[From CNET, where the story includes many images and a video] [Image: It’s been a long road bringing digital eyewear and other wearable technologies out of the shadows, but they are poised to take off at warp speed within the next decade. (Credit: Dan Farber/Augmented Reality Expo)] The next big thing in tech: Augmented reality The wearable revolution is heading beyond Google Glass, fitness tracking and health monitoring. The future is wearables that conjure up a digital layer in real space to “augment” reality. by Dan Farber June 7, 2013 SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Reality isn’t what is used to…

[Satire from The Onion] New, Improved Google Maps Lets User Launch Missile At Any Location On Globe ISSUE 49•22 • May 29, 2013 MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA—Tech giant Google announced Wednesday that their newest version of Maps will enable users to fire a missile at any location on the planet. “Simply zoom in on any point on the map, set the crosshairs, and tap the ‘Launch’ button, and a Google satellite will immediately send an ASM cruise missile accurate within 5 feet,” said Maps product manager Jason Murawski, adding that the feature is available on both iPhone iOS and Android operating…

[From Home Theater Magazine] Ultra-Big-Screen Movie Magic Comes Home with IMAX Private Theatre By HT Staff • Posted: May 31, 2013 If you’ve got some extra dough laying around, IMAX just announced the IMAX Private Theatre. Calling it “the world’s most immersive cinema experience,” the company says it has taken the best of its commercial theater experience and customized it to create a state-of-the-art home cinema experience. The design concept originated from the company’s state-of-the-art screening room in Santa Monica, Calif. System highlights include:…

[Satire from The Onion; for more on Frances Ha see IMDb. Are the stereotypes about presence and IMAX accurate? Let us know what you think in the comments.] You Haven’t Seen ‘Frances Ha’ Until You’ve Seen It In IMAX ISSUE 49•22 • May 30, 2013 By Noah Baumbach As a director, I have always strived to present my work to the audience in such a way that it accurately reflects my artistic vision in its purest form, so that what is displayed on the screen is as close as possible to my original conception of the film. This has never…

[From Tech.pinions] The Dividing Line Between Human and Replicant Already Happened by Brian S Hall  |  May 27th, 2013 In the film, Iron Man 3, the good guys encase themselves in tech. The bad guys put the tech inside their bodies. This is telling. Hollywood – and most of America – remains oddly uncomfortable with the notion of technology which “alters” our self – even as it alters everything we see, hear and touch. No surprise, then, that Tony Stark, the man inside the Iron Man suit, fires off witty bombs in the vain hope it will ease his mental…

[From Motivate. Play.] Presence and Games – An interview with Paul Skalski, Ph.D. Posted by Jim Cummings on Dec 5, 2012 Back in October I gave a talk at the 2012 conference for the International Society for Presence Researchers.  While there I sat in on a number of fascinating presentations, including several by Dr. Paul Skalski, professor and researcher in the School of Communication at Cleveland State University.  Amongst other topics, Paul discussed the potential relationship between gameplay motivation and a player “need for presence.”  I recently followed up with him to hear more about his research, as well as…