Raj Agrawal – Page 37

W3C September 2011: Kinect For An Interactive Television?

August 7, 2011 by Raj Agrawal Leave a Comment

UPCOMING TECHNOLOGY – The Upcoming W3C Web and TV workshop is scheduled to continue it’s journey, this time at Hollywood, California, USA. It’s a two day event between 19th – 20th September, 2011. The motive behind this event is to continue the global conversation on the convergence of Web and Television to provide more entertaining content. Adam Sobieski, a contributor to the forum has laid down some interesting view points on the topic.

kinect-interactive-technology — Emily Gobeille – Theo Watson, Youtube (Microsoft Kinect Hack)

If you have suggestions/ pointers on his following commentary, head over to the original MSDN forum thread.

In Adam Sobieski’s words:

With the natural user interfaces and television combining, interactivity is arriving for previously broadcast content. Amidst a large set of new and exciting possibilities is that people will be able to use hand gestures to select video intervals or segments of interest and to then create either text or video commenting to or providing feedback to those segments of video, including news and punditry. Users can share such reactions to the web, their blogs, social networking and elsewhere. At E3 2011, Microsoft announced that live television would be coming to the XBox 360 this autumn. Many are optimistic that these new technological developments can empower the people; there is opportunity for innovation in terms of entirely new ergonomics concepts and features.
In addition that new feature, an ergonomics idea is that DVD or Blu-ray style menus can be at the start of episodes, movies or otherwise video content. Where there were once theme songs or intros, there can now be stylized interactive menus. Such menus can indicate special features, for example recaps of previous episode(s), and then, after the video content, the same or other menus can appear, perhaps making use of the internet to provide enhanced features such as navigation options to online user experiences.
Content that previously included video diagrams can include interactive 3D applets. Science and educational shows, for example, have made use of video diagrams, often with computer graphics. Applets making use of 3D hardware on consoles and computers can be integrated and launched seamlessly in sequences of content, including overlapping intro and outro audio clips. Applets can include default sequences of animation, camera motion and audio, to resemble a video diagram while, at any point in time during the applets, the audience members can utilize NUI for robust interaction and enhanced user experiences. Interactive television can greatly enhance scientific and educational content.

The Best PC Game Mods Of All Time

August 4, 2011 by Raj Agrawal 1 Comment

Mods have been one of the most popular aspects of PC gaming for a long long time. They haven’t been established on the consoles in a very effective way. This has resultantly been cited as a very important advantage for the PC over the consoles. They give the user the ability to modify the game to make it more efficient, stable, and fun. They range from graphics overhauls to weapon customization to entire levels. Thus, they they add an extra layer of content to a game.

Over the years, there have been many mods released for many games. Some have helped improve the quality of the game, some have become standalone sensations. Below is a list of what i believe are the best mods of all time:

The Elders Scroll 4: Oblivion was a great game. But it wasn’t without its problems. There were a lot of bugs in the game which caused problems for many users. This patch removed over 1800 of such bugs. It also removes the problems the modders faced while creating mods for oblivion. Hence most of the mods will require you to install this patch before you can try them out. And the best thing is even after so many years of its release, its still being updated which shows the dedication of the creators to make oblivion a better experience for everybody.

This is one relatively new but has already made waves in the PC gaming world. Since GTA 4 was released on the PC, there have been many graphics mods which have tweaked and improved the look and feel of the game. But, no mod has made it look this good. Check out the video below to fully understand why we at Upcoming Technology are big fans of this mod. And it does not hit the system as hard as you might expect. So if you’re still playing GTA 4, there’s no reason not to try this out.

Quite possibly the best half life mod ever released, this mod is a total conversion for the single player game. Set during the vietnam war, your mission is to assassinate a certain colonel who goes by the name of Kurtz. Its based on a movie which a similar premise, one which i shouldn’t mention since that would spoil the story. The only hint i can give you is that both the mod and the movie share something in common; both are masterpieces. And both shouldn’t be missed.

Originally a half life mod, it is now being made into a standalone game. This is another total conversion for the game, and is usually considered to be of the best half life mods. You’re a writer who is travelling to a cabin in the woods. You car gets forced off the road by a lightning bolt which lands you in a pool of water. And this is where the nightmare starts. Its a brilliant experience which am sure must have inspired the development of left4dead in more ways than one.

This is probably the best mod for half life 2. Brilliant level design, perfect pacing, long campaign, and strong relevance with the half life universe make this an absolute must play for the fans.

This is my favourite oblivion mod. It adds a new archaeology guild to the game along with a number of quests and unique dungeons. With a 15 hour campaign and a brilliant story, its easily one of the best mods i have ever played. Plus you can loot all the soul gems you can possibly desire, which is epic.

Originally a quake mod, TF was later ported to the half life engine, resulting in one of the most popular mods of the time. It is a team and class based multiplayer game which is based on a certain set of objectives. What makes this game so exciting is that each class has its own unique set of weapons and equipment, which is different from the other classes. This adds a level of depth to the gameplay, and makes you think as a team before going into a fight. A sequel was released in 2007 which took the game to a new level of popularity. But the original is still considered to be one of the best multiplayer games even today.

This one needs no introduction. Released originally as a mod, it was later distributed as a standalone game, and has since sold over 10 million copies. It is widely considered to be the best multiplayer game out there, and has the biggest fan following of all online shooters. To sum it up, the word e-sport exists because of this game (and Starcraft).

How popular can a single map be? The answer is – IMMENSELY! Released as a mod for Warcraft 3, it became more popular than the game ever was. The objective is simple; you have a hero, your opponent has a hero; all you have to do is defend your forces and destroy your opponents. But the map is so well designed, and the mod is so well balanced, that it has garnered a legendary status in the gaming world. If there ever was a mod to make people switch over from counter strike, this is it. The good news is that Valve is making a sequel for the game, so expect there to be a lot of maps, a lot of heroes, and plenty of support for the game for a long long time after its release.

Tips To Consider Before Buying Used/ Second Hand Electronic Products

August 4, 2011 by Raj Agrawal 1 Comment

In the struggle to save money, many people choose to buy secondhand or used products. While certain items are fine to purchase used, such as cars or DVDs, there are others they may actually cause you to waste money in the future. Here is a buying guide that you should follow in order to fetch the best deals.

homer smart — It isn’t as hard as it may seem

So before you ever rush over to a secondhand electronics dealer selling items out of storage units, you should make yourself aware of the electronic items you should never buy used. Three of those items include:

Laptops

A refurbished laptop is different from a used laptop. A refurbished laptop has had new parts incorporated into it and they generally come with a warranty. A used laptop has all the old parts and systems and generally come without a warranty which is what makes them a poor purchase decision. While you may be able to turn on the laptop and skim around, you won’t be able to take it apart on the spot and see the condition of the laptop’s interior. Within a few days, the laptop could easily crash on you, leaving you out of a computer and a wasteful expense.

Plasma and High-Def TVs

Plasma and high-definition TVs have a much higher success rate than they did when they first entered the market, but that doesn’t mean that they are now great to buy used. You want the warranty and extended warranty that comes with your flatscreen TV as it protects you from any high repair costs. If the screen of your used TV was to go out, the cost of the repair would most likely be more than the TV is worth. However, if you buy your TV new and have the correct warranties, the cost of the TV repair would be free.

DVD Players

Purchasing used DVDs is a great idea; however, buying a used DVD player is generally a not wise move. The lasers tend to wear out and when you buy one used, you won’t have any idea how often it has been used. The cost to replace the lasers in DVD players is generally more expensive than the unit is worth, and anymore you can purchase a new one for a fairly reasonable price.

Purchasing new electronics is usually a high cost to anyone, and one that we often groan and grumble about. No one likes spending a grand or more on a TV or computer, but if you want an electronic that is both durable and long-lasting, then it is best to buy a new one.

Anymore, most electronic stores offer zero percent financing (available in many countries) on larger purchases allowing you to get the electronics you want at a price you can afford.