Gaming Tech Part 3

From the most recent posts, I've been discussing one and only one thing, the Microsoft Natal. The current codename for Microsoft's new interactive, gaming "controller" that requires no controller (try wrapping your head around that one). Today, we will look at some of the technology in the Natal from the hardware and software aspect and see how they have been combined to create a one of a kind device. For Natal to detect the presence of a person coming towards it, a simple motion sensor would do the trick just fine. Hopefully, the entire system can recognize the difference between a dog running around the house every 5 minutes versus a person. On the other hand, if you get the dog intrigued, then who knows? Maybe man's best friend can become the non-complaining warthog driver in Halo while you tear through the Covenant!

Now, "facial recognition, voice recognition, skeletal mapping" are all things that Microsoft Research have been working on, according to Phil Spencer, general manager of Microsoft Game Studios (1). Essentially, the offerings of Natal are more software based than hardware.


As you can see, the two eyes, or cameras in this case would most probably provide the depth as they work in unison, much like a normal person's eyes. The video would need to be processed in real time to figure out skeletal structure and set points of motion for the knees, wrists, head, torso, elbows, etc. These points of motion would be used to figure out how the body is moving and as a result, how the character moves in the game. Skeletal mapping in real time, would be one of the more challenging aspects of Natal for the software developers at Microsoft. However, facial and voice recognition has been around for a while and would be easier to implement.

With regards to price, the hardware of Natal might most probably comprise of two really good cameras, a motion sensor and a microphone. Produced on a mass scale and it will be easy to bring the cost down to under $200 as the reports have been suggesting. Combine that with Microsoft's policy to make a loss on every console, and you have further price cuts that should make the Natal a very intriguing device and at the least, a "game changer."

1 - http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/technologybrierdudleysblog/2009296568_e3_new_info_on_microsofts_nata.html

Gaming Tech Part 2

I said I would introduce the next "big thing" in gaming and I will. As the Wii has forced us to become an active population of gamers who actually burn serious calories while playing video games, it only allows us to use our hands. We can get the WiiFit pad and that will allow us to use our feet and maybe our hands at the same time. But what if there was a way where we could use our entire body without buying extra controllers.

What if we didn't even need a controller.

What if the controller as we know it, became obsolete. I'm sure you're wondering if this might be a new mind control device or something like that. I can assure you otherwise. If you have been keeping up with E3, the huge gaming and electronics convention held every year in Las Vegas, you might know what I am talking about it. For everyone else...ever heard of some company called Microsoft? Those goofs in Redmond might actually make something worth fighting for...finally.

Introducing the soon-to-be-released Microsoft Natal.

The Microsoft Natal for Xbox 360 is a revolutionary new way of gaming to the likes of nothing we have seen before, except in science-fiction movies.



With Natal, you can not only use either your hands or your legs bu rather, your entire body. The website Obsessable.com states that "According to Microsoft, Natal is precise enough to recognize facial expressions and emotion." This means that, when you walk up towards Natal, it will be able to recognize you by not only your voice but also by 'seeing' your face. Also, by analyzing facial expressions and vocal qualities, (which we will get into later) it can figure out if you're having a bad day, among other things.

The possibilities for Natal are endless at the least and its going to be interesting to see the type of games that studios develop for such hardware such as the E3 demo of an intriguing character called Milo who interacts with a person almost as if there were no TV screen at all. See the related youtube videos for more information on what I am talking about.

Gaming Tech Part 1

It seems that the console wars tend to rage on from one generation to the next. It started with the likes of Sega, Dreamcast, Nintendo, Playstation, etc. However, they all had one thing in common: their basic design, which usually consisted of a console and the controller. The Nintendo DS and the PSP revolutionized the meaning of the controller by putting the screen in the palm of your hand.

This was a deciding factor between gaming fans. Would you go for the fun, but poor (in comparison) graphics of the DS or go for the bulkier but great graphics of the PSP? The battle lines were drawn and people picked their sides. On the console side, after Microsoft entered the gaming scene with the Xbox, Sony and Nintendo knew they had to redesign their consoles as well and out came the Xbox 360, the bulkier Playstation 3, and the Wii.

As the wars raged on, it was clear that Nintendo had hit the lottery with their new system and method of gameplay. People didn't care if the graphics were poor in comparison or if the games were limited. All they cared about was that the Wii brought them off the couch and on their feet. As a result, the Wii was a runaway success and is still popular today that Nintendo still can't make them fast enough. As Microsoft and Sony went head to head in a battle of brains to produce better microprocessors and screamingly fast bus speeds, hardcore gamers rejoiced at the better graphics and moaned about the exorbitant prices but it was clear that the general consumer did not want to spend a lot of money on what is perceived as a trivial activity to pass the time.

The Wii began to dominate the market in a way that seemed almost foolhardy. You put decent graphics, provide a widely available DVD drive but change the most simplistic of gaming devices, the controller, and it gives you a formula for success that no one expected. As more people want to get up and interact with video games, it seems clear that the days of staying in the same seat for hours on end is drawing to a close. Surely there will still be those hardcore gamers, but they will soon become the minority rather than the norm. How exactly is this going to happen? You're going to have to wait to find out.

Miniature Tech -- Part 3

Even in complex areas such as DNA, nano technology is paving the way for what could become a revolutionary way to look at health care whereby DNA might soon be replicated in the laoratory and then implanted into a human as if it were always there. The first stages of rebuilding DNA are described in a paper by Shawn Douglas (titled "Self-assembly of DNA into nanoscale three-dimensional shapes") and his colleagues at William Shih’s lab.

It will be interesting to see what is put forth next in this new world of nanotechnology.

Miniature Tech Part 2

As promised, this is part 2 of a series of posts about technology in computing getting smaller and smaller. If you thought the Sony Vaio P was small, wait 'till you hear about this. Imagine a full fledged computer on your hand. I'm not talking about smart phones or the iPhone, but rather, a complete computer, with all the graphics power and speed of a desktop, into the palm of your hand. Imagine being able to carry around your computer in your wallet (hopefully you don't sit on it).

A company called Toradex has made that happen with their credit-card sized motherboards where most of the contents of a full sized motherboard are placed onto a board the size of a regular credit card. All this became possible only after Intel released their Atom processor and it looks like that tiny chip is revoluionizing the mobile computing industry. With all the regular amenities one would expect on a general motherboard, including usb ports, gigabit ethernet, sound card, and video card support, we could be looking at a motherboard that can be fitted almost anywhere.

If that wasn't reason enough to check out what the future holds in store for us, then maybe this will tickle your fancy. Its not just a plug that happens to have no wires. It is a plug-in computer that needs no wires. The concept behind this little magic box is that you can have an entire server that you can plug into a wall socket and be ready to receive whatever content is in it. A basic operating system, linked to solid state storage and a wireless crad all housed in the socket will make this the ideal media center service there is.

In addition, the company, Marvel electronics is touting this device to be green compliant since it will use as little as 5 watts of power.

The future of computing looks promising to say the least and it will only be a matter of time before some new invention comes along that revolutionizes the industry that the Intel Atom chip has done. You could almost say that now smaller is better.