innoventions

Can't wait Apple iPad 3 announcement next Wednesday at Yerba Buena Center ? Simon Pierro tell you all about the new iPad features!

2012-03-04T12:37:00.008-08:00

The new Apple iPad 3 will be announced next wednesday and as usual fans expectations are high. The iPad 3 should have a high-res display and more new features but if you can't wait wednesday keynote at the Yerba Buena Center Simon Pierro has the scoop for you.....with a little help of magic!

Video: copyright Simon Pierro

London's Iconic " Routemaster " Bus is back !

2011-11-27T11:57:00.000-08:00

It was announced last year by London mayor, and it London passengers can look forward to getting on board early next year, but the legendary London bus "Routemaster" is back, with a new design by talented english artist and designer Thomas Heatherwick who took his inspiration from the old famous Routemaster which was introduced on London's streets in the 1950's. Below, you can see the original Routemaster and under the new version.

The original Routemaster is one of London best known icon, and i always loved it. I literally hated the new double decker buses who lost the charm of the old one - and also lost the open platform at the rear thanks to which you could go up or down whenever you wanted. The new version will have it back!...

...and even more as the new Routemaster wil have two stairs and three doors to help passengers to get in or out more quickly. And it will be eco-friendly, too, with a hybrid engine which will be 40% more energy efficient than a standard bus. It also doesn't shudder when it's stationary and will be much quieter and calmer.

Of course Thomas Heatherwick introduced some 21st century techniques like the new lighting now used within interior environments and Heatherwick feel that "it will make a very big difference to the experience". He also had, for the inside of the bus, the great idea to keep the same tones that will remind us the beloved original Route master.

The new Routemaster should be introduced anytime soon and definitely will be in time in London streets for London's Olympic Game next year. In the meantime have a look at the video below, and personally i think that Thomas Heatherwick did a great great job with this new design which also preserves the charm of the old one. Congratulations, Thomas!

Pictures: copyright Heatherwick Studio - London Transport

A Vision of the Future Imagined by Microsoft

2011-10-27T15:36:00.000-07:00

The video below called "Productivity Future Vision" is Microsoft vision of the future. A future where tablets are so thin that you wonder where their energy is coming from and where people don't really talk any more with each other, but if we except this i have to say that the video looks pretty cool. The only problem is that it's probably pure vapor and i am curious to see if Microsoft will be able to release all this for real. More probably it will end like the Courier tablet project which looked wonderful and that they finally killed themselves when the Apple iPad was released.

Anyway, have a look at this future imagined by Microsoft!

Video: copyright Microsoft

SmartBird, the amazing robot that flies like a bird

2011-10-17T11:46:00.000-07:00

Here is something truly amazing, a real WOW! : Until now plenty of robots could fly - but none could fly like a real bird. That was until Markus Fischer and his team at Festo built SmartBird, a large, lightweight robot, modeled on a seagull, that flies by flapping its wings. A soaring demo fresh from TEDGlobal 2011.

I remind you that TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Closed captions and translated subtitles in a variety of languages are now available on TED.com, at http://www.ted.com/translate.

And now, watch and wonder.

Want to see how SmartBird is doing when flying not in a theatre but outside, like a real bird does? Check this other video!

Video: copyright TED Talks and Festo

Steve Jobs Dies At 56 - A Tribute To A Visionary Genius Who Changed Our Lives Forever

2011-10-06T07:16:00.000-07:00

I remember very well how i learned the death of Walt Disney, back in 1966. I was a young boy living in Paris and it was through the now famous Paris Match cover - Paris Match is a french news magazine which at that time was the equivalent in France of LIFE Magazine. On the cover there was just the face of Mickey, who was crying. And i think i did too as the Disney animated classics changed so much my childhood.

45 years later another visionary genius died this morning and him, too, changed my life forever. Without Walt and Steve i would not be here posting daily articles on Disney and more... To say that i'm extremely sad by Steve Jobs death is an understatement. I said it before but, again, i bless the day i've bought my first iMac 15 years ago. It was my first computer and everything has been so easy since then.

When you look back to everything that Apple has introduced in computers since 35 years it's totally amazing. We all now how the Mac and its stellar OS X operating system, the iPod, the iPhone and now the iPad have changed our lives but other things, more simple, also came from Apple. Did you knew, for instance, that it was Apple who introduced the choice of difference fonts on a computer? Of course if they wouldn't have done it someone else would have think to do it but the truth is that it's Apple who did it the first. This one was indeed a small thing but i could go on and on on hundred of others things that Apple introduced to make our user experience better and more easy.

Without Steve we wouldn't also have Pixar. Everyone knows how Steve has transformed this animation studio after he bought it to Georges Lucas but without his unique instinct to choose the right man for the right job, probably Pixar wouldn't have been the same.

"Madness and genius are the two sides of the same street". This famous quote is so true that i can't count how many times i did say it to a lot of people trying to understand what it takes to be a genius. In fact, i think it's fair to say that genius is madness under control. Or, if you prefer, genius is a disciplined madness. As i've also said in my previous article about Steve: "First, a genius is someone who has an incredibly free spirit. Two, he is someone who is "naturally" visionary. There is no genius without vision, it's just impossible. And when i talk about vision, i mean "inside vision", or if you prefer another word: insight. Three, a genius has the constant ability to do the synthesis, i.e to be able to think about all the different plans of the reality at the same time and do the synthesis of them. And for sure, that's what Steve Jobs did from the start.

There is a famous David Lynch movie title which was "Fire walk with me". And i think this would fit perfectly to define Steve. He is a man with so much "fire" and the qualities - or defaults - associated to the "fire energy" as ancient chinese defines it, i.e high idealism, sense of beauty, capacity of vision and synthesis, tenacity, but also sometime a bit dictatorial with "olympian angers". For Steve, the goal, obviously, has always been to have the perfect ideal device becoming real and no matter how long it will take. But behind all this, there is another idea in the mind of Steve: to create products that makes life worth living. If we spend time on this planet it's not to create crap but to bring and share with the rest of the world a certain level of quality, and if possible the highest level of quality. In his case, products that will help people in their life and give them the ability to create as easily as possible what they wish".

Steve Wozniak, who created Apple with Steve Jobs, said this morning that most - if not all - of Steve dreams have been realized and even if he will not see personally the new Apple campus, most of its design will have come from Steve's dreams. I'm sure that the future Apple products will be as good as they were when Steve was here and i wonder if at Apple they will begin to ask themselves - just like it happened at the Walt Disney Company and WDI after Walt's death - " What would have Steve done?". This reminds me that someone incredibly stupid once said that "no one is irreplaceable" and there is nothing more wrong than that. Anyone is irreplaceable, and some people are indeed even more irreplaceable than others.

This first video below is unique, it's Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech in 2005 and it's probably the best one you can watch to learn more about Steve philosophy of life. A great great speech, really.

[VOSTFR] Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement... by Cladouros

What i will miss too, now that Steve passed away - and God knows how much i will really miss this - is Steve Jobs keynotes presentation. There is others people at Apple who are pretty good to present the new devices, but Steve was unique. If you've never seen him live during one of his presentation here below is the video of the iPhone keynote when Steve introduced to the world a device which was going to change forever our mobile phones. Now, almost anyone has a smart phone using the multi touch technology but if you remember just one minute what kind of mess the mobile phones were before the iPhone arrived you will understand why the people watching Steve presentation became just hysterical. The iPhone was "the future suddenly teleported in the present" and we know what an incredible hit it has been since then. And the new iPhone 4S which will be released in ten days will go on in this "future in the present" concept with the new SIRI voice recognition technology which will be a major step of artificial intelligence introduced in our daily lives.

Have a look, it was Steve at his best, on stage he is not only Apple CEO but also look like a kid showing to the world his latest invention!

In this rare last video you won't see Steve but it's his voice who narrates the first Think Different commercial called “Here’s to the Crazy Ones”. I think it's fair to say that we can add Steve to the "crazy ones" you'll see in this video. Because, as i've said, there is no genius without a bit of madness, and for sure Steve had both. I will miss him forever. Wherever you are now, Steve, i wish you a pleasant trip.

I'm adding this last minute video of Steve Wozniak, Apple co-founder, with his reaction today to Steve death.

You can also read my previous tribute called "Thank you so much, Steve" HERE and TIME magazine will release tomorrow friday a special issue "with 21 pages of the full issue to Jobs’ life and career. The issue will includes a six-page essay by Jobs’ biographer Walter Isaacson, a historical report on Jobs career by TIME technology reporters Harry McCracken and Lev Grossman and a photo essay by Diana Walker, who has been shooting Jobs for TIME since 1982".

Pictures and videos: copyright Apple Inc or Stanford University

Thank you so much, Steve

2011-10-06T07:14:00.000-07:00

Except if you are living on another planet you probably know by now that Steve Jobs is no longer Apple CEO. Sure, Steve will stay ay Apple as chairman of the board but Tim Cook will be new Apple CEO and obviously if Steve did this change it's because his strengths are not anymore what they were before. Of course it will also help to have a soft transition which shouldn't have big effects on the stock market, but more than this it means something more sad: Steve is going to die.

Of course i hope that he will stay with us as long as possible, but considering that his own vision and the Apple products who came out of it had a tremendous effect on my life i would like to take a minute or two to send him all my thanks, and more. Actually, Disney and more probably wouldn't exist if i didn't had the good idea to buy an Apple iMac as my first computer twelve years ago. Even if the new iMacs are now incredibly superior everything was so easy and intuitive on my first iMac that i found in love with it! And that's one of the reason i like Apple computers: not only the Mac OS X operating system is stellar, but you can feel so much that everything was designed thinking about the user experience before anything else - and, yes, even before making money out of the products - that your Mac is not only a fantastic tool, but also beautiful and you cherish it like the technological treasure that it is.

When people talk about Walt Disney they generally salute him as a visionary genius - and for sure he was one. Personally i consider Steve Jobs being at the same "altitude" than Walt in his vision capacity, although both were not working in the same category - movie and entertainment for Walt and technology for Steve. What do you need to be a genius, by the way? Well, first, a genius is someone who has an incredibly free spirit. Two, he is someone who is "naturally" visionary. There is no genius without vision, it's just impossible. And when i talk about vision, i mean "inside vision", or if you prefer another word: insight. Three, a genius has the constant ability to do the synthesis, i.e to be able to think about all the different plans of the reality at the same time and do the synthesis of them. And for sure, that's what Steve Jobs did from the start.

There is a famous David Lynch movie title which was "Fire walk with me". And i think this would fit perfectly to define Steve. He is a man with so much "fire" and the qualities - or defaults - associated to the "fire energy" as ancient chinese defines it, i.e high idealism, sense of beauty, capacity of vision and synthesis, tenacity, but also sometime a bit dictatorial with "olympian angers". For Steve, the goal, obviously, has always been to have the perfect ideal device becoming real and no matter how long it will take. But behind all this, there is another idea in the mind of Steve: to create products that makes life worth living. If we spend time on this planet it's not to create crap but to bring and share with the rest of the world a certain level of quality, and if possible the highest level of quality. In his case, products that will help people in their life and give them the ability to create as easily as possible what they wish.

Is there anything that i don't like at Apple or in Steve Jobs? Sure, there is. I'm not a big fan of the "control freak" side, but i understand why Steve has to be like this. Because of his knowledge of reality - and in this case i'm talking about "human beings" reality - he knows that someone, somewhere, is waiting to screw everything. It's a law of life: there is no constructive energy without a destructive one. It happened at Apple when Steve was ousted in the 1985 and when John Sculley, Apple's CEO at that time almost destroyed Apple before Steve comeback in 1996. Since then, with the iMac, iPod, iPhone and iPad Apple has revolutionized our reality and makes things so much more simple that it's hard to don't thanks him for that - does anyone remember how dumbs were the mobile phones operating system before the iPhone? And of course, let's not forget Pixar and its tremendous contribution to the world of animation!

So, yes, thank you so much Steve, mission is almost accomplished - i say "almost" because the perfectionist that you are is intelligent enough to know that absolute perfection is not of this world, which doesn't mean that we don't have to try to get close to it. And that's what you did, wonderfully.

Picture: copyright apple Inc

WDI Imagineers Use of "Innovative Technology" to Build WDW New Fantasyland

2011-08-11T00:27:00.000-07:00

In a new video released by Walt Disney Imagineering, WDI Imagineers takes you onto WDW Magic Kingdom new Fantasyland construction site to learn more about new innovative technology the Imagineers are using to build the upcoming new attractions, restaurants and other guest areas that will make up the expansion.

Although the video shows different kind of new technology used by the Imagineers, obviously each of them is using the Apple iPad. But in the video they just refer to it as the new "tablet" without mentioning the word "iPad", which is a bit ridiculous, knowing that anyone will recognize it. C'mon Imagineers, Steve won't sue you if you say clearly "yes, we all use the iPad!", don't you remember that Steve Jobs is a member of the board (and Disney's biggest private stockholder)?

Anyway, have a look at this very interesting video showing indeed how they use the "new innovative technology"!

Video: copyright Disney

Best Magic Act with an iPad

2011-06-08T06:35:00.000-07:00

You like Magic Act? And Apple iPad? Then don't miss this great magic act done with an iPad. All the tricks used are classic ones, but it's perfectly done.

Enjoy!

Video: copyright iOSmagic

When CGI are used with elegance

2011-04-10T04:04:00.000-07:00

If you want to see what CG Images can create when they're used with elegance then have a look at this great TV Ad for the Sapporo beer. The Ad pays tribute to Japan myths and legends. It was released apparently last year and 2.6 M people already watched it so may be you did, but if you didn't don't miss it and watch it full screen!

Video: copyright Sapporo Co

Did Steve Jobs test the iPad with “The Incredibles” ?

2011-01-30T08:02:00.001-08:00

Cult of Mac have an interesting article this week-end. According to Chris Noessel and Nathan Shedroff in their coming book called Make It So – Learning from SciFi interfaces, "if a device works on a movie audience, it’ll also work as a real-world product. That’s the “meta lesson” from who study how sci-fi interfaces in movies make it off the silver screen and vice versa.

Noessel and Shedroff believes that Steve Jobs may have used the 2004 Pixar movie “The Incredibles” to test whether audiences would accept the idea of a tablet computer. They aren’t the first ones to believe that Jobs may have inserted the iPad-like device in the “Incredibles,” but to assert that “users may already be predisposed to certain interface solutions solely based on what they’ve seen in the media.”

And it's true that the Incredibles iPad-like device looks like the real iPad that Apple launched six years later, so...

Your thoughts?

Pictures: copyright Disney

The Future of Display Tech

2010-11-10T11:07:00.000-08:00

Samsung shows some really impressive displays at FPD 2010 in Japan. There is no doubt that some of this technology will find it way into Apple’s future devices as Samsung, although they do their own phones and tablets, produce a lot of the internals of Apple’s iOS devices like the IPhone or IPad. Discover the future on the video below!

Talking about IPhone, you and I might never go in outer space but your IPhone can! Have a look at the video below to learn how to have your mobile phone flying above the Earth and bring back fantastic pictures.

" Light " Innoventions

2010-09-16T15:50:00.000-07:00

This week-end two simple but cool "innoventions" and the first one is called "Gesture Remote". The Gesture Remote concept from IDENT Technology allows you to control all features of your TV without having to press a single button. You'll be able to surf through TV channels and digital media using simple gestures - touch-free - with no keypad in sight. Have a look at the video below, it looks great - and the pure design is good, too.

Something even more poetic, now, with this incredible invention: a foam printer! No kidding. Watch how they succeed to create out of foam letters which then will fly off in the sky...

Video: copyright IDENT Technology

Best invention of the year ?

2010-08-23T13:39:00.000-07:00

Quite a while since my last post on the Innoventions Blog but here is a great invention that you really must know about. Akinori Ito, of the Japanese company Blest invented a machine which is able to convert plastic back in oil! You then can use it to create gazoline, diesel, or kerosene.

In two words, it's possible to re-convert plastics - which are made from oil - back to oil again, and as you will see on the great video below it's amazingly simple to do it. Not to mention that the "new" oil is safer for environment!

Video: copyright UNUChannel

Street Magic act with Apple IPad !

2010-06-06T14:02:00.000-07:00

A bit of real magic for this Sunday! The great Apple IPad is now released in Europe, but in Japan a street magician performs his latest magic act with Apple's "magical" device! You like Apple AND magic? This video is for you!

Youtube video: copyright salarymagican

Sony develops a roll-Up OLED video screen

2010-05-27T14:50:00.001-07:00

Sony Corporation announced this week that it developed a super-flexible full color OLED display which can be wrapped around a thin cylinder. The new screen is super-flexible to allow it to be repeatedly rolled up, but it's also sturdy enough to still show images. It has a 4.1-inch full colour screen with a resolution of 432x240 pixels and this was achived due to the development of integration technologies of OTFTs and OLEDs on an ultra-thin 20 μm thick flexible substrate and soft organic insulators for all the insulators in the integration circuit. By combining these technologies, Sony successfully demonstrated the world’s first OLED panel which is capable of reproducing moving images while being repeatly rolled-up – around a cylinder with a radius of 4 mm – and stretched.

Sony has not stated exactly what it will use the new displays for, but it has indicated that they may hit the mobile device market. Indeed, the size of the screen itself supports this, suggesting we may have some kind of rollable screen on smartphones in the near future. This may be used to save space or offer bigger screens on small devices by allowing users to stretch the screen out and roll it up when not in use.

Video: copyright Sony

With U3-X Honda rethinks the concept of personal mobility

2010-05-27T14:38:00.000-07:00

Once again, Honda is creating the future. With the new U3-X Honda rethinks the concept of personal mobility, providing the rider with freedom of movement in any direction forward, backward, sideways and diagonally by simply leaning slightly in the desired direction. The lightweight and compact one-wheeled device also features a foldable seat and retractable footrests. A lithium-ion battery pack provides power for up to one-hour of use and can be recharged by plugging in to a conventional household or office 120-volt power outlet. Have a look to the amazing Honda U3-X on the video below, and i'll meet you after with more technical explanations.

Weighing roughly 22 pounds, U3-X uses an advanced Honda proprietary balance-control system which derives from its research into human walking dynamics for the development of the ASIMO bi-pedal humanoid robot. To realize full freedom of movement in all directions, the U3-X also employs the worlds first omni-directional driving wheel system (Honda Omni Traction Drive System) which utilizes a series of concentrically mounted wheels a larger, forward and backward moving inner wheel and a series of smaller sideways moving outer wheels. Diagonal motion is achieved when both forward and sideways moving wheels operate in tandem.

In addition, the compact size and one-wheel-drive design of U3-X was intended to provide user-friendly and pedestrian-friendly operation with low-mounted foot pedals that make it easy for the rider to reach the ground, and a seat height that places the rider at approximately the same eye-level as other people.

Pictures and video: copyright Honda

Mission : Space !

2010-05-22T11:11:00.001-07:00

Here is two fantastic HD videos that i strongly recommand to watch in full screen mode to fully enjoy them. The first one is an incredible time-lapse video of the Space Shuttle - not only its launch that we've seen so many times but from its exit from the maitenance facility to the vehicle assembly building where the shuttle is mounted on the huge rocket boosters to its "trip" to the launching pad, etc... Absolutely fascinating.

The next video is just as fascinating as it is an incredible travelling all along the International Space Station, and you'll go everywhere from the Soyouz module to inside the Space Shuttle. Boy, what a mess inside this space station, they really need some housekeeping up there!

Let's end with a very spectacular video as onboard cameras captured the amazing journey of Atlantis into space, and the never seen before dramatic return of the solid rocket boosters!

Pictures and Videos: copyright NASA - Best of Science

Darth Vader voice pack now available for your Tom Tom GPS

2010-05-06T04:27:00.000-07:00

Nothing stops progress! Do you own a Tom Tom GPS - you know, this little device that you have in your car with a friendly voice telling you to turn right or left? Well, in exchange of $13 ( or 9,95€ ) it can be the Lord of the Sith himself who will guide you to your destination as Tom Tom just released the Darth Vader voice pack! And if you prefer Yoda, C3PO and Han Solo voices, their voice packs will come in the next months!

In the meantime, have a look at the fun Darth Vader recording session below.

Video: copyright Tom Tom

The Secret Mission of the Terminator

2010-05-05T16:46:00.000-07:00

What is happening to a Endoskeleton Terminator when he needs money to charge his batteries? Don't miss this short video and specially the end! And the Terminator animation is just as good as it was in James Cameron movies!

Video from http://laxina.net/

Let's have some fun about Apple with Jon Stewart.

2010-04-30T18:20:00.000-07:00

You know i love Apple products - and i really do - but this don't stops me to enjoy this very funny video with Jon Stewart having fun about Apple after the now famous Gizmodo affair of the new IPhone 4G. Enjoy!

Will this new Apple patent revolutionize guests experience at Disney Theme Parks ?

2010-04-21T07:04:00.000-07:00

As everyone knows Apple Inc is one of the most secret company in the world. Steve Jobs protects all Apple inventions and want them to be known only when it's the right time and to be honest i think he's right. BUT as i am also a huge Apple fan i'm also happy to learn what Apple's future is made of. And for this, the great Patently Apple web site is just perfect. Like any company Apple must protect their new inventions and the best way to do this is to register a patent at the U.S Patent and Trademark Office. Each day Patently Apple is tracking new Apple patents and for sure it's the best way to learn before anyone what will be Apple's next amazing product. Recently Apple registered a patent for a new application, and this one could revolutionize your future visit at a Disney theme parks!

This new Apple's application is called "Concert Ticket +". As patently Apple explains it "The system that is laid out in this extraordinarily detailed patent, points to a new iTunes based web service for tickets... Apple definitely envisions a way to revolutionize the entire current concert ticket process so as to eliminate paper while enhancing the concert or event experience. But the patent goes far beyond concerts as well - so as to cover sporting events, and... theme park admissions and rides"! Considering that Steve Jobs is not only Disney's biggest stockholder but also a member of the WDC board you begin to understand why it's interesting to have a closer look to this new patent...

First, to help you to understand how it works let me give you more details about the part of the patent about concerts as the theme park part of the patent works on the same technique. You will see below the explicit patent picture, and here is Patently Apple explanation (the numbers in the text refers to the picture below):
"Apple's patent FIG. 8A shown below illustrates an iPhone obtaining and storing electronic tickets. The electronic tickets may be any data identified as electronic tickets and may include, for example, encrypted or unencrypted XML files which may be associated with a particular device or user account. An iPhone may obtain electronic tickets from an NFC enabled ticket (#106), by scanning a paper ticket (#108), by receiving an electronic ticket via e-mail (#110) or via the Internet, or by purchasing an electronic ticket from the kiosk or unmanned kiosks presented earlier.

In Apple's patent FIG. 8B we're able to see a variety of benefits that may be associated with the electronic tickets stored on the iPhone. After receiving electronic tickets using one of the manners depicted in FIG. 8A, additional benefits may be obtained by communicating information associated with the electronic tickets to a web service.

To provide a brief example illustrating the electronic ticketing system of FIGS. 8A-B below, a user may purchase an NFC-enabled ticket (#106) for a concert. The user may tap the NFC-enabled ticket to an iPhone running a ticket management application which may cause the iPhone to receive ticket information from the NFC-enabled ticket. The iPhone may next authenticate the ticket with a web service such as iTunes. Thereafter, the user may use their iPhone to gain entry to the concert through the ticket turnstile noted below (#94) - and obtain additional benefits as outlined below.

I-tickets may provide additional benefits, such as digital content which may include a live recording of the event, exclusive interviews with artists associated with the event, or studio recordings by artists associated with the event. The electronic tickets may offer other benefits, such as discounts on merchandise related to the event, discounts or prepaid refreshments for the event, discounts or prepaid merchandise like a T-Shirt for the event, and other related content, such as a digital map (#120) to the event or of the venue including your seating positioning relative to the stage".

Now, let's see the part of this patent about theme parks, which is from patent points 464 through to 478. You have the patent text below but as it is typical patent language i suggest you read it slowly if you want to understand something!

In two words this new application will allow you to order and store in your mobile device (IPhone or others) the entrance ticket to Disney parks but not only. Instead to make the queue to buy the ticket you will present your IPhone at the entrance and they will scan the image and barcode and that's it! This will be great for normal guests but of course if you're an Annualpass holder you don't really care about that. As you will see what's next is more interesting as "the electronic theme park ticket - that you will have stored on your IPhone or other mobile phone may also include such benefits as special ride tickets or prepaid or discount refreshments". Also, "other benefits which may be associated with the electronic theme park ticket may include photos of the user on certain rides, as well as certain entertainment which may become available while the user waits in line.

"In-line entertainment may include, for example, complimentary or for-purchase digital content such as music, videos, or games". "A map to or of the theme park may also be associated with the electronic theme park ticket. Prepaid or discount parking or transportation may also be associated as a benefit with the electronic theme park ticket".

Also "the supplemental ticket data associated with an electronic ticket may include the GPS coordinates delineating where the event may take place. With such information, the electronic device, upon receiving the electronic theme park ticket, may also automatically instate an "out of office" reply to all incoming email or phone calls, indicating that the user is currently unavailable while the user remains within certain GPS coordinates delineating the bounds of the theme park. Additionally, as some theme parks may be affiliated with movie studios, the electronic theme park ticket may include a benefit such as special movie releases. Such special movie releases may become available, for example, when a user enters the theme park using the electronic theme park ticket".

With this App guests will be able "to obtain photos associated with recent theme park rides. As the user passes a ride exit, the unmanned kiosk or the exhibit station may be nearby. The unmanned kiosk and the exhibit station may enable the user to exploit a variety of benefits associated with the electronic theme park ticket". Thanks to the data supplied by the ticket to credit an account for an online media service, such as an iTunes.RTM. account, associated with the ticketholder with the images at a later time, the user may retrieve the images from the online media service from his electronic device. The electronic device may display a screen when, as discussed above, the electronic device interacts with the unmanned kiosk or the exhibit station located near the ride exit. Text may indicate the name of the ride. A button, labeled "See Photos," may enable the user to view photos from the ride. Another button, labeled "Suggested Rides," may recommend similar rides and provide maps to the rides".

"It should further be appreciated that the screen may be additionally or alternatively displayed while the electronic device is operating in a tour mode and the GPS coordinates denoting the end of the ride are detected by the location-sensing circuitry. The electronic device may compare the location data observed by the location-sensing circuitry and various locations denoting ride exits, noted as GPS coordinates in the supplemental ticket data. A hyperlink to a website or other server from the supplemental ticket data may provide up-to-date photo data from the ride".

"A number of benefits that may be associated with the electronic theme park ticket may ...become available to the user. While still at home, the user may prepay for parking and for enough refreshments for the whole family. The user and family may drive to the theme park aided by a map to the park. Upon arrival, because the user has prepaid for parking, the handheld device may display an electronic coupon indicating the user has prepaid for parking when the user arrives. Alternatively, the prepaid parking may be redeemed by tapping the NFC-enabled conference ticket to a kiosk or unmanned kiosk, which may verify that parking has been prepaid by contacting the web service".

"The user and family may gain entry to the theme park using the handheld device using the techniques described above. Once inside the park, the user and family may avoid certain ride lines with special ride tickets and, while waiting in line throughout the day, may take advantage of special in-line entertainment such as a trivia game against others waiting in line. After riding certain rides, the user may purchase photos of his family's recent ride experiences by tapping the handheld device to an unmanned kiosk stationed at the exit. Meanwhile, though the user may not have set an "out-of-office" reply before going to the theme park, the handheld device may automatically set an "out-of-office" reply when the user entered the park, based on user preferences. Finally, when the day winds down and the family is ready to go, certain special movie releases may be offered for purchase on the handheld device on the way out. As the user and family drive home, one of the recently-purchased special movie releases may play in the car".

If you own a IPhone or another mobile device that you can connect to a ITunes account all what you've read above should be possible. Instead to buy a ticket at the entrance booth or stop to pay for the parking you wil show your mobile device and the electronic or parking lot and that's it! And not to mention all what was described above and the goodies you may receive on your mobile device while waiting in line... Now that you've read the above description of the patent you probably understood how this new Apple patent might revolutionize your future Disney parks visits.

Do we all say "thank you" to Steve?

Pictures and part of the text coming from Apple patent: copyright Apple Inc

The Amazing Microsoft " Manual Deskterity "

2010-04-15T10:53:00.000-07:00

Here is the video of an amazing "multi-touch plus stylus" technology developed by Microsoft called "Manual Deskterity". I posted previously articles about the Microsoft Courier Tablet project but what the video was showing was a CGI animation of the concept, not the real thing. Today, it's different as what is filmed is the real thing. There is little doubt that it will be part of the Courier project if Microsoft finally succeed to put it into production.

So what is this "Manual Deskterity"? Well, let's say that for some multi touch applications using your finger works well, and for others a stylus would be better. "Manual Deskterity" shows how using both in conjunction could be the best option of all to manipulate digital objects in different ways whether it's to copying them, stacking them, slicing them or even tearing them apart. Have a look, it's amazing!

Video: copyright Microsoft

Special Audio Animatronics

2010-03-21T03:59:00.000-07:00

D&M Innoventions series are each week-end on Disney and more and the goal is to introduce some amazing technologies. If you like Epcot, Tomorrowland and Audio-Animatronics, then this article is for you!

We begin with RoboThespian which is a great Audio Animatronic created by Engineered Arts. This first video showing RoboThespian having a check-up you will learn the secrets of its making.

In this next video RoboThespian demonstrates how his movement routines can be created using Blender, the open source 3D animation application. The virtual robot drives the movements of the real robot hardware.

In this last video RoboThespian demonstrates content playback and control using a touch screen interface.

The Japanese as we know love robots, and this next one is coming from Japan. Yotaro, the Baby Robot was created to be a Baby Simulator. As you'll guess when you will see Yotaro’s oversized head, Yotaro is not only made of robotic elements but also have a projector behind his head to simulate a face. Yotaro reacts to the user through a sophisticated emotion-control system that watches and senses what they are doing and provides an accompanying reaction. This baby simulator can do a variety of things that make it much more sophisticated than the standard baby training dolls, like crying real tears on its 2-d face.

As someone said in a comment about the video: "It's almost comforting to know that the Japanese will always be there to come up with something even more bizarre every day as if the universe would end if they suddenly stopped!"

Audio Animatronics may also leave the Earth soon and go on the Moon with NASA JSC's "Project M". The NASA video below depicts a Robonaut-based, tele-operated mission to the Moon - one that JSC claims could be accomplished in 1000 days once the go-ahead will be given. The robot will be controlled from the Earth using motion capture. Hope we will see this for real soon!

But how this future NASA robot will work using motion capture? Well, let's come back to RoboThespian which can use the same technique. The video below show a demonstration of the prototype motion capture device, more or less the same technique that will be used for the NASA robot on the moon and almost the same one that WED Imagineers used for the Carousel of Progress Audio Animatronics 45 years ago!

Videos: copyright NASA, Engineered Arts Ltd.

Microsoft Courier or Apple IPad ?

2010-03-15T17:04:00.000-07:00

D&M Innoventions series are each week-end on Disney and more and the goal is to introduce some amazing technologies. If you like Epcot, Tomorrowland and the spirit of the Future, then this article is for you!

Since yesterday it is possible to pre-order on the Apple web site the awaited IPad which will be released in the U.S on April 3 and at the end of April in other countries. I am always furious that no webcam are included on the device - see my previous article here - even if it will probably be the case in the next version. However, except if you're really in a hurry to get Apple's tablet, i strongly suggest you to wait until the end of the year.

Why? Well, not only the IPad V2 will be better as it's always the case, but also because Microsoft is working on its on tablet concept, it's called "Courier" and it looks damn' good! Think about it as an "infinite diary" where you could collect any theme park pictures you'd like when you surf on the web, or even shoot pictures with it when you're at Disneyland (a camera will be included) and share them, etc... all this with an AMAZING user interface. If you use each day a diary or a Filofax AND need a mobile device to read your emails, go on internet, note ideas, take pictures on the go, read ebooks, etc...then Microsoft's Courier will be for you. It's going to revolutionize the diary concept, and boy do we need it! But if you're looking for a device to look movies or play video games, then the Apple IPad will be a better choice.

As you know, normally I'm a Mac addict, the kind of Mac addict who doesn't even want to hear the word "Microsoft"! But it seems that this time Microsoft has designed a product that I would be pleased to order! So, this "Courier" looks great and we have now more details about it. Courier will be under an inch thick, will weight a little over a pound, and will not much bigger than a 5x7 photo when closed. But as you may have already understood Microsoft tablet will open like a book with two screens inside, so i think we can say it's more a "booklet" than a "tablet".

And why Courier will have two screens, you ask? Well you'll understand in a minute on the videos why this dual screens is a great idea but here is more details from Engadget: "The dual 7-inch (or so) screens are multitouch, and designed for writing, flicking and drawing with a stylus, in addition to fingers. They're connected by a hinge that holds a single iPhone-esque home button. Statuses, like wireless signal and battery life, are displayed along the rim of one of the screens. On the back cover is a camera, and it might charge through an inductive pad, like the Palm Touchstone charging dock for Pre.

Two screens, a mashup of a pen-dominated interface with several types of multitouch finger gestures, and multiple graphically complex themes, modes and applications. (Our favorite UI bit? The hinge doubles as a "pocket" to hold items you want move from one page to another.) Microsoft's tablet heritage is digital ink-oriented, and this interface, while unlike anything we've seen before, clearly draws from that, its work with the Surface touch computer and even the Zune HD."

Frankly, if Microsoft succeed to create a "booklet" which works as shown on the videos below I predict a big success to this new device. So, the best is to have a look at the real thing - not totally "real", though, as what you will see on the videos is CGI animation, not the final product which is expected to be released this fall. Important note: these are new videos, not the one released last September, and they show new details on the amazing Courier UI. So, even if you've seen the previous videos, don't miss these new one! Let me know what you think about it in the comments!

Update April 30th, 2010: Microsoft announced today that "the Courier Tablet will not be produced". I can't believe that these guys can be so dumb. Microsoft, one of the biggest and richest company in the world can't succeed to produce such a promising tablet? God, they are really really bad...

Pictures and videos: copyright Microsoft, Engadget

Pranav Mistry brings us the Future

2010-03-15T17:03:00.000-07:00

D&M Innoventions series are each week-end on Disney and more and the goal is to introduce some amazing technologies. If you like Epcot, Tomorrowland and the spirit of the Future, then this article is for you!

I've always thought that a lot of geniuses will come from India and the video embedded today brings a perfect proof. Don't go away as not only you will discover the future and a amazing technology but also a real genius: Pranav Mistry.

Pranav Mistry is born in 1981 in Palanpur, India. He is a young research assistant and a PhD candidate at Massachusets Institute of Technology Media Lab and most of all the inventor of "SixthSense". A lot of modern inventions came from the MIT, and this one is fantastic. Pranav Mistry is passionate about integrating the world of information with our real world interactions. Among some of his previous work, Pranav has made intelligent sticky notes that can be searched, located and can send reminders and messages; a pen that can draw in 3D; and a public map that can act as Google of physical world. His latest invention, Sixth Sense, has been awarded 2009 Invention Award by Popular Science. Pranav Mistry also won Young Innovator Award TR35 by Technology Review and has been called "one of the two or three, best inventors in the world right now".

So, what did he invented? Pranav will explain it to you better than i can do on the video below but, basically, here it is: Right now, you're reading this article on my site, i.e you are on internet. Which means that YOU are coming to the virtual world. Well, Pranav Mistry invented a way to have the "virtual world" coming into our "physical world", i.e exactly the contrary. And, as he did it using things which are already existing we won't have to wait twenty years before it arrives in our reality, it can be done right NOW! And here is the best: all what you will see on this video from a TED conference - if you take the time to look at it, which i hope - can be done for a cost amazingly cheap, not more than $500, i think.

It's not every day that we discover a true genius, and Pranav Mistry is one of them. And the beauty of it is that everything looks so simple...

Below, the 13 min TED video and good news for my non-english readers as you can choose to watch it with subtitles and have the choice of 14 different languages!

And it seems that Pranav opened the way for others researchers as you will see with the next video showing the Skinput system created by Chris Harrison of Carnegie Mellon University and Dan Morris and Desney Tan of the Microsoft's research lab in Redmond. The system is a marriage of two technologies: the ability to detect the ultralow-frequency sound produced by tapping the skin with a finger, and the microchip-sized "pico" projectors now found in some cellphones.

And all this for doing what, you ask? Well, to put it simply, in a near future instead to dial a phone number on your mobile phone you'll be able to do it directly on your hand - and, yes, without holding any mobile phone! Even better, the system will allow to choose options just by tapping your forearm as this one could become part of a skin-based interface that effectively turns your body into a touchscreen!

Have a look below at this other video to be amazed once again!

Video: copyright TED, Skinput

Mission : Space !

2010-03-15T17:00:00.000-07:00

Today the theme of the article is "outer space" and this first video will delight those of you interested by Audio-animatronics. Using leading edge control, sensor and vision technologies, NASA and GM engineers and scientists came together at NASA Johnson Space Center to build a new dexterous humanoid robot - Robonaut2, or R2 for short - capable of working side by side with people or assisting NASA astronauts on dangerous space missions!

I know you've all seen a Space Shuttle launch but space shuttle Endeavour lift-off that happened last February 8 was absolutely awesome. There is only four more Space Shuttle missions and may be this one was the last launch at night. Definitely watch the video in full screen mode and i guarantee you a big WOW! All engines running!

While we are above the Earth, let's stay there a little bit and let's have a look to this new Google's Liquid Galaxy invented by engineer Jason Holt. With Google's Liquid Galaxy the user have a wraparound view of 8 LCD screens providing a incredibly immersive experience of Google Earth.

And, talking about Space Shuttle launch i have a last surprise for you: a perfect video of Epcot's Mission Space filmed by MickeyEars.com. If you've never ride the Epcot attraction the video below will show you everything and put you at the center of the action, just like if you were there, including queue decor, pre-show and the full ride "mission"! Enjoy!

Picture: copyright NASA

Videos: copyright NASA and MickeyEars.com

A New Kind of Haunted Mansion

2010-03-15T16:56:00.002-07:00

In this new Innoventions article we will have a look to a new kind of "Haunted Mansion" created by Alterface a company specialized in interactive theater and based in Louvain, Belgium. Actually you can ride the first version of "The House" as Alterface call it in a U.S theme park based in Branson, MO where the attraction is named "Castle of Chaos".

Here is the pitch of the attraction storyline: "It’s the 1920s and Carli Winepeg, a young actress and silent movies star who focuses on horror films, has disappeared with all her film crew in a dark medieval castle in Transylvania. The shooting of the movie "Castle of Chao" will not be completed. Eighty years later, the mystery has still not been solved and has in fact given rise to a legend. The inquiry revealed that Carli Winepeg was a rather strange character. She was for example always accompanied by her loyal and mysterious big black dog, which behaved just as aggressively as its mistress. If she is alive now, Winepeg could still terrify many people. But here’s the question: Is she really dead?"

Combining Clostermann Design’s audio-animatronics and themed scenery with Alterface’s expertise in interactivity, this interactive haunted house offer fans of this type of popular attraction thrilling new sensations. The adrenalin flowing in the veins of up to 30 spectators is taken to boiling point thanks to a show that combines in theatre special effects (wind, water, low smoke, smells…) as well as in the seats (neck- and leg-tickler, buttkicker), audio-animatronics, surround sound system and interactive 3D Full HD 3D. In a large room, sitting in themed armchairs fixed to a revolving platform, the players/spectators experience all-round stimulation of their senses and lose their spatial awareness as the platform rotates. Guests also have laser guns and are able to shoot at all ghosts coming out of almost everywhere during the show. This interactive haunted house open doors to astonishing worlds – ones that evolve as the story unfolds and in line with the audience’s interaction.

Alterface did a good trailer video, and here it is below!

This next video will show you the attraction model.

As you've seen, it sounds not bad at all, and if one of my reader did the ride in Branson's Castle of Chaos and can let us know how good it is, he is welcome!

And, as we are talking about Haunted House today, a great news for all Disney's Haunted Mansion fans revealed by the O.C.register yesterday as "a Newport Beach company, Candella LLC, has bought worldwide rights to develop and sell the illusory flickering candles in Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion.

President Peter Smith promises that these rechargeable, false-flame candles will be on the market by May under the name Dream Candles. The price will be comparable to real candles but last longer.

Disney Imagineer Gary Schnuckle created these LED candles specifically for the Haunted Mansion. But the false flame’s random movement and other details that make it realistic is more difficult than you’d think, which is why the flame illusion has numerous patents." You can read more about it in the O.C Register full article HERE and below the video interview of Peter Smith, President of Candella LLC where you'll see these magic candles!

Looks definitely a great idea to bring this on the market for everyone isn't it?

See you next week-end for a new Innoventions article!

Thanks to leave a comment or discuss this article on D&M english forum on Mice Chat

Screen captures and The House Videos: copyright Alterface

Other video: copyright O.C Register

Innoventions logo from Hani El Masri

Imagineering video reveal WDI new technologies

2010-03-15T16:56:00.001-07:00

Two days ago Disney Parks released the video below - a (well-deserved) tribute to Walt Disney Imagineering. The date of the release is interesting as it was two weeks before the opening of the D23 Expo where guests will be able to see "new technologies being developed by Walt Disney Imagineering".

And precisely, this new video shows us - even if it is very brief shots - what seems to be some WDI new technologies we never saw before. We're going to have a closer look at them but before, if you have not watch the video yet, have a look at it below, if you did previously, jump after the video.

So, the first interesting shot is at 0:19 with fountains on fire. It's quite spectacular and i won't be surprised if we see it next year in the World of Color show at DCA.

Next interesting shot is at 0:45 where we see an Imagineer in front of Master Gracey's portrait which changes when the Imagineer waves his hand. Who is ready to take the bets that this technology will be coming to the Haunted Mansion anytime soon?

More intriguing at 1:14 are these two Imagineers animating a Jack Sparrow character thanks to motion capture technology. An interactive experience is supposedly coming to the Disney Cruise Line, but may be we'll see this somewhere else.

At 1:52 the face behind the Imagineer looks really A LOT like Yoda's face. Will we see a Yoda AA in the new and awaited Star Tours 2.0 attraction?

At 2:17 a man is walking in what seems to be Narnia's Ice Queen throne and he is interacting with projected characters including Tinker Bell. The WDWnewstoday site think that it may be "an experience where guests would be able to enter environments and interact with “real” characters via RFID technology". We'll see...

And finally at 2:22, we can see a spinning simulator vehicle with mounted guns. Anyone have an idea of where this will appear?

As i've said the release date of this video two weeks before the D23 Expo looks like a viral campaign for the Expo. There is little doubt that they knew that Disney fans will notice these shots, and considering that WDI Imagineers will be at D23 Expo, i count on those of you who will attend the event to ask them more details about these amazing new technologies. Don't forget to let us know!

Thanks to leave a comment or discuss this article on D&M english forum on Mice Chat

Pictures and video: copyright Disney

Innoventions Dream Home Exhibit - Photos and Videos

2010-03-15T16:54:00.000-07:00

Nearly 50 years after the opening of the House of the future, the new Disneyland's Innoventions Dream Home is now open!
The grand Opening was June 16, and Mouseinfo.com filmed all the ceremony and the exhibit - you'll see below more videos on specific parts of the exhibit thanks to the good work of the great team of ehomeupgrade, but before you get more details with the official press release below, let's begin by the beginning, i.e the opening.

Imagine a home so perfectly attuned to the needs of a family that it can anticipate and fulfill them, virtually without anyone lifting a finger. Now imagine that the home offers family members high-tech connectivity, not just with one another but with people, entertainment and information in the world at large.

Guests at Disneyland can soon do more than imagine it. Beginning June 17, the Innoventions Dream Home in Tomorrowland is bringing that world to life as a limited number of guests have the opportunity to preview the home.

The Innoventions Dream Home is both a show and a showcase, offering guests of all ages a hands-on experience with new in-home technologies, some that are practical and some that are astounding. Microsoft, HP, Life|ware and homebuilder Taylor Morrison have joined with Disneyland Resort to demonstrate how a connected digital lifestyle can simplify and enhance many aspects of daily family life.

"We're thrilled to open the Innoventions Dream Home with the help of our partners," said Ed Grier, president of the Disneyland Resort. "We are confident our guests will find new ways to connect to their world in this immersive, entertaining experience."

The experience includes guest interaction with the residents of the Dream Home - the fictional Elias family – who will be excited to welcome all guests into their new home at the end of June. Members of the family move from room to room, utilizing the technology as they prepare for a big celebration. Guests who enter the Dream Home can observe and play with all its comforts, including:
Innovations from Microsoft that enable today’s digital lifestyle, seamlessly connecting family members to live and recorded entertainment and memories
Connected entertainment devices and PCs from HP that help the family members stay connected and simplify their daily activities
Wireless technology adapted by Life|ware that allows the Dream Home’s devices to recognize individual family members as they enter a room and tailor the room to their individual preferences

Here is the "lifeware' demo video

“It’s both ‘high-tech’ and ‘high-touch,’” said Greg Atkins, writer and director for the free-form Innoventions Dream Home experience. “We’ll be showcasing technology that connects families to each other, their home, the surrounding community and the world. And many of the innovative things our guests will be playing with are actually available today.”

The user-friendly technology of the Innoventions Dream Home is on display from the moment guests approach the entrance to “360 Tomorrowland Way” (a whimsical reference to the circular “carousel” structure of the Innoventions building). Each room offers new experiences and surprises.

Front Yard

A member of the Elias family greets guests as they approach the front door of the Dream Home. Today, the family member announces, everyone is invited to visit as the family prepares a party to celebrate younger son Robbie’s amazing soccer goal, which earned his team a victory in the Nationals and a spot at the International Soccer Championships in China.

The Front Yard also introduces guests to the ease, function and connectivity of the Dream Home. With the touch of a button, the family can change the outside appearance of the Dream Home. Today, they’ll be decorating for Robbie’s celebration, but they can also easily decorate for the holidays.

The Dream Home “recognizes” members of the Elias family as they enter the home. The dog door even recognizes the family dog!

Foyer & Great Room

Upon entering the Dream Home, guests may explore on their own in several directions. Whichever direction they choose, they will enter through the Foyer and Great Room, which showcases many of the connected personal features of the home.

As the Dream Home notes the presence of individual members of the Elias family, the surroundings in the Great Room – pictures on the walls, music in the sound system – automatically adjust to the preferences of the family member who is in the room.

At the Grand Piano in one corner, a would-be virtuoso can take a master class from a teacher on the other side of the country. Technology lets the teacher do a full demonstration, complete with technique, on the Dream Home piano.

In the center of the room, next to the family’s easy chairs and ottomans, is a “coffee table book” that is actually an interactive touch screen with content from the library. The book will display the original manuscript of “Alice in Wonderland.” Guests and Elias family members can turn the pages of the book simply by touching the screen.

Kitchen

Like most kitchens, the Elias family Kitchen is more than just a place to prepare food. It’s where the calendar is kept, and where family photos and works of art are displayed. New technology enables all of this, with a virtual bulletin board that posts all the latest messages about soccer schedules, along with digital photos and versions of the kids’ hand-drawn creations.

Since this Dream Home Kitchen is fully interconnected, appliances can “talk” to one another. So can the grocery items! If Mrs. Elias puts a bag of flour on the counter, the computer voice of “Lillian” will provide recipes and instructions to prepare the meals. If ingredients are missing or out-of-date, the interconnected pantry and refrigerator will share the information and create a shopping list on the virtual bulletin board.

Here is the "smart kitchen" demo video

Dining Room

Like most families, the Elias family gathers around the dinner table to discuss the day’s events, and the day of Robbie’s soccer victory has been a special one. The Dining Room table is a large interactive surface, inlayed with computers, and when the family sets down their mobile phones on the table, photos and videos spill across the screens. Then the family can interact with, view and enlarge the images with a simple touch.

The Dining Room table can also be used to create art, do homework, and assemble video puzzles – with multiple family members all at once.

A Dining Room memory cabinet displays photos and art appropriate to any occasion, triggered by objects placed on its shelf.

Here are two videos of the Microsoft "Surface" dining table, and the technology looks great!

Family Room/Home Office

The entertainment center in the Dream Home Family Room is a movie lover’s dream. With the touch of a button, the room transforms into a state-of-the-art home theater. The curtains close, the lights adjust, the 7.1 surround sound kicks in, and the 100-inch television screen comes to life with one of the movies stored in the Media Center.

Across the room is the Home Office, with desk and chair inspired by the classic design of Walt Disney’s own Studio office. Here, Elias family members can attend to the business of the day, including communication with the Chinese soccer team that will meet Robbie’s team when it arrives for the contest. A 3-D Printer enables the Chinese hosts to send a congratulatory three-dimensional gift directly to the Elias home.

Teen Daughter’s Room

At her desk, the Elias family daughter can connect with friends or her favorite entertainment. As she develops new interests, she can easily change the photos and posters in her room.

But she may be spending much of her time in front of the Magic Mirror, a virtual mirror that projects accessories, hairstyles and the clothes from her closet onto her reflection, fitting the styles to her body so that she can try out different “looks” as she prepares for her brother’s party.

Tip: Watch as she holds the dress up for consideration. The virtual skirt even sways as she twirls around!

Here is a video of this "magic mirror"

Younger Son’s Room

Robbie has a room that would be the envy of any adventurous kid. His bed is a pirate ship, complete with onboard cannon. In the manner of all great Disney attractions, the room combines the latest technology with classic storytelling.

When a family member takes a seat by the bed and begins to tell the story of Peter Pan, the story jumps off the pages. Everyone in the room is immersed in the story with special effects, including video that appears on the ship’s sail and the surrounding walls. Tinker Bell may even breeze past some of the room’s fixtures, causing them to shake and tinkle. The bed-cannon can shoot holes through the virtual clouds, just like the cannon on Captain Hook’s ship.

Very unfortunately, there is no video available yet of the son's room, but let's end with a video of a demo of the amazing HP Touch Smart PC, it worth the look!

You can learn more about the Disneyland's Innoventions Dream Home on the Disneyland press web site, fun facts, official video, etc, HERE

Photos: copyright Disney

Youtube videos; copyright Mouseinfo.com and ehomeupgrade