Written by Abhijit Kadle• December 21, 2009• 2:41 pm• eLearning

eLearning: Interesting Weekly Finds #3

HomeeLearningeLearning: Interesting Weekly Finds #3

Device tag support in HTML 5
Yesterday World Wide Web Consortium has reported that HTML 5 will support external devices, directly from your browser. Now your browser will access your webcam, microphone and other USB devices directly, no other software/plug-ins required.
WebGL
WebGL is a standard specification currently being developed to display 3D graphics on web browsers. It enables hardware-accelerated rich 3D graphics in web pages without the need for special browser plug-ins, on any platform supporting OpenGL or OpenGL ES. Technically it is a binding for JavaScript to native OpenGL ES 2.0 implementation, to be built in to browsers.
Vedea – Visualization Tool
Vedea is a prototype experimental language designed by Microsoft Research UK that is aimed at helping users create interactive infographics, data visualizations and computational art.
The kinds of infographics that Vedea is designed to create aren’t the usual pie charts or bar charts. Advanced infographics created using Vedea will combine color, hierarchy, shape and line into new, more complex visuals.
Gestural Computing Breakthrough Turns LCD Into a Big Sensor
Gesture recognition is the area of user interface research that tries to translate movement of the hand into on-screen commands. But the typical gestural system involves use of expensive cameras and special gloves or color tracking tags onto finger.Some smart students at MIT have figured out how to turn a typical LCD into a low-cost, 3-D gestural computing system. Their system uses an array of optical sensors that are arranged right behind a grid of liquid crystals, similar to those used in LCD displays. The sensors can capture the image of a finger when it is pressed against the screen.
Heavy Rain
Heavy Rain is a new game, or rather interactive drama. It promises a completely different type of game play involvement. What we found really interesting is that such interactive dramas have enormous potential in creating simulation environments that let learners practice soft skills. The ability to play different roles giving players varied perspective is also extremely innovative.

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About the Author / Abhijit Kadle

The 'Google' of Upside Learning, as he is fondly called, Abhijit plays a key role in guiding the Instructional Designers and is a chief member of the Innovation team. With over 15 years of professional experience in multimedia design and development, he has been active in the field of digital learning design for the past 12 years, and has worked on design driven projects for multimedia kiosk software, interactive CD–ROMs, multimedia instructional simulations, game-based learning environments, computer–based training, web–based training, and learning management systems and standards. He has managed multiple technical instructional design and development projects for various Fortune 500 companies at another eLearning company and also has presented learning sessions at various L&D events like mLearnCon, co-hosted webinars alongside leading industry experts, co-authored an eBook on Mobile Learning, and authored whitepapers on Mobile Learning and Game–based Learning. A Mechanical Engineer from the University of Pune, Abhijit is interested in multifarious subjects ranging from genetics, evolutionary biology, biochemistry, engineering, technology, computing to electronic games, media, communication, and the design of user experience and interaction.