3D California

Vancouver 2010 Winter Games are the olympic edition with the largest social media coverage: from Facebook to Twitter, everybody’s talking about sports in Vancouver, throughout the world. Both media companies and individuals are enthousiastic at sharing information, pushing new statuses or encouraging their idols.

In this social mediatized world, Yahoo! is probably one of the most visible companies, with its FanCouver initiative on Flickr, Twitter and other medias. But the most impressive idea was developped by Total Immersion and Helios Interactive Technology . Their A/R demo based on face tracking features clearly illustrates an innovative way to integrate users / consumers / fans to a brand new kind of experience.

This demo opens a wide spectrum of application, from fashion to online games. Imagine you could compete (in realtime?) with the fastest skiers or dress with the trendiest ski clothing like Lindsay Vonn? Augmented Reality is not science fiction anymore, it is raw science at reach of hand.

Like most geeks do, Mac Slocum says most user manuals are worthless: they usually display poorly written text and confusing diagrams. Although I don’t have such a negative point of view, I must admit that most user manuals don’t match the same quality level as the products they are delivered with, especially products designed abroad with user manuals poorly translated…

Of course, there are many reasons why user manuals are poorly written and designed: most users don’t read them anymore.

• First, most products provide the kind of user interfaces that do not require users to spend hours reading their user manual. Phones, cameras, TVs or cars have very nice and intuitive user interfaces, that most users can understand the moment they touch it.
• Second, there is a kind of general acceptance about product user interface standards: even if hardware look different, the embedded software makes product look very similar. There is not much difference between two Android or two Windows mobile cellphone: they share the same operating system, and can share the same apps.
• Third, why should a company spend dollar in massive redactional efforts while social media and user generated content will provide most users with the level of information they require: how to activate this feature, how to get rid of that one, or how to develop a product expertise, through blogs, forums or online videos?

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At CES in Las Vegas (January 2010) the French company Parrot introduced a new flying machine for entertainment, and maybe for other purposes in the future.
It is a drone allowing to explore new experiences, mixing video, game and real world thanks to augmented reality technology.

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My friend Steph could not be more realistic when he wished me an ‘augmented’ year. Why? Just because 2010 seems to be the first year … when you can send ‘augmented wish cards’!

Hallmark Cards, the number one designer of greeting cards, with more than 50% market share in the US announced a line of ‘augmented reality cards’. With price range from $2.99 to $5.99, these augmente reality cards are as much easy to use and send than more traditional cards. Hallmark interactive demo is clearly intended to families, not geeks or techies.

Who said a greeting card could not speak or dance in 3D?

The year of its 100th anniversary, Hallmark Cards is definitely still a company with a vision for innovation.

Pride is an essential part of a sales job. Being proud to deliver products of services that can change the way people live is a major incentive in a sales guy everyday life. But when it comes to 3D software and products, pride just reaches a new dimension.

3D application vendors are not just regular vendors. 3D apps vendors sell apps that change the way we live. Applications that change the way you live.

Remember, for example, CAD/CAM software ? Such 3D applications have revolutionized the automotive and aeronautics industry. 20 or 30 years before, designers would have to spend hours on paper and pen to create products, engineers would spend days to manufacture those products based on drawings, support engineers would spend month to test products before the sales process begin. In these industries, 3D has just changed the way it goes, from design to manufacturing and support.

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