 | IT Happens :
December 2004
Monthly News Notice of IT Happenings |  | |
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IT
For Gaming
Feature of the Month
Go Online With 3D Interactive Cartoon Technology
 Microsoft China Research Institute and Kunpeng Web City, have completed the R&D of their online comic dialogue broadcast system "Cartoon Jkun 1.0". ”Cartoon Jkun 1.0" uses 3D cartoon interactive multimedia Internet broadcast technology jointly developed by Microsoft China Research Institute and Kunpeng Web City.
The product can automatically generate cartoon figures from video signals, imitate the shape of a talking mouth in response to audio and video signals, and simulate the bodies and gestures of different performers.
Now apart from the sheer entertainment value of this technology, it has many other business uses. First, there is an entire programming system behind the demo which can be unlocked once you pay a nominal license fee. Secondly, you can send an email message using these creatures
to others. Lastly, you can embed these creatures into your web site to entertain, amuse, and instruct your visitors.
(Source:
www.chinaonline.com)
Quote - IT
“There's been much talk over the last year about how online gaming is the next big thing,
The reality is that online games are big now”
- Robert Small, CEO Miniclip.com -
Personality Of The
Month
 Toby Gard is proud to be known as the man behind Lara Croft. During his time at game developers, Core Design, he played a key role in putting together the original Tomb Raider game.
In 1994 Core Design faced commercial failure of the several games it released. Nobody could imagine that the idea of one man, Toby Gard, will solve the problems. After many opposing opinions about what
should the new game be like, it was decided that it will be an action title with a male. From the very beginning Toby was against the idea of male character, around the same time he saw the movie Tank Girl after watching the movie Toby was convinced that the main character in the game should be a woman.
Toby then modified the model transforming it into someone much nicer, more feminine, gracious and beautiful. Soon the first model of Lara Croft was created., and the first Tomb Raider was designed, the game which is considered to be the best game in the series. Tomb Raider game has sold in millions. Toby Gard currently works for Confounding Factory and is busy in finishing the development of Galleon for
Xbox.
IT Snippets
20Q (20 Questions)
 Can it read your mind? 20Q is the electronic version of the popular game 20 questions. Think of something, anything, and see if 20Q can guess correctly! The artificial intelligence in this game makes 20Q very smart, and trying to stump it can be a real challenge!
This 20Q pocket version is about the size of a yo-yo and contains a neural-network with a quarter of a million synaptic connections. Cheeky and sleek, the 20Q pocket version captures the quirky personality of the artificial intelligence behind the "20 questions" game.
This AI game that was earlier available on a 500$ computer can now easily be carried in a children palms at a pocket -cut of just around $ 20 (Approx.
Rs. 940)
(Source: www.egame.com)
Touch Chess
 Touch Chess is a palm-sized electronic chess game that features a stylus for game play. The world's first stylus-touch chess is as portable and as easy-to-use as the most popular PDAs! Just use the pull-out stylus to choose the piece and tap the square you want to move to!
Play against the computer or use it as an on-the-go travel set to compete against a partner or study games from books and newspapers. Includes carrying pouch, teaching modes and rating features, along with lots more features of full table-top models!
You can even watch the computer play both sides and peek into the inner workings of the computer's brain. Features include set up and solve chess problems, selectable opening lines for play and learning, 32 mate problems to solve, skill-rating features, built in chess clock.
Costing about 50$ (Approx. Rs. 2350) this product is proving to be an excellent gift item for Christmas.
(Source: www.egame.com)
Web Watch
http://www.miniclip.com
 Miniclip.com is the world leader in online games. Miniclip.com produces some of the best online free games and the most advanced single and multiplayer cash tournaments on the Internet.
It is at the forefront of the newest and fastest growing entertainment sector, online games. People are moving towards internet playing Mini games as an exciting and interactive alternative to television and other more traditional entertainment formats.
The games are incredibly popular because they are fun, free and easy to use. They are small enough to be sent via email, and easily viewed both online and offline on desktops.
It has a large weekly games newsletter notifying its members of the newest games available on the site and a network of affiliate websites that showcase MiniClip games. You can put a Miniclip game on your website for free and improve the experience of all your users. MiniClip.com also designs and initiates massive buzz marketing campaigns.
IT Humour
Customer: "My computer crashed!"
Tech Support: "It crashed?"
Customer: "Yeah, it won't let me play my game."
Tech Support: "Alright, hit Control-Alt-Delete to reboot."
Customer: "No, it didn't crash -- it crashed."
Tech Support: "Huh?"
Customer: "I crashed my game. That's what I said before. Now it doesn't work.
"Turned out, the user was playing Lunar Lander and crashed his spaceship.
Tech Support: "Click on 'File, 'then 'New Game.'"
Customer: [pause] "Wow! How'd you learn how to do that?"
IT Quiz
- What is Xbox ?
- What are RPG's in context of computer games?
IT Quiz Solutions
- Xbox is a digital entertainment system that allows players to game without any constraints. The digital format allows the best content to come through and thereby guarantees the best quality of games.
- Role Playing Games (RPGs) are action adventure games that involve the player controlling the main character of the game from a third person's point of view. Popular games include Dungeon Siege, Tomb Raider and Diablo.
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