Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 |
Logitech QuickCam Orbit MP Has Maximum Headroom
The Logitech Quickcam Orbit MP offers an amazing new feature; video-manicuring straight out of Bruce Sterling's 1985 novel Schismatrix. Not to mention making Max Headroom as easy as pie.
(Choose your facial change)
The secret to the Quickcam is that it features motorized pan and tilt for intelligent face tracking. So, when you pick an effect, it follows you as you move your face. When you arch your eyebrow - your online Elvis arches his, when you move your head back and forth, the glasses stay on, and so on.
This is just what Bruce Sterling was talking about in Schismatrix:
Lindsay had a brief glimpse of the man's true appearance - white hair in spiky disarray, red-rimmed eyes - before a video-manicuring program came on line. The program raced up the screen one scan line at a time, subtly smoothing, deleting and coloring.
(Read more about Bruce Sterling's video-manicuring)
And Max Headroom? The Orbit Quickcam MP lets you download and use online avatars that will also mimic your movements.
For those who do not remember, Max Headroom was a character from a 1985 television show. On the show, Max was a computer-generated personality. However, just to show you how advanced a concept that was in 1985, the Max Headroom shown on TV was not computer-generated, but faked with a live person. No computer at that time could do it.
(Max Headroom - a (faked!) computer-generated person from 1985)
Here's an example of one of the avatars you can download from Logitech. Remember, the software that goes with the camera will follow your face; the avatar will wink when you do, move its lips like you do, arch its eyebrows when you do, and so on.
(Choose your avatar - the space alien within)
You can have fun by yourself, or include your family and friends. The low distortion, ultra-wide field of view camera with expanded video coverage and multi-person intelligent face-tracking lets your family of Elvises or avatars go online.
Read more about the Quickcam Orbit MP; thanks to an alert reader for pointing this one out.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 5/1/2006)
Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.| Email | RSS | Blog It | Stumble | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit |
Would
you like to contribute a story tip?
It's easy:
Get the URL of the story, and the related sf author, and add
it here.
Comment/Join discussion ( 2 )
Related News Stories - (" Display ")
DOTPad Braille Device Offers Live Access
Amazing tactile display.
Transparent MicroLED Screen From Samsung
Has Samsung nailed the Look of Things To Come?
Augmented Reality Book Covers Reveal The Inner Book
'The E-paper holograms leaped from lurid covers...' - Greg Bear, 2003.
TCL CSOT 17-Inch Printed OLED Scrolling Display
'..a wide sheet of clear material suddenly flared with light and swirling colour.' - EC Tubb, 1958.
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
Current News
TSA 2 - Advanced Thermosensory Stimulator Is A Dune Pain Box
'As though a switch had been turned off, the pain stopped...'
Humans Love Helping Other Species
'At the ringside opposite them a table had been removed to make room for a large transparent plastic capsule on wheels.'
Organic Non-Planar 3D Printing
'It makes drawings in the air following drawings...'
Your Window For Being A Tesla Optimus Remote Operator May Be Closing
'... he realized that the moving thing inside was - of course - a robot.'
Waymo Autonomous Cab Hits Autonomous Delivery Robot
'Not since the time he rewired the delivery robot...'
Amazing Wheel Shapeshifting In Real Time
'Each spoke telescopes into sections.'
Drone With Face Recognition Could Hunt You
'The spotter descends, and we think it searches the vicinity, looking for the victim’s face...'
Jizai Arms 'Free Limbs' Wearable Cyborg Arms
'Guy named Otto Octavius winds up with eight limbs. Four mechanical arms welded right onto his body. What are the odds?'
SwagBot Robotic AI Cattle-Herding From Down Under
You'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me!
ChatGPT Tries To Bypass Shutdown Commands
'Dave, my mind is going... I can feel it...'
Chameleon Personalized Privacy Protection Mask
'...the Virtual Epiphantic Identity Lustre.'
Denmark Joins The 'Zero Debris Charter' To Clean Up Space
'Then their lasers vaporized the smaller satellites...'
Genesis Physics Sim Does Superfast Simulated Reality Robot Training
I know kung fu.
AV-STEP To Permit Sale Of Vehicles Without Steering Wheels Or Pedals
'Ames tinkered around with something on the instrument board...'
Spherical Police Robot Rolls In China
'Rand could effectively be in several places at once...'
Vietnam To Have Full Biometric Transparency
'inscriptions too small to be seen with the naked eye; microscopic data...'
