PBS explores ways to adapt classroom education for kids growing up in a digital world.
Watch the full episode. See more Digital Media – New Learners Of The 21st Century.
Imagine using an iPhone in the palm of your hand. Now, do it again but put the phone away.
Using a depth perceptive camera, researchers are able to allow people to use their iPhones remotely. People can tap their palms, swipe or perform other gestures captured by a depth-sensitive video camera. The signals are transmitted to the iPhone using a WiFi radio and the actions are performed in realtime.
http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/37611/
Imagine allowing people to use a personal phone or public kiosk by interacting with either themselves (palm touch) or more subtle means, such as voice or other “natural” gestures. We are no longer tethered to the device.
Contributed by Kevin Jeong
With Hype 1.0, you can create impressive animations and interactive sites in HTML5 without any actual code.
The brainchild of two developers formerly at Apple, Hype was developed as an alternate to Flash. More on their story here: http://bit.ly/mMIFHl
Finally a set of keys you can’t lose (…unless you lose your phone).
The Lockitron app lets you lock and unlock your door using your smart phone. It even works via text messaging with non-smart phones.
Via Laughing Squid
Walk up close, push the red button, say where you want to go and…. !!!
Amazingly fun and over-the-top.
A new startup is seeking to reinvent the short URL by turning it into a promotional tool for brands and causes.
At its core, Bre.ad is a URL shortener. It shortens links, syncs to Twitter and Facebook and provides click analytics. But its big selling point is helping users promote brands, interests, and charities through a full-page interface.
http://mashable.com/2011/05/18/bread/
Hype Machine released an iPhone app that turns music blogs into radio stations.
“3 Dreams of Black” is an interactive film by Chris Milk for Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi’s ROME album.
Chris Milk was also the director behind Arcade Fire’s amazing Chrome-experiment-music-video “Wilderness”.
For “3 Dreams of Black” Milk used WebGL technology which brings hardware-accelerated graphics to the browser, without the need for additional software. Chrome is one browser that supports WebGL.
You can read more about it on Google’s blog: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/3d-dreams-in-modern-browser.html
And can view and experience the video here: http://www.ro.me
More great examples of the in-browser 3D capabilities of WebGL are located here: http://www.ro.me/tech/
Contributed by Francois Grouiller
A super elegant sound visualization from British visual artist Quayola.
Introducing PrintBrush: a handheld inkjet printer that ingeniously prints on any surface using optics and navigation software.
Lazer sensors track the PrintBrush’s position as it moves, like a computer mouse, across a sheet of paper, while simultaneously a controller compares that position to a pixel map of the image and calculates which pixel to print next. Amazing!
http://www.popsci.com/diy/article/2011-05/2011-invention-awards-magic-wand-printing
Contributed by Collin Whitehead