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A Memoriam of Steve Jobs and Our (Im)Take

Tim Wut — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 03:00:34 +0000

Anyone who hasn’t been living under a rock (and assuming your rock doesn’t have WiFi access) just knows. The news of Steve Job’s passing has exploded across the internet with tribute videos, old video viewings, and news blasts in the form of tweets, posts, and updates at an all time high. With one of the most poignant and impactful memorials ever created for… ANYONE on Apple’s homepage, the news hit the tech and consumer world with an impact that exceeded that of The King of Pop’s recent passing. But not to embark on an Apples to oranges argument, the influence of Apple Computers has had, in the tech consumer world, been undeniably profound with Steve Jobs at the forefront.

As also posted on Techzulu (with an Immersive Technologies take on the bottom of this article):

Steve Jobs, CEO, Chariman, and Co-Founder of Apple led nothing short of an extraordinary life with significant ups and downs. From sleeping on floors and collecting recyclables during his adolescent years, to being fired from the very company he founded, the peak moments of his professional career had seen him build not only THE largest computer company in the world, but also one of the most largest film studios (Pixar) as well. Upon news of his resignation as Apple’s CEO in 2011, it was also announced that Jobs was a victim of pancreatic cancer with public disclosure of his declining health. But even through that, he continued to serve as Chairman for Apple’s board of directors until the very end.

So whether you loved or hated Jobs, use a Mac or a PC, love the svelte aesthetics of your Macbook Pro, or prefer the full control of your Android based device, there is no denying Steve Jobs and Apple’s influence on the consumer tech-space. So for your reading enjoyment, we’ve compiled a list of neat Steve Jobs related factoids, some of which you may already know, some you may not. Paying respect to a truly inspirational figure.

“The world has lost a visionary. And there may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented.” – President Barack Obama

R.I.P Steve Jobs 1955-2011

As of July 2001, Apple had over $4.2 billion in cash. Today? More than $76 billion in cash; 2 billion MORE than the US Treasury.
Steve Jobs studied calligraphy at Reed College and dropped out early in his educational career. He directly attributed influence a calligraphy class for the typeface and spacing of his Apple products.
The reaction to Steve Jobs’ death was recorded in record breaking numbers. 10,000 tweets per second following news of his death on Wednesday night.
The trending search item: “pancreatic cancer” reached Google’s rankings at #2 in a span of one night.
As of June 2011, there have been 25 million iPads sold cumulatively since its introduction in April 2010.
To date, 14 billion apps have been downloaded via the App Store. In April 2010, just about 1.5 years ago, the number was at 4 billion. Right around when the iPad was launched.
Despite lackluster buzz, the most recent iPhone 4S got 200,000 pre-orders in just 12 hours.
Jobs purchased animated studio ‘Pixar’ at $5M from Lucasfilms in 1986. In 2006, he sold Pixar to Disney for $7.6B and became Disney’s biggest shareholder.
Apple made the first mass-market color digital camera in 1994. The camera had no digital display, boasted one megapixel, took a total of eight photos, and cost $749.
Apple is the 2nd largest company in the world, right behind Exxon-Mobil.

And the ImTech take (please note this is my personal opinion and perception):

Steve Jobs’ Apple products have directly and indirectly influenced a huge spur in development and awareness of immersive technologies. The iPhone entered into the peak of a mobile industry monster that ran on button interfaces, and maybe sometimes, styluses. In just a few short years, they made touch-based interfaces the standard. Along with the iPod touch, multi-touch tracking pads and mouse, and the iPad; these devices fueled a continual growth in interest for touch-based computing further moving consumers away from the conventional (and aging) buttons and mouse.

The iPad and Macbook Air and the convenience of personal computing: Prior to the introduction and upgrades of these products, you were forced to choose between portable and lackluster, or powerful and inconvenient. The introduction of unobtrusive product offerings for personal computing that actually could handle a reasonable workload has been key, especially considering that the tablet and netbook market was small and slow to adopt. In addition, the iPad has played a huge role in the tablet industry BOOM.

Also, keep in mind the huge spur in momentum for the Augmented Reality industry from the iphone/iPad boom. Prior to the iPhone, even the constant action of holding phones in the air (to seek & view visual digital information overlayed on the physical world) didn’t exist. The app store model and popularity of the iPhone also led to strong competitive development by Google’s Android OS and their (more open-source friendly) brand of products contributing to the augmented reality industry.

We can also discuss the iPhone as a technological extension of one’s self (human-android relationship) (there’s an app for that). The iPhone entered into a niche market of smart phone users at a high buy-in price Now, the prominence of smart phones (with touch-interfaces no doubt) is ubiquitous. We use our phones to guide us (GPS) and our decisions (Yelp); to schedule, document, then broadcast our lives, and to connect to others. Smart phones have become our first full-time extension of our physical forms within the digital space. (When’s the last time you put down your phone?)

And let’s not forget the influence on the development of the Android OS industry – whole industries and markets created to compete against Apple iOS. Some might enjoy the open source availability and rootability of Android’s devices, and maybe they curse Apple’s proprietary nature and marked up prices of their products. But no matter what side you’re on and what you prefer, we can at least mildly agree that the quality of Android’s operating system has been strongly influenced by the iPhone’s success… competition breeds continual innovation. From both sides.

And finally, we speak on the widespread adoption of 3D media. While Apple didn’t invent 3D technology, the wide monetary success of 3D animated films by Pixar (and a consistent growth of quality 3D productions by other studios) has given the 3D industry such a strong demand that 3D media appears to be rapidly on its way to being the standard.

I understand Apple doesn’t necessarily invent these breaking technologies, nor are they ever the first do adopt/implement. Instead, they do seem to be the ones to set the standard. So whether you admired Jobs’ vision, or thought he was pompus and abrasive, own Mac products, or prefer performance per dollar over aesthetics; I’d like to point out just the same to everyone how influential it appears Apple has been on the Immersive Technologies space as a whole.

BrainGate neural interface system reaches 1,000-day performance milestone

Albert C. Lai — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 15:00:09 +0000

Expanding the power of thought The implantable BrainGate neural interface can detect and record brain signals, allowing persons who have lost the use of arms and legs to have point-and-click control of a computer. A BrainGate device has remained functional for 2.7 years (1,000 days). Credit: BrainGate Collaboration

An investigational implanted system being developed to translate brain signals toward control of assistive devices has allowed a woman with paralysis to accurately control a computer cursor at 2.7 years after implantation, providing a key demonstration that neural activity can be read out and converted into action for an unprecedented length of time.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Demonstrating an important milestone for the longevity and utility of implanted brain-computer interfaces, a woman with tetraplegia using the investigational BrainGate* system continued to control a computer cursor accurately through neural activity alone more than 1,000 days after receiving the BrainGate implant, according to a team of physicians, scientists, and engineers developing and testing the technology at Brown University, the Providence VA Medical Center, and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Results from five consecutive days of device use surrounding her 1,000th day in the device trial appeared online March 24 in the Journal of Neural Engineering.

“This proof of concept — that after 1,000 days a woman who has no functional use of her limbs and is unable to speak can reliably control a cursor on a computer screen using only the intended movement of her hand — is an important step for the field,” said Dr. Leigh Hochberg, a Brown engineering associate professor, VA rehabilitation researcher, visiting associate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, and director of the BrainGate pilot clinical trial at MGH.

The woman, identified in the paper as S3, performed two “point-and-click” tasks each day by thinking about moving the cursor with her hand. In both tasks she averaged greater than 90 percent accuracy. Some on-screen targets were as small as the effective area of a Microsoft Word menu icon.

A brain-computer interface
A woman with paralysis controls a computer cursor on a screen by the neural activity of intending to move it with her arm and hand. The woman, identified as S3, used the investigational BrainGate system more than 1,000 days after the device was implanted.“Our objective with the neural interface is to reach the level of performance of a person without a disability using a mouse,” said report lead author John Simeral, a VA researcher and assistant professor of engineering at Brown. “These results highlight the potential for an intracortical neural interface system to provide a person that has locked-in syndrome with reliable, continuous point-and-click control of a standard computer application.”

In each of S3’s two tasks, performed in 2008, she controlled the cursor movement and click selections continuously for 10 minutes. The first task was to move the cursor to targets arranged in a circle and in the center of the screen, clicking to select each one in turn. The second required her to follow and click on a target as it sequentially popped up with varying size at random points on the screen.

From fundamental neuroscience to clinical utility

Under development since 2002, the investigational BrainGate system is a combination of hardware and software that directly senses electrical signals produced by neurons in the brain that control movement. By decoding those signals and translating them into digital instructions, the system is being evaluated for its ability to give people with paralysis control of external devices such as computers, robotic assistive devices, or wheelchairs. The BrainGate team is also engaged in research toward control of advanced prosthetic limbs and toward direct intracortical control of functional electrical stimulation devices for people with spinal cord injury, in collaboration with researchers at the Cleveland FES Center.

The system is currently in pilot clinical trials, directed by Hochberg at MGH.

BrainGate uses a tiny (4×4 mm, about the size of a baby aspirin) silicon electrode array to read neural signals directly within brain tissue. Although external sensors placed on the brain or skull surface can also read neural activity, they are believed to be far less precise. In addition, many prototype brain implants have eventually failed because of moisture or other perils of the internal environment.

“Neuroengineers have often wondered whether useful signals could be recorded from inside the brain for an extended period of time,” Hochberg said. “This is the first demonstration that this microelectrode array technology can provide useful neuroprosthetic signals allowing a person with tetraplegia to control an external device for an extended period of time.”

Moving forward

Device performance was not the same at 2.7 years as it was earlier on, Hochberg added. At 33 months fewer electrodes were recording useful neural signals than after only six months. But John Donoghue — VA senior research career scientist, Henry Merritt Wriston Professor of Neuroscience, director of the Brown Institute for Brain Science, and original developer of the BrainGate system — said no evidence has emerged of any fundamental incompatibility between the sensor and the brain. Instead, it appears that decreased signal quality over time can largely be attributed to engineering, mechanical or procedural issues. Since S3’s sensor was built and implanted in 2005, the sensor’s manufacturer has reported continual quality improvements. The data from this study will be used to further understand and modify the procedures or device to further increase durability.

“None of us will be fully satisfied with an intracortical recording device until it provides decades of useful signals,” Hochberg said. “Nevertheless, I’m hopeful that the progress made in neural interface systems will someday be able to provide improved communication, mobility, and independence for people with locked-in syndrome or other forms of paralysis and eventually better control over prosthetic, robotic, or functional electrical stimulation systems [stimulating electrodes that have already returned limb function to people with cervical spinal cord injury], even while engineers continue to develop ever-better implantable sensors.”

In addition to demonstrating the very encouraging longevity of the BrainGate sensor, the paper also presents an advance in how the performance of a brain-computer interface can be measured, Simeral said. “As the field continues to evolve, we’ll eventually be able to compare and contrast technologies effectively.”

As for S3, who had a brainstem stroke in the mid-1990s and is now in her late 50s, she continues to participate in trials with the BrainGate system, which continues to record useful signals, Hochberg said. However, data beyond the 1000th day in 2008 has thus far only been presented at scientific meetings, and Hochberg can only comment on data that has already completed the scientific peer review process and appeared in publication.

In addition to Simeral, Hochberg, and Donoghue, other authors are Brown computer scientist Michael Black and former Brown computer scientist Sung-Phil Kim.

About the BrainGate collaboration

This advance is the result of the ongoing collaborative BrainGate research at Brown University, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Providence VA Medical Center. The BrainGate research team is focused on developing and testing neuroscientifically inspired technologies to improve the communication, mobility, and independence of people with neurologic disorders, injury, or limb loss.

For more information, visit www.braingate2.org.

Qualcomm Announces Winners of the 2010 Augmented Reality Developer Challenge

Albert C. Lai — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 23:02:09 +0000

San Diego – On February 15, 2011 Qualcomm Incorporated announced the winners of its 2010 Augmented Reality (AR) Developer Challenge. The top prize of $125,000 was awarded to a team of two developers from Lithuania, Paulius Liekis and Arminas Didžiokas for Paparazzi. Second prize of $50,000 was awarded to Defiant Development Pty Ltd. for Inch High Stunt Guy. Third prize of $25,000 was awarded to five graduate students at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts for their submission, Danger Copter. The Challenge, which kicked off with the public availability of Qualcomm’s AR software development kit (SDK) in October 2010, encouraged developers to create a new generation of vision-based AR applications, including innovative games, educational applications and interactive marketing concepts.

“Qualcomm congratulates the winners and all the developers that provided submissions,” said Jay Wright, director of business development at Qualcomm. “With just over three months of development time since the SDK became available, developers have shown that compelling AR experiences can be created rapidly using Qualcomm’s platform.”

The developers have been using the beta version of Qualcomm’s SDK, released in October last year. About 50 applications were submitted, which is good for such a short time frame, said Qualcomm business development manager Roy Lawrence Ashok Inigo. It shows there is an interest among developers for augmented reality, said Inigo.

Winning Applications
1st Place – $125,000 – Paparazzi by Paulius Liekis and Arminas Didžiokas (Lithuania)
An interactive game where the player becomes a virtual paparazzo and sneaks pictures of a vain celebrity before he gets agitated and attacks the photographer

2nd Place – $50,000 – Inch High Stunt Guy by Defiant Development Pty Ltd. (Australia)
A game where the player arranges various obstacles to enable a stuntman to successfully jump his motorcycle through a hoop

3rd Place – $25,000 – Danger Copter by Alex Beachum, Jonghwa Kim, Jason Mathias, Kedar Reddy and Evan Sforza (USA) A gaming adventure where the player becomes a helicopter pilot who maneuvers a water-spouting chopper to extinguish fires and rescue people from danger

The judges for the Challenge were a mix of individuals from industry and academia. Entries were judged based on creative concept, technical execution, overall user experience and other factors.

Publically available since October 2010, Qualcomm’s AR platform uses computer vision technology to align graphics tightly with underlying objects in the real world. The approach is an evolution from current AR techniques that use a device’s GPS and compass for mapping applications. Vision-based AR delivers a fundamentally different user experience in which graphics appear as if they are anchored to real world objects.

Select video clips of applications submitted to the Challenge can be viewed at www.qualcomm.com/ar. To create your own application, visit Qualcomm’s AR developer portal at developer.qualcomm.com/ar.

ImmersiveTech’s CEO, Nathan Makino, on TechZulu Live!

Albert C. Lai — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 01:11:15 +0000

TechZulu Live also had a special surprise guest Nathan Makino. Nathan is the founder and CEO of ImmersiveTech.org. Immersive Tech (ImTech) is a non-profit organization that aims to promote the development and adoption of immersive technology. Nathan and Andy speak about the first Immersive Tech conference happening October 21, 2010. The conference will be held at the Los Angeles Center Studios to showcase the pioneers of Immersive Tech and collaborate on themes of innovation, applications, and future development. If you are big on Immersive Technology I high recommend checking out this conference by clicking here.

The world’s first ever Immersive Technology Summit will be held at the Los Angeles Center Studios (LACS) on October 21st, 2010.

For more news and videos on immersive technologies visit : www.immersivetech.org

This video is copyrighted by TechZulu Live. To watch the full episode visit: www.techzulu.com

ImTech Early Adopter Dinner

Albert C. Lai — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 22:49:41 +0000

August 9, 2010 or as it so happened to be 8 – 9 – 10, marked the inaugural Immersive Tech early adaptors dinner. On the cozy outdoor patio of Susan Feniger’s restaurant Street, individuals from academic, business, media, and local organizations came together in the sole purpose of supporting the adoption of immersive technologies and the development of a central and unbiased community. It was an opportunity to converse with many brilliant minds and to enjoy the company of others who are passionate about change. We were excited to give everyone in attendance a pair of Blick’s designer 3D eyewear along with a very special ImTech cleaning microfiber. With great food, great company and even a few surprises we can say it was a very successful evening and look forward to seeing everyone again at the Immersive Technology Summit!

We would like to thank our supporters: Blick Eyewear, Clearlens Company, and Brandon-David Photographers for their contributions and support of ImTech’s dinner event

See the entire evening unfold here: Flickr or Picasa

Immersive Technology Adoption On The Rise

haztan — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:14:34 +0000

Realidade Aumentada – Materia do Jornal da Globo

haztan — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:08:20 +0000

ImmersiveTech.org now has a QR code!

haztan — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:36:42 +0000

Is the Future of Advertising in Augmented Reality?

haztan — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 21:47:25 +0000

From: http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/kit-eaton/technomix/layar-augmented-reality-app-proves-future-business-ads-web

Yesterday we wrote about the Android AR app called Layar, and today a hands-on video demo appeared revealing something unexpected: In the future, if your business isn’t in the right places on the Web, your trade will suffer.

Check out the video here, where the Engadget guys get a live demo from a member of the Layar team.

The power of Layar, and indeed all augmented reality apps like it, is definitely shown in the video. The neat radar feature, which hadn’t been described before, would be extremely useful if you were using the app to, say, track down the nearest ATM. But notice the local restaurant the demonstration mentions? Its information was accessed via Hives (the “Dutch Facebook”, with 70% membership in the country) which displayed an image as part of the AR display. The particular restaurant didn’t have a logo on the Hives service, and instead a default icon was shown.

And that’s interesting because augmented reality devices on a smartphone are particularly well suited for businesses that need to attract customers to their locations. Imagine a future when instead of picking up a restaurant guide for a city you’re visiting you simply dial up your fave AR app, and filter through its results. Restaurants that don’t have a Web presence in one or many different formats, will simply not get a look-in. We’ve already seen that Web-based advertising, and business-specific Websites with links to Facebook and other social networks is definitely the future, but with AR it’s probably even more critical.

And there’s another wrinkle–if your Web presence isn’t registered with the right location-based content provider, or isn’t graphically and textually polished enough, like the one in the clip, you may also lose out on potential AR-generated trade. And then there’s the matter of reviews. Scoring consistently well in customer reviews for your service will be even more important when anyone wandering by with a smartphone can check out how satisfied your customers are, or how good the food in your restaurant is.

That may turn out to be an unexpected boon of the coming augmented reality craze–better customer service for everyone. We can only hope so anyway.

Study: Reliance on Immersive Technologies On Rise

haztan — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 04:38:52 +0000

Study: Reliance on Immersive Technologies On Rise

The “immersive internet” beckons businesses intent
on engaging employees and saving on the bottom line, say researchers at IT
consultancy ThinkBalm, but hurdles remain on the path toward more widespread adoption.

In a study to be released on Tuesday, titled “Immersive Internet Business Value Study, Q2 2009,” results suggest companies are embracing new technologies, such as
virtual spaces in which to conduct business, but that a “chasm” still needs
breaching if companies are to clearly see value from using immersive technologies
in the workplace.

“Work-related use of the Immersive Internet is in the
early adopter phase,” the report states. Before it can pass into the
early “majority phase,” however, practitioner companies and the technology
vendors who serve them must “cross the chasm” from the known world of
web conferences, physical meetings and phones calls.

The report, which surveyed 66 respondents representing
“a variety of job functions including information technology, educators,
researchers, [and] product development,” portrayed industry as being committed
to using developing technologies, even if they weren’t entirely clear on the immediate
benefits.

For some, virtual conference halls, 3D meeting rooms, and online
networking lounges are still mysterious places with unclear advantages. For
others, well, they are at least dipping their toes in the water.

“More than 40% of the practitioners we surveyed said
their organizations saw a positive total economic benefit from investments made
in immersive technologies in 2008 and 1Q 2009, and more than 50% of respondents
expect to obtain a positive total economic benefit in 2009,” the study
reported.

When asked to put a monetary value on the benefits, figures
ranged from $10,000 USD to more than $1 million.

By far, the most common use cases cited by respondents was
the deployment of immersive technologies for learning and training (80%), with meetings
(76%) and conferences (49%) a close second and third.

Generally, the benefits were tangible, if not always
measurable in dollars and cents.

“People who are more engaged in the company culture are more
engaged in work. People who aren’t immersed in corporate culture are more
likely to leave,” Kelly Services VP of interactive marketing David Fenech told
the researchers. Kelly is turning to immersive technology to increase employee
retention rates by creating virtual places where distributed workers can meet
and build relationships.

In answer to the question: “In general terms, how successful
was/were your organization’s immersive technology deployment(s) in 2008 and 1Q 2009?” one third of
respondents said their project data “showed success” while another 61% of
respondents said the project “feels like”
a success (italics added).

The study concludes on a note of optimism, stating that
“opportunity exists” to extract business value from immersive
technology. What will help business become more adept users of technology is a spirit of experimentation that can today “lay the
groundwork for transformational initiatives down the road.”

“Overall our analysis of this emerging market is
encouraging,” the study concludes. “People are innovating and adoption is driven more by business
decisions than a technologist’s love of all things new. Real value is available
today — if you know where to look for it — and there is plenty of room to grow
as this fledgling technology sector evolves. As immersive technology evolves
toward mainstream adoption and is integrated with enterprise systems like
office productivity and unified communications, it will provide a powerful
immersion layer that will tie together much more of an information worker’s
day. We see the promise of a new way to work arising from the convergence of
technologies that is the Immersive Internet.”

The study — which was funded by Altadyn, Forterra Systems, Linden
Lab, ProtonMedia, and Qwaq — is available on the ThinkBalm web site.