[From Indiana Unversity School of Medicine] January 12, 2010 Virtual Reality Tele-rehab Improves Hand Function: Playing Games for Real Recovery INDIANAPOLIS — Remotely monitored in-home virtual reality videogames improved hand function and forearm bone health in teens with hemiplegic cerebral palsy, helping them perform activities of daily living such as eating, dressing, cooking, and other tasks for which two hands are needed. “While these initial encouraging results were in teens with limited hand and arm function due to perinatal brain injury, we suspect using these games could similarly benefit individuals with other illness that affect movement, such as multiple sclerosis,…

[From Global Times (“Discover China, Discover the World”)] Shopping in a brave new online world Source: Global Times December 30 2009 By Yin Yeping Shopping is fun and cathartic, but for many it’s hard to find the time. Online shopping helps but at the same time can be dull and impersonal. XGO is about to change all that: their 3D business world, based on a business-to-customer (B2C) platform that combines virtual reality with Internet telecommunications, aims to provide the best of both worlds. The new online shopping experience will let customers negotiate with vendors’ avatars or even go shopping with…

[From MIT’s Technology Review] Making TV Social, Virtually What happens when your online pals meet your TV? By Erika Jonietz Monday, January 11, 2010 In the 1960s, families gathered in the living room to watch Bonanza. In the 1980s, friends met at the water cooler to speculate about who shot J.R. In 2010, mom watches HGTV in the bedroom, dad cheers for the Longhorns in the living room, and the kids laugh at the new episode of Glee on Hulu.com in the study. In an effort to “make TV social again” and to bring even far-flung family members and friends…

[From CNN] Audiences experience ‘Avatar’ blues By Jo Piazza, Special to CNN January 11, 2010 8:06 a.m. EST (CNN) — James Cameron’s completely immersive spectacle “Avatar” may have been a little too real for some fans who say they have experienced depression and suicidal thoughts after seeing the film because they long to enjoy the beauty of the alien world Pandora.…

[From Geek.com (“an online techology resource and community for technology enthusiasts and professionals since 1996”)] Orange aces augmented reality with Infinite Loop iPhone app Dec. 24, 2009 By: John Brownlee Although augmented reality has yet to transform me into the Snow Crash like techno-gargoyle I breathlessly anticipated I would be back in the cyberpunk throes of my teenage years, there’s just no denying the cool factor, and while the iPhone is a far cry from the virtual reality contacts the likes of William A. Gibson promised, there’s just no doubt that it is the premiere showcase of the form. Case in…

[From The New York Times ] Television Begins a Push Into the 3rd Dimension By BRIAN STELTER and BRAD STONE Published: January 5, 2010 Ralph Kramden can finally buy a television. It was more than half a century ago, in a 1955 episode of “The Honeymooners,” that Kramden, the parsimonious bus driver played by Jackie Gleason, told his wife, Alice, that he had not yet bought a new television because “I’m waiting for 3-D.” The wait will soon be over. A full-fledged 3-D television turf war is brewing in the United States, as manufacturers unveil sets capable of 3-D and…

[From The New York Times] A Venture Integrating Skype Into the Family Room By BRAD STONE Published: January 5, 2010 SAN FRANCISCO — There will soon be something new to watch on the living room TV: your relatives and friends in different parts of the world. On Tuesday, Panasonic and LG Electronics, two of the top television makers, are to announce that they are integrating the free online calling service Skype into their Internet-connected high-definition televisions.…

[From VentureBeat’s GamesBeat blog] Immerz sensory gear — don’t just play your games, feel them January 5, 2010 | Dean Takahashi Tech startup Immerz is launching new touch-feedback sensory gear today at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The KOR-fx platform is the core technology behind the gear, which wraps around your neck and has two pads that rest over your upper chest. When you fire a missile and it explodes, you feel the feedback in your chest. It also works with movies and music, making any form of entertainment feel more immersive.…

[From the Pixels and Policy blog; the Gizmodo report is here] 11/15/2009 Virtual Worlds, Physical Disability, and Evolving Perception Virtual worlds can profoundly impact both our personal sense of self and the ideals of a wider community, but how is the Metaverse affecting younger generations? A thought-provoking report by Gizmodo reveals that our perceptions of who we are may be evolving with our exposure to new technology. Pixels and Policy takes a look at whether future generations will debate the philosophy of the virtual world.…

Katie Salen “Pokéwalkers, Mafia Dons, and Football Fans: Play Mobile with Me” Thursday, January 14, 2010, 6 to 8 pm Hörsaal 2 / Lecture Hall 2 (please see http://www.digarec.org for a map) Hasso Plattner Institut für Softwaresystemtechnik GmbH Prof.-Dr.-Helmert-Str. 2-3 D-14482 Potsdam The language will be English and the entry is free. Any changes of the programme or locations etc. will be published first on http://www.digarec.org. Abstract: This talk will address a theoretical reconfiguration of experience, a repositioning of the techno-social within the domains of mobility, games, and play, and embodiment. The ideas aim to counter the notion that our…

[From CNN] The future of brain-controlled devices By Anne Hammock, CNN December 30, 2009 (CNN) — In the shimmering fantasy realm of the hit movie “Avatar,” a paraplegic Marine leaves his wheelchair behind and finds his feet in a new virtual world thanks to “the link,” a sophisticated chamber that connects his brain to a surrogate alien, via computer. This type of interface is a classic tool in gee-whiz science fiction. But the hard science behind it is even more wow-inducing. Researchers are already using brain-computer interfaces to aid the disabled, treat diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, and provide therapy…

[Another application of augmented reality, from Star Trek’s Facebook page; visit the web page to watch the :45 video demonstration] Star Trek: Experience The Enterprise Augmented Reality [HQ] Unlock an incredible 3D Augmented Reality experience only with Special Edition DVD & Blu-ray packages. Learn about the U.S.S. Enterprise, set your course and take command!…