As you can see from the clip above, the interface is intuitive, the animations are fluid and the game faster. In fact, what started as a way to overcome some of the problems with the RFID table resulted in more poker actually being played. In Andrew’s own words:

“The reason I developed [the virtual table] was because of some problems with RFID I couldn’t solve – the biggest being how to get accurate chip counts for players. I did experiment with RFID-embedded gaming chips but it was impossible to get players to keep them stacked in a way that would ensure reliable counts. The virtual table does have other advantages – since there’s no manual dealer to shuffle cards, we play a lot more poker – almost double the number of hands per hour.”

The tech inside the table is impressive: it contains 3 x 32-inch LCD screens with custom software written by Andrew in C# using Microsoft’s Visual Studio 2008. The UI was created with Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), while a seperate Windows app, also developed using C# runs on a connected network PC to stream HD video and graphics of the poker match online.

The table uses nine projected capacitance touchscreens – one for each player – to allow touchscreen control of each person’s cards.

“PCT isn’t true multitouch, due to a principle called occlusion. That’s why I had to use a separate touchscreen for each player. I also had to develop code which reads the raw data from the touchscreens and approximates the size and position of the users hand or finger. It’s a hack very similar to the way an iPhone works – it’s not true multitouch because it can really only sense 2 touchpoints reliably.”

But the touchscreen interface has been the most difficult element of the table for Andrew to get right.

“Getting the touchscreens to work just right has been the biggest challenge, correctly recognising gestures. Finding a good compromise between usability and safety (in other words, preventing ‘accidental’ folds or bets) has taken a lot of time.”

The online streaming of the poker match has also been improved by the virtual nature of the table. Rather than relying on RFID, the table now does everything over ethernet, which is faster and more reliable.

Unlike the RFID table, Andrew is actually planning on selling the Hold ‘em 1000 Virtual Poker Table. Even though he only announced it on his website a few days ago, he’s already received a large number of commercial inquiries. But it won’t come cheap – you can expect to pay $20,000 plus shipping to get your hands on your own table. Sure, it’s expensive, but considering the amount of time and effort Andrew’s clearly put into creating this beast, not to mention the high-tech wizardry inside, $20K is a downright bargain.

You can get more info on the table, as well as contact Andrew about ordering one for your very own on his website. And if you’re wondering what happened to the old RFID table, rest easy knowing that it’s safe: “The RFID table is safely stored away – I think I’m going to start a poker table museum”.

[Video Poker Table – Thanks Ben!]

With multiple independent wireless connections—the virtualisation software turns your single hardware wireless connection into several—you can tap more than one hotspot simultaneously. Or probably more useful, it’s easier to set up a mesh network, where every system in the network acts as a repeater—one “adapter” grabs a signal, another passes it on. In Windows 7, you’re limited to one virtual adaptor, but that’s all you need to easily share a Wi-Fi connection with other computers.

You can’t do it yet in Windows 7 RC1 or the beta because the drivers for wireless adapters to make this happen don’t exist yet, but they will, so you’ll see it by the final release for sure. Pretty useful, though I wish they’d make Network and Sharing a little easier still to navigate around. Maybe that’s too much to ask. [I Started Something via Engadget]

Many of you asked if you could buy the goosebumping version of Stand By Me that we featured yesterday. Good news: It’s out this month in CD and DVD, along with other amazing songs.

Stand By Me was only one of the songs in the album, which includes other tracks recorded using the same method: Starting with a base track, multiple musicians and singers add tracks in a virtual studio all around the world. The idea came out from the documentary Playing for Change: Peace Through Music. You can check more info about these in their web site. [Playing for Change—Thanks Oscar]

Stefan Agamanolis, one of the three developers, explains:

Mr Agamanolis said the device was designed to communicate intimacy and to offer an alternative to text and e-mail messaging. While lying on their beds miles away from each other, the couples wear touch-activated rings visible to a camera mounted above them. A computer vision system tracks the movement of the ring as one of the device’s users passes it across their own body, or bed. At the same time these strokes are transmitted to and projected in beams of light on the body of their partner. The lines change colour if they cross.

Hmmm…so it’s kind of like being felt up by a ghost? [Mutsugoto via BBC via DVICE]

The Virtual Keyboard Interface is a free script to download and adds one of 22 clickable keyboards for the typing of your deepest, darkest secrets. You just double click any text entry box and the keyboard will pop up automagically in IE, Chrome, Safari or Firefox. Enjoy it, you sad, scary people. [userscripts via LifeHacker]

The Virtual Hole is a similar design to something we’ve seen before. When attached to a Mac Miniesque Virtual Module A/V pass-through (pictured below), the self-explanatory base unit can sync to specially encoded DVDs for a more…interactive experience. When hooked to a computer, that Virtual Module can connect a touch-sensitive dildo to the Hole over the internet.
I braved sticking my hand into the same sleeve you’ll find inside the Hole. As a middle aged Japanese man massaged the attached dildo, I felt a slightly corresponding localised vibration up and down my palm. I know what you’re thinking: Some guy I didn’t even know was here massaging my hand in public—how awkward!

Well, it was awkward. But the fun doesn’t stop there, friends.

I adorned a pair of active shutter glasses to watch a 3D video stream of the AVN show floor (not as sexy as it sounds – basically more middle aged dudes, many of them with mutton chops and sucked in beer bellies) while my hand was getting a half-assed once over. Boy oh boy is the future going to be awesome.

Specifically, the Pentagon is soliciting proposals to “develop a highly interactive PC or Web-based application to allow family members to verbally interact with ‘virtual’ renditions of deployed Service Members.”

Parameters include:

“The child should be able to have a simulated conversation with a parent about generic, everyday topics,” the solicitation says. “For instance, a child may get a response from saying, ‘I love you,’ or ‘I miss you,’ or ‘Good night mommy/daddy.’ This is a technologically challenging application because it relies on the ability to have convincing voice-recognition, artificial intelligence, and the ability to easily and inexpensively develop a customised application tailored to a specific parent.”

Like other DARPA-esque endeavours, this task is much easier said than done. And, to be honest, I don’t know what to make of it. I understand that deployed parents might not have internet access at all times, but this solution seems preposterous and costly when compared to, say Skype. On the other hand, its kind of touching—like the military’s awkward cloak-wearing, bony-fingered way of expressing compassion. [Information Week via Medgadget]

The virtual city, or “Virtual Decatur” as the fine elected officials of Decatur are calling it, would be a networking hub for the city as part of a greater overall effort to boost the economy.

Virtual Decatur is only in the planning stages, but designers have already listed a number of MMO-type qualities they’d like to see implemented. There would be custom avatars and chatting, like there is in any number of MMOs today, but in Virtual Decatur the residents, non-residents and government officials would bear certain marks, so that they’d be easily distinguishable from one another. Business owners would have the option of a virtual storefront if they donated to the city.

The virtual world would also boast achievements (GovBlago2213, You’ve unlocked a senate seat!). Back in the real world, these achievement points could be turned into coupons or discounts for participating businesses.

Other Virtual Decatur features could include:

• Opportunities to gather citizen input on policies, topics of interest, city services, and happenings
• A Virtual City Hall Tour with multimedia capabilities.
• Streaming video of public meetings, ideally with a chat room feature that allows viewers to comment.
• Access to visitors information (store hours, directions, weather, etc.)

We eagerly await the first griefer-induced lawsuit. [Decatur, Georgia via Game Politics]

Since the demo clip is ever so slightly NSFW, we’ve tucked it after the jump.

Currently released in Japan, you can pick up your own Dennou AR figure for $US125 at an export-friendly store. Just don’t tell us about it if you do…or your loved ones, or your friends, or even your virtual girlfriend. [HimeyaShop via Geekologie]