We won't deny that Bioscpyt's new 3D cam is a little scary-looking, but considering its the first 3D face recognition camera, we'll cut it some slack. Relying on 40,000 different ID points, the VisionAccess 3D DeskCam uses parts of your forehead, eye sockets and nose to ID you and log you onto your computer.
Bioscrypt claims it won't matter if you have a beard one day and are clean shaven the next. The cam will recognize you regardless. Sounds too good to be true. We'll have to wait till the second half of '07 to check it out. – Louis Ramirez
Press Release [via Daily Tech]
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3D movies have been around for a while, and now the bigwigs in Hollywood are toying with the idea of going all 3D in the future. According to Regal Entertainment's CEO, audiences are willing to pay premium ticket prices if the movies they see are in 3D.
DreamWorks Animation SKG has already jumped on the trend, saying that by 2009 all of their films will be in 3D. Granted, most theaters will have to switch to systems that support 3D technology, but if it means people paying more cash, Hollywood figures, why not. If the plan goes through...
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hResearchers at the University of Oslo have developed a computer that evolves on its own using genetic algorithms to boost performance. See?
What their hardware does is par up "genes" in the hardware to find the hardware design that is the most effective to accomplish the tasks at hand. Just like in the real world, it can take 20 to 30 thousand generations before the system finds the perfect design to solve the problem, but this will happen in just a few seconds compared with the 8-900,000 years it took humans to go through the same number of generations.
Neat. Who knows how many practical applications this will have, but the idea of a computer evolving on its own to do what it needs to do is both cool and kind of terrifying. –Adam Frucci
Bits of News [via Boing Boing]
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Cabling is not the most exciting product segment. That said, anyone who has witnessed the audio/visual difference between content viewed or heard through cheap cables versus pricier cables will tell you, it's damned important.
Now that HD content is in the online wild and on some shelves you might want to look into some decent HDMI cables. You may have noticed that they are not cheap, and sorry to disappoint, but the latest Xen range from IXOs is not going to change that.
Of course, you will find cheaper cables out there, but these ones are geared towards those that believe you get what you pay for. The Xen XHT658 is the new flagship HDMI cable from the cabling specialist, offering full-HD 1080p. Even better they come in lengths ranging from 1m to 11m. The connectors are silver plated to maximise signal quality and minimise losses, there’s triple shielding against interference, a cast metal HDMI plug to do away with electromagnetic interference and they’ve been HDMI certified by Silicon Image testing labs.
Prices start at a gob-smacking £109 for the 1m cable and run upwards really fast through 2m, 3m, 5m and 7m until you get to £268 for the 11m option. How much do you love your movies?-Martin Lynch
HDMI HDTV home cinema cables
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I thought the ErgoQuest 500 was the ultimate in PC gaming/workstation rigs but check out the Personal Computing Environment Station.
Name aside it looks like it could have dropped straight out of a sci-fi flick and those fans/speakers look like rockets. The makers say that the rig puts the gamer in the centre of this ‘integrated digital command centre’ and frankly, who doesn’t want a bit of command centre action? There are more ergonomic options on this metallic skeletal throne to ensure that the bodily damage caused by your unhealthy gaming obsession can at least be offset somewhat by many seating and tilt positions.
There’s room for up to three LCD monitors because we all know that one is never enough. Yours for around £3,200.-Martin Lynch
[Bornrich]
news technology gadgets PC home games
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HANNSpree never fails to amuse, and even sometimes delight, with its wacky take on TV design.
From basketball and soccer ball-shaped sets, the company is the place to go for that weird second TV for your bedroom. However, in recent times, it’s been making a serious push for the living room pound, toning down the wackiness but retaining its flairfor distinctive design.
This is the latest offering, the HANNSvibewhite 32-inch LCD HDTV, sporting curvy, oval contours that owe much to the Pop Art style. The most interesting aspect though, are those sexy removable speakers which, when off, make the TV look even better. I also like that centrally placed control button.
Feature-wise, it has a resolution of 1366 x 768, a contrast ratio of 1200:1, a 500 cd/m2 brightness rating and a response time of 8ms. It also sports HDMI, component, composite and PC inputs. Thankfully, unlike many so-called designer TV makers, HANNSpree are easy on the pocket and the price for this – US-only so far – is £650. Check out another pic after the jump.-Martin Lynch
news technology TV HDTV home entertainment
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Editor and Contributor | Martin Lynch
Contributor | Tamlin Magee
