Virtual Reality: Rifts, Omnis, and Alien Encounters

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Kyle Orland had a great article over at Ars Technica yesterday entitled, “Virtual Perfection: Why 8K resolution per eye isn’t enough for perfect VR.” The piece is based on conversations with executives and senior staff from Oculus VR, the makers of the Oculus Rift. The Oculus Rift is one of the technologies that I am truly excited about when it comes to the future of entertainment. Why? Because of the guy’s reaction in this video: “I don’t want to be in here anymore.” That he says “in here” speaks volumes about how immersive the experience seems to be to the user. Continue reading →

Luxurious Shipping Containers

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I am fascinated with the idea of repurposing used shipping containers into cool living, working, and recreational spaces. The Stankey brothers’ Holyoke Cabin sparked my interest and, since reading about their ideas and experiences, I have been amazed at the diversity of designs and uses for shipping containers. Among the more interesting, in my opinion, are things like Castor Design’s Sauna Box. The appeal of the Sauna Box is the idea that what many of us consider to be a taste of luxury lies is not as far out of reach as we might think. OK, so the $41,000 price tag for the Sauna Box is a bit beyond the reach of my credit card…but I think the underlying idea has incredible appeal and merit. Continue reading →

Smart Thermostats, Locks, and Home Security

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Let’s be honest, for as amazing as Tony Stark’s Malibu mansion is, most of us don’t have the resources to integrate technologies in ways that make our homes smart enough to understand or anticipate our needs in a sophisticated manner. Absent wealth, we rely on ingenuity: home automation components like the ones offered by X10 Wireless Technology  make for a smarter home. Hacking a system together can produce even more amazing results (ref. The Berkeley Ridiculously Automated Dorm). Over the past two years, though, we have begun to see the emergence of offerings that combine modern technology with equally modern styling…though they are as likely to make us think rethink what constitutes home security.  Continue reading →

Electric Avenue: Infrastructures for Electric Vehicles

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I love the idea of electric vehicles. I visit the local Tesla store on a regular basis just to marvel at the technology (yes, I know that the Chevrolet Volt, the Nissan Leaf, and the Smart Electric Drive also are out there but I am less familiar with them and few have captured the stylings of the Model S). I am every bit as fascinated by the folks who are doing their own EV conversions (Ben Graves’ awesome Volkswagen Bus, for example). While EVs are making their way into the mainstream, the batteries needed to power EVs and the infrastructure needed to support the batteries has not been making the same progress. This summer, however, gave some indications that the future of EVs get a lot more interesting over the next couple years. Continue reading →