3D urban models used for new flick
Twentieth Century Fox utilized EarthData Solutions’ 3D city models of Manhattan and Los Angeles in the recently-released film, The Day After Tomorrow. EarthData officials credit the realism of the urban models with their origin — aerial photography that was mathematically corrected to extract geographic features in their precise geographic locations on the Earth’s surface. The models took over a year to complete and involved the efforts of cartographers, computer scientists and experts in visualization techniques, they said.
Devil Duck drive sales halted
TikiMac LLC recently announced that it is halting production of its Devil Duck Flash Drives, due to unexpected issues relating to quality of the rubber duck’s shell used in the drive’s manufacturing. The company is offering an “Upgrade-A-Duck” service where end-users can obtain their own rubber duckie shells and have them transformed into a similar flash drive. Technical support and warranty repairs for Devil Duckie Drives remain unchanged.
E-putt in your own home
Riverside, Calif.-based QMotions Inc. recently launched its indoor golf simulation system that, according to the firm, offers full motion interactive involvement in popular golf games for Windows. QMotions-Golf can be used at home, in the office, or on a business trip, the company said. The product lets players use a specially designed swing arm to drive, chip or putt a tethered golf ball with a real golf club. It is able to measure the ball’s direction and speed characteristics and incorporate these measurements into compatible Windows golf games being played. This gives the player an experience beyond using a mouse and keyboard, the firm said.
