Google are rolling out some updates to Google Maps allowing you to see 3D buildings, 45 degree imagery and other visual enhancements to the viewing experience dubbed “WebGL”.
Experience MapsGL
Usually, this is just a matter of clicking the “Try it now button when offered to enabled it in Google Maps and but in some instances you’ll encounter the following error:
We detected that your computer does not meet the system performance requirements for MapsGL.
This can be a bit annoying particularly when you are running a computer with modern hardware but there is a solution.
In Chrome type in “about:flags” in the address bar and you’ll need to click “Enable” underneath the line item for “Override software rendering list”. You’ll then need to click on the “Relaunch Now” button at the bottom of the screen. Once restarted, simply get back to Google Maps and you should find that after you click “Try it now”.
You should then be able to view 3D buildings in the “Google Earth” view like the one below:
Burj Khalifa, Dubai - Google Maps
If this doesn’t work for you then you might need to try disabling extensions one by one to see if any are preventing WebGL from working. Otherwise, you can also try updating your video card drivers which has reportedly worked for some people facing this particular issue.
Finally, my university semester drew to a close yesterday after a tough exam which meant I could finally play a Nintendo 3DS game I picked up two months ago, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. Whenever I restart my studies I put gaming on hold to minimise distractions and to provide myself some encouragement to do well.
I have played this game in its original incarnation on the N64 and its collector’s edition release on the Gamecube with Windwaker and at the time it was an instant classic and demonstrated how great an RPGs could be with the right focus and attention to detail. To be reliving it again on the 3DS brings back fond memories of the original not to mention the many hours of gameplay ahead of me to gather every last Skulltula token and heart container.
It looks the the graphics have received a bit of a facelift even before you consider the 3D capabilities of the latest version. There is an interesting comparison of the N64 version against the 3DS version here and another here. Environments, enemies and characters don’t look so “squarish” or “polygonal” with noticeable smoothing put in place. Some of the textures have been updated as well to perhaps give certain areas the feel that the original developers would have gone after if they weren’t restricted by memory and processing power back in the 90s. At any rate, it does show what the 3DS can do with a good quality game (albeit it ten years old).
Anyway, I am enjoying my study break and a new game to keep me amused in those down times here and there.
The title pretty much gives it away but I have pre-ordereed a Lytro camera which I have previously written about here. I went with the graphite 8GB model and it is expected to ship in early 2012 (whenever that ends up being).
There has been a gripe or two about the lack of video capture and the lack of Windows compatibility from the outset (which will be addressed in due course) but I guess Lytro needs some room for future development to keep the cash rolling in. Furthermore, compatibility with 3D displays will be rolled out in another update in 2012.
So stay tuned (it’ll be a while though) but I still think this could be a turning point in mainstream photography in the making. To read more, heading over to Lytro.
Tonight, I attended a launch event with a number of the Insider Crew for the Panasonic DMR-BWT800 Full HD 3D Blu-ray Disc Recorder (henceforth called “the recorder”) at Panasonic HQ in Macquarie Park.
The Function Centre at Panasonic HQ
This was the first time that we had a go at live streaming the event so that Insiders who weren’t lucky enough to attend and those interstate. For the event, we used a popular video streaming service called USTREAM. There were some teething issues with the webcam contrast and making sure people used the microphones so the web audience could hear everything but I think it was pretty good for a first go.
The Insider Crew in Attendance
The event itself was pretty good with some very good nibbles on offer and a range of drinks (mineral water and orange juice was fine for me).
The Insider Crew Live USTREAM
We also got an overview of the DMR-BWT800 and a live demo of some of the key features of the device, in particular the recording function, a comparison of recording quality of a TV show in its original quality and the special “DR mode”. You’d have to be pretty close to notice the difference but at normal viewing distances you would be hard pressed to notice a reduction in quality. We didn’t get to see the 2D to 3D conversion though which was a shame but it was good to know that the 3D output was compatible with non-Panasonic televisions through the use of sequential frames at full HD resolution.
The 2011 Panasonic Blu-ray DVD Recorder Range
Another great feature is the ability to stream recorded content to other DLNA client devices either over Wi-Fi or cabled Ethernet. This goes some way to freeing the recorded content from the box in the living room so you can head elsewhere in the house for your viewing. I would have loved to have seen a solution that streamed content to devices outside the home like an iPhone, iPad or Android device but I guess there needs to be room for future innovation.
One amazing fact is with the included 1TB and recording in DR mode it’s possible to store 28 days of full HD video. That’s enough for every episode of every season of The Simpsons with space left over – pretty impressive.
That said, there is still the Foxtel dilemma – the only way it seems you can record to this device is via an analogue connection (so like a composite connection). If you have an IQ2 then that will have superior quality in comparison but it’s a shame that Foxtel content is locked down as much as it is and their set top boxes are crippled.
Anyway, it’s over to our lucky product testers now to do their thing and you can be sure I will be keen to get across everything they publish!
I don’t know how frequently people are buying a new television for their home these days but now that we have flat panel displays we now face a choice of either having it on a stand or mounted on a wall. Of course, when you have the television on a stand it affords you the freedom to reposition it whilst sacrificing some physical space. Conversely, mounting a television on a wall can saves space but you really do get one shot at getting it positioned correctly.
Now, while it might seem obvious I still think it’s worth mentioning how you should position your new television (mounted or unmounted) using something I call the “centre centre” principle. What this principle helps to provide is an optimal picture when you are viewing your display by minimising how far off you are from being perpendicular (or at right angles) to the screen.
Basically, you should aim to have the horizontally screen positioned at the centre of where you will mainly be viewing it. So, if you will be watching television on the couch normally then you should position it directly in front of the couch (not a metre or two to either side). Similarly, you want the middle of the vertical axis of the screen to be at eye level (so if eye level on your couch is lower down then you should position your display at around that height).
For 2D viewing, the positioning of the screen will be far more forgiving compared to 3D viewing for two main reasons. When viewing content in 3D with passive glasses (so the plastic glasses with the polarised lenses without batteries) the picture quality and the phase of the picture presented to each lens will worsen the further off-axis you are from the screen. However, if your television uses active glasses (so the shutter glasses running on batteries) you may find that the glasses may not sync reliably or at all then further off-axis you sit from the screen. The last thing you would want to be doing to sitting or standing awkwardly in order to make the 3D work (like some people had to do with an analogue antenna when you would only get a clear picture standing on one foot, leaning to the left with your arm outstretched standing in the doorway).
So when you are positioning your television keep the “centre centre” principle in mind to get the best viewing experience from it.
Hopefully you’ve had a chance to read yesterday’s blog on my adventure to the Panasonic 2011 launch event and I covered a bit of what happened during the evening. Today, I’m going to flesh out some of the highlights and what Panasonic will be rolling out to the masses this year.
One major initiative from Panasonic this year will come in the form of interactive services. Skype is already a major part of the VIErA platform (although you are limited to voice calls if you don’t stump up for the specialised webcam instead of being able to use any old webcam). The integration of Skype may become more interesting given its acquisition by Microsoft (which wasn’t talked about in the presentation last night) but I still think its a great VAS (value added service) to enrich the value of Panasonic’s televisions. Apparently, one in five Panasonic products are used to access interactive services (although there was no quantification of how often these services are accessed versus standard television).
Another area of expansion is in the area of IPTV. In terms of the industry in general, IPTV has been gaining some traction as a value added service for platforms such as Xbox 360 (provided by Foxtel) but also bundled for free with internet connections from ISPs such as TPG. In similar vain, FetchTV has begun to expand its availability across a number of ISPs including iiNet, Internode and Westnet with Optus being added to the list in the future. The problem with other IPTV solutions is you need another box and another cable to connect to your TV to make it work whilst having this functionality built into the television keeps thing simple for consumers.This will be a key selling point particularly for people wanting to catch up on shows they have missed at a convenient time for them.
What will be key here is the range of IPTV and streaming providers that will come on board and already there is a good cross-section, including:
ABC iView,
BigPond,
UStream,
WOW TV,
Yahoo!7,
YouTube.
Putting aside that these services are not yet available in Australia it’d be interesting to see how things might change should Hulu and Netflix come to our shores.
Leading on from this is the move towards apps for the television. Panasonic will be opening up their platform to allow applications from third parties to be developed and made available through an app store of some description. I didn’t see much in the way of a demo of this functionality (and I could have missed it as the pace of the presentation was pretty quick). What I do know is that it will be setup in an “iTunes-esque” fashion where Panasonic will screen applications for suitability (so no adult content). It’ll be interesting to see how well this works but unfortunately I won’t get to see it in action on my VT20 television from last year.
One other major point covered in the presentation was that plasma is very much cemented as the flagship technology in Panasonic panels whilst LED LCD IPS panels fill out the market in terms of smaller screen. 3D is very much a standard feature across the range (VT30, GT30 and ST30 ranges with twelve new models) apart from the a dedicated range of 2D panels (the U30 and X30 range). IPS (In Plane Switching) panels are found in top end displays such as the Apple Cinema HD and Dell UltraSharp 30 inch screens. LED backlighting also helps to reduce the thickness of the panel while lowering power consumption, lowered heat generation and improved contrast over standard backlit LCD screens. I don’t blame Panasonic for sticking with plasma after the acquisition of Pioneer’s technology – really worth seeing to believe for yourself.
Perhaps the other big hitter for me was the improvements to DLNA in their product range. I have reviewed a few Panasonic products last year and I found that the DLNA functionality was rather limited. This year, Panasonic have inched forward with the inclusion of MKV and DivX HD formats. MKV is particularly popular amongst enthusiasts so it is good to see it included in the base functionality. However, the most significant development is that the new 2011 products will be both DLNA client and server capable allowing content to flow both ways in between devices on a network. We’ve all had times when we’ve wanted to watch content that has been tied to a particular device but now recorded content on TVs via USB (to hard drive or flash devices) and standalone recorders can be streamed over the network elsewhere in the house. DLNA has been around for a little while but generally it has been a one way street for many devices except PCs.
Lastly, there was one intriguing device that emulates the Fitbit in many ways from BodyMedia. An armband measures your calorie burn as well as your sleep patterns and you can track your progress online as well as through your Panasonic VIErA television. This was only shown briefly and I didn’t get to see a hands on demo at the event but I would imagine that it would operate much the same way with the armband syncing through the television.
All in all, it looks like Panasonic have innovated a bit for 2011 but they really need to get out and talk up their products in the market. The likes of Sony and Samsung get a lot of air time but Panasonic seem to be the quiet achiever in the mix by developing some good quality products but not matching the advertising punch of other players.
I have just gotten back from the Panasonic 2011 launch event which allowed selected members of the Panasonic Insider Crew in for the first time with the media and major retailers. We were seated and presented to separately from the commercial folks at the Hoyts cinema complex at Fox Studios in Moore Park, NSW. I had the chance to meet some fellow Insiders including Tia with whom I had several interesting conversations about technology, films and other topics throughout the course of the evening. Like myself, she has her own blog that covers technology as well as other stuff like crafts and vintage fashions. Also, check out Jared’s Thoughts on Stuff which also covers this event – it’s been good to read other perspectives on the event.
Upon arrival, the Insiders were shown up to the mezzanine level (whilst the commercial folks stayed downstairs) and we were treated to drinks and nibbles whilst we waited for the presentation.
Panasonic Insider Crew Hang Out
Media and Retailer Hang Out (and a Tesla Roadster Sport on the right)
After our chance to catch up, we were shown downstairs to one of the cinemas to view the presentation. I’ll share more of what was covered in tomorrow’s blog but there are some neat things on the way including stuff to do with Skype and sharing digital content in the home.
Panasonic Product Lineup
Afterwards, we were given the opportunity to check out the new product lineup up close and also bounce questions off the technical folk on the floor. As you can see, flat panels are very much a key product in the lineup with plasma remaining the flagship platform when it comes to large panel displays and the push into 3D whilst bringing 3D to the lineup of LCD LED IPS units.
Panasonic's Smart VIErA Platform (Content Sharing)
Digital content sharing and connectivity was also heavily pushed with DLNA becoming mainstream in devices and allowing devices to be both DLNA servers and clients on the network. For homes where access to content is limited by how far a cable can be connected this could be an interesting proposition for homes where there are numerous television but perhaps only one hard disk recorder. There has also been an expansion in playable formats across the product range to include MKV and DivX HD.
Panasonic's Smart VIErA Platform (Streaming Services)
Panasonic is also expanding its platform from to allow streaming content from services such as ABC iView, UStream and WOW TV over and beyond the existing YouTube and Yahoo!7 services. Social media connectivity also remains an integral part of Panasonic’s offering in its display panels.
Panasonic HDC-SD900 3D Ready Full High Definition Camcorder
There were other gadgets on show including:
3D capable still cameras (including a point-and-shoot camera that creates 3D photos by panning the camera slightly),
3D camcorders (a slightly revised model based upon the 2010 model – pictured above),
3D Blu-ray recorders with up to 1TB of capacity,
Micro Hi-Fi units.
One of the Panasonic technical gurus showing off the HDC-SD900 camcorder
The technical gurus on hand were well informed (as you would hope and expect) and were very keen to talk about all of the products on display as well as previous generations of products. I asked a question about whether or not the latest functionality would be back-ported to the last immediate generation of products. I was fully expecting a response along the lines of “that is uncertain” or “I’ll get back to you” but I did get a tangible response to my question (even if the answer wasn’t what I was hoping for which was selected components that would run properly and without impact to user experience would be ported backwards).
All in all, it was a good night to get my geek on and mingle with some like-minded people. As I mentioned before, I’ll share some more of the details provided during the presentation and perhaps some more photos of the evening (as well as that nice looking Tesla in the lobby).
If you’re keen to look at my prior Panasonic coverage including unboxings, previews and reviews click here.
For those of you following the blog you would have read about my first impressions of the Nintendo 3DS and my decision to purchase an Australian model given the news of region locking for this handheld console. Well, launch day has arrived and I have gotten my hands on one of these devices for myself – the “cosmic black” model to be precise.
As is the tradition around here, I have made an unboxing video to give you a look at the device itself as well as the various contents of the box. If you are after a closer look at the Nintendo 3DS itself I will be releasing a preview video that will cover that off as well as some of the notable features (which I will try to show in 2D mode on YouTube). The video is available in high definition for those of you who would like to watch in the best possible resolution.
There were several booklets in the box including a quick start guide and an operating instructions manual plus some AR (Augmented Reality) cards and a small Nintendo club booklet. All of these are in colour compared to a lot of other devices that have their manuals printed in black and white – perhaps not a big deal but something easy for the eyes.
In the meantime, I am charging up the 3DS before I give it a go but please enjoy the video and I will work on the preview video as soon as I can!
Last Thursday, I traveled to Osaka in Japan with my wife to go on a brief holiday and I planned to do a few things including getting a ride on a bullet train and checking out the Nintendo 3DS. Unfortunately, due to the earthquakes and ongoing aftershocks, I wasn’t too keen on trying the bullet train especially after I learned that many people had been stuck on bullet trains without food and water for extended periods of time.
Anyway, I did manage to track down a department store close to The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Osaka that was stocking and displaying the Nintendo 3DS, specifically Yodobashi in Umeda.
One of the Nintendo 3DS displays in Kodobashi
I visited on Friday morning which is a work day in Japan and several hours before the earthquake hit. The launch of the Nintendo 3DS in Japan had also occurred back on February 26th. As to whether or not you would expect people to be lining up on a weekday several weeks after launch is hard to assess in another country.
Some of the Nintendo 3DS launch titles
There is a fair number of games available at launch with notable inclusions being Winning Eleven Soccer and Super Street Fighter 4 3D Edition.
Promotional video for the 3DS
Video units with promotional videos were also nestled in one of the displays however it was very much lost on me.
Nintendo 3DS
The display model was fairly sturdy when I played a couple of games for about ten minutes (Ridge Racer 3D and Super Street Fighter 4). The top screen contains the lenticular 3D screen which does not require special glasses to view images in 3D. The lower screen, like the original Nintendo DS and its various revisions, is a touch screen. The unit also comes with an adjustable stylus.
The circle pad above the digital pad looks a bit like the analogue stick that made its first appearance in the N64 controller but feels quite different. The circle itself sits flush against the top surface instead of being on top of a stick on the N64 control and slide around in the wider recess surround it. I actually found the placement and the feeling of the circle pad to be more comfortable and usable than the traditional digital pad but it does come down to personal preference.
Nintendo 3DS in its display cradle
For a first go, I didn’t mind it at all and I loved the fact that I could potentially have a device that can play the latest and greatest version of Street Fighter 4 in my pocket or my backpack and also has physical controls that are up to snuff (as pure touchscreen devices are terrible for the beat ‘em up genre and other types of games). I still have my original Nintendo DS (the grey chunky one) which has held up well for the many years I have owned it. Of course, Nintendo makes good profit on its hardware and we will see later revisions in the coming years. Nonetheless, the 3DS will rely upon quality titles from developers making appropriate, creative and innovative use of the 3D screen instead of just making use of it as a gimmick which would damage the reputation of the platform.
Two things that held me back from buying one in Japan was the unknown direction for region locking for 3DS specific titles. If I had continued to brush up on my Japanese after I left school I might have gotten away with this and buying Japanese games but alas that fell by the wayside. The other factor was that the price in Japan wasn’t going to be significantly better priced than a unit bought in Australia (even when bought duty free). In the end, I figured I could wait and get one in Australia and avoid the whole dilemma.
With a day to spare, I have completed the review video for the Panasonic SC-BTT75 3D Blu-ray Home Theatre Sound System. I received this system back in December last year and have put it through its paces across a range of activities including:
CD audio playback,
DVD videos,
Blu-ray videos (3D and standard videos),
regular television (primarily through the Foxtel IQ2),
console gaming (primarily with the PlayStation 3),
PC gaming.
As with previous videos it is available in high definition for those of you who would like to watch in the best possible resolution.
Some of the points I cover include:
similarities between this home theatre system and the Panasonic DMP-BDT300GN 3D Blu-ray Player,
audio and video quality,
DLNA functionality,
Viera Cast functionality and its relativity to the functionality found in the Panasonic Viera televisions,
rear speaker setup options,
Audio Return Channel (ARC) functionality.
As with the Panasonic Viera TH-P50VT20A Plasma 3D Television this unit is compatible with the Wi-Fi USB dongle that comes included with the Pansonic DMP-BDT300GN 3D Blu-ray Player.
Don’t forget, you can also check out the unboxing and preview videos if you haven’t already seen them.
