Interacts “Skinput” from your skin

No doubt the touch screens have revolutionized how we communicate with computers and each other. Now, the next step is to convert what is on one screen and touch to interact with the computer. With that in mind, Microsoft developed Skinput with Carnegie Mellon University.

Skinput is a touch screen in human skin. A sophisticated projects keys, numbers or colors on the part of the person you want, and you only have to touch the buttons, such as a screen to interact.

A bracelet that contains five connectors piezoelectric biceps connects to the user. Each responds to certain ranges of sound frequency. A projector in this bracelet makes it a body screen, something like the technology MIT SixthSense.

A projector in the biceps to the forearm gives the images, then the keys and touchscreen.
Chris Harrison, University student and employee at Microsoft created the system of bio acoustic sensors to detect sound patterns that are generated by striking the forearm or palm.

Each area has a specific audible tone can be associated with functions like dialing a phone or playing Tetris. Click and snap your fingers can also be used for commands.

Skinput could relay commands to mobile devices or PCs via wireless technologies like Bluetooth.

If this gadget becomes a commercial reality might redefine our common perception of gestures. Fingers nervously drumming may actually now be text messages, for example, while a slap in the face to start Windows and some blows to the head could send Tweets.

“You could do everything that makes the iPhone from your arm,” said Harrison, who says Skinput is like having the iPhone in your palm. For example, when jogging, you make a call, you have to pull the phone out of your pocket, only marks from your arm.

The prototype has been developed over a period of eight months, and will be ready within two to seven years. What most needs is to be more precise.

For the time is accurate up to 95 percent in the detection of the points touched, and works even when the body is in motion. The problem is that such accuracy is just five large buttons.

“It’s pretty accurate, but not enough to bring it to market yet,” said Harrison.

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A Minnesota couple decided to dance his way to the alter and uploaded the video to YouTube.

Besides from being the happiest day in their lives (as demands the cliché ), their wedding dance became a hit with more than 6,000,000 views.

The couple dances to the song”Forever” by Chris Brown.

Who is cashing in?

Sony BMG who is distributing Chris Brown’s music has an agreement wit YouTube so, some dollars will be changing hands there.

Google is also using this video to playrelevant wedding adwords, therefore cashing in on their part.

All in all just watch the video

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An american judge has ruled that youtube will have to compenate some european companies who sued for infringement of live sports games broadcasts by youtube.

The live broadcasts were uploaded to youtube but, unlike pornographic material, were not deleted by the company.

However,, the judge also ruled that youtube cannot be found liable for non live material since it’s copyright rights is not implicit and has to be registered in the US.

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 Michael Jackson has supposedly suffered cardiac arrest this Thursday.

 

Michael Jackson has died after suffering from cardiac arrest yesterday.

The entertainer was rushed to a hospital after being found with no pulse at his home.

Michael was in a state of comma until his body finally gave up.

This report still needs to be verified but it has been backed by stories in the LA Times and the associated press.

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These programs are no longer available to viewers who reside oustside the US.  However, chapters can be viewed almost fully through the site, when they are divided into sections of several minutes.

 

In recent years, TV Networks in the United States began to broadcast on the web, for free, the content of Prime Time TV immediately after their transmission. As in television, while watching these shows on the web, commercials are often incorporated.

The content is blocked for viewing outside the US (GeoBlock) by identifying the IP address of the client computer.

 

One of the reasons for blocking non US audience is because the contents of advertisements target the American audience and do not yield profits from non US traffic.

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The Internet giant closes the free hosting service acquired a decade ago and directs the users to purchase paid service, for the sum of 6 dollars per month.

 

 

Yahoo announced yesterday that it intends to close GeoCities, a free service that enabled users with basic HTML to create websites and store them free.

 

 

In the last two years Yahoo has been closing various services that it considers unprofitable. Yahoo has also been continuously dismissing employees.

 

 

This week alone 700 Yahoo employees were dismissed.

 

 

In a written announcement released earlier this week, Yahoo stated that:

 

 “as part of an ongoing effort to build products and services that provide the best value and experience for our customers and best results to our advertisers, we spend more efforts in certain areas and reduce investments in other areas.”

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The US authorities have decided to continue to monitor Microsoft until May 2011, to make sure that it allows fair competition.

 

Justice Inspector on the order of the Microsoft Antitrust extended supervision on the company in 18 more months, noting that Microsoft is currently much better place “in comparison to several months ago.

Judge Colleen, stated in the hearing held in Washington, that she will approve the continued monitoring, especially, since much improvement in Microsoft’s actions was noted. 

The supervision arrangement was signed voluntary by Microsoft after Microsoft was accused of violations relating to business monopoly in the market home computers. The supervision was supposed to end on November 12th, but now, with the extension, it will end only on 12 May 2011

 

As part of the voluntary agreement, Microsoft is committed to provide technical documents and information to companies interested in writing software for the Windows operating system. 

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Research: People who use file sharing programs (p2p) are more likely to buy music online.

 

 

The Norwegian School of Management conducted a research which studied the surfing habits of 2000 P2P users, and concluded that downloading songs from the Internet via file-sharing programs, actually encourages the legal purchase of music content online.

 

 

In this view, Pirate Bay may actually be doing a favor to the record companies.

 

 

However, unsurprisingly the record companies dismissed this research stating that they doubt it is valid.

 

 

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The developers at Take2 have a lot of work on their hands if they want to create a proper sequel to the original Mafia game - but in the meantime it looks impressive

In 2002 Mafia - The City of Lost Heaven was released. This third person action game of fictional events took place in America at the 1930’s, and presenting an impressive plot and story rarely seen in similar games.

 

Many gamers thought that Mafia was even better than GTA and Vice City which were released around the same time.

Seven years have passed and the sequel is around the corner. Hopefully the game will maintain a high level of sophistication, action and playability.

In Mafia 2 you will enter the shoes of Vito Skaltem a young soldier who returned home from the war just to join the Mafia.

 

Vito will soon become a big Mafia dude and end up fighting 3 other Mafia Families.

The story for Mafia 2 was written by the same writer of the first game, but this time the story is broader and includes lots of humor and tough language.  

As in the original game, the police will take an extensive part in the game.�
 
The bottom line:

Actually, there are many things that we do not know about Mafia 2. Very few pictures and videos of the game were released, and the game is yet to be properly introduced to the gaming community although the lack of information is not a good sign, let’s remain optimistic and keep our hopes high.

 

The game is expected to hit the streets by December 2009 but don’t be surprised (I won’t) if it is delayed.

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In retaliation for Google’s decision to block South Korean users from uploading videos to the local version of Google, SK legislators are considering legal actions against Google.

Google’s decision to block content submissions from SK users followed a new law that demands SK users that publish content in large Internet sites (sites having more than 100,000 visitors per day) to identify themselves by posting their true and full identity.

Apparently, Google decided not to cooperate with this law by blocking SK user’s from posting content into Google’s local version. Google suggested to it’s SK user’s to post their videos in the international version of Google.

The head of Google’s SK office said in reply that “there is no real motives behind Google’s actions, what you see is what you get”.

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