levelHead utilizes a tangible interface by allowing the player’s hands to directly influence the rooms and character’s movement in the game. By tilting a block in any direction, the user moves their character from room to room through a series of interconnected doors. The block’s digital rooms bring augmented reality gaming into an Escheresque-meets-Rubik’s-Cube space that is nothing short of inspiring.

levelHead v1.0, 3 cube speed-run (spoiler!) from Julian Oliver on Vimeo.

A long time advocate for open source software for artistic production and education, Oliver’s game is compiled and run in Linux and was built using osgART and ARToolKit. It is meant to be experienced as an installation, but Oliver has released his source code to anyone curious enough to compile it on their own. Have at it!

The days of couch potatoes and passive gaming have been challenged with the Wii revolution, and they are most certainly numbered with the thought of a dynamic, fluid, natural gaming experience that eliminates the need for a keyboard and mouse or a console.

When everyone is carrying a 4G phone with the graphics card and power of a desktop computer, any surface you brand, any ads you print can become interactive landscapes for play. Something like this would be wildly popular as the centerpiece for a gaming tradeshow. Just imagine dozens of handheld device-wielding weekend warriors teaming together in real space around a giant 2D landscape working toward a common virtual 3D goal. It gives LAN party a whole new meaning!

Thanks @RobEverton for the link!

Launching in the Netherlands this month, happy G1 users will be able to browse houses for sale, find bars, jobs, ATMs and healthcare centers with a simple flip of their phone and a quick spin to locate which direction they should be heading.

The GPS and compass (magnemometer) included within some 3G phones is starting to make all of this possible. I can’t wait until this kind of browsing becomes common place and large web services such as Amazon, Craigslist and Yelp are integrated as well. The combination of geolocation and relevant data display is so incredibly powerful.

Not too shabby for 2002! I’d love to see more of these in the US, especially around conventions and shows. If you have any other examples of full-building light displays feel free to post them in the comments. Thanks @ashaman212 for the link!

Children’s books, holiday cards, online webcam trading card games, interactive e-tickets, virtual statues, virtual toys, dare I say 3D pogs maybe?! I think the mini-game on the baseball card is a clear sign that augmented reality is a new delivery mechanism and not just a novelty. Thanks @30HelensAgree for the link!

If you’re thinking about hosting an event, have the need for data visualization and manipulation or product and service presentations, would like to manipulate 3D environments, have digital signage which you’d like to make interactive or if you’d like to bring digital kiosks into the next generation—I would seriously take a look at the video above. My only qualm is the price. Starting at $2,399.00 for a 32”, it will effectively double the cost of any screen you are setting up. If you want the complete PQ Labs experience, buy the iTable instead of using your old monitors. I look forward to seeing more innovative developments in the touch screen market and a drop in price…

I hear the term podcast used almost as ubiquitously as “VOD” nowadays (which is ironic because podcasting is a form of video on demand) and I wanted to take a moment to ask you, do you podcast?

There are a lot of people who seem to think that podcasting is somehow getting your content onto iPods or iPhones.  It is, to an extent, but that’s not really the right reason to “podcast.”  Podcasting is a method of distribution for episodic content.  According to wikipedia, “The syndication aspect of the delivery is what differentiates podcasts from other files that are accessed by simple download or by streaming: it means that special client software applications known as podcatchers (such as Apple Inc.’s iTunes or Nullsoft’s Winamp) can automatically identify and retrieve new files when they are made available, by accessing a centrally-maintained web feed that lists all files associated with a particular podcast. The files thus automatically downloaded are then stored locally on the user’s computer or other device, for offline use.”  Well now, that pretty much explains it.

If you need more, check out this video from the awesome folks at CommonCraft:

So when should you use a “podcast” to get your content out there?  Well, if we’re “automatically retrieving new files” then you should probably plan to have a lot of new files to distribute over the life of your podcast.  Read: this is not meant to be a one-time thing.  Many marketers make the mistake of sending out one program as a podcast feed just to get their content onto an iPod or iPhone, leading users to believe that there is more to come.  When the tap runs dry they are disappointed.  There are other ways to get a single piece of content onto an iPod – much better than setting up and RSS feed and creating an iTunes account, etc.

Instead, use podcasting as a way to grow an audience with a continuous stream of content.  Over time you can build up your feed subscribers and reach more people through the natural syndication ability that RSS provides.  Oh – one gotcha: RSS isn’t completely measurable, so watch out if you need perfectly accurate data.

Infographics are visual representations used to transmit information, data or knowledge quickly and clearly. When used online, the opportunity to include interactive elements and/or time-based information makes it even more attractive, persuasive and engaging. When knowledge is transferred so efficiently that words are oftentimes unnecessary, the result is nothing short of art. (Think Edward Tufte)

The most exciting part about using infographics online is its ability to spread virally. When an image conveys useful information, one tends to share the link with those he/she knows will be interested. Just take a look at the search results from Digg on the term “infographic” to see where we are headed.

Having a hard time understanding the credit crisis? Don’t worry! The Crisis of Credit makes it short and simple, using a nice balance of narration and visualization:

The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.

Ever wonder what the growth of Walmart across America looked like starting way back in 1961? I certainly don’t—thanks to FlowingData and Modest Maps!

What’s the big deal with status updates? I would tell you, but it’s more informative if you just watched this video by quub:

Status updates explained from quub.com on Vimeo.

Have you heard of Commoncraft? Check out their videos and see how much fun hands, paper and markers can be! Commoncraft is a great example of a business which utilizes infographics.

Not everything needs to be time-based. Mint has done a great job of bringing economic infographics into perspective with the good old jpg. Just take a look at the US/China Trade Relationship infographic.

Complex ideas need not be complex. Just think visual.

Robert Scoble, popular blogger in the tech world, writes in a post that is over 2 years old, “Actually, the fact that Diggnation is bringing in the ad dollars means I’m aiming too high. What a brilliant idea. Get together on a couch. Drink some beer. Tell people what you think. And collect cash.”  Note that he mentions how over 200,000 people watch the weekly show, and that number is even higher today.

Diggnation has had ongoing sponsorships from Netflix and GoDaddy.com and often pulls in a third or fourth sponsor on a show by show basis.  This week Michelob Brewing Company sponsored the show and supplied the beer—that may sound odd if you’re not familiar with the show’s format. Rose and Albrecht “review” beer, sometimes other beverages, along with “some of the hottest user-submitted stories from the social news website digg.com.”  So what was the first topic of discussion that these brands were associating themselves with?  Jock itch.  Yep, you heard right.  The first thing that they talked about was jock itch.  Brand nightmare, right?  Not really.

Diggnation is a perfect example of catering to a particular audience.  The people who religiously watch the show LOVE the format, which is more casual than any professionally produced TV show  (keep in mind that these guys shoot in HD and edit their shows on high-end Final Cut Pro systems so they are not production slouches, but they choose to deliver their show in a format that screams authenticity). The fans have an appreciation for how off-the-cuff and downright “real” the hosts come across, so the feeling toward the sponsors is even more appreciative.

Why is Diggnation relevant to marketing?  For one, when Kevin and Alex mention a product or website it is near guaranteed conversion because their audience trusts them.  They have built a relationship with the viewers that is personal, yet authoritative, giving them a thought leadership position in the industry that is more influential than any commercial or even celebrity endorsement.  That kind of evangelical following is something that marketers drool over and, though crude, Diggnation has set an excellent model to follow.

So do you want your brand to sponsor Diggnation if there’s a chance that they will talk about jock itch immediately after thanking you for sponsoring the episode?  If you’re thinking of saying “no,” then you are probably not ready for the social media world.  Remember, this is about highly authentic content.  These guys are not actors, nor do they do this as their primary job.  They are two guys sitting on a couch, talking about interesting things people find online…and jock itch.  Funny how hundreds of thousands of viewers watch each week – maybe you should be one of them?

You may have seen a bit of press lately about Cramer’s partnership with Unisfair, the leading virtual events company out in the market today.  Press releases are great, but they don’t really tell you what it means for you.  I’ll attempt to clarify.

If you’re considering hosting a virtual event, chances are that you’ve attended one in recent months.  You’ve probably realized how different they can be based on the company that is used to host them and how boring they can be based on how well the content is prepared.  Yea, we realized this too.

Image of a virtual booth from the Unisfair platform.

I started conversations with Unisfair back in late 2008 and, like an awkward first date, we both realized that we kind of liked one another.  We understood quickly that there was a gap in the market; that there were companies creating feature-rich platforms for users to explore content, but nobody was really focused on creating content specifically for virtual events… for an ONLINE event audience instead of an in-person one.  It was a match made in heaven.  The best virtual event platform (with an excellent roadmap, I might add) in Unisfair and 25 years of content creation experience in Cramer.  Boom – you’re all-in-one solution for the best virtual event experience.

Stu Schmidt, Unisfair’s VP of Global Sales said it best when I met with him a month or so ago, (and I paraphrase) “this is perfect.  You guys provide awesome content and we provide the best vehicle.”  What more could you want!

If you’re wondering what people are saying about our new found love affair, run a quick Google search on “cramer unisfair” and you’ll find it.   Oh ok, I’ll do it for you: click here to search.  We also have the official release on our site.

Some additional coverage worth reading:

Unisfair partners with Cramer to make virtual events into better experiences

Unisfair And Cramer Partner To Improve Events