AR book is out

Augmented Reality: A Practical Guide is out!

who will be the first to review it? will it be you?

the code download for the book is available on the Pragmatic book page

CNN uses Augmented Reality

during the Iowa primary election coverage, CNN's Anderson Cooper held up a "magic pie chart." Jon Stewart showed the clumsy use of the technology on The Daily Show. it's actually an application of Augmented Reality, but the BBC was the first group (I know of) who used it for election coverage.

I haven't been able to find any images of the CNN example, so if you're reading this and you know of one, please post a comment.
update: wow, thanks to datadreamer for the quick reply.


- Anderson Cooper showing off Augmented Reality
(from http://www.flickr.com/photos/monoki/2165007234)



- Bill Gates tries out an ARTag AR system that uses a head-mounted display (our AR book uses ARTag but does not require anything other than a Windows PC and a webcam)

Mark put this short video up on YouTube, it's a good demo of what we're talking about in our book: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItOtTdhDoto

this game shows a simple way of using the technology to enhance a card game experience.

augmented reality book is coming

the book that I co-wrote about augmented reality will be coming out soon.

Dr Mark Fiala, a researcher at the National Research Council of Canada, was my co-author and together we have written (what I believe is) the first book about augmented reality that is targeted at the average person. all you need is a computer, printer, and a webcam.

BTW -- you can see ARTag videos on YouTube (just search for "ARTag").



from the publishers website:

"Augmented Reality is the fusion of real and virtual reality, where computer graphics objects are blended into real footage in real-time. AR creates the illusion that virtual, computer-generated objects exist in the real world. All you need is a computer and a webcam. This book will show you how, and teach you about game development at the same time. You can run the included demos, or use the ARTag API to customize your own AR applications.

About this Book

Augmented Reality is a natural way to explore 3D objects and data, as it brings virtual objects into the real world where we live, rather than forcing us to learn how to navigate inside the computer. With video-see-through technology, AR handheld devices such as tablet PC’s, PDA’s, or camera cell phones, (or in many cases just a webcam and our standard computer monitor), you hold the device up and “see through” the display to view both the real world and the superimposed virtual object. You can move around and see the virtual object, model, animation, or game from different views as the AR system performs alignment of the real and virtual cameras automatically.

This book will introduce you to Augmented Reality (AR), provide detailed explanations of how the technology works, and provide samples for you to try on your own. Code samples using the freely downloadable ARTag software SDK in C++ and C# are included; all you need is a computer, printer, and a webcam."
- Pragmatic Publishing

uniquely Canadian stocking stuffer

if someone can find a more Canadian stocking stuffer, I'd like to see it. the only issue I have with this advertising is that they show a losing cup in their demo.



the Lee Valley Rimroller™

"This product makes it easy to check for prize statements hidden under the rims of paper coffee cups in various contests... Push, pull and you’re done...

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, 'Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door.'...

When we were first shown the Rimroller many months ago, we recognized immediately that this was an elegant, well-designed, and well-manufactured product at a very reasonable price. It was one of those products that just delighted people when they used it...

Invented and manufactured in Ottawa, Canada, it makes a great stocking stuffer."


- DOH!

SharePoint Migration Manager

a while back, I wrote a short post about a Vancouver software company that I'm doing some work for, Metalogix Software Corp.. they develop sophisticated SharePoint migration solutions and I'm really impressed how much work they have put it since I saw the Microsoft Content Management Server version of their software--their current list of features is impressive. they have three software packages available for migrating to Microsoft Office SharePoint Server: Website Migration Manager, FileShare Migration Manager and SharePoint Site Migration Manager.

you can click the image below to see what one of their products looks like, and you can also watch some online video demos. SharePoint Site Migration Manager is so good that a lot of people actually use it for far more than just migration tasks. whether you're a dev or a SharePoint administrator, it helps to have such an easy-to-use, flexible and quick utility in your toolbox.


- SharePoint Site Migration Manager (v. 3.4.14) from Metalogix (click for full size)

HTC S720 review

I recently invested in a new phone, the HTC S720 Windows Mobile Smartphone.

I love having a qwerty keyboard and I can't imagine going without one. the only issue I've had with this phone is that after installing Texas Hold'em Poker the phone would sometimes crash when I slid out the keyboard. I was told to check the task manager and shutting down things did help, but I simply decided not to install that app again.



my wish list for this phone is simple.

1. make it slimmer

2. longer battery life

training with Royce Gracie

this past weekend I had the privilege to attend a Royce Gracie, Brazilian Jujitsu (BJJ) two-day seminar. Royce is the most famous grappler ever--winner of three of the first four Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) titles. Royce inspired me, and countless others, to start training in Jujitsu and grappling.


- Royce Gracie and Stephen Cawood

six hours of high-level BJJ was great, but being able to learn from, and talk directly with Royce was worth the price of admission. Royce was all business during the three hour training sessions, but after we finished, he stayed to answer questions, and sign autographs. he was very candid when answering questions; when asked who the biggest jerk he fought was, he said "Ken Shamrock and Frank are both a__holes."


- Royce Gracie with my sensei, Ray McKinnon--the founder of the Bushido-Kai martial arts school in Halifax, Canada


- Royce demonstrates a technique for gaining back control


- Royce hangs around to sign autographs and answer questions

the seminar was hosted by Fitness Plus in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. "Fit Plus" is the training school for a number of local MMA fighters including TJ Grant (8-1).

here is a list (from memory) of what we covered:

Day One
---------------------------------
Defensive technique for getting up off the ground
Defense against double throat grab
Guard pass with label choke and stacking
Lapel choke and rear-naked choke
One arm headlock defense
Off balance and take-down
Ogoshi and Koshi Garuma (can't remember setup, possibly from choke)
Closed headlock defense with knee block and take down
Rolling an opponent to back control
Defending rear-naked choke
Escaping back control
Question period

Day Two
---------------------------------
50/50 inside trip take down (from swing out)
Guillotine defense no arm
Guillotine defense arm inside (shoulder down)
Guillotine in guard (arm in) defense (using wrist lock)
Kimura from guard
Counter to Kimura from guard with pass
Can opener and defense
Arm bar to Omaplata
Arm bar to Omaplata to triangle
Arm bar to Omaplata (roll) to ankle lock
Grappling matches
Question period

MSFT corrected to 2001

today Microsoft stock (MSFT) "corrected" to its highest numbers since 2001. MSFT went as high as $36.03 after the company annouced that it would surpass revenue predictions.

I was hired by MS in 2001, so this is the first day since I was hired, that MSFT has been ahead. good thing I held onto most of my stock. although, it doesn't take a genius to see that the stock is still undervalued.

Gutenberg's 20,000 free books

it's amazing how Project Gutenberg has grown. more free books than anyone could possibly need. these are books that aren't covered by copyrights--so almost all of them are over 80 years old. ever wished that you could search war and peace for the word "bubble"? here's your answer...

getting individual books: http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/

getting compilations:

"The August 2003 CD contains 600 of our best Ebooks. The December 2003 DVD contains 9400 of our first 10,000 books. The July 2006 DVD contains over 17,000 books from our first 19,000 titles. All of the books found on the CD can also be found on both DVDs and most of the files on the December 2003 DVD can be found on the July 2006 DVD. There are very few images on the discs, and no audio books."

XNA book base code article

the XNA Game Studio Creator's Guide co-author, Pat McGee, has written an article about the XNA base code that he wrote for the book.

essentially, this article breaks down how to create the simple first-person game engine that is the base of many of the examples in the book.


- a screenshot from the textures chapter

configuring BitTorrent for speed

a few people have asked me about boosting BitTorrent download speeds. while it's always going to take hours to download GBs from BitTorrent "torrents," you can improve your performance significantly. I used these resources to make my download speeds much faster:

- the BitTorrent FAQ and guide.

- I use the BitComet client. there are a number of speed guides for BitComet.

- another consideration is port forwarding for your router (e.g., NetGear Router Port Forwarding).

- you can also run an online Speed Test to see how your connection is faring.

BTW - if you can't find the torrent you're looking for, try BTJunkie. it boasts the largest torrent search engine.

disabling VS just-in-time debugging

do you have Visual Studio installed on a machine that you use for every day tasks? are you tired of canceling the just-in-time debugging when you know that you're never going to use it on the apps that are triggering it? well, here's your post... turn it off.

from: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/k8kf6y2a.aspx

To enable/disable Just-In-Time debugging
- On the Tools menu, click Options.
- In the Options dialog box, select the Debugging folder.
- In the Debugging folder, select the Just-In-Time page.
- In the Enable Just-In-Time debugging of these types of code box, select or clear the relevant program types: Managed, Native, or Script.
- To disable Just-In-Time debugging, once it has been enabled, you must be running with Administrator privileges. Enabling Just-In-Time debugging sets a registry key, and Administrator privileges are required to change that key.
- Click OK.

HHC help file format gotcha

back in my days working with NCompass Resolution and Microsoft Content Management Server (MCMS), I began an MCMS FAQ that was published in CHM and HTML formats. I used to write the topics in Resolution (and later in MCMS) and then I had my ASP script that dynamically produced an HHC table of contents so that Microsoft Help Workshop could create a full-text search version of the document.

well that was back in about 1999 and I obviously didn't remember all the lessons from back then. today I was working with basically the same setup (minus MCMS) for Metalogix Software's SharePoint migration solutions.

I was creating a new CHM and found that Help Workshop will compile the file, but the result was, "This program cannot display the webpage".

I found the answer after looking at the broken .HHC file and a working file side-by-side. so here's my little test. can you see the difference?

this is a--greatly simplified--broken .HHC file:

<html>
<head>
<!--Sitemap 1.0-->
</head>
<body>
<ul>
<li><object type="text/sitemap">
<param name="Name" value="Foo Directory">
<param name="Local" value="Foo Directory/index.htm">
<param name="ImageNumber" value="1">
</object></li>
<ul>
<li><object type="text/sitemap">
<param name="Name" value="Topic1">
<param name="Local" value="Foo Directory/Bar.htm">
<param name="ImageNumber" value="11">
</object></li>
<li><object type="text/sitemap">
<param name="Name" value="Topic1">
<param name="Local" value="Foo Directory/Foo.htm">
<param name="ImageNumber" value="11">
</object> </li>
</ul>
</ul>
</body>
</html>

and here is a working .HHC file:

<html>
<head>
<!--Sitemap 1.0-->
</head>
<body>
<ul>
<li><object type="text/sitemap">
<param name="Name" value="Foo Directory">
<param name="Local" value="BarDirectory/index.htm">
<param name="ImageNumber" value="1">
</object></li>
<ul>
<li><object type="text/sitemap">
<param name="Name" value="Topic1">
<param name="Local" value="BarDirectory/Bar.htm">
<param name="ImageNumber" value="11">
</object></li>
<li><object type="text/sitemap">
<param name="Name" value="Topic1">
<param name="Local" value="BarDirectory/Foo.htm">
<param name="ImageNumber" value="11">
</object></li>
</ul>
</ul>
</body>
</html>

answer below...


- click for full-size image

answer: the help file directories must not contain spaces in their names. "Foo Directory" will fail, "BarDirectory" will work. now that's a gotcha that the app should catch and report.

BTW - this same error will appear if you don't select a "Default file" inside the Help Workshop project options. however, in that case, everything works once you click on a topic.

Amazon targeting for Halo books

a friend of mine shared a funny little fact with me today. it turns out that Amazon is targeting customers of my Halo 2 battle guide for the new Halo 3 Official Guide.


- click for full-size image

Halo 3 finish the frustration

I previously whinged about my Xbox 360 crashing. now I'll vent a little bit more. the replacement machine literally crashed within five minutes of turning it on. so the biggest game launch in history is upon us, and I'm left out of the rumble until I get the replacement replacement. arghhh!



I just sent the Xbox Global Marketing team an e-mail about these issues. as a professional courtesy, I'll give them a chance to respond before I publish the e-mail.

update: they did respond and said that they are taking the problem seriously and have allocated roughly one billion to deal with defects.

as if to mock me further... MS is sending me e-mails reminding me of what I'm missing.


- MS e-mail about the Halo 3 launch

Dal Water Polo Chocolate Lake

these weekend the Dalhousie Water Polo team borrowed some water from the ducks as we had a BBQ and game in Chocolate Lake (in Halifax). I've posted many photos on my live space.


- warm-up has a whole new meaning...


- game on!


- why are three people checking me? I hope we scored on this play.


- out of Chocolate Lake towards the hot chocolate


- here's your new facebook pic John


- good day...

listen to O'Reilly blogs

O'Reilly has added a cool feature to their blog pages. for example, you can listen to this blog post of mine about Halo 2 modding.

the site is powered by ReadSpeaker, which is an app that will read the text on website pages.

I'd be upset that the app can't pronounce my last name, except that it can't pronounce 'Xbox' either.

Dalhousie Water Polo web monkey

it looks like I'll be taking over as the web monkey for the Dalhousie Water Polo team. if anyone out there wants to send me their 2c regarding possible improvements, please feel free.



this is also a good excuse to use my jenn animation again...


- I really should create another one like this. I have shots of her doing the same thing

Metalogix SharePoint migration

during my days with the Microsoft Content Management Server (MCMS) team, I worked with a Microsoft partner called Metalogix Software. at the time, they were the best option for customers who wanted to migrate any sort of website to MCMS.

since then, MCMS has been discontinued as a separate product, but some of the functionality of MCMS has been added to Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS). with this change, Metalogix adjusted their focus. today, their primary business is sophisticated SharePoint migration solutions.

my latest gig is going to be some contract work for Metalogix. I'll be helping them build up their product documentation and FAQ resources.


- Metalogix Software's SharePoint Site Migration Manager

XNA book download and forum

the sample code and other files that go along with Microsoft® XNA Game Studio Creators Guide can be found at: http://www.mhprofessional.com/product.php?isbn=007149071x (look for the "code" link on the left side, just under the cover image)

thanks to Pat, the forum for the book is here: http://www.gamedeveloperonline.com/

if you have any questions about the examples, go to the forums and ask away.