[From TG Daily; additional information from other sources follows below] Christmas Yule Log to air in 3D for first time Mark Raby | Thu 16th Dec 2010 To countless Americans, watching the perpetually burning Yule Log on TV is a Christmas tradition, and this year it’s getting a high-tech makeover. It’s been part of the holiday TV makeup since the 1960s and has remained relatively unchanged over the last 44 years. Hundreds of millions of viewers have tuned in to see the relaxing fireplace burning with classic Christmas music in the background. This year, though, you can make it feel…

[From MIT’s Technology Review, where the story includes a 1:26 minute video] [Image: More than real: The Wrap 920AR glasses provide immersive augmented reality for $1,995.] Computing Augmented Reality Goggles New video glasses can produce dazzling special effects, but who’ll wear them? Wednesday, November 10, 2010 By Kristina Grifantini I held a black-and-white square of cardboard in my hand and watched as a dragon the size of a puppy appeared on top of it and roared at me. I watched a tiny Earth orbit around a real soda can, saw virtual balls fall through a digital gap in a table,…

[From The Irish Times] [Image: Avatars on a computer-generated version of the Front Square of Trinity College Dublin] Thursday, December 9, 2010 Creating better digital denizens We are incredibly sensitive to human movement and appearance, which makes it a big challenge to create believable computerised crowds, but researchers at Trinity are working on improving that. As you settle down to watch the seasonal feast of movies on TV this Christmas – or maybe as you get stuck into computer games that found their way under the tree – take a closer look at any virtual humans that crop up. Are…

[A press release from NEVERDIE Studios via SourceWire] Virtual Worlds Pioneer Brings Fiancée Back From The Dead In Virtual Reality Monday, 20 December 2010 20th December 2010. Hollywood, CA – Virtual worlds pioneer, Jon NEVERDIE Jacobs, has revealed that he has brought his fiancée back from the dead as an avatar, and part of the launch of his latest virtual destination, the new Club NEVERDIE. The controversial entrepreneur believes that virtual reality will be the means by which humanity transcends death itself, and has taken the first step towards this with the inclusion of the avatar representing his late fiancée, Tina…

[From The Peninsula; more information about the Center is here] Hospital training, orientation go hi-tech at Sidra center Friday, 17 December 2010 By Sonya Schneider-Ghaddar, RN Qatar Health 2010, an annual Health Congress and Exhibition held earlier this week, presented exciting new ways of approaching healthcare, patient care and staff training. One presentation focused on the staff orientation project for the new Sidra Medical and Research Center, which is scheduled to open by the end of 2012. The presentation outlined the daunting and unique task of bringing onboard and orienting 5000 to 6000 new staff members for a facility that…

[From The Washington Post, where the story features a slideshow; additional details follow below] Taiwan flora show features high-tech displays By ANNIE HUANG The Associated Press Tuesday, December 14, 2010 Paper-thin speakers blare pop music. 3D films appear on elongated screens with no need for special viewing glasses. Viewers’ pulses turn cocoons into butterflies in an interactive display. Welcome to the Pavilion of Dreams, a high-tech enclave within the Taipei International Flora Exposition, where Taiwanese artists and engineers are using technology-generated flowers and plants to strut the island’s cutting edge know-how to onlookers from around the world.…