The Next Web

See that little creature? It’s a iPhone holographic illusion

Written on August 22, 2008 – 10:33 am
Ernst-Jan Pfauth, editor in chief

iHologram - iPhone application from David OReilly on Vimeo.

I’ve showed this video to a couple of friends in Berlin (where I’m staying for a few days), and they all freaked out. Maybe because I left the “illusion” part out of it, I don’t know. But one thing is for sure, it’s a really cool effect. David OReilly is responsible for this hologram. He used “the Cat” from his award-winning but unfinished cartoon PSS and gave it a 3D effect with Anamorphosis, the same technique used in Hans Holbein’s painting The Ambassadors (the one with the skull).

I wonder when the holograms become reality, Starwars style. On the iPhone it would probably look a bit like this:

[Via iSmashPhone]

I hope you like that post!

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3d, david oReilly, hologram, illusion

5 Comments »

Web2Wave: surfing the web cover flow style

Written on February 15, 2008 – 10:37 am
Ernst-Jan Pfauth, editor in chief

Every week we publish an interview with a start-up. We ask five questions, hoping the answers will give you inspiration and new views. Well, actually six questions, since we also ask the start-up to who he or she is passing the mic to.

This week we’re interviewing Fabrice Levy, founder of Web2Wave. This service proposes ‘a new way to surf the Internet’, this would be a cover flow browsing experience. And although the design of the site is sooo nineties, it could be a handy service for people who don’t use Mac’s Leopard (yet). And when you think about it: why not integrate cover flow in the most important application of your computer? If only Levy would hire a designer, so that the design matches the new approach on surfing.

How did you come up with the idea of Web2Wave?

“The idea came up when I was planning holidays using multiple web sites (book hotel, plane, rent a car…) and I thought it would be great if I could have all these sites in a single window to quickly switch from one to an other and moreover to store all this context for the next time I will have to plan holidays.

It’s easier to find what you’re looking for by flipping through pictures than by scanning a list of text entries. Cover Flow-style interfaces provide an easy and fun way to sort through large volumes of information and find the piece you want at any given time.” (more…)

3d, coverflow, five questions for start-ups, web2wave

2 Comments »

‘Warp’ through YouTube with Visual Browser

Written on February 10, 2008 – 10:40 pm
Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten,

Youtube has an alternative way to browse their content called the ‘Warp Player’. You can access it directly on http://youtube.com/warp_speed or via a small button that you only see when you watch a Youtube video full-screen. It’s that strange icon, with three dots, bottom left, on the right side of the Play button.

Although there is a link on the front page to the Warp Player I can’t seem to find any other information about it. Nothing on the blog and nothing on the dedicated Warp Player page. Not even ONE mention of ‘Warp’ in the extensive Youtube help files.

Maybe Youtube isn’t very proud of their Warp Speed player or they just think it is so self explanatory, like the Play button, that it doesn’t need any further introduction. I can image some people missed it so here is a Youtube Demo Video of a Youtube Video feature

If you want to experience it for yourself click this move, then click the full screen button and then click the Warp Player icon.

3d, Warp player, youtube

1 Comment »

The 3D web: try it now…

Written on January 8, 2008 – 5:58 pm
Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten,

I remember downloading the first VRML browser in 1999. It promised to show me the web in 3D fashion. Unfortunately it never went anywhere. Until now, maybe.

Check this video of a 3D browser built by SpaceTime and demonstrated during CES yesterday. It shows an Apple CoverFlow like interface to many popular websites. In this example eBay is used. The first 10 seconds are boring but don’t look away:

Can you imagine browsing the web like this? What would your site or this blog look like in 3D? What would be the advantage of browsing like this? One thing is for sure; don’t try this on dial-up.

Want to try it yourself? Download SpaceTime 1.0 (Windows only, for now) and let us know how it worked for you.

By the way, have you checked out this 3D post as well? It allows you to search through the web cover flow style.

3d, browser, Inspiration, Video embed

18 Comments »