State of the Blog: An Overdue Update

Dear readers (for those of you who flatter me by visiting even after months of, well, nothing),

I am at a crossroads in my life, both personally and professionally. I’m sure both are common excuses amongst dormant bloggers, but it’s the absolute truth behind the lack of activity here at technotorious over the past few months. And although I’m a bit disappointed in myself, the primary reason behind the blogging lull is one that I couldn’t be happier about …

Mrs. technotorious and I will welcome a new little bundle of technotoriousness into the world very soon. To say it’s been a learning experience would be the understatement of the century, but to go into any great detail wouldn’t necessarily fit with the established tone of things here at technotorious.

The big question, as it relates to technotorious, is will this blog thrive as I make the transition from techno-buff to techno-daddy? The answer, at least for now? I honestly don’t know. Give me a month or two; let me get a few diaper changes and late-night feedings under my belt, and we’ll talk.

In the meantime, though, I’ve found that it’s much easier for me to find the time for 140 characters (or less) than regular blogging. As I’ve always appreciated all of you for taking the time to subscribe and/or visit this blog, I invite you to tweet at me … and we’ll see where things go from there.

Sincerely,

Brian

The Sunday Slide: Special Delivery…

Special delivery…..for me, originally uploaded by 713 Avenue.

Catching up on my Flickr browsing this morning, I came across this clever photo from Flickr user 713 Avenue.

For Mac and/or Stormtrooper and/or Lego fanboys and girls out there, 713’s Stromtroopers and Mac + Troopers photo sets are recommended viewing.

Impress Your Friends with FluidTunes

In my ideal Jetsons-esque world, the title of this post would be more along the lines of “Reach Out and Touch the Future with FluidTunes.”

The premise is definitely futuristic enough — control your iTunes with a simple wave of your hand (thanks to your webcam), never once touching a keyboard or a mouse. And once you overcome a bit of a learning curve, FluidTunes delivers on this promise. It’s cool and fun for a while, and it will definitely elicit its fair share of “ooohs” and “ahhhs” from your friends, but in the long run it’s just some techno-candy. It’d be great for a party or a group listening session, but it’s not a very practical interface when you simply want some background music as you work.

Still, I can’t advise you not to download it. For the most part, it’s programs like this that make me wonder what the future holds. Plus, it’s a relatively small file (0.7 MB), free for both Mac and PC users, and the cool factor cannot be understated. Just make sure to use FluidTunes in a well-lit room with no background interference.

Check out the video below and decide for yourself whether cool = worthwhile:

I Believe Those Are My Sunglasses, Mr. Anderson.

Picture the following scenario:

You’re at the park, enjoying a nice stroll on a particularly sunny day. Strutting along to the sounds from your mp3 player of choice, you notice a group of people tossing a Frisbee. One of the guys looks familiar … so you pull up his Facebook profile … floating … above his head … thanks to your sunglasses. He turns out to be an old friend you haven’t seen in years. You stop to say hello, and the two of you decide to meet for lunch later in the week to catch up. You’re not familiar with his neighborhood, so you consult a Google Maps interface … floating … in your field of vision …  thanks to your sunglasses.

Technically, the thanks would actually be due to an emerging technology known as Augmented Reality. In short, it represents the blending of real-world and computer-generated content into real time. And Mashable’s Jennifer Van Grove reports that it’s not as far-fetched as it sounds. In fact, our park scenario only represents the proverbial tip of the iceberg when it comes to potential applications of AR. Van Grove breaks down the categories of possible AR experiences along with some incredible video clips, including the following exploration into AR and educational endeavors:

Check out “Augmented Reality Devices: See the Online World While Walking the Real One” for a host of details.