Making Things Happen » Science & Technology

Great infographic tribute to Apple design

Francesco — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:30:25 +0000

Check out this great video showcasing Apple’s great design masterpieces:

Anatomy of Apple Design from Transparent House on Vimeo.

Microsoft Locus OS

Francesco — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 14:00:17 +0000

Just a quick note to post this interesting video about Microsoft’s Locus OS, an OS which concept is based upon user’s location so that features and user interface adapt accordingly.

Locus OS Interface from Barton Smith on Vimeo.

More here.

Watch these incredible cars from Audi tweaked by Stanford’s students

Francesco — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:00:00 +0000

I recently learned that Audi has a research centre at Stanford University, where they explore and test new technologies to be implemented in future cars.

At first I just found this interesting video about a completely automated car valet system, that allows cars to park themselves on their own:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVuG7HAt-r4

Yes, very nice, but it’s this other video that’s really stunning! In 2010 Audi is planning to have a car racing the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, a 20 km track featuring over 150 turns. What’s amazing is that the car will driven by a computer!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CuVVZq9GfY

Microsoft’s bad carbon copy of the Apple Store

Francesco — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:00:47 +0000

Entering the retail shop arena was indeed a tough battle that Microsoft chose to fight, in order to showcase their best products and compete with the Apple Store experience.

I saluted with enthusiasm this move, hoping that Microsoft was creating an original and unique PC experience, as there are indeed many PC products that have a lot to say.

Unfortunately Microsoft unveiled these carbon copy clones of the Apple Store, showing an embarassing lack of creativity, as if the Apple Store way of doing retail was the only way to do it:

What a shame Microsoft!

Sixth Sense: a wearable gestural interface by MIT

Francesco — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 09:00:56 +0000

Just found this great video which shows MIT’s gestural interface Sixth Sense. What’s great about it is that it has been designed to be wearable, while most of similar interfaces I’ve seen so far were only indoor prototypes.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfV4R4x2SK0

If you want to learn more about this technology you can visit the project’s website and watch the TED video.

Great interactive installations at Microsoft

Francesco — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 08:30:45 +0000

I found (via @maxrama) this interesting video showing a great installation that Microsoft asked MODE Studios to do, embellishing the atrium of the four new buildings that host the Design and Entertainment department.

Microsoft Interactive Installation from MODE Studios on Vimeo.

Nokia’s take on augmented reality

Francesco — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 08:30:58 +0000

This futuristic and visionary video, shows how Nokia forecasts the future to come. Even though it’s indeed a nice and, in some ways, inspirational video, I’m still partially unsatisfied with it as it doesn’t explain clearly the true value of augmented reality which, I believe, goes far beyond a translucent wake up alarm.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGwvZWyLiBU

If you want to learn more about Nokia’s studies on augmented reality, you can have a look at this white paper.

A great augmented ID concept

Francesco — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 09:30:19 +0000

What if we could access a person’s information such as her vCard, Facebook username, LinkedIn profile, Slideshare presentation and much more by simply aiming at her our phone’s camera?

The Swedish company The Astonishing Tribe is developing exactly that, called “Augmented ID”, featuring advanced face recognition algorithms.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tb0pMeg1UN0

We Choose the Moon: experience the Apollo 11 mission

Francesco — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:30:05 +0000

40 years ago mankind landed on the moon, marking an historical moment and showing the world what science and technology can do.

To celebrate this endeavor the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, created a stunning Flash website to allow us all relive the mission. It’s a must see! Go visit it here!

Microsoft rolls out Photosynth for videos (and it looks great!)

Francesco — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 08:00:18 +0000

At the latest TechFest, Microsoft unveiled a brand new technology able to create 3D (or at least wide angle) videos from multiple streams.

What’s great of this technology is that all this is done in real time. So imagine having three mobile phones at a stadium live streaming the event (like, on Qik). With this technology the application on the server is able to understand the common areas of the video, joining them together in one, larger, picture.

See the demo and prepare yourself to be impressed:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27D1Bheu06U