Nintendo Wii meets Apple Keynote – Making a wish II

As Judi Smith pointed out there already is a possibility to use the Wii mote with the Mac. Remote Buddy lets one use a wide range of remote controls, including the Wii mote (but, unfortunately, not my older Keyspan model ). But watching the respective presentation reveals that the Wii mote is only used as a standard remote control. There is an infrared source—for example a tea-light (sic!)—necessary (for positioning, I assume). The motion-sensors are not used in the way I described earlier. In fact, the motion-sensors are not used at all. But the possibility is pointed out at the website.

Judi also points out that one needs to additionally use something like FlyGesture, but this still cannot provide the whole illusion I have in mind. There is no feedback between the execution of slide change effects and the (swiftness of the) gesture. This is why I “asked” Apple to do something about it. Apple would need to provide hooks to allow the user to control the speed of the animation. For example, if you want to tear off a page or turn a page very slowly in order to uncover some secret, maybe even give only a brief glimpse at the next page and then cover the page again … well.

[composed and posted with ecto]

Nintendo Wii meets Apple Keynote – Making a wish

Most of my friends and colleagues are hyped up about the Wii console. And it is the first time I can understand the hype about a game console. I even might get hooked up, too, if I am not careful Being physically active in a game and not just your mind and fingers is intriguing.

Many years back I had the chance to play some very simple game in a 3d virtual reality environment. I do not remember too much about it. I stood on a platform wearing a heavy, uncomfortable headset. The headset contained two small (not so high resolution) monitors in front of my eyes and some motion sensors that allowed the system to change the scenery, depending on where I turned my head to. It was quite an experience. But due to the hardware costs, I imagine, nothing came from it and the game disappeared. The Wii console seems to be a very good development of current play stations going into the direction of games where you are totally immersed.

Well, thinking about the Wii controllers with motion-sensing technology and some stuff I currently read about presentation skills (see, for example, the two inspirational blogs Presentation Zen and Les Posen’s CyberPsych Blog) I wondered how more interesting one could make a presentation if one had a remote control like a Wii controller for Keynote presentations. A presentation always is kind of a performance, isn’t it? Some presenters are better “actors” (more outgoing) and others are more on the quiet side. For those of us who like to make the whole stage their own and not only the square-meter behind the standing desk such a presentation tool could enhance the presentation experience and turn it into a presentation adventure.

Think about the turning cube effect of Apple Keynote (part of iWork). Now think about wanting to present some heavy material to your boss and you need all your physical power to turn the cube from left to right or, maybe even better, lift the cube to turn up. With a motion-sensing presentation tool you would be able to set up a certain resistance into slide change effects. During presentation you would then need to grab an edge of your slide and “manually”

move the slide. (Must be funny if you set up slide effects for yourself and then having someone else do the presentation who is not as strong as you.) You could even do part of your workout during a presentation! Who would have thought.

I think you get the picture. So: Apple, do something about it! It would be fun.

And, Apple, when you are at it: Think about Les Posen’s suggestion to use iPhoto for storing all of one’s Keynote slides.

[composed and posted with ecto]

KI 2007

I really enjoyed KI 2007, the 30th Annual German Conference on Artificial Intelligence, in Osnabrück. There were the usual high quality workshops and conference talks. This year’s conference brought some changes to the conference format, e.g., a whole lot of six invited talks. Too many for my taste. But I look forward to the evaluation of the questionnaire with which the conference organisation team wants to get some feedback from the conference participants.

But my enjoyment comes from a different source. I met some great people, namely Joachim Baumeister and Martin Atzmüller, from Würzburg University. We hit it off very well and I look forward to working with them. It is funny how we could have met several times before at different workshops or conferences. Our common link: Ioannis Iglezakis with whom I worked very closely on our dissertations.

[composed and posted with ecto]

Travelling without moving

Reading David Weinberger’s book “Small pieces loosely joined {a unified theory of the web}” reminded me of the famous line from Frank Herbert’s “Dune” about travelling without moving. David Weinberger in one chapter describes our perception of space and how getting documents in the “real” world differs from going to documents on the Web. The Web folds space in a way that (most of) human knowledge is within our arm’s reach. Frank Herbert died before the Web came to pass. What would he think about his metaphor now?

[composed and posted with ecto]