Karina Velazquez

If you'd thought that OmniTouch and PocketTouch were the end of Microsoft Research's natural user interface projects, think again. It's now released a video of the HoloDesk, a tool that lets you manipulate virtual 3D objects with your bare hands. Looking through a transparent display, the objects react nearly instantly, rolling from a sheet of real paper into a real cup and falling into shadow if you block the virtual light-source. The Cambridge lab that developed the tool sees uses in remote working, collaboration or device prototyping. If you hadn't guessed, there's a hacked Kinect at the heart of HoloDesk's DNA, which makes us wonder how long it'll be before we can use it to play Halo. Microsoft HoloDesk: when you need to juggle something that isn't there (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Microsoft News  |  Next at Microsoft (TechNet)  | Email this | Comments - Karina Velazquez

Europeans have all the fun: lower drinking ages, funner beaches, easier lifestyles and... dinosaur skeletons having sex in their museums. This exhibit, which clearly shows two T-Rexes "mating", is located in the Jurassic Museum of Asturias in Spain. More » - Karina Velazquez

This may run counter to what your common sense tells you but, a new paper out of Duke and Rice University says that ditching DRM could actually reduce piracy. The study, which relied on analytical modeling, showed that while copy protection made illegally sharing content more difficult it had a significantly negative impact on legal users. In fact, the researchers say, "only the legal users pay the price and suffer from the restrictions [of DRM]." Many consumers simply choose to pirate music and movies because doing simple things, like backing up a media collection, is difficult with DRMed content. Even the most effective DRM is eventually broken, and fails to deter those already determined to steal. Meanwhile, abandoning these restrictions could increase competition and drive down prices (as well as remove a serious inconvenience), encouraging more people to legitimately purchase content. You can check out the November-December issue of Marketing Science for more details. Ditching... - Karina Velazquez

It's finally happened, after all the wrangling, speculation and aluminum dummies, we now know the truth. Join us as we delve into the nitty gritty of how the newest addition(s) to the Apple clan match up against last year's model. Continue reading iPhone 4S vs. iPhone 4: what's changed? iPhone 4S vs. iPhone 4: what's changed? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 14:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments - Karina Velazquez