Best offers
Exclusive Interview: Nvidia's Ian Buck Talks GPGPU
With Snow Leopard and Windows 7 both offering GPGPU capabilities, we wanted to talk to Nvidia's Ian Buck. Not only is he one of the fathers of Brook, the programming language ultimately adopted by AMD/ATI, but the head of Nvidia's CUDA group as well. Read More
-
Beamforming: The Best WiFi You’ve Never Seen
Forget 802.11n Draft 2.0. The future of video-capable WiFi depends on a signal-boosting technique called beamforming. We put the pioneers in this frontier through some real-world testing to find out which technology is going to change the wireless world. Read More
-
Exclusive Interview: Going Three Levels Beyond Kernel Rootkits
Today we have the pleasure of chatting with Joanna Rutkowska, one of the top computing security innovators in the world. She is the founder and CEO of Invisible Things Lab (ITL), a boutique computer security consulting and research firm. Read More
Partners
The Games selection
violent :
Interactive Buddy
Unwind on your interactive buddy: Do anything you want to him, it will earn you money, and you can buy other stuff to torture him with.
|
violent :
More Mindless Violence
Basic shooting game, but still so powerful! Use the mouse to take aim and shoot at the little beasties before they get to you. Use Space to reload....
|
Sponsored links
Microsoft Files Patent for "Magic Wand"
Next news- Email |
- Print |
- Comments (28) |
- Share
Is the Magic Wand the answer to the Nintendo Wii?
Ever since Nintendo came out with the Wii Remote control system, which took the mass market by storm allowing anyone to flail wildly in an effort to control a video game, both Sony and Microsoft have been rumored to be working on something to that effect.
Could it be a Microsoft Magic Wand? Maybe. A patent application from 2007 surfaced recently describes a device that sounds similar to the Wii Remote.
The architecture can exist in whole or in part in a housing that can resemble a wand or similar object. The architecture can utilize one or more sensor from a collection of sensors to determine an orientation or gesture in connection with the wand, and can further issue an instruction to update a state of an environmental component based upon the orientation.
Of course, a patent application is just one way of Microsoft to protect something it may choose to explore, but that doesn’t mean that it’ll every become anything. In fact, the evidence right now points to Microsoft utilizing some advanced motion tracking software in conjunction with video cameras for motion sensing rather than a “Magic Wand.”
Still, you can bet that Microsoft is working towards an answer to those who like waggle, and hopefully we’ll know at E3.
Source : Tom's Guide US
Sponsored links
Related articles
- Forza Motorsport 2 from Turn 10 and Microsoft Game Studios...
-
Everything There Is To Know About the Xbox: Technology, Games,...
With the Xbox, Microsoft wants to establish itself in the console arena. The technology, as well as the programming, has been borrowed from the PC, but nevertheless, it is not merely a computer that has been modified. It really is a new video game concept. If you want to know everything that is going on here-the technology, the games, the programming and the accessories, this article bares all. We will introduce all aspects of the new console to you and, in particular, unveil its capacities. Furthermore, you will find a selection of the best games and a specialist's opinion of the programming. Of course, we have compared it to the PS and Playstation 2 ...
-
PC Graphics Beyond XBOX - NVIDIA Introduces GeForce4
Today NVIDIA launches two new graphics chips and 3 new cards for each, making it six new products. While the GeForce4 Ti series of cards will be using the new high-end chip with the code name 'NV25', the GeForce4 MX value series will be based on NVIDIA's new low-cost solution 'NV17'.
They patented the "Magic Wand" ? ... such bad times to be a wizard, witch or sorcerer. Either you pay royalties to Microsoft, or no more magic for you ...
Lightning bolt! Lightning bolt!
I want to patent the computer. Has that been patented yet?
How can you patent a device which "can utilize one or more sensor from a collection of sensors to determine an orientation or gesture in connection with the wand, and can further issue an instruction to update a state of an environmental component based upon the orientation" when that is exactly what the Wiimote does???
How can you patent a device which "can utilize one or more sensor from a collection of sensors to determine an orientation or gesture in connection with the wand, and can further issue an instruction to update a state of an environmental component based upon the orientation" when that is exactly what the Wiimote does???
using a different technology for it makes it ok, plus wimote only has 1 sensor. they said a collection of them
patent this!
middle finger, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finger_(gesture)
BS Patent
microsoft can stick their magic wand where the sun don't shine
Isn't the magic wand already a "personal messaging device"?
Looks like MS is getting desperate, now they have Apple and Nintendo against them.
I just hope they come out with something cool involving motion sensors. I really dislike the idea of buying a nintendo wii for wii sports alone. It's an inferior system besides to my 360.
"The architecture can exist in whole or in part in a housing that can resemble a wand or similar object. The architecture can utilize one or more sensor from a collection of sensors to determine an orientation or gesture in connection with the wand, and can further issue an instruction to update a state of an environmental component based upon the orientation."
i'd give a link if could find it, but i remember several patent apps with almost the exact same line as the above. Including one before the wii ever came out.... HMMMMMMMM the industry trying to catch up to the top sellers in the US? go figure. oh wait, i guess this is just a repeat of history with anyone that's seen "Pirates of the Silicon Vally"
:-p
using a different technology for it makes it ok, plus wimote only has 1 sensor. they said a collection of them
Actually, the Wiimote has not only the camera to determine its orientation relative to the sensor bar of the Wii, but also internal accelerometers to determine its path through space.
More patentland bullshit.
"Of course, a patent application is just one way of Microsoft to protect something it may choose to explore"
That's exactly the problem with SW patents - just to hamper others to create something new, by patenting some empty wording, without any substantiations.
You would think adobe with their "magic wand" in photoshop already has the name patented..
You would think adobe with their "magic wand" in photoshop already has the name patented..
MS better stay the hell away from my magic wand.
guys do not forget about the wii motion plus attachment to the remote. that will make the wii-mote have multiple censors. i can see MS and Nintendo going to court about this. not only does MS make inferior consoles but they have to copy off successful hardware too. but hey that's the MS way
Are we certain that this wasn't just Bill, in a drunken stupor, running around spouting overexaggerations about his “Magic Stick”?
You would think adobe with their "magic wand" in photoshop already has the name patented..
You can't patent a word. You can trade mark them though, and it's not cut and dry. For example, Microsoft is trademarked, but a sponge company can legally say that their sponge has "microsoft air pockets". On the other hand, Logitech can't say that their new computer mouse features a "microsoft ergonomic grip".
Wait, I was pretty sure that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had already applied for this patent......
Wait, I was pretty sure that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had already applied for this patent......
What if it had a "M$ economic grip"? Could they say that?
You can't patent a word. You can trade mark them though, and it's not cut and dry. For example, Microsoft is trademarked, but a sponge company can legally say that their sponge has "microsoft air pockets". On the other hand, Logitech can't say that their new computer mouse features a "microsoft ergonomic grip".
What if it had a "M$ economic grip"? Could they say that?
What if it had a "M$ economic grip"? Could they say that?
They most certainly can! "Mircocrap economic grip" would also be perfectly legal to use.
Oh no, no more Wii style controllers please. I'm sick and tired of all things related to the Wii.
That control mechanism sucks for anything other than arcade-style games. Anyone tried playing FPS on that? Sucks horribly.
More patentland bullshit."Of course, a patent application is just one way of Microsoft to protect something it may choose to explore"That's exactly the problem with SW patents - just to hamper others to create something new, by patenting some empty wording, without any substantiations.
Well there is a problem with this. If you don't patent something you plan to use and create it next thing you know someone else will patent it and screw you royaly with a lawsuit.
Its just a smart business practice. Plus software is different. If we had 10 different OSes to work with it would confuse people to no end where the best one would end up dominant and we would end up in the exact same situation.
Oh no, no more Wii style controllers please. I'm sick and tired of all things related to the Wii.That control mechanism sucks for anything other than arcade-style games. Anyone tried playing FPS on that? Sucks horribly.
Metroid 3 on the Wii was one of the most fun FPS I've ever played. The wii-mote and nunchuck work great for it.
Normally I'd agree with you, but there are a few FPS titles that actually do work well with the wii-mote. Metroid 3 doesn't look to shabby either, of course not as good as it would look on a 360 or PC, but still not too bad either.
What will Harry and the gang do now?!?!