Sewall@UConnVM.BITNET (Murph Sewall) (09/28/90)
VAPORWARE
Murphy Sewall
From the October 1990 APPLE PULP
H.U.G.E. Apple Club (E. Hartford) News Letter
$15/year U.S. - $18/year Canadian
P.O. Box 18027
East Hartford, CT 06118
Call the "Bit Bucket" (203) 569-8739
Permission granted to copy with the above citation
A Real 3-D Display.
Texas Instruments has shown a "bubble" display two feet in
diameter which "floats" three dimensional images within a
volume. Multiple viewers can see the display from any side
without special goggles or eyeshades. Dubbed "Omniview,"
TI's patent application describes the technology as a
"real-time, auto-stereoscopic, multiplanar 3-D display
system." Initial commercial applications may appear as
early as next year. - InfoWorld 20 August
Motorola 68040 Delayed Again.
Although volume production had been planned for last month,
Motorola officials found a few last minute bugs (described
as "very minute") to correct. Volume production of the chip
for machines already introduced by Hewlett-Packard and NeXT
and anticipated from Apple is now scheduled for the end of
October or early in November. NeXT's planned October 15
shipping date seems likely to slip.
- InfoWorld 17 September
Intel's 50 MHz i486 Delayed.
Intel's microprocessor group president, David House, has
admitted that plans to deliver a 50 MHz i486 CPU this year
were "overzealous." Large PC manufacturers have been told
that volume production will not begin until sometime in
early 1991. Meanwhile, PC manufactures will also have to
adapt to Intel's soon to be announced decision to streamline
their product line. By the end of next summer, Intel plans
to slim down to only three CPU's -- the 20 MHz 80386SX, the
25 MHz 80386, and the 33 MHz i486.
- PC Week 27 August and 10 September
i486 Clone.
Integrated Information Technologies has confirmed that it is
working on an i486 CPU clone. The company already clones
the 80287 and 80387 math coprocessors and the 8514/A
graphics processor. Sample quantities of the i486 clone are
expected sometime during the first quarter of next year.
- InfoWorld 27 August
Intel i586 Design Note.
Microsoft's William Gates and Intel's David House are
discussing whether to build the graphics primitives of
Windows 3.0 and OS/2's Presentation Manager into the mask of
the forthcoming i586 chip. Such a decision would markedly
improve the performance of both graphic user interfaces.
- PC Week 27 August
Miniature Production Studio.
Newtek Inc. of Topeka, Kansas will offer a $1,595 VLSI board
named the "Video Toaster" for the Amiga Computer. When used
with Newtek's point-and-click Light Wave software (bundled
with the Toaster), the Amiga becomes a miniature production
studio for less than $5,000 that can perform numerous
editing functions at a professional level. Newtek's Toaster
is a video switcher, effects generator, dual frame buffer,
and character generator with a 16.8 million color, RT-170
resolution NTSC output. The largely intuitive New Wave
software is accessible to users without specialized video
training. - InfoWorld 3 September
Video Explorer.
A professional quality video card for the Macintosh from
Intelligent Resources called the Video Explorer is scheduled
to ship early in 1991. The Video Explorer allows digital
special effects such as blending, mixing, and fading of
multiple live and recorded images as well as standard fades,
wipes, and dissolves. At "under $10,000," the card is
somewhat more pricey than Amiga's Video Toaster.
- InfoWorld 17 September
Where's Hobbes?
Look for an announcement this month of a 40 MHz Sun color
system known as Calvin. The 28 MIP workstation based on a
Cypress Semiconductor RISC CPU will compete with IBM's
RS/6000 and Digital's DECstation 5000 lines. An aggressive
price below the $12,995 for IBM's least expensive RS/6000 is
anticipated. Calvin's floating performance is expected to
be between four and five megaflops (compared to 7 MFlops for
IBM's POWERstation 320). - PC Week 27 August
NeXT Generation Spreadsheet.
Lotus's Improv for the new color NeXT computer may represent
the next generation of spreadsheet-graphic software. Improv
features three-dimensional graphics with the capability to
change views simply by clicking on one axis and dragging it
to another axis. It isn't yet known how many of Improv's
new features will be incorporated in the company's Macintosh
and Window's 3 products which are expected in early 1991.
- InfoWorld 17 September
Macintosh Introductions.
The introduction of three new Macintosh's on the 15th is
still on (see last month's column). Apple has decided to
offer all three with a minimum of 2 Mbytes of RAM in
anticipation of System 7 (by Valentine's Day, maybe). The
company also has decided to respond to industry pressure by
lowering the price of the basic Mac Classic (one 3.5 inch
SuperDrive, no hard disk) to $995. The lowest price color
model, the modular 68020 CPU Mac LC, may not actually ship
until January. An Apple //e emulation board will be offered
for the Mac LC -- something less than the "no compromises"
Apple II card John Sculley promised last April (see July's
column). Perhaps IIgs software will run on the
configuration. There is a rumor that a new IIgs based on a
Motorola 68020 with 4-bit color and a $2,500 list price will
be announced after January 1 (someone may have confused the
Mac-LC with Apple II card, also known as the Macintosh IIgs
with a new IIgs). A new high-end Macintosh built around a
25 MHz Motorola 68040 and priced in the $9,000 to $11,000
range is planned for the first half of next year.
- InfoWorld 20 August and PC Week 3 September
Executive Pen-Based Computer.
Active Book Company will introduce a pen to glass input
(with optional keyboard) computer next spring. The four
pound notebook sized machine will cost about $2,000 and
receive FAX and record voice mail as well as edit documents
and search data bases. The CPU will be an Acorn RISC
processor and the planned operating system is UNIX-based
Helios, but licensing Go Corporation's technology (see last
month's column) has not been ruled out. Active Book's
computer also will come with an MS-DOS emulator and battery
life of eight to ten hours is anticipated.
- InfoWorld 20 August
Downward Compatibility.
Microsoft's MS-DOS 5.0 will contain a Set Ver (set version)
command that will allow users to make the operating system
emulate earlier MS-DOS versions from 2.0 up for those
applications that turn out to be incompatible with DOS 5.0.
- InfoWorld 20 August
IBM/Macintosh Data Compatibility.
All the new Macintoshes read IBM 3.5 inch floppy disk
format, and now IBM plans to introduce a drive for the
RS/6000 work station that will read and write Macintosh 1.44
Mbyte floppies. The capability to read Mac disks also will
be available for Sun SPARCstations by the end of the year.
- InfoWorld 17 September
PageMaker 4.0 for Windows.
Aldus was expected to announce PageMaker 4.0 for Windows at
last May's introduction, but the product was delayed. The
program which takes advantage of Window's 3.0 features,
dynamic data exchange, and improved font handling now is
slated for release by the end of the year.
- PC Week 27 August
Even Larger Capacity Hard Drives.
IBM is said to be planning to announce a 200 MByte
magneto-optical drive with a $1,500 retail price. Only 10
years ago the 2 Mbyte hard drive introduced with the Morrow
computer was viewed as large enough to meet anyone's storage
needs. Now hard drives with capacities exceeding the
Morrow's by over 1,000 times (2 gigabytes) are described as
"just around the corner."
- InfoWorld 10 September and PC Week 27 August
Another Source of Laser Printers.
Compaq appears to be planning an aggressive entry into the
laser printer business. The company will manufacture
printers in Mexico that will print faster and cost less than
the popular HP III. - PC Week 27 August
ClarisShare.
Now that Apple has decided not to spin-off it's software
division after all, the Claris label will begin appearing on
important Apple software including HyperCard, AppleShare,
and probably, the as yet unannounced AppleMail program. A
Windows 3.0 version of Claris's FileMaker product is in the
works, and Claris executive want to proliferate Apple
technology onto other platforms and create "interoperable
superworkgroup applications" (applications that could be
shared among Macintosh, PC, and Unix workstations connected
to a network). - InfoWorld 27 August
HyperCard 2.0 Delayed (Again).
Apple tried and failed to get numerous Apple publications to
delay for a month advertising that will appear in the November
issues. The guess is that the ads (and stories) will be about
HyperCard 2.0 which has been delayed until November, at least.
The "final" beta version was sent to developers in late
September. - read on AppleLink 19 September
dBase for UNIX.
Now that Ashton-Tate has finally shipped dBase IV 1.1, the
company has begun beta testing a version for UNIX. No
definite release date or price has been set as yet.
- InfoWorld 20 August
/s Murph <Sewall%UConnVM.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.Edu> [Internet]
or ...{psuvax1 or mcvax}!uconnvm.bitnet!sewall [UUCP]
+ Standard disclaimer applies ("The opinions expressed are my own" etc.)sdowdy@triton.unm.edu (Stephen Dowdy) (09/30/90)
In article <9009280355.AA23389@lilac.berkeley.edu> Sewall@UConnVM.BITNET (Murph Sewall) writes: } VAPORWARE } Murphy Sewall } From the October 1990 APPLE PULP } H.U.G.E. Apple Club (E. Hartford) News Letter } $15/year U.S. - $18/year Canadian } P.O. Box 18027 } East Hartford, CT 06118 } Call the "Bit Bucket" (203) 569-8739 } Permission granted to copy with the above citation } }Intel i586 Design Note. }Microsoft's William Gates and Intel's David House are }discussing whether to build the graphics primitives of }Windows 3.0 and OS/2's Presentation Manager into the mask of }the forthcoming i586 chip. Such a decision would markedly }improve the performance of both graphic user interfaces. }- PC Week 27 August } }Downward Compatibility. }Microsoft's MS-DOS 5.0 will contain a Set Ver (set version) }command that will allow users to make the operating system }emulate earlier MS-DOS versions from 2.0 up for those }applications that turn out to be incompatible with DOS 5.0. }- InfoWorld 20 August I am now confident that the MS-DOS/Intel/Windows/OS-2IBM PC era will come to an end soon. Weren't the 386 and 486 releases plagued by the bugs inherent in an overly-complex out of control behemoth monster? And now talk of including Graphical primitives into a CPU? This is *NOT* the solution to bad performance of Windows. If they make this decision noone will *ever* see an i586 chip. Because, by the time it is done, Graphical Workstations will be a dime a dozen (almost. much cheaper than equivalent PC Systems) So, anyone have a clue as to the complexity of the purported "Set Ver" hack? I realize MS-DOS is a very simple-minded OS (i really wouldn't even call it an OS, really), but i doubt this will be simple, and wil add its own incompatibilities and bugs. Yep, the PC generation will very quickly bog itself down in the quagmire it has built around itself. Meanwhile, Unix workstations will zip on by. All the major PC Software vendors are jumping onto Unix systems and they have a stable portable platform for development. A Brilliant beam of light is shining through the darkness... --stephen P.S. trying to save people from wasting money and brilliant people on ill-designed, outdated computer architectures. P.P.S. Bring on VM in AmigaDOS. I don't want to see it die. The best of VMS and Unix rolled into one. -- $! stephen dowdy (AOSED@acvax.inre.asu.edu) $! BITNET: sdowdy@unmb $! Internet: sdowdy@law.UNM.EDU $! Team SPAM in '87! SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMM!
North_TJ@cc.curtin.edu.au (Tim North) (10/02/90)
In article <9009280355.AA23389@lilac.berkeley.edu>, Sewall@UConnVM.BITNET (Murph Sewall) writes: > > VAPORWARE > Murphy Sewall > From the October 1990 APPLE PULP > > A Real 3-D Display. > Texas Instruments has shown a "bubble" display two feet in > diameter which "floats" three dimensional images within a > volume. Multiple viewers can see the display from any side > without special goggles or eyeshades. Dubbed "Omniview," > TI's patent application describes the technology as a > "real-time, auto-stereoscopic, multiplanar 3-D display > system." Initial commercial applications may appear as > early as next year. - InfoWorld 20 August > You've GOT to be kidding! ACKK! Is this for real? Whoa man, what centuru is this?! I mean this isn't for reeee-al is it? Quick, what day is it -- nope not April first... Somebody tell me it isn't possible yet -- please! Tim North --------------------------------------------------------------------------- SNAIL : Dept. Computer Engineering, Curtin University of Technology. Perth, Western Australia. Internet: North_TJ@cc.curtin.edu.au ACSnet: North_TJ@cc.cut.oz.au Bitnet: North_TJ%cc.curtin.edu.au@cunyvm.bitnet UUCP : uunet!munnari.oz!cc.curtin.edu.au!North_TJ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
boily@phy.ulaval.ca (Edouard Boily) (10/02/90)
> > > > VAPORWARE > > Murphy Sewall > > From the October 1990 APPLE PULP > > > > A Real 3-D Display. > > Texas Instruments has shown a "bubble" display two feet in > > diameter which "floats" three dimensional images within a > > volume. Multiple viewers can see the display from any side > > without special goggles or eyeshades. Dubbed "Omniview," > > TI's patent application describes the technology as a > > "real-time, auto-stereoscopic, multiplanar 3-D display > > system." Initial commercial applications may appear as > > early as next year. - InfoWorld 20 August > > > > You've GOT to be kidding! ACKK! Is this for real? Whoa man, what centuru is > this?! I mean this isn't for reeee-al is it? Quick, what day is it -- nope not > April first... > > Somebody tell me it isn't possible yet -- please! > > Tim North Yes, it is very possible. There is two way you can do this. The first one: You have a helicoidal surface in rotation. You just have to coordinate the scanning of a laser beam with the surface. Add the possibility to switch on and off the laser bean rapidly (liquid cristal screens) and you get the 3D device. The second one: I can't tell you now. 8 ) - Edouard .---------------------------------------------------------. | boily@phy.ulaval.ca 1150055@LAVALVX1.bitnet | |---------------------------------------------------------| | Edouard Boily | Projects: AmiGraph, AmigIRAF, A.I.R.P. | | Physic's Dept. | Interests: Astronomy, Comp. Sciences | | Laval Univ. | Work: On my Ph. D. _ // | | Quebec, CANADA | Citation: Not yet! \X/ | `---------------------------------------------------------'
swarren@convex.com (Steve Warren) (10/02/90)
In article <3808.2708cdc4@cc.curtin.edu.au> North_TJ@cc.curtin.edu.au (Tim North) writes: >In article <9009280355.AA23389@lilac.berkeley.edu>, Sewall@UConnVM.BITNET >(Murph Sewall) writes: [...] >> A Real 3-D Display. >> Texas Instruments has shown a "bubble" display two feet in >> diameter which "floats" three dimensional images within a [...] >You've GOT to be kidding! ACKK! Is this for real? Whoa man, what centuru is >this?! I mean this isn't for reeee-al is it? Quick, what day is it -- nope not >April first... > >Somebody tell me it isn't possible yet -- please! This system is incredibly expensive. There is a 2 foot transparent plastic dome that houses a large mirror mounted on a spindle that runs up the vertical axis of the dome. The spindle rotates the mirror at high speed while lasers "paint" the image on the surface of the mirror. You can barely see the mirror, according to those who have seen this system. The image is contained within the mechanism of the dome (ie none of the image is projected out into space). The famous holographic chess-war from Star Wars could be accurately produced with a system like this. But there would be a dome around the chess-board, unlike the movie. -- _. --Steve ._||__ DISCLAIMER: All opinions are my own. Warren v\ *| ---------------------------------------------- V {uunet,sun}!convex!swarren; swarren@convex.COM
dale@bcm.tmc.edu (Dale A. Samuelsen) (10/02/90)
In article <3808.2708cdc4@cc.curtin.edu.au> North_TJ@cc.curtin.edu.au (Tim North) writes: > In article <9009280355.AA23389@lilac.berkeley.edu>, Sewall@UConnVM.BITNET > (Murph Sewall) writes: > > > > VAPORWARE > > Murphy Sewall > > From the October 1990 APPLE PULP > > > > A Real 3-D Display. > > Texas Instruments has shown a "bubble" display two feet in > > diameter which "floats" three dimensional images within a > > volume. Multiple viewers can see the display from any side > > without special goggles or eyeshades. Dubbed "Omniview," > > TI's patent application describes the technology as a > > "real-time, auto-stereoscopic, multiplanar 3-D display > > system." Initial commercial applications may appear as > > early as next year. - InfoWorld 20 August > > > > You've GOT to be kidding! ACKK! Is this for real? Whoa man, what centuru is > this?! I mean this isn't for reeee-al is it? Quick, what day is it -- nope not > April first... > > Somebody tell me it isn't possible yet -- please! > > Tim North > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Yup, it is indeed real. It was shown at SIGGraph '90. It did not appear to me to be something to jump up and down about. The device consisted of a plexiglass bubble, rotating vanes set at specific angles &/or , and a computer controlled laser. The laser projected an image on the rotating vanes inside the dome. Based on where the laser beam struck the vanes, the viewer percieved height, width, and depth. Your quote from their patent application is accurate. No special goggles were required. I do not recall whether the device was monochrome or not - it may have had 3 colors, but it certainly did not have the range of color one might expect from a video monitor. I suspect that it will have trouble with adequate solid modeling because of the length of time it would take the laser to draw a solid on the vanes. In addition, the resolution seemed low and it was noticable that the image was projected onto rotating vanes. The booth was enclosed and was a very low light situation. I do not believe that the technology as shown would work well in standard office lighting. Hope this helps. If anyone can shed further light on the technology, please follow up this post. I'd like to hear another perspective. Dale Dale A. Samuelsen Baylor College of Medicine dale@bcm.tmc.edu --Any opinions expressed are mine alone and do not necessarily represent those of Baylor College of Medicine.
bgribble@jarthur.Claremont.EDU (Bill Gribble) (10/02/90)
In article <3808.2708cdc4@cc.curtin.edu.au> North_TJ@cc.curtin.edu.au (Tim North) writes: >In article <9009280355.AA23389@lilac.berkeley.edu>, Sewall@UConnVM.BITNET >(Murph Sewall) writes: >> >> VAPORWARE >> Murphy Sewall >> From the October 1990 APPLE PULP >> >> A Real 3-D Display. >> Texas Instruments has shown a "bubble" display two feet in >> diameter which "floats" three dimensional images within a >> volume. Multiple viewers can see the display from any side >> without special goggles or eyeshades. Dubbed "Omniview," >> TI's patent application describes the technology as a >> "real-time, auto-stereoscopic, multiplanar 3-D display >> system." Initial commercial applications may appear as >> early as next year. - InfoWorld 20 August >> > >You've GOT to be kidding! ACKK! Is this for real? Whoa man, what centuru is >this?! I mean this isn't for reeee-al is it? Quick, what day is it -- nope not >April first... > >Somebody tell me it isn't possible yet -- please! No, it's not possible, at least not the way you want it to be. I read a description of a free-standing 3d system under development last year (I didn't remember that TI was involved, but I'm assuming that this is what the TI system is.) What's going on here is some pretty good trickery: the system consists of a round disk, tilted at 45 degrees or so, that spins around rather rapidly. The result is that some point of the disk passes through every point of space enclosed by the disk's rotation in the period of 1 revolution. A laser then 'paints' the scene on the disk as it rotates. The result: A three-dimensional line image. If the disk rotates fast enough (say, 30 revs/sec or more) the viewer sees a complete scene reflected off the disk before his eye registes the movement of the beam; just like the laser shows on plane surfaces. Pretty neat, huh? They say it'll be great for air-traffic controllers, artists, and innumerable other types. Just keep little kiddies' fingers away from that disk! >Tim North ***************************************************************************** ** Bill Gribble Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, CA ** ** bgribble@jarthur.claremont.edu Never heard of it? You're stupid. ** *****************************************************************************
ech@cbnewsk.att.com (ned.horvath) (10/03/90)
From article <3808.2708cdc4@cc.curtin.edu.au>, by North_TJ@cc.curtin.edu.au (Tim North): > In article <9009280355.AA23389@lilac.berkeley.edu>, Sewall@UConnVM.BITNET > (Murph Sewall) writes: >> >> VAPORWARE >> Murphy Sewall >> From the October 1990 APPLE PULP >> >> A Real 3-D Display. >> Texas Instruments has shown a "bubble" display two feet in >> diameter which "floats" three dimensional images within a >> volume. Multiple viewers can see the display from any side >> without special goggles or eyeshades. Dubbed "Omniview," >> TI's patent application describes the technology as a >> "real-time, auto-stereoscopic, multiplanar 3-D display >> system." Initial commercial applications may appear as >> early as next year. - InfoWorld 20 August >> > > You've GOT to be kidding! ACKK! Is this for real? Whoa man, what centuru is > this?! I mean this isn't for reeee-al is it? Quick, what day is it -- nope not > April first... > > Somebody tell me it isn't possible yet -- please! > > Tim North Don't have a cow, man. Like most ooooh!-type stuff, this one seems obvious once you see how it's done. Take a vector display. Substitute a visible light beam for the electron gun. Mount it horizontally (shooting up). Spin a helical glass plate over it as a projection surface. Wrap a transparent box around it so nobody puts their fingers in the Cuisinart. The spinning helical projection surface effectively allows you to translate any point (x, y, z) to (x, y, t(x, y, z)), where t is time. Use three beams for RGB. Pretty slick. Now, what I'd like to know (since I've only seen "stills") is how bad the flicker is... =Ned Horvath=
billsey@agora.uucp (Bill Seymour) (10/03/90)
In article <3808.2708cdc4@cc.curtin.edu.au> North_TJ@cc.curtin.edu.au (Tim North) writes: :In article <9009280355.AA23389@lilac.berkeley.edu>, Sewall@UConnVM.BITNET :(Murph Sewall) writes: :: :: VAPORWARE :: Murphy Sewall :: From the October 1990 APPLE PULP :: :: A Real 3-D Display. :: Texas Instruments has shown a "bubble" display two feet in :: diameter which "floats" three dimensional images within a :: volume. Multiple viewers can see the display from any side :: without special goggles or eyeshades. Dubbed "Omniview," :: TI's patent application describes the technology as a :: "real-time, auto-stereoscopic, multiplanar 3-D display :: system." Initial commercial applications may appear as :: early as next year. - InfoWorld 20 August : :You've GOT to be kidding! ACKK! Is this for real? Whoa man, what centuru is :this?! I mean this isn't for reeee-al is it? Quick, what day is it -- nope not :April first... : :Somebody tell me it isn't possible yet -- please! Of course it's possible... They're using a spinning, tilted disk with lasers shining on it. The disk spins fast enough to be effectively invisible to your eyes, so you only see the laser hitting the disk surface. That gives you a very nice wire frame (or if you're quick enough with the laser, solid) 3D image. You're limited in colors, and the viewing area isn't a sphere, but it's certainly possible... Can anyone guess how long it'll be before we see a port of Battle Chess with two different color lasers? :-) :Tim North :--------------------------------------------------------------------------- :SNAIL : Dept. Computer Engineering, Curtin University of Technology. : Perth, Western Australia. :Internet: North_TJ@cc.curtin.edu.au :ACSnet: North_TJ@cc.cut.oz.au :Bitnet: North_TJ%cc.curtin.edu.au@cunyvm.bitnet :UUCP : uunet!munnari.oz!cc.curtin.edu.au!North_TJ :--------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- -Bill Seymour billsey@agora ***** American People/Link Amiga Zone Hardware Specialist NES*BILL ***** Bejed, Inc. NES, Inc. Northwest Amiga Group At Home Sometimes (503) 281-8153 (503) 246-9311 (503) 656-7393 BBS (503) 640-0842
casper@csuvax1.csu.murdoch.edu.au (Casper Boon) (10/04/90)
ech@cbnewsk.att.com (ned.horvath) writes: >From article <3808.2708cdc4@cc.curtin.edu.au>, by North_TJ@cc.curtin.edu.au (Tim North): >> In article <9009280355.AA23389@lilac.berkeley.edu>, Sewall@UConnVM.BITNET >> (Murph Sewall) writes: >>> >>> VAPORWARE >>> Murphy Sewall >>> From the October 1990 APPLE PULP >>> >>> A Real 3-D Display. >>> Texas Instruments has shown a "bubble" display two feet in >>> diameter which "floats" three dimensional images within a ---- stuff deleted ----- >>> early as next year. - InfoWorld 20 August >>> >> >> You've GOT to be kidding! ACKK! Is this for real? Whoa man, what centuru is >> this?! I mean this isn't for reeee-al is it? Quick, what day is it -- nope not >> April first... >> >> Somebody tell me it isn't possible yet -- please! >> >> Tim North >Take a vector display. Substitute a visible light beam for the electron gun. >Mount it horizontally (shooting up). Spin a helical glass plate over it as >a projection surface. >Wrap a transparent box around it so nobody puts their fingers in the >Cuisinart. >The spinning helical projection surface effectively allows you to translate >any point (x, y, z) to (x, y, t(x, y, z)), where t is time. >Use three beams for RGB. >Pretty slick. Now, what I'd like to know (since I've only seen "stills") is >how bad the flicker is... >=Ned Horvath= Another variant on this theme appeared in "The Australian" on the first of May of this year which refered to a project at MIT using holograms, the "trick" being to use sound to vary the refraction in a crystal that a laser passes through. Also surprisingly simple in concept, once you know how.... ================================================================ Casper A. Boon, casper@csuvax1.csu.murdoch.edu.au Computer Science Programme, Maths and Physical Sciences Department, Murdoch University, South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6152. PHONE: (09) 332 2790 OVERSEAS: +61 9 332 2790 ================================================================ (PS Hi Tim..... :-)
peterk@cbmger.UUCP (Peter Kittel GERMANY) (10/04/90)
In article <32119@nigel.ee.udel.edu> boily@phy.ulaval.ca (Edouard Boily) writes: >> > >> > VAPORWARE >> > Murphy Sewall >> > From the October 1990 APPLE PULP >> > >> > A Real 3-D Display. >> > Texas Instruments has shown a "bubble" display two feet in >> > diameter which "floats" three dimensional images within a >> > volume. Multiple viewers can see the display from any side >> > without special goggles or eyeshades. Dubbed "Omniview," >> > TI's patent application describes the technology as a >> > "real-time, auto-stereoscopic, multiplanar 3-D display >> > system." Initial commercial applications may appear as >> > early as next year. - InfoWorld 20 August >> > >> >> You've GOT to be kidding! ACKK! Is this for real? Whoa man, what centuru is >> this?! I mean this isn't for reeee-al is it? Quick, what day is it -- nope not >> April first... >> >> Somebody tell me it isn't possible yet -- please! >> >> Tim North > > Yes, it is very possible. There is two way you can do this. I know of another way. It was presented as an entry to the "Jugend forscht" (Youth explores) contest in Germany two or three years ago. It was not very professional, though. It consisted of 10 x 10 LED matrix, mounted on a magnetic coil that moved it back and forth rapidly. The display was synced with this movement and was told to give a nice 3D effect. Didn't see it myself, though. -- num_Germanies--; num_Countries--; num_free_people+=1.7e7; Best regards, Dr. Peter Kittel // E-Mail to \\ Only my personal opinions... Commodore Frankfurt, Germany \X/ {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!cbmger!peterk
sparks@corpane.UUCP (John Sparks) (10/05/90)
North_TJ@cc.curtin.edu.au (Tim North) writes: |> Texas Instruments has shown a "bubble" display two feet in |> diameter which "floats" three dimensional images within a |> volume. Multiple viewers can see the display from any side |> without special goggles or eyeshades. Dubbed "Omniview," |You've GOT to be kidding! ACKK! Is this for real? Whoa man, what centuru is |this?! I mean this isn't for reeee-al is it? Quick, what day is it -- nope not |April first... |Somebody tell me it isn't possible yet -- please! Hey, we've had these things for centuries, bud. It's just a technological version of the ol' magical Crystal Ball so popular with Gypsie Fortune Tellers. And I bet TI thinks they invented it first. ha! :-) -- John Sparks |D.I.S.K. Public Access Unix System| Multi-User Games, Email sparks@corpane.UUCP |PH: (502) 968-DISK 24Hrs/2400BPS | Usenet, Chatting, =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-|7 line Multi-User system. | Downloads & more. A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of----Ogden Nash
newbery@rata.vuw.ac.nz (Michael Newbery) (10/05/90)
Re the 3-D display, a company called GENISCO supposedly had one of these
in 1982. Theirs worked by bouncing the projected image off a vibrating
mirror. Not quite walk around but certainly viewable without 3-D glasses.
I only ever saw a photcopied flyer, I don't know if the product ever
shipped or how much it cost.
Ask over in comp.graphics, I'm sure someone there will know.
--
Michael Newbery<newbery@rata.vuw.ac.nz>
Seagoon: "I went to visit my Uncle Henry and Aunt Minnie who,
"being the holders of Government, Gilt Edged Securities,
"lived in a tree in Hyde Park."cwpjr@cbnewse.att.com (clyde.w.jr.phillips) (10/05/90)
In article <3808.2708cdc4@cc.curtin.edu.au>, North_TJ@cc.curtin.edu.au (Tim North) writes: > In article <9009280355.AA23389@lilac.berkeley.edu>, Sewall@UConnVM.BITNET > (Murph Sewall) writes: > > > > VAPORWARE > > Murphy Sewall > > From the October 1990 APPLE PULP > > > > A Real 3-D Display. > > Texas Instruments has shown a "bubble" display two feet in > > You've GOT to be kidding! ACKK! Is this for real? Whoa man, what centuru is > this?! I mean this isn't for reeee-al is it? Quick, what day is it -- nope not > April first... > > Somebody tell me it isn't possible yet -- please! Why? I beleive it cause I've benn *expecting* it since @ 85. See I beleive technology possibilities are way ahead of what you see, cause of dumb capital. but something truly amazing will show up if you can convince a deep pocket to do it *right*. So I've been expecting this and the fractal compression/ data-expression deal ( SIMPLE code regenerates COMPLEX data<images> ) and a number of other goodies for a while now I feel *better* in that *we* aren't a totally myopic species. No personal flame at all, but raise you expectations and you might be pleasantly supprized! Clyde
kukulski@athena.mit.edu (Timothy W Kukulski) (10/08/90)
Of course... here at MIT's Media Lab, one of the departments has computer generated holographic television. -- ---------------- There are some who call me 'Tim'
alex@grian.cps.altadena.ca.us (Alex Pournelle) (10/10/90)
newbery@rata.vuw.ac.nz (Michael Newbery) writes: >Re the 3-D display, a company called GENISCO supposedly had one of these >in 1982. Theirs worked by bouncing the projected image off a vibrating >mirror. Not quite walk around but certainly viewable without 3-D glasses. It was a bit dim (shown in a darkened room in their booth) and one color (red). But was certainly quite viewable. They hadn't quite licked the flicker problem, yet. Seagoon: "He's fallen into the water!" -- Alex Pournelle, freelance thinker Also: Workman & Associates, Data recovery for PCs, Macs, others ...elroy!grian!alex; BIX: alex; voice: (818) 791-7979 fax: (818) 794-2297 bbs: 791-1013; 8N1 24/12/3
cosell@bbn.com (Bernie Cosell) (10/12/90)
alex@grian.cps.altadena.ca.us (Alex Pournelle) writes: }newbery@rata.vuw.ac.nz (Michael Newbery) writes: }>Re the 3-D display, a company called GENISCO supposedly had one of these }>in 1982. Theirs worked by bouncing the projected image off a vibrating }>mirror. Not quite walk around but certainly viewable without 3-D glasses. }It was a bit dim (shown in a darkened room in their booth) and one color }(red). But was certainly quite viewable. They hadn't quite licked the }flicker problem, yet. Actually, that display was developed at BBN and at the time it was licensed to Genisco. It is again being produced here at BBN [called the 'Spacegraph']. If any of you really want more info, either marketing or technical, on the beastie, you can give me a shout. __ / ) Bernie Cosell /--< _ __ __ o _ BBN Sys & Tech, Cambridge, MA 02138 /___/_(<_/ (_/) )_(_(<_ cosell@bbn.com
dannys@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Daniel Shurilla) (10/12/90)
>}>Re the 3-D display, a company called GENISCO supposedly had one of these >}>in 1982. Theirs worked by bouncing the projected image off a vibrating >}>mirror. Not quite walk around but certainly viewable without 3-D glasses. > There was a good article on this technique in BYTE magazine, May 1978, Volume 3, Number 5. "Graphics In Depth:" included detailed theory, construction plans and software listings. The setup used a rotating mirror, oscilloscope, Z80 based S100 computer and a custom hardware interface. The software was a BASIC program with assembly routines. I can imagine a rotating mirror, modulated Laser and an AMIGA driving a 1990's version of this hardware hack setup! Give the article a look, it's very interesting and demonstrates that BYTE really WAS a good magazine. dannys@csd4.csd.uwm.edu
cosell@bbn.com (Bernie Cosell) (10/13/90)
dannys@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Daniel Shurilla) writes: }>}>Re the 3-D display, a company called GENISCO supposedly had one of these }>}>in 1982. Theirs worked by bouncing the projected image off a vibrating }>}>mirror. Not quite walk around but certainly viewable without 3-D glasses. }> }There was a good article on this technique in BYTE magazine, May 1978, }Volume 3, Number 5. "Graphics In Depth:" included detailed theory, construction }plans and software listings. }The setup used a rotating mirror, oscilloscope, Z80 based S100 computer and }a custom hardware interface. The software was a BASIC program with assembly }routines.... Dunno what system you're talking about [I'll go see if the BBN library has the issue of Byte you mention], but the Genisco display used a vibrating mirror, as described. /Bernie\
jmpiazza@acsu.buffalo.edu (Joseph M. Piazza) (10/17/90)
sdowdy@triton.unm.edu (Stephen Dowdy) writes: > ... >I am now confident that the MS-DOS/Intel/Windows/OS-2IBM PC era >will come to an end soon. Weren't the 386 and 486 releases >plagued by the bugs inherent in an overly-complex out of control >behemoth monster? ... Oh no! It's the -MB- of the PC World! Aaaaaarrgghhh! :-) Flip side, joe "probably a dead one" piazza --- "Where's my other sock?" A. Einstein CS Dept. SUNY at Buffalo 14260 UUCP: ...!{watmath,boulder,decvax,rutgers}!sunybcs!jmpiazza BITNET: jmpiazza@sunybcs.BITNET Internet: jmpiazza@cs.Buffalo.edu >stephen dowdy (AOSED@acvax.inre.asu.edu) sdowdy@law.UNM.EDU
sparks@corpane.UUCP (John Sparks) (10/24/90)
jmpiazza@acsu.buffalo.edu (Joseph M. Piazza) writes: |sdowdy@triton.unm.edu (Stephen Dowdy) writes: |> ... |>I am now confident that the MS-DOS/Intel/Windows/OS-2IBM PC era |>will come to an end soon. Weren't the 386 and 486 releases |>plagued by the bugs inherent in an overly-complex out of control |>behemoth monster? ... | Oh no! It's the -MB- of the PC World! Aaaaaarrgghhh! Nah, in order to be the -MB- of the PC world he would have to make all his postings putting down Intel in the *.ibm.* groups where they would not be appreciated. -- John Sparks |D.I.S.K. Public Access Unix System| Multi-User Games, Email sparks@corpane.UUCP |PH: (502) 968-DISK 24Hrs/2400BPS | Usenet, Chatting, =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-|7 line Multi-User system. | Downloads & more. A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of----Ogden Nash