The slugs were shot from a Mossberg 590 12-gauge shotgun. The first two slugs both hit their intended targets that were set around 30 feet away, and while the slugs’ lightweight form don’t carry as much force as a heavier actual shotgun slug, the 3D-printed slug penetrated completely through a dart board, as well as a water jug sitting behind it. The slug was also able to blast through a 2×12 piece of pine wood.

The slugs used in the video are the larger variants that gun enthusiast Jeff Heeszel has designed, saying that they take about an hour each to print using a Solidoodle 3 3D printer (which costs around $800) using ABS thermoplastic. Heeszel used a non-printed slug as a template to create the 3D files for the printed versions.

Heeszel got the idea from the recently-printed Liberator handgun, but he didn’t like the idea of a plastic gun shooting real bullets, and instead wanted to shoot plastic bullets with a real gun. Heeszel says that the slugs weigh about 0.4 ounces, but only after adding a lead point to add a bit of weight to it. Otherwise, the slug would only weigh a mere 0.1 ounces.

Apparently it took Heeszel hours to set up the 3D printer in order for it to print the slug in the right shape. He also had issues with the printer’s heated bed, which caused the slugs to warp as new layers were added. To remedy that, Heeszel had to paint a slurry mix to the printer’s bed to prevent warping. This alone took around 30 to 40 hours just to come up with the right paint mix.

VIA: Wired

Rather than building up layers, as per traditional 3D printers, the MATAERIAL system can produce 3D curves. That allows the designer to take into account stress lines, developers Petr Novikov and Saša Jokić from Barcelona’s Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia say, among other things, without any temporary structural support or other load-bearing bracketing required.

Although MATAERIAL’s video shows the 3D printer – mounted, dramatically, on a big industrial robotic arm – producing only a single color, in actual fact there’s support for full color, even changing mid-flow. MATAERIAL can inject CMYK dyes into the path of the building material to adjust the eventual hue without the need for post-printing painting.

Details on the exact material used are scant, but according to Dezeen the rods are made up of thermosetting polymers, a chemical reaction between which causes them to quickly solidify. Regular 3D printers more commonly use thermoplastics.

“The desired shape is created by user in CAD software and then transformed into 3d curves describing the shape which are then converted into movement paths for the robotic arm. The thickness of the printed curve can be scaled down to less than a millimeter and can be adjusted during the printing process, by changing the speed of the movement. Colors can be injected in the nozzle in CMYK mode that allows changing of the curve color throughout the printing process” MATAERIAL

It’s not quite the speedy process as shown in the video in real life; apparently, the footage was sped up by as much as 3x in post-processing. However, roughly one meter of printing takes three minutes, it’s said.

The whole thing is reminiscent of Kickstarter success 3Doodler, which raised over $2.3m for its “3D printer pen” that can be used to sketch out drawings in plastic “ink”. MATAERIAL envisages its system being used for furniture and architectural printing, among other things, though there’s no telling how close to commercialization it all is.

VIA: Core77

The surprising part is that the gun was made on a cheaper 3D printer than what the original Liberator was made on. The “Lulz Liberator,” as its known, was made on a $1,725 Lulzbot A0-101 consumer-grade 3D printer, which is cheaper than most of MakerBot’s own consumer-grade 3D printers. The gun was eventually loaded with .380 rounds and fired off nine times over the course of an evening.

The first Liberator that we saw earlier this month was printed on an industrial-sized $8,000 Stratasys Dimension SST 3D printer, and the barrel had to be replaced after every shot was fired off. The new Lulz Liberator was able to withstand eight shots before the barrel was replaced in order to get a ninth shot off.

However, “Joe” says that he could’ve shot more with the gun, and the only reason he stopped was because the sun went down. So what’s the difference between the Lulz Liberator and the original model? Joe says he used generic Polylac PA-747 ABS plastic, which is actually stronger than the more expensive ABS plastic used in a Stratasys printer that the first Liberator was equipped with.

Both models still have bits of metal inside in order to actually fire a bullet, including a metal firing pin as well as a small chunk of steel in order for the gun to be detected by metal detectors and to comply with the Undetectable Firearms act. Of course, though 3D-printed guns have a long way to go before they’re actually useful, as they’re not as reliable as an actual gun, so those who are worried about the controversy over such weapons, it’ll still be a few more years before you need to actually be concerned. For the time being, 3D-printed guns still aren’t all that great to use as a reliable weapon.

SOURCE: Forbes

This system was developed by Instrument to track user input and motion tracking with a custom C++ app built with openNI as well as an ASUS Xtion Pro 3D motion tracking sensor camera. As the motion tracker sees and understands the angle of the human playing the game’s torso and location of each arm, so too will their avatar on the display array move as they fall.

The 3D game content is rendered with WebGL using THREE.js, the WebGL layer being rendered with a totally transparent background. This setup allows the map layer underneath to show through, this map layer being generated by Google Maps.

What the user sees below – the earth they’re plummeting toward – is a completely live HTML Google Map instance. It’s accurate – meaning you could potentially be diving toward your house, a national landmark, or perhaps somewhere that’d be useful for real-world training.

In addition to this setup being live and ready to roll here at Google I/O 2013 as a playable demo, Instrument has created a Dive editor. With this Dive editor, an editor is able to build directly into the control node administrative console, each of these changes reflected instantly – live in the scene.

The editor user interface exists as a Google Map, the person editing it able to use draggable markers that act as game objects. With this interface, developers and savvy users will be able to utilize geocoding to center the map view on locations of their choice – anywhere Google Maps can see. Think of the possibilities!

“Using retina-tracking technology, images on the smartphone would seem to float above the screen like a hologram and appear three-dimensional at all angles” the insiders claim. “Users may be able to navigate through content using just their eyes.”

That’s only one of a number of smartphones Amazon is working on, with at least two tipped to reach the market. Fewer details are known about the second phone, which is known – alongside the other hardware – as Project A, B, C, and D within Lab126. The clandestine development is internally referred to as the “Alphabet Projects” its said.

As for the the media-streamer, that’s said to be an audio-only product, and could potentially be similar to a Sonos. Interestingly, despite previous rumors in April about Amazon working on a set-top box through which it would deliver streaming media such as on-demand Amazon Prime video, this musical product is said to be a different project.

In fact, Amazon is apparently looking to hardware on a grand scale, though the sources did also suggest that any or all of the projects could be axed before they actually reach the marketplace. That could be down to financial or other concerns, they suggest, or simply deciding that the smartphones and other devices aren’t ready for prime-time.

Nonetheless, it doesn’t come as a huge surprise to hear that Amazon is flirting with new products, particularly in mobility. The company’s ambitions in the smartphone space have been widely-rumored since before even the Kindle Fire tablets were released, with Amazon expected to use a heavily-customized version of Android tailored to suit its digital media sales ambitions.

As for the media streamer possibility, with Amazon already having an MP3 download store, and the Amazon Cloud Player service streaming content from the online locker to users’ smartphones, funneling it instead to home audio equipment doesn’t seem too far fetched. In that case, Amazon’s tablets and potential smartphone could then become a touchscreen remote, navigating through playlists.

Of course, glasses-free 3D has been met with mixed – though generally negative – reactions from the public when companies have tried to use it in mobile devices. The Nintendo 3DS, for instance, has struggled to carve a niche out, despite its relatively unique feature of 3D gameplay, while LG’s attempts to put glasses-free 3D in phones in the shape of the Optimus 3D also failred to spawn a sequel.

One possibility is that by using an eye-tracking system, the 3D effect could be considerably more impressive. Currently glasses-free systems lack precision, and can appear more like layers of stacked images than true 3D. Factoring in more accurate gaze-tracking, however, could improve on that, making a true 3D interface more usable.

The Cube is available now on Staples.com, and will eventually be available in a select number of Staples store by the end of June. The Cube costs $1,300, which is quite a bit less than MakerBot’s offerings, which usually start at around $2,000. The printer is able to print objects that are up to 5.5-inches wide and tall.

The Cube features WiFi and is compatible with both Mac and Windows. Plus, the printer comes with 25 free 3D templates to get you off to a quick start, with more templates available online. Staples is also selling ABS and PLA plastic cartridge refills, CubeSticks, and replacement Cube Print Pads. We heard late last year that Staples would be starting its own 3D-printing service, so perhaps this is the first baby step into that realm.

The 3D-printing community hasn’t gone quite mainstream yet, as it’s still very much a niche hobby at this point, but with the beginning of selling 3D printers in major retail chains, the awareness for 3D printing may go up, encouraging more people to get into the hobby and create an even larger community around it.

The gun is made up of 16 different pieces that were 3D-printed separately using ABS plastic. Every part of the gun is 3D-printed except for the firing pin, which is needed to be metal due to the amount of force it handles. The gun is designed to fire standard handgun rounds, and it uses interchangeable barrels for different calibers of ammunition.

Wilson plans to soon release the CAD files for the gun on the Defcad.org website, which is a database full of CAD files for 3D-printers of different guns that you can make. As for the Liberator, it can fire a traditional round without a problem, but in order to comply with the Undetectable Firearms Act, Wilson put a chunk of steel in the body so that metal detectors can detect it.

Of course, 3D-printed weapons have been a controversial topic lately, since anyone with a 3D printer can make a gun without ever going through background checks or any other kind of verification system. Users can even obtain CAD files for high-capacity automatic rifles like the AR-15 and AK-47, which are illegal in the first place in many states.

[via Forbes]

While IMAX hasn’t revealed the cost of the system – probably as one of those if-you-have-to-ask-you-can’t-afford-it maneuvers – word has it the price tag is at least $1 million, but could be $2 million or more. The home theater option is only currently available to a select few, but those who buy it will be in possession of “the world’s most immersive and luxurious entertainment experience,” or so says IMAX, which will be decking its customers out with equipment and services you’d expect for such a high cost.

As far as equipment goes, the IMAX Private Theater will provide its customers with a “visceral” experience, offering both 2D and 3D video, as well as its sound technology for an audio system tailored to the room’s acoustics and geometry, meaning it is designed specifically for the customer rather than being offered as a one-size-fits-all system.

The process is quite involved, with the price including the cost of bringing in architects, designers, developers, and installers to get it all in place. The customer will get input into the home theater’s design, and the equipment and such will be built to accommodate it. Once finished, the system will be monitored remotely at all times, will have predictive maintenance, sub 5 minute customer support response times to problems, and more.

[via Slashfilm]

Beta testing in will continue through June, as the heads at Leap Motion have let it be known today, while the ship date for the device appears now to be hard set for July 22nd. Arrival dates will be soon after, depending completely on customer locations relative to the ship points. Leap Motion has made it clear that their requirements for release are extremely strict and that the beta test period was alwasy in play.

“We are behind schedule, it’s not as if we woke up for the first time today and decided we needed a beta test,” noted Leap Motion CEO Michael Buckwald. According to the Buckwald, they do have the ability to meet the original ship date, but have delayed it due to their desire for more comprehensive testing on the device. At this moment, it would appear that the hardware is ready, software tweaks may be in play, and the product “could be shipped tomorrow.”

As for the HP deal spokem about quite recently, it would appear that nothing has been affected between them and the computing company.

“It definitely won’t affect the HP deal. All the milestones that were in play with the HP deal are still in effect.” – Buckwald

The only different between the Beta test units that are created today and those that will be out later this year will be an updated SDK. This software update will bring the device up to the final release version of the machine which will, indeed, be shipped at first on July 22nd.

This integration of Google Earth exploration abilities has spawned a YouTube collective of videos being submitted this week as well. If you have a peek at the demonstration video below, you’ll see Leap Motion’s take on Google Earth with their basic device. This demonstration takes a look at San Francisco, Paris, New York City, and the Grand Canyon in short clips.

This update to Google Earth also adds several new features to the environment, including Map-Making, Viewshed, and a set of Google Earth Pro boosts as well. The downloadable version of Google Earth is the one being used here today – this demonstration shows the app on a desktop computer, while mobile apps are also up for your smartphone or tablet.

Google Earth Pro is a system where you’ll need to pay a license fee and gain added features not available to normal users. Leap Motion integration has been added this week to the free and Pro versions of the software. Have a peek at the Leap Motion timeline below to see what else the 3D motion control device has been up to lately!

TeleNav announced the update via their Twitter account, noting that the new 3D features will “give drivers a better view and navigation experience.” The feature will be available later this year, along with crowd-sourced traffic reporting like we’ve seen in Waze. It’s not said exactly when the update will hit, but hopefully it’s sooner rather than later.

TeleNav will rely on its 34 million subscribers to report various accidents and traffic jams around the country, and the app will update itself in real-time with the traffic information it receives from its users. This means that Scout will suggest faster alternate routes when it detects that you’re about to hit some heavy traffic.

The video above shows off the 3D buildings in a demo, and while you can clearly see the outlines of the buildings, they don’t get in your way of the navigation, and you can still through the buildings and look ahead to what roads you’ll be turning on. When the update eventually does hit, it’ll be available for both free and premium users of the app.

Contributing to that score is the use of standard Philips screws (rather than weird, tamper-proof variants) and, where things aren’t screwed-together, standard clips instead. The LCD mounting, which is courtesy of some sticky foam pads, also gets praised for its ease of reassembly.

In fact, the only downside that’s observed is the Kapton tape – which is thermally resilient – and which Oculus uses in the development kit to hold some of the wires together. That “should probably be replaced with new tape” if you dismantle your kit, iFixit suggests.

Of course, things could change between the developer kit and the final retail product, and only time will tell whether Oculus makes the consumer Rift version as straightforward to tinker with. That’s not expected for a while yet – the company hasn’t said exactly when – though Oculus has indicated that physical design will evolve between the two, for at least the sake of “comfort.”

You can download what they’re calling the ” “OUYA MakerBot 3D Printing Development Kit” from MakerBot’s Thingiverse website, and then get started with crafting your very own OUYA shell. This dev kit will allow anyone to print cases, and users can add their own patterns and colors to the cases, making them unique and giving them a little personality.

The custom OUYA cases can be printed using PLA plastic on the MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer, or if you’re a more experience 3D-printing enthusiast, you can use the more-robust ABS plastic on a MakerBot Replicator 2X Experimental 3D Printer. To say the least, this takes open source to a completely new level.

While the OUYA will begin shipping tomorrow, only Kickstarter backers will receive their units. The general public will be able to grab their own OUYA console starting in June, and units will be available at various retail stores, as well as on Amazon and OUYA’s website for $99, which isn’t a bad price considering what the little box can do.

The DUO 3D sensor is open source, meaning that you can do anything with it that you please. It comes with open hardware plans, and you can get it in kit form where you assemble it or you can get fully assembled devices. The drivers and SDK are also open source, so there’s quite a bit that you can do with it right off the bat.

The company even claims that the sensor is practically plug-in-play, where you just plug it in, download the necessary software, and start playing around with it “within minutes.” From the video itself, the DUO looks to be extremely accurate, tracking fingers with every slight move. From the looks of it so far, it’ll definitely give the Leap Motion a run for its money.

The “DIY” portion comes into play with the open source hardware blueprints that you can purchase (or “back” in this case). The hardware plans will provide you with everything you need, but it’ll be up to you to get the parts and assemble it. However, you can modify the plans however you wish and truly make it your own.

Pledging $10 gets you the SDK, while $20 will get you the hardware plans, as well as the SDK. $40 will get you everything previously, as well as a custom-molded case for your 3D sensor. $140 will get you a fully-assembled kit, while $110 will score you all the parts you need to assemble it yourself.

The game builds the 3D mazes dynamically using the HTML elements of the website, and players use their Android smartphones as a controller for the game, which is played on their computer in the Google Chrome web browser. You simply sync the two devices through Chrome using a unique code, then you can fire up the game and go at it.

Players either tilt their mobile devices or use the on-screen controls to guide the steel ball around, and just the Wii U’s gamepad, your Android smartphone’s display can mirror what’s on the computer screen. The video above shows what the game is all about and provides a quick demo so that you can see it in action. It’s in Japanese, but most of the important stuff is all visual anyway.

You’ll need a fairly decent computer to run the game, even if it is purely browser-based. World Wide Maze works uses the WebGL standard, and it requires at least 1GB of RAM and a 256MB graphics card for hardware acceleration. However, most computers nowadays will be able to handle it. While this may not be a game that you’ll spend hours playing, it’s certainly a cool thing to try out, and it could very well be the future of a new type of gaming.

[via Ars Technica]

The design above looks like it could possibly represent an upcoming Windows 8 device. According to Patent Bolt, the design looks like it supports Windows “tile” interface. But for all we know, it could be a Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7-inch device. Another design shows what appears to be a Samsung phone that will lack both physical and capacitive buttons. It will instead utilize on-screen buttons like the LG Nexus 4 or the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. In the same picture, there is another Samsung device that looks like it will have 4 physical (or capactive) buttons, giving users who hate on-screen buttons another option to choose from. It looks like it will go for the classic Android approach, and have menu, home, back, and search buttons.

One image seems to represent a Windows Phone 8 device as well. The button layout slightly reminds me of the old T-Mobile HTC HD2. The menu and search button are both grouped up in one bar, while the Home and Back buttons are on their own separate islands. However, Samsung could just be testing out a new design for an Android phone, or maybe it’s one of the upcoming Tizen handsets its planning on releasing this year. In the same picture is Samsung’s new design for its 3D glasses.

Judging from these designs, it looks like Samsung is looking to stray away from the the “home button” design featured on the Samsung Galaxy S III, and Samsung Galaxy Note devices. These phones will all most likely fall under the low-tier to mid-tier categories, because it wouldn’t make sense for Samsung to release high-end devices so quickly after the Samsung Galaxy S IV launches. Once we get the details and specs for these devices, we’ll give you an update.

[via Patent Bolt]

The Samsung Galaxy S4 has been tipped to be coming with a 4.9-inch display with AMOLED technology flavored with a bit of futuristic tech that’ll make it about 30% brighter than past iterations. Call that Green PHOLED if you dare. The display is set to be rolling out with a massive 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution too, this making the device a beastly 440PPI – so sharp it’ll cut your eyeballs apart.

The Samsung Exynos 5 Octa quad-core processor has been tipped several times for the Galaxy S4. With that and the smooth excellence of Android 4.2 Jelly Bean as well as Samsung’s own TouchWiz in its newest iteration, this device will be a beast when it comes to futuristic mobile computing. Then there’s the camera.

Today’s tip from PatentBolt suggests that the Samsung Galaxy S4 will be working with some form of 3D camera action. With the “2D to 3D” sort of logo appearing in trademark form today connected with the following text, the Galaxy S4 coming with 3D processing technology has become a real possibility. We’re not going to see a double-camera situation like we did with past 3D-capable smartphones, instead we’ll be seeing post-shot processing (if we see any such 3D abilities at all, that is).

“Application software for smart phones; application software for tablet computers; digital cameras; USB flash drives; mobile telephones; portable media players; portable computers; rechargeable batteries; smart phones; tablet computers; wireless headsets; lenses for cameras.”

BONUS: You’ll notice the 3D logo is an ever-so-slight modification of Samsung’s previous 3D logo used on their Smart TV line – as seen in our recent Samsung UN55ES8000 55-inch Smart TV Review, too!

If you’ll have a peek at the logo and compare the ever-so-slight 3D-looking “4″ in the invite for the event for the device coming up this week, you’ll find yourself wondering. Could the Galaxy S4 be bringing on 3D technology without a double-dose of camera lens action? We’ll see on the 14th – SlashGear will be in NYC to bring you the full story!

The company showed off a prototype today of the new scanner, and essentially it consists of two lasers that travels up and down a vertical axis while the object spins, with a webcam to keep an eye on everything. The laser scans the object into your computer, that way you have a digital copy of a physical object. MakerBot CEO Bre Pettis compares the technology to the scene in Tron when the characters get digitized into the game.

The Digitizer can scan small to medium sized objects anywhere from two to eight inches high, and can scan them in as little as three minutes, which is the amount of time it takes for a Keurig to make a cup of coffee. MakerBot notes that this can be great for creating backups of sort for breakable items, and when they do break, you can easily print another one out.

MakerBot is still running tests on the scanner, but the company plans to make it publicly available sometime in the fall. Of course, copyright issues come to mind here, and we’re not sure how that will all play out when the scanner eventually launches, but it seems Pettis doesn’t mind if you end up creating a copy of a MakerBot. Not that it’s even possible, but it seems he’s light hearted about the concept.

[via VentureBeat]

The photo above is a good representation of what the 3D-printed material looks like and how it fits on the skull. The material has specially-designed textures and holes in it to encourage the growth of cells and bone, and not result as a hindrance to the body, but rather become part of the skull just like ordinary bone. In other words, it’s more than just a simple piece of hard plastic.

Oxford Performance Materials is the company behind these 3D-printed implants, and they’re predicting that this practice will take off shortly, and it could open the door for around 500 patients per month who need bone transplants. The US Food and Drug Administration granted approval of the 3D-printed implant on February 18, and the company is now looking to spread the technology.

The company says that it can produce an implant within two weeks of obtaining 3D scans of the affected area needing transplanted, and recipients can range from injured construction workers to wounded soldiers, according to Oxford Performance Materials. There are no other details as far as further transplants with the new technology, but we should be hearing more about it sooner or later.

[via News]

Nokia has branded this event as the “world’s first live social 3D printing experience” – so fancy you’ll barely be able to handle it! Attendees as well as users at home were able to win customized cases for the 820, and even though there was no large news blast inside the main Nokia keynote, the demonstration was swamped almost non-stop. The hands-on video you’ll see here shows one of the very rare times when the 3 MakerBot Replicator 2 machines weren’t surrounded by a sea of bodies.

You’ll find the scaly example of a case shown above and below to be made of two separate pieces as you’ll be wanting to create when you’re busting out your own design. The reason for this is the relative rigidity of the material you’re creating with. With a second piece pushing out from the inside, you’ve got a bendable set of bits that function as buttons, as they should.

And that affords you the ability to have more than one color, too. You’ll be busting out a black case with yellow buttons – perhaps a case with your school’s colors? The outer bits and back of your Nokia Lumia 820 (or 520 in the very near future) are yours to create. Check the back of the case in the gallery below to see some key-carrying action as well!

Also be sure to check the rest of our Mobile World Congress 2013 coverage in the MWC 2013 tag portal right this minute. Keep your eyes to the Nokia tag for our reviews of the new 720 and 520 in the very near future too – hot stuff!

In fact, early Kickstarter backers will be able to get the 3Doodler from $50, though that award tier is already nearly halfway claimed at time of writing. Next is the $75 bracket, which should stick around a little longer, with the eventual Kickstarter goal being $30,000.

Unlike traditional printers, which require programming, the 3Doodler takes a more abstract approach. You can freeform draw sketches, or alternatively trace out patterns that have been printed, and then peel the set plastic off; 3Doodler suggests possibilities include jewelry, 3D models, artwork, and more.

It’s not going to be the way you print your next coffee cup or car wheel, as we’ve seen promised from regular 3D printers, but the plug-and-play approach has plenty of appeal nonetheless. The Kickstarter runs for the next month, with first deliveries expected in the fall of 2013 assuming it’s funded.

The man featured in the image above and in the video down below is 80-year-old Pinchas Gutter, who spent his childhood in a Naxi concentration camp in Poland, and was about to turn 14 years old when World War II ended in 1945. Gutter was interviewed and recorded in 3D inside a 26-foot-wide dome lit by 6,000 LEDs with a green screen backdrop.

The recordings from the interview were then converted into a hologram that is meant to be shown in museums and other exhibits. The team behind the project are definitely on a time crunch, and are trying to get as many Holocaust survivors interviewed and recorded before most of them pass away. It’s an undertaking that involves a lot of fast acting.

Of course, holograms aren’t anything new. Last year, the late Tupac Shakur was turned into a hologram and performed live at the Coachella music festival back in April. However, the team putting together the Holocaust holograms say that the process is a bit different. Whereas holographic Tupac used stacked 2D images projected onto a nearly-invisible screen, holographic Gutter are projected onto open space to make it look more accurate.

[via CNET]

The spaceship is a replica of a Hellcat from the classic 90s video game Wing Commander. the ship took around 50 seconds to print and it measures 125 micrometers long x 81 micrometers wide x 26.8 micrometers tall. The printer used two-photon polymerization in order to craft the spaceship. This process uses short laser pulses, which activate photo-sensitive liquid polymer.

Of course, this thing can’t actually fly, but it goes to show just how tiny you can actually 3D-print things. Of course, the printer can print other things besides nifty spaceships. Other products that include tiny proportions are biological scaffolds and ultralight metamaterials.

The video above shows the entire 50-second process of building the spaceship from start to finish. You can see the laser pulses travel from the bottom to the top and witness the spaceship being built right before your eyes. While it doesn’t look like much at first glance, knowing that the object is the width of a human hair is simply incredible.

[via DVICE]

The glasses also have “6D” head tracking, along with the 3D eye tracking. The company partnered up with Volfoni to bring the 3D portion to the glasses, which feature active shutter technology that you see in a lot of advanced 3D glasses today. The 6D head tracking is there to detect gazes whenever the user turn their head to point toward an object.

The glasses offer real-time gaze streaming in world coordinates by measuring the position and orientation of the user’s head within a defined space. The glasses are simply worn like a normal pair of glasses, and the eye tracking is made possible by two small cameras on the outer rim of the glasses while another camera records the field of view from the user’s perspective. The three orbs on each side allow for the 6D head tracking, and they’re detachable for easy storage.

While the Oculus Rift was a big hit at CES a few weeks ago, it’s going to have some stiff competition sooner or later once virtual reality starts taking off. The eye tracking system from SMI supports Microsoft’s Kinect, so it can already be used with technology that people already have. However, there’s no word on availability or pricing for SMI’s 3D glasses.

The structures themselves would first be inflated using a type of fabric to create a dome-shaped building. Then, the modified soil would be laid on top of the dome to make the building more structurally sound. Plus, that added layer would protect inhabitants from meteorites, gamma rays, and extreme temperatures.

The ESA has already created a 1.5-ton block of simulated lunar soil using 3D printing methods, and it’s made from a mixture of terrestrial basaltic rock, magnesium oxide, and a “binding salt.” Of course, the extreme temperatures and the zero-gravity state on the Moon could affect the chemical reactions with the modified soil, but testing out the printer in a vacuum proved that the concept could easily work.

Proposed locations for where lunar bases would be built are on either poles of the Moon, where temperatures are more accurate to Earth’s climate. It’s not exactly set on when the bases on the Moon will begin construction, but numerous companies are already lining up to help out with the massive undertaking, and Deep Space Industries (DSI) is already planning to have a capable 3D printer built by 2020.

[via PhysOrg]

The three movies, which consists of Jurassic Park (1993), The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), and Jurassic Park III (2001) will include full 1080p HD and DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio sound. Each release will also come in the form of a “combo pack” with a DVD, Digital Copy, and an UltraViolet digital copy, on top of the Blu-ray disc that’s included.

The titles are all available for pre-order right now over at Amazon with price tags in the $25 range for 2D versions, and the $35 range for 3D versions. Bonus materials will also be available in all three movies, and they’ll mostly be identical to those found on the previously available trilogy DVDs.

Sadly, though, only the first film in the series will be seeing its theatrical re-release on April 5, and none of the CGI has been redone, so while the movie will be in 3D, all the original work from the 90s will still be viewable. As for modern-day Jurassic Park shenanigans, you’ll have to wait until June 13, 2014 when Jurassic Park 4 releases.

[via High Def Disc News]

The Audi Q7 Concept Car brings this experience on to the universe riding high on the success of the reintroduction of the 3D movie experience here in the 21st century. While 3D movies and the technology behind that visual experience is limited to the movie theater and the home theater with special visual enhancing goggles and the like, the 3D audio experience is ready, here and now, for the high-powered automotive world.

“Bang & Olufsen Audio Systems for cars are widely renowned for their unique ability to turn a car interior into a real high-end listening room, and with the addition of the 3D sound algorithm and associated speaker units and amplifiers in this Audi Q7 Concept Car, we add a new important emotional dimension into the listening experience. Extending beyond the small confined space of the vehicle cabin, the available sound experience now ranges all the way from a very big and open sense of space to the purist setting such as a control room of a recording studio.” – Bjarne Sørensen, Senior Manager Car Concept Creation and Communication

Using the Audi Multi Media Interface you’re able to work with the vehicle’s 3D sound system, able to, as Harald Popp, head of the Multimedia Realtime Systems department of Fraunhofer IIS notes, “dissolves the geometry of the car.” Inside this vehicle you’ll find an amount of speakers placed to perfection that you’ll have never before experienced:

• Two loudspeakers in the dashboard center (tweeter and broadband)
• Two tweeters in the dashboard (left/right) with acoustic lens
technology
• One mid-high loudspeaker in each A pillar
• One tweeter in each A pillar
• Two loudspeakers in each front door with a woofer and a midrange
• Three loudspeakers in each rear door with a woofer, midrange and a
tweeter
• Two surround loudspeakers in each D pillar, consisting of a tweeter
and broadband
• One closed subwoofer box in the spare wheel compartment

This experience is such that a user will want to head out to their vehicle to listen to a new album simply to feel completely engulfed in sound. They won’t even feel the need to drive the car – no need for your own home studio anymore! Welcome to the next level – that’s what this team is saying to you, the future Audi owner.

We’ve yet to see this system in a real market-ready auto, but we’re expecting this perfectly tuned and placed system to hit real vehicles some time in 2013 – that’s just an assumption, mind you, but judging by this presentation, they’re ready for action. Have a peek at our Car hub for more information on the power present in the automotive industry today, especially in the technological breakthroughs of tomorrow!

The two printing heads allow for printing more complex objects, and whereas the Replicator 2 uses PLA filament, the 2X uses ABS filaments. However, the 2X is supposed to run more smoothly, and print in multiple colors, as well as even multiple materials. The 2X will also be able to print at a 100-micron resolution.

The Replicator has a slightly redesigned chassis, and among the updated features of the new design are an aluminum build platform and print area that’s enclosed by plastic windows. The benefit is that the build area retains heat better than the open chassis of past models from the company, allowing for faster and more reliable printing.

MakerBot will begin taking pre-orders for the Replicator 2X on January 11, and the company says it will begin shipping the printer to customers by mid-March. As for the price, you’re looking at something close to what a high-end MacBook Pro would cost — $2,799 to be exact.

The NX300 is Samsung’s replacement for the NX210, bringing this beastly 20.3 MP APS-C CMOS sensor to replace that last-generation machine along with a set of features that are not to be missed. You’ll be getting a full-on 3.31-inch AMOLED touch display, 1080p video shooting abilities at 60 frames per second, and of course a massive ISO range of 100 to 25600. You can take burst shots at 8.6 photos per second too – snap em up!

The maximum shutter speed on this next-generation camera is an undeniable 1/6000th of a second, meaning you’ll be able to capture a lion leaping in for the kill on your favorite zebra this summer season without a hassle. This this device isn’t technically part of the same push for Samsung’s SMART CAMERA lineup, you’ll still be rolling out with built-in dual-band wi-fi and you’ll have the ability to connect to the device with your smartphone, too. The NX300 is part of Samsung’s line of devices that have their own Android and iOS app to rock and roll remotely – upload at will and use a remote viewfinder as well!

Have a peek at the Samsung tag to see what else Samsung has presented this week and check out the full details of the company’s excellent offering for web-ready cameras for 2013. Also be sure to jump in on our CES 2013 hub to see all of our hands-on action and up to the minute updates all week long!

Hiding in Samsung’s booth at the show – or at least, as close to hiding as an 85-inch TV can manage – was an Ultra HD set running a 4K stream from Netflix’s servers. There were few details to hand, and no sign of a public launch date, but the picture quality looked great.

Still, it’s Super HD that will be reaching more people – though not everyone – first. Netflix subscribers will need to get their internet connection via one of the ISPs currently working with the media company, a list that includes Cablevision, Virgin Media, British Telecom, Telmex, Telus, TDC, GVT and others.

Everyone else will have to wait, unfortunately, and only those subscribers in the US will get Super 3D content, at least initially. You can find out if you’re on an Open Connect compliant ISP here.

While we’ve seen dual-view style systems before, from LG among others, they’ve usually come with a compromise. With passive-3D systems, that compromise usually comes in the shape of limited resolution, since half of the Full HD resolution is used for each picture. Samsung, though, has managed to incorporate two 1080p pictures in one.

Up to ten pairs of glasses are supported simultaneously, either set to one video stream or the other. Each weighs in at 1.4 ounces.

The Multi-View system will be included in the KN55F9500 OLED TV announced today among other sets, with pricing yet to be confirmed. The glasses will go on sale in the first half of 2013.

Elsewhere there are the Multi-View 3D Glasses SSG-5900GR – as bundled with the KN55F9500 OLED TV – new for CES this year. They allow wearers to watch two separate programs – in Full HD – at the same time, complete with independent audio thanks to speakers built into the frames. Up to 10 pairs can be connected at any one time (though only two different pictures shown simultaneously) and they weigh 1.4oz. Samsung says there are picture improvements over its regular 3D glasses too, with a more than threefold increase in contrast ratio and a drop in crosstalk.

Finally, the Samsung VG-STC3000 TV Camera brings some of the motion control seen in high-end Samsung Smart TVs to a standalone device. It has an HD camera and supports Skype video calls, as well as motion control and face recognition, for gaming, content selection, and other features.

The Samsung Smart Evolution Kit VG-SEK1000, SSG-5900GR 3D Glasses, and VG-STC3000 TV Camera all will go on sale in the first half of 2013, with pricing to be confirmed.

However, it’s not completely what it’s cracked up to be. Our experience watching the demo was subpar. We certainly noticed the 3D, not quite as much as traditional 3D with glasses, but we definitely noticed heads and hands popping out at us — it was almost a trippy experience of sorts, but the quality overall was disappointing.

Sadly, the company had to sacrifice quality slightly in order to offer the auto stereoscopic 3D technology, which takes two different images at slightly different angles and merges them together, while flickering them back and forth faster than the human eye could notice, similar to how active 3D glasses work today.

What’s perhaps even more impressive is that current 1080p content can be upscaled to this 4K glasses-free 3D tech. The company even mentioned Apple’s Retina display, saying that while the technology is certainly there, the content isn’t the same story, and Stream TV says current content can be used for the 3D.

There’s a lot that separates Ultra-D from the competition, although they don’t have much to compete with at the moment. Their technology is completely proprietary, although we’ve seen it before. Auto stereoscopic 3D will drive the 4k 3D market according to Stream TV. The difference between Ultra-D 3D and others is the use of auto stereoscopic 3D. You won’t be having two images tricking your eyes with a terrible flickering image. The auto-stereoscopic image is angled in a different way than before, and don’t automatically. It’s so good it looks as if you’re seeing out a window. At least according to Stream TV.

“This is bigger than the transition from black and white to color”

What also makes Ultra-D standout from the competition is the use of their proprietary technology being used on any and all available TV panels. This means LED, LCD, 4K TVs and more. Then add in the fact they’ll offer upscaling from 1080p to 4K. While 4K or “Ultra-HD” is still new and content isn’t quite readily available on a large scale. It’s coming, and coming soon. Add in the option to control and adjust the level of 3D, this technology is truly different than most.

The other important bit here is the source content. Watching movies, streaming video from Netflix, game consoles and more will all work with Ultra-D glasses-free 3D — and look great doing it. Today Ultra-D also unveiled their companion device called the Ultra-D SeeCube 4K. This will enable support for existing hardware to take advantage of Ultra-D glasses-free 3D. As well as streaming with mobile devices like the Apple iPad and Android smartphones and tablets. We’ll update with additional details and hands-on soon.

The NX300 replaces the NX210, and other than the 20.3 MP APS-C CMOS sensor, there’s a 3.31-inch AMOLED touch display, and it can shoot 1080p video at up to 60 frames per second, as well as taking up to 8.6 shots per second in burst mode. There’s also an ISO range of 100 to 25600, and a maximum shutter speed of 1/6000th of a second.

While the NX300 doesn’t have an Android OS (like other NX-series cameras), it does have built-in dual-band WiFi, and an accompanying Android and iOS app will allow users to connect their smartphone via WiFi to the NX300 and instantly upload photos and video to the web, and can even use the smartphone as a remote viewfinder for the camera.

The NX300 is slated to cost $750 with a 20-50mm kits lens and a copy of Adobe Lightroom, while the 2D/3D lens will set you back $499.99. You’ll also get your pick in either black or white when the camera eventually releases this March. The new camera is certainly priced competitively, so we don’t think Samsung will have a problem selling these things.

That remote – based on the recently-updated non-QWERTY version - will support easy text entry along with natural language recognition and gesture control. Users will be able to ask for a specific channel by name, or website, as well as ask for a specific movie or TV show title; alternatively, asking for a genre – such as “romantic comedy” – will pull up a list of results from all potential sources.

Meanwhile, a new Home Dashboard will consist of “cards” filled with organized apps and content, with a “My Interest” card for weather and news. OnLive will be preloaded, for cloud gaming, and Android phones and tablets will be supported for remote control and slinging YouTube videos directly to your big-screen.

Under the hood, there’s a dualcore CPU and LG’s TruPicture XD engine; LG’s passive 3D system is also included. The GA6400 series will be available in 42-, 47-, 50-, 55- and 60-inch sizes, while the GA7900 series will come in 47- and 55-inch sizes.

LG says the new models will be available in the US initially, with broader availability to come later. No word on pricing, but we’re likely to find out more details at CES 2013 in a couple of weeks time.

Design and Hardware

Samsung has been gradually paring back the design of its sets over the past generations, with particular success when it comes to the bezel. For the ES9000, that’s a slim, curved border with a rose gold tinted finish, just 0.31-inches thick. The only distractions are the (retractable) webcam on the top edge, and a simple, narrow stand underneath. That can, obviously, be detached and the TV wall-mounted; at 1.4-inches deep (12.9-inches on the stand) it’s impressively thin.

Despite the dimensions, Samsung manages to fit in a fair amount of hardware. There are two 15W speakers, downward-firing, and integrated WiFi for hooking up the ES9000 to the internet wire-free. Other connections include three HDMI ports, three USB 2.0 ports, an ethernet port, component and composite inputs, a digital audio output (optical), a 3.5mm analog audio output, a DVI audio input, aerial port, and a serial port for Samsung’s EX-LINK inter-device communication (with it, and the right accessories, you can have the TV trigger a motorized wall-mount or other add-ons).

Samsung includes four pairs of 3D glasses in the box along with its Smart Touch Remote, which has a trackpad for navigation and also works as a remote microphone for voice control. There’s a standard remote in the box too, along with an IR blaster which allows for third-party A/V kit to be controlled via the Samsung’s remote. A Smart View app for Android phones and tablets turns them into remotes too. You don’t get the wireless keyboard (VG-KBD1500) which the TV is compatible with, however; that’s a $100 add-on, and as well as full QWERTY includes a trackpad and works, via Bluetooth, with Samsung’s recent Android phones and tablets.

There’s also support for Samsung’s Evolution Kit, due sometime in 2013. TV development may run at a slower pace than, say, for smartphones, but it’s still frustrating to think that today’s flagship TV will be superseded at some point in the not-too-distant future. The Evolution Kit will go some way to addressing that, a slot-in module that will update the ES9000 with a new, faster processor than the current dual-core, more content support, extra smart TV features, and other enhancements.

Samsung isn’t saying exactly what the Evolution Kit will comprise of – after all, it’s hard to tell what will be standard on new flagships next year – nor how much it will cost, but it’s a reassurance that other manufacturers don’t offer. Obviously it can’t upgrade the ES9000′s display to 4K, but we’re happy to see TV companies thinking beyond the very first out-of-box experience.

Picture Technology

The ES9000 isn’t short on picture technology: Samsung has basically packed everything it can into the TV’s slender chassis. The Full HD display offers, according to Samsung, 30-percent more sharpness and a matching improvement in black levels, as well as being 60-percent brighter. That’s thanks to a cavalcade of processing technology, including the Micro Dimming Ultimate technology we saw on the ES8000 (SlashGear review), and the Precision Black Local Dimming and Cinema Black features (known as “Smart LED” in the settings) which we haven’t seen since 2011′s D8000 flagship.

All that dimming tech dynamically adjusts the backlighting on the ES9000 so as to improve contrast. For instance, the TV automatically identifies the black letterboxing bars above and below movies, and lowers the backlight behind those sections. It also monitors the rest of the picture, split into zones, and adjusts the backlighting according to what’s on-screen at any one time. The ES9000 uses edge-lit active dimming, where clever use of LEDs around the sides of the display can selectively adjust the backlighting of different portions across it; it’s a more compact system than full-array active dimming, which is relatively rare on TVs today.

Finally, there’s active 3D: put on one of the four pairs of bundled 3D glasses, and as long as you’ve got 3D content to watch, you can view it in 1080p. The ES9000 supports 2D to 3D upscaling, just like the rest of Samsung’s 3D TV range.

Smart TV

Whether it’s the occasional Netflix movie of full-on cord cutting, shifting TV watching from the traditional cable connection to streaming media is gaining momentum, and the ES9000 is ready for much of it out of the box. Samsung’s smart TV interface is a familiar sight by now, and though the option-packed menus can be a little intimidating initially, the flexibility Samsung offers more than makes up for it.

Netflix, YouTube, Hulu Plus, and Vimeo apps are all preloaded (some services require a subscription, of course) meaning no need for a separate set-top box for streaming. There are also Facebook and Twitter apps, along with a Skype client which supports voice and video calls, thanks to the pop-up webcam.

Other apps give access to music streaming services like Pandora and MOG Music, or to news content like ESPN ScoreCenter and USA Today. There’s a full browser for those sources yet to jump on the Samsung smart TV bandwagon, though it’s obviously going to be easier to use if you’ve got the optional keyboard; still, we had good results using voice recognition as long as background noise was minimal (and the URL was a straightforward word). You can save lists of approved sites to limit which your kids can access.

Those with Samsung phones and tablets can not only use the free app to turn their mobile device into a remote, but stream content directly to the ES9000 using AllShare Play. We were able to quickly push playback of a video from a Samsung Galaxy S III to the TV when both were connected to the same WiFi network, with no problems streaming 1080p Full HD clips. Content can also be loaded from a USB drive (max 2TB, in FAT16/32 or NTFS format) attached to one of the ES9000′s ports. We’d love to see a communal playlists system added, since this would be a great party media hub; even if your friends don’t have Samsung devices, the ES9000 supports generic DLNA for streaming.

Voice control isn’t the only navigation option. The camera on the top of the ES9000 can track gestures, like previous high-end Samsung smart TVs, first learning to recognize the slow movements of an outstretched palm side to side, and then allowing you to swipe around the UI, “grab” icons and controls to activate them, and point to letters on an onscreen keyboard. It’s not quite Kinect, but it works neatly with casual games like Angry Birds, and handled differentiating between multiple viewers (only one of which was controlling at any one time) well.

Samsung Signature Services is a new addition to Samsung’s smart TVs this year, with a curated area of games, edutainment, and age-appropriate TV shows for kids, along with an integrated rewards system that lets them build up an album of stickers for doing chores and taking part of learning games. The Fitness section offers the services of a virtual personal trainer, meanwhile: tell the ES9000 your fitness goals and it pieces together an exercise plan, showing video tutorials of each stage, and tracking progress with individual user reports. The TV can even use its camera to show you interacting with your virtual personal trainer, so that you know you’re doing the exercises correctly.

Finally, Family Story turns the TV into a digital pinboard. Pulling in schedules, photos, and messages from smartphones and tablets running the free Family Story app, it supports reminders and alarms for doctors appointments and birthdays, in addition to messaging while simultaneously watching a TV show. Samsung uses the cloud to synchronize the photos and video you’ve taken on your phone or tablet with your Smart TV, as well as helping you access them while you’re out and about.

Performance

Ten grand is a significant amount to spend on a TV, and even with the UN75ES9000′s street price edging under the $9,000 mark, you need to be a serious home entertainment junkie to consider buying any set of this size and value. The recommendation is to have it professionally calibrated to suit your room, since without that you’re not getting the very best of what the TV has to offer.

That would be a real shame, too, since the ES9000 is capable of some incredible pictures. Beautifully vivid colors and crisp details are what first grab you, but it’s the boosted black levels that are a particular gain. Samsung’s Cinema Black and Smart LED technology does an excellent job of making sure dark areas really are dark – blacks are black, not murky grey – while low-light content, such as moody films like “The Dark Knight Rises”, don’t lose all their detail in the process. Color accuracy is also slightly improved over the ES8000, with less of the slight blue tint that can make some content looker cooler than expected.

Viewing angles are another success story, both sufficiently broad to accommodate a widely spread audience across the room, but also supporting a good vertical range so that whether you’re standing or sitting you’ll see the same thing. It holds true for 3D content as well, and we saw minimal crosstalk. The ES9000′s brightness levels mean 3D viewing is almost as bright as 2D, and there’s no mangling of the colors either.

Finally, there’s the surprisingly effective speaker system. We’ve grown used to mediocre audio from integrated TV speakers, but whether it’s the extra space the ES9000′s 75-inch panel allows, or the speakers themselves, the big Samsung does a great job. Midrange audio doesn’t sound weedy, and the high-end is piping and clear rather than shrill. Even the bass end does okay, though as always a standalone subwoofer makes a world of difference for getting immersed in a movie. It’s hard to imagine an ES9000 buyer not pairing the TV with a surround sound system, but its onboard audio is certainly good enough for those times you don’t want to turn it all on.

Wrap-up

Samsung has been carving a niche for itself in the high-end TV market for some years now, and the UN75ES9000 follows in the well-esteemed footsteps of the D8000 and ES8000 before it. Smart TV features, clever add-ons like the fitness apps, Skype support, and browser, and media streaming all work well, but they’re sensibly built on the solid grounding of great picture quality. Whether you’re viewing in 2D or 3D, the ES9000 looks fantastic.

The specter on the horizon is 4K, though we’re still several years out from mainstream content providers supporting that resolution. In the meantime, the combination of excellent display quality today and the Expansion Kit for adding upgraded features tomorrow mean it’s hard to miss 4K. The ES9000 does great things with the content we’ll have for the foreseeable future. Throw in support for digital streaming, a panel which handles fast-paced console gaming very well, the convenience of internet browsing and casual gaming built-in, and a range of control options to suit most ages, and the UN75ES9000 makes an excellent case for its place at the pinnacle of Samsung’s range. Visit Samsung Smart TV for more details.

From the video, the app looks to be extremely intuitive, and it lets you choose from tons of different 3D shapes. From there, you can then add color, as well as different types of eyes, noses, and mouths to create a unique face on your figurine. Then once you’re done, you can print out the layout via AirPrint and then fold together your creation.

One of the coolest aspects of the app is the preview pane, which lets you see what your 3D paper figurine looks like before you even print it out and put it together. It updates in real time and even lets you rotate it to get a 360-degree view of the figurine, that way you can correct any mistakes or improve on some areas before you print out the final product.

The app will be compatible with all iPad versions except the first-generation iPad (not enough memory), and we’re not sure if it’ll be available for the iPhone and iPod Touch or not, but either way, it looks like the type of app that would be way better on an iPad anyway. The company hasn’t released any more details on the app other than the video, but you can submit your email address to let them notify you when the app gets released.

Kinect Fusion works by using Kinect sensors to scan 3D objects and environments in real-time. When the sensors are passed in front of an object or environment, or when an object is moved in front of the scanners, the object is recreated in 3D. According to the announcement over on at MSDN, this allows for the capture of environmental or object information in a way that isn’t viewable from any one perspective.

Kinect Fusion pieces together thousands of frames, and can render and update new models nearly instantly. Some of the proposed uses for the Kinect are in 3D printing, body scanning, gaming, and industrial design, with an industrial version of the Fusion sensor costing somewhere in the ballpark of $50,000. The Kinect Fusion can create models of entire rooms in addition to individual objects.

It might be a bit before we see the Kinect Fusion incorporated with Kinect for Windows, however. The SDK was updated last month, and brought with it a bunch of new features, including, according to Tech Crunch, the ability to access depth data beyond 13-feet, which is necessary for Fusion. A Kinect sensor for the SDK can be picked up for $249.

[via Tech Crunch]

The tour guide feature works as, well, a tour guide. You can go on a virtual tour through various locations, getting suggestions for local places that you might be interested in. A flyover will take you over historical landmarks, famous places, and other points of interest. Tidbits of information about items and locations are provided via Wikipedia.

The second feature, 3D imagery, has been enjoyed by Android and iOS users for a while now. With this feature, desktop users can now see detailed three-dimensional flyovers of many of the world’s biggest cities, including Rome, Munich, Mannheim, Portland, Seattle, Austin, Long Beach, Denver, and more. Says the announcement, “The experience of flying through these areas and seeing the buildings, terrain and even the trees rendered in 3D is now consistent across both mobile and desktop devices – making all of your virtual travels more realistic than ever.”

Using these features on your laptop or desktop is much nicer than using a mobile. In particular, the 3D city imagery, when viewed on a large monitor or HDTV, are pretty phenomenal, with crisp details and definition. You can get the new features by updating your current installation, or by downloading Google Earth 7 from the Google Earth website.

[via Google]