[From Datamation; reminiscent of Jean Baudrillard’s ideas on simulation] [Image: From Google I/O, May 2013, San Francisco] How Google is Turning Maps Into Virtual Reality The Waze acquisition could bring more user-generated data to Google Maps. June 12, 2013 By Mike Elgan Why did Google, the company that already has the best maps product and the most users, spend a billion dollars to buy a tiny maps startup called Waze that has a fraction of the users ? Why would mighty Google need Waze’s puny map, app or user base? The short answer is that Google didn’t buy Waze’s ability to…

[From TAXI, where the post includes many more images; for even more information and images, see Danny Choo. Are these in Mori’s ‘uncanny valley’? Would viewing a doll of yourself evoke self-presence?] Japanese Cloning Factory Lets You Create 3D Doll Versions Of Yourself By Anthea Quay, 13 Jun 2013 In Akhibara, Japan, a company called “Clone Factory” lets you create 3D-printed doll versions of yourself—and even your pets. To create these mini 3D replicas, Clone Factory uses multiple DSLR cameras to take photos of a person’s or an animal’s face from different angles, computers to stitch the pictures and data…

[From MIT’s Technology Review] The Avatar Will See You Now Medical centers are testing new, friendly ways to reduce the need for office visits by extending their reach into patients’ homes. By Jessica Leber on June 10, 2013 Most patients who enter the gym of the San Mateo Medical Center in California are there to work with physical therapists. But a few who had knee replacements are being coached by a digital avatar instead. The avatar, Molly, interviews them in Spanish or English about the levels of pain they feel as a video guides them through exercises, while the 3-D…

[From SPACE.com, where the story includes a photo gallery] Mock Mars Mission Will Test Stresses of Red Planet Living by Clara Moskowitz, SPACE.com Assistant Managing Editor Date: 03 June 2013 The question of how people can live and work together well on a mission to Mars may turn out to be one of the biggest challenges of deep-space exploration. To simulate the experience of a crew stuck inside cramped quarters under stressful conditions, a nonprofit is planning a one-year mock Mars mission in the Arctic. The mission, to begin in July 2014, is being planned by the Mars Society, an…

[From Handy Shipping Guide] New Virtual Reality Programme Can Influence Multimodal Freight Designs Jaguar Land Rover Partnerships Aim at Putting UK in the Forefront of Conceptual Vehicle Production 07 June 2013 UK – Jaguar Land Rover and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), along with four of the UK’s leading universities, have announced a £10 million virtual engineering research programme which will aim to improve the quality and capabilities of simulation, using sights, sounds and even smells to make virtual simulation more realistic. Engineering projects such as this could have a major impact on the design of future…

[From Gizmag, where the story includes many additional images] Mind-controlled quadcopter flies using imaginary fists By David Szondy June 8, 2013 Researchers at the University of Minnesota have done away with all that tedious joystick work by developing a mind-controlled quadcopter. It may seem like the top item of next year’s Christmas list, but it also serves a very practical purpose. Using a skullcap fitted with a Brain Computer Interface (BCI), the University’s College of Science and Engineering hopes to develop ways for people suffering from paralysis or neurodegenerative diseases to employ thought to control wheelchairs and other devices.…

[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…