Results

A few months back, Talkibie featured an article about the uses of Nintendo’s Wii console for rehabilitation for U.S. soldiers injured in Iraq and Afghanistan. Another recent report explored the use of online training programs for developing soft skills like communication, language, and management techniques. Now, we’ve learned of a military training tool that combines the worof gaming with the development of people skills. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has funded the development of a training game called DARWARS Ambush NK!, which allows U.S. soldiers to expand their soft skills in an exciting and entertaining environment.

Video games and military training go hand-in-hand. From first-person shooters, which allow gamers to improve their marksmanship and practice stealth, to Massively Multi-Player Online Gaming, which encourages teamwork and coordination, the skills needed to be a successful gamer often mirror those needed to work within a military unit. Military and police organizations have long used gaming-style training courses to help members develop their physical abilities, but DARWARS Ambush NK! is aimed to give soldiers the mental stamina and communication under pressure that will help soldiers interact with locals in war zones.

A jointly-funded project from DARPA, U.S. Joint Forces Command, and the U.S Marine Corps Program Manager for Training Systems, the game is developed by BBN Technologies, a regular contributor to DARPA projects. Ambush is set up as a multi-player simulation game, where up to 64 players can interact over a computer network. Though it is internet capable, the military units using the training program choose to play over a closed LAN for security reasons. Though a player’s perspective is that of a first-person shooter like in Halo or Call of Duty, Ambush NK! is meant to give soldiers the skills to deal with complicated communication challenges in places like Iraq or Afghanistan.

As one of lead scientists on the project, Dr. Elaine Raybourn told Baseline magazine, “We are talking about training for nonkinetic engagement - interpersonal communication, negotiation skills, and interpersonal rapport. The goal is to make soldier’s better thinkers and communicators under stress.” The “nonkinetic” aspect of the skill-building is what’s truly innovative about Ambush NK!. Soldiers have plenty of access to appropriate training for the physical aspect of their jobs, and DARWARS hopes to expand their competencies to help them better interact with locals in war zones. Scenarios for the players are designed to help them bridge local customs, train local peacekeepers and police, and build relationships with the community in which they serve. Perhaps the most innovative part of the technology is that it is designed to support user-generated scenarios, allowing training personnel and commanding officers to augment the game when needed.

Aside from the design elements of first-person shooters, Ambush NK! also pulls inspiration from virtual worlds like Second Life. Soldiers who use the game create avatars and communicate with each other during the online training exercises. This helps the units who will serve together to train in a realistic environment and develop superb teamwork. Instructors can also jump in, and like in virtual worlds, can change the scenarios and monitor their team’s progress.

DARWARS Ambush NK! has four main objectives, which are stated on their website:

• Varied - Giving individuals and groups real practice across a wide range of skills.
• Safe - Creating opportunities to exercise critical decision-making and communication skills in an environment where it’s safe to make mistakes and learn from them.
• Available - Making appropriate training available instantly to anyone, anywhere.
• Engaging - Making training so engaging that our forces choose to train, opting to come back again and again to practice and hone skills.

These goals are designed to help soldiers not only develop skills when they’re safely stationed at U.S. bases, but also meet the continuous training needs of those stationed overseas. The hope is that public relations disasters with civilians, which have plagued all the branches of the military in the Iraq war, will be avoided by giving the average soldier the skills he or she needs to deal with the public.

DARWARS Ambush NK! hopes to train 20,000 soldiers per year, and it will be tested first by the U.S. Army. The focus on soft skills such as communication, negotiation, and cultural awareness will likely be a useful addition to the tools currently used by U.S. military personnel deployed in war zones. DARWARS expects to eventually make the code for their projects open source, which would further increase military’s ability to adapt Ambush NK! for specific situations. With this type of excellence in training, hopefully our soldiers will be able to interact peacefully with civilian populations and encourage political stability in conflict zones.

There was a time in the not-so-distant past when kids actually played outside. We would organize neighborhood games of tag or hide-and-seek and stay out until dark or dinner, whichever came first. I’d hate to join the ranks of the “fuddy duddies” who constantly long for the good ‘ole days, which is why I’m happy to see a new trend towards full-body, interactive video gaming. With the continued popularity of the Nintendo Wii and the massive appeal of games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band, kids and parents alike are starting to get up off the couch when they game. Full-body gaming seems to prove that if exercise is entertaining, more people will do it.

Nintendo Wii comes with a motion-sensing controller which you can literally swing like a tennis racket, wield like a sword, punch like a boxer, and “throw” like a baseball (ideally without actually letting go). While it is possible to make small motions and still play the Wii Sports games, the trend seems to be towards treating the Wii as a chance to exercise and have fun at the same time. One man even conducted an experiment using his Wii as his entire training regimen, and his results are astonishing. In just six weeks he lost 9 pounds and 2% body fat. Interactive games like Wii Sports reject the assumption that video games have to be a sedentary experience, and consumers have responded enthusiastically to these new interfaces.

Guitar Hero and its cousin Rock Band have even spawned communities of players who gather in bars and at private parties to game. Rock Band allows players to choose instruments and play together as a group, making it a hit with adults and children alike. The game features download-able songs to keep content fresh. Some enthusiasts have even formed permanent groups, complete with band names, gigs at local gatherings, and large competitions.

Interactive full-body games aren’t just being used for entertainment, either. Some physical therapists and rehabilitation departments in hospitals are also using the Wii to help stroke patients regain small motor function. Reports are even circulating that injured soldiers at a military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany are playing Wii games to regain strength during long recoveries. When the alternative is squeezing a ball of putty or stretching a rubber band, it’s no wonder the Wii is gaining popularity among medical experts. And the games are apparently not just being used by patients, but also by surgeons preparing to operate. A U.S. study shows that certain Wii games are a good warm-up exercise for surgeons. Those who played the games performed 50% better than those who did not.

While some tout the virtues of active gaming, Nintendo’s UK marketing division released a report showing that Wii Sports is no substitute for actual exercise. Unfortunate though this might seem, those who have included the Wii in their physical fitness regimes have seen great results. Perhaps it’s not the games themselves that make the difference, but the motivation to exercise. If all aerobic activities were as entertaining as Wii tennis, it’s safe to assume that we would have more drive to be active. As the popularity of full-body games continues to rise, console manufacturers will have to re-imagine how we want to experience their games, and perhaps even more of us will get up off the couch.

Managing the vast amount of data that we tend to collect in this digital age can be a challenge. Given the tiny shred of spare time that we all seem to have doesn’t help matters much. With the growing popularity of multimedia devices, applications and formats, the number of files that are scattered throughout our hard drives increases daily. So how do we make sense out of all the bits and bytes that seem to just take up space on our hard drives? How can we organize this vast collection of files without making them too difficult to access?

Taking a quick look at my e-mail inbox, the average message size (without attachments) is around 14KB. In contrast, taking a look at my music library, the average file size is around 5.8MB. From here we can deduce that the amount of hard drive space taken up by music files is approximately 415 times greater than that of email files. The irony is that we all have a nice, user-friendly application for organizing our email. We don’t, however, tend to have an easy way of managing our multimedia files.

When thinking about this seemingly daunting task we need to remember that a file is a file is a file; whether it’s an MP3 or an email message, you can use the same strategy to organize your files. Approach the search for a media player the same you would for an email management program or a document management application. There several media players available for download on the internet. Some are free. Some will cost you about four Grande Café Mochas from your favorite coffee shop. Whether you are running Windows Vista, Mac OSX or Ubuntu, you can find a media player that is right for you.

Keep in mind that some media players are simply that, a player. Others give you the ability to access album art and lyrics. More sophisticated media players offer a CD burning functionality as well as the ability for multiple users to access the library over a local-area-network.

Recently, we put together a jukebox using an old PC that had been sitting in the corner collecting dust for the last several months. The computer, coupled with an external USB hard drive, would be the foundation for our 21st century jukebox. To test the capabilities of free software and to push our own technical abilities we downloaded and installed Ubuntu 7.10 Desktop Edition on the computer. Ubuntu is an easy-to-use Linux-based OS. Don’t worry, though, it’s not just for geeks. It has a user-friendly graphical user interface that even my eight-year-old daughter doesn’t have trouble navigating.

For a media player, we decided on Rhythmbox, which was developed by The GNOME Project. This player was orginially inspired by iTunes, and it features a searchable database, internet radio, playlists, and many other desirable features. Rhythmbox delivered as promised. Not only did we have access to album art and song lyrics, but we were also able to burn music to CD and even transfer music to our various MP3 players. With a little extra technical know-how and some spare time, we were able to set up an interface that could control the jukebox over the local-area-network. The only thing that we were missing was the ability to pump this glorious music library to our multiple players simultaneously.

Choosing an application to store and play your music library is like choosing a new car: some people need a Hummer while some need a Honda Civic. If you put in the research, it’s possible to find the jukebox that best suits your wants and needs. The Rhythmbox experiment provided me with a fresh look at some new and exciting developments in the software world. It also pushed me to accomplish a New Year’s resolution aimed at becoming more organized, even if it’s just a few “ones” and “zeros” at a time. Whether it is a media player, as discussed here, an e-mail management application, a CRM tool or even a new accounting package, considering any new piece of technology should have one single goal: making your digital life as user-friendly as possible.

Ken McCoy has been in the IT Industry for the past fifteen years. He holds several industry certifications and is currently working as a Network Consultant in Colorado. Ken has three young daughters, enjoys fly-fishing the various drainages of the Rocky Mountains, and is a self-proclaimed Urban Chicken Farmer.

Think of all the high-tech cell phone ads you’ve seen lately. They all seem to promote the media capabilities of the handsets, from music downloads and playback to video capabilities. These ads suggest that consumers use these devices primarily for entertainment, but the consumer appears to have a different desire. More and more users are buying GPS-enabled phones, and this has created a rush among the telecom companies to acquire digital mapping and navigational technology.

According to a recent article in BusinessWeek, the number of GPS-enabled phones will reach 162 million this year, far surpassing the number of vehicle-based navigational devices. Nearly every handset manufacturer has either released a GPS phone or has plans to do so very soon, and the market for navigational software and mapping services has reached a fever pitch. This service shows huge potential for profits, as wireless users spend far more on navigation than they do on music downloads.

Consumer access to GPS signals is fairly recent; until 2000, satellite navigation was restricted for military use, to position troops, guide missiles, or locate enemy forces. GPS units have virtually replaced the compass in a soldier’s rucksack in the 1990s, and they are indispensable for locking missiles on target and for search and rescue operations. Up until the new millenium, GPS signals were obscured for security reasons and were of little value to the average suburban mom trying to find the nearest grocery store or the group of Boy Scouts hitting a hiking trail. Clear signals were opened up for general use in 2000, and the car-based GPS unit saw massive growth.

Cell phones are becoming a more and more universal necessity, and the vehicle navigation industry is rightfully shaking in their boots with the inclusion of GPS mapping capabilities on handsets. This has sparked a series of mergers and deals between the major GPS device makers and digital mapping companies. Tom Tom bought out mapping firm Tele Atlas, while Nokia snapped up Navteq, leaving heavy-hitter Garmin out in the cold and facing the possibility of buying its mapping data from a competitor.

The increasing demand for GPS-enabled phones, and the quick response of the industry players, means that mapping services will be higher quality and lower cost than ever before. This also opens up the market to more groups who can benefit from GPS services. Physicians could make cost-effective house calls quickly to house-bound patients. Delivery personnel such as postal workers or UPS drivers will cut down on the time (and fuel) it takes to complete their routes. Even long-haul truck drivers would be able to avoid problematic traffic and construction zones to reach their destinations more quickly, which could potentially reduce the prices of goods and services across the board. As always, when competition heats up in any industry, the consumer is the winner.

Last November, the Nintendo Wii changed the way we play video games. The unusual remote control allows players to interact physically with the console, “throwning” pitches, “hitting” tennis balls, and getting us up off the couch. The game console has attracted a diverse fan base, from the youngest of children to the elderly. The Wii was wildly popular last holiday season, and the demand for it has not yet abated. This year, crowds once again lined up at the crack of dawn outside electronics stores around the country, and Nintendo has been unable to build enough Wiis to satisfy the public.

Nintendo claims that they are producing the Wii at top capacity, but a year after the release, it still sells out almost immediately upon arrival at retailers. Prior to the Christmas holiday, some eager consumers were “stalking” UPS trucks and following them from store to store in the vain hope that they were delivering some of the rare consoles. In a recent New York Times article, Nintendo’s senior vice president of marketing George Harrison was quoted as remarking, “It’s [the shortage] a good problem to have. We do worry about not satisfying consumers and that they will drift to a competitor’s system.” Some might find his comment disingenuous and unsympathetic. Indeed, industry analysts are suspicious that Nintendo is afraid to produce too many of the game console because the public may lose interest.

As for competitors, Sony’s Playstation 3 has not generated the same kind of buzz that the Wii has, selling just 2.4 million units since launch one year ago, compared to the Wii’s 6 million sales. Xbox 360, which was released in November of 2005, has sold some 7 million units, which would make Wii the clear winner in the long term, if they could keep shelves stocked. Retailers and analysts estimate that Nintendo has lost approximately $1 billion in sales this holiday season, which does not include the sale of games that would accompany those unsold units. It would be a mixed blessing to intentionally keep the Wii exclusive; while it may generate more buzz, it definitely hurt the company’s bottom line in 2007.

One solution which Nintendo announced was a certificate system through gaming retailer GameStop. For one day only, Friday Dec. 21, customers were able to prepay for a Wii at GameStop and pick up their units in January when they become available. This program will help Nintendo recoup some of the losses it suffered when some consumers bought PlayStations and XBoxes out of frustration. One blogger, though, remarks on the lousy impression this might have made to children on Christmas morning: “The least they could have done is thrown in a T-Shirt that read: ‘My Parents Waited Too Long to Shop for Me So All I Got for Christmas was this Shirt and a Lot of Empty Promises.’”

While I must admit that I have never had the magical experience of playing a Wii game, I can understand all the buzz surrounding this toy, even if it is due to nefarious marketing techniques or woeful sales estimates. It’s unique interface allows users to interact on a more physical level with the games they play, and that’s a very appealing premise. I love the idea that kids are jumping, swinging, and moving while they play video games. The other remarkable thing about the Wii is that it’s the first console to reach out to the non-adolescent male user. Indeed, my own mother was singing the praises of the Wii, which she plays regularly with friends. The list of games supported by Wii is diverse enough to appeal to a wide variety of age groups, and the interface allows for social interaction. This appeal is not likely to peter out any time soon. Let’s hope Nintendo can improve production for the holiday season next year. Otherwise, I suspect “Wii-mania” will become an annual tradition.

As another holiday season begins, another company has ventured forth into the tenuous e-book reader market. Amazon has released the Kindle, a device which can download books, newspapers, and web content wirelessly, without the annoying step of connecting to a computer. The Kindle, which retails at $399.00, hopes to revolutionize the e-book market and become the iPod for avid readers.

For years technology companies have worked on “digital paper” prototypes to respond to consumer’s complaints about the strain of reading from an electronic screen. The Kindle has incorporated a display from E Ink Corp. that requires no backlighting and mimics the experience of reading from real paper, even in direct sunlight. The screen also has a zoom functionality that will allow readers to increase and decrease the type size of their books. Though many other companies have explored the e-book reader market, including Xerox, Philips, and Barnes & Noble, sales numbers for these devices haven’t been impressive. E-book sales have also been disappointing, at a mere $25 million annually, compared to an estimated $25 billion for traditional books. Will Amazon’s Kindle be able to turn the industry around?

If the Kindle is able to catch on with readers, it stands a good chance of becoming a major revenue source for Amazon. The device will be connected to Sprint’s network, but users will not be billed for wireless access. They will use the network for fast, on-the-go downloads of content, which can cost up to $9.99 for new titles and bestsellers and as low as $1.99 for classics. Though the prices might seem high, they are significantly less expensive than traditional books. Newspapers and magazines (like The Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and Fortune) can be downloaded for monthly subscription fees. The cost of access to Sprint’s network, while not directly billed to consumers, will be passed along in the form of blog and email fees (to the tune of a dime per email!). If the iPod is any barometer, though, Kindle will drop in price shortly and become a better deal for the money.

The Kindle is sparking comparisons with Sony Reader (pun intended). Reader is less expensive, lighter weight, and slightly smaller, but it does not incorporate wireless functionality into the device. E-books for Reader must be downloaded on a computer and subsequently uploaded onto the device. Sony is not running scared, however. They claim that Kindle will increase sales of e-book readers period, and they’re hoping it will bring much-needed attention to the new technology available in the field.

True bibliophiles might balk at the idea of an e-book reader and vastly prefer the look and feel of holding a real book. I sympathize with that sentiment, but I also love the idea of taking this lightweight device on an airplane instead of a heavy hardback book. Amazon also plans to make out-of-print and hard-to-find books available through the Kindle, which would be a major selling point for traditionalists. Imagine, any book ever published available in a 60-second download? The concept is excellent, but time will tell if the execution is good enough make Kindle a breakthrough product like the iPod.

Rumors spread quickly through the technology world, especially those which reference Apple’s product lines. How many fake photoshopped pictures did we slog through prior to the release of the iPhone? The iPhone’s touchscreen feature is boosting new speculation that Apple is developing a miniature, tablet-style notebook that will make use of this interface. Champions of the idea point to the power of the multi-touch iPhone interface. It’s a surprisingly sophisticated technology, recognizing more than one finger on the screen, as evidenced by the “stretching” and “shrinking” actions. But will this feature be truly usable on a notebook?

Tablet notebooks have been spectacularly unsuccessful in the past, particularly those which discarded the keyboard. However, with the recent popularity of the iPhone, Blackberry, and similar hand-held web-enabled phones, the public might be ready for a stripped down mini-notebook. After all, Generation Y seems to be able to type text messages on tiny phones as quickly as they type on a standard keyboard. If any Silicon Valley company was able to re-energize the market for ultra mobile computers, it would be Apple. Their sense of modern design and ability to integrate software and hardware would lend itself well to this product, which some bloggers are nicknaming the “MacBook Touch”.

The “MacBook Touch” would not only fill a void in the marketplace, but would hopefully reach out to Japanese consumers who are reliable early adopters of tiny gadgets. AppleInsider is reporting that the company is hoping to reach out to the Japanese market with this product, which has been slow for them lately. They predict that the mini MacBook, whether or not it features a touch screen, will be a hit in Japan.

This touch screen fever is not only focused on Apple, though. Microsoft’s innovative Surface interface is also hoping to revolutionize the physical way in which users interact with computers. Talkibie featured an article about Surface a few months back, and we expect to see more devices of this type in the near future. We are preparing for a world in which there are no physical barriers or limitations between us and our computers. Hopefully Apple will capitalize on the success of the iPhone and take their touch screen technology to a broader product line.