[From Scientific American] Virtual Revulsion Therapy: Pixelated Pests Help Treat Cockroach Phobia Psychologists have started testing augmented reality as an enhanced form of virtual reality therapy for specific phobias By Ferris Jabr October 9, 2010 For people with katsaridaphobia, or the fear of cockroaches, the common pests are more than nuisances—they are the stuff of nightmares. When some phobics spot one of the skittering beasts they start sobbing uncontrollably, whereas others who have seen them in their homes seriously consider moving. Psychologists can treat such disruptive fears with exposure therapy, in which a therapist gradually presents the feared stimulus to…

[From Ryerson University’s The Eyeopener; more information about Professor Grunberg’s work is available here] This ain’t Avatar One Ryerson professor is hoping to refine our 3-D viewing experience for the better, reports Jeff Lagerquist 21 September 2010 Not entirely convinced 3-D is worth your time? That’s something one Ryerson professor is hoping to change. Groundbreaking research at the school’s Digital Cinema and Advanced Visualization Lab could make wearing those embarrassing glasses slightly more enjoyable for movie watchers at home and in theatres. “We’re looking to gauge the responses to 3-D in different forms in order to determine what’s good 3-D and…

[From CNN; a 2:23 minute video is available here] Macy’s ‘magic mirror’ lets shoppers don virtual clothes By Doug Gross, CNN October 14, 2010 (CNN) — Macy’s shoppers can now check their look in a “magic mirror” in a fitting room, thanks to touchscreen computing. A large mirror, linked up to a touchscreen tablet computer, lets visitors to the iconic department store chain’s flagship New York location scroll through their options, then digitally “try on” clothes in the mirror.…

[From The Montreal Mirror; the film’s impressive UK web site is here] COVER: Eyes wide open Gaspar Noé on Enter the Void, his neon-coloured psychosexual journey through Tokyo and the afterlife. by Mark Slutsky October 14, 2010 A lot of movies put you in the lead characters’ shoes. But few directors have the audacity to do what Gaspar Noé set out to accomplish with his new film, Enter the Void. This is a movie that basically makes you, the viewer, the main character. For the first half-hour or so, the protagonist Oscar (played—kinda—by Nathaniel Brown) is seen entirely from behind,…

[From the UK’s Daily Mail] Window shopping in the lie street: 3D facades in high street hide dozens of empty shops By Daily Mail Reporter Last updated at 12:00 PM on 12th October 2010 Shoppers are getting a vision of the future in one town – and are walking in a  ‘virtual’ world. Fake facades have been put up in 18 shops in Redcar’s high street – along with one ‘virtual’ house. Shops such as the British Heart Foundation, Greggs, KFC and menswear store Greenwoods have been joined by the simulations, which aim to attract business investment to the area.…

[From PC World; a review of the new products can be found here] Toshiba to Launch No-glasses 3D TV This Year in Japan By Martyn Williams, IDG News Oct 4, 2010 Toshiba is readying two 3D televisions that can produce images with the illusion of depth but don’t require the user to wear glasses, it said Monday. It will launch the televisions in Japan in December. By dispensing with glasses, the TVs answer a key complaint of would-be buyers — but they won’t come cheap. Toshiba will offer a 12-inch model and a 20-inch model. They’ll cost around ¥120,000 (US$1,430) and…

[From CNN] When glass touch screens feel like sandpaper By John D. Sutter, CNN October 8, 2010 (CNN) — Glass screens that can feel the touch of your fingers are all the rage these days. You’ll find them in all kinds of gadgets, from smartphones to tablet computers. But the way a team of Disney Researchers sees it, there’s one huge problem with this technology: All glass screens feel exactly the same. So, OK, that “problem” may not be keeping you up at night. But think about the difference between typing on a hardware keyboard, where you can feel whether…

[A press release from Mitsubishi; a 0:55 minute video is available here] The All-New 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is set to become the “World’s First Online Test Drive” CYPRESS, California Thu, Oct 07, 2010 Starting November 2nd and continuing through November 10th, 2010, Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc., (MMNA), will host the World’s First Online Test Drive of an actual vehicle utilizing interactive remote control of the company’s latest automotive creation, the all-new 2011 Outlander Sport. Residents of the United States who are 18 years and older with a valid driver’s license will be able to register to have the…

[From AFP via The Sydney Morning Herald; more details are available in a story from The Catholic News Agency] New technologies confuse reality and fiction: Pope October 8, 2010 Pope Benedict XVI said on Thursday that the media’s increasing reliance on images, fuelled by the endless development of new technologies, risked confusing real life with virtual reality.…

[From eWeek; see also the observations of Human Productivity Lab President Howard Lichtman here; a 1:32 minute promotional video for the new product is here] VOIP and Telephony Cisco Umi Brings TelePresence Into the Home By: Jeffrey Burt 2010-10-07 Cisco made another step into the consumer space with its Umi video communication product for the home. However, critics point to its high cost as a key liability. Cisco Systems made its much-anticipated push deeper into the consumer space Oct. 6 with its Cisco Umi home telepresence system. The pricey offering brings Cisco into closer competition with video communication vendor Skype and…

[From CNET; a 7:43 minute video is available here] October 4, 2010 A look at Microsoft’s latest surface computer by Ina Fried Not content with turning all manner of surfaces into computers, Microsoft’s researchers are working to turn an entire room into one giant computing surface. Andy Wilson and his team had already turned a table top, a globe-sized sphere, and a walk-in dome into surface computers. Microsoft also has its Surface, a tabletop computer that it sells for use in places like hotels and restaurants. But with LightSpace–the latest research project–Wilson has turned an entire 10-foot-by-8-foot room into a…

[From the Chronicle of Higher Education’s ProfHacker blog] September 22, 2010 Would You Protect Your Computer’s Feelings? Clifford Nass Says Yes. By Jason B. Jones What if there was a book that explained how to write end comments on student papers or exams; why peer review processes often avoid, rather than facilitate, sound judgment; how to encourage meaningful group work; and why academic events feature so much ritual flattery? Clifford Nass’s The Man Who Lied to His Laptop: What Machines Teach Us About Human Relationships doesn’t restrict itself to academe—indeed, it claims to offer social rules for almost any situation—but…