Microsoft is working on some cool telepresence projects which was revealed by their latest job listings. Microsoft was always criticized for not utilizing their R&D well enough to make them into marketable products. Microsoft is trying to change this scenario with the new startup labs which will be productizing ideas and code from Microsoft Research...
Mobile holograms may soon be popping up everywhere from phones and tablets to billboard advertising.
HP is in the process of developing a 3D mobile display for images and video that can be seen from any angle, which they've just published and described in the journal Nature.
"This would mean you would see something like in 'Star Wars,' with the famous hologram of Princess Leia," study researcher David Fattal, of HP, told New Scientist. "If you were to display a 3D image of planet Earth, by turning around the display, you'd be able to have a view of any country on the globe."
When it comes to communication, humans have always tried to bend the rules in order to create new funnels. If we feel the ways we communicate today are becoming boring, we try to innovate a new way. Look at the ever evolving and morphing Internet. There were probably more ways to communicate on the Internet created over the past few years than what has been available for centuries. And soon, we can add 3D holographic phone calls to that ever expanding list.
First we had bulletin boards where we could communicate with each other, then came all kinds of forums. After that, we had instant messaging and then came social media. Now we have FaceTime and Skype. The natural step is of course 3D holographic phone calls, right? Well, it’s a thought that is intriguing and quite tickling. The thought of being able to walk around freely while seeing the person you’re talking to, even though they’re located hundreds of miles away, and being able to see him or her in full life-size 3D holographic view is incredible.
zSpace sets out to unleash the full potential of human creativity by offering a revolutionary, interactive 3D environment for computing, creating, communication and entertainment. With zSpace, objects appear in open space, with full colour and high resolution. They appear realistically solid and can be directly manipulated as if they were real physical objects simply by using a stylus.
zSpace offers a true 3D user experience by “blending the physical world with a sensory-rich virtual world that people can naturally and intuitively manipulate and navigate.” This technology will significantly advance the way we solve problems, learn, teach, communicate, and create in our world.
Tupac performed as a hologram alongside Snoop Dogg Lion at Coachella. The Republican party has created a Reagan hologram. And now TLC wants to resurrect the late Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes in hologram form for a reunion tour.
Okay, so it was weirdly realistic and unbelievably hilarious with Tupac, but really? Is this super exploitative or are we cool with bringing back our favorite late musicians and all-around famous people in digital form? I mean, I like "No Scrubs" as much as the next guy, but where do we draw the line?
The masterful engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are busy working on a type of 3D display capable of presenting that elusive third dimension without any eye gear. We say “elusive” because what you’ve been presented at your local cinema (with 3D glasses) or on your Nintendo 3DS console (with your naked eye) pales in comparison to what these guys and gals are trying to develop: a truly immersive 3D experience, not unlike a hologram, that changes perspective as you move around.
Online video conferencing tools such as Skype have revolutionized the way job interviews are conducted from afar. But what if technology enabled you to appear in an office, in front of a prospective employer, even when you’re half a world away?
A Queen’s University researcher has created a device that transmits life-sized 3-D holograms, allowing people in different locations to video conference while virtually standing in front of each other. “Why Skype when you can talk to a life-sized 3-D holographic image of another person?” said professor Roel Vertegaal, director of the Human Media Lab at Queen’s.
Microsoft uses a Kinect to help create a holographic desk that is is calling the HoloDesk. The HoloDesk allows users to interact with 3D holographic objects and they can even operate a holographic touchscreen phone.
It looks like Microsoft is really focusing on new, and more natural ways for people to interact with technology. What started with the popular Kinect controller for the Xbox 360 has led to a project dealing with a holographic desk. The system uses a Kinect, a project, and a webcam to track the user’s face. There isn’t much information provided about the early stage project, but there is something even better than information, a video of it in action.
