Category: Diversions

Scary, But In a Good Way-Project Natal

Okay, I’m blown away.  When I first heard about Project Natal from Microsoft, I thought, “C’mon, how good can this be?”  Then I kept getting more info about it, and I saw the concept video (below).  Then I though, “C’mon, how real can that be?”  Then I started getting reports from press members out of E3 where it was announced about how real this really was.  Then my thoughts turned to, “When can I get it?  Can I beta test?”

If you haven’t heard, Project Natal is a development project in Microsoft’s gaming division (with research support, I’m sure, from Microsoft Research) that looks like it should be something coming out of academia and 10 years or more from the marketplace.  It’s the interface that machines have always needed, or rather, that we have always needed to interact with them, but have dismissed as impossible, or too far out there, or too sci-fi, or just too scary.  I’m talking about the next big leap in user experience (the term used to describe the experience that humans have interacting with machines).  Not just with gaming, either.

Think about Tom Cruise’s interaction with the machines in the movie Minority Report…then take it further.  It’s here, and it’s real.  We just can’t quite get it yet.

Project Natal was introduced to the world at E3 which is just finishing up.  It is not ready for market yet, and there is no release date announced, but it is unlikely to be in 2009.  2010 is a possibility, though…and I’m telling you, the waiting is going to be hard.  After the reports from the press who got to actually use the system, it seems to be working quite well already.

What is it?: Project Natal a gaming and social interface that doesn’t have a physical controller.  You become the controller.  Using a system of a couple of cameras+microphone array and some software/hardware magic, it can recognize individuals and even small movements from fists, arms, legs, faces, etc.  It recognizes depth, and voice input, and gestures that allow you to interact with the system with no wires, no controllers, no buttons…just you.  You can control media, social interactions with other gamers and friends, gaming input itself, and the possibilities go on and on.  I know…I’m a skeptic by nature, and this sounds too good to be true…but I’m hoping, and first reports are very, very promising.

Here are some of the reports: 

“Believe the Hype”—Stuff.tv

 “Microsoft’s Project Natal for the Xbox 360 has changed gaming for ever.”—T3

“The hands-on demos worked great”—Wired Magazine

Here is the official video to demonstrate the vision of the product that apparently really works today.

Xbox 360 – Project Natal

Here is another video from a Microsoft Game Studios subsidiary, Lionhead Studios, who have created a concept that will really get your mind racing.

This is not just for gaming, folks, but it’s probably appropriate that that is where it’s starting.  Think.  Within 18 months, I believe we’ll be tasting the future of machine interaction.  Scary?  A little. Amazing? Unquestionably.  “Open the pod bay doors, HAL”, Natal is coming.

Flying Over Hana

For today’s video, I’m just referencing an episode that I released yesterday for my podcast, The Student Pilot Cast.  This is a flight that Crystal and I took (separately, since it only has two seats) in Hana, Hawaii on Maui back in the summer of 2007.  It was one of the best vacations that we have ever taken, and this, at least for me, was one of the highlights of that trip.

I hope you enjoy SPC Video #4, Flying Over Hana.  Let me know what you think.

I’m including the video here, but for the original post on the podcast site, you can go here.

View in HTML5 (For iPad and iPhone, etc.)

Daily Flip 5 – SGTRI

Well, I did another triathlon last weekend, the SGTRI.  Actually, while a different race, it was the same venue from my first full tri which got cancelled due to weather after the swim.  This time wind and waves got the swim start delayed, and then cancelled as well.  I’m not having good luck at this venue.  So, the race organizers turned it into a run-bike-run event.  It turns out this was a really hard course, both the bike an the run.  They were much harder than I had expected.  I bombed on the last run, but finished, so I guess that’s something.

I did the tri with my friend, Matt, and my brother, Cory.  Matt lives here in Mesa and Cory lives in Park City, UT.  Matt and I had planned on having me fly us up to St. George, UT, where the event was.  That would turn an 8 or so hour drive into a 2 hour flight.  Then my brother asked if I could come pick him up near Park City…so of course, I agreed.  After dropping Matt and our gear off at St. George Airport (KSGU), I got back in the plane and flew up to Provo, UT (KPVU) and picked up my brother.  Then we both flew back to Hurricane, UT (1L8) where our rental home was as well as the actual triathlon (Hurricane is about a 20 minute drive from St. George).  Matt and I got to fly over the western edge of the Grand Canyon both ways.  Here are a couple of pics from that.

20090508_1958 20090508_1965

20090508_1970

We stayed in a great house that was only a couple of miles from the start of the race, so we were able to ride our bikes in on the morning of the tri…no parking or waiting in long car lines necessary.  It was great!  My friend, Jen, from high school and her husband, Marcello, drove up from their home in Las Vegas to cheer us on and take some great photos.

We had a great time.  I wasn’t happy with my performance, but that just gives me some additional motivations in my training…I’ll improve for next time.  Even so, I got to hang out with a lot of great people, got to race in a triathlon, and got to do a lot of flying!  A great weekend, indeed, despite Sandy Hill.

I dedicated a daily flip video to the experience.  It’s a little long for a daily flip, but I hope you enjoy it.

A Little Effort this Year

Okay…so I usually don’t go all out for seasonal decorations…it’s just not my thing, but for some unknown reason, I decided to put a little effort into our pumpkin carving this year for Halloween.  I did a little research on the interwebs, and decided to “help” my kids do their pumpkins.  After seeing some success, I asked my wife to pick up a pumpkin for me, which she kindly did, and I proceeded to undertake the most difficult carving job of my young carving career; the mug of Sarah Palin.  I figured with the election being a short three days away or so, it was apropos.  I had been taught via the web that you can actually accomplish “shading” with pumkin carvings, which I didn’t realize was possible before three days ago. 

Well, it created quite the stir in the neighborhood.  Word spread of the unlikely masterpiece, and people started coming as if to the neighborhood pumpkin Mecca.  Lot’s of comments and ooh’s and ah’s.  Honestly, while I was working on it for the two hours that I spent, I really didn’t think it would turn out (and neither did my wife, Crystal).  Even when it was mostly done I thought it was a bust…but I put a little light in it and turned down the lights, and voilà!  I did some finishing touches to bring out the glasses a little more, and added shading to the hair, and I was done.  We put them out for all to enjoy who could make it by…and now I’m putting them out for you.

First, the kid’s pumpkins.

 

And, for the Palin.

All in good fun, I guess.

Podapalooza 2008 Posted on Student Pilot Cast

I’ve just released part 1 of the 2008 edition of Podapalooza on my aviation podcast, which was recorded in Oshkosh at EAA Airventure.  Podapalooza is the gathering of aviation podcasters in Oshkosh each year.  As well as being released on the feed for my Student Pilot Cast and several other aviation podcast feeds, this year it was broadcast live on EAA Radio as well as on the Internet.  Part 2 is following soon.

Participating in this year's event was, in the order they were sitting, Uncontrolled Airspace, The Student Pilot Cast, The Finer Points, Airspeed, and the Pilotcast (along with CFI cast).  Remoted in via skype was Will and Dave of the Pilot's Flight Pod Log.  Notably missing this year were new pilot, Greg, from the Student Pilot Journal and student pilot Jerry from VA Student Pilot.  I'm probably forgetting others as well, so forgive me.

I also want to note that Airventure Today (the daily Airventure newspaper) did an article on the Podapalooza, so check that out if want to.

I really enjoyed participating this year, and felt honored to be on the stage with so many talented people.  It's a great community of people in aviation.  I had a great time in Oshkosh in general, and was able, with the help of my friend Kent from the Pilotcast, to experience two approaches into OSH.  That was incredible.  The show itself is overwhelmingly large and covers everything in aviation, from the smallest of the ultralights to the largest plane I’ve ever seen (the Boeing Dreamlifter), and everything in between.  I’m including a few pics from the event.

An AeroShell T6 lines up for takeoff at the daily airshow

 

The old tower is set to be torn down soon.

 

 

Duggy the DC-3.

 

And for the largest, here is the Boeing DreamLifter, which is used to carry parts of the new 787 DreamLiner halfway across the world.

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Xbox 360 Gets a Facelift

xboxLogo

As E3 continues, we got some updates yesterday from Microsoft on the future of the Xbox 360.  It turns out the with the Fall release, a lot of changes are coming.  First, for the first time in history (according to the release), a major consumer device will get a complete makeover for free through the power of software.  Essentially, every Xbox 360 that’s out in the wild right now will get a free upgrade this fall that will essentially change the experience without having to buy a new console.  This is the beauty of software. 

Over the last several years, Microsoft has released new versions of the console, integrating new hardware such as larger disk drives and HDMI connectivity, all the while, the underlying platform has stayed the same.  This fall, Microsoft will release a free software update that is in some ways akin to releasing a new console…but nobody will have to purchase anything new.  The update is not just glitz and frosting, either, as far as I can tell right now.  One of the things that will change is the culmination of an exclusive partnership just announced at E3 between Xbox and Netflix, wherein if you are an Xbox Live subscriber (who isn’t…I’ll get to that in a second) and a Netflix subscriber, you will have an online queue in Netflix that you can add movies and TV shows to.  Then, from a TV connected to an Xbox 360, you can choose to watch these movies, and they will begin to stream…starting in as little as 30 seconds.  This isn’t a new idea…I know.  Heck, even Microsoft has been enabling this scenario through Media Center for years, but this partnership and integrated experience, along with a lot of new content available through the Live Marketplace, is a giant step toward true Living Room Integration (LRI) and Home Theater Integration (HTI).  Alright…I just made those terms up…but it works, right?

So…first a quick note about Xbox Live.  Also announced at E3 was that Xbox Live Membership has doubled both of the last two years.  Last year from 3 Million to 6 Million, and this year again to 12 Million.  It’s becoming sort of the de facto TV/gaming-based community…and even now encompasses PC gamers (released last year).  I think with the momentum behind Live, great things are to come.  Now, back to this upgrade.

Also, as part of the upgrade, the whole 360 interface will change from the innovative, but aging crisscross interface to something more carousel-like.  This type of interface is something that Microsoft has been working on for years an years…I remember seeing prototypes of carousel interfaces aimed at Windows (way before Vista) over 5 or 6 years ago.  It looks like an incarnation of that has made it to the Xbox in what looks to be a pretty effective and cool looking UI.

Microsoft is calling this the “New Xbox Experience”, and you can read about what has been announced so far here.  But the highlights are:

  • Tons of new games, including some sequels to established or up-and coming franchises, including
    • Rock Band 2
    • Guitar Hero World Tour
    • Gears of War 2
    • Fable II
    • Resident Evil 5
    • A new Scene It
    • etc.
  • A new “interactive game show” system through Xbox Live produced by the makers of “Deal or No Deal”
  • Live Parties
  • Create customized avatars (a la the Nintendo Wii, but better looking)
  • Tons of new media content (TV shows and Movies) through both Netflix and the Live Marketplace
  • Of course, the new User Interface

Here is a video showing a trailer for the update…

Video: Xbox 360 New Experience Trailer XboxFront

Green Crude (Gas) Made From….Algae?

As a SCUBA diver, and former marine aquarium junkie, I know a fair share about algae…you know, the nasty green or brown tiny plants that grow on the glass of an aquarium, or that turn ponds and unkept pools green?  Well how about using this plant to create gas?  That’s what Sapphire Energy is trying to do.  They have issued a press release about their innovative research, and hopefully soon, a product.

I’m always very skeptical of “gasoline replacement” fads because, for the most part, they never seem to work.  Now, before you start screaming and carrying-on, take the tin-foil off of your head and join us in reality…it’s very unlikely that the government (and every government in the world) is covering up for the big bad oil companies as they murder, plunder alternative ideas, and kill off potential competition.  C’mon…you just can’t keep stuff like that a secret; too many prying eyes.  It just doesn’t make sense…so let’s not go there.

Now, being a skeptic (and I must add, a layman…as I am very far from an expert on fuel…just a concerned, but moderately eductated consumer), corn-based bio fuels has not excited me much for several reasons; trading dwindling agricultural land and water for gas production not being the least of them.  I have been waiting for something that just makes more sense…and is hopefully something a little more radical from a science perspective, but feasible from a market perspective.  If it turned out to be cleaner, cheaper to produce, and more renewable…all the better.  I also knew, from my economics training, that when gas prices got high enough (i.e. as global and local demand continued up and supply stayed the same or decreased a la rationing from OPEC, no more refinement capacity, and even possibly actual dwindling world supplies of crude) that it would become financially feasible to come up with alternatives.  Maybe we’ve finally reached that point.

As a budding airplane pilot (and avid auto driver…I’m American, after all :)), I would love more this and other efforts to produce real (hopefully cheaper in the end) alternatives to dino fuel.  But its not just so I pay less for Aviation Gas at the airport or 91 Octane at the Chevron down the street…everything gets cheaper to produce and sell if fuel prices decrease.  That said, I don’t think fuel prices are too far out of whack from inflation (I’d have to check the latest numbers), but still, cheaper is better.

Sapphire’s efforts seem promising to me.  First, algae grows like mad…and in water, even waste water.  It also grows pretty much anywhere there is water and sunlight and CO2 (i.e. pretty much anywhere).  Their process appears to produce something that very much approximates gasoline so it should run in existing cars, trucks, boats, planes, etc.  It can be moved and sold using today’s infrastructure for gasoline.  The big questions are, for me:  will it work?  will it be cheap, when it’s all said and done?  Only time will tell on these.

With Sapphire’s press release and some other sources, including this article from the LA Times (which indicates goals of having this completed and on the market in three years), though, I’m feeling some of my skepticism get ever so slightly weaker.  Hopefully for more than just a moment.  For now, I’m rooting for my gas to turn green in a few years.

Trent and I Go Flying

Trent and I went over to Chandler Airport today and jumped in a Cherokee 160 (with a CFI), and took a quick trip down to Casa Grande. We didn’t do this to go to Casa Grande, mind you, but for the experience itself. You see, I’m starting my training for my Private Pilot certificate, and hopefully Trent isn’t too far behind. 🙂 It was a good time…and I’m excited as all get out to finally be doing my training. Here are a couple of pics.

Trent is getting ready to take the controls (after the CFI, Brian, gets us into the air).

Here’s a shot while Trent is flying from the south of Chandler looking north. You can see I-17 running diagonally through the picture. The Cherokees are low wing aircraft, so the pesky wings seem to always get in the way.