ars

Track NASA's crashing satellite to avoid getting hit by space junk

The satellite that once confirmed the existence of a hole in the ozone layer is now tearing a new path across the sky in a final fiery descent back to Earth, and there's a chance it could hit you upside the head.

OK, so the chance that you'll get smacked with space junk this week is only about 1 in 20 trillion, but why risk it? You can track the Thelma and Louise-style ending of the Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite--or UARS for short--on your Android phone or tablet with an app called Satellite AR.

AGI--makers of the augmented reality app that also has the nifty ability to tell you what satellites are currently passing overhead by simply pointing your phone's camera at the sky--have added a temporary button to the app's menu to easily keep track of UARS' demise.

While the odds that you, specifically, will wind up in an involuntary boxing match with UARS are in the trillions, the chance that someone on Earth will be hit by a piece of the satellite is about 1 in 3,200--that's lower than the acceptable threshold of 1 in 10,000 that NASA adopted after UARS was launched.

Your phone will soon recognize things it sees

Mobile-browser maker Layar is about to make augmented reality all that you thought it could be. The company has added visual search to its augmented-reality browser. Point your phone's camera at an object in the real world and an appropriate digital activity will occur on your handset.

For instance, point your phone at a historic house and a video clip will play; point your phone at your friend's new shoes and a buy button will pop up; or point your phone at an article in a paper magazine and a social-media button will pop up asking if you want to share the digital version with friends.

Layar's augmented-reality browser for iPhone and Android runs apps written for it. Layar also offers a player that software makers can embed in iPhone and Android apps. Both will gain visual search. The browser app upgrade will be in app stores at the end of the third quarter. The player upgrade will be available in the fourth quarter.… Read more

T-shirts come alive with augmented reality

Need to spruce up your wardrobe? When that "Bazinga!" T-shirt just will not cut it anymore, maybe some interactive augmented-reality attire could be for you.

Augmented-reality app specialist Zappar and private-label clothier Hybrid Apparel today announced a line of 20 T-shirts with Threadless-esque designs that come to life through AR. In the video below, we see an example of augmented-reality fashion via a T-shirt named "Mars Attacks." Using the free Zappar app (available for iOS and Android devices), a person using the iPad's touch screen and rear camera defeats a large robot projected on the T-shirt by zapping it with lasers. Not bad. … Read more

3D video from Kinect used for AR silliness on iPad 2

What happens when you mash up a bunch of buzzword technologies together in one video? Look no further than the below presentation, titled "Augmented Reality 3d Video on iPad with Kinect."

iOS developer Laan Labs yesterday demonstrated a concept app (created with the String AR SDK) that can use video captured from Microsoft's Kinect as augmented-reality content when viewed through an iPad 2 camera. This means that one day you could possibly record a video of yourself on a Kinect camera, transfer the data to an AR card, and send a virtual 3D movie greeting of yourself to someone. This could really unleash creative possibilities for your mother-in-law's next birthday card. … Read more

Windows 8 and anxiety over HTML5

By sending signals that it's inclined to move Windows 8 coding toward HTML5 and JavaScript, and away from more familiar programming tools, Microsoft has "horrified" developers, according to a post at Ars Technica.

Citing a demo of Windows 8 given by Microsoft Vice President Julie Larson-Green at the recent D9 conference, Ars Technica author Peter Bright called attention to a comment several minutes into the video. Pointing to a new app in the upcoming Windows 8, Larson-Green said that "this application is written with our new developer platform, which is based on HTML5 and JavaScript."… Read more

Our Nintendo 3DS wish list for 2011

At last year's E3, the Nintendo 3DS was arguably the headlining tech of the whole show, if for nothing more than its successful use of glasses-free 3D in a handheld game system.

Nevertheless, since the launch of the 3DS this March--just a few short months ago--the system's been luffing in a dying breeze. While the 3DS' capabilities show promise, the actual games, price, and battery life (or lack thereof) have soured the equation. Add to that the fact that the 3DS still doesn't have its Web browser, online e-shop, or last year's promised Netflix streaming … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1458: With our data comes great responsibility (Podcast)

Dear every company on earth who's apparently selling our data to anyone who will buy it and/or collecting it in fat, juicy databases that are like candy to hackers: can you just, like, try to be a tiny bit more careful? And maybe we will, too? Ok, thanks, great. Verizon's LTE service is creeping back after an unexplained outage, Barnes and Noble hits back at Microsoft, calling its patent infringement lawsuits little more than extortion, and an enterprising teen-ager honors our fallen soldiers with a digital record of all the graves at Arlington. Now that is a hero.

6 things the Nintendo 3DS needs to beat Apple at its own game

Not so long ago, Nintendo was king of the hill in video game land--especially when it came to handheld games. Back in those magical days, the Nintendo DS was the pinnacle of kid-friendly fun, and even casual gaming for those who normally didn't find games appealing.

Then came Apple. While some might debate the quality games in the App Store versus offerings for the Nintendo DS or Sony PSP, the success of Apple's seemingly endless supply of cheap games has been undeniable. Nintendo even acknowledges that Apple is its chief rival, now.

Enter the Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo's next-gen 3D handheld. Can it change the equation and recapture the Nintendo magic--and, most notably, kid appeal--that's worn away a bit in the wake of shiny gadgets like the iPhone and iPad?

The 3DS goes on sale in America on March 27, and it's been on shelves in Japan for weeks. We've reviewed the system already at CNET, and I've been playing around with one for the last six days, along with a handful of launch games.

At this year's GDC, Nintendo delivered a keynote literally across the street--and on the same day--as Apple's iPad 2 unveiling. Nintendo's focus on handheld gaming has had to take into account the meteoric rise of Apple's App Store. The App Store redefined the landscape of game pricing and effectively stole some of the casual-gaming crowd from Nintendo. Now that the 3DS is about to arrive, can it help fix what Nintendo's been missing?

After a week playing with one, my feelings are mixed. The 3DS has technical tricks up its sleeve that no iDevice can lay claim to yet--namely, its 3D camera and glasses-free 3D screen--but 3D is a divisive technology. Some people prefer their entertainment without a third dimension forced onto it. Also, Nintendo has been intent on not using 3D as an essential element in its 3DS games, making it a less integral technology than motion control on the Wii. The system has its advantages, and it has impressively improved graphics, but that alone isn't enough.

If the Nintendo 3DS is to effectively answer back to the juggernaut of affordable, diverse iOS gaming and offer up a convincing alternative, this is what I think it still needs to stand a chance.… Read more

preGame 44: Nintendo 3DS in-studio; Yakuza 4; Homefront

A very special afternoon delivery from Nintendo just makes it on today's show. Live today in the studio is the brand-new Nintendo 3DS portable gaming system, the first of its kind to display a 3D image without the need for special glasses.

It may not be available in stores until March 27, but the Nintendo 3DS has already arrived at CNET's New York offices and makes its debut on today's preGame. We'll show off the console from every angle and demo a few titles including the bundled AR Games and Mii Maker as well as Super … Read more

The Nintendo 3DS has arrived at CNET

The Nintendo 3DS arrived at our CNET New York offices this afternoon escorted by a group of lovely ladies with tethered 3DS' in-hand.

Of course the 3DS is the highly anticipated follow-up to Nintendo's insanely popular DS product line and is the first portable gaming system that can display a 3D image without the need for glasses.

Follow along with our unboxing slideshow to see what exactly to expect on March 27 when the 3DS goes on sale in North America for $250. We were given a Cosmo Black console, but the 3DS will also be available in Aqua … Read more