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A team of scientists from the University of Tokyo has revealed a major breakthrough that allows them to create realistic 3D holographic displays using an ordinary iPhone screen. While conventional approaches to holography involve complex and expensive laser emitters that have limited their practical use, the researchers behind this novel approach say their work could lead to dramatic improvements in holographic displays for virtual reality applications, including gaming, training, and even advanced military applications. 3D HOLOGRAPHIC DISPLAYS LIMITED BY COST AND COMPLEXITY In science fiction, holograms are used for anything from basic communications to advanced military weaponry. In the real...

This is a holographic projection of a whale. It is a photographic process that produces images thanks to the difference between two laser beams. The image is projected into a gymnasium using a special camera. There is not a drop of water in the gymnasium, let alone a whale. The old saying was, “Don’t believe anything you hear and only half of what you see.” The new saying is, “Don’t believe anything,” that is unless you get wet!

We're a long way from the Start Menu now First, it scrapped the classic Start Menu and gave us Tiles. Now Microsoft has confirmed it really is working on yet another radical user interface update – one that will allow you to use your desktop Windows 10 PC with virtual reality headsets. The feature, due to arrive next year, is dubbed the Windows Holographic Shell. It is designed to work on any normal PC, not just high-end graphics rigs; the emphasis is on the fact that anyone with a half decent machine can use the new UI. The Holographic Shell...

The technology is built into a Flexible Organic Light Emitting Diode (FOLED) touchscreen that can be bent by the user. In addition to the oft stated upsides of a bendy smartphone, a built-in bend sensor (similar to what the lab deployed in its recent ReFlex prototype) leverages the motion as another means with which to interact with the handset. The pair of disembodied hands in the demo video use the motion to move objects along the phone’s Z-axis. In the case of Angry Birds, that means stretching back the bird-catapulting slingshot. The tension on the phone correlates with that of...

-3 Communications subsidiary EOTech, Inc. in Ann Arbor, MI received a $25 million sole-source, firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract, to provide their optical sighting system for U.S. Special Operations Command’s M4A1 carbines. Work will be performed in Ann Arbor, MI and is expected to be complete by May 2015. $262,636 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year, on Sept 30/10. The US Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division in Crane, IN manages this contract (N00164-10-D-JN68). EOTech offers a unique technology, thanks to its Holographic Weapon Sight. The firm says that their night-vision compatible sight combines ranging and aiming...

After opening the Live Earth concert series in Sydney via live satellite feed, Al Gore launched Live Earth Tokyo this morning in a high-tech, virtual way – as a hologram. After a stirring introduction by Lumi, the virtual-reality singer of Genki Rockets, a head-to-toe-likeness of the former U.S. Vice President materialized on stage and shared urgent yet hopeful words to the crowd gathered at Makuhari Messe. The holographic Gore had an expression of amazement as he delivered the following words: What an amazing world we live in – I love it that I can stand here on this stage...

Maxell reportedly pledged to bring out a 300GB optical holographic disk system late next year. Will this finally be the affordable high capacity backup system we have been waiting for? Apparently the drive will transfer at up to 20MB/sec - this means that 300GB data could be written in as little as 4 hours and ten minutes - however due to lead-in and other delays 5 hours is a more reasonable guess as to how long it will take to back up 300GB.

The world's first interactive 3D display has been developed by IO2 Technology. HelioDisplay creates 3D displays in the air using lasers, drawing input from computers, TVs and DVDs. It also allows interactive applications to be controlled by a finger, instead of a mouse. "Our first generation version, the Heliodisplay, projects TV, streaming video and computer images into free space, (mid-air)", the company's website claims. While it's early days for such technologies, the company has just completed its first production unit and claims it is ready to release a limited number of units for sale.

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2002 April 30 The Holographic Principle Image Credit & Copyright: E. Winfree, K. Fleischer, A. Barr et al. (Caltech) Explanation: Is this image worth a thousand words? According to the Holographic Principle, the most amount of information you can get from this image is about 3 x 1065 bits for a normal sized computer monitor. The Holographic Principle, yet unproven, states that there is there is a maximum...