The Tech Report has posted their review of the OCZ Neural Impulse Actuator (NIA), a device which allows you to control your PC with your mind. Don’t worry, you won’t have to stick any plugs in your head (at least not yet). The NIA is a non-intrusive headband integrated not only with an EEG, but also EMG and EOG technology. What this means is that not only can this device read some basic mental states, it can also sense various muscle movements, like of the jaw, or the eyes. The small plastic sensors on the band are embedded with conductive nanofibers, so you won’t have to shave your head or lube yourself up either.

The Neural Impulse Actuator is included with software drivers that allow you to map particular thoughts or actions to different keystrokes as well as view a real-time feed from your head. Potentially it could support any and every game out there, but you can’t map it to the mouse. Only keymapping is possible at the moment, so you will still need a mouse to look around. Even so, this could make for some interesting DIY experiments. The NIA retails for about $150, and is probably worth buying for bragging rights alone. I know I sure want one, and its nice to see OCZ releasing this product at a modest price point.

The reviewer over at The Tech Report didn’t necessarily give OCZ’s product the most glowing review, but surely an honest account. I do feel that it is somewhat incomplete, specifically that the EEG functionality was not tested at any length. That is arguably the main feature of the device; allowing the user to control a PC with thought alone. To me, the mouth and eye tracking seem like secondary features, although the review is a pretty good read otherwise.

link: OCZ’s Neural Impulse Actuator [TheTechReport]

Tags: Hardware, Human Interface by cybereality
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It appears that 3D technology wasn’t the only thing on display over at Computex 2008. I just stumbled upon the most smashing gallery of booth-babes, many in futuristic attire. Although some of the designs are a bit over the top, it gives me some hope we won’t still be wearing t-shirts and jeans for the next 50 years. Seriously, what happened to all those wicked designs from the movies? Back when the year 2000 was some science-fiction fantasy. Even though we are kind of in the future, it seems strange that people carry their iPhones in the same pair of Wranglers the cowboys in the old west wore as they rode their horses into the sunset. Well that and kill a bunch of Indians. I’m just saying.

link: Computex 2008 Booth Babes [TechARP]

Tags: Cyberpunk, Hardware, Ramblings by cybereality
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Novint aims to replace the mouse as the “weapon of choice” among shooter fans with their latest product. The Novint Falcon is a haptic controller for the PC, allowing players to experience games like never before. This isn’t like the “rumble” feature you find on many consoles, which is thrown in as an after-thought. The Falcon allows for real force-feedback, in any direction! It can also exert up to about 10 lbs. of force to say simulate the weight of an Ares Predator in your hand, or to fake the “g-forces” you would feel taking a tight turn in the latest aircraft from Versatran.

So imagine you are playing a first person shooter, say Crysis *maxed-out* at 120FPS, and then some enemies start shooting from behind. With the Falcon you can actually feel exactly what direction the shots are coming from. It will also give different levels of kickback when discharging various weapons. Similar to the effect you get on some old arcade gun games. With this idea in mind, Novint is now releasing a pistol grip for the Falcon, along with a sexy new black SKU. And if that wasn’t enough, they are packing it in with Valve’s Orange Box, quite possibily the best compilation of games ever released [outside of Hong Kong].

The new Falcon model goes for the modest price of $189.99 including the pistol grip and the Orange Box pack-in with full support for Half-Life 2, Team Fortress 2 and Portal among other Source titles. If you consider that some force-feedback racing wheels sell for higher, the price of this controller is very reasonable. I’ll be getting one of these for sure, so check back for a full review. But my initial impression is that Novint may have a winner in their hands.

link: Novint Falcon Orange-Box Bundle w/ Pistol Grip [pre-order]

Tags: Hardware, Human Interface, Video Games, Virtual Reality by cybereality
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Once again it looks like the Koreans are getting the cool stuff first. I’m not sure how I missed this before, but Korean company Pavonine has a line of stereo 3d monitors called the Miracube. Models in the series range from a 19″ 4:3 aspect ratio to a somewhat not-so-monster-anymore 32″ widescreen HDTV at 1360 x 768 resolution. Most notably the C190S/X feature a parallax barrier based display similiar to the auto-3d laptops previously reported. This means no glasses are required for this model! The other models in the series are based on polarized light and require glasses, but should provide the superior picture. These versions come in 24″ widescreen for the G240S and 32″ widescreen for the G320S.

Unlike most other solutions, Pavonine has made it clear they plan to support multiple stereo 3d standards. Their 3D monitors are able to support input from a variety of source formats including “interlaced”, “frame-sequential”, “sub-field”, and “side-field”. I’ll be honest, I’ve never heard of those last two formats. It must be a Korean thing! Anyway, this is yet other company jumping into the S3D market, and it doesn’t look like the last. These monitors will be on display at the IVR (Industrial Virtual Reality Expo) next week in Toyko. Not that I will be making that expo, but if you’re there, please let me know if these sets are quality or not. Also, if anyone is feeling particularly saucy this afternoon, I found the G320S available for import right now at the amazingly low price of $4,650.

Link: Miracube: Product Site
Link: Miracube: USA [eBay Store]

Tags: Hardware, Stereo 3D, Virtual Reality by cybereality
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The Taiwanese company CPT has recently shown their 15″ 3D laptop display to TomsHardware. These 1440 x 900 displays can support a stereoscopic 3d image without the need for glasses. Meaning that, in the very near future, you will be able to play some of your favorite games, on the go, with your own portable holodeck! Reportedly, the effect is very good and better than previous attempts:

We like what we saw. This particular model had a 1440 by 900 resolution and he 3D action was smooth with a real sense of depth of field and compared to other solutions in the past, we were impressed with the view angle. You can see the 3D effect without sitting directly in front of the display.

Now don’t get the wrong idea, this isn’t real holographic technology. The 3d effect is simulated using what they call a “Display Barrier” or commonly a parallax barrier. It can be turned on and off using a switch and when in “3d mode” will allow the display to send a different image to each of the viewer’s eyes. This thus creates the 3d illusion such that your laptop screen will appear to be a window into a virtual world. This likely won’t match the quality of other methods, like the polarized projection used for the IMAX3D. But it should provide a much easier experience and also accommodate multiple viewers. Reportedly the displays only cost slightly more to produce than a standard panel, which is a great boon to bringing stereo3d to the mass market. These will be available starting late 2008, early 2009.

Not to be left out the 3D craze, ASUS is bringing a gaming laptop to market with a built-in 3d display. The G50V model includes a 15.6in WXGA 3D display, a 9700M GT, and 512MB of DDR3 memory among other features. Unlike other stereo 3d monitors on the market, this new ASUS laptop doesn’t need any glasses or fancy headsets to be worn. This could very well be that holographic gaming system I know everyone’s been waiting for. I’ll reserve judgment until I can see the thing with my own eyes, but its sounds very promising if it does what they say it does. ASUS is also traditionally known for providing affordable solutions to the pc market. Depending on the pricing, this model could turn out to be very popular.

From the looks of it, ASUS won’t be the only big name jumping into this new 3d market. One angle to consider is that CPT specializes in manufacturing display components, and supplies the panels other vendors use in their products. The CPT display is at the same 1440 x 900 WXGA resolution as the ASUS laptop and most likely the same technology thats driving the G50V display. It will be interesting to see what other companies get in on this. Surely Alienware doesn’t want to get left in the dust from the likes of ASUS once the 3d market really takes off.

link: Asus has two Geforce 9700M gaming notebooks [Fudzilla] // via: NeoSeeker
link: CPT Shows 3D Display On A Laptop [Toms Hardware] // via: MTBS3D
Thanks go to Silversurfer for the tip.

Tags: Hardware, Stereo 3D, Video Games by cybereality
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Here are a few more shots of my latest gaming rig. The last shot I had posted really didn’t do it any justice. I’m not sure what I was thinking! Probably I was too busy playing Crysis to even notice I didn’t get the moneyshot! These photos more accurately capture the beast in its full glory. Its not 100% finished yet, there are a few additional tweaks remaining. Still, I think it came out alright.

[Read more →]

Tags: Hardware, Ramblings by cybereality
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A paralyzed man, who hasn’t walked in over 30 years, has taken his first steps in decades within a virtual world. The 41 year old Japanese man can barely move his fingers due to a progressive muscle disease. However, researchers in Japan have conducted an experiment allowing the patient to control a computer program, in this case Second Life, using headgear that interfaces with the brain. The headset uses a series of electrodes to monitor the patient’s brain waves dealing with motor functions and translate that into on-screen actions. There was also an affixed microphone for chat functionality. Reportedly this was “the first time a paralysis patient has succeeded in meeting a person and having a conversation in an Internet virtual world”, which is really a touching story. Virtual worlds, even primitive ones like SL, could be a godsend for people suffering from mobility issues (sorry, I don’t know the proper nomenclature). Using brain interfaces can open up a wealth of possibilities for online socialization that wouldn’t otherwise be possible.

This isn’t just the stuff of medical journals. Anybody today, with the requisite knowledge, can start experiments just like this at home. There are a number of EEG devices coming to the market, that would allow similar type of hands free control of computer applications or games. One that is available right now is the OCZ Neural Impulse Actuator and sells for around $160. EEG devices of the past were primarily for the medical community and would cost thousands of dollars. It is just in the past year we have seen consumer devices emerge. It is going to be very interesting to see what type of innovative things developers come up with using these newly available tools.

link: Paralysed man takes a walk in virtual world [Yahoo] // via Kotaku

Tags: Human Interface, Video Games, Virtual Reality by cybereality
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There has been a lot of buzz recently with a series of new stereo 3d displays hitting the market. Big companies like Samsung have even started integrating 3d technology into their mainstream product lines. However, all of the current consumer-level solutions require extra steps to get the 3d effect to work (such as wearing glasses, etc.). There are a few high-end sets available that don’t need glasses, like the Phillips WOW displays, but still require users to stand in a particular “hot-spot” for the effect to work. The guys over at Holografika have come up with another technology they call the HoloVizio. This type of 3d display can enable an unlimited amount of users to view a 3d image on the monitor all from different angles without the use of special glasses.

The HoloVizio line is nothing new. Its been around a few years, targeting mainly billboard-style advertisements (i.e. the big $$$). However, it appears the same team is now behind a new EU-funded research project called COHERENT based upon these holographic-style displays and gesture recognition technology.

“The aim of the COHERENT project was to create a new networked holographic audio-visual platform to support real-time collaborative 3-D interaction between geographically distributed teams,” explains Akos Demeter, spokesperson for the project.

This is something science-fiction writers have been talking about for ages, and it seems we are at a point where it may soon become a reality. There’s so much potential uses for this in the field of education, as well as teleconferencing, immersive gaming, hell, even online gambling! These guys were talking about medical applications and, um, “applying holographic systems for oil exploration”.

But like anything else in the VR realm, theres always a lot more talk than actual substance. But I think these guys have their stuff together. Although it doesn’t look like there any photos of this new system they are designing, I did find this pretty cool video for their latest display, the 120WLD. Can’t embed it, unfortunately, but you can click here to watch it on YouTube.

As you can see from the video, the device accurately displays different images when the camera pans from side to side. This is not using any sort of head-tracking “tricks” like in the Johnny Lee DesktopVR video. The 3d effect is a physical property of the way the image is displayed. So unlike head-tracking methods which work for only one person, this provides an experience for any number of viewers. No idea on price. Its not listed so surely its more than I can afford. But hopefully in about 5 or 10 years this stuff will be cheap enough for the mass market.

link: Star Trek-style 3-D displays make their debut [Physorg] // via: KurzweilAI

Tags: Hardware, Human Interface, Stereo 3D, Virtual Reality by cybereality
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Over at Computex 2008, a few companies have been showcasing some new stereo 3d solutions. At the moment there are only two consumer-level 3d monitors available, the Zalman Trimon and the iz3D. Both are 22″ widescreens at 1680×1050 resolution. Zalman, however, has some upcoming monitors in their Trimon series: a 32″ model shown at the recent GDC and also a new 24″ model debuted at Computex both running in 1080P. With a MSRP of $1900 and $1200, respectively, they are a little on the pricey side but what do you expect for a 32″ 1080P 3D monitor? The 24″ model comes out next month, the 32 incher will follow in August.

Another company, Sapphire, has come up with a solution for ATI gamers. Their 3D monitors work on a similar polarized technique like the Zalman and iz3D. They reportedly have developed their own 3d driver that works for ATI cards, unlike the Zalman Trimon which is for Nvidia owners only. They demoed their product with dual 22″ screens running the ATI Ruby demo in full stereo 3d. These new Sapphire-branded 3d monitors should be hitting the streets in the next few months.

link: Zalman improves almost everything it’s got [The Inquirer]
link: Sapphire develops 3D gaming graphics driver [CustomPC]

Tags: Hardware, Stereo 3D by cybereality
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Zalman, a company largely known for their cooling products, had quietly launched a line of 3D monitors late last year. The newest product in the Trimon series is the ZM-M220W, a 22″ widescreen 2D/3D convertible lcd monitor. Now what the hell does that mean? Basically for normal applications, its works just like a high-end 2D lcd monitor. However when you are playing one of the many supported games, you just hit a hot-key, put on the included glasses and start playing in true 3d! These aren’t your grandmother’s red-blue paper glasses either. The monitor works using circular polarized light, and the glasses you wear look just like regular sunglasses. This is called “passive stereo 3d” and a similar type of technique to that used in theaters like for Beowulf 3D. The device also works for 3D-DVD although, aside from the IMAX movies, most of them are pretty low-budget.

I’ve been keeping an eye on this monitor since I first heard about it. Tweaktown broke the review last month, and since then I’ve just had to have it. I have yet to see it with my own eyes, but I’ve got a good feeling that this is really going to complete my setup. I still have a few more additions I want to make to my new machine (SLI, etc.) but a 3D monitor will really take it to the next level. However it just doesn’t work on any computer. First off, you need an Nvidia video card and the drivers are for Vista only. So when building my new rig I made sure to hook something up that would support this 3D monitor. The device is a bit more than a standard 22″ monitor, it lists for $800, but I’ve seen deals for under $700. I figure I’ll be writing my own in-depth review sometime later this month, stay tuned.

For those of you still using XP or running ATI cards, all hope is not lost. There is another 3D monitor thats been on the market for some time. Its called the iz3D and it works with a wider range of platforms (xp/vista/nvidia/ati). The iz3D is supposed to be really nice for gaming in 3D, and can be had for under $600 on NewEgg.

For all you Mac readers, sorry, not much luck there. But you already knew all the cool stuff always comes out on the PC first. Maybe by the time OSXV comes out Apple will debut the eyePod 3D and it will be heralded as the greatest innovation in computing!!! Remember, you read it here first!

link: Zalman TRIMON 22″ 3D Monitor [TweakTown]

Tags: Hardware, Stereo 3D by cybereality
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