holograms

Crave 31: Depression in a box (podcast)

This week, Donald and Jasmine bask in the glory of an Eric Franklin-less Crave, ogling a glimpse of the future in the form of new holographic technology. Also on our radar at the moment: a new type of mood lighting for your teeth, some bus-stop distractions for our fellow San Franciscans, and superdangerous flaming gloves that no meth head should ever possess. And, of course, no show would be complete without some excitement over beer, in this case a speedy bottom-filling beer-dispensing system. Finally, we stuff our faces--both real and ceramic--with cookies, pizza, and a spectacular-looking torta.

Subscribe in iTunes SD Video | Subscribe in RSS SD Video… Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1362: New alien DNA discovery: new Toxic Avengers? (podcast)

On today's show, NASA's announcement about training bacteria to exist on arsenic is super cool, and could lead to a great remake of "Toxic Avengers," but it's certainly not the little green men announcement we were hoping for. Plus, why the FTC's "Do Not Track" system is doomed to fail, we launch an angry Angry Birds take-down petition, and Donald "Downer" Bell buzzkills the entire show. --Molly

Tomorrow's Miley Cyrus? A hologram live in concert!

Do you get slightly disturbed when you go to see your favorite performer live in concert and, because of your keen sense of visual synchronization, you see that they are miming?

Well, brush off your negative last-century attitude and get with the program.

In the case of Japanese singing star Hatsune Miku, the program in question is Yamaha's Vocaloid Synthesizing Technology. Oh, there's a real person's voice somewhere at the heart of it. But who needs real people when you can have a hologram that will never be photographed snorting coke in a bathroom stall, never sleeps … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1344: Gadgets for rich, white people (podcast)

Some Gamespot.com editors discovered that the Microsoft Xbox Kinect seems to have trouble recognizing darker skinned players. Plus, it pretty much requires you to have a big, giant house. So, you can see how we arrived at the obvious conclusion in our headline, there. Plus, why Hulu is, in fact, destroying the TV industry, and we're ok with that. And Facebook Beacon returns in the form of Deals. Clever, Facebook. Very clever. --Molly

Cisco, Verizon push for 3D video and more

It's not just the TV makers that have a vested interest in pushing video's transformation to 3D TV and beyond. Companies that supply and enable the technology are just as eager to see the next generation of video take hold as the TV makers looking to sell you another big screen.

"Video is today's voice-on-an-IP network," said John Chambers, CEO of Cisco Systems, the largest supplier in the world of IP networking equipment.

I spoke to Chambers this week as he visited the Meadowlands sports stadium outside of New York City, which is the latest … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1279: Seven keys to rule us all (podcast)

If the Internet breaks, the Tribe of Seven's secret library cards will re-start it. Also: Running your fingers through Princess Leia's hair... mmmm. And: Toss your zombie cookies now! Special guest: Dr. Kiki!

Buzz Out Loud 847: Don't stand behind the hologram

The U.S. Army prepares to test and deploy ghost soldiers in MMORPGS and possibly also the real world. They may be decoys, folks, but remember: they're still light-based projections that won't stop a bullet. Also, it appears Apple will finally activate over-the-air podcast downloads for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Which, yeah. Ya think? Geez. Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 847

Hey Microsoft, Yahoo’s for sale--for real this time http://www.crn.com/software/212000962

Obama, McCain campaigns both hacked, files compromised (thanks rpcaldiera) http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/11/05/221222… Read more

Stop the insanity: CNN's 'hologram' was horrendous

Can someone please explain to me why so many people are making a big deal about this CNN "hologram" that the channel unveiled during election coverage Tuesday night?

According to CNN, it was real "hologram" technology that beamed Jessica Yellin, a CNN correspondent from Chicago, to the CNN press center in New York, where Wolf Blitzer could grill her about what was going on in Chicago.

First off, let me say that it wasn't even real "hologram" technology, which annoys me from the start. Don't say it's a "hologram" technology unless it really is. If CNN was truly using a "hologram," it would not have employed a green screen and overlay images. Instead, it would have captured scattered light and then reconstructed it back in the studio.

Oh, and it probably would have bankrupted CNN too.

But I digress. Everywhere I turn, someone is saying how "cool" CNN's so-called "hologram" was. Uh, no.

Allow me to explain something to those who probably also get excited about buying a new hammer or watching a new Starbucks open up in their neighborhood: the "hologram" technique made the show look shoddy and stupid, and made Ms. Yellin look like a well-designed video game character.… Read more

Buzz Out Loud 846: The subprime software market

Think you've seen the worst of the global financial collapse? Well, you haven't. Microsoft's dipping its toe into subprime software lending, otherwise known as providing free software to start-ups making less than $1 million. We'd call it the "crack dealer" model, but it doesn't have the same current-events gravitas. Also today: we can now officially project that Yahoo is the biggest loser of them all. Sigh.

Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 846

No more GooHoo: Google pulls out of ad deal with Yahoo http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/ending-our-agreement-with-yahoo.html … Read more

CNN's human 'hologram' on election night

Update 11:00 a.m. PST: Several readers have pointed out that CNN's technology was not true holography, and the story has been updated to reflect this.

Holy holograms, was that Princess Leia on CNN during election night?

No, it was just Jessica Yellin, a CNN correspondent. CNN beamed her image from Chicago to the CNN press center in New York City, where Wolf Blitzer and the rest of the team were covering election returns.

Yellin, who claimed she was the first person to be beamed in a "hologram" on live TV, explained for the audience how … Read more