[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…

[A news release from The University of San Diego (UCSD), where the original story includes 3 images] Coming to TV Screens of the Future: A Sense of Smell A research breakthrough toward odor-generating TV June 16, 2011 By Catherine Hockmuth Today’s television programs are designed to trigger your emotions and your mind through your senses of sound and sight. But what if they could trigger a few more? What if you could smell or taste the cheesy slices of pizza being eaten by your favorite characters on TV? Is it possible? Would audiences enjoy the experience? Would advertisers jump on…

[A press release from StarGreetz via PR Newswire; related stories, a story about how Syracuse University is using the service to retain admitted students is available here, and an interview with the founder and CEO is available here] StarGreetz Makes Facebook Talk … Personally NEW DIGITAL MEDIA COMPANY, STARGREETZ, REINVENTS ONLINE AND MOBILE BRAND MARKETING WITH THE FIRST-EVER PERSONALIZED VIDEO FACEBOOK, WEBSITE AND BANNER AD APPS AND PREMIUM RETAIL PRODUCTS THAT SPEAK DIRECTLY TO CONSUMERS AND FANS BY NAME First-Ever Personalized Video Facebook and Web App Launches With The CW’s Vampire Diaries and 90210 and American Idol; Premium Retail Products Include…

[From Fast Company] KinectShop: The Next Generation Of Shopping [Exclusive Video] A new augmented reality shopping platform for Xbox Kinect will allow users to try on clothes in true 3-D, share photos with friends, and store wish-listed items on smartphones for shopping on-the-go. By Gregory Ferenstein Jun 9, 2011 Virtual reality shopping just got a lot more real–and could soon become a lot more mainstream. “KinectShop” (working title), an augmented reality shopping platform for the Xbox Kinect, exploits the system’s new finger-recognition technology to allow shoppers to grab items from an unlimited shelf of clothes, see how accessories look at…

[From GigaOm, where the story includes a 2:09 minute video] Immersive Communications: The future of video collaboration? By Simon Mackie Jun. 7, 2011 From the telepresence solutions of companies like Cisco and Polycom to inexpensive desktop videoconferencing apps from providers such as Skype and Tinychat, there are now video communication products available to suit every need and budget. However, even though the quality of video communication has greatly improved, it still cannot match the feeling of proximity generated by real, face-to-face conversation. Telecom giant Alcatel Lucent’s research and development arm Bell Labs is hoping to replicate the feeling of in-person interaction…

[From Wired; more information including the excerpts that follow the story below, more images and video clips, is available in the Airbus report here]   Airbus shows off the sustainable and panoramic plane of 2050 By Mark Brown 14 June 11 Conceptual soothsayers at plane-builder Airbus have gazed 40 years into the future, to show what the aircraft cabin of 2050 might look like. The first thing you’ll notice is that the claustrophobic fuselage shell is gone, now replaced by panoramic views of the sky above you. This is achieved by a twisting bionic structure — inspired by bird skeletons…

[From New Scientist; a 1:23 minute video is available here] Illusions to send shivers down a gamer’s spine 25 May 2011 by Jim Giles Magazine issue 2813. You are playing a video game, and your avatar is creeping into a haunted house at the dead of night. Suddenly, you freeze in your chair. Something is crawling up your back… Whether this idea appeals or not, researchers at Disney have made such sensations possible by inventing a system that fools players into thinking that objects are moving against their skin. Their brainchild, known as Tactile Brush, creates the illusion of being touched…