Technology

Taking advantage of the foot traffic from the many discussion panels on the fourth floor of the Austin Convention Center, Microsoft set up a chic booth (a black and white Audrey Hepburn print on the wall set the tone) divided into three sections showcasing its Windows 7 technology, Silverlight (a free, cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in that enables Internet applications and media experiences online) and its gaming offerings.

YES, IT’S A TOP BUZZWORD ALREADY. No, you don’t really understand it. To the uninitiated, the very term “Augmented Reality” may seem a little Star Trekky, but it’s not that far out there. Through AR, developers superimpose computer-generated images over a real-world environment in real time. The firstdown line superimposed over the field on football games shown on tv is a rudimentary example.

The EA Sports Active fitness game for Nintendo Wii is on the second leg of its Get Active Tour, visiting shopping centers and fitness trade shows in the UK. It kicked off last June and ran through October, then picked up again in January and will run through the spring. At each location, EA sets up its sleek footprint featuring the games’ signature colors of white, green and blue with a demo stage and two pods where consumers can get up-close-and-personal with the game. Two brand ambassadors demo the game on stage while additional staffers at the pods work with consumers one on one.

The U.S. Army on Feb. 11 launched Army-Race for Strength, an interactive Augmented Reality (AR) game, to engage prospective recruits and showcase the technology and training used to develop strong soldiers. The AR game debuted at the Army’s Strength in Action Zone exhibit at Daytona International Speedway, Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, CA, the Chicago Auto Show and online via a downloadable version. Besides NASCAR and NHRA races, it will roll out within the next few months into all of the Army’s events system-wide, including state fairs, air shows and high school visits.

There’s nothing like a long line to pique the public’s interest. And that’s exactly what Panasonic has done with its sponsor pavilion at the 2010 Winter Olympics—twice! Outside the brand’s two-story, glass-front structure, fans wait in line to get their tickets and assigned showtimes for a seat in one of two 3D theater experiences hidden at the back of the pavilion. Inside the spacious lobby, fans line up again behind velvet ropes to wait their turn for a seat at the show.