The evolution of game controllers

Over the last 30 years home video games and consoles have evolved at a dizzying rate.

As have the devices we use to play them - morphing from the humble paddle and joystick of the 1970s to the early game pads of the 1980s and beyond.
There has been a bewildering array of new games with unorthodox games controllers in recent years, with everything from dance pads to plug-in guitars appearing on the market.
One of the biggest hits to make use of non-standard controllers has been the Buzz! series of TV-style quiz games for PS2, which are sold with four buzzers - simple devices that let the players answer multiple choice questions.

ps3

im not sure if this would be classed as a new media technology! but heres a link just incase it is;


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6132212.stm

they have tried to make like a mobile pc, its hand help and touch screen, but they found that when tested the battery life was too short and also the prices were too high, but now apparently there are more on sale and there becoming more popular!!
i want one!

to find out more go to : http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6458639.stm

GPS navigation plan to help blind

this is being made to help blind people more, basically its a bluetooth reciever, and its going to be connected to like a controll center and people can talk to the blind person and find out where they are and guide them. It is currently being tested by a group of 30 people from the Italian Blind Union who are providing feedback :)

Iconic technology!

Iconic technology firm Commodore has chosen Cebit as the launch pad for a new subsidiary dedicated to PC gaming.

From April, Commodore Gaming will start selling a line of PCs that cater for the high-end home gamer.

Crammed with high-end components, the machines will also sport distinctive artwork on the case.

The line of computers will be aimed at consumers who do not want to take on the task of building themselves a machine optimised for gaming

im not sure if this is a NMT but i thought it was interesting :)

ROBOTS!!

Walking robot steps up the pace

Dexter learns by analysing 20,000 actions a second Robot in action

A humanoid robot is teaching itself to walk and eventually run around a California research lab.

Dexter took its first tentative steps only a few days after it first discovered how to stand upright.

Dexter's designers say their robot differs from commercially available predecessors because it can learn from its mistakes.

It is the culmination of six years' work by Anybots, an independent research group of three engineers.

Founder, Trevor Blackwell, said: "When we started out Dexter had a very general idea of what a walking motion should look like.

"The first time it [tried] it just fell over right away.

"100 times a second we record about 200 different things: the position of the joints, the forces on the feet, and also the equivalent of what the inner ear measures: the way the body is tilting."

Jobs humans do

Dexter then analyses this information to modify its movements.

The robot's joints are filled with air.

Dr Blackwell said walking robots currently on the market, such as Honda's Asimo, differ because their creators programmed their movements before they were switched on.

He said he was talking to industrial companies to develop Dexter for jobs people usually carry out in protective clothing.

The aim is to design a robot that can adapt to several environments and roles, like a human does, rather than requiring specific programming.

Before Dexter is ready for work it has to develop in a similar way to a child - with some coaxing but plenty of self-motivation.

'Running within months'

The developers are setting it new tasks all the time, said Dr Blackwell.

"We're trying to work like trainers do," he explained. "We think no, no, you've got to do that faster."

Anybots hopes Dexter will have taught itself to run within a few months.

If it does it will be following in Asimo's footsteps. The Japanese cousin mastered the art of speed more than two years ago and can run at a three kilometres an hour.

INTERACTIVE TV

BBC News on interactive TV

The news multiscreen as it appears on your television

Do you want to catch up with the news headlines, get an update on the weather, or find out if your team's won?

Well, you can - and you can choose whether you do so in video or text by using the BBCi service via the red button on your digital television.

Whether you have satellite, cable or Freeview, you can catch up with the news headlines in video anytime you want or read a full range of stories in text - often using the same page numbers as the current Ceefax service.

To receive these services, simply press the RED button on your handset.

Easy to use

On the right side of the screen, a coloured menu will appear. It will look different depending on which channel you were on.

'The Bridge' - the interactive televsion menu

If the menu has a link to the News Multiscreen, you can use the arrow keys on your remote to highlight that option and then press SELECT. Or you can key in 1001, the News Multiscreen number, on your handset and press SELECT. It is the gateway to more video and text.

On digital satellite and Telewest cable, you will find six video screens which are continuously updated throughout the day.

Watching News Interactive

These include the headlines in three minutes, sport, the UK weather forecast, BBC News 24, entertainment headlines and in-depth coverage of a top story, live event or news conference.

On Freeview, there is a two-screen version of the service, offering the headlines in three minutes and detailed coverage of a top story.

Highlighting each screen will give you a brief summary of the content. By pressing SELECT, you can watch in quarter screen - and browse through relevant stories using digital text while you listen.

Weather screen on interactive TV

For example, if you want to find out what the weather in your area will be like for the next five days, select the weather channel from the main multiscreen and you will find detailed forecasts and other weather news.

Or if your team has been in action you can read the top headlines for your chosen sport by keying in 300 on your handset - just as you would on Ceefax.

Continuing coverage

You may also hear presenters on BBC News 24 and the BBC One news bulletins say that continuing coverage of an event, such as a news conference or an interview with a key newsmaker, is available to digital viewers by pressing RED.

The "top story" loop is where you will find that coverage - and there will often be edited highlights afterwards.

MR LUHRS

how good does my blog look!!!!!

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Just some interesting information o founf on those weird wii things! :)
i played on one and tbh i dont think it was very good!


Nintendo and Freescale Semiconductor have collaborated to provide reliable, flexible and cost-efficient development tools for the new Wii console.

Nintendo has entrusted Freescale and its new CodeWarrior(R) Radix(TM) Studio as the official toolset for the Wii console. Nintendo is now shipping development kits bundled with the CodeWarrior technology to help developers speed the creation of compelling content for its new platform.

"Freescale's CodeWarrior technology has earned a worldwide reputation for offering high-quality development tools," said Genyo Takeda, senior managing director and general manager, Integrated Research & Development Division for Nintendo Co., Ltd. "The tools selected for Wii are no exception, and will allow game developers to create exciting titles that take advantage of the unique features found in our new platform."

The CodeWarrior tools for the Wii console are powered by Freescale's Radix technology. Introduced at the 2006 Game Developers Conference in March, Radix is a lightweight C++ framework with flexible, modular architecture designed for maximum extensibility. The framework offers:

-- Editing, debugging and code browsing capabilities
-- An XML-based project system
-- A scriptable workflow that allows studios to quickly and easily integrate pre-existing workflow applications
-- An advanced user interface that runs natively on Windows
-- Multi-monitor support
-- Hot-swappable plug-ins

REAL game characters next year!

Super-realistic computer games which will feature human faces as they actually look are at most two years away, developers have told the BBC.

At present, developers have not been able to create games characters with photo-realistic faces and expressions.

David Kunkler producer for Obsidian Entertainment and makers of Neverwinter Nights 2, said games are currently in an "uncanny valley."

"They look strange - they're too close to real, but not quite real," he added.

"Give us another year or two, and we'll be able to completely get across that uncanny valley," he told BBC World Service's Digital Planet programme.

Getting emotional

This super-realism, where human characters look completely convincing, has been seen as an elusive next step forward for game programmers for a few years now.

But with motion-capture methods - where computers read sensors which monitor the movements of an actor - rapidly being perfected, it will not be long before it becomes part of the gaming world.

REAL game characters next year!

Super-realistic computer games which will feature human faces as they actually look are at most two years away, developers have told the BBC.

At present, developers have not been able to create games characters with photo-realistic faces and expressions.

David Kunkler producer for Obsidian Entertainment and makers of Neverwinter Nights 2, said games are currently in an "uncanny valley."

"They look strange - they're too close to real, but not quite real," he added.

"Give us another year or two, and we'll be able to completely get across that uncanny valley," he told BBC World Service's Digital Planet programme.

Getting emotional

This super-realism, where human characters look completely convincing, has been seen as an elusive next step forward for game programmers for a few years now.

But with motion-capture methods - where computers read sensors which monitor the movements of an actor - rapidly being perfected, it will not be long before it becomes part of the gaming world.

JOOST!

This is some interesting information i found from the bbc website about joost, readint throught this actually explains what its about quite well. Viacom in video deal with Joost

The Joost interface allows instant channel hopping Entertainment giant Viacom is to provide TV programmes and films to much-hyped online video service Joost. The deal includes programming from MTV Networks, BET Networks and film studio Paramount Pictures. Joost was founded by Niklas Zennstroem and Janus Friis, the men behind Skype, and is pitching itself as a broadband video network. Earlier this month Viacom asked YouTube to remove 100,000 "unauthorised" clips from the service now owned by Google. The terms of the deal between Viacom and Joost were not made public but the service will have "free access to thousands of programmes and channels not readily available on the web". The agreement reflects the growth of interest mainstream media is taking in online delivery of video. Similar services Services such as iTunes and websites from networks like NBC and ABC are turning to the web to offer programmes and films. In the UK Channel 4 was the first of the main broadcasters to offer a video-on-demand service, while the BBC and ITV plan similar services for later in the year. The content Joost will receive from Viacom is aimed at a younger demographic, with programmes such as Laguna Beach, Beavis and Butthead, Real World and Punk'd on offer. Joost is still in a beta - or test - form, allowing users to give technical feedback to the developers. The company recently announced a version of its software that will allow it to run on Apple Macs as well as PCs. Janus Friis, founder of Joost said: "We built this platform from the ground up, with companies like Viacom in mind." "We're extremely pleased to be working with Joost, and couldn't be prouder to be a key partner in the launch of the next generation in broadband video technology," said Philippe Dauman, Viacom president and chief executive officer. There are also reports that Joost is in talks with British broadcasters ITV and Channel 4.

BULLET TIME!

I kind of forgot what it was, so this is jus an explanation really.

The Bullet Time effect was originally achieved photographically by a set of still cameras surrounding the subject. These arrays are usually triggered at once or sequentially. Singular frames taken from each of the still cameras are then arranged and displayed consecutively to produce an orbiting viewpoint of an action frozen in time or as hyper-slow motion.

new technologyyysssssssssssssss

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