With this being the final blog, I figured it would be cool to show what the future has to offer in terms of technology. So far I showed you the evolution of video games, technologies to look forward to in 2015, the process of creating CGI in movies, how something as simple as a touch screen works, among other things. With technology advancing at rates that were unimaginable just five years ago, it’s amazing to see what the future has in store for us. All of the following things are estimations, so take the anticipated release dates and feature specifics with a grain of salt.

Texting simply by thinking may be coming as quickly as the year 2020. This is achieved by a combination of eye-tracking technology and a sensor-mounted headset worn by the user. The headset contains a brain-machine interface which detects electrical brain waves and converts them into digital signals, then displays the resulting letters on-screen. Some high-end models can be used with glasses or visors featuring displays built into their lenses. This enables completely hands-free texting, creating a form of virtual telepathy. The process is rather slow at this stage, requiring a high degree of mental concentration. It is more of a novelty for now. However, advances in the coming years will enable smooth and fast interactions, revolutionizing the world of communication.

By the year 2029, humanlike artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to have a major role.  Scientists are projecting a that a major milestone is reached in the field of artificial intelligence this year, as a computer passes the Turing Test for the first time. This test is conducted by a human judge who is made to engage in a natural language conversation with one human and one machine, each of which tries to appear human. The participants are placed in isolated locations. Information technology has seen exponential growth for decades. This has led to vast improvements in memory, processing power, software algorithms, voice recognition and overall machine intelligence. It has now reached the stage where an independent judge is literally unable to tell which is the real human and which is not. Answers to certain “obscure” questions posed by the judge may appear childlike from the AI – but they are humanlike nonetheless.

Fast-forwarding to 2035, it is expected that self-driving vehicles will dominate the roads. In 2010, many features such as emergency braking systems, connected vehicle networks, self-parking and freeway cruising features. It is expected by 2035 that these will have advanced so greatly that they can outmaneuver even the best of drivers.  A combination of GPS, on-board sensors, traction and stability control, and adaptive cruise control allow a car to sense incoming objects from all directions, detect incoming crashes and impacts, predict the movements of other vehicles on the road, and adapt to changing road and weather conditions.

By 2070, there is expected to be automated homes. This means that the technology inside the house will be so remarkably intelligent that the house can run on itself. This means that there is no more cleaning or spraying of air fresheners. The house will come equipped with  a localized power supply, on-site water production, interactive surfaces, and self-managing appliances.

With the advances of technology, almost literally anything is possible. Flying cars will be made one day, jet packs, planes that travel at the speed of light, and ridiculous progress in space exploration. Technology is an absolutely beautiful thing. It’s going to open the world up to possibilities that have never been reached before. There is no doubting that technology is not only the way of the future, but it’s also the way of now. It’s going to be exciting to sit back and see what the engineers and programmers have to offer for us. This is the end of the blog, but I hope this isn’t the end of you reading about technology. I hope you learned a thing or two, but more importantly, now have an interest in technology!

Movies provide millions each year with entertainment. It gives the viewer a chance to forget whatever he/she is going for and allows him/her to focus on the movie. Everything from script to acting is important when judging a movie. Something that has seen a rise in recognition is special effects. Due to technological advances of the past decade, special effects have seen a massive advancement. The effects that are used in making many of the movies that we love would not be possible if not for the technological evolution.

The popular special effect used today is known as computer generated images (CGI).  CGI is defined as is the application of computer graphics to create or contribute to images in art, printed media, video games, films, television programs, commercials, videos, and simulators. The visual scenes may be dynamic or static, and may be two-dimensional, though the term is most commonly used to refer to 3D computer graphics used for creating scenes or special effects in films and television. It’s a very lengthy and difficult process.

The first step when making a CGI animation is to make a script of the scene. This is a written list of all of the backgrounds, characters, dialogue, and poses that are going to be used in a scene, going in chronological order. Trying to animate a scene without a logical plan isn’t a good idea, since the animators won’t have a clear idea of what to animate. They will have to then come up with a story as they animate, which can result in a sloppy, unorganized mess. Coming up with a script for the scene will help in the long run.

The next step in CGI Animation is the Storyboard phase. In this step, a scene is drawn out in several 2D drawings, showing a rough idea of the environments, characters, and camera angles that you would see in the finished film. The script is usually shown at the bottom of each drawing to show what is happening. In a big-budget CGI film, like the upcoming Avengers film, the animator pitches out the storyboard to the other people in the animation crew. The professional voice-acting typically isn’t done at this stage, so the animator usually does a rough impression of each character while pitching out each scene.

The third step of CGI animation is the layout step. Here, the characters and backgrounds for the scene get rendered in 3D. Animators use computers to build a basic model of each 3D character in the scene. Animators will usually use a reference source while creating the 3D model. Detailed features of a character, such as hair or lighting effects, aren’t created yet. Once the characters and backgrounds are made, the layout step truly begins. Here, characters are placed in the correct spots, and the camera angles for every frame are decided. Then, a rough cut of the scene is played out in 3D. This is kind of like a 3D version of a storyboard; although the dialogue and camera angles are finalized, nothing else is. There is no lighting, details, or motions on the characters yet. All of the characters are also stuck in their basic poses. This step gives animators a basic idea of how the scene will look in 3D. After a screening of the scene, some things may be altered and tweaked. Scenes can be omitted at this point, but it is a lot less common to cut a scene now than it is during the storyboard phase. After getting the layouts done, it is time to begin the actual animation of the scene.

The next step is the animation step. The basic character models are now posed and moved to their finalized movements. Everything from mouth flaps to footsteps are created at this stage. Similar to 2D animation, each frame is created and then tweaked very slightly from one frame to the next. When played in order, the individual frames make a complete animation. This is, essentially, a rough draft of an animation. Nevertheless, finishing this step will have the film completely animated.

Once that is finished, it is time to move onto the final revision step. Here, the more complicated parts of CGI, such as hair, lighting, and textures, are placed onto the animation. These complicated parts are saved for last since they are typically the most difficult parts of CGI. Animating hair is very complicated, since there are hundreds of thousands of unique hairs to keep track of. They also have to be animated for effects such as wind and movement. Full hair on a character was not tried in a CGI film until Monsters, Inc. in 2001, when Sully  was animated with a full coat of realistic fur.

Other revisions in this step include lighting and textures. Textures are places on various surfaces in order give them a more believable look. Rough surfaces are given bumps, smooth surfaces look shiny and reflective, etc. Applying textures to human characters can be very difficult, and it is very complicated to make a character that looks just like a real person. This is why many CGI cartoons use unrealistic characters, such as inanimate objects (Toy Story), animals (Finding Nemo) and cartoony humans (The Incredibles and Up).

Lighting involves picking a source of light (or sources) in each scene and applying realistic lighting to the scenes. This applies a shadow to every character and object in a scene. The shadow has to be carefully rendered to make sure that it looks plausible and believable. This step can be time consuming, which is why it is one of the last things done to a CGI animation. Once all of these steps are done, the CGI animation is finally complete.

With the rise of super hero and action movies, the amount of CGI is going to increase greatly. Months are spent on post production trying to perfect this process. Smaug, the dragon in the Hobbit, took four months to create. The process of CGI is well worth it, as movies are often held in high regard due to it.

Each year, we come closer to that futuristic image you see in television shows of holograms and flying cars. Although we aren’t quite there, it doesn’t mean this won’t be an exciting year for devices. Every year, one or two devices come out that revolutionize the technology year. This year will be no different. There are a few items that we could look back on in ten or fifteen years and remember how amazing it was when it was released.

Although 4k television was a big hit in the past year, people are already looking forward to 8k televisions. 8k resolution is the highest ultra high definition television (UHDTV) resolution to exist in digital television and digital cinematography. 8K refers to the horizontal resolution of these formats, which all are on the order of 8,000 pixels, forming the total image dimensions (7680×4320). The current mainstream HD TV standard is 1080p. The HD tv you have at home has a resolution of 1920×1080. We have hit the possibility of jumping from 1920×1080 to 7680×4320 just like that. The visuals that the TV would have to offer would be absolutely mind blowing. Everything would look so real.  Samsung and LG will be releasing 8K televisions at some point this year. Samsung’s will be sized at 110 inches and will come in the possibility to view in 3D without glasses. LG will be at 98 inches.

Just like Apple released its own TV, Android companies will be doing the same. It will run on the current Android 5.0 “Lollipop” operating system.  Android TV can be built into both TVs and stand-alone digital media players. Users have access to the Google Play Store to download Android apps, including media streaming services Netflix and Hulu. It will also be capable of downloading games well as games. The platform emphasizes voice search to quickly find content or answer queries . The TV interface is divided vertically into three sections: recommendations on top (which update based on viewing habits), media apps in the middle, and games on the bottom. The interface can be navigated using a game controller, remote control, or the Android TV mobile app.

My favorite piece of technology coming out this year, if it works correctly, is the connected car. A connected car is a car that is equipped with Internet access, and usually also with a wireless local area network. This allows the car to share internet access to other devices both inside as outside the vehicle. Often, the car is also outfitted with special technologies that tap into the internet access or wireless LAN and provide additional benefits to the driver (automatic notification of crashes, notification of speeding and safety alerts). Both Apple and Google are creating operating systems that can be used with these cars. Of course they will be filled with flaws as first edition operating systems, but they’re going to be revolutionary.

Between these three items, Windows 10, a new iPad, a new Galaxy, the advancement in 2-in-1 laptops, and many other items, this year for technology is going to be one of the best. It’s going to be exciting to sit back and see how things turn out.

Smart watches are an interesting piece of technology. They are a relatively new form, so they have yet to be perfected and are often filled with flaws. With an increase in the amount of companies that are releasing watches, there appears to be an increase in productivity.

A smart watch is a computerized wristwatch with functionality that is enhanced beyond timekeeping. While early models can perform basic tasks, such as calculations, translations, and game-playing, modern smart watches are effectively wearable computers. Many smart watches run mobile apps, while a smaller number of models run a mobile operating system and function as portable media players, offering playback of FM radio, audio, and video files to the user via a bluetooth headset. Some smart watches models feature full mobile phone capability, and can make or answer phone calls. Many different companies have gotten in on this smart watch war.

Without speaking technically, smart watches are awesome. Whenever I have it hooked up to my phone, I will get all texts, snapchat, email, and Twitter alerts on that instead of my phone. My phone won’t even go off. If I decide on responding to whatever on my phone, all I have to do is press  button on the watch and the app that is in use will open up on my phone. So if I get a snapchat from someone, I can press “open on device” and the snapchat will automatically open on my phone, without me pressing anything. It’s awesome.

Samsung has released six different types of smart watches since the first one was announced late 2013. These watches are: Galaxy Gear, Galaxy Gear 2, Galaxy Gear 2 Neo, Gear Live, Gear Fit, and Gear S. The Gear was the first released. At its release, it got negative reviews. The software got completely picked apart, being described as being “inconsistent” and “having limited functionality”.

Samsung achieved much more with its second attempt. The Gear 2 got mixed-positive reviews. It was described as “doing a much better job at trying to make the smart watch relevant”. The Gear 2 Neo is the same exact watch, minus the Gear 2 has a camera. The Gear 2 comes with a heart rate monitor at the bottom of the watch. It also has 4 GB of memory and can last 2-3 days with normal usage. In terms of software, it runs on an operating system that was created by Samsung. It is capable of GPS, voice operating systems, a fitness app, “find my device”, capabilities to be used as a TV remote, among other things. The watch is capable of playing music and phone calls.

LG is another big player in the smart watch wars. Their LG G Watch R was released in October of 2014. Unlike most smart watches, the G Watch has a circular display instead of a rectangular one. The watch has many of the features that the Galaxy Gear has. A large difference between the two is the wristband. The Galaxy Gear goes for a rubber wristband while the G Watch has a metallic wristband. The metal feel of the G Watch feels very authentic. Unlike the Galaxy Gear, it can not make telephone calls.

The two watches above are the biggest players in the Android market. Apple users, you are not left out. In 2014, Apple announced its own smart watch that will be released April 24, 2015. The Apple watch will be released in three editions: Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch, and Apple Watch Edition. The price for Apple Watch Sport ranges between $349-$399. The price for Apple Watch will be between $549-$1,099. The price of the Apple Watch Edition will range from $10,000-$17,000. I’m not kidding about those numbers. The watch is encased in 18-karat gold. It will have the same functions as the other two, just will cost $16,000 more. Unlike the other two mentioned watches, the water resistance of all three watches is low, so it’s best not to get these wet. This watch will run on a completely new operating system. It is capable of the same things as the aforementioned watches, but will bring improvements in display.

As a smart watch owner, I’m excited about what is happening. With Apple releasing what appears to be a great watch, everyone else is going to have to step their game up. Just like the beginning of all technology wars, this smart watch war is about to get interesting.

When the promotional video for Google glass came out, it looked like the next big thing. The one thing that teens all across the nation would be begging their parents for for Christmas. It was a useful technology and an awesome idea. The every day use of them were evident once the video aired. It didn’t find the success that it should have had though. The Google glass seemed to fail as quickly as it rose to prominence.

The specs behind such a small piece of technology really show how hard Google worked to create this innovative product. The battery for it could last an entire day without needing an extra charge of any sort. The visual display was described as being equivalent to “watching a 25 inch high definition screen from eight feet away”. That probably meant it fell someone in the 980p range. The device itself came with 16 GB of data, so something similar to what your cell phone probably has. It was synched to Google cloud, meaning contacts, music, pictures, and other things were easily accessible. Music was able to be played through tiny speakers at the end of the glasses so that it would go directly into the user’s skull.

The Glass came with the ability to take pictures and record videos. The camera is only 5 MP and the videos are only 720p, but to even be able to do either of those things is truly amazing.  Google Glass could connect to both wifi and bluetooth. If the user were to connect to bluetooth, the system’s GPS could shoot coordinates right onto the screen of the user. The user also had the ability to make phone calls and send text messages directly to other people by using voice control. Google Hangout came with the Glass. This is Google’s variation of Skype.

The frames were capable of being prescription glasses.  Google got into deals with Luxottica, the owner of Ray-Ban and Oakley. The Glass got released in early 2013 to 8,000 people that won a Twitter contest to have the right to get early access to them. The winners traveled to a Google store in order to buy the glasses for a hefty price of $1,500.  Eventually Glass made its way to the public. Analysts at the time were expecting a price drop for the Glass. It did no such thing as it opened to the public at the same price. As one would expect, the sales weren’t that great.

The Google Glass fell as quickly as it rose. The steep price combined with questions of privacy and health made led to its demise. Google is not giving up on the glass though. They are heading back to the lab in hopes of finding the perfect balances needed to successfully create the product. I hope they can figure out how to do it, because the technology is amazing. If they can release them improved and at a newer price, I would certainly be first in line to get them.

(if anyone didn’t see the launch video, here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSnB06um5r4

Technology is rapidly improving.  Each day we are getting closer to some technological item that will change mankind forever.  With each passing day, an item that is going to sweep across the commercial scene of the world is being created.  Virtual reality is one of those items.  Virtual reality is a computer-simulated environment that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world or imagined worlds.  Virtual reality can recreate sensory experiences, which include virtual taste, sight, smell, sound, and touch.  These amazing pieces of technology will be coming to stores early next year.

Morpheus, Sony’s virtual reality headset for PlayStation 4, will be one of the first major form of virtual reality technology.  The company revealed an updated version of its device, which encases the wearer’s eyes to give the sense of having bodily entered the environment rendered on its visor-like screen.  Morpheus now features an OLED display with 1080p resolution capable of generating images at 120 frames-per-second, twice the performance of the model unveiled at the conference last year. There will also be less than 18 millisecond latency (the delay before a user’s head movements are represented on screen).

The race for a market-leading virtual reality device is now fully under way.  In 2014, Facebook acquired the company behind the rival Oculus Rift headset, although the device’s final specifications and release date remain undisclosed.  Samsung is working with Oculus Rift on the Gear VR, a mobile, wire-free version of the hardware that works with smartphones.  Valve Software, the company behind the Steam online PC game store, has partnered with smartphone manufacturer HTC to develop its own VR headset, which is called the Vive.  This is set to be the first major VR headset to reach consumers, with a launch date pencilled in for later this year.  Valve is set to reveal more details at the Game Developer’s Conference currently taking place in San Francisco.

Sony claimed that the combination of Sony’s sleek headset with the “robust platform” that PlayStation 4 represents will provide the standard for game developers to target with their virtual reality video games and experiences in the future.  However, many people among the technological community believe that the HTV Vive with its backing from Valve and access to the vast Steam store of games and developers, may be in just as strong a position.

Above is a picture of the Morpheus headset that is apparently close to a final consumer version.  The company created it like this because they said that the new design places the device’s weight on the top of the head so that there’s little to no pressure on top of the top of face.  The headset is comparatively light, and the redesigned strap distributes the weight evenly for a comfortable fit.  TA button on the side allows users to quickly tilt the visor away from the face so that they can complete tasks like looking around the room or eating and drinking

Virtual reality is used for more than video gaming systems.  It will be used for televisions, cell phones, tablets, and any form of technology that can utilize it.  The future of technology is amazing.