1 00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:07,240 Speaker 1: Welcome to tech Stuff, a production of I Heart Radios 2 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:13,880 Speaker 1: How Stuff Works. Hey there, and welcome to tech Stuff. 3 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:16,720 Speaker 1: I'm your host, Jonathan Strickland. I'm an executive producer with 4 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:18,640 Speaker 1: How Stuff Works and I heart Radio and I love 5 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:22,200 Speaker 1: all things tech, and it's time for another classic episode 6 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 1: of tech Stuff. This episode originally aired on August eight, 7 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:29,560 Speaker 1: two thousand and twelve. It is titled tex Stuff Hacks 8 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:32,800 Speaker 1: the Connect and this is all about the Microsoft Connect, 9 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:36,760 Speaker 1: the peripheral for the Xbox platform. And uh, back in 10 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:39,440 Speaker 1: two thousand twelve, that was still a thing. It's largely 11 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 1: not a thing. I'll talk more about that at the 12 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:46,720 Speaker 1: end of this episode, but in the meantime, let's rejoin 13 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 1: young Jonathan Strickland and his plucky co host Chris Palette 14 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:55,279 Speaker 1: as they talk about the Connect. Jonathan and I had 15 00:00:55,360 --> 00:01:00,320 Speaker 1: been talking about things that you can do with other things. Yeah, okay, 16 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:04,120 Speaker 1: that was a little oversimplified. Basically existing technologies that could 17 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:06,200 Speaker 1: be repurposed for other means. We thought it would be 18 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 1: fun to talk about a series of different kinds of 19 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:14,280 Speaker 1: technologies to not just uh not just say game controllers 20 00:01:14,319 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 1: like the connect. Um So you know, this is one 21 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:19,039 Speaker 1: of those that that we're doing, and we thought this 22 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:22,880 Speaker 1: one in particular made an interesting topic because so many 23 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:30,520 Speaker 1: people have repurposed Microsoft's UM Motion sensitive controller UM and 24 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:35,720 Speaker 1: it's uh, actually for very simple reasons. It's really inexpensive 25 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:38,960 Speaker 1: compared to other ways to do this. In fact, this 26 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:42,600 Speaker 1: is very readily available. This is something that we've talked 27 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:45,240 Speaker 1: about this in a previous episode really because back when 28 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 1: we were talked about virtual reality, Yeah, virtual reality, Uh, 29 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 1: you know, for a while that was like the Darling 30 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:54,200 Speaker 1: phrase and technology from the late nineties. Do you remember 31 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:57,240 Speaker 1: that era where you could shoot the pterodactyl and get 32 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:01,800 Speaker 1: incredibly dizzy through the latency is choose? And the funny 33 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 1: thing about virtual reality is it still exists, but the 34 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:10,359 Speaker 1: phrase has become so dated and associated with that big 35 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:12,680 Speaker 1: headgear and the giant gloves that you had to be 36 00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:18,440 Speaker 1: wired into or the holiday. Yeah, there's a stigma there, 37 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:22,080 Speaker 1: and and the ideas have become much more refined, but 38 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:28,600 Speaker 1: they're sort of augmented reality or just virtuality, virtual environment 39 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:31,799 Speaker 1: sometimes of environments. But yeah, the connect is it is 40 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:34,280 Speaker 1: one of those things that sort of bridge the gap 41 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:38,320 Speaker 1: between the real world and what you see on the 42 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:40,760 Speaker 1: computer or on the TV. Right and like you said, 43 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:43,440 Speaker 1: it's it's readily available, and it's an expensive That was 44 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:47,600 Speaker 1: the big problem that virtual environment scientists and and and 45 00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:51,000 Speaker 1: pioneers were running into is the fact that they could 46 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 1: build the software, but designing the hardware was a lot 47 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:57,320 Speaker 1: more difficult, because you're talking about an incredibly expensive process 48 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:01,600 Speaker 1: to prototype something and then build out a working version 49 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:03,639 Speaker 1: of it and then go into mass production. If you 50 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:06,680 Speaker 1: ever want to go beyond just a laboratory experiment, that's 51 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:11,400 Speaker 1: that's hard to do. And so virtual environment folks often 52 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:15,760 Speaker 1: end up looking to the world of video games to 53 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:20,560 Speaker 1: repurpose the equipment that is made as just a form 54 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 1: of entertainment so that they can use it in their 55 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:26,280 Speaker 1: own projects. So we've seen this with things like the 56 00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:30,239 Speaker 1: we controller, uh, the Sony move controller, as well as 57 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:33,600 Speaker 1: the connect. It's one of those very easy to get 58 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 1: your hands on pieces of technology. Yep, yep, um. Yeah. 59 00:03:37,160 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 1: Those early uh, those early devices required you to uh 60 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:44,160 Speaker 1: put on glasses or wear a helmet that had a 61 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 1: display that you could see so that you knew what 62 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:48,960 Speaker 1: you were doing in this virtual world. You had to 63 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:52,840 Speaker 1: have some kind of something on your body, uh, often 64 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 1: gloves or some kind of sensors. That would relay information 65 00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 1: to the computer generating this virtual world. Usually it would 66 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:04,000 Speaker 1: be a combination of something you were holding or wearing. 67 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:06,880 Speaker 1: Plus the headmild display would have some tracking in it 68 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:10,320 Speaker 1: as well for head tracking. And in some cases you'd 69 00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:14,440 Speaker 1: have to be on some kind of virtual environment too. 70 00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:16,560 Speaker 1: You'd have to be on a treadmill or something that 71 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:19,640 Speaker 1: would track your movements or would make it seem like 72 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 1: you were walking in this virtual environment. And as you 73 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:26,039 Speaker 1: can imagine, this is all really expensive. Um. The newer 74 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:29,840 Speaker 1: systems that that we use now are used infrared or 75 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:34,600 Speaker 1: or cameras regular cameras to capture where you are. They 76 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:38,120 Speaker 1: map out the room, they know and they know what's 77 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 1: going on in your actual physical environment where you are. 78 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:48,360 Speaker 1: And um, you don't have to necessarily be wired in 79 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:49,960 Speaker 1: like you used to be a lot of it's also 80 00:04:50,080 --> 00:04:54,920 Speaker 1: using Bluetooth or or WiFi to communicate, Uh, makes life 81 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:58,880 Speaker 1: so much more easy. And plus we're talking about consoles 82 00:04:58,960 --> 00:05:02,719 Speaker 1: that are much more powerful. Though then the computers were 83 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:04,760 Speaker 1: back in the old you know, even in the days 84 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:08,520 Speaker 1: when people were building virtual environments and they're building those 85 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:11,920 Speaker 1: first applications. The consoles that we have today are in 86 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:16,160 Speaker 1: many ways comparable or sometimes superior to the equipment that 87 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:18,160 Speaker 1: they were using back then. So let's talk a little 88 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:21,800 Speaker 1: bit about the connect, what makes it work and how 89 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:25,440 Speaker 1: it is able to detect depth, which is I mean, 90 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:27,679 Speaker 1: that's the that's the key to many of the connect 91 00:05:27,680 --> 00:05:30,839 Speaker 1: hacks is the fact that the connect is able to 92 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 1: map out a three D virtual environment based upon a 93 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:39,719 Speaker 1: physical space. Thankfully, I found a really cool diagram in 94 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:42,919 Speaker 1: an article by Jason Tan's called connect Hackers are Changing 95 00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:47,920 Speaker 1: the future of robotics. Um, the connect is a wired device. Um, 96 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:53,240 Speaker 1: But attached to that wire are some actually pretty simple electronics. Um. 97 00:05:53,279 --> 00:05:57,800 Speaker 1: It's got an array of microphones, right, video camera, video camera, 98 00:05:58,160 --> 00:06:01,280 Speaker 1: color camera. As a matter of fact, Um, it's got 99 00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:05,040 Speaker 1: an infrared emitter, yes, which I will explain what that 100 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:07,800 Speaker 1: does in a minute. Um, and a sensor as well 101 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:12,920 Speaker 1: to pick up what that emitter is, uh, the reflections 102 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:17,680 Speaker 1: of that of the stuff that the emitter is spreading out. Yea. Yeah. 103 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:21,520 Speaker 1: It's also got a depth camera, which essentially creates a 104 00:06:21,560 --> 00:06:25,279 Speaker 1: map of the room. And it's got a series of well, 105 00:06:25,320 --> 00:06:27,719 Speaker 1: it's got a tilt motor in it yea, to allow 106 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:32,279 Speaker 1: the device itself to change its own uh. Perspective really, 107 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:35,680 Speaker 1: which is very useful and lots of different applications also, 108 00:06:35,720 --> 00:06:40,080 Speaker 1: so you can get go connecting and guess, okay, no, 109 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:44,800 Speaker 1: it doesn't. How can the connect detect huh? A three 110 00:06:44,800 --> 00:06:47,159 Speaker 1: dimensional environment? So you know, with a three D camera, 111 00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:51,520 Speaker 1: the way we would normally make a three D movie 112 00:06:51,920 --> 00:06:53,240 Speaker 1: is that you would have a camera that would have 113 00:06:53,279 --> 00:06:57,560 Speaker 1: two sets of lenses set apart from one another in 114 00:06:57,600 --> 00:06:59,840 Speaker 1: such a way so that two different sets of m 115 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:04,400 Speaker 1: just could be combined. Uh. And so when we watch it, 116 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:06,920 Speaker 1: our brains do the work and put it all together, 117 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:09,360 Speaker 1: and it makes the illusion of three D. Right. The 118 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:15,520 Speaker 1: two cameras are spaced about the average with of human eye, 119 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:18,760 Speaker 1: so that that it creates that illusion of depth because 120 00:07:18,800 --> 00:07:22,920 Speaker 1: it it takes two images um set apart and about 121 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:24,800 Speaker 1: that with and it makes us believe. It makes our 122 00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:27,600 Speaker 1: brains think that it's in three D right, right, And 123 00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:31,320 Speaker 1: each each set of images goes to one of our eyes. Right. 124 00:07:31,440 --> 00:07:33,800 Speaker 1: So that's why people who have vision problems with one 125 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:37,640 Speaker 1: eye or what often have difficulty perceiving a three D 126 00:07:38,120 --> 00:07:41,200 Speaker 1: film because for it to really work, both eyes have 127 00:07:41,320 --> 00:07:44,560 Speaker 1: to receive their individual sets of information. That's why three 128 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:47,200 Speaker 1: D glasses are the way they are, it's to filter 129 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:50,960 Speaker 1: out the other set of images so that only one 130 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:53,680 Speaker 1: set goes to each eye. Well, that's not how the 131 00:07:53,680 --> 00:07:57,440 Speaker 1: connect does this. The connect has that emitter and the 132 00:07:57,520 --> 00:08:00,680 Speaker 1: sensor or the depth camera to do this. And what's 133 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:04,960 Speaker 1: going on is that Imagine that you've got your your 134 00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:08,160 Speaker 1: living room set up, okay, and you've got your connect 135 00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:11,560 Speaker 1: connected to your Xbox three six so imagined. Alright, so 136 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:14,760 Speaker 1: you're standing in front of the connect. How does the 137 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:18,160 Speaker 1: connect tell that you are a three dimensional person? Because 138 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:22,119 Speaker 1: remember when a regular video camera, you're getting a flattened image. 139 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:25,320 Speaker 1: That's that's the real problem with with a basic cameras 140 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:28,640 Speaker 1: that it flattens everything out. It does not detect depth. 141 00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:35,800 Speaker 1: The only que we have visually is essentially the uh perspective, 142 00:08:36,280 --> 00:08:38,120 Speaker 1: which is why and the Lord of the Rings movies, 143 00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:41,720 Speaker 1: when you had characters standing really far away from characters 144 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:43,880 Speaker 1: who are really close to the camera. That created the 145 00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:49,360 Speaker 1: forced perspective illusion that one character was larger significantly than 146 00:08:49,400 --> 00:08:53,400 Speaker 1: another character. Uh happens all the time in films. Well, 147 00:08:53,760 --> 00:08:56,360 Speaker 1: the way the Connect gets around this is that emitter 148 00:08:56,520 --> 00:09:02,920 Speaker 1: that I infrared emitter says out essentially a grid that 149 00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:05,960 Speaker 1: is made up of infrared light. Now we cannot see 150 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:09,439 Speaker 1: infrared light, so we do not perceive this, right, It's 151 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:12,600 Speaker 1: outside the visible spectrum for human beings unless you're an 152 00:09:12,600 --> 00:09:14,959 Speaker 1: alpha a dwarf from advanced stages in the Dragons, in 153 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:16,880 Speaker 1: which case you might be able to see this, but 154 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:19,120 Speaker 1: you're probably not playing Xbox if you're one of those, 155 00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:24,359 Speaker 1: unless it's skyrin anyway. So the this grid gets projected 156 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:28,960 Speaker 1: over the physical environment. Well, when the grid encounters a 157 00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:32,800 Speaker 1: physical object, it's deformed. The grid itself is deformed, not 158 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:35,680 Speaker 1: the object. The object stays the same, otherwise we would 159 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:37,520 Speaker 1: have a lot more to talk about with the connect. 160 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:41,200 Speaker 1: So the grid deforms when it contacts comes into contact 161 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:47,160 Speaker 1: with a physical object. The depth camera measures the deformities 162 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:50,480 Speaker 1: that are within this grid and can interpret that as 163 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:56,440 Speaker 1: objects that are a certain distance from the connect. So 164 00:09:56,520 --> 00:10:00,440 Speaker 1: as it tracks the changes in these deformities, it text 165 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:04,160 Speaker 1: player movement. So when you move your arm, that grid 166 00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:07,319 Speaker 1: is going to change, and the depth sensor is going 167 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:11,960 Speaker 1: to to capture those changes, send that information to a 168 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:17,080 Speaker 1: processor which then interprets those changes as various commands. So, 169 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:20,120 Speaker 1: for example, if it's a game where you shove your 170 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:24,160 Speaker 1: hand out in order to make a character shoot a gun. 171 00:10:24,760 --> 00:10:28,360 Speaker 1: Then what happens is the uh, the grid will be 172 00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:31,680 Speaker 1: deformed as your hand goes closer to the camera on 173 00:10:31,800 --> 00:10:35,160 Speaker 1: the or the to the infrared emitter. Really from the connect, 174 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:38,360 Speaker 1: that grid deforms in a certain way. The depth sensor 175 00:10:38,440 --> 00:10:42,960 Speaker 1: camera detects it and then sends the appropriate command or 176 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:45,520 Speaker 1: the or the data to the processor which process of 177 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:50,120 Speaker 1: the appropriate command for the game. So that's the basics 178 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:53,120 Speaker 1: behind the depth sensing technology of the connect. There are 179 00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:56,240 Speaker 1: a lot of other sensors out there. They use similar technology, 180 00:10:56,280 --> 00:10:59,480 Speaker 1: not all of them are using that grid approach. Because 181 00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:04,160 Speaker 1: one of the um downsides to this is that the 182 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:08,160 Speaker 1: closer you get to the camera, the less accurate this 183 00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:12,199 Speaker 1: depth sensing technology is because the grid is of the 184 00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:16,280 Speaker 1: squares within that grid are a certain size. So as 185 00:11:16,320 --> 00:11:20,000 Speaker 1: you get closer and closer, you are deforming less of 186 00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:24,920 Speaker 1: the grid with your various movements because your your movements 187 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:27,240 Speaker 1: are taking place more within the empty space of the 188 00:11:27,280 --> 00:11:30,680 Speaker 1: box as opposed to the various intersecting lines. If that 189 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:34,679 Speaker 1: makes any sense, No, it does, Um and uh it's 190 00:11:34,679 --> 00:11:38,600 Speaker 1: funny because this this technology is we think about it. 191 00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:41,560 Speaker 1: This this this technology is designed to be used in 192 00:11:41,559 --> 00:11:44,920 Speaker 1: the living room as part of a game system. Um. 193 00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:49,200 Speaker 1: It's it's designed to be inexpensive so people can afford it, 194 00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:54,920 Speaker 1: but still to be sophisticated. Um. And that's why. Um 195 00:11:55,280 --> 00:11:57,200 Speaker 1: and it was designed by Microsoft, which is why people 196 00:11:57,200 --> 00:12:01,120 Speaker 1: want to hack it. Um. Actually, I think that's probably 197 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:04,280 Speaker 1: a lesser reason, but yeah, I'm a motivating factor for 198 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:07,360 Speaker 1: some people, I think. I think the motivating factor is 199 00:12:07,360 --> 00:12:09,440 Speaker 1: mainly that it's a cool technology that can do a 200 00:12:09,440 --> 00:12:11,320 Speaker 1: lot of stuff. But the fact that Microsoft is the 201 00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:13,640 Speaker 1: one behind it may give some people a little extra 202 00:12:13,679 --> 00:12:17,440 Speaker 1: motivation that that. Yeah, that's that that slightly turned up 203 00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:21,439 Speaker 1: smile and right. Um, no, it's it's available in many 204 00:12:21,520 --> 00:12:25,839 Speaker 1: many places. Um and uh you know that's that's sort 205 00:12:25,880 --> 00:12:30,000 Speaker 1: of what provided the impetus for sort of a competition 206 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:32,720 Speaker 1: to see who could hack into it first and make 207 00:12:32,800 --> 00:12:37,040 Speaker 1: sense of the the communications. Right. So the Connect launched 208 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:43,800 Speaker 1: officially on November four, and then immediately as when we're 209 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:47,920 Speaker 1: recording it, right, and immediately there was this this challenge issued. 210 00:12:48,320 --> 00:12:50,800 Speaker 1: It was like a bounty essentially for the first people 211 00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:56,320 Speaker 1: to to really hack the Connect Microsoft. Uh. The initial 212 00:12:56,360 --> 00:13:00,160 Speaker 1: reaction from the company was negative. The come be the 213 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:05,920 Speaker 1: officials originally when news was breaking about people trying to 214 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:08,760 Speaker 1: hack the connects, said that they were, uh, they were 215 00:13:08,800 --> 00:13:12,600 Speaker 1: not in favor of people modifying their products, and in fact, 216 00:13:12,679 --> 00:13:15,560 Speaker 1: they would work with law enforcement officials to try and 217 00:13:15,679 --> 00:13:19,559 Speaker 1: keep people from tampering with the connect Yes, but at 218 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:22,440 Speaker 1: that point, if you think about it, the the Xbox 219 00:13:22,440 --> 00:13:27,800 Speaker 1: three sixty had been out before, um, before Nintendo's Wii system, 220 00:13:27,840 --> 00:13:29,800 Speaker 1: and a lot of people have dismissed the Wii as 221 00:13:29,800 --> 00:13:33,880 Speaker 1: being a lightweight, didn't have high deaf uh you know, 222 00:13:33,960 --> 00:13:37,160 Speaker 1: not not full ten eight high deaf, and it was 223 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:41,240 Speaker 1: seen as a game system for casual gamers, which among 224 00:13:41,679 --> 00:13:45,720 Speaker 1: amongst a certain subset of hardcore gamers, that has a 225 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:50,160 Speaker 1: stigma right for a hardcore gamer for some, not all 226 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:52,720 Speaker 1: because I'm a hardcore gamer in many ways, but I 227 00:13:52,760 --> 00:13:55,720 Speaker 1: don't share this particular opinion, but for some hardcore gamers, 228 00:13:56,160 --> 00:13:59,480 Speaker 1: they view it as it's not a quote unquote real 229 00:13:59,679 --> 00:14:05,200 Speaker 1: gaming system because it doesn't cater to their particular gaming preferences, right, right, 230 00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:07,720 Speaker 1: And you know, we've talked about this on on multiple 231 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:09,280 Speaker 1: podcast so I don't want to get into it in 232 00:14:09,280 --> 00:14:13,760 Speaker 1: in great depth, um, but I think that uh, the 233 00:14:13,880 --> 00:14:17,240 Speaker 1: success of the weeze control system using the motion Wireless 234 00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:22,560 Speaker 1: Motion Control system, UH, surprised both Sony and Microsoft. UH. 235 00:14:22,560 --> 00:14:25,000 Speaker 1: And then Microsoft was the first to come out with 236 00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:28,080 Speaker 1: its own upgrade to the three sixty, which you know 237 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:32,160 Speaker 1: wasn't actually the three sixty was actually the Connect itself. 238 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:35,560 Speaker 1: UM and we we heard about this um as project 239 00:14:35,640 --> 00:14:38,920 Speaker 1: at all back in the in the early days of 240 00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:42,200 Speaker 1: the system. But then they released the Connect and it 241 00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:45,480 Speaker 1: was immensely successful from the get go as far as 242 00:14:45,560 --> 00:14:48,320 Speaker 1: the the Xbox three sixty because it gave you all 243 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:51,480 Speaker 1: kinds of new ways to interact with the system and 244 00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:56,000 Speaker 1: the games. It's sold like hotcakes. It became the fastest, 245 00:14:56,440 --> 00:15:00,680 Speaker 1: uh fastest ever selling device to get broke all the 246 00:15:00,720 --> 00:15:02,800 Speaker 1: records at the time of its release. Now I should 247 00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:06,040 Speaker 1: add that before we get a ton of listener mail 248 00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:09,920 Speaker 1: and responses to this. There have been some criticisms about 249 00:15:09,960 --> 00:15:13,760 Speaker 1: the Microsoft support of the Connect, saying that perhaps there 250 00:15:13,800 --> 00:15:17,480 Speaker 1: aren't quite as many games to support the device as 251 00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:23,479 Speaker 1: people would prefer, but it's still been an incredible resource 252 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:27,080 Speaker 1: for hackers. Yes so so, maybe not as much for 253 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:31,000 Speaker 1: hardcore video gamers. Although there are some great Connect games 254 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:34,760 Speaker 1: out there, it's just that some connect some people say like, okay, well, 255 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:39,200 Speaker 1: the added benefit of the Connect hasn't really been fully 256 00:15:39,240 --> 00:15:43,720 Speaker 1: realized in the game space, but it is it's an 257 00:15:43,720 --> 00:15:47,600 Speaker 1: incredible tool for hackers. Yeah, Microsoft, Microsoft came out with 258 00:15:47,640 --> 00:15:51,400 Speaker 1: a really nifty device in the Connect, And the only 259 00:15:51,440 --> 00:15:54,200 Speaker 1: reason I mentioned that bit of background was um I 260 00:15:54,240 --> 00:15:57,360 Speaker 1: think it may have played into their Microsoft's response to 261 00:15:57,400 --> 00:16:01,640 Speaker 1: the hacker community doing this because, as Jonathan mentioned, a 262 00:16:01,680 --> 00:16:05,200 Speaker 1: moment ago, they said, no, we this is a proprietary device. 263 00:16:05,320 --> 00:16:08,040 Speaker 1: We do not want anybody mucking around with it and 264 00:16:08,080 --> 00:16:10,920 Speaker 1: hacking it. It is designed for the Xbox three sixty 265 00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:15,200 Speaker 1: And then a very short time later, like basically they 266 00:16:15,240 --> 00:16:17,840 Speaker 1: had the weekend to think about it. It was so 267 00:16:17,840 --> 00:16:21,880 Speaker 1: so it launched on November four. They shortly after launched 268 00:16:22,360 --> 00:16:25,120 Speaker 1: discussed the idea of we do not want people hacking 269 00:16:25,120 --> 00:16:29,280 Speaker 1: with this. But on November nineteen, there was period of 270 00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:32,080 Speaker 1: time right there was a there was a developer for 271 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:36,720 Speaker 1: the Connect who specifically said that they left the Connect 272 00:16:36,800 --> 00:16:40,400 Speaker 1: open by design, it was meant to be a hackable device, 273 00:16:40,480 --> 00:16:43,120 Speaker 1: and Microsoft got behind that at that point. I think 274 00:16:43,360 --> 00:16:46,720 Speaker 1: I think in part they saw what the public opinion was, 275 00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:50,560 Speaker 1: and you know, they probably also learned from other companies, 276 00:16:52,640 --> 00:16:55,600 Speaker 1: maybe not mistakes, but their approaches to this same sort 277 00:16:55,640 --> 00:16:59,520 Speaker 1: of thing, like a famous one Sony's PS three. Yes, 278 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:02,560 Speaker 1: the original run of the PS three allowed you to 279 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:06,800 Speaker 1: uh to load up a Linux based operating system to 280 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:09,640 Speaker 1: the PS three, turning it into a very powerful computer. 281 00:17:10,119 --> 00:17:11,919 Speaker 1: And if you've got a whole bunch of them together, 282 00:17:12,359 --> 00:17:15,640 Speaker 1: you could make essentially what was equivalent to a supercomputer 283 00:17:15,800 --> 00:17:20,320 Speaker 1: running on this alternate operating system. But then in later 284 00:17:21,080 --> 00:17:25,359 Speaker 1: iterations of the p S three, later models, Sony removed 285 00:17:25,400 --> 00:17:28,320 Speaker 1: that they first they began to send out patches to 286 00:17:28,400 --> 00:17:31,600 Speaker 1: the firmware so that it would prevent you from loading 287 00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:34,000 Speaker 1: in that operating system on the older models, and then 288 00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:36,400 Speaker 1: the newer models just had no support for it at all. 289 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:39,040 Speaker 1: And Sony caught a lot of flak from a lot 290 00:17:39,080 --> 00:17:44,119 Speaker 1: of different hackers and computer scientists saying, you've just taken 291 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:49,000 Speaker 1: away a tool that was incredibly powerful and affordable that 292 00:17:49,080 --> 00:17:51,639 Speaker 1: would have done a lot of good, and now we 293 00:17:51,720 --> 00:17:55,080 Speaker 1: can't do that anymore. And clearly the military, the military 294 00:17:55,119 --> 00:17:58,040 Speaker 1: was using PS three's as well in this case because 295 00:17:58,080 --> 00:18:00,720 Speaker 1: they were they were inexpensive compared to the other kinds 296 00:18:00,760 --> 00:18:06,959 Speaker 1: of supercomputer quote unquote supercomputer material or hardware. They they 297 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:10,760 Speaker 1: were looking into um and it was easy to do so. 298 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:14,760 Speaker 1: And that's why the hacker community with Microsoft now blessing, 299 00:18:15,400 --> 00:18:17,760 Speaker 1: they've said, you know, okay, let's do this. Yeah. I 300 00:18:17,760 --> 00:18:21,120 Speaker 1: think I think I think that I think Microsoft realized 301 00:18:21,160 --> 00:18:22,479 Speaker 1: I said, you know, this is First of all, it's 302 00:18:22,480 --> 00:18:25,520 Speaker 1: a losing battle because hackers are gonna hack. Second of all, 303 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:28,600 Speaker 1: it's better, it's a better pr move if we support 304 00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:30,159 Speaker 1: it then if we don't. And third they may have 305 00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:33,440 Speaker 1: just again, they may have just honestly rethought it and 306 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:37,040 Speaker 1: came to the conclusion of this makes way more sense. 307 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:39,000 Speaker 1: First of all, we're gonna sell way more connects if 308 00:18:39,040 --> 00:18:42,919 Speaker 1: we actually support this community, and you never know what 309 00:18:43,080 --> 00:18:47,440 Speaker 1: can come out of it. And some phenomenal stuff has 310 00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:50,960 Speaker 1: come out of the hacking community. And uh, and some 311 00:18:51,040 --> 00:18:54,480 Speaker 1: of it came out almost immediately, like like within within 312 00:18:54,520 --> 00:18:57,439 Speaker 1: a couple of weeks of the connect becoming a product 313 00:18:57,440 --> 00:18:59,520 Speaker 1: that you could actually buy off the store shelf and 314 00:18:59,560 --> 00:19:03,199 Speaker 1: bring it home, you started seeing some really innovative hacks 315 00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:07,639 Speaker 1: using it. Yeah. Now, also just as a mitigating factor 316 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:11,320 Speaker 1: three a or three and a half on your scale. Uh. 317 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:15,680 Speaker 1: Microsoft also realized that the proprietary information inside the connect 318 00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:18,440 Speaker 1: is remaining proprietary. The people the things that the hackers 319 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:22,399 Speaker 1: are are doing basically just use the signals from the connect. 320 00:19:22,560 --> 00:19:25,600 Speaker 1: We found ways to use to write software for and 321 00:19:25,880 --> 00:19:28,240 Speaker 1: use the signals from the connect, and they're not actually 322 00:19:28,280 --> 00:19:31,560 Speaker 1: getting into the stuff that's truly proprietary about the connect. 323 00:19:31,840 --> 00:19:34,600 Speaker 1: And so Microsoft went, We're really there's nothing to be 324 00:19:34,720 --> 00:19:37,639 Speaker 1: afraid of, um, which is very cool. It's not like 325 00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:40,800 Speaker 1: it's not like hackers are trying to create a cheaper 326 00:19:40,920 --> 00:19:44,960 Speaker 1: version of the connect and sell that or reverse engineer it. Yeah, 327 00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:46,840 Speaker 1: they're not, they're not doing that. But let's talk about 328 00:19:46,840 --> 00:19:51,200 Speaker 1: the stuff that they are doing. There's so many amazing things, 329 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:53,960 Speaker 1: all kinds of things. So they fall into two general 330 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:57,840 Speaker 1: broad categories. Usually there are quite a few that fit 331 00:19:57,960 --> 00:20:04,040 Speaker 1: into very broad categorizations, like user interfaces would be one 332 00:20:04,680 --> 00:20:08,160 Speaker 1: being using the connect in various ways as a user interface, 333 00:20:09,040 --> 00:20:11,879 Speaker 1: which is not a big surprise. I mean, that's the 334 00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:14,760 Speaker 1: original intended use of the connect. It's a user interface 335 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:17,080 Speaker 1: for the Xbox three sixty. But there are people who 336 00:20:17,119 --> 00:20:19,679 Speaker 1: have designed it to be a user interface for lots 337 00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:25,080 Speaker 1: of other stuff, everything from a computer where you're just 338 00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:28,320 Speaker 1: using gesture controls and voice controls to interact with the 339 00:20:28,320 --> 00:20:34,280 Speaker 1: computer two robotics. I showed a video to Chris and 340 00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:38,400 Speaker 1: our producer Tyler just before we went live on this podcast, 341 00:20:38,840 --> 00:20:44,160 Speaker 1: talking about a project that created a robotic trash can 342 00:20:44,920 --> 00:20:47,680 Speaker 1: and it was a very clever approach and and it 343 00:20:47,720 --> 00:20:50,639 Speaker 1: wasn't It was using to connect in a way I 344 00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:53,760 Speaker 1: just did not. It didn't occur to me it Uh. 345 00:20:53,880 --> 00:20:58,639 Speaker 1: Actually it mirrors what happened with the Microsoft connect Um 346 00:20:58,640 --> 00:21:02,320 Speaker 1: in that, uh, people saw a challenge and they rose 347 00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:05,480 Speaker 1: to meet the challenge. It was a based off a 348 00:21:05,560 --> 00:21:10,200 Speaker 1: commercial for what gum mints? Mints? Okay, it was commercial 349 00:21:10,240 --> 00:21:12,760 Speaker 1: that the idea of being that it shows a guy 350 00:21:12,760 --> 00:21:16,400 Speaker 1: at a typewriter and a typewriter kids, ask your parents 351 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:19,040 Speaker 1: because it's got a typewriter and pulling out a sheet 352 00:21:19,040 --> 00:21:20,840 Speaker 1: of paper from the typewriter and crumpling it up and 353 00:21:20,880 --> 00:21:23,560 Speaker 1: throwing it behind his back and does this does this 354 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:26,000 Speaker 1: a couple of times working on a project, and he's 355 00:21:26,040 --> 00:21:29,080 Speaker 1: just coming up with drafts that don't match to his expectations, 356 00:21:29,080 --> 00:21:31,040 Speaker 1: so each one he pulls out and throws away and 357 00:21:31,040 --> 00:21:33,880 Speaker 1: then he then he takes He's very inaccurate, right right, 358 00:21:33,920 --> 00:21:35,600 Speaker 1: So yeah, it cuts behind him, and there's just all 359 00:21:35,640 --> 00:21:38,040 Speaker 1: these little crumpled pieces of paper on the floor. Then 360 00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:40,919 Speaker 1: he eats a couple of mints, crumples up the next 361 00:21:40,960 --> 00:21:42,600 Speaker 1: piece of paper, throws it behind him, and then the 362 00:21:42,600 --> 00:21:46,760 Speaker 1: trash can moves to intercept where the paper is coming 363 00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:49,000 Speaker 1: from and catches the paper. Right. Yeah, it says that 364 00:21:49,160 --> 00:21:51,000 Speaker 1: it will make you The mints will make you sharper. 365 00:21:51,160 --> 00:21:53,880 Speaker 1: Actually seems like they should. He's apparently been feeding the 366 00:21:53,920 --> 00:22:00,080 Speaker 1: mints trash can. But yeah, so so commercial. Some some 367 00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:04,919 Speaker 1: some robotics and computer scientists types decided to try and 368 00:22:05,080 --> 00:22:08,960 Speaker 1: recreate that moving trash can. So they built a robotic 369 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:11,440 Speaker 1: base that had three wheels on it that would allow 370 00:22:11,560 --> 00:22:15,040 Speaker 1: the the base to move in any given direction at 371 00:22:15,080 --> 00:22:18,320 Speaker 1: a pretty good clip, as as the videos shows. Then 372 00:22:18,359 --> 00:22:22,399 Speaker 1: they built a essentially a trash can chassis that fits 373 00:22:22,520 --> 00:22:25,200 Speaker 1: over that, so so it disguises the fact that there's 374 00:22:25,240 --> 00:22:28,760 Speaker 1: this base with wheels on it. Just from a casual glance, 375 00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:30,359 Speaker 1: it looks like a trash can that goes all the 376 00:22:30,359 --> 00:22:32,760 Speaker 1: way to the floor. There's actually just a little bit 377 00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:35,200 Speaker 1: of clearance so that the wheels can move around. Yes, yes, 378 00:22:35,240 --> 00:22:39,359 Speaker 1: they obviously were very careful in their measurements because it 379 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:43,200 Speaker 1: fits directly over the robot base and you cannot tell 380 00:22:43,520 --> 00:22:47,320 Speaker 1: just from a casual glance that there's a robot inside 381 00:22:47,359 --> 00:22:49,879 Speaker 1: the trash can. And I'm assuming they probably made a 382 00:22:50,320 --> 00:22:53,040 Speaker 1: false bottom too to cover the robot. They didn't show 383 00:22:53,080 --> 00:22:55,560 Speaker 1: that part, but they they did show that they were 384 00:22:55,600 --> 00:23:02,040 Speaker 1: actually machining these parts like they were using us. Yeah. So, uh, 385 00:23:02,240 --> 00:23:05,520 Speaker 1: the the remote control aspect, they hooked up to a 386 00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:08,320 Speaker 1: computer and they wrote some software and they used a 387 00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:11,199 Speaker 1: connect sensor. They mounted it to the wall. So what 388 00:23:11,240 --> 00:23:13,560 Speaker 1: the connect censor does is it essentially makes a three 389 00:23:13,680 --> 00:23:17,240 Speaker 1: D map of the room, right, so it's able to 390 00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:22,600 Speaker 1: detect depth and and direction and movement. And what they 391 00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:24,760 Speaker 1: did was they created a program so that when you 392 00:23:24,880 --> 00:23:29,920 Speaker 1: tossed any small object through this space, the connect would 393 00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:33,840 Speaker 1: detect the arc of that particular object and plot out 394 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:36,919 Speaker 1: where it was going to land, send a command to 395 00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:40,600 Speaker 1: this robotic trash can, which would intercept that path and 396 00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:43,320 Speaker 1: catch the object. So this has to happen really fast. 397 00:23:43,920 --> 00:23:46,720 Speaker 1: It has to detect the arc, plotted out its course, 398 00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:48,959 Speaker 1: send the information to the robot, and the robot has 399 00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:50,840 Speaker 1: to have time to move to the right location to 400 00:23:50,880 --> 00:23:53,200 Speaker 1: catch it. And we were watching the video is probably 401 00:23:53,880 --> 00:23:55,639 Speaker 1: on average, the trash can is probably moving three or 402 00:23:55,680 --> 00:23:59,040 Speaker 1: four ft, right, maybe three ft let's let's say three Yeah, 403 00:23:59,080 --> 00:24:02,480 Speaker 1: So it's um but it's still pretty impressive to to 404 00:24:02,600 --> 00:24:05,480 Speaker 1: watch them toss various objects into the air and the 405 00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:08,560 Speaker 1: trash can moves to intercept and catch it, and you think, well, 406 00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:10,760 Speaker 1: that's kind of a ridiculous use of the Connect. I mean, 407 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:15,160 Speaker 1: but it shows that the three D mapping technology uh 408 00:24:15,280 --> 00:24:18,720 Speaker 1: within this device can be used for some really really 409 00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:24,280 Speaker 1: creative um uh projects. And there I've already shared the 410 00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:27,960 Speaker 1: video of this trash can on our Facebook page, but 411 00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:30,719 Speaker 1: I'll be sure to tweet it out to uh so 412 00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:33,800 Speaker 1: you guys can You may have already seen it, but 413 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:37,800 Speaker 1: I just was so amused at that particular use of 414 00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:40,439 Speaker 1: the Connect. We have a bit more to say about 415 00:24:40,440 --> 00:24:43,120 Speaker 1: the Microsoft Connect and how it works, but first let's 416 00:24:43,160 --> 00:24:46,080 Speaker 1: go and take a quick break to thank our sponsor. 417 00:24:54,280 --> 00:24:58,520 Speaker 1: VS Robotics engineers have built this robotics trash can robotic 418 00:24:58,560 --> 00:25:01,880 Speaker 1: trash can for fun to meet the challenge that they perceived. 419 00:25:01,880 --> 00:25:04,439 Speaker 1: It wasn't even a real challenge. With perceived challenge of 420 00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:06,280 Speaker 1: doing this because they saw it on the commercial I 421 00:25:06,280 --> 00:25:08,600 Speaker 1: thought it was cool at least that that's what we 422 00:25:08,640 --> 00:25:12,240 Speaker 1: can guess. We don't read the it's it's produced out 423 00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:14,560 Speaker 1: of Asia, and neither of us read the language that 424 00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:18,800 Speaker 1: they wrote everything down in. But that's what that's our interpretation. Yeah, 425 00:25:18,840 --> 00:25:22,159 Speaker 1: so and okay, so they've they've it's proof of concept. 426 00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:24,960 Speaker 1: If you will, it can be done. But what if 427 00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:28,640 Speaker 1: you had a a real challenge. You've had somebody who 428 00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:33,960 Speaker 1: uh needed help. For example, um, they were suffering from 429 00:25:34,119 --> 00:25:38,000 Speaker 1: dementia or some kind of physical impairment that kept them 430 00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:41,040 Speaker 1: from interacting with their world in a way that that 431 00:25:41,480 --> 00:25:45,200 Speaker 1: you know, the typical person would. So let's say, uh, 432 00:25:45,240 --> 00:25:48,840 Speaker 1: they have this h a chair based on this technology, 433 00:25:49,119 --> 00:25:54,000 Speaker 1: and somebody who might have trouble sitting down and the 434 00:25:54,080 --> 00:25:56,760 Speaker 1: chair moved slightly to the left to make sure that 435 00:25:56,800 --> 00:25:59,280 Speaker 1: they're going to sit squarely in the chair instead of 436 00:25:59,440 --> 00:26:02,080 Speaker 1: missing it and hitting the floor and needing assistance getting up. 437 00:26:02,320 --> 00:26:07,120 Speaker 1: Sure you could, and you could use the technology developed 438 00:26:07,119 --> 00:26:11,720 Speaker 1: by Microsoft to connect to and this this software and 439 00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:15,479 Speaker 1: the technology developed by these guys apparently just playing around 440 00:26:16,200 --> 00:26:18,639 Speaker 1: and use it for something practical in the real world. 441 00:26:19,359 --> 00:26:22,359 Speaker 1: So honestly, I just messing around on the top of 442 00:26:22,400 --> 00:26:24,280 Speaker 1: my head as you were describing that, I was thinking, Yeah, 443 00:26:24,320 --> 00:26:26,240 Speaker 1: it could could be silly, but it could be used 444 00:26:26,280 --> 00:26:29,280 Speaker 1: for something really useful. Yeah, and that's just something I 445 00:26:29,359 --> 00:26:33,640 Speaker 1: you know, well, and there's there are plenty of other 446 00:26:33,680 --> 00:26:36,720 Speaker 1: examples of of this being a user interface, for example, 447 00:26:36,800 --> 00:26:39,560 Speaker 1: like the one that I talked about earlier, where you're 448 00:26:39,880 --> 00:26:44,520 Speaker 1: navigating a computer system using UH gestures, kind of like 449 00:26:44,760 --> 00:26:50,160 Speaker 1: the old Minority Report approach, except instead of being projected 450 00:26:50,160 --> 00:26:52,200 Speaker 1: in front of you, it's you know, it's on a screen, 451 00:26:52,320 --> 00:26:56,120 Speaker 1: but you're you're moving your hands to just your control 452 00:26:56,280 --> 00:27:00,159 Speaker 1: whatever it is you're looking at. UM. That's AH. And 453 00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:02,360 Speaker 1: and of course that's something that Microsoft itself has taught 454 00:27:02,400 --> 00:27:05,160 Speaker 1: about the possibility UH that you know, we would see 455 00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:09,159 Speaker 1: a connect like sensor being built into computers in the future, 456 00:27:09,720 --> 00:27:12,840 Speaker 1: and their versions of Windows would support that. And if 457 00:27:12,880 --> 00:27:15,080 Speaker 1: you look at something like Windows eight, it's not hard 458 00:27:15,160 --> 00:27:18,800 Speaker 1: to imagine that just based on the metro layout that 459 00:27:18,840 --> 00:27:22,240 Speaker 1: they have, and it does already work on computers. You 460 00:27:22,280 --> 00:27:24,880 Speaker 1: can use a connect for computer gaming as well as 461 00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:29,160 Speaker 1: for the Xbox three sixty. So it's you know, hey, 462 00:27:29,400 --> 00:27:31,520 Speaker 1: we're getting close to that word that you haven't used 463 00:27:31,520 --> 00:27:37,199 Speaker 1: in some time. Yeah, there's another cool use of connect 464 00:27:37,280 --> 00:27:40,520 Speaker 1: I saw was the gestural spatial mixer. Did you see 465 00:27:40,520 --> 00:27:44,840 Speaker 1: this the gestural spatial mixer mixer? Yeah, it's a student. 466 00:27:44,880 --> 00:27:46,680 Speaker 1: Unfortunately I wasn't able to get the information about his 467 00:27:46,880 --> 00:27:50,119 Speaker 1: name because the blog I was looking at didn't didn't 468 00:27:50,200 --> 00:27:52,800 Speaker 1: list it. But it was this graduate student who had 469 00:27:52,880 --> 00:27:58,040 Speaker 1: designed a program where you could play multiple tracks for uh. 470 00:27:58,320 --> 00:28:00,679 Speaker 1: Let's say. Let's say let's say you've created at a 471 00:28:00,800 --> 00:28:04,359 Speaker 1: music track and it's got various channels in it, okay, 472 00:28:04,760 --> 00:28:07,920 Speaker 1: and and you've got a multi speaker set up. So 473 00:28:08,119 --> 00:28:10,560 Speaker 1: he was using I think an array of speakers where 474 00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:15,280 Speaker 1: there's something like six of them. He had a connect 475 00:28:15,280 --> 00:28:17,560 Speaker 1: hack where he had designed the software and he was 476 00:28:17,640 --> 00:28:23,119 Speaker 1: using the connect two manipulate the music so that you 477 00:28:23,160 --> 00:28:26,760 Speaker 1: could isolate channels. So if you just want to listen 478 00:28:26,800 --> 00:28:30,680 Speaker 1: to one channel within that entire music track, you could 479 00:28:31,359 --> 00:28:35,480 Speaker 1: you could even move that channel from one speaker to another. 480 00:28:36,119 --> 00:28:38,040 Speaker 1: So let's say that you know, I just want this 481 00:28:38,120 --> 00:28:39,840 Speaker 1: to come from the left side, I'm going to move 482 00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:42,200 Speaker 1: it to the two speakers furthest to the left, and 483 00:28:42,200 --> 00:28:44,560 Speaker 1: it's going to not even beyond the four speakers on 484 00:28:44,600 --> 00:28:47,680 Speaker 1: the right. Um, you could do that and you could 485 00:28:47,760 --> 00:28:50,320 Speaker 1: change the volume, and you could make it sound like 486 00:28:50,360 --> 00:28:53,959 Speaker 1: it was the music was coming from nearby or far away. 487 00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:56,440 Speaker 1: It would add an extra effects for that kind of stuff. 488 00:28:56,880 --> 00:29:00,160 Speaker 1: So he was here far so he was doing all 489 00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:04,120 Speaker 1: of this in real time, just manipulating the music physically. 490 00:29:04,400 --> 00:29:06,720 Speaker 1: So it's almost like being the conductor of an orchestra, 491 00:29:06,880 --> 00:29:10,560 Speaker 1: except of course, you know that certain things would always 492 00:29:10,600 --> 00:29:14,000 Speaker 1: play out the same way, whether he wasn't affecting the 493 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:16,320 Speaker 1: the speed of the playback or anything like that, but 494 00:29:16,520 --> 00:29:19,520 Speaker 1: volume and some other effects as well as where the 495 00:29:19,600 --> 00:29:23,880 Speaker 1: music appeared. He had that all in his demo. Also, 496 00:29:23,920 --> 00:29:28,840 Speaker 1: the flutes are more likely to be in tune. Uh. Sorry, 497 00:29:29,120 --> 00:29:31,280 Speaker 1: that wasn't very nice. Whatever you're you're a drummer. You 498 00:29:31,360 --> 00:29:34,880 Speaker 1: cannot make jokes about other musicians. I'm sorry what I 499 00:29:34,920 --> 00:29:38,720 Speaker 1: was drooling on something? Anyway, Yes, I can we all 500 00:29:38,760 --> 00:29:42,360 Speaker 1: make jokes about one another anyhow. Um yeah, I mean 501 00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:45,520 Speaker 1: that's that's that's the idea of being able to do 502 00:29:45,560 --> 00:29:49,640 Speaker 1: that is is fascinating. I've seen, uh, quite a lot 503 00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:52,960 Speaker 1: of of those kinds of things, but they're typically done 504 00:29:52,960 --> 00:29:56,000 Speaker 1: with infrared light or you break a light beam to 505 00:29:56,080 --> 00:29:59,200 Speaker 1: make that happen, and the idea of using the connect 506 00:29:59,240 --> 00:30:01,520 Speaker 1: for that purpose. Yeah, and the and the light beam 507 00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:04,200 Speaker 1: stuff tends to be a lot more limited. You know, 508 00:30:04,280 --> 00:30:07,360 Speaker 1: you don't have the versatility that you would with a connect. Uh, 509 00:30:07,400 --> 00:30:10,400 Speaker 1: there was. We actually have an article about some connect 510 00:30:10,400 --> 00:30:12,560 Speaker 1: hacks as well as an article about how the connect 511 00:30:12,600 --> 00:30:14,440 Speaker 1: itself works. So you should go to how stuff works 512 00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:16,960 Speaker 1: dot com if you want more information. The article on 513 00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:19,600 Speaker 1: how the connect works is helpful, and the hacks are 514 00:30:19,640 --> 00:30:23,680 Speaker 1: kind of fun too. One of the ones mentioned talks about, um, 515 00:30:25,040 --> 00:30:27,640 Speaker 1: well this this isn't actually in our article. This is 516 00:30:27,640 --> 00:30:30,760 Speaker 1: one of the other ones I discovered was a connect 517 00:30:30,760 --> 00:30:33,440 Speaker 1: hack that was hooked up to Tesla coils. Actually, I 518 00:30:33,480 --> 00:30:35,719 Speaker 1: think this one is in our article. Um and the 519 00:30:35,760 --> 00:30:37,960 Speaker 1: Tesla coils. If you don't know, these are things that 520 00:30:38,400 --> 00:30:42,000 Speaker 1: create high voltage electrical currents. You could change the frequency 521 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:46,080 Speaker 1: of those currents. And it's this sparking thing that you 522 00:30:46,200 --> 00:30:49,080 Speaker 1: often see in old science fiction movies that has a 523 00:30:49,120 --> 00:30:52,720 Speaker 1: standard part of a mad scientist layer. It's not the 524 00:30:52,800 --> 00:30:58,360 Speaker 1: Jacob's letterer, but was gonna says, that's more of a 525 00:30:58,400 --> 00:31:02,080 Speaker 1: jacket's letters. Um. But now the Tesla coils, it's this, uh, 526 00:31:02,160 --> 00:31:05,840 Speaker 1: you know, this massive thing it can be a massive 527 00:31:05,880 --> 00:31:09,640 Speaker 1: thing that shoots out deadly sparks. Um you don't want 528 00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:13,800 Speaker 1: to get hit by them. We've we've seen groups like 529 00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:17,760 Speaker 1: Architect that used Tesla coils to create music. Well. At 530 00:31:17,840 --> 00:31:24,000 Speaker 1: maker Fair the UK, a guy named Tom Wyatt headed 531 00:31:24,040 --> 00:31:26,160 Speaker 1: up a team where they showed off a connect that 532 00:31:26,200 --> 00:31:29,640 Speaker 1: they hooked up to Tesla coils and they used the 533 00:31:29,800 --> 00:31:32,880 Speaker 1: motions that they would The connect would pick up motions 534 00:31:32,920 --> 00:31:35,640 Speaker 1: that Wyatt and his team would make and translate that 535 00:31:35,720 --> 00:31:38,720 Speaker 1: into different voltage frequencies for the Tesla coil, so you 536 00:31:38,720 --> 00:31:41,720 Speaker 1: can make the Tesla coil emit electricity at different frequencies, 537 00:31:41,720 --> 00:31:43,720 Speaker 1: which actually has a different sound to it. That's how 538 00:31:43,840 --> 00:31:47,840 Speaker 1: Architect makes music with these things. They program in specific 539 00:31:47,880 --> 00:31:52,680 Speaker 1: frequencies so that they can create tones. So one of 540 00:31:52,720 --> 00:31:55,920 Speaker 1: my favorites is they use it to create a cover 541 00:31:56,160 --> 00:32:00,880 Speaker 1: of the Doctor Who theme, which is pretty ofesome. I've 542 00:32:00,880 --> 00:32:03,600 Speaker 1: also seen a really good one where they used a 543 00:32:03,680 --> 00:32:06,360 Speaker 1: special suit they could wear which allows the person to 544 00:32:06,360 --> 00:32:10,360 Speaker 1: actually be hit by the uh the electrical currents without 545 00:32:10,640 --> 00:32:15,160 Speaker 1: frying uh. And they did the Imperial March from Star Wars, 546 00:32:15,200 --> 00:32:17,760 Speaker 1: so it looks like he's shooting electricity from his hands. 547 00:32:18,480 --> 00:32:22,760 Speaker 1: As the theme is playing really subtle anyway, Um, that 548 00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:27,720 Speaker 1: was a really cool one. Uh. They the article also 549 00:32:27,760 --> 00:32:31,200 Speaker 1: talked about one from the University of Washington. They used 550 00:32:31,240 --> 00:32:35,000 Speaker 1: the connect when in the use of robotic surgeries. Now 551 00:32:35,040 --> 00:32:37,560 Speaker 1: these are surgeries that are not done on robots but 552 00:32:37,640 --> 00:32:41,880 Speaker 1: by robots, so so sometimes that's far more common than 553 00:32:41,920 --> 00:32:44,040 Speaker 1: it used to be. Yeah, this is when you're do 554 00:32:44,160 --> 00:32:47,840 Speaker 1: is tell usurgery right where the the actual surgeon is 555 00:32:47,880 --> 00:32:53,080 Speaker 1: in one location and is controlling robotic implements to perform 556 00:32:53,160 --> 00:32:57,480 Speaker 1: a physical surgery that could be half a world away. Well, 557 00:32:57,640 --> 00:33:00,560 Speaker 1: the use of the connect is meant to do things 558 00:33:00,600 --> 00:33:04,520 Speaker 1: like create a virtual map of where a person's organs are. 559 00:33:04,960 --> 00:33:07,360 Speaker 1: The idea being that when you're using a robotic tool 560 00:33:07,560 --> 00:33:11,520 Speaker 1: to cut a person or whatever, whatever the surgical procedure is, 561 00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:15,040 Speaker 1: make an incision, should you well that would be one 562 00:33:15,080 --> 00:33:18,400 Speaker 1: of them. But should you reach, should you start to 563 00:33:18,440 --> 00:33:21,640 Speaker 1: approach the area of an organ, it would send the 564 00:33:21,680 --> 00:33:23,960 Speaker 1: signal because the connectors mapped this out in the text, 565 00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:26,040 Speaker 1: that you're getting close to one of those areas, send 566 00:33:26,080 --> 00:33:28,600 Speaker 1: a signal that would give you some sort of haptic feedback, 567 00:33:28,880 --> 00:33:32,600 Speaker 1: so you would actually feel a warning saying hey, you 568 00:33:32,600 --> 00:33:34,400 Speaker 1: don't want to. You know, you gotta be careful because 569 00:33:34,440 --> 00:33:37,880 Speaker 1: now you're approaching a vital area because again, when you 570 00:33:37,920 --> 00:33:41,120 Speaker 1: don't have when you're when you're distanced like that, it's 571 00:33:41,160 --> 00:33:45,960 Speaker 1: a lot harder to tell, you know, how close you 572 00:33:46,000 --> 00:33:49,320 Speaker 1: are to something like that. So that's a pretty interesting 573 00:33:49,680 --> 00:33:51,680 Speaker 1: use of connecting or something that was used for video 574 00:33:51,680 --> 00:33:55,240 Speaker 1: games could potentially be used to save lives. Yes, yes, definitely. 575 00:33:55,320 --> 00:34:00,440 Speaker 1: So um you realize that this is uh actually pretty 576 00:34:00,480 --> 00:34:03,160 Speaker 1: easy to do when you get right down to it. 577 00:34:03,320 --> 00:34:07,120 Speaker 1: I was looking at um uh articles about how to 578 00:34:07,640 --> 00:34:11,560 Speaker 1: hack with the connect and basically all it requires is 579 00:34:11,600 --> 00:34:15,560 Speaker 1: a computer and a connect. Um you might need a 580 00:34:15,600 --> 00:34:17,840 Speaker 1: power supply for the connect if you're hooking it up 581 00:34:17,880 --> 00:34:19,600 Speaker 1: to a computer if you don't have one, because they 582 00:34:19,680 --> 00:34:21,680 Speaker 1: don't necessarily come with them if you're buying the one 583 00:34:21,719 --> 00:34:24,719 Speaker 1: that comes with the the Xbox three sixty. Um, but 584 00:34:25,160 --> 00:34:27,800 Speaker 1: you know they're there. There's a wealth of information online 585 00:34:27,840 --> 00:34:29,400 Speaker 1: and you can look it up in a search engine 586 00:34:30,000 --> 00:34:33,080 Speaker 1: for connect tax and you can find the software that 587 00:34:33,120 --> 00:34:34,920 Speaker 1: you need, and it depends on what you're you're doing 588 00:34:34,960 --> 00:34:38,400 Speaker 1: with it. But there's already uh some pre written software 589 00:34:38,520 --> 00:34:43,560 Speaker 1: available out there by other hackers who have done maybe 590 00:34:43,640 --> 00:34:46,680 Speaker 1: something very close to what you're planning, UM, that you 591 00:34:46,760 --> 00:34:49,240 Speaker 1: might be able to to get so it it Uh 592 00:34:49,280 --> 00:34:53,360 Speaker 1: you know, there's really not a great big boundary to 593 00:34:53,400 --> 00:34:56,480 Speaker 1: getting involved with it. Um. There there are plenty of 594 00:34:56,480 --> 00:34:58,239 Speaker 1: things like robotics and things like this. But one of 595 00:34:58,280 --> 00:35:05,680 Speaker 1: the really cool uh applications of hacking connect technology I've 596 00:35:05,680 --> 00:35:09,360 Speaker 1: seen is uh someone who's using uh uh you know, 597 00:35:09,440 --> 00:35:14,960 Speaker 1: they're scientists using the connect to do geographical measurements on 598 00:35:15,440 --> 00:35:20,880 Speaker 1: UM on bodies and space and on on glaciers. UM 599 00:35:21,160 --> 00:35:26,680 Speaker 1: found an article by Adam man Um about Ken Mankoff, 600 00:35:26,920 --> 00:35:34,920 Speaker 1: who basically was doing scans of of caves using the connect. UM. 601 00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:37,040 Speaker 1: Now he this is this is one of those times 602 00:35:37,040 --> 00:35:41,560 Speaker 1: when the connects limitations come into play because, Uh, if 603 00:35:41,600 --> 00:35:44,600 Speaker 1: if the sensor were or sensors in the connect were 604 00:35:44,600 --> 00:35:51,840 Speaker 1: more or were designed to scan larger bodies instead of 605 00:35:51,920 --> 00:35:55,440 Speaker 1: your living room or larger environments, let's say that um 606 00:35:55,600 --> 00:35:58,759 Speaker 1: than he wouldn't have to do quite so many measurements 607 00:35:58,760 --> 00:36:03,120 Speaker 1: with the connect. But um he has found that it 608 00:36:03,239 --> 00:36:07,720 Speaker 1: is far cheaper to buy a connect for the computer 609 00:36:08,239 --> 00:36:11,440 Speaker 1: than it would be to rent the sophisticated equipment. A 610 00:36:11,440 --> 00:36:14,000 Speaker 1: lot of times they use a light detection and ranging 611 00:36:14,239 --> 00:36:17,400 Speaker 1: which is light ar UM and they can use uh, 612 00:36:17,760 --> 00:36:20,719 Speaker 1: you know, they can use these over you know, much 613 00:36:20,800 --> 00:36:25,840 Speaker 1: longer distances, including miles, you know. But the problem is, um, 614 00:36:25,880 --> 00:36:30,440 Speaker 1: you know, it costs ten to two hundred thousand dollars 615 00:36:30,640 --> 00:36:34,719 Speaker 1: for light ar as opposed to bucks for a connect. Now, 616 00:36:34,760 --> 00:36:37,960 Speaker 1: if you guys have seen the documentary Prometheus, you know 617 00:36:38,040 --> 00:36:41,080 Speaker 1: about the use of of light ar to map out 618 00:36:41,160 --> 00:36:43,759 Speaker 1: things like underground caverns where they had these probes go 619 00:36:43,800 --> 00:36:47,120 Speaker 1: in and use light ar to create a full virtual 620 00:36:47,200 --> 00:36:51,160 Speaker 1: map of that environment. Uh. That of course is a movie, 621 00:36:51,239 --> 00:36:53,319 Speaker 1: not a documentary. I make that joke all the time, 622 00:36:53,360 --> 00:36:56,600 Speaker 1: but just in case you weren't familiar. But but yeah, 623 00:36:56,680 --> 00:36:59,799 Speaker 1: I've seen other uses of this tech for the same 624 00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:04,520 Speaker 1: of the purpose, using them for rescue robots. Essentially, you 625 00:37:04,520 --> 00:37:06,920 Speaker 1: would send let's say that you have an environment that 626 00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:09,640 Speaker 1: is dangerous and there may or may not be people 627 00:37:10,160 --> 00:37:12,640 Speaker 1: in the environment, or perhaps some other thing that's in 628 00:37:12,640 --> 00:37:16,680 Speaker 1: that environment that we should really try and get close to, 629 00:37:16,840 --> 00:37:20,080 Speaker 1: but we don't know the nature of that environment. How 630 00:37:20,160 --> 00:37:23,439 Speaker 1: dangerous would it be, uh, sending in a robot that's 631 00:37:23,760 --> 00:37:26,080 Speaker 1: got to connect that can do this three D mapping 632 00:37:26,719 --> 00:37:28,879 Speaker 1: could be very useful because it gives you an idea 633 00:37:28,960 --> 00:37:31,399 Speaker 1: of what the conditions are within that environment and whether 634 00:37:31,480 --> 00:37:33,600 Speaker 1: or not it is wise to send in a human 635 00:37:34,160 --> 00:37:38,319 Speaker 1: to try and navigate it. Um. So yeah, I mean 636 00:37:38,360 --> 00:37:43,680 Speaker 1: that that particular uses everything from geology to rescue operations. 637 00:37:44,080 --> 00:37:48,160 Speaker 1: Younger Jonathan has apparently made the gesture control to put 638 00:37:48,200 --> 00:37:50,480 Speaker 1: the episode on pause so that we can take a 639 00:37:50,560 --> 00:37:53,200 Speaker 1: quick break to thank our sponsor. Will be right back 640 00:38:01,320 --> 00:38:05,320 Speaker 1: the article also that I read also um uh talked 641 00:38:05,360 --> 00:38:09,080 Speaker 1: to uh a scientist named they are mob Chovitz who 642 00:38:09,200 --> 00:38:13,280 Speaker 1: wants to put uh, you know, devices maybe not necessarily 643 00:38:13,280 --> 00:38:17,560 Speaker 1: the Connect, but devices like the Connect on on space 644 00:38:17,600 --> 00:38:20,680 Speaker 1: exploration robots and have them fly in close to asteroids 645 00:38:20,719 --> 00:38:25,000 Speaker 1: to do a map of the surface. Um. The applications 646 00:38:25,160 --> 00:38:30,479 Speaker 1: for this device have really spawned, uh, quite a lot 647 00:38:30,560 --> 00:38:34,279 Speaker 1: of speculation and interest among the hacker community, among and 648 00:38:34,320 --> 00:38:40,360 Speaker 1: amongst serious thinkers. Then another, the two worlds don't converge. Well, no, 649 00:38:40,520 --> 00:38:43,840 Speaker 1: they not necessarily, but I mean people uh yeah, I 650 00:38:43,840 --> 00:38:46,520 Speaker 1: mean people who are doing this just for fun and 651 00:38:46,560 --> 00:38:49,640 Speaker 1: people who are doing this for very serious reasons or 652 00:38:49,920 --> 00:38:53,200 Speaker 1: or both. Um, and I'm sure they inspire one another 653 00:38:53,239 --> 00:38:56,520 Speaker 1: and I'm sure that when I mean based on on 654 00:38:56,600 --> 00:38:59,759 Speaker 1: what the limitations of the Connect and what it can't do, 655 00:39:00,280 --> 00:39:03,759 Speaker 1: it wasn't intended to do these things. But wow, you know, 656 00:39:03,920 --> 00:39:06,919 Speaker 1: he really really just didn't anticipate this coming, and it's 657 00:39:06,920 --> 00:39:09,120 Speaker 1: great that it has. I have a couple of others 658 00:39:09,120 --> 00:39:12,160 Speaker 1: I want to just really quickly mentioned. So one of 659 00:39:12,200 --> 00:39:15,680 Speaker 1: them is a second Story Labs. They have started to 660 00:39:15,760 --> 00:39:18,879 Speaker 1: use the Connect. You know, Connect has evolved as well, 661 00:39:19,000 --> 00:39:22,080 Speaker 1: like the firmware has evolved over time. Microsoft built in 662 00:39:22,840 --> 00:39:27,080 Speaker 1: some facial tracking capabilities that were updated to the Connect. 663 00:39:27,200 --> 00:39:29,840 Speaker 1: So the original Connect wasn't as good at it, but 664 00:39:29,920 --> 00:39:32,480 Speaker 1: now it's gotten much better where it can track a 665 00:39:32,520 --> 00:39:35,560 Speaker 1: person's face. In fact, that's caused some people a little 666 00:39:35,560 --> 00:39:38,239 Speaker 1: bit of concern. But but Second Story Labs what they 667 00:39:38,239 --> 00:39:41,279 Speaker 1: did was they took this capability and they used it 668 00:39:41,360 --> 00:39:45,640 Speaker 1: for an interface where, uh, they can create the illusion 669 00:39:46,000 --> 00:39:50,560 Speaker 1: of a holographic display. Yeah. So you've got imagine that 670 00:39:50,600 --> 00:39:54,040 Speaker 1: you've got a glass window in front of you, and 671 00:39:54,160 --> 00:39:58,040 Speaker 1: to you, it looks like a three dimensional image is 672 00:39:58,120 --> 00:40:01,600 Speaker 1: floating behind that glass, right, and as you move your 673 00:40:01,600 --> 00:40:04,120 Speaker 1: head you can see the different parts of the of 674 00:40:04,160 --> 00:40:09,280 Speaker 1: the image. Well, what's actually happening with Second Story Labs. 675 00:40:09,400 --> 00:40:12,719 Speaker 1: Is approach is they're using to connect to track your 676 00:40:12,760 --> 00:40:18,040 Speaker 1: facial movements so that as you move, it can display 677 00:40:18,280 --> 00:40:22,480 Speaker 1: a different Uh, it can it can alter the appearance 678 00:40:22,520 --> 00:40:25,000 Speaker 1: of whatever the display is showing, so that it would 679 00:40:25,040 --> 00:40:27,759 Speaker 1: show you the angle, like what would happen if you 680 00:40:27,800 --> 00:40:30,839 Speaker 1: were actually looking at an object from that angle. So, 681 00:40:30,880 --> 00:40:33,279 Speaker 1: in other words, it's not a true hologram. It's still 682 00:40:33,480 --> 00:40:37,399 Speaker 1: it's still two dimensional image, but it's adjusting on the 683 00:40:37,400 --> 00:40:39,920 Speaker 1: fly as you move around so that it looks like 684 00:40:39,960 --> 00:40:42,680 Speaker 1: a three dimensional image. So to your brain it might 685 00:40:42,719 --> 00:40:45,080 Speaker 1: as well be three dimensional, which I think is a 686 00:40:45,120 --> 00:40:48,080 Speaker 1: really creative way of getting around this whole glass is 687 00:40:48,120 --> 00:40:52,040 Speaker 1: free three D thing. Yep. And it could also and 688 00:40:52,080 --> 00:40:53,960 Speaker 1: I imagine it will. You know, we were talking about 689 00:40:54,520 --> 00:41:00,520 Speaker 1: UM Minority Report earlier and in in the movie, Uh, 690 00:41:00,560 --> 00:41:03,959 Speaker 1: you know they're walking around in interactive environments where people 691 00:41:04,000 --> 00:41:08,200 Speaker 1: are talking specifically to you about things that they know 692 00:41:08,280 --> 00:41:12,480 Speaker 1: about you. Um. Maybe not necessarily that Again, you were 693 00:41:12,480 --> 00:41:15,719 Speaker 1: talking about the facial recognition, they could do that, um, 694 00:41:15,760 --> 00:41:20,839 Speaker 1: but yeah, you might start seeing um, shopping environments that 695 00:41:21,120 --> 00:41:24,359 Speaker 1: are that start talking to you. Um, you know when 696 00:41:24,360 --> 00:41:26,920 Speaker 1: they say here, well, you know, there are some displays 697 00:41:26,920 --> 00:41:28,880 Speaker 1: that you walk by now in their motion sensors in 698 00:41:28,880 --> 00:41:32,000 Speaker 1: the display, but it's right there at the display. You 699 00:41:32,000 --> 00:41:35,560 Speaker 1: can make an entire environment that knows where a person 700 00:41:35,800 --> 00:41:38,440 Speaker 1: is and they say, oh, I see you're looking at 701 00:41:38,480 --> 00:41:42,279 Speaker 1: the computers, Well we have these they've got these processors. 702 00:41:42,360 --> 00:41:46,440 Speaker 1: Or you might have an automated salesperson talking to you 703 00:41:46,480 --> 00:41:48,880 Speaker 1: about the benefits of one model over another because they 704 00:41:48,920 --> 00:41:50,680 Speaker 1: know you're standing right in front of those, or you 705 00:41:50,760 --> 00:41:54,839 Speaker 1: might just use them to help design better uh storefronts. 706 00:41:55,000 --> 00:41:58,600 Speaker 1: Like imagine imagine having a window on a on a street, 707 00:41:58,840 --> 00:42:01,919 Speaker 1: you know, sidewalk, you're you're winding on the side while 708 00:42:01,920 --> 00:42:05,839 Speaker 1: you're looking into a display window. You could just as 709 00:42:05,840 --> 00:42:08,600 Speaker 1: easily use a connect if it had if it had 710 00:42:08,800 --> 00:42:12,680 Speaker 1: Sophiska enough tracking capabilities where it can actually track where 711 00:42:12,719 --> 00:42:15,799 Speaker 1: you are looking, and you could say, all right, well 712 00:42:15,800 --> 00:42:19,200 Speaker 1: we tested out this one display using this particular layout, 713 00:42:19,600 --> 00:42:21,799 Speaker 1: and this is where people were looking, and that's not 714 00:42:21,840 --> 00:42:23,680 Speaker 1: why we wanted them to look at. We really wanted 715 00:42:23,719 --> 00:42:26,400 Speaker 1: to feature this other thing. So then we did the 716 00:42:26,440 --> 00:42:29,040 Speaker 1: display a different way like this, and everyone was looking 717 00:42:29,080 --> 00:42:30,920 Speaker 1: where we wanted them to. So that's the way we 718 00:42:30,920 --> 00:42:32,680 Speaker 1: need to do it in order to promote whatever it 719 00:42:32,719 --> 00:42:35,520 Speaker 1: is we're selling. That's just one simple way of that 720 00:42:35,600 --> 00:42:38,720 Speaker 1: could be used. A connect could be used in the future. 721 00:42:39,160 --> 00:42:42,319 Speaker 1: UM another cool hack that I thought was actually really 722 00:42:42,360 --> 00:42:48,080 Speaker 1: really interesting and it has some really the the experiment 723 00:42:48,120 --> 00:42:53,320 Speaker 1: is interesting, the potential applications are pretty phenomenal. UH. Alex 724 00:42:53,360 --> 00:42:57,720 Speaker 1: Brown and Brian Brown they worked together to create a 725 00:42:57,800 --> 00:43:01,520 Speaker 1: virtual realm that would allow you to interact with virtual 726 00:43:01,560 --> 00:43:06,799 Speaker 1: objects that could in turn control actual physical objects in 727 00:43:06,840 --> 00:43:10,719 Speaker 1: your real environment around you. So what they did was 728 00:43:10,760 --> 00:43:15,480 Speaker 1: they used a programmable automation controller UH. And they had 729 00:43:15,520 --> 00:43:20,840 Speaker 1: this programmable automation controller panel that had switches on it 730 00:43:20,920 --> 00:43:22,759 Speaker 1: and when you turned on one switch and l e 731 00:43:22,840 --> 00:43:24,759 Speaker 1: ED would come on, and when you when you hit 732 00:43:24,800 --> 00:43:27,399 Speaker 1: the switch next to it, the LED would go off. 733 00:43:27,920 --> 00:43:29,799 Speaker 1: So there was a physical switch that would turn that 734 00:43:29,960 --> 00:43:33,560 Speaker 1: LED on or off. Okay, So then they built a 735 00:43:33,680 --> 00:43:39,480 Speaker 1: virtual representation of this console in a virtual environment, and 736 00:43:39,560 --> 00:43:43,400 Speaker 1: by virtually touching the switch, it would cause the physical 737 00:43:43,640 --> 00:43:46,319 Speaker 1: l e ED on the real console to come on, 738 00:43:47,320 --> 00:43:49,440 Speaker 1: and then by touching the other switch, it would make 739 00:43:49,480 --> 00:43:51,399 Speaker 1: the light go back off. So it's just like you're 740 00:43:51,440 --> 00:43:53,360 Speaker 1: touching the physical controls but you're doing it in the 741 00:43:53,440 --> 00:43:59,719 Speaker 1: virtual realm. Now, imagine, let's say that you've created a 742 00:44:00,360 --> 00:44:05,320 Speaker 1: entertainment complex. Okay, that is a virtual reality entertainment complex. 743 00:44:05,320 --> 00:44:09,120 Speaker 1: So you, Chris, go into this virtual reality entertainment complex, 744 00:44:09,160 --> 00:44:11,719 Speaker 1: and you are able to interact with this virtual environment, 745 00:44:12,160 --> 00:44:15,880 Speaker 1: and as you interact in the virtual environment, physical things 746 00:44:16,680 --> 00:44:21,439 Speaker 1: happen as a result of your virtual actions. So let's 747 00:44:21,440 --> 00:44:23,800 Speaker 1: say it's a role playing game and you are playing 748 00:44:23,920 --> 00:44:28,120 Speaker 1: in a really uh you're you're in the Arctic, and 749 00:44:28,160 --> 00:44:30,960 Speaker 1: you're inside a room when you first start, but you 750 00:44:31,000 --> 00:44:33,720 Speaker 1: decided to go outside. When you go outside by opening 751 00:44:33,760 --> 00:44:37,440 Speaker 1: the door, it activates a fan system that blows very 752 00:44:37,480 --> 00:44:39,400 Speaker 1: cold air on you so that you get the sensation. 753 00:44:39,480 --> 00:44:43,640 Speaker 1: So it creates that tactile, immersive environment. That's just one 754 00:44:43,680 --> 00:44:47,080 Speaker 1: example of a potential application of this sort of technology. 755 00:44:47,120 --> 00:44:48,600 Speaker 1: A lot of other ones would have nothing to do 756 00:44:48,640 --> 00:44:51,680 Speaker 1: with entertainment. They'd be much more practical than you know, 757 00:44:51,800 --> 00:44:54,319 Speaker 1: just giving us a bit of a thrill as we 758 00:44:54,400 --> 00:44:57,560 Speaker 1: play a game. But I thought that was really neat 759 00:44:57,600 --> 00:45:02,560 Speaker 1: the idea of im acting your physical world through your 760 00:45:02,640 --> 00:45:06,880 Speaker 1: virtual actions. See it's that that marriage or the physical 761 00:45:06,880 --> 00:45:10,000 Speaker 1: and virtual that I find so fascinating. And again that's 762 00:45:10,040 --> 00:45:12,359 Speaker 1: one of the reasons why I like augmented reality so much, 763 00:45:12,840 --> 00:45:15,640 Speaker 1: is that idea that bringing those two worlds closer and 764 00:45:15,640 --> 00:45:18,879 Speaker 1: closer together until we get to the point where you, 765 00:45:18,880 --> 00:45:20,560 Speaker 1: you know, if you don't like how your day is going, 766 00:45:20,600 --> 00:45:23,719 Speaker 1: you just at control of the lead. But but the 767 00:45:23,719 --> 00:45:26,919 Speaker 1: connect has also been used in lots of other applications, 768 00:45:26,920 --> 00:45:30,840 Speaker 1: things like digital puppetry, where people have built a digital 769 00:45:31,000 --> 00:45:35,359 Speaker 1: character that they could manipulate by doing motion controls. And 770 00:45:35,400 --> 00:45:38,200 Speaker 1: some of them are very much like puppetry. Like you 771 00:45:38,200 --> 00:45:41,600 Speaker 1: you have the digital version of a sock puppet. Someone 772 00:45:41,680 --> 00:45:43,560 Speaker 1: holds up their hand and moves their hand and then 773 00:45:43,560 --> 00:45:47,520 Speaker 1: the sock puppet reacts in a very similar way. Um, 774 00:45:47,560 --> 00:45:50,160 Speaker 1: it's got no strings to hold it down, and it's 775 00:45:50,320 --> 00:45:53,359 Speaker 1: just virtual strings. Yeah, it's pretty interesting. And then I've 776 00:45:53,400 --> 00:45:57,280 Speaker 1: even seen stuff where people have added in special effects 777 00:45:57,400 --> 00:46:01,040 Speaker 1: on top of whatever their actions are in real time. 778 00:46:01,120 --> 00:46:04,080 Speaker 1: So remember the connect also has a color camera in it, 779 00:46:04,560 --> 00:46:07,680 Speaker 1: so it's not just this depth sensor. It's also a 780 00:46:07,719 --> 00:46:12,120 Speaker 1: way of either streaming or even recording video depending on 781 00:46:12,239 --> 00:46:13,759 Speaker 1: what you're doing and how you know what you have 782 00:46:13,760 --> 00:46:16,160 Speaker 1: the connect hooked up too. So let's say you're streaming 783 00:46:16,239 --> 00:46:19,359 Speaker 1: video on a big screen and it's capturing whatever you're 784 00:46:19,400 --> 00:46:22,120 Speaker 1: doing in front of the connect and you're holding a 785 00:46:22,600 --> 00:46:28,960 Speaker 1: uh like a plane dowel, right, but you've created this 786 00:46:29,000 --> 00:46:33,480 Speaker 1: program that overlays a an effect on top of that dowel. 787 00:46:33,920 --> 00:46:36,680 Speaker 1: So now it looks like on the screen you're wielding 788 00:46:36,719 --> 00:46:39,640 Speaker 1: a lightsaber from Star Wars. And as you as you 789 00:46:39,680 --> 00:46:44,440 Speaker 1: move around, the video version of you is swinging a lightsaber, 790 00:46:44,480 --> 00:46:46,360 Speaker 1: even though the real version of you swing a dowel. 791 00:46:46,520 --> 00:46:49,799 Speaker 1: On the screen, it's a lightsaber. You know. That's something 792 00:46:49,840 --> 00:46:51,880 Speaker 1: that I that was one of the first applications I 793 00:46:51,880 --> 00:46:55,360 Speaker 1: saw actually one of the first hacks. Yeah. Well it's 794 00:46:55,440 --> 00:47:00,480 Speaker 1: uh not completely unlike what they actually did in the movie. Yeah, 795 00:47:00,480 --> 00:47:02,400 Speaker 1: it's just all done in real time as opposed to 796 00:47:02,440 --> 00:47:06,080 Speaker 1: post production. That's what's amazing is that it's done right then, 797 00:47:06,719 --> 00:47:08,880 Speaker 1: you know, because I've seen I've seen people who have 798 00:47:08,920 --> 00:47:12,160 Speaker 1: created their own Star Wars type videos where they've gone 799 00:47:12,160 --> 00:47:15,840 Speaker 1: in and they've used some pretty sophisticated post production video 800 00:47:16,120 --> 00:47:20,560 Speaker 1: software to go in and paint an object right within 801 00:47:20,600 --> 00:47:24,440 Speaker 1: the software and say, anytime you see this object, overlay 802 00:47:24,560 --> 00:47:27,439 Speaker 1: this effect on top of it, which is really sophisticated, 803 00:47:27,520 --> 00:47:30,920 Speaker 1: and it tends to be way faster than the old way. 804 00:47:30,960 --> 00:47:35,080 Speaker 1: But this is even faster. It's essentially instantaneous, which to 805 00:47:35,160 --> 00:47:40,120 Speaker 1: me is phenomenal. So anyway, there are so many other 806 00:47:40,239 --> 00:47:43,160 Speaker 1: hacks out there. If you just do a search online 807 00:47:43,600 --> 00:47:46,920 Speaker 1: for Connect hacks, you are going to find blogs and 808 00:47:47,120 --> 00:47:51,759 Speaker 1: articles and videos about amazing stuff people are doing with 809 00:47:51,880 --> 00:47:55,520 Speaker 1: this basic piece of video game hardware. Yeah, if you 810 00:47:55,800 --> 00:47:57,960 Speaker 1: if you've done any yourself, please let us know. We'd 811 00:47:58,000 --> 00:48:00,000 Speaker 1: love to hear about it. Yeah, definitely, Yeah, I've got 812 00:48:00,440 --> 00:48:03,160 Speaker 1: if you've got any information about Connect hacks you've done, 813 00:48:03,239 --> 00:48:05,560 Speaker 1: or any videos or whatever, sind some links our way, 814 00:48:05,600 --> 00:48:07,800 Speaker 1: because you know, will we'll be glad to take a 815 00:48:07,800 --> 00:48:09,279 Speaker 1: look at it, and who knows, maybe we'll be able 816 00:48:09,320 --> 00:48:12,080 Speaker 1: to post them up on Facebook and create even a 817 00:48:12,120 --> 00:48:15,040 Speaker 1: gallery of of things that people have done. And that 818 00:48:15,040 --> 00:48:17,680 Speaker 1: wraps up our discussion about the Connect. And as I 819 00:48:17,719 --> 00:48:22,080 Speaker 1: was saying earlier, since two thousand and twelve, the Connect 820 00:48:22,120 --> 00:48:25,279 Speaker 1: is pretty much gone by by. No one really talks 821 00:48:25,280 --> 00:48:28,040 Speaker 1: about it anymore, no one's really developing for it anymore. 822 00:48:28,880 --> 00:48:31,960 Speaker 1: And part of the reason for its failure was largely 823 00:48:32,400 --> 00:48:37,680 Speaker 1: because there was a an apparent lack of compelling content 824 00:48:37,960 --> 00:48:41,920 Speaker 1: for the Connect. There was initial interest in developing for it, 825 00:48:42,680 --> 00:48:45,280 Speaker 1: and then it just kind of fell off. The challenges 826 00:48:45,280 --> 00:48:47,799 Speaker 1: for developing for the platform We're probably too great for 827 00:48:47,840 --> 00:48:50,440 Speaker 1: the returns that were being seen. And there were a 828 00:48:50,520 --> 00:48:53,799 Speaker 1: lot of games that kind of gave the Connect a 829 00:48:53,840 --> 00:48:57,520 Speaker 1: bad name, games that gamers just didn't really and I 830 00:48:57,560 --> 00:49:01,480 Speaker 1: hate to use this word connect with and so it 831 00:49:01,960 --> 00:49:05,200 Speaker 1: really just kind of floundered. It's also a shame that 832 00:49:05,400 --> 00:49:08,960 Speaker 1: while it did very well in hacking circles for a while, 833 00:49:09,320 --> 00:49:14,200 Speaker 1: Microsoft made some moves that made it harder for hackers 834 00:49:14,280 --> 00:49:17,440 Speaker 1: to use the Connect, and they were creating all sorts 835 00:49:17,440 --> 00:49:22,279 Speaker 1: of really cool implementations of the connect sensors and using 836 00:49:22,320 --> 00:49:25,880 Speaker 1: them for things like machine vision, and uh, it was 837 00:49:25,960 --> 00:49:28,440 Speaker 1: really compelling stuff. So it's kind of a shame that 838 00:49:28,440 --> 00:49:31,560 Speaker 1: that fell apart two, but it also shows that often 839 00:49:31,760 --> 00:49:34,520 Speaker 1: the hacking community will take stuff that was intended for 840 00:49:34,560 --> 00:49:37,799 Speaker 1: one purpose and then repurpose it for something else and 841 00:49:37,840 --> 00:49:40,719 Speaker 1: make something really incredible out of it. If you guys 842 00:49:40,760 --> 00:49:43,400 Speaker 1: have suggestions for future episodes of tech Stuff, send me 843 00:49:43,440 --> 00:49:46,560 Speaker 1: an email the addresses tech Stuff at how stuff works 844 00:49:46,640 --> 00:49:49,600 Speaker 1: dot com, or you can pop on over to our website, 845 00:49:49,680 --> 00:49:52,880 Speaker 1: that's tech stuff podcast dot com. There you're gonna find 846 00:49:53,160 --> 00:49:56,880 Speaker 1: an archive of all of our episodes, including these classics. 847 00:49:57,360 --> 00:50:00,000 Speaker 1: You will also find links to our presence on various 848 00:50:00,000 --> 00:50:03,560 Speaker 1: social media platforms. You will find a link to our 849 00:50:03,640 --> 00:50:06,359 Speaker 1: online store, where every purchase you make goes to help 850 00:50:06,400 --> 00:50:09,200 Speaker 1: the show, and we greatly appreciate it, and I'll talk 851 00:50:09,239 --> 00:50:17,239 Speaker 1: to you again really soon. Yeah. Tech Stuff is a 852 00:50:17,280 --> 00:50:20,000 Speaker 1: production of I Heart Radio's How Stuff Works. For more 853 00:50:20,080 --> 00:50:23,480 Speaker 1: podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, 854 00:50:23,600 --> 00:50:26,760 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.