Filming in 3D!

I've been dabbling in 3D video production recently. I got the original idea from this post on Engadget, and decided to try it. I used the two cameras I already had, and after a quick trip to Home Depot, built a custom bracket using wooden yardsticks and some bolts. Total cost: $3. The basic idea of 3D filming isn't complicated at all. We see 3D in real life because we have two eyes, which are 2-3 inches apart, letting each eye see an ever-so-slightly different view of the world. Our brains overlap these two images and that slight difference lets us perceive distance.


So to shoot a video in 3D, all you need are two cameras with the lenses 2-3 inches apart, recording at the same time. The cameras should both be bolted down so they are always pointing at the same thing. Once you have your video footage from both cameras, all you have to do is overlap the two camera angles. There are lots of video editing programs that can handle this type of editing, but the easiest way to do it is by using YouTube.

Look for a more detailed how-to post later. I'll go over exactly how to shoot, edit, and upload a 3D video using YouTube. For now, grab your 3D glasses (either red/cyan, amber/blue, or magenta/green) and check out the two 3D videos I've already made: Amber Crawling in 3D and A 3D visit to the park. I highly recommend watching fullscreen for the best effect. :-)

Tech nostalgia, part 3: Looking ahead

(photo by Powerhouse Museum)

One of the things that's abundantly clear when looking back at the history of tech, is that things progress incredibly quickly. A mere 10 years ago, The Palm III was the new device to have, and today we laugh it off as an ancient relic. So what might the tech world look like in another 10 years when Amber is old enough to be a part of it? I don't want to speculate on what specific phones, devices, or hardware might be like because that's fairly impossible. Instead, I'll briefly look at three very general aspects of what daily life might look like.

Tech nostalgia, part 2: Mobile gadgets

Mobile devices and portable computing have always been a favorite of mine. My first laptop was a 486 100MHz Windows 95 machine with a screen that had to be propped on something since the hinges were broken. My first PDA was the previously mentioned Casio PV-400. 


I've carried a PDA or smartphone for almost as long as I can remember, and the devices themselves have evolved considerably over the years, and since this is my favorite area of the tech market, I want to take a look back at the varioius devices I've had and what was good and bad about each of them.

Tech nostalgia, part 1: Looking back

photo by MingPo

Earlier this week, I let Amber play with the laptop for a little while. She loved it and was so excited to bang on the keyboard and watching her got me thinking...what will the tech landscape look like when she's old enough to notice? I wrote a short story when I was 12 using Creative Writer and Windows 95. That was only 15 years ago. By the time Amber is 10, what will the tech world look like? 

Some of the things that I remember thinking were so amazing seem ancient now. Let's take a look at some of my nostalgic tech memories. In Part 3, I'll make a few observations about what the world might be like in 10 years.

The Puma Phone

At Mobile World Congress this week, Puma announced their new phone made by Sagem. The device is a full-touchscreen phone with all the tech specs we've come to expect, like Bluetooth, GPS, camera, etc.

It also has an integrated solar panel on the back, allowing you to recharge the battery using sunlight. The company claims you can get 2 hours of music listening out of 1 hour in the sun. Not bad! There's even an application for seeing how many phone calls, messages, etc. have been sun-powered.

What's really unique about this phone, though, is the fact that it truly does its own thing. It's not trying to imitate the iPhone, or Android, or really any other device out there. Everything from the solar panel itself, to the OS the phone runs is completely unique. The company put an incredible amount of time into even the little things. For example, the settings are accessed by "peeling" the homescreen upwards. And the screen brightness is adjusted by using your finger to slide a cloud picture either more or less over a sun picture. It doesn't mean much, but it shows how much thought was put into this thing.

The phone has tons of sports features, obviously. There are built in sports apps for running, biking, walking, etc. And it keeps track of all your various sporting activities. It even ships with an armband for running.

By all accounts, this is a simple feature phone. It has a webkit based browser, but doesn't seem to support third party apps, dock accessories, or anything like that. But that's just the thing...it doesn't pretend to be a smartphone...and that's okay. The Puma Phone is really in its own category and the design works.

It's coming to Europe this spring, no word on whether it'll ever be available elsewhere.

Read more about the Puma Phone here, here, and here.

Google Buzz: first impressions

Earlier this week, Google announced their latest creation, Buzz. It promises to be a new way to follow what your friends are doing around the web, as well as a way to easily share links, photos, etc. with the world. Buzz is integrated right into Gmail, meaning that everyone with a Gmail account already has access to Buzz.

Buzz has been met with mixed reception from users and tech pundits for various reasons. Some criticize it simply another social inbox to check, while others lament the privacy concerns, while still others feel it is Google trying to weasel into one more area of our communication. I understand all of these concerns, and they're all valid to a point. However, I am giving Buzz a fair chance and am actually starting to enjoy it.

Pro tip: Google real-time search

Here's a quick little tip that you may not have known about. Google has a real-time search feature that lets you watch what people are saying on a given topic live. It is an excellent resource, especially for live events. During large sporting events, award shows, international news, etc., it can often be very helpful to read what the world is saying in real-time. Real-time results will sometimes show up in a standard search, but you can also do a specific search for only real-time results. Here's how to use it: