Bear with me here. Yes, the music and AI voice is terrible and makes me feel like I am about to be checked into an alien processing plant for humans after they have taken over our world–but the concept idea is awesome!
We have been blasted with augmented reality programs and concepts but this is a unique idea in comparison to the “find your favorite restaurant” or “see landmarks in the area” programs.
This, if tweaked to be less in your face and obstructive could be a really helpful tool in many work environments. With wireless built into the system you could even receive updates about a certain part of the car having poor compression or getting particularly hot.
Another similar technology that is being worked on is an augmented reality device that fits in a contact lens.
This contact lens contains the circuits, antennas and LED display all in the lens. How does it get power? Wirelessly via RF technology! They currently have tested it in bunnies to confirm how safe it is and its functionality.
They have a few road blocks that are holding them back before everyone is walking around with this technology–such as the fact that red LEDs are toxic and wouldn’t bode well in your eye–but they are making giant leaps forward. Another hurdle is creating an array of LEDs that will make the image look like it is in front of your face by a foot or so. [IEEE Spectrum]
This may look like the command center of a giant space station but it is in fact my future basement the Global Network Operations Center for AT&T in NJ. This is where all of the magic is made. When you make a call, and you experience the 15 seconds of silence you may think means your phone isn’t connecting to the network, but what is really happening is the call has popped up on the main screen for the employees at AT&T to decide whether or not this call will be permitted to pass through.
Seriously though, AT&T is working on increasing their network. Between streaming music and videos, browsing the web, and downloading applications. iPhone users consume way more bandwidth than the standard smartphone user. This causes a real strain on the AT&T network, not just for data. Large cities are hit particularly hard during peak times when users are most likely to be on the phone texting, or using data.
Over the next year AT&T plans to spend the majority of their $18 billion budget on upgrading and expanding to meet the demands of the 3G network. They will also be erecting an additional 2,100 cell towers across the nation. Additional upgrades include adding fiber optic connectivity to increase the speed of data delivery.
In the more immediate future AT&T/Apple has announced that the long awaited iPhone MMS is due via a software upgrade on the 25th of this month, just a few weeks away. Now iPhone users can enjoy the luxury of snapping a photo or video (for 3GS users), and texting it to their friends.
“It’s the future of gaming.” – or at least that is what OnLive is hoping for. After seven years in “stealth development” they have now announced their new product. OnLive hopes to bring a new world of streaming video games to TVs, entry level PCs, and MACs, through the internet.
Interested? OnLive is currently looking for beta testers to stay at home wearing the same raunchy clothes for days without sleeping give their streaming game service a try, and provide them with feedback about the experience. To be apply as a beta tester visit the OnLive site and fill out the form. If you are lucky and are chosen to sit at home and play OnLive while gorging on microwaveable meals and delivery pizza as a beta tester you will get to use their service for free, in exchange for your feedback.
The GSM version of the Omnia 2 has been available for some time now. Now Amazon is listing the unlocked international version available for pre-order. Too impatient to wait for the Omnia 2 to come to your carrier and don’t mind paying an extra $500 for the phone? Here is your opportunity. I am not sure how much the Omnia II will be with a 2 year agreement when it comes to Verizon, but it definitely won’t be $500.
Again, this is for the GSM model so you won’t be able to use this with CDMA providers like Verizon.
