[From Defence Professionals] [Image: A soldier trains in a simulator cab at the Combined Arms Tactical Trainer. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)] Gaming technology helping UK forces prepare for Afghanistan July 5, 2011 A huge virtual reality training facility in Sennelager, Germany, which uses the latest 3D gaming technology, is helping British forces, from individuals to entire battle groups, prepare for operations in southern Afghanistan. Two years ago, PlayStation-style war games helped soldiers of 5th Battalion The Rifles (5 RIFLES) get ready for their tour of Iraq. Before departing for theatre, troops spent hours in simulators and replica operations rooms at the…

[From The Los Angeles Daily News; other reviews can be found in The Daily Mail, informitv and Which?] [Image: An audience member leaves the Los Angeles theatre as 3D replays (a bit blurry without the proper glasses) are shown from Petra Kvitova’s rather quick 6-3, 6-4 win over Maria Sharapova in this morning’s Wimbledon women’s singles final. (Photo by Tom Hoffarth)]  HOFFARTH: In 3D, Wimbledon (and Sharapova) is much sharper By Tom Hoffarth, Staff Writer Posted: 07/02/2011 Updated: 07/03/2011 [snip] This was a history-making moment in the 125th edition of Wimbledon. A live 3D feed was available in nearly 200…

[From Eurogamer] Sony predicts return of virtual reality 28/06/2011 by Fred Dutton Not content with attempting to usher in the advent of 3D console gaming, it seems Sony now has its sights set on the next quantum leap – virtual reality. Speaking in a video interview to promote next month’s b.tween 3D event in London, SCE Studios exec Mike Hocking explained that Sony’s recently announced HMD device could represent the future of 3D gaming by allowing users access to a full ‘virtual’ world.…

[From The Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel] Philip Chard | Out of My Mind New machines might pull us closer together June 27, 2011 When frustrated with or puzzled about another person, we sometimes say, “I wish I could get inside his head.” Intuitively, we recognize how tough it is to truly understand how another person perceives the world. Even heartfelt conversations between caring people cannot entirely bridge this interpersonal gap. What, if anything, can? Well, with emerging advances in communication technology, you and others of your choosing may soon be able to narrow this relational chasm in a way that…

[From AFP via Australia’s ABC News; a 2:33 minute video is available here] [Image: The Sense-Roid is connected to a jacket worn by the human user that replicates the embrace with the help of air compressors (AFP: Yoshikazu Tsuno)] Hug machine on show in Japan Thu Jun 23, 2011 AFP – Japanese inventors have pushed the frontiers of technology with the ultimate companion for lonely singles – a wired torso-shaped device that you can hug and that hugs you back. The Sense-Roid looks like a tailor’s mannequin with silicon skin and is packed with pressure sensors. It is connected to a…

[From Singularity Hub] New Japanese Pop Idol Shocks Fans With News–She’s Not Real by Peter Murray June 22nd, 2011 Only 15 seconds in the limelight and she’d already created an overnight buzz. She was the newest member of the very popular all-girl Japanese idol group AKB 48. Upon seeing the new face appear on a candy commercial, the band’s faithful took to the message boards: Who is Aimi Eguchi? This past Sunday, Ezaki Glico, the candy company which aired the commercial, confirmed what many of AKB 48’s fans had come to suspect: Aimi Eguchi wasn’t real. The new group member,…

[From The Los Angeles Times’ 24 Frames blog; a press release is available here] [Image: An aromatic scene from “Spy Kids: All the Time in the World,” which will be released in August. Credit: The Weinstein Co.] Robert Rodriguez defends his plan for movies that smell: ‘There have been a lot of advances with the technology’ June 24, 2011 The idea of enhancing the filmgoing experience using scratch-and-sniff cards seems even campier now than a similar idea (Smell-o-Vision) did in 1960. That’s when the B movie “Scent of Mystery” tried to get viewers’ olfactory receptors in on the action by pumping…

[From Views and News from Norway; a 0:33 minute video is available here and a post-trip review is here] [Image: Cameras started rolling when the Hurtigruten ship MS Nord-Norge sailed from Bergen on June 16. The cameras weren’t due to be turned off until the ship docks in Kirkenes on June 22, with the entire voyage airing live on NRK2. PHOTO: NRK] NRK launches marathon TV voyage June 17, 2011 Views and News from Norway/Nina Berglund After months of planning and technical preparation, state broadcaster NRK went live Thursday night with its marathon coverage of a Hurtigruten voyage from Bergen…

[A press release from Levity Novelty LLC via PRWeb; several short videos are available on YouTube including this one] Invisibility Achieved Through iPad 2 App Levity Novelty LLC has today released an iPad app that provides simulated invisibility of the iPad 2 screen on a table or other environment, even as the device is moved, using its unique motion sensing technology. The Invisibility™ app is available in Apple’s online App Store for US $0.99. Sebastopol, CA (PRWEB) June 22, 2011 Levity Novelty LLC has today released an iPad app that provides simulated invisibility of the iPad 2 screen on a…

[From BBC News; the original story features a 1:29 minute video and links to related stories] Dentists learn with virtual drill By Anna-Marie Lever Health reporter, BBC News 22 June 2011 To the high-pitched sound of numerous drills, students get to work removing a decayed tooth. Their patients need not be afraid though, as these want-to-be dentists are practising on 3D virtual-reality jaws, not the real thing. The 14 work stations lined up in a lab at Europe’s largest dental school, King’s College London, use a technology that allows the student to learn how much pressure they should use when…

[From Fast Company] FC Expert Blog Mezzanine Steps Meetings Up A Level By FC Expert Blogger Rob Salkowitz Thu Jun 16, 2011 Despite decades of earnest technological advances, meetings generally remain as unsatisfying as they are unproductive. The culprit is the meeting room model of a single computer hooked up to a projector, which forces participants to work in sequence rather than in tandem. This stymies collaboration and channels meetings into a presenter-driven dynamic, where each person must wait their turn to load up their material or use the mouse. Whiteboarding and application sharing can restore some of the sense…

[From The University of Sydney; a 1:47 minute video story from Australia’s ABC News is available here] [Image: “I just freeze for no reason” … Parkinson’s sufferer John Marshall undergoes an MRI scan. Photo: Dean Sewell] World-first virtual reality study to trial new Parkinson’s treatment In a world-first study, researchers at the Brain and Mind Research Institute (BMRI) at the University of Sydney may have found a new way to help the Parkinson’s disease patients who experience walking problems. 20 June 2011 Researchers are hoping to use a simulated virtual reality environment to help patients suffering from the phenomenon known…