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Wii + Second Life = New Training Simulator

 

Nintendo games have made the Wii controller a satisfyingly realistic controller for pretend tennis, golf and baseball. But how about using it to practice doing surgery, applying pesticides or operating a nuclear power plant?

Real-world simulations like these are perfectly suited to Nintendo's Wiimote, says MIT research fellow David E. Stone. In fact, he claims the motion-sensitive controller is "one of the most significant technology breakthroughs in the history of computer science."

For Stone, the Wiimote is the key to building realistic training simulators within the virtual world of Second Life. He is helping companies and universities do that through his WorldWired consultancy. Clients include a company interested in training workers for its power plants, a manufacturer of medical devices and pest-control firm Orkin.    

More at   http://www.wired.com/gadgets/miscellaneous/news/2007/07/wiimote

Reinventing the Wheel

Translucent dolphins and multimedia reinvent the idea of the carousel...a new attraction scheduled to open in Battery Park (NYC) in 2008 takes a fresh approach to an old-fashioned carnival ride.

Instead of garishly painted horses, the seats will be translucent fiberglass molded into dolphins, turtles, clownfish, and other marine life. And unlike a traditional carousel, which spreads out from a center column like an umbrella, these creatures will be supported from below on a turntable, allowing unobstructed 360-degree views. All this will be housed in a nautilus-shaped structure featuring 93 SmartGlass windows that darken during the three-minute ride to simulate the experience of diving to the ocean floor. The final touch: Multiple projectors will fill the interior with images of marine life that slowly change to match what you'd actually see during a descent.

More from WIRED:   

http://www.wired.com/culture/design/magazine/15-07/st_nydive#

by Tracy Collins, Sr. Vice President Creative, Design, and Innovation

Connecting The Real World To The Online World

What self-respecting person doesn't Google something at least once every hour? 

When you are online, anything you want to know is right there.  Every curious whim is easily indulged.  What's the weather like right now in Portland?  Who's got the cheapest price on contact lenses?  Who sang Maria on the original cast album?  Where can I find parts for a '77 El Camino? 

Now, marketers are finding ways to make it easier to connect to the instant information we crave, further closing the gap between the "real world" and the online experience.

Real estate signs in the Netherlands, Australia, and the UK now advertise codes linked to text messages that provide property details, or can connect you to a mobile website with information about the property--all while you're standing on the street wondering how many bathrooms the place has. 

In Japan, a new kind of "barcode" called the QRcode with even more information packed into it is showing up on product packaging and in print.  30 million Japanese already have a camera phone that can read the information in the code.  With one snapshot, the code directs the phone's web browser to a site with more information, coupons, or other promotional content about that particular item.

Culture Watch by Tracy Collins, Sr. Vice President Creative, Design & Innovation