Aurasma augmented reality app brings toys to life

 

Augmented reality specialist Aurasma has teamed up with toy manufacturer Bandai to bring toys sitting on shelves to life in full 3D, letting children play with them before a box is opened. Toy shopping will never be the same.

Such augmented reality wizardry is made possible via a free app for iPhone, iPad and Android devices that lets children and big-boys and girls-alike view a toy in action, and with sound as if they were real.

Augmented reality technology has been around before, but not quite like this, used on the back of toy boxes. The idea is to transform the shopping experience by bringing toys to life within seconds of pointing your compatible handset at the back of a box.

Pollyanna’s apps of the month
Seeing a toy come to life is sure to entertain children, bored of looking at static store shelves, and give parents a better idea of the toys they are buying for their kids. Unlike some augmented reality tech, Aurasma has no need to scan in QR codes, so potentially any object can be brought to life.
Should you wish to try it out, head to your nearest toy shop and point your Aurasma-enabled iOS or Android device at the boxes of Bandai toys including Lion-O from Thundercats, and then watch it swing its sword in full 3D as you tilt and bring it closer to your eyes for a better look.
We’ve given it a try for ourselves, and can confirm that the Aurasma app does work. Go on, give it a try, or see it in action here. The Aurasma app is available now for free on the Android Market and Apple’s App Store for iPad 2 and iPhone.

Protecting the environment by protecting your CDs, DVD's and video games

It isn’t perhaps the most groundbreaking news story that reveals persistently replacing ruined CDs can be painfully damaging to one’s bank balance. However, less obvious is the damaging impact that a single chip or small scratch to the shiny side of a disc has on the environment. CDs and DVDs are made from materials including polycarbonate plastic, petroleum-based lacquer and paints, aluminum and other metals. These materials release chemicals that contribute to environmental and health problems as well as global warming, both when they are produced and when they are destroyed.
The chemical used in CD cases, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), is especially damaging to the environment. It often contains a variety of additives, including lead, making it is the least recyclable, and least recycled, of the major plastics. The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that less than one percent of post-consumer PVC is recovered or reprocessed. That means the remaining 99% either ends up in landfills or is incinerated, a process that releases damaging dioxins into the air.

Attaching d-skin disc protectors to your CDs, DVDs, games and data immediately eliminates the wasteful and costly need to replace ruined discs. Additional damage is then cut further through the removal of having to back-up data onto blank discs. And if that wasn’t enough the skins themselves are packaged in recycled metal containers specifically designed to be used again as CD carriers. Thus negating the need for harmful post-consumer PVC cases. There is an ever-increasing awareness by individuals and companies of the need to reduce polluting practices. Protecting your discs with d-skin should be seen as a very small but potentially significant step in the right direction.

have a look at www.d-skin.com

LOVE YOUR GAMES, LOVE YOUR MOVIES, LOVE YOUR MUSIC

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Laser transparent d_skin™ Protective Disc Skins ™ works on most CD’s, DVD’s, Playstation2, Xbox and Xbox 360, Wii ®Computer Games and CD-R’s. d_skin® Protective Disc skins® will not affect music or video quality due to the optically clear film (is not compatible with PS3).
d_skin ™ NEVER has to be removed, because they are constructed of a patented film that is invisible to laser devices and does not affect the music, data, image or video quality. If you scratch the d_skin ™ disc protector, just toss it and snap on a new one!



If there’s dirt, fingertips and smudges on your d_skin just wipe with it with a clean cotton fabric in a straight line from the center of the outer disc to the outer edge. You man also use CD/DVD cleaning detergent or isopropyl alcohol.



Just snap a d_skin™ Protective Disc Skin ™ onto the readable side of your favorite discs and consider them protected. The amazing Liplock seal ™ snaps onto the edge of any standard size disc and holds tight. Once your discs are skinned, there’s nothing to take off or put on when you’re playing, storing or transporting.





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