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- chad78, on 10/12/2007, -2/+17So you mean that hot blonde chick with the abnormally large eyes and oddly low voice that I was web caming with last night - she might not have the smooth, cartoonish skin I thought she did?
Here's a screen capture from our cam-date - http://home.sandiego.edu/~dwong/sailor%20moon%20profile%20pic.jpg - cyc66, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9Logitech's lawyers have stifled this product. Luckily the hackers will extract the full value out of it.
- zepequeno, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9Update- Phillip Torrone writes - Well, our interest was in the files, which seem like they're moddable - so far we were able to view the XML files and "see" the JPEGs used, but not change them quite yet. Logitech, for some reason doesn't seem to want to let folks make their own. That's OK, we understand their reasons. So, instead of waiting for a custom avatar or accessory maker from them, we're offering up a reward - help us make some custom ones and get a year of MAKE or any item from the MAKE store.
All the information here-http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2006/05/makers_want_their_own_avatars.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890 - Kamino, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6They should also make it work with non-logitech video devices. Then you can just install a DV webcam simulator and link your camcorder to this neato software.
- chad78, on 10/23/2007, -1/+7Um, no - it's not worthless. It still functions as a webcam.
- Kamino, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Lol. Gotta love Linux.
[go ahead mod down] - Sacrifice, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5This technology could be very interesting in the near future. Imagine playing UT2007 or World of Warcraft (WoW 2?) where your character talks with you via a web cam and microphone.
- Rasputen, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5my biggest complaint with the software was the inability to create your own avatars, who wants to use some standard template to represent their individuality that everyone else is already using?
- sfslim, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Amazing... When I watched Torrone's clip a couple of weeks ago I simply assumed that /of course/ you'd be able to import your own avatars, at least the 2D overlay ones. The fact that Illogitech not only does not allow this, but is evidently actively opposed to it is ridiculous, and yet another instance of a company treating its customers like their enemy.
Newsflash to Illogitech: Customers who paid for your product should be allowed to do with it what they want. If you want people to purchase additional avatars from your online store, then make the avatars you have really kickass, fairly priced, and easy to purchase. Do this and you'll still make a lot of add-on sales, regardless of whether or not you officially open the product up to user-created content. Otherwise, stand back and watch how modern digital consumers obtain what's fair when companies refuse to offer it: they hack in and take it.
Jeez. You'd have thunk that this sort of thing would have been covered in some sort of "The Basics of Business in the 21st Century" class by now. It utterly amazes me that companies still reflexively adopt such closed, anti-user stances, when time and time again it has been shown that embracing the alternatives can be as (or even more) profitable. - flameboy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Am I the only one who doesn't understand this?
*WHY* exactly don't they want people to make their own avatars? They are worried about inappropriate images?
Why do they care?
Does Adobe care if people use Photoshop for porn? - TVarmy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4That'd be cool, but if the hacked software were being shared on the internet, then logitech would have a real reason to sue and shut down the project. So, if anyone does do that, be careful. ;)
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4rather than waste time with avatars, why not make some drivers for the new logitech cames for osx/linux?? I see no support for these on logitechs site. Can no one make a web cam that works with win/osx/linux and has decent resoultion?
- mikesmullin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Ya. Terrible move on Logitech's part. They underestimate the power that viral marketing has in store for them.
Now that Logitech a heads up, it would be smart of them to open it up and be the first-to-market with an online avatar trading community. At least that way they would have the majority of the marketshare, and some official say over what avatars are presented to the masses.
Otherwise Torrone is going to monetize a community first and we're all going to have to wade through a ton of disgusting avatars before we can find the cute one everyone has that we're looking for. :( - ggko, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2No, but I'm sure he has that dress with the really short skirt.
She... SHE has that dress, I mean. - JustinPM, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Okay, I checked out this file a little while ago. The file was really just a zip file with an xml file regarding the file information, and some other files. I don't have the skill required to do so, but it seemed like it would be easy for a 3d modeler. The zip file contains a file with an extension .x, a DirectX mesh. Anyone with 3dstudioMax should be able to load a directx mesh. I was unable to figure out precisely what was going on with the JPGs, but I figured it would have to do with the DirectX mesh itself. The mesh being directions for how to map the object on the face, and the jpeg the actual picture that is mapped. I thought it odd though to use a jpeg for the picture, it would make more sense in my opinion to use an SVG or illustrator file as vector imaging would be more crisp. I was thinking of submitting this somewhere a while ago, but I didn't know where I would submit such a thing.
- tacom8, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2ya and make it work for my microwave while you guys are at it, god dammit no one ever builds drivers for my microwave anymore... logitech is so inconsiderate...
- STKD, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1A while ago, as many of you will know, people altered the drivers provided with the official Nintendo Wifi USB Connector to work perfectly with non-Nintendo branded compatible USB wifi sticks. All it took was a bit of hex editing and a few altered device ids. I wonder if something similar wouldn't be possible here.
Also note that if you get the drivers for the quickcam sphere model from logitech's uk site, they are actually the ones for the orbit mp. Which, uh, don't actually work at all with the Sphere. :-/ - greyfade, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1the real shame here is that Logitech doesn't care enough about its customers to even give mac users a second glance, much less us poor Linux folk.
- 051r15, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Its only a matter of time till someone cracks this thing. Its like the old addage "Make something fool proof, and they'll make a better fool."
Now if they would just drop the price down a bit I could start hacking away at it. - Phoenixfury, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1For anyone interested, the Logitech Quickcam Fusion comes with the animated avatar capabilities. The Quickcam Fusion is far cheaper than the cam discussed in the article, but does exactly the same thing as far as the avatar capability is concerned.
- Roguecop, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The video. It's almost too cute, almost seems produced. Two words come to mind. Viral. Marketing.
If so it has been very effective in getting the product out there... - everfalling, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1anyone know if there's a palce to download the video effects software? i bought an orbit, but not the mp, so it didn't come with that feature. i'm almost positive it;s the same hardware, just privilaged software...been trying to find it to test it out myself for ages... i'm tempted to shell out 120 bucks to buy the damn thing, download the software and return it
- zbeast, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Well if you but a usb or wifi interface on your microwave I'll write a driver for it. :)
- zbeast, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I don't mind buying a new web cam there cheap but not letting me make my own avatars well that's just stupid. That's the same monkey headed thinking that killed off the Sony AIBO.
But it being just software you can add all the prodction you want it will be unlocked shortly. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3So basically this is only possible with certain new webcams? So the $70 one I bought a year ago is worthless?
- suomi, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I would be happier to see the whole rigmarole of building a Logitech driver for a Linux box a little 'smoother' BEFORE we start hacking cat faces on to the image... Seriously, two hours last weekend satisfying dependancies and fiddling with insmod, depmod, rmmod and lsusb... Sheesh.
- PantherX, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3Does anyone else believe that original video was a marketing device?
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