My last post on Augmented Reality and roller coasters may have left the impression that AR is only for games and rides, so it seems like just "virtual reality". The whole thing that separates just "virtual reality" from augmented reality and makes AR so much greater and more valuable is the ability has to become interactive. The future of AR in alliance with our smart phones opens so many opportunities to a more accessible and efficient world. Imagine immediate accessibility to everything around anywhere in the world just by pointing your camera smart phone in that direction, or looking through augmented eye wear and being able to see digital information, such as technical detail, arranged in context with the object you are viewing.
EXAMPLE:
You and a friend are walking around in a shopping center while in vacation in Las Vegas,and see a building where they are advertising a show for Britney Spears happening in 2 days. With the help of augmented reality you or your friend would be able to simply pull out your phone and open a window that allows you to see virtual information of that arena where Spears will be preforming, map out the arena with the prices for each section, and allow you to purchase the tickets from there. This would create so much ease versus the routine, searching the arena name, searching the number, calling the number, and speaking with someone to purchase the tickets hoping they will be good seats.
This Video Lays out the Idea of AR Usage in Smart Phones
Have
you ever wondered what it would be like to play Pokémon in real life?
It is pretty fair to say that most people my age have
played Pokémon at some point in their lifetime. If you loved the old games as
much as I did, you are really going to like what Nintendo is doing. They have
created a game that uses geolocation so that the user can play Pokémon in the
world around them that will release in 2016.
This means that you will no longer have to be playing
your Gameboy hours on end without even moving. In this addition of Pokémon you
will have to be active to succeed in this game. “Imagine, for example, having
to travel to an actual volcano to capture a Charizard—Pokémon are
region-specific, after all. Imagine making eye contact with another stranger,
and feeling the need to challenge them right there, just like you would in the
games. Imagine banding together with other players to form a real-world Team
Rocket, whose sole aim is to cause havoc and steal Pokémon (Read more at www.inquisitr.com).” This is what is super
exciting about what Nintendo is doing—the game is actually real.
This app will be free on all iOS and Android phones,
but like most apps you will have the opportunity to upgrade for perks during
the free-play. This means that you will no longer have to carry around a Gameboy
and Nintendo DS anymore. The game is just as convenient as opening up an app on
your phone and stepping outside your door.
Will this kind of ingenuity be a huge success in the
video game industry? Personally, I will be downloading this app, and I am
hoping that it will be as successful as it is anticipated to be. Just like any
new technology, we really won’t know what to expect until it comes out. For now
the Pokemon fanatics must wait patiently.
(This wristband is a bluetooth device that alerts the user of nearby trainers and Pokémon. This is only for the upgraded version of the game--Pokémon Go Plus)
Do you think that this new game will live up to the
hype?
How would you like to earn free stuff while doing the
shopping that you are already doing? Many people are very familiar with Geocaching. For those that might not know, it is an app
that uses GPS location to create a scavenger hunt that is available for everyone
that has the app. The object of the app is to get as many geocaches as you can.
Essentially, by using geolocation Geocaching connects many users by using the art of technology and GPS.
In the same way Shopkick connects users a new way of marketing that benefits you while you are doing shopping that you are already doing. This app is the first app that gives the customer the ability to win
rewards just simply by walking into a store. This is why it is extremely similar
to Geocaching. You can treat this app just like a scavenger hunt, except in
this scavenger hunt you can win free rewards. Popular rewards that this app offers
Gift cards to popular stores
iPad's
Hotel credits
much, much more!
So if you
liked going out with your friends to geocache, you will really like using
Shopkick because it rewards you for doing the exact same thing. Although Geocaching can take you to some interesting places, Shopkick gives the user a tangible purpose (winning prizes). Is this where marketing is heading? It is quite possible that companies that decide to commit to marketing their product in this fashion will have an advantage over companies that choose to market themselves in the traditional way. Personally, in my short time of using this app, I have been to stores that I wouldn't have gone into if I did not have the app. Whether advantageous for those companies or not, I find that it is really helpful for me!
Will you download this app?
Discovering new ways to Experience Roller Coasters?
With theme parks battling to add evermore twists, turns and loop-the-loops to terrify amusement park attendants, researchers are also testing ways of adding an extra fear-factor with AUGMENTED REALITY!
These researchers are attaching Oculus Rift VR headset to riders heads to add to the adventure of being thrown and twirled around and about in mid air. With these headsets researchers are able to give the rider the feeling of being anywhere. They can feel as if they are being lifted off into space, riding on a dragon, or on a wild high speed chase.
The Augmented Thrill Ride Project is the very first virtual reality ride on real roller coasters and hundreds of test rides were carried out in Germany's Europa-Park.For the test, coaster cars are rigged with laptops and cameras, and the wheels fitted with special electronics, setting the scene for a ride testers will never forget. The really cool part of this virtual ride is that it is meant to be interactive. One person is playing the game with controller in hand as the other sits and enjoys the thrill.
passenger rider with his VR headset on
control rider interacting with the game for effects
There are a lot of paid tools that will track your content ranks in your search results on Google. AJ Kohn has an different idea: measure the individual keyword rank, group keywords together into indexes, and then track the average rank of those indexes over time, using Google Analytics to measure and track that.
Here is the general idea of how it works
Someone clicks on an organic search results
The user lands on your site
A custom piece of code that you install on your site collects the keyword and the rank of the result using a Google Analytics event
Google Analytics will automatically calculate the average position for the result
You create indexes of keywords and analyze the data using the Event reports
I think this is a more fair way to track and rank search results for businesses and users alike. Instead of giving the businesses with the most money the ability to buy a top search results spot for keywords, it will go to the most searched keywords on a ranking. On the other hand, large businesses who have spent money on keywords might be frustrated because they will have to earn their spot instead of buying it. Also, this could cost Google money because businesses won't me spending money on top search results spots, and Google would have to spend more money to fully develop their Google Analytics.
In conclusion, I have three questions that need to be answered. As a Google user would you rather the search results be tracked by most searched for words or by a company who buys the rights to top results for certain keywords? On the other hand, as a business would you rather have the power of being able to buy certain keywords to get top results on Google, which really benefits your company and how often it will be clicked on? Lastly, should Google take the risk of using Google Analytics and risk getting less money from businesses?
When the 3D printer was first created the creators dreams were endless, but did they ever image that their technology would move into the world of fashion?
More and more companies in the fashion industry are becoming interested in the opportunities that 3D printing open up to their company. We are the generation of customization and the newly emerging world of fashion 3D printing makes it easier for a company to comply to the need for customization at an affordable cost. 3D printing gives anyone the opportunity to be a fashion designer from the comfort of his or her own computer screen.
How would you like to be able to design the blueprints of a custom swimsuit from the comfort of your own home and it be print it to fit your body perfectly? In the customizable generation of today, 3D printing opens doors in the fashion world that have never been opened before. Continuum, a San-Francisco-based start up, offers their customers the ability to design a swimsuit to be 3D printed. The suit is made out of a created nylon that is built with layers of plastic powder fused together with a laser. A bikini top from Continuum runs from $250 to about $300, because the technology is still being perfected the suit comes with some imperfections. One imperfection being that the rings that link the bikini top together turn yellowish when in direct sunlight. As the fashion world continues to advance the products quality and wearablity will increase and the prices will decrease, making fashion 3D printing apart of the runway of the future.
Does 3D fashion printing intrigue you? Do you think that 3D printing is the future of fashion like they claim?
The development of 3d printing technology has created so many opportunities for amazing things, and the field is wide open as far as what can be created. This technology is already being used to create everything from luxury hotel suites, cars, food, and even working guns (not sure how I feel about that one).
The process involves taking a digital file and successive layering of material in order to create the physical object. Check out this video from Mashable to see how exactly it works.
Example #1 - Printable Buildings
Earlier this month in the Philippines, a group was able to print this full two bedroom villa, complete with a jacuzzi and all, in just over 100 hours. Check out this link to read the full article on this amazing project.
The most important implication of this is that this technology is also being used in the poor areas of the Philippines to create much needed housing at much cheaper prices. Eventually this technology can be used in poor communities all over the world to provide housing for those who need it. I'm sure some more luxury villas will be printed as well.
Example #2 - Printable Food
According to experts, printable food will take several more years to perfect. However, there have been great strides made with this technology. Some food printers can print layers of fine-grain sugar into shapes, while others can print layers of raw dough for pizzas, as shown in the picture above. Give this article a read for a comprehensive description of 3d printed food.
There is a nursing home in Germany that serves a 3d printed dish to seniors who have trouble chewing. Also, a group of students at a technological institute in India is even trying to make this a reality for airlines. Imagine being able to press a button on a screen of what food you want and have it printed in the airplane's kitchen and brought to you.
Example #3 - Printable Cars
This picture shows the first fully printed 3d car that came out last year. Since then, a company called Local Motors has been developing other concepts of 3d printed vehicles. Part of their goal is to reduce the amount of time it takes for vehicle concepts to become a reality and go to market.
They say that there will be highway-ready versions of their vehicles ready to hit the streets in 2016. Example #4 - Printable Medical Products
3-D printing is also transforming the field of medicine. According to the National Institutes on Health (NIH), this technology is allowing doctors to create customized and patient-specific implants that are higher quality than previous implants.
The photo above shows the difference between the old style of spine implant and the new 3D printed version. The 3D printed implant is certainly more accurate, and can be customized further to fit the patient.
There are numerous ways this technology will revolutionize the field of medicine. The NIH also reports that there are materials being developed that will act as "bioseeds," and will allow the body to rebuild tissue around 3d printed scaffolds.
Example #5 - Printable Aerospace Products
3D printing is also a big topic for the aerospace industry. Boeing has already begun using printed parts on their aircraft, as they are cheaper to produce and weigh considerably less than previous products.
NASA is also starting to integrate 3D printing technology, and their goal is to be able to send rockets into space that are equipped with the technology, which will allow astronauts to print on-demand parts and equipment that they need. This will allow the rockets to go up with a lot less weight, and will aid in problem solving during space travel.
There are a lot of cool things happening with 3D printing, and the future is unlimited as far as what else can become reality with this technology.
What is your opinion of 3D printing technology? What about things like working 3d printed guns? Let me know what you think
