Daily Bits

Ecotopia: A Worthwhile Facebook Game?

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Ecotopia
For some reason, I have never gotten into FarmVille, which is perhaps the most popular Facebook game of all time. I did find myself wasting lots of hours on CityVille, though, for reasons I cannot explain. Now, here comes another game, which aims to catch the attention of the hordes of people already addicted to Facebook games. Called Ecotopia, the game seems to have some similarities with CityVille and other games in the same category. The big difference is that Ecotopia is being touted as a “green game”. It is being developed by Talkie, in cooperation Conservation International, with Hollywood star Harrison Ford’s support.

The game has not been launched yet, but there is already a Facebook page for Ecotopia. According to what the developers, the game is:

  1. Eco-friendly
  2. A heroes-versus-villain adventure
  3. Players start with an environment that is dirty and inhabitable. The task is to generate resources and eventually create one’s own utopia – with the good of the environment always a prime consideration.

Just like all other social games on Facebook, players can connect to their friends and interact with them via the game. Indeed, no social game will be complete without these features. For those who may already be raising their eyebrows and thinking that the game is nothing more than an escape from reality, Ecotopia does reach out to the real world. I don’t know exactly how the system will work, but the developers say that “players will also be heavily rewarded for performing real-world acts of green and incorporating them into their Ecotopia gaming experience.”

I know many of my Facebook friends do not care about my fish, my mafia, or my city; but if Ecotopia is going to be good as it is being hyped up, I wouldn’t mind risking the ire of some Facebook friends for a worthy cause. Shall we give it a try when it comes out on the 4th of April?

How do you say this and that?

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“Between the two” OR “among the two”? What is the best sounding and most probably the right phrase to use between the two or should I say, among the two? Is there a tool that can help me with this?

Francesco Benetti from Italy had the same problem so he created Phras.in, a website that helps you decide on what phrase to use.

Simply enter two phrases that’s making your day miserable and watch the site show you the number of results instantly. Hit the contextualize button and see a side-by-side comparison of the two phrases based on its results. It’s a cool tool but does not necessarily mean that it’s a neat one. It’s still best to have a thesaurus and a dictionary close to you because the assumption that having higher number of results indicate common use and probably the right phrase does not really sound right. Phras.in, however, is a fast tool that’s nice to have around especially when you’re in search of the right phrase.

So let me go back, “between the two” or “among the two”? Let the results speak for itself.

Can Someone Please Help Me Find My Cell Phone?

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A cell phone is a necessity. Some people would even say that they can’t live a day without their cell phones. It is not only for making calls to family members, friends and business associates. It has become a link to the Internet, a tool to capture memories through photos and videos or a gadget to play music. It stores tons of information about you and the people you are associated with.

So what happens when your beloved cell phone goes missing? You know you just misplaced. Where? You’re not sure. How do you find it? You go to I Can’t Find My Phone, a side project of Dave Dawson from New York City. It’s mission is straightforward: to help people find their photo when misplaced.

Simply enter the phone number and you should hear your phone ring.

(Note: Don’t abuse the system though by entering other people’s phone number.)

Reality Touchscreen: The World’s Largest?

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Touchscreen
And you thought the iPad 2 is at the top of the list for huge screens…

Think again, folks. The Reality Touchscreen developed by engineers at the University of Groningen is the real thing. This screen measures in at 10 meters wide by 2.8 meters high. For those of you who speak/think/count in feet, that’s 32.8 feet wide by 9.2 feet high. Every other touchscreen display is suddenly paling in comparison, isn’t it?

So how did the engineers create the screen? In the news report published by the university on their web site, they made use of hardware that can be bought off the shelves and public domain software. All they needed was a splash of creativity – and engineering know-how – and they got themselves a nice big toy.

After you watch this touchscreen in action – see the video below – you will most certainly want to play with it, but it is no mere toy. This touchscreen can take more than a hundred simultaneous touches. More so, the screen itself is transparent – something which reminds me of those cool computer screens in sci-fi movies and TV shows. For those who put a lot of weight on design, you will appreciate the curvature of the screen.

On the technical side, this baby is powered by 6 HD projectors, 16 IR lights, and 6 cameras. These make the immense multi-touch capacity possible. The display has a 4900 x 1700 resolution and has a 120Hz refresh rate.

Now see for yourself what a little do-it-yourself can do.

Awe-inspiring is an understatement. I want one of these!

Predator: The Musical

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The other day, I arrived at home to hear songs from Sweeney Todd blaring over the surround sound system. I have only seen the movie in bits and pieces, but the soundtrack got me thinking about musicals. Imagine my reaction when I saw a video of Predator: The Musical!

Predator may not be the most brilliant movie you’ll ever see, but there is something to be said about Arnold Schwarzenegger, especially in his glory days.

No, we are unlikely to see the California governor on Broadway anytime soon. It is also unlikely that we’ll see a full-blown movie musical with Arnie in it. Still, this video should give you something to chuckle about on this Monday. Forget Monday Blues – “If It Bleeds, We Can Kill It” is all you need today.

The people behind the production:

Music and lyrics by Jon Kaplan and Al Kaplan (Conan the Barbarian: The Musical, Silence! The Musical)
Contains variations on Alan Silvestri’s landmark “Predator” score.

Dutch, Billy, Dillon, Predator: Al Kaplan
Mac and Ramirez: Jon Kaplan
Anna: Sharmila Guha

If you are a die-hard Arnie fan and you want your own copy of this, buy the video from the iTunes store.

Roombots: The Furniture of the Future

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Space is perhaps the most critical issue that urban dwellers face today. Anyone who has had the experience of searching for an apartment or condo unit in the city will know that a few square meters of living space may very well cost an arm and a leg. Depending on the location, you may have to throw in one of your kidneys as well!

Living in cramped quarters shouldn’t be all that bad – if you can find miniature sized furniture that suits your fancy. But what if technology gave you the option to only own a few pieces of furniture that changes to the specific item that you need or want? Scratch that – what if you can own tiny robots that can configure themselves to build the piece of furniture that your needs dictate?

That is what Roombots is all about. The guys at Biorobotics Laboratory are working on a concept that might provide the ultimate solution to interior design for the space-starved. Roombots are modular robots that serve as building blocks for practically any piece of furniture that one will need in the house. If this concept becomes reality, you may very well find yourself sleeping in a bed at night – a bed that can convert itself to the dining table which you will use for breakfast. What the bots will do with the bedding, I have no clue. You do get the idea, right?

Here are some photos of the concept.
Roombot Table
Roombot Coffeetable
Roombot Chair
Roombot Stool

I am not sure about the aesthetic value of the Roombots, but I am sure that can easily be tweaked once the technical aspects have been perfected. For the technical details and videos of the bots in action, visit Biorob.