Tag Archives | video
Video

Slow Motion Breakfast Explosion

By Tom Saunter on May 17, 2011 // Sideblog

Here’s a cool bit of branded content from Bruton Stroube who, working on behalf of their client Marlin Network, sought to create an interesting means of driving buzz around an annual breakfast event. The results have made me very hungry.

Breakfast Interrupted:

Behind the Scenes:

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Tintin & The Uncanny Valley

By Tom Saunter on May 17, 2011 // film

I wonder if Spielberg, Jackson, Wright, Moffat, Cornish et al have considered the mystery of the ‘Uncanny Valley’ in their latest CGI film, The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn?

I’m talking about the principle that when things appear, or intend to appear as visibly human as possible they often can’t jump the gap in one’s perceptions, thereby freaking the living crikey out of an observer.

uncanny valley chart | Tintin & The Uncanny Valley | Digital Cortex

Take some time to digest the diagram above, and then hit up the video below to see what I mean. My suspicion is that, yeah, they’ve just about played it safe, but the characters in the film will feel less familiar than they did in the comics, or even the cartoon series.

For more on the Uncanny Valley, check out my post on Branded Robotics, where a leading scientist gives me his thoughts on what works and what doesn’t. Hopefully, the Tintin creators have done their research too.

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Video

3D Evolution of Mobile Phones

By Tom Saunter on May 12, 2011 // Sideblog

Did you all see this yet? It’s preeetty damn cool, both as branded content and cultural statement.

I’d never thought of projection mapping on small-scale before. Bonus points to you, Vodafone!

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Video

Beautiful Symmetry

By Tom Saunter on April 28, 2011 // Sideblog

Watch this new video from Everynone, the guys who create the short films for my favourite podcast: Radiolab. It had my hairs standing on end.

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Anyone for Tonsil Tennis?

By Tom Saunter on March 26, 2011 // gaming, Technology

This is pretty cool I guess. The idea is that your partner “helps you” to play a video game by letting you snog them in different ways (while you’re looking at a computer screen and therefore not really paying attention).

It’s a bit gross, but it’s still a novel idea, so have a look:

What’s the mechanic here?

The Kiss Controller interface has two components: a customized headset that functions as a sensor receiver and a magnet that provides sensor input. The user affixes a magnet to his/ her tongue with Fixodent. Magnetic field sensors are attached to the end of the headset and positioned in front of the mouth. As the user moves her tongue, this creates varying magnetic fields that are used to control games.

We demonstrate the Kiss Controller bowling game. One person has a magnet on his/her tongue and the other person wears the headset. While they kiss, the person who has the magnet on his/her tongue, controls the direction and speed of the bowling ball for 20 seconds. The goals of this game are to guide the ball so that it maintains an average position in the center of the alley and to increase the speed of the ball by moving the tongue faster while kissing.

And what’s the point?

I literally do not know. If I were the developers I’d have focused on highlighting their innovative technique to use the tongue as an input device: it’s the most dexterous muscle in the body and it’s use is often one of the few remaining facilities among paralytics.

Can’t this be a remote control for wheelchairs or similar, rather than a Wii Sports ripoff? Come on guys…

More details here: Kiss Controller.

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