HTC planning first 3D Android smartphone in 2011

HTC Desire HD (2010)

TechRadar reports that HTC are aiming to be the first to offer an Android smartphone with a 3D screen.



HTC has been making something of a splash in the Android market of late with phones such as the Desire, with the latest developments in 3D screens looking to be the next major tech objective for the mobile manufacturer. HTC was actually demonstrating 3D mobiles at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona back in February of this year, although those tech demos were mainly being used to show off the latest capabilities of its smartphone chips, not to showcase finalised handsets. but it seemed unlikely at the time that any would go into production in the forseeable future.

But HTC recently advertised a job for a 'display and camera design engineer' who had 'familiary with 3D display and imaging technologies', and HTC insiders have reportedly said that they hope to have a device on the market before 2011 is out.

They're not the only ones looking at bringing 3D to Android phones - Motorola, Acer and Sharp are also interested in adding more dimensions to the phone experience, with Sharp currently looking like they might win the race to get the first device to market.

Interest in portable 3D devices is sure to increase in 2011 with the introduction of the Nintendo 3DS, which will bring a 3D effect to handheld gaming.

A 3D phone might have large privacy issues as onlookers would be able to see to a degree what you are doing on you phone, but it would be a huge step into a 'minority report' like future where hardware would be very small and the software will be the interactive part.

http://www.metro.co.uk/tech/849165-htc-planning-first-3d-android-smartphone-in-2011#ixzz173WyEXUr

Google Maps tracks Santa's journey across the globe on Christmas Eve

Google and NORAD – the North American Aerospace Defence Command – have teamed up to show Santa’s route as he delivers presents across the globe.

NORAD has been tracking Father Christmas since 1955 but three years ago joined forces with Google to utilise Google Maps.

This year the real-time stream will begin at 2am Eastern Time (9am GMT) on Christmas Eve.

Noradsanta.org will host this year’s event, with children able to play holiday-themed games in the lead up to Christmas, with a new one added every day.

People will be able to follow Father Christmas on their computer, phones and on Google Earth this holiday as the countdown to the big day begins

Again another novelty application that makes use of google maps, its just a way for parents to entertain there kids on christmas eve and keep the magic of christmas alive

NORAD tracks santa 2009- YouTube video

German Google Rage

Google 'fans' pelt blurred German Street View homes with eggs 


According to reports in the German media, several houses in the Bergerhausen neighbourhood of Essen, Western Germany were hit with eggs. All of the targeted houses are ones that were blurred out in Street View.

The vandals were choosing their targets based on their opting out of Street View. They taped notes to the mailboxes of the houses saying 'Google's cool.'

Google Street View launched in Germany earlier this month following much controversy over its privacy implications - to which Google responded by taking the unprecedented step of allowing German households to opt out of their homes being visible on the service.

A blurred out residence in Germany.

Those houses that opted out - around 244,000, or just under 3% of all German residences - are blurred out in the online images.

In my opinion the people who opted out would of done so out of fear of privacy invasion perhaps because they aren't aware of technological advances in culture and lifestyle. But I cant think of a justification for vandalising someones house on the basis that they opted out of a service which has little practical applications. 

Flush Tracker

Flush Tracker lets you track your business in honour of World Toilet Day.


Have you ever wondered where it all goes once you flush the toilet? Now, thanks to the wonders of the internet, you can find out, with the new site Flush Tracker. 

Flush Tracker from Domestos allows you to enter the time and location of your most recent toilet visit, and uses Google Maps to let you track it as they make their way through your local sewers.

Times columnist Caitlin Moran wrote: 'Judging by the response I'm getting, Britain has now ground to a HALT watching plop-journeys on company time. WELL DONE BRITAIN.'

The site, created by toilet cleansers Domestos, actually has a serious purpose - it's in support of today's World Toilet Day, highlighting the fact that 2.5billion people around the world don't have access to proper toilets or sewerage. 

Info found http://www.metro.co.uk/tech/847768-flush-tracker-lets-you-track-your-poo

The serious message promoted is: A STAGGERING 2.5 BILLION PEOPLE DON’T HAVE A PROPER TOILET - THEIR WASTE HAS NOWHERE TO GO, EXPOSING THEM TO DISEASE-CAUSING GERMS.

I think that its quite a good way to promote a serious message, as a toilet cleaning brand its quite appropriate, it also goes to show how technology and the internet make these things possible. The ability to track these sorts of things is astonishing. sometimes we don't realise the advancement of technology or maybe were just used to it. 

Flush Tracker Page

Myspace

I noticed today that the social networking site MySpace has been rebranded and revamped to compete with facebook and twitter, MySpace dropped off the scene when facebook became vastly popular in 2008/2009 stylized My_____the classic blue has been replaced by a more white interface, to resemble the look and feel of Facebook, and to attract users of Facebook to join or rejoin Myspace. 

The simplication of the navigation bar also made it easier to find features quickly. In August 2010, the home page was modified to give new room for the Myspace Stream and to make it resemble Facebook further.

On October 27, 2010, Myspace introduced a beta version of a new site design on a limited scale, with plans to switch all interested users to the new site in late November. Chief executive Mike Jones said the site is no longer competing with Facebook as a general social networking site. Instead, Myspace would be music-oriented and would target younger people. 

Myspace has always been good for new music and unsigned bands to be seen and heard. I myself have resigned to myspace. I tried twitter but found it wasn't as easy to use and speak to people one to one like facebook

MySpace after I rejoined

MySpace Site

Star Wars Holograms 'Could Become Reality'

Scientists have found a way to beam lifelike images in almost real-time.

Image Projected onto a piece of perspex.

They believe the breakthrough may one day allow people to communicate in the same way Princess Leia recorded herself appealing for help in the fight against the Empire in Star Wars.

The technology is very much in its early days, but scientists think it could be the future of tele-conferencing and has potential applications in surgery, entertainment and engineering.

Link:

3D Moving Images Possible- YouTube

The hologram is created by taking images at different angles and sending them over a computer network.

During the research, they were projected on to a transparent plastic panel and refreshed every few seconds.

While sending 3D images has been done before, they were far from lifelike because it took a long time for them to update – making realistic movement impossible.

Professor Nasser Peyghambarian, who leads the US team behind the research at the University of Arizona in Tucson, said: "Holographic telepresence means we can record a three-dimensional image in one location and show it in another location, in real time, anywhere in the world."

I think this is amazing news, only last week on the trip to glasgow, we were talking about how Sony had been experimenting with 3D technology with several screens to create a depth perception, but this is talking about an actual 3D moving image. 

Cars Of The Future May Be Grown, Not Built

LA Auto Show 2010 

Futuristic designs for cars that are "grown" rather than built and powered by compressed air have been put together by some of the world's most famous manufacturers. Top manufacturers were invited to come up with "comfortable, stylish and safe" vehicles that would weigh no more than 1,500lbs - lighter than a Mini Metro - and run on renewable fuels.

Honda has submitted the Air, which it says was inspired by rollercoasters and skydiving suits, runs on compressed air and weighs just 800lbs.

Other entries range from cars "grown" from seeds to futuristic models with computers that could link up to a city's transport infrastructure and avoid traffic jams.

The designs include the Mercedes-Benz Biome, which designers say would be created in a lab from organic material and absorb solar energy like a plant.The Nissan iV would be built from fast-growing ivy and a substance based on a spider's web.Volvo's Air Motion uses thousands fewer parts than a traditional car thanks to powerful but simple compressed-air motors.

I think its important for car manufacturers to take responsibility for their impact on the environment, from an innovation point of view these concepts can influence new useful products like they have been influenced by the products that proceeded them, even if they don't get produced. from the images of the cars you can see that they are far from the cars of today with there bold shapes and new materials. 

Honda Air

Mercedes-Benz Biome

The Cadillac Aera

The Nissan iV

Maybach's DRS

Volvo's Air Motion

 

 

Viral Videos

A viral video becomes popular throughinternet sharing, through video sharing websites and email.Viral videos often found on YouTube;
Humor is often a characteristic of viral videos, but not a defining one. A viral video is any video that's passed electronically, from person to person, regardless of its content.

With the popularity and ease of use of camera phones many videos are being shot by amateurs on these devices. The availability of inexpensive video editing and publishing tools allows video shot on mobile phones to be edited and distributed virally, by email or website, and between phones by Bluetooth or MMS. These consumer-shot videos are typically non-commercial, intended for viewing by friends or family.

Some viral videos I find effective are from the band OK GO, these videos allowed people from all over the world to listen to the band and become popular in places they wouldnt of reached usually

OK Go- Here It Goes Again (The Treadmill Video)

OK Go - This Too Shall Pass (Domino Effect)

'Past' Trends

Today all the Level 1 ABM students from staffs went up to Manchester for a research project on trends, there was a place a few of us visited called Afflecks Palace just a block or two away from the Arndale Centre, Afflecks Palace is a 3 floor building filled with different shops, generally alternatives to high street fashion etc. however I did notice a few 'Trends' amongst the reclaimed clothes and items there was items that were appearing in most fashion outlets, there was old technology like type writers and atari gaming systems on sale as bespoke interior fashion accesories, my observation is that the key trends of the moment are new technology and eco design, but there is still a place for nostalgia amongst fashion and innovation.

Afflecks Palace, Northern Quarter
52 Church Street, Manchester M4 1PW

Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange

 
Smirnoff (the vodka brand) is creating a global event that enlists consumers to assemble the best of quintessentially local, but unexpected night life ingredients from their city.
These ingredients are boxed up and then shared with sister cities around the globe.
On one given date the nightlife exchange will enable one city to experience the best of what another city has to offer.

London may experience the nightlife of Cape Town, Berlin may receive the experiences of Miami, and Buenos Aires nights may land in Sydney!

A cross-pollination of nightlife around the world creating an iconic, global BE THERE moment, which will take place on November 27th around the world.

I think this is a clever way to advertise the brand as the people who go to this event will link the brand to the night they will have had 

Smirnoff Exchange Facebook Page

The Future of Advertising?

I was looking through the guardians tech page and I found this article about personalised advertising billboards. In Steven Spielberg's sci-fi film Minority Report, an interactive advert shouts to Tom Cruise's character "John Anderton, you could use a Guinness!" – having identified him by scanning his eye. "Produced by the electronics giant NEC, the ad signage uses facial recognition software and can identify the shopper's gender (with 85-90% accuracy), ethnicity and approximate age."

A virtual mannequin appearing in the digital billboards

My opinion is that obviously this technology is in its early stages but in future it could lead to more personalised adverts, and leading to a better shopping experience, however some people could be scared of being automatically identified wherever they go and may fear their privacy is being invaded.

Guardian Article (Click Here) 

My Favourite Advert

John Lewis Ad 2010 (YouTube Link)

Still from John Lewis ad.

This is an advert for the department store John Lewis,  

I find this advert to be very interesting because of its context. It does not drive a specific product or show any of its particular services or tell the intended audience anything whatsoever about John Lewis department stores.

However what I think it is there to do is promote the name John Lewis as a reliable family brand. The advert itself follows a girl through maturity to an old woman with a family, there are shots of marriage, good times and sunny days. the music played over the video is: Fyfe Dangerfield 'She's Always A Woman' which is a soft gentle piece of music, this promotes warmth and safety within the advert. 

The first mention of a message for the advert comes in at 1 minute 15 seconds of the video where the message 'Never Knowingly Undersold on quality, price and service' followed by 'Our Lifelong Commitment to You'

This advert is in my opinion a good example of brand building tactics to drive sales rather than a particular product focus. By building the brand name John Lewis put themselves on an invisible pedestal above other department stores like Debenhams or M&S.