[From Wired’s Gadget Lab blog; see also the related story at GigaOM] Beyond Smart TV: ‘Surfaces’ Prototype Reveals the Television of Tomorrow By Christina Bonnington May 8, 2012 We’ve seen the future of television, and we want it now. NDS, a company that develops DRM security and DVR technology for pay-TV providers like Cox and DirecTV, has developed a proof-of-concept called Surfaces that shows how television could become the center of a much more compelling, immersive living room experience. The prototype jettisons the single, static screen that’s been a hardware mainstay since the golden age of television. In its place…

[From Gintime; more information about the first film to be featured is available here] This Sunday Bombay Sapphire Presents the Edible Cinema Posted on May 11, 2012 Wow! we’ve had Secret Cinema, scratch and sniff cinema, film scores re-imagined by DJs and musicians. But as yet, no-one has truly enhanced a cinematic experience with food… until now! On Sunday 13 May, the Electric Cinema in Portobello Road and Bombay Sapphire Gin are proud to present ‘Edible Cinema’; a collaboration between the team at Soho House, renowned experience organiser Polly Betton, experimental food designer Andrew Stellitano and Bombay Sapphire’s brand ambassador…

[From CNET, where the story includes a 1:15 minute video] [Image: A new look combining the depth camera of Kinect gaming console and a video from a digital SLR. Credit: Screen capture by Martin LaMonica/CNET] ‘Point cloud portraits’ bring ghostly 3D images to movies by Martin LaMonica May 2, 201 Carnegie Mellon University’s Studio for Creative Inquiry creates distinctive 3D video effect by hacking together the depth camera of the Kinect gaming console with video from digital SLRs. In yet another example of the amazing things possible with the Kinect gaming console, filmmakers have combined the depth camera of Kinect…

[From Fast Co.CREATE] Assemble a Holographic GE Jet Engine—No Engineering Experience Required As part of Creative Week, agency BBDO New York has collaborated with special FX, sound, and gaming technology companies to create Throttle Up, an immersive experience that lets you see, hear, and feel what it’s like to build and launch a GE jet engine. By: KC Ifeanyi May 8, 2012 The same holographic technology that’s sending departed music stars on tour is allowing civilians to assemble a jet engine in Dumbo. GE’s expansive array of innovative technologies have made the company a pioneer across numerous sectors of everyday…

[From MIT’s Technology Review; a 2:45 minute video is available here] [Image: Sound waving: SoundWave uses the Doppler effect and the microphone and speakers in your computer to sense and interpret gestures. Microsoft Research.] Gesture Control System Uses Sound Alone SoundWave lets an ordinary laptop function like a Kinect sensor. Monday, May 7, 2012 By Rachel Metz When you learned about the Doppler Effect in high school physics class—the wave frequency shift that occurs when the source of the wave is moving, easily illustrated by a passing ambulance—you probably didn’t envision it helping control your computer one day. But that’s…

[From Capital Public Radio, where the story includes audio and a 4:33 minute video] Virtual Reality Sheds Light on Learning with Autism UC Davis is using virtual reality to learn how autistic adolescents manage to think, talk and interact at the same time. They hope the study will help the estimated 740,000 autistic kids in public schools get more from the classroom. By Pauline Bartolone (Sacramento, CA) Monday, April 30, 2012 Sixteen year-old Matthew Nystrom describes himself as someone who likes to learn everything he can about the world. “My personal passion is animals, the natural world and how our……

[From Daily Disruption; a 5 minute video is here] Researchers at Disney and Carnegie Mellon Develop Disruptive New Technology (Touché) – [Video] By Bill Klump | @TheKlumper | May 5th, 2012 A doorknob that knows whether to lock or unlock based on how it is grasped, a smartphone that silences itself if the user holds a finger to her lips and a chair that adjusts room lighting based on recognizing if a user is reclining or leaning forward are among the many possible applications of Touché, a new sensing technique developed by a team at Disney Research, Pittsburgh, and Carnegie…

[From Discover’s Magazine’s blog The Crux] Cheap Soul Teleportation, Coming Soon to a Theater Near You? April 10th, 2012 Mark Changizi is an evolutionary neurobiologist and director of human cognition at 2AI Labs. He is the author of The Brain from 25000 Feet, The Vision Revolution, and his newest book, Harnessed: How Language and Music Mimicked Nature and Transformed Ape to Man.” Also check out his related commentary on a promotional video for Project Glass, Google’s augmented-reality project. Experience happens here—from my point of view. It could happen over there, or from a viewpoint of an objective nowhere.…

[From Digital Trends; full details including a 7:27 minute video are available from Dolby here] Dolby Atmos surround sound technology could transform video games Dolby Laboratories introduces Dolby Atmos, surround sound that can create terrifyingly realistic noise environments. April 24, 2012 By Anthony John Agnello Dolby Laboratories wants to scare the crap out of you. The famous sound system designer unveiled its latest surround sound technology on Monday, and its implications for entertainment, particularly horror, are hair-raising. Dolby Atmos will be implemented first in movie theaters but the goal is to eventually bring the technology into the home where it…

[From Mashable; short videos are available here and here] Dr. Roboto? Interactive Teddy Bear Helps Kids Manage Diabetes April 27, 2012 by Lauren Hockenson Name: Jerry the Bear Big Idea: Jerry the Bear is a robotic teddy bear that “has” diabetes. Children are able to take care of Jerry by checking his blood glucose levels, giving him “insulin shots” and “feeding” him a variety of foods. Why It’s Working: Targeted specifically to children living with type 1 diabetes, Jerry helps sick kids not only learn about the procedures that are performed on them daily but also empowers them to understand…

[From PSFK] Bilingual Robot Receptionist Helps University Students In Both English & Arabic By Lamya Hussain on April 30, 2012 Researchers at the University of Carnegie Mellon in Qatar have created a prototype of a bilingual robot that is both effective and articulate while communicating with people. The “roboreceptionist” is able to answer the phone and note important messages. It is also able to direct visitors and students to different locations on campus and provide information on the weather. It is proficient in both English and Arabic making it accessible to the local population in the region. For more on…

[A press release from Altadyn via Market Wire; background information including role of “sense of presence” is available at the Altadyn web site here] ALTADYN® Adds Third Dimension to Facebook® IRVINE, CA–(Marketwire – Apr 27, 2012) – Social Movie Watching in Your 3D Virtual Home, Social Photo Viewing of Your Holiday Pics During a Facebook® Hangout With Friends and 3D Immersive Social Gaming Are Among Enabled Apps, Thanks to ALTADYN®‘s Patent Pending Platform ALTADYN® the leading provider of 3D web technology, today announced a new development platform. Offered in PaaS mode (Platform as a Service) on the cloud, the new…