GeekwithEnvy

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Awesome New Way To Experience Google Street View

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An amazing little project by Teehan+Lax changes the way we use Street View by creating incredible “Hyper-Lapse” video from the images in google’s Street View database by stringing them all together. The end result is just plain awesome to look at.

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Even better, you can make your own version, although it will be a slightly lower quality version. All you need is a browser that supports WebGL, like Goole Chrome, Safari, Opera, or Firefox and then you can simply head here to set a start and finish point and make your “Hyper-Lapse” video.

Hyper-lapse photography – a technique combining time-lapse and sweeping camera movements typically focused on a point-of-interest – has been a growing trend on video sites. It’s not hard to find stunning examples on Vimeo. Creating them requires precision and many hours stitching together photos taken from carefully mapped locations. We aimed at making the process simpler by using Google Street View as an aid, but quickly discovered that it could be used as the source material. It worked so well, we decided to design a very usable UI around our engine and release Google Street View Hyperlapse.”

To Enable WebGL in Safari on the Mac (Safari 5.1 and Up):

  • In Safari, open the Safari menu and select Preferences.
  • Click the Advanced tab in the Preferences window.
  • At the bottom of the window, check the Show Develop menu in menu bar checkbox.
  • Open the Develop menu in the menu bar and select Enable WebGL.

Firefox (4 and Up) WebGL is on by Default

For Internet Explorer you can use this plugin.

Next Xbox To Be Revealed in May

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xbox360slm

We have been patiently waiting to hear details about Microsoft’s answer to the Playstation 4 and it looks like we will finally  get some details in May. The next-gen Xbox was supposed to be seen by the masses in April but instead it will be May 21st according to The Verge.

We actually know very little about the next-gen Xbox, codenamed Durango, but we do have an idea what’s in store for Xbox fans. It is likely that the software in the new Xbox will be very similar to Windows 8 and it’s possible that the console will require an “Always On” connection to the internet. That last bit has some gamers a bit on edge and even has them considering other consoles if Microsoft actually employs this strategy.

As always we will keep you in the loop when more details emerge about the next Xbox.

Shigeru Miyamoto Says To Give Wii U Some Time

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Shigeru_Miyamoto_GDC_2007
Shigeru Miyamoto

The Wii U has been around since November of 2012 and it’s not exactly flying off the shelves. I picked up a Wii U my self about a month ago despite my reservations about the new console. After the extremely long initial system update, I got into the Wii U experience rather quickly.

I started out by playing New Super Mario Bros. U and almost immediately, I realized how cool the gamepad was and how seamless the whole experience felt. In many ways I felt like the Wii U is what the Wii should have been from the beginning.

The experience I had is difficult to explain, it’s something you just have to mess with in person to understand how unique and innovative this console is. The Wii U has a lot of potential and this is basically what Shigeru Miyamoto, the man behind Mario and Zelda, was trying to say during a recent interview with CNN.

“There was a period when we first released the Nintendo DS that people would say there’s no way people can look at two screens at once, I almost feel like, as people get more familiar with Wii U and these touchscreen interfaces, that there is going to come a point where they feel like ‘I can’t do everything I want to do if I don’t have a second screen’.”  -Miyamoto

I think another major issue behind the Wii U’s lack luster sales numbers is the lack of content for the console. The games drive the console more than anything and Nintendo has promised that there will be plenty of games to choose from as time goes on. A title like the Legend of Zelda is enough to sell the console by it self and that may just be what many people are waiting for.

Why Pac Man Stops Working After Level 255

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Very rarely do people play Pac Man and reach levels in the 200’s but if you happen to hang in there long enough, something rather odd occurs after you get past level 255.

You reach what is referred to as a “kill screen”. This kill screen essentially renders the game unplayable and you start to see some really strange stuff going on. This isn’t just exclusive to Pac Man either, other arcade classics such as Donkey Kong and Dig Dug also have kill screens.

So what’s behind all of this? Why isn’t there some type of formal ending? Well, the folks behind Numberphile have put together a great video that explains exactly why this happens.

 

Ready for Windows Blue? It Could Be Here Very Soon

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Windows 8 Logo

The rumors continue as more talk about Windows Blue is popping up around the web. Sources say that Windows Blue is not going to be Windows 9 but rather a series improvements upon Windows 8. We could see a public preview of Microsoft’s latest software as early as a few months from now with Microsoft supposedly planning on a summer release of the overhaul.

Sources also say that Windows Blue will include Internet Explorer 11 and improved search functionality. The refresh may also include support for 7 and 8 inch mobile devices. This sounds like a good plan for Microsoft as I feel Windows 8 is still largely unpolished. Overall, my impression of Windows 8 is more positive as of late and I’m hoping that Windows Blue will address some my remaining issues. As we hear more about Windows Blue, we will keep you in the loop.