With #SIGGRAPH going on, developers and companies are showing their greatest and latest gadgets, software, and what ever else can help you be more efficient with your workflow.  Here's a video showing some new "technical papers" that look great.   There's facial animation, simulation, clothing alterations and more.  Some of this techniques will truly speed up someone's workflow.

 

The Chicago Tech Meetup (@Tech_Chicago, #chitm) hosted its August Demos on Monday, so I thought I'd check it out.  I wanted to get inspired by the cool things the Chicago techies are making. Who knows, maybe I'm planning to build something and I want to make sure I don't steal anyone's ideas.  Then again, maybe I just want the free food.  Yes, free food is the key to getting guys out of their high-rise condos and come to your events.

As usual, all downtown tech events, whether it’s the .Net crowd or the CGSociety folks, takes place in buildings that require magnetic ID cards or security guest lists.  Unfortunately, I wasn't on the list.  Fortunately, security let me in.  Unfortunately, I wasn't on the list in the second sign-up area.  Fortunately, blonde person let me in.  Apparently, RSVP and asking someone to put my name on the list last week didn't work.

When I finally got inside the presentation room, I grabbed a seat on the 2nd/3rd row, so I could get clear view right in front of the projector screen.  I was hoping people would sit in-front/around me, but instead everyone sat behind me.  Consequently, I had to work extra hard not to yawn in front of the presenters.

As for the actual demos, I was expecting to see some funky algorithms that did something new to help people.  Maybe a new Search Engine to address Google's highly disorganized search results or a tool that involved organizing your life that has nothing to do with social API's.  I don't think Steve Jobs is on Twitter, so what happens if he uses your app that relies on Twitter API?

The apps that attracted me the most were MyZeus, Goshi.me, and koaladeal.com.  The other projects are great in their own way, but I'm not in school, I don't have a kid, and I want a deal on a Sony S1 tablet!  MyZeus is about movies and music.  If you read this blog, then you probably know we like those things.  Goshi.me helps artists sell their artwork.  Maybe I'll try it with one of my old pencil drawings.  One thing that I don't understand is the lack of actual web app that runs on a desktop browser.  Koaladeal's UI looks nice and that's enough to make me want to consider trying it.

All in all, pretty good demos.

Well Nokia is bringing hype.  The question is, will they be able to keep the interest of the consumer.  Let's look at what they announced.

N9

The Meego phone that would be king if it wasn't so late to the party.  Design of the phone is great.  I'm pretty sure they took some design cues from the iPod Nanos.  Mainly in it's curved touch screen.   It's a buttonless phone on the front.  No capacity buttons on this either.  It's just pure screen on the front.  An AMOLED screen at that so you get the best blacks of any screen available.  Also included in the front is the is camera locate on the lower right hand side.  Is that placement for the phone to be used in landscape when doing video calls?  Most likely.

On the side you've got your usuals like power button and volume rocker buttons.  Unusual is they didn't include a camera button.  Surprising since the camera on this phone is great and fast.   One thing I didn't noticed is where do you plug this in to your computer or a wall outlet?  There doesn't seem to be any ports.  Maybe they just concealed it very well and I just can't see it.

As far as the Meego OS goes, it has great potential.  One thing to do is get rid of that grid like icon.  Do something different instead.  Its so dated.  Make use of the "swipe" that Nokia keeps talking about.  One issue I do have is that their swipe implementation seems like it would require more actions for certain tasks due to the lack of buttons either capacitive, actual or software.  It smoothness is on par with the likes of Windows Phone, IOS.  It's just seems a little to late to the party.  Look at WebOS.  It just doesn't seem like it would take off.

N950

Well it's just like the one mention above, but with a sliding keyboard.  This is where Nokia get things right.  There are people who love actual buttons to press on and Nokia listens to what the customer wants.  If Apple made an iPhone with a slide out keyboard, you'd bet my money there would be even more people with iPhones.  Nokia gives people choices.  They can never go wrong with that.

Sea Ray

This one looks exactly like the N9 with one minor difference.  It's got a camera button on the side.  Also, it is running Windows Phone (Mango).  Nothing else was shown, but it look like it ready.  Hopefully this phone has some updated hardware (dual-core).  Other than that Nokia did state this was one of many Windows phone that are already working and hopefully will be available soon after the Mango update has been released.

Though the phones look great, did Nokia just announced it too soon?  Nokia does have a history of announcing things then have the product be release later than anticipated.  Hopefully with the new boss around, things have changed and they have come to compete.

I'm not talking about features or user interface wise, but on when you'll be available to the masses. Your touch ui is really great. The split screen is genius. How about that multitasking nice. Oh and those touch button icon (some of the most used things you would do) is awesome. Did I mention how software (apps) can be made via HTML5 and Java if you're so inclined. It's a freaking full OS!

My question, why are you so far away? Why do you have to tease us, when all we have is that ios thing and that other honey thing? You're like that light at the end of the tunnel. You're like an oasis. You've got the looks, the power, and the individuality. Who needs those other underpowered oses when we can have a full blown one that can run every big app imaginable (if they rewrite it for Windows 8).

You think I'm full of it? Well check out the video below:

PS: Hey Microsoft, I'd be glad to be a beta tester for Windows 8 (of course with one of the quad-core tablet to test it on).

Let's how long this will be integrated officially into Blender. Developer Brecht van Lommel who was once a Blender developer left the institute to work for Refractive Software the creator of the Octane renderer. After a month, has left his post there and returned to his beloved home the Blender Institute.

So did he bring back anything? It may just be a conicidence, but he created a working gpu/unbiased renderer for Blender. I'm so glad that the Blender Internal is getting a face lift. Not that it was bad, it just seems outdated, and kind of slow. Yes it's powerful with the node editor, but it could use some updating. Hopefully Brecht can integrate this new renderer to work with the node editor for the old schoolers.

What will (considering this is a very early build) this new render get us? How about real time rendering with using either cpu or gpu or both. Real GI and quicker Dof and motion blur. If the renderer is fully stable, I believe that this will put Blender in the ranks of many artists. Just a renderer alone like that would cost at least $500. If there are no complications of it, this will get Blender in the eyes of professionals. View the video below and watch your jaw drop.

So if you've been surfing the net, there's this little show called Mobile World Congress happening right now. So was there anything exciting going on?  Well if you look at all the stuff shown at Engadget or Gizmodo or other tech site, the answer is a surprising no. Nothing that hasn't been shown before. Most notable things:

• dual-core chips are in this year with quad-cores being the norm next year.
• Meego might not be dead after all.
• Verizon doesn't care for Windows Phone 7 (That'll change look at the iPhone)
• Motorola doesn't care for Windows Phone 7 either
• tablets are getting more powerful and better (why even bother with the iPad2)
• Android and Honeycomb will merge into phone eventually
• tablets are gonna be hell expensive think $800+
• No Nokia Windows Phone 7 on display.

Yeah, nothing too wowing about it.  There's no head turners this year.  All the phones are looking the same, android looks dated, and we don't have dates for when the Nokia WP7 comes out.  Yup,  I want my Nokia WP7 phone goddammit.    One thing I do like are some of the promotional videos.  Check these videos out for the LG Optimus 3D phone and the LG Optimus Pad (G-Slate).