Greg's bite: My dearest apologies to Mattel
TweetFollow Us on Twitter

Greg's bite: My dearest apologies to Mattel

By Greg Mills

In recent articles I attributed the embarrassingly flubbed Ken smartphone Microsoft  launched as being a product of Mattel, when actually  Sharp produced it. I was frankly deceived by the toy like quality of the Kin/Ken, thus never attributing the toy phone to a serious manufacturer like Sharp.  

Actually, I am joking at the expense of Mr. Ballmer and the copycat software firm responsible for the Ken's release. Those folks, instead of being fired, were put to work building the (too late to be relevant) Windows 7 Mobile OS. I can't wait to see what wonders they can perform.

Microsoft has lost half its market cap since Mr. Ballmer took over the company from the other Steve. To their credit, Mattel never sued me for defamation or some other legal theory for embarrassing them with my insinuation they had anything to do with the Ken Phone.  (I never seem to spell "Kin" the same way Microsoft did). The dilution of the "Barbie" brand might also have been grounds for Mattel to have sued me, so I hereby apologize to Mattel.   

Going on to interesting tech issues, I read an article this morning where Sharp is working on a cool 3D touch screen smart phone display they hope to launch soon. That 3D screen may be a limited run item and thus only sold in Japan. This is somewhat typical that test runs; often, the latest thing is launched first in Japan. The Japanese are early adopters, and the latest tech gadgets always get snapped up by the locals.

There are so many ways to present a 3D display I hardly know where to begin. The theory is that we see with two eyes and thus see things in 3D. The two dimensions we see on current computer displays has only vertical and horizontal dimensions. When you add the third dimension things pop out from the screen and seem to be projected in front of the screen.  Sometimes the display forms the background and the 3D portion of the displayed image is projected to appear between us and the background. There is an overhead in additional information required to do this. The 3D image must be recorded and stored in such a way that the part that pops out is displayed at the right time and works with the background to make a believable image.

Some 3D images offer just sort of a fuzzy, out of focus softness. Other 3D systems are much crisper and really pop out.  Dual layer screens that sort of divide the display into two images that are polarized by a layer of plastic, so each eye sees at a slightly different angle that the brain converts to 3D is one approach.

Remember the little plastic toy images that came in Cracker Jacks? When you tip them back and forth they change the image as the plastic has prisms on it that divide the view into two different angles where you view one thing -- or two completely different images that alternate when the item is tipped. This requires the two images be stripped where every other narrow strip would be one image and the other strips are the other image. This is the cheapest way to do the 3D trick, but it has limitations.

Glasses that have colored filters that are different over each eye are able to trick us into seeing a 3D image, but you have to wear the silly glasses to see the effect. saw a demonstration of Panasonic's 3D HDTY system at a Home Show a year ago that used a variation of the 3D movie type glasses but was much more high tech. The expensive and relatively heavy glasses or goggles which could fit over regular glasses used Bluetooth to actually sync the lenses. The goggles alternately shut the lenses on and off in such a way as to sync with alternating images in the display. That mechanism offered slightly different angles of view, which resulted in a strong and vivid 3D effect. It did seem to be distinctly layered, however. The images flashed back and forth so fast you never noticed the alternation.

Numerous patents are both pending and issued for various ways to do the 3D trick. It is even possible to create a set of glasses that give a 3D effect for the person who wears them.  Connecting the glasses to a computer with Bluetooth is easy.  

Projecting a color 3D hologram may be the "Holy Grail" of 3D displays. A common problem with 3D displays is that the effect may only be visible at a narrow angle in relations to the screen.  Popular movies such as the "Star War " series have shown holographic projections in a science fiction presentation of what the future might hold.  

The issues are finding the combination of some sort of 3D effect that works with low power, full color, convincing 3D effects, low data stream requirements, without glasses, that are cheap and easy to manufacture. These are the elusive goals of Apple and the others researching 3D displays face. These companies use billions of dollars worth of displays for smart phones, iPads, iPods, laptops, desktop displays and TV screens, that display images to us many hours per day.  

Satisfaction with electronics is based upon getting the highest quality display and sound at the lowest price. That is why HDTV has taken over so quickly.  As prices for HDTV have fallen, regular TV is on the way out. Good quality 3D computer and TV displays will certainly replace current 2D screens when the technology matures.

Improvements such as the Apple Retina Display on the new iPhone 4 are simply a lot more pixels packed into a smaller space than before. The smaller and brighter the pixel the better quality the displayed image. I had a conversation with my iPad-enamored 11-year-old about pixel density the other day. I explained that when you run an iPhone version of an app on iPad the picture is not as sharp as when the app is an optimized iPad app, which has much sharper details. She got it right away.

Look for more pixels, brighter displays and someday soon, some sort of 3D effect coming from your displays.

(Greg Mills, is a Faux Artist in Kansas City. Formerly a new product R&D man for the paint sundry market, he holds 11 US patents. He's working on a solar energy startup, www.CottageIndustrySolar.com using a patent pending process of turning waste dual pane glass into thermal solar panels used to heat water. Greg writes for intellectual web sites and Mac related issues. See Greg's art web site at www.gregmills.info ; His email is gregmills@mac.com )

 

Community Search:
MacTech Search:

Software Updates via MacUpdate

Latest Forum Discussions

See All

Whitethorn Games combines two completely...
If you have ever gone fishing then you know that it is a lesson in patience, sitting around waiting for a bite that may never come. Well, that's because you have been doing it wrong, since as Whitehorn Games now demonstrates in new release Skate... | Read more »
Call of Duty Warzone is a Waiting Simula...
It's always fun when a splashy multiplayer game comes to mobile because they are few and far between, so I was excited to see the notification about Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile (finally) launching last week and wanted to try it out. As someone who... | Read more »
Albion Online introduces some massive ne...
Sandbox Interactive has announced an upcoming update to its flagship MMORPG Albion Online, containing massive updates to its existing guild Vs guild systems. Someone clearly rewatched the Helms Deep battle in Lord of the Rings and spent the next... | Read more »
Chucklefish announces launch date of the...
Chucklefish, the indie London-based team we probably all know from developing Terraria or their stint publishing Stardew Valley, has revealed the mobile release date for roguelike deck-builder Wildfrost. Developed by Gaziter and Deadpan Games, the... | Read more »
Netmarble opens pre-registration for act...
It has been close to three years since Netmarble announced they would be adapting the smash series Solo Leveling into a video game, and at last, they have announced the opening of pre-orders for Solo Leveling: Arise. [Read more] | Read more »
PUBG Mobile celebrates sixth anniversary...
For the past six years, PUBG Mobile has been one of the most popular shooters you can play in the palm of your hand, and Krafton is celebrating this milestone and many years of ups by teaming up with hit music man JVKE to create a special song for... | Read more »
ASTRA: Knights of Veda refuse to pump th...
In perhaps the most recent example of being incredibly eager, ASTRA: Knights of Veda has dropped its second collaboration with South Korean boyband Seventeen, named so as it consists of exactly thirteen members and a video collaboration with Lee... | Read more »
Collect all your cats and caterpillars a...
If you are growing tired of trying to build a town with your phone by using it as a tiny, ineffectual shover then fear no longer, as Independent Arts Software has announced the upcoming release of Construction Simulator 4, from the critically... | Read more »
Backbone complete its lineup of 2nd Gene...
With all the ports of big AAA games that have been coming to mobile, it is becoming more convenient than ever to own a good controller, and to help with this Backbone has announced the completion of their 2nd generation product lineup with their... | Read more »
Zenless Zone Zero opens entries for its...
miHoYo, aka HoYoverse, has become such a big name in mobile gaming that it's hard to believe that arguably their flagship title, Genshin Impact, is only three and a half years old. Now, they continue the road to the next title in their world, with... | Read more »

Price Scanner via MacPrices.net

B&H has Apple’s 13-inch M2 MacBook Airs o...
B&H Photo has 13″ MacBook Airs with M2 CPUs and 256GB of storage in stock and on sale for up to $150 off Apple’s new MSRP, starting at only $849. Free 1-2 day delivery is available to most US... Read more
M2 Mac minis on sale for $100-$200 off MSRP,...
B&H Photo has Apple’s M2-powered Mac minis back in stock and on sale today for $100-$200 off MSRP. Free 1-2 day shipping is available for most US addresses: – Mac mini M2/256GB SSD: $499, save $... Read more
Mac Studios with M2 Max and M2 Ultra CPUs on...
B&H Photo has standard-configuration Mac Studios with Apple’s M2 Max & Ultra CPUs in stock today and on Easter sale for $200 off MSRP. Their prices are the lowest available for these models... Read more
Deal Alert! B&H Photo has Apple’s 14-inch...
B&H Photo has new Gray and Black 14″ M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max MacBook Pros on sale for $200-$300 off MSRP, starting at only $1399. B&H offers free 1-2 day delivery to most US addresses: – 14″ 8... Read more
Department Of Justice Sets Sights On Apple In...
NEWS – The ball has finally dropped on the big Apple. The ball (metaphorically speaking) — an antitrust lawsuit filed in the U.S. on March 21 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) — came down following... Read more
New 13-inch M3 MacBook Air on sale for $999,...
Amazon has Apple’s new 13″ M3 MacBook Air on sale for $100 off MSRP for the first time, now just $999 shipped. Shipping is free: – 13″ MacBook Air (8GB RAM/256GB SSD/Space Gray): $999 $100 off MSRP... Read more
Amazon has Apple’s 9th-generation WiFi iPads...
Amazon has Apple’s 9th generation 10.2″ WiFi iPads on sale for $80-$100 off MSRP, starting only $249. Their prices are the lowest available for new iPads anywhere: – 10″ 64GB WiFi iPad (Space Gray or... Read more
Discounted 14-inch M3 MacBook Pros with 16GB...
Apple retailer Expercom has 14″ MacBook Pros with M3 CPUs and 16GB of standard memory discounted by up to $120 off Apple’s MSRP: – 14″ M3 MacBook Pro (16GB RAM/256GB SSD): $1691.06 $108 off MSRP – 14... Read more
Clearance 15-inch M2 MacBook Airs on sale for...
B&H Photo has Apple’s 15″ MacBook Airs with M2 CPUs (8GB RAM/256GB SSD) in stock today and on clearance sale for $999 in all four colors. Free 1-2 delivery is available to most US addresses.... Read more
Clearance 13-inch M1 MacBook Airs drop to onl...
B&H has Apple’s base 13″ M1 MacBook Air (Space Gray, Silver, & Gold) in stock and on clearance sale today for $300 off MSRP, only $699. Free 1-2 day shipping is available to most addresses in... Read more

Jobs Board

Medical Assistant - Surgical Oncology- *Apple...
Medical Assistant - Surgical Oncology- Apple Hill Location: WellSpan Medical Group, York, PA Schedule: Full Time Sign-On Bonus Eligible Remote/Hybrid Regular Apply Read more
Omnichannel Associate - *Apple* Blossom Mal...
Omnichannel Associate - Apple Blossom Mall Location:Winchester, VA, United States (https://jobs.jcp.com/jobs/location/191170/winchester-va-united-states) - Apple Read more
Cashier - *Apple* Blossom Mall - JCPenney (...
Cashier - Apple Blossom Mall Location:Winchester, VA, United States (https://jobs.jcp.com/jobs/location/191170/winchester-va-united-states) - Apple Blossom Mall Read more
Operations Associate - *Apple* Blossom Mall...
Operations Associate - Apple Blossom Mall Location:Winchester, VA, United States (https://jobs.jcp.com/jobs/location/191170/winchester-va-united-states) - Apple Read more
Business Analyst | *Apple* Pay - Banco Popu...
Business Analyst | Apple PayApply now " Apply now + Apply Now + Start applying with LinkedIn Start + Please wait Date:Mar 19, 2024 Location: San Juan-Cupey, PR Read more
All contents are Copyright 1984-2011 by Xplain Corporation. All rights reserved. Theme designed by Icreon.