Week 10: Emerging and Future Technologies

this has been a long week. and i apologise for the late post for TWC this week.

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So an interesting video to start the blog!


This video is about augmented reality.
Augmented reality (AR) is a term for a live direct or indirect view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented bycomputer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data. It is related to a more general concept called mediated reality, in which a view of reality is modified (possibly even diminished rather than augmented) by a computer. As a result, the technology functions by enhancing one’s current perception of reality. By contrast, virtual reality replaces the real world with a simulated one. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augmented_reality)


I believe that augmented reality would be integrated into our daily lives really soon. there's a iPhone app called WordLens, which makes use of augmented reality. it works as a translater and the user simply holds the camera over the words/text and it would be translated on the phone screen.


http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/17/word-lens-augmented-reality-app-instantly-translates-whatever-yo/


we went on to nanotechnology.

Nanotechnology (sometimes shortened to "nanotech") is the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with developing materials, devices, or other structures possessing at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometres.Quantum mechanical effects are important at this quantum-realm scale.

Nanotechnology is very diverse, ranging from extensions of conventional device physics to completely new approaches based upon molecular self-assembly, from developing new materials with dimensions on the nanoscale to investigating whether we can directly control matter on the atomic scale. Nanotechnology entails the application of fields of science as diverse as surface science, organic chemistry, molecular biology, semiconductor physics, microfabrication, etc.

There is much debate on the future implications of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology may be able to create many new materials and devices with a vast range of applications, such as in medicine, electronics, biomaterials and energy production. On the other hand, nanotechnology raises many of the same issues as any new technology, including concerns about the toxicity and environmental impact of nanomaterials,^[1] and their potential effects on global economics, as well as speculation about various doomsday scenarios. These concerns have led to a debate among advocacy groups and governments on whether special regulation of nanotechnology is warranted. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanotechnology)

The day's presentation was relatively interesting. XinYing presented on a cure for HIV. which i found to be a very wonderful innovation. if we were able to incubate the cure for HIV, we would be able to help the people in Africa. However, like what was mentioned in class, it would require the patient to operate frequently. 

next ekjotce presented on 3D blood vessel printing, which makes use of a bio printer

this gives us hope for the future. we would be able to print out organs which are functioning properly. this would really be a breakthru for the health care as we would be able to "create" the organ and these organs would be fully functional. However, people would need to overcome the idea of inserting a "printed" object into our bodies.

The presentation went on to nanorobotics, which would be able to fix cells, which in turn prevents aging and we might be able to self heal as well!However, it's currently under research and development phase. Nanorobotics would be highly beneficial to the health care industry. maybe in the future, nanorobots can be use to identify the kind of bacteria in our blood steam, as shown in the next video.

The next 2 presentation discuss about relatively similar topics, brain control and brain computer interface, which basically makes use of brain waves to control the computer. it can be either implanted into the brain, or as a device which the user can wear on the head to read the brain waves.

i can see possibilities of implementing this technology into the gaming industry and i believe that it would create a whole new future for games.


overall it was an interesting class for week 10. but it is slightly hard to concentrate in class. due to the large amount of work.
till next time!

Week 9: Energy and World Change (Past, Present, Future)

really sorry for the late posting!

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Recess week's over and we are finally back to class for our weekly dosage of TWC. haha!

As usual, the class started with an interesting video on how new technologies had help the world become greener and how the world would change for the better when we accept renewable energy.

With the rising energy consumption and the need for economic development, it is necessary to have sufficient energy. However, we would have to look for new sources of energy as what we have been using, like fossil fuels, are depleting at a fast rate.

From the slides, prof mentioned about the potential sources of energy which are classified into above the ground and below the ground. The sources that are below the ground are what we have been using since long ago and are depleting at a fast rate. Sources of energy above the ground refers to the new sources of energy like hydro or wind.

Necessity is the driver of innovation and here is a video which i saw on facebook previously. This video really shows how necessity drives innovation.

We went on to the presentations by our classmates.

Radeya present on Offshore Wind Farming which is a potential source of energy. There were some complications with offshore wind farming, like causing damage to migrating birds (which are proven to be not true), and high cost of implementation. It is also said to have detrimental effect on property values. One more interesting point which Radeya pointed out was that there were some superstitious beliefs with regards to the implementation of the offshore windfarms

The second presenter presented on hybrid solar power plants in florida and this is an interesting video which she has showed us.

Next Chayadi presented on the usage of tornado power to generate energy. This was an interesting presentation even though i dont think this is safe. Personally i dont feel safe making use of this new source of energy. Despite that, i do agree that there's alot of potential energy sources that are available to us as long as we explore more and not abuse these new sources to harm other people (if i can create a tornado, i can abuse this technology/energy source and use it for warfare)

And lastly, the last presentation of the day, by Luke, on "Antimatter: Do it matter?"
Personally i like this presentation alot and i find this a very interesting topic.
Antimatter would be a great source of energy, even though it does hold a high risk to use. and just like tornado, if people abuse this energy, i believe the effects would be detrimental.

TWC Draft 1

TWC Paper

Title of paper: Technology & Gaming: Evolution of Game Console

Executive Summary 

The gaming experience advances together with the advancement of technology.  This paper would look into how the game consoles have evolved over the years from William Higinbotham’s Tennis for Two (Mark, 2008) to PlayStations to XBOX360 Kinect. It would also discuss about the possible future considerations and the impacts of these game consoles on the economy and society.

There is no limitation to the future of gaming consoles that leads to the boundless imagination of future gaming experience. Who knows? We might be able to create a whole new 3d game play or bring the game into our dreams.

Introduction

The first game console was called “Tennis for Two”, invented by William Higinbotham.  Players served and volleyed using controllers with buttons and rotating dials to control the angle of an invisible racquet swing. This was in 1958. And now in 2010, we see game consoles like XBOX360 Kinect and Wii, which are able to take in player’s motion to play the same tennis game. Over half a century, even though it is still the game old game of tennis, technology has advanced tremendously. Better graphics, more user interactions, nothing is impossible.

Technology, defined as the branch of knowledge that deals with the creation and use of technical means and their interrelation with life, society and the environment, drives the evolution of video games and gaming consoles.

Evolution can be seen as any process of formation or growth, or simply development. Video games and gaming consoles evolve over time, improving for the better. From vector games like PacMan to high-resolution graphic role-playing game (RPG) like Final Fantasy XIII.

As an avid fan of RPG series  “Final Fantasy”, I saw how the player’s game play improve overtime, be it the graphics, from pixelated characters to those that look like real humans on screen. With the introduction of Kinect and Wii, which are able to take in motions and even sound, there is just so much more we can expect from the future of video games and the gaming consoles.

This paper will bring you through the time passage of the evolution of game console where we would look at the how the gaming consoles and video games are like in the past before year 2000, how things are like from start of 2000 to 2010, and how things would be in the future.

Historical Perspective

Game consoles and gaming experience have gone through the harsh passage of time before what we see now.

The forerunner of the modern video game was an electronic tennis game called “Tennis for Two”. It was first introduced on October 18,1958, at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Two players would play the electronic tennis games with separate controllers that are connected to an analog computer and used an oscilloscope for a screen. William Higinbotham, a nuclear scientist and also the creator of the game, realized how static and non-interactive most science exhibits were and wanted to change this impression. With this new invention, the Brookhaven National Laboratory livens up as hundreds of visitors lined up for a chance to play the electronic tennis game.

Game consoles like Atari 2600, released by Atari Inc. in October 1977 and Magnavox Odyssey, released in 1978 started to appear. As more competition arise, game companies announced yet another generation of consoles in order to win the consumers’ heart.  Competition from home computers and the loss of publishing control played a part in saturating, and then imploding the video game industry. Finally in 1983, the video game industry crashed.

It was only until 1985, when Nintendo released Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), a new version of its Famicom, that the industry crash ended.  Nintendo also released Super Mario Bros., which becomes one of the best-selling games of all time.

The gaming experience in the past was less graphic intensive. Most of the video games have 2d avatars, or vector graphics.  It was a common sight to see pixelated characters in game and simple controls over the game.

Game consoles were simple too, with a main body frame and controllers. There were also smaller versions of game consoles such as the GameBoy. Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn made their debut in 1995.

Overtime, game play has made tremendous improvement, and we can see the vast difference between the graphical displays. Images were of better quality and resolution.

As we move towards the 21^st century, game consoles continue to improve and become better.

Current Situation

The start of the new century makes a new chapter in the history of the game industry. Sony released PlayStation2, a sixth-generation game console. PlayStation2 is also one of the best selling game console of all times, hitting a sales record of 150 million in 2011.

XBOX appeared around the same period together with Nintendo’s GameCube. It was a tough fight among these three companies and each has its competitive edge. Newer and smaller versions of consoles like PlayStation Portable and Nintendo DS were introduced to see which company would emerge winner at the end.

From year 2000 to 2005, the gaming experience did not have much break through other than improvement in graphics. Players still have to depend on the controller to navigate around. However with the enticing game content, there is still a huge demand for such game consoles. In order for the game companies to really win over the market, they would have to come up with something different. And soon came the birth of Nintendo Wii in 2006.

A distinguishing feature of the Wii console is the wireless controller, the Wii Remote, which can be used as a handheld pointing device and detects movement in three dimensions. Another distinctive feature would be WiiConnect24, which enables it to receive messages and updates over the Internet while in standby mode. Wii focused on new gameplay experiences and new forms of interactions with games.

With the introduction of Wii, game players are now able to play “sports” with their controller-racquets and have friendly matches to compete with each other, increasing the interactivity of the games.

Not long after, XBOX360 Kinect is introduced to the public. Kinect took away the controller and game players are able to navigate with motion. Kinect is the product of Project Natal. It is a motion sensing input device by Microsoft for the Xbox360 video game console and aims to broaden the Xbox360’s audience base. The new way of interaction with the game is done through a natural user interface using gestures and spoken commands.

Future Considerations

Now that we are able to take player’s motion, there is so many different possible futures for video games and game consoles. We would look at three different future gaming namely mind control, in-sleep gaming and real-time live game. We would also look at the impact the future considerations socially and economically.

In the future, I believe that we would be able to create out the whole gaming environment. Putting on three-dimensional glasses, we would be able to see the 3d version of the environment.

Mind Control

If we were to combine the brain-computer interface (BCI), which is a direct communication pathway between the brain and an external device, with gaming technologies, we would be able to create controller-less environment. Our brains would be the one that is navigating around the game.  (more elaboration will be included)

In-Sleep Game

We might even be able to play games while we are sleeping! With the help of special goggles, we would go into the game world instead of dreamland. We can live as a different character in game. This would be a whole new level for role-playing games. (more elaboration will be included)

Real Time Live Game

Game players will be able to play online multiplayer games and interact in the game world. They can even talk to each other while in game. It would be like one huge conference in the game area. (more elaboration will be included)

Social Impact

If such games were to be introduced in the future, people might get caught up with the games so much that they do not care about what is happening in their real life.  This would further impair the social interaction between people.

(more elaboration will be included)

Conclusion

It is fascinating to see how technology has driven the evolution of game consoles and video games. From a simple “Tennis for Two” game, we see how technology has helped to improved the gaming experience drastically to what we have now and I am excited to see what would be done in the future.

References (Have yet formatted properly!)

The video game explosion: a history from PONG to Playstation and beyond

 By Mark J. P. Wolf

(2008)

http://books.google.com/books?id=to5zEwOC9BcC&pg=PR18&dq=1st+video+game+crash+1977#v=onepage&q&f=false

The First Video Game?

http://www.bnl.gov/bnlweb/history/higinbotham.asp

Meaning of technology

(taken from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/technology)

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-02-14-playstation-2-ships-over-150-million