Commentary – Page 80

Convergence

@DesTraynor pointed out this link on lukew.com. “Hardware Becomes Software” There’s a really entertaining graphic illustrating the point below. In other words, convergence has gone far beyond just adding camera to phones. We now have phones potentially replacing digital instruments, guitar tuners, GPS SatNav devices, pocket video cameras, compasses, voice recorders, barcode readers, remotes, dictionaries … Continue reading “Convergence”

@DesTraynor pointed out this link on lukew.com.

“Hardware Becomes Software”

There’s a really entertaining graphic illustrating the point below.

In other words, convergence has gone far beyond just adding camera to phones. We now have phones potentially replacing digital instruments, guitar tuners, GPS SatNav devices, pocket video cameras, compasses, voice recorders, barcode readers, remotes, dictionaries and game consoles.

I’d even hesitate to say that my laptop often has the additional purpose of being a ‘charger’ for my iPhone. Convergence? As my Twitter client on iPhone is better than the one I use on desktop, has my laptop been converged onto my phone?

Don’t Fly United

I got this from Michele’s blog. No surprise to some that I find it quite catchy. Related posts: A Physician completely refutes Plandemic Find my Friends isn’t quite there yet. Unlikely to be. Ten Apps I Want… 11/100 My Children Will Do it Differently

I got this from Michele’s blog.

No surprise to some that I find it quite catchy.

The Singularity Approaches…

The content here is somewhat US-centric (unsurprisingly) and presented somewhat apocalyptically but it’s not hard to take several of the infobites and turn them into an opportunity. Related posts: Translink Annual Report – #freepublictransport The Transport Singularity Approaches GamesIndustry.biz poll Kirkisms: Funding by Numbers part 1

The content here is somewhat US-centric (unsurprisingly) and presented somewhat apocalyptically but it’s not hard to take several of the infobites and turn them into an opportunity.

Location Location Location

MobileMonday writes: Worldwide consumer location-based services (LBS) subscribers and revenue are on pace to double in 2009, according to Gartner, Inc. Despite an expected 4 per cent decrease in mobile device sales, LBS subscribers are forecast to grow from 41.0 million in 2008 to 95.7 million in 2009 while revenue is anticipated to increase from … Continue reading “Location Location Location”

MobileMonday writes:

Worldwide consumer location-based services (LBS) subscribers and revenue are on pace to double in 2009, according to Gartner, Inc. Despite an expected 4 per cent decrease in mobile device sales, LBS subscribers are forecast to grow from 41.0 million in 2008 to 95.7 million in 2009 while revenue is anticipated to increase from USD 998.3 million in 2008 to USD 2.2 billion in 2009.

Gartner defines LBS as services that use information about the location of mobile devices, derived from cellular networks, Wi-Fi access points or via satellite links to receivers in (or connected to) the handsets themselves. Examples are services that enable friends to find each other, parents to locate their children, mapping and navigation. Location-based services may be offered by mobile network carriers or other providers. They are also known as location-aware services.

Location is an incredibly useful piece of metadata especially when combined with dynamic data from live internet sources. With Location, you can tailor the adverts that someone sees, provide accurate and relevant access to information and even set triggers which will activate as a person changes their location or even their heading. What we’re working with is the addition of context and relevance to presence.

A truly location-aware service needs to tie into my address book, into my appointments schedule and into my instant message and twitter accounts and actively update my status and presence.

I’m sensing we’re on the brink of an important convergence here and location, coupled with augmented reality, has some amazing potential as the market becomes populated with devices that can actively make use of it.

AR

Augmented Reality is kinda hot right now and despite some detractors who may wonder at the utility of it, I reckon it’s only going to get hotter. The utility of AR for advertising is the first issue to overcome. Layar Layar is an app on Google Android for overlaying information onto the camera. In the … Continue reading “AR”

Augmented Reality is kinda hot right now and despite some detractors who may wonder at the utility of it, I reckon it’s only going to get hotter.

The utility of AR for advertising is the first issue to overcome.

Layar
Layar is an app on Google Android for overlaying information onto the camera. In the demo, they show off the ability of overlay property search details onto the camera view – useful if you’re looking for a house in a particular region.

ARToolkit on iPhone
This is an app for generating augmented reality objects using QR-type codes. These codes can be translated into 3D objects which can, to a degree, be manipulated. They can be viewed from any angle. ARToolkit is an app for developing these virtual objects.

Nearest Tube
Does for iPhone and London Tube stations what Layar was doing for properrty searches.

For the Military
Military uses for Augmented Reality have been evident in just about every movie ever since we could do computer graphics. The earliest that I remember is actually the scene in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi when they were discussing the Battle over Endor. But here’s a military use which seems modern and practical.

Ahrrrr!
There’s also been a Zombie Shooter Game called Ahrrrr! which uses a AR-map and a camera-equipped MID to visualise objects and integrate them into the game. It’s not the best demo because I think it would kill my back but it’s interesting in the interplay between AR-objects (buildings, zombies) and real objects (candies).

ARvertising
ARG Advertising is going to be prevalent but I think it may not be as pervasive as we fear. Unless AR-detection is built into goggles or these magazines provide their own app or adopt a platform, these AR-objects will never be seen.

There is a danger of AR becoming an argument of ‘have versus have-not’ but this is no different to the argument of a decade ago with the Internet or of previous arguments of colour televisions and the move from radio to television.

The opportunity I see for augmented (layered) reality is in the telling of stories and the playing of games – especially in Alternate Reality Games. Being able to finagle a game into your everyday life – imagine being involved in a True Lies or Who Dares Wins style plot while going about your daily business.

iPhone Course at the Urban Arts Academy

By now the second day of the Urban Arts Academy course “Beginning iPhone Development” will be well underway. The course started yesterday and has 18 folk, one of whom flew over from England to attend it, sitting down and learning from Philip Orr, programmer for Infurious and Blue Pilot Software. The machines they are using … Continue reading “iPhone Course at the Urban Arts Academy”

iPhone Training Course

The machines they are using are borrowed from Giant Associates, Mac-Sys Ltd and a local school. A lot of this wouldn’t have been possible without some quick thinking from Marty Neill (head bucko at NoMoreArt and Digital Circle Steering Group member), the rest of the folk at Trans and a heap of other folk.

Is this going to create iPhone experts?

Of course not. The attendees range from some who have never used a Mac, to one used to OpenGL|ES programming (the API used to program 3D graphics on iPhone as well as other embedded platforms. mobile devices and some consoles).

What it will do is remove some of the fear for some. And spark an interest for others. For some experienced programmers, they should be able to get a taste for Interface Builder and XCode and see whether jumping to that platform is something they want to do. For others, it’ll be the start of something. Or maybe not.

Compass? Who would want a compass in a phone?

Techcrunch writes about the iPhone 3GS: Donâ€™t get me wrong, the compass is interesting, but aside from Google Maps and maybe the GPS apps, I really donâ€™t see the point of it. And for the first few days I had no idea how to activate the compass features in Google Maps â€” you have to … Continue reading “Compass? Who would want a compass in a phone?”

Techcrunch writes about the iPhone 3GS:

Donâ€™t get me wrong, the compass is interesting, but aside from Google Maps and maybe the GPS apps, I really donâ€™t see the point of it. And for the first few days I had no idea how to activate the compass features in Google Maps â€” you have to tap the location button (in the lower left corner) twice.

Someone please explain to this man the virtues of Augmented Reality.

What you’re seeing here is a iPhone 3GS video-recording an app running on an iPhone 3GS. The app overlays an icon on the screen when the phone is heading “east” (for determined values of East).

Again, just a simple couple of hours tech demo but the possibilities are amazing.

A sceptical eye on a new fund…

News Distribution Service for Government and the Private Sector The Prime Minister has today announced the creation of the UK Innovation Investment Fund to invest in technology-based businesses with high growth potential. The new fund will focus on investing in growing small businesses, start-ups and spin-outs, in digital and life sciences, clean technology and advanced … Continue reading “A sceptical eye on a new fund…”

News Distribution Service for Government and the Private Sector

The Prime Minister has today announced the creation of the UK Innovation Investment Fund to invest in technology-based businesses with high growth potential. The new fund will focus on investing in growing small businesses, start-ups and spin-outs, in digital and life sciences, clean technology and advanced manufacturing.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, with the Department of Energy and Climate Change and the Department of Health, will invest Â£150 million alongside private sector investment on an equal basis known as pari-passu.

OK, so Â£150 million is coming from the government on an equal basis with private sector investment which, by my calculations, should create a Â£300 million fund.

It is the Government’s belief that this could leverage enough private investment to build a fund of up to Â£1 billion over the next 10 years. The UK Innovation Investment Fund forms part of the Governmentâ€™s strategy for Building Britainâ€™s Future.

We’re obviously not in receipt of the facts (and this sort of addition might be responsible for MP allowances scandals). Â£150 million of public money plus equal participation from the private sector equals Â£300 million and not Â£1 billion. Now – we can make allowances that this is over 10 years so the revenue gained from licensing and exits of companies funded might contribute sufficient back to increase the value of the fund. Might.

Either way, the Â£150 million will barely cover the administration fees of the various private VC funds that will be needed to make up the other Â£850 million to make this into a Â£1 billion fund.

Just sayin’

UK Security Minister afraid to walk streets – LOLZ

TGDaily starts with the headline: UK Government minister says iPhone is a security risk and then continues with the text: London, England – UK Security Minister, Lord West of Spithead, says he won’t carry an iPhone or Blackberry due to security concerns. Speaking at a press conference yesterday to announce the set-up of the UK’s … Continue reading “UK Security Minister afraid to walk streets – LOLZ”

TGDaily starts with the headline:

UK Government minister says iPhone is a security risk

and then continues with the text:

London, England – UK Security Minister, Lord West of Spithead, says he won’t carry an iPhone or Blackberry due to security concerns.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday to announce the set-up of the UK’s Cyber Security Operations Centre, Lord West said that he fears attack from muggers or hackers and does not feel safe in his home neighborhood in east London.

Tells you one thing.

TDDaily knows that no-one gives a flying fuck about headlines mentioning the Blackberry.

As for the actual content, the honourable government minister should shut the fuck up considering the data loss we’ve suffered under this current administration which, I note, was fuck all to do with iPhones or Blackberry devices and more to do with CD-ROMs, laptops and USB memory sticks.

Nike+

One of the things about this sort of tech is that it needs explained to people. Like the compass in the new iPhone. Most people weren’t impressed until it was explained that the compass might as well be a sensor attached to the person’s head – it shows the way they are looking, and using … Continue reading “Nike+”

The fact that the iPhone 3.0 software finally brings in accessories means that we’re a hop-skip-jump away from clip-on gamepads and other devices which will turn our iPhones into the mobile computing powerhouses that a lot of us expected the Newton to be.

And speaking of hopping, skipping and jumping, I thought this was quite cool…

In a stance that’s uncommon for a company that has historically relied on patented technology like its Air cushioning system, Nike seems to be genuinely excited to see these tools sprout up. After all, the more apps out there, the more Nike+ gear the company can sell. “The more we can open up Nike+, the better,” says Stefan Olander, who oversees digital content for the Nike+ site. “The only reason to close it out is because you actually don’t believe that you have a strong enough product for others to want to take it and do good things with it.” So far, Nike hasn’t officially released a software kit to allow developers to hook directly into Nike+, but that’s likely to come.

The Nike+ is an established device that takes impact data from your footfalls, turning the average walk or run into a game where you’re the player, the coach and the referee – a game where the goal is to reduce your times and up your distances. By doing so, of course, you do exercise.

My interest is where the Nike+ can be taken after this. Can it be used as an additional activator? For instance, in a game, can a certain number of foot stamps be taken as a directive? How can the application of footfalls, momentum, speed be applied to augmented reality?