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violet mir:ror connects all your stuff via rfid

This new device uses RFID technology to connect your physical possessions with the digital world. Cool.

Violet (the makers of those quirky Nabaztag USB rabbits) is about to unleash Mir:ror, a small puck-shaped USB gadget which acts like an interface between your everyday belongings and your computer.

For example, you could place an RFID tag on an umbrella, wave it…

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October 26th, 2008 comments (8) stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: gadgets interactive technology

make virtual lego creations on your mac with bricksmith

Bricksmith is an open source application that allows you to make awesome virtual Lego models on your Mac. It’s a bit like a complex, tricked-out version of this LEGO iPhone app concept.

Bricksmith was created by Allen Smith. The application includes a parts browser, a full Lego color palette, drag-and-drop building, and more. It’s been around for a few years,…

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August 13th, 2008 comments (3) stumble it! digg it! author: karen m.

filed under: computing just plain fun

iphone lego-touch: millions of bricks in your pocket

LEGO Touch for iPhone

With all the buzz about the new iPhone SDK, all kinds of nifty applications are starting to crawl out of the woodwork. Of all the coming programs, this LEGO construction concept application has to be one of my favorites.

Designed by Nicholas G Panas of play /, LEGO-touch will let you build virtual LEGO creations using a large catalog of…

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March 11th, 2008 comments (4) stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: interactive mobile tech video games

export to world: virtual objects get real

Virtual Donut from Export to World

There’s nothing quite like a delicious virtual donut and a hot cup of paper coffee before parking it in front of the fake TV to get my day going.

This off-the-wall creative project takes items seen in the 3D virtual world of Second Life, and transforms them into real-world (paper) objects.

Export to World is a concept created by Linda…

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January 12th, 2008 comments (3) stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: interactive strange + wonderful

mstation theaterbar: surround slims down

mStation Theater Bar

I was over on the mStation website recently, when I stumbled across this interesting new sound system buried under “coming soon”. It looks like the mStation TheaterBar will soon join the ranks of one-box home theater sound systems, designed to mesh beautifully with today’s flat-screen televisions.

From the looks of the photos, the TheaterBar appears to offer not only a…

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December 9th, 2007 comments (1) stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: audio home entertainment

pinball tries the digital route once more

TAB Virtual Pinball

Every once in a while a company takes a stab at trying to resurrect pinball machines using modern technology. The latest entry into the digital pinball genre replaces the old mechanical table with a large flat screen display and interchangeable digital games.

The system offers up the familiar top-down view and flipper controllers you’d find on a traditional pinball machine,…

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November 26th, 2007 comments (2) stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: just plain fun video games

change your clothes, virtually.

Fabric Change Augmented Reality System

This amazing tech demo shows off an augmented reality system which can digitally swap out textures on clothing. While it sounds pretty simple, the ability to exactly mimic the behavior and appearance of cloth is extremely difficult to pull off.

Developed by computer graphics researchers Volker Scholz and Marcus Magnor, the texture replacement technology uses a complex algorithm which encodes…

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November 23rd, 2007 comments (4) stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: digital imaging future tech interactive

7.1 surround from your headphones

USB Virtual 7.1 Channel Sound

If you’re on the road with your laptop and missing your theater setup at home, here’s a way to capture a bit of that big surround sound feel on the cheap.

The Virtual 7.1 Channel Adapter plugs into your USB port and adds virtual surround to your current PC audio system. Special driver software, called Xear 3D simulates 7.1 channel…

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October 19th, 2007 comments (5) stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: computing gadgets

levelhead: trippy augmented reality game

Julian Oliver’s levelHead Interactive Game

New Zealand digital artist Julian Oliver is working on a cool game that blends the electronic universe with the real world. His work-in-progress game called levelHead uses a series of cubes placed on a table top. Digital cameras and custom software sense the movements of the cubes and superimpose digital images of a tiny little 3-dimensional gameplay universe.

As you…

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October 14th, 2007 comments (11) stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: digital imaging interactive video games

yamaha ysp-500: virtual surround gets downsized

Yamaha YSP-500 Digital Sound Projector

The latest in Yamaha’s series of “Digital Sound Projectors” takes the critically-acclaimed virtual surround technology found in their larger YSP series and shrinks it down to a box that’s just 24-inches wide. (The full-sized models are around 40-inches wide).

The YSP-500 reflects sound from 18 individual sound drivers to deliver truly immersive surround with only a single box. Just like…

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October 5th, 2007 comments stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: audio home entertainment

ezvision video glasses: my eyes-on experience

ezVision Glasses in Box

The folks over at ezGear were kind enough to send me a pair of their $299 ezVision Video Glasses to put them through their paces. The glasses are designed to produce the illusion of a big screen television, but are small enough carry around in your briefcase or purse.

By sticking two tiny LCD screens in front of your eyeballs,…

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September 6th, 2007 comments (3) stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: gadgets mobile tech

soundmatters slimstage40: virtual surround slims down

Soundmatters Slimstage40

Soundmatters is best known for their all-in-one surround sound systems which cram an entire 5.1 home theater into a single small box. Up until now, their designs were still a bit too unwieldy for placement anywhere but on a shelf or on top of rear-projection set. But their new system, the Slimstage40, takes the wide and thin approach, measuring in…

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September 4th, 2007 comments stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: audio home entertainment

fancy watches get the virtual treatment

hublot second life avatar wearing watch

I’ll start out by telling you that I’ve never been a dweller of the Second Life universe, but then again, I’m too busy living three or four lives in the real world. But for those of you who do take up residence in the insanely popular virtual world, you’ll soon have a way to give your avatar a little more…

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September 3rd, 2007 comments stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: timepieces video games

sony dax-x10 virtual surround home theater offers style and substance

Sony DAX-X10 Home Theater with Virtual Surround

This new home theater system from Sony offers an immersive 3-dimensional surround sound effect using just two satellite speakers and a subwoofer. The system has a striking industrial design that’s very sleek and modern. It even has a cool touch-sensitive control panel hidden in its glass top.

Sony’s DAX-X10 is a complete home theater system that looks perfect for living…

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July 19th, 2007 comments stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: audio design home entertainment

marantz es7001 virtual surround system

Marantz ES7001

Bearing more than a passing resemblance to Yamaha’s YSP line of home theater surround systems, this new Marantz ES7001 Sound Bar is designed to produce a fully-immersive home theater experience with a single box.

Like the Yamaha, the ES7001 crams all the amplifiers, speakers and surround processing gear into the same box. There’s no detail on what movie surround standards…

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May 23rd, 2007 comments stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: audio home entertainment

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