At this past week’s Google I/O event in San Francisco, Google brought a contraption it calls the “Holodeck,” for event-goers to experience. Basically, it’s a near-360 degree way to view Google Street View in fast motion, high definition video. Danny Sullivan posted a bunch of pictures of the thing earlier in the week.
Unfortunately, Google only allows it to show the area at and around the actual Google campus in Mountain View, as I’m sure it doesn’t want any legal complaint from those caught sunbathing in their backyards. Also, while it does zoom past the area where the Google Goats were kept, it unfortunately failed to catch any of them on tape. Luckily, I did that for you a few weeks ago.
Google’s Holodeck isn’t quite as cool as the Star Trek Holodeck, but give them a few years, I’m sure they’ll figure out how to do that as well.
You have given me all the inspiration I need to do a http://www.worstpizza.com pizza video holodeck! It will certainly be the first of its kind….I hope
okie dookie?
This would be really cool for hospitals or people who can’t travel.
That’s so awesome! Did it feel like you were moving too?
yes, also a bit nauseous. but mostly, I couldn’t get over how hot it was in there thanks to all the screen heat.
MG = Mostly Google
c..o..o..l!!
Meh. Omni-directional video isn’t all that new.
It would be trivial for anybody to make a holodeck with 6 cheap camcorders mounted to a car, desktop PC and 6 HDTVs.
I wasn’t impressed with this at all. This was probably the least impressive part of I/O.
That and the fact that the day 1 keynote was a regurgitation of Chris Blizzard’s presentation at Socal Linux expo.
I do appreciate the phone though, I have a bid for $750 for it on ebay right now.
The Google presenter thought everybody was going to wow at his javascript threads presentation of the motion sensing DOM, but when he ran it, nobody clapped. Because I had captured it and put it on YouTube about 3 months ago when Blizzard did it.
That was super lame.
props for the pic of Data and Geordi!
A little bit more work needed, after all the first thing he said was “it’s really hot in here” and from all those flat screens and computers rendering that data, I’m not surprised.
Scale it up to a whole room, with projection, probably the next step…
It was seriously probably 90 degree in there.
Something like that (w some improvements) would provide a great movie viewing experience.
Amen to that!!
It’s called a planetarium. They’ve been around for decades. You should go some time.
Chris – Agreed, but I always strained the neck (I haven’t been in years so maybe they improved). I think the complete surround around would make a big difference. Moreover, major films tend to be made with a lot more gusto so seeing a major film designed for this (or a planetarium) would be cool.
You should try IMAX. I really enjoy the planetarium.
If you have trouble sitting down for an hour or 2 at the planetarium, you can try the following.
Do not sit upright. Sit in a slouched position as if you drank a six pack before going(using public transportation of course).
In your slouched position lean your neck back and stare up. You’ll be fine.
I’ve been to 2-3 consequential shows at various planetariums across north America with no neck problems. People used to go to the planetarium a lot and due to this new age of internet, there are fewer and fewer people. Microsoft Worldwide Telescope is a sorry excuse for a trip to the planetarium or an observatory.
I invested a small amount of cash in GM and now I have to wake up at 1AM PST to “attempt” to flush it in ext AM trading. I also just found out that the government of Canada is behind all of this as they were the major bond holders. Obama seems to really like Canada a lot. Maybe he could move there some day soon and get his “free” health care.
I also think most Americans share my sentiment when I say I’d rather die then ever buy a government made vehicle.
It makes me think of Volkswagen.
GM will go double bankrupt. At least the foreign perpetrators of this round will lose the 2nd time around. If that’s any consolation to people.
Thanks for the neck strain tips.
Yes, IMAX films are great. The Space Museum in DC shows great flicks in their IMAX.
RE GM, sorry to hear that. They should have let go bankrupt last fall (it’s amazing that Chrysler’s proceeding is going fast). Yes, the gov’t now owns 70% but I’m pretty sure that’s not long term. Not sure what the President thinks but the guys right under him are not for long term gov’t ownership.
Too bad Ford made the right moves earlier and now stuck with gov’t backed/subsidized US competitors.
If NYSE does not allow ext AM trading and the shares get closed at 0 I am going to file a complaint against GM myself in district court.
As for Google, thanks google.
http://cgi.ebay...em=110396903141
I already managed to buy another HP MSA20 with the cash.
http://picasawe...218788953238258
I think that for this one phone, which I already have a G1 and an iPhone and I don’t need, I will get a full 12TB SATA SAN in exchange plus a DL380 G3.
Not a bad deal at all. You add a poweredge and 6 more cheapo rackable systems servers and you have a node on our big iron network. How’s that for creative startup financing?
they were also showing footage of downtown Paris and a few other European locales.
oh cool. didn’t see that, would have liked to.
Just wait and see what google will bring us.
I just can’t stand the picture..hahaha
The video looks way better than the real thing which was presented there.
)
I entered the ‘holodeck’ few times and it just made me fill a bit epileptic… (and I’m not
Here is a panorama I shot inside it:
http://www.360c...cave-googleplex
click on “embed this” to put this panorama onto your own site.
Looks like the Disney Circle-Vision technology:
http://www.yout...h?v=DMiwrOIlsfg
and
http://www.yout...h?v=Pt4JpehrzxA
I cant wait for those plastic spheres to show
I cant wait for those plastic spheres to show up..
That is awesome!!!
In your slouched position lean your neck back and stare up. You’ll be fine.
it just made me fill a bit epileptic