A report by analysts Cowen and Company ... states that 26% of the market is rocking out with the Sony PSP, 3DS or non-3D Nintendo DS, in a slow but steady decline. “Over the last five years, the penetration of dedicated handheld platforms into survey respondents self-identifying as casual gamers has declined by 29 per cent, with the vast majority of that decline occurring in the last two years.”
Since Android and iPhones hit the market, demand for a console-like gaming experience on phone handsets has driven developers to create titles which try to ape the best Sony and Nintendo has to offer. ...
“We believe mobile and smartphone gaming is significantly impacting demand for dedicated handheld devices,” the survey continues. Of those surveyed, 52% play games on their mobiles, while only 37% use a dedicated handheld gaming device.
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... Called the Virtual Eye Contact Engine, the software module analyses the scene in real-time 3D from three cameras mounted around the display. It computes the depth structure information of the person’s head which is used to generate a 3D model. The 3D model is then used to compute the view of the virtual camera for both parties and the rendered output appears to show each person looking directly at each other. ...
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They are building a $60 stripped down, solar powered tablet.
... Raja Singh Tuli laughs when he reads comparisons between UbiSlate and the iPad 2, which retails for $499.
"It's not the PlayBook, it's not the iPad, it's not going to give you the same kind of performance," said Tuli, who uses an iPhone himself. "It doesn't run Angry Birds, so it doesn't do 3D graphics."
But Tuli says it does two basic things well: provide decent Internet access, as well as the ability to play HD video -- which was necessary for Bollywood-obsessed India."
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During the test, performed with headphones, the device plays sounds across a range of frequencies and asks whether the user can hear them. The software adjusts the device's audio output by amplifying the most troublesome frequencies. This is important, because a smart-phone user who has trouble discerning speech because he can't hear certain frequencies will gain nothing by simply turning up the volume.
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Plastic money made its debut in Canada on Monday, when the central bank brought its new $100 bills into circulation.
Carney said the high-tech bills are expected to last at least 2.5 times as long as a conventional paper bill and they will be recycled when they are taken out of circulation.
The bills have a transparent window on them, as well as some transparent text.
The bank governor said the bank notes "contain the unique combination of transparency, holography and other sophisticated security elements."
Read the full story here.
They’re different kids. They have different potentials. Now, in practice, we’re not going to be able to get down to the micro level with all of this, I grant you, but in fact, I would be running a twenty-four-hour school, I would have non-teachers working with teachers in that school, I would have the kids coming and going at different times that make sense for them.
Read the full article here.
Instead of just showing the latest Hollywood blockbusters, multiplexes equipped with digital projection increasingly are providing patrons with a night at the ballet or the fights. And jeans-wearing opera lovers can enjoy a show at the same place they'd see a romantic comedy or an action movie. ...
"It speaks to a transition in the industry," says Patrick Corcoran, director of media and research at the National Association of Theatre Owners. "Anything that can be transmitted digitally, you can show in theaters."
Big-screen fare ranges from recordings of live theater to concerts and sporting events, such as live 3-D showings of last year's soccer World Cup.
Some examples:
•The Sleeping Beauty live in HD, on Nov. 20. Tickets are about $18. Visit www.fathomevents.com for more information.
•Faust by the Metropolitan Opera live in HD, Dec. 10. Tickets are about $24 (www.fathomevents.com).
•George Balanchine's The Nutcracker live in HD, Dec. 13. (www.fathomevents.com; tickets go on sale Nov. 18).
•UFC mixed martial arts live in 3D, Feb. 4. Visit ufc3d.cinedigm.com for more information (no prices announced yet).
•Los Angeles Philharmonic, Feb. 18. Tickets are about $20 (www.fathomevents.com).
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[Philp Lelyveld comment: Watch the really interesting 8 minute video, including a description of the planned Robot Land, here.]
When it comes to fun, Asia means business. In 2010, six out of the 10 fastest growing theme parks were from that region. And South Korea is next in line to help Asia steal the mantle of theme park supremacy from the United States.
Executives predict that 2.8 million people a year will visit the Robotland theme park in Incheon, which is scheduled to open within two years.
Rajan Datar reports from South Korea.
READ MORE: Why are humans scared of robots?
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has set a new record for the biggest ever entertainment launch. The game's publisher, Activision Blizzard, has claimed that in the US and UK alone, the military shooter sold over 6.5m units within 24 hours of its launch on Tuesday, raising $400m in sales revenues.
The figures are based on data from Charttrack as well as customer sell-through information.
It is a third consecutive sales record for the Call of Duty series. 2009's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 sold 4.7m copies in 24 hours earning $310m in revenue, while last year's Call of Duty: Black Op hit 5.6m copies in its first day. ...
"Other than Call of Duty, there has never been another entertainment franchise that has set opening day records three years in a row. Life-to-date sales for the Call of Duty franchise exceed worldwide theatrical box office for Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, two of the most successful entertainment franchises of all time."
By contrast, the highest grossing movie of the year so far, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, made $80m in one day on the global box office – a record figure for the film industry. ...
Read the full post here.
[Jerusalem Post]
...
10. 3D Embedded in New TV Sets: 3DTV households are growing, even if demand for 3D content services is not. TV set manufacturers such as Samsung, LG and Vizio are now embedding 3D technology into their high-end sets. For example, in the 40-inch and larger LCD TV panel segment, 3D penetration grew from 12.7 percent in Q1 to 21.7 percent in Q2 and 28.2 percent in Q3 (DisplaySearch). Consumers cite the need for special glasses and lack of compelling 3D content as main reasons for ignoring 3D services. ...
See the full story here:
... Called the Virtual Eye Contact Engine, the software module analyses the scene in real-time 3D from three cameras mounted around the display. It computes the depth structure information of the person’s head which is used to generate a 3D model. The 3D model is then used to compute the view of the virtual camera for both parties and the rendered output appears to show each person looking directly at each other. ...