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moves
The changing 2 face of toons
The science of animating
emotions like elation, anger and
jealousy just got a little more
exact. Disney has teamed up
with Carnegie Mellon University
to develop a process for
animating the most expressive
faces yet. Using motion-capture
footage that pinpoints and
subdivides key facial regions to
build a full 3D model, it’s now
possible to alter just one part
of an expression—say, a raised
eyebrow—instead of having to
manipulate the whole face.
24 September 2011
The List
3 Retail
rising?
Although the downgrade of
the US credit rating wasn’t
great for an economy that is
still sputtering, there was some
good news. According to the US
Commerce Department, retail
sales climbed 0.5% in July, the
biggest increase experienced
since March, and better than
the forecasted 0.2%. While
tickertape parades are not in
the offi ng, any sign of positive
growth is welcome news for
what’s still the world’s biggest
consumer products market.
photo: landofnodstudios
Five things on our radar this month
1Google gets into hardware
Google completed its largest-ever acquisition this summer,
forking over US$12.5 billion to buy Motorola Mobility,
the handset maker whose biggest competitors are HTC
and Samsung. The move took even those in the know
by surprise, spurring a 2.6% dip in Google stock prices.
However, analysts have since pointed to Motorola’s
stockpile of more than 17,000 mobile-related patents and
manufacturing capability that give Google a competitive
advantage in an area that experts agree will only grow.
(Google CEO Larry Page is looking at you, Jobs.) Perhaps
the biggest upshot of the deal—and one that’s barely
been explored—is that the move will bolster Google’s
TV offering. Motorola is one of the largest suppliers
of set-top boxes to the cable industry and the search
giant is hoping the purchase will give it a leg up in
the lucrative race to facilitate seamless family-room
media consumption.
Leave those 4 Muppets alone
On the heels of New York
legalizing gay marriage, a US
activist group petitioned to “let”
Bert and Ernie get married.
Sesame Workshop responded
that they are Muppets and have
no sexual orientation. Besides,
we all know they’re more like
curious fi ve-year-olds whose
only obligation is to help kids
learn—and maybe foster a love
for the fi ner things, namely
rubber duckies and bottle caps.
5 Cooling
consoles
With monthly in-store sales of
video games touching their
lowest point since 2006 this
past July, it’s clear that console
culture is changing. Not
helping those fears is news of
Nintendo slashing the price of
its 3DS handheld by 40% and
publisher THQ shedding 200
jobs amidst closing video game
development studios. The silver
lining? Well, you can probably
fi nd it in near your iPhone.
To keep up with the news as it happens, check out Kidscreen.com daily.