Opera Launches Facial Gesture Capability 199
cstrep writes "Eight years ago, Opera introduced Mouse Gestures as a way to speed up your interaction with the browser, and focus on what's important: Content. In 2005, Voice Navigation was introduced, and more recently we've worked with Nintendo to create a browser that takes full advantage of the 'Wiimote' and later, the touchscreen in the DSi.
Today Opera introduces Face Gestures, a revolutionary technology designed to make interacting with Opera easier on computers with cameras. Face Gestures lets you perform frequent browsing operations with natural and easy to make face gestures. By using an internal technology dubbed 'Face Observation Opera Language,' we are able to recognize pre-determined facial expressions and match them to commands on the Opera browser."
Independent Games Festival Announces Student Showcase Winners 16
The Independent Games Festival has made this year's picks for the ten best student games. More detailed descriptions of each of the games are available at the IGF's website. These are games (and developers) to watch because, as Gamasutra points out, "Notable previous IGF honorees include many of today's breakthrough independent games, from Number None's Braid through 2D Boy's World Of Goo and Invisible Handlebar's Audiosurf. Previous Student Showcase winners have included Narbacular Drop — subsequently evolved into Game Developers Choice Game Of The Year winner Portal — and Cloud, from the student team who then created downloadable titles Flow and Flower."
Comment Specific eh? (Score 2, Funny) 140
This new form of N-type ink, made by dissolving a specific molecule in a certain solvent...
Specific reporting like that is why I keep frequenting certain websites.
Specific reporting like that is why I keep frequenting certain websites.
Submission + - Cory Doctorow Infringes Copyright
idontneedanickname writes: Cory Doctorow whose recent spat with the SWFA caused quite a stir doesn't seem to believe in respecting other people's copyrights himself. In a recent BoingBoing post he reposted Ursula K. Le Guin's short story "On Serious Literature" in its entirety, without her permission, as well as removing the copyright notice it was originally published with. He even misrepresents the intent of her work to boot. He links to the original source where the copyright notice is displayed clearly. Thanks to BoingBoing's catch-all CreativeCommons footer Doctorow essentially rebranded her story with a new license which could lead his readers to further copy the story. Considering that BoingBoing operates for Doctorow's profit, he should be aware that under copyright law, infringement for commercial gain can be considered a criminal offense. More details can be found here.
Submission + - Al Qaeda net penetrated -- cover blown by vid leak (washingtonpost.com)
An anonymous reader writes: U.S. intelligence successfully penetrated Al Qaeda internet servers but the access was blown by leaking the last Osama bin Laden video a few days before the scheduled release. The al qaeda sites were down within hours, presumably replaced by secure new sites. Nicely played, cat. Your move, mouse.
Submission + - World's Highest Resolution HDTV Surgial Camera (docinthemachine.com)
docinthemachine writes: "The world's highest resolution HDTV surgical video camera system has been developed and used for laparoscopic surgery. This system is unique in having a native chip resolution of 1920 x 1080p and the first ever (for surgery) 16:9 aspect ratio. The enhanced resolution allows the surgeron to see finer details and pathology. Surgical skills are aided by the resolution and wider field of view as well. The enhanced shadows and tonal range also provides enhanced visual clues for depth perception while working in a 2D environment. This system will be featured in the world's first ever broadcast of surgery in high definition in an upcoming national Geographic HD special. Details of the system are at http://docinthemachine.com/2007/07/31/hdsurgery/ with details of a new medical HD XDCAm blu-ray disk based recording system used to capture the footage at http://docinthemachine.com/2007/08/02/recordhd/"
Submission + - We're responsible for Mars, too!?
grikdog writes: Science News is reporting global warming on Mars, evidently caused by reduced albedos causing warming and greenhouse gas (CO2) emissions at Mars' southern ice cap. Gee, and I thought the Viking landers were electric.
Submission + - Google may face legal action over Chinese IME tool
Turtlewind writes: "Google's Chinese subsidiary ran into more trouble this week as the company's new pinyin input method editor (IME) (link in Chinese), which helps users to enter Chinese characters, was accused of "sharing striking similarities" with a similar service launched by rival Sogou last June. Soon after the software was made available Chinese bloggers discovered that a number of errors in Sogou's tool were replicated in Google's program, and Sogou is considering legal action."
Submission + - Top forecaster blasts Gore for "alarmism"
wattsup writes: "America's top hurricane forecaster called Al Gore "a gross alarmist" Friday
for his activism on global warming.
"He's one of these guys that preaches the end of the world type of things. I think he's doing a great disservice and he doesn't know what he's talking about," Dr. William Gray said in an interview with The Associated Press at the National Hurricane Conference in New Orleans, where he delivered the closing speech.
His comments came the same day as the release of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change approved a report that concludes the world will face dire consequences due to climate change.
After a quiet year in 2006, Gray has predicted a very active hurricane season for 2007, but maintains that there is no connection between hurricane activity and recent temperature trends. Oddly, while many are hailing his hurricane predictions as gospel, many are also ignoring his views on climate change."
"He's one of these guys that preaches the end of the world type of things. I think he's doing a great disservice and he doesn't know what he's talking about," Dr. William Gray said in an interview with The Associated Press at the National Hurricane Conference in New Orleans, where he delivered the closing speech.
His comments came the same day as the release of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change approved a report that concludes the world will face dire consequences due to climate change.
After a quiet year in 2006, Gray has predicted a very active hurricane season for 2007, but maintains that there is no connection between hurricane activity and recent temperature trends. Oddly, while many are hailing his hurricane predictions as gospel, many are also ignoring his views on climate change."
Submission + - Put the Amiga Demoscene in your DVD Player
Jason Scott writes: "Four years ago, the crew at Hornet put out a collection of PC demos spanning 10 years on a DVD, and called it "Mindcandy". Everyone asked when they'd come out with a DVD of demos for other platforms, and just four short years later, they've announced MindCandy 2: Amiga Demos. It's got 30 Amiga demos rendered on the original hardware, a documentary about how a demoparty is run, and even 5.1 surround remixes of all the music. Additionally, they're sponsoring a rare US demoparty this April called Blockparty. It's a great year for demos!"
Submission + - The first fully 3-D modeling application
An anonymous reader writes: This 3D modeling app lets you sculpt with your hands instead of a clunky keyboard/mouse interface. Imagine this hooked up to a nice 3D printer...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=R-TBi3EfvEU
Submission + - New York's JFK Airport Begins Expedited Screening
bluewhale writes: "Tom Randall from Bloomberg news reports :
Travelers at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport may clear security in minutes under a Transportation Security Administration-approved program that expedites the normal screening process. Clear Registered Traveler allows passengers to use special speed lanes, forego secondary screening with handheld scanners and keep their shoes on. Users pay about $100 in fees and undergo criminal background checks and iris and fingerprint scans for a one-year membership in Clear, which is owned by closely held Verified Identity Pass Inc."
