment might win “most items donated for free in a small space,” but that’s about it.

One thing I don’t understand is that the winner of the “small” division had 1150 square feet.  How is that a small apartment?  I don’t think I’ve ever lived in a place that big, even when I lived in 2 or 3 bedroom places.  It’s definitely a cool apartment with a loft sort of vibe, but it’s not small.

Click here to see photos of all the winning apartments: Apartment Therapy

Espresso Book Machines

Everyone wants easier ways to get books.  First they started doing digital downloads that you could read on your computer.  Then came the Kindle and other e-book readers.  Now we can get books from an ATM.  OnDemandBooks has developed a machine, called the Espresso Book Machine, that can print out the book of your choice at 112 pages per minute.  Complete with a color cover and bound like any book you’d pick up off the shelves, you can custom order that book you haven’t been able to find in the store.

The Espresso Book Machine made its premiere in the UK, but is already in multiple locations around the world.  If things go well, you can expect to see them everywhere.  Currently the machine carries hundreds of thousands of titles, but creators say that within months its catalog will include millions.

Prices vary depending on the titles, and by looking through the digital catalog you can access the book of your choice and view the information.  Out of print, hard to come by books will cost more, while newer books will be cheaper.  This could be great for people who haven’t been able to find an older, rare book.  OnDemandBooks claims “No book need ever be out of print again.”

The OnDemandBooks website describes their creation on the main page: “Library quality paperbacks at low cost, identical to factory made books, printed direct from digital files for the reader in minutes, serving a radically decentralized world-wide multilingual marketplace. In essence, an ATM for books.”

Although this isn’t quite as exciting as the pizza vending machines I wrote about before, it is still an interesting step towards technology taking care of us.  Some people have said they’re afraid it will take over regular book stores, but I don’t think that’s the case.  I know that I love going to book stores and browsing the shelves, waiting for a title to catch my eye.  But I also know that when there’s a specific book I’m searching for, it would be nice to have a place to print it out in minutes instead of trying to find a decent used copy or ordering it online, paying shipping, and waiting for it to arrive.  It’s also nicer than an e-reader if you’re the type who really loves to actually have the book in your hands (like I do) instead of just a digital copy.

Another great thing about the EBM is that authors (published or unpublished) can print out their own manuscripts through the machine.  You can have a bound, professional looking copy of your book in minutes.

People will probably be wary of the Espresso Book Machines at first (plus that’s an awful name for the machine.  Someone needs to get a creative team on this ASAP) but after more places start using them, I’m sure it will become quite popular.

Click here to visit the website for the Espresso Book Machine: OnDemandBooks

Click Read More to see a (really boring) video of the EBM.  (Seriously, where is the creative team on all this??)  Also, there’s a more interesting video from CNN that shows the machine in action.

[Thanks to Michele!]

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Making Swine Flu Sexy, One Mask At A Time

If you want to see the latest in Swine Flu fashion, click on over to the “Hot Guys in Flu Masks” site.  Even George Clooney knows that flu masks are all the rage this season.  Hot guys know that covering up their mouth gives them a seductive hint of mystery, as well as protection from bad stuff in the air — double sexy.  Plus when Swine Flu wipes out all the ugly guys who didn’t get the flu mask fashion memo, we’ll only be left with the hotties.  This is smart fashion.

Click here to check out the hotness: Hot Guys in Flu Masks

Unfortunately, Heidi and Spencer are also ahead of the fashion trends, so they too will be spared…

Atlanta Airport Uses Music to Keep Clean

Taking a new approach to an anti-litter campaign, the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is now using music to inspire people to clean up after themselves.  They changed the words to popular songs such as “Shake Your Groove Thing,” which is now “Keep It Opening Day Fresh” and “Bustin’ Loose” which became “We’re Steady Cleaning Up.”  Of course they also threw in some new lyrics to “Fantastic Voyage,” making it “Our New Concessions,” reminding patrons about the food and retail options available at the airport.  Don’t expect them not to try to subliminal message people into buying stuff while they’re at it.

The airport secured the rights to each of the songs from the original artists, who even agreed to record the new versions themselves.  They all have said they are pleased with the new versions.  (AKA: they aren’t famous anymore and need money.)  Herb Fame, from Peaches and Herb, who performed the remake to “Shake Your Groove Thing,” said it “was a worldwide song and people recognize the melody.  It was fun to do and every time I come through the airport I listen to it.”

The airport worked with psychologists to develop a better method to fighting the litter issue.  Signs are easy to overlook, and people see them everywhere.  With the music sounding so close to the original, it’s more of a subliminal message that people will hear all around them.  “The whole idea is to make it sound as much like the original as possible,” said Doug Strachan, Creative Innovations Manager for the City of Atlanta Department of Aviation, who rewrote the lyrics himself. “If it’s not really done with deft, then it kind of detracts from it rather than enhances it.”

Maybe he hasn’t listened to the songs he wrote, because they sound absolutely ridiculous.  Here are some lyrics from the future hit “Our New Concessions”: “Wow!  New shopping, new spas, new food! / People can’t you see, oh can’t you see, Hartsfield-Jackson wants to serve you.  (That’s right we mean it!) / We want to serve your happiness with purses… / Construction’s almost complete (It’s almost done!) / It’ll be brand new.  (So new!)”

Along with the new music, the airport has also started using a special scent in the airport to help people relax, which is called “Breeze.”  It’s an attempt to add even more sensory reminders that the airport is a “clean” atmosphere.  They are currently developing a custom scent for the airport to replace this one.

No matter what the Atlanta airport does, I doubt I would ever feel relaxed there.  It is one of the busiest airports in the country and has always been my least favorite stopping point for a layover.  They’re going to need to start pumping some anti-anxiety scent in with the “Breeze” if they really want people to relax and take in their awesome new music.

Click Read More to read some of the new lyrics to the classic songs.
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Victory Gardens

Victory Gardens first came about during the 40s, when America was at war.  The government suggested that people plant gardens as an act of support for the country during a struggling time.  Not only was it a way to grow food for your family and community when the nation was struggling, but it helped to bring people together, working on gardens together and making it a social activity.  Millions of Americans planted gardens.

Today, with the U.S. in the midst of a recession and another war, and with the fear of global warming constantly an issue, some people are asking for the Victory Gardens to be revived.  Michelle Obama has even planted a garden at the White House.  With fewer people growing their own food these days, it has to be shipped across the country, or even from other countries.  The costs of shipping, along with the gasoline used, all adds to the rise in cost of food.  It also adds to global warming because of all the extra travel and pollution caused by the trucks and manufacturing, packaging, and processing.

People have been looking for different ways to cut costs with the economy in this state, but instead of just cutting back, you can add fresh produce to your diet, while avoiding the high prices at the grocery store.  Now that spring is here, it’s the perfect time to plant.  And why not make it a social activity like they did during the war?  Have the whole family get involved with choosing which things to plant and what you can cook once it grows.

Even if you don’t have a yard, you can grow small plants on a porch, balcony, or windowsill.  What you plant also depends on the region in which you live.  You can find out which plants are best suited for your region at the Arbor Day Foundation here: Arbor Day Foundation You also need to know what time of year to plant.  Some plants must be planted early in the season, and some later.  Find out here: Planting Dates

There are many sites available for ordering seeds.  Here are a few options:

Seed Savers

Rare Seeds

Victory Seeds

Gardens Alive!

[Thanks to Katie!]

The Outbreak – Interactive Movie

When you watch a movie, do you yell at the characters?  Get frustrated when they make the wrong choice?  Scream at them for going down a dark hallway alone when a killer is on the loose?  With the new interactive online film, The Outbreak, you have a say in every major decision the characters make.  You watch about 2 minutes of the movie, then you are presented with a screen with two choices.  What you pick will decide the fates of the characters and change the outcome of the movie.

The Outbreak begins with a group of people running into a house from a zombie attack.  One man is bleeding and they have to decide if they should kill him or not — did the zombies infect him?  Is he going to turn?  It’s up to you; your first choice is to let him live or die.  From that decision the movie can go different ways, and you will be presented with more choices as you go on.  It’s a lot like those “Choose Your Own Adventure” books that used to be popular.  I loved those as a kid, and this is the future of that idea.

Would you survive a zombie attack?  Are you really smarter than the characters you yell at in the movies?  Click here to play the movie and find out: The Outbreak

Click Read More if you want to check out the trailer for the film.
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London’s Container City

Since tonight is Earth Hour, I thought it was appropriate to concentrate on the subject of the environment.  Container City in London was designed by Urban Space Management in 2001.  It is made completely from shipping containers with recycled materials added in for windows and balconies.  Shipping containers are usually sent to the dump after they are used, but by turning them into homes and offices, Urban Space Management has created the ultimate plan in large scale recycling.

The city looks modern and unique, and is also an incredibly cheap option.  Building materials are already there, so the cost of construction is very low and the process is fast.  Using more materials that are ready for use instead of creating more helps out the environment and the cost of living — two things that we are having a problem with in the world today.

The History Channel did a special on Container City, which you can watch after clicking Read More.
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My Little Pony Goes Hollywood

Artist Mari Kasurinen’s interesting new art project takes My Little Pony dolls and transforms them into characters from some classic films.  Kasurinen has created all different types of pony, from My Little Chewbacca to My Little He-Man to My Little Edward Scissorhands (pictured above).  She takes My Little Pony figurines and uses a combination of sculpting and painting to create the characters.  As an art student in Finland, this is Kasurinen’s biggest project, although she also paints and does graphic design work.  You can see all her ponies on her website, as well as some of her other artwork: Mari Kasurinen

More pictures after clicking Read More.
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Veritocracy: Don’t Let Anyone Else’s Opinions Get in Your Way

A new web tool, Veritocracy, allows you to customize the internet to fit your own beliefs.  If you are sick of seeing headlines about Octomom, click the Veritocracy button that says you don’t like those stories, and you will no longer be inundated with information about the mom and her eight babies.  If you can’t get enough Obama, click that you like those articles, and Veritocracy will deliver more to your search.

In a culture that is so divided about opinions, politically and socially, are programs like Veritocracy going to help us or hurt us?  It seems as though it just gives people another excuse to ignore other opinons and stay closed minded.  We already have such a lack of respect for other views and cultures, will it really help to shut out anything that we don’t feel completely comfortable with?

http://www.veri.com/