Chicken Farmer

Is on standby. -announcement to come. :-(

Trololo iPhone

Next update is done and is being reviewed by apple.
No more suggestions please.

Dinsdale?

Rhythm Test

This is where you give me your ideas for new features/changes.
Just add them in the comment box below - and we take it from there :)

Update v1.1:

• Support for iPhones/iPods older than 3Gs.
  
• Rumble at level up.

Requested features:

• Free play mode
• Facebook updates with fitness

Fixes/changes:

• Fitness graph graphics needs update.

Talking Hand for iPhone: V1.0

Talking Hand is launched!

I'll make some video of it and put it here... -but you could try it yourself ;)

Talking Hand for iPhone: Call for Insults [ended]

[ No more insults please :) ]

Update: the speaks for version 1.0 are now done. It's 200 speaks, about 15min.

As you might have notices I'm a bit short on insults.
They need to be "funny" and non-vulgar. But give it your best shot!

...Also I'm short on silly compliments.
my favorites so far is "hold me in your strong arms" and "kiss me and set my libs on fire".

If I use your speaks you'll feature on the credit list - hurray \o/

Thanks for the input, here is the insult list:

• Are you always this stupid or are you making a special effort today
• Brains aren't everything. In fact in your case they're nothing
• Don't let you mind wander - it's far too small to be let out on its own
• I don't know what makes you so dumb but it really works
• I don't think you are a fool, but what's my opinion compared to that of thousands of others
• Yeah, you could age yourself by twenty years just by telling the truth
• Your old, okay: It takes you longer to rest these days than it does for you to get tired.
• You'r the type of person who doesn't leave anything to my imagination and leaves even less to my patience.
• I can always tell when you'r at a party, you come in voice first.
• You look as if you dresses with a pitchfork in the morning.
• You'r the sort of hopeless case that gives failure a bad name.
• I know I can rely on you to keep me secret — the one you passe on is always your own invention.
• Hmm, you've not been yourself lately — you've been almost bearable.
• You'r still there? You're the sort of person who'd come and tell me that you'd found yourself after I'd told you to get lost.
• You'r just sad: Given the choice of two evils you'll take both.
• A sharp tongue does not mean you have a keen mind
• Go away... you are breathing my oxygene
• Talk to the hand
• Not so handy are you?
• You'r like a fart in a spacesuit!

The compliment list:

• Look into my eyes.
• Kiss me, set my libs on fire.
• So you are asking me on a date? Yes ofcourse!
• Do I hear weding bells?
• My love for you is geuine!
• We two - we are a match.
• We are meant to be together - for ever. -And EVER!
• I want to call our first son Carl. -After my dad.
• Everytime we talk, I feel like i'm in heaven
• Is this love? -Is this realy it?
• You have a great way with words.
• You are fun to be with.
• You are cleaver.
• You have a good eye for decorating.
• You can do anything you set your mind to.
• You are capable of accomplishing whatever you believe.
• You are a good listener.
• You are very cheerful.
• You warm my heart.
• You sing like an angel. Com'on sing for me!
• You are very handsome.
• You are so beautiful. Like me!
• You are important to me.
• You have a terrific outlook on life.
• You are very intelligent.
• You are kind.
• Your eyes are like deep blue oceans.
• You are a good role model.
• You will be a great parent for.. our kids? :)
• You are funny. Tell me a joke.
• You always motivate me. -To do .. stuff. :p
• You are unique. -Quite unique!
• You are very strong. When you touch me I feel your power.
• You are a picture of good health.
• You are courageous. -Not many people would dare date a talking hand.
• You are very loving.
• You bring out the best in me.
• You make me want to be a better person. -Or hand.
• You make me smile. -Or at least I spawn hearts all over the place :)
• You make me feel special.
• You make me feel I can do anything. Tomorrow I will try to walk!
• You are fun to be with.
• You are the wind beneath my wings.
• You are the light of my life.
• Hold me in your strong arms.
• Kiss me, set my libs on fire.
• Kiss me, but be careful - too much saliva will damage the phone.

The listen list:

• aha
• uhmm
• now i get it
• you are right that so true
• definitely
• i understand
• i get it
• tell me more
• please continue
• go on
• wow
• she said that
• how big was it?
• and the gorilla didn't notice?
• did it hurt?
• you realy mean that?
• you are right
• yeah
• that's also what my mother told me
• I did that once myself - but it made me realy sick
• ...and they didn't know?
• ...and where where you hiding at the moment?
• ...ok, so now you are trying to avoid him?
• was it painful?
• there's just so mush weight on your shoulders
• you can go to jail for that
• people pay money for less
• that's unfair
• who told you that
• why?
• yes,but why?
• try to elaborate
• details please
• i'd like to hear more about that
• so interesting
• ...so nobody knew?
• did it go back to its cage afterwards?
• ...a griraf?
• that's wierd
• I thought those where plant-eaters!?
• i'd like to have seen that
• how did it taste?
• did you say "with tentacles"?
• I tried that myself once
• i never seen it that way before
• wow
• ok
• how tall did you say it was?
• haha, they'll never notice
• ..and you just put wheels on it and gave it a push?
• thats awsome!
• a rocket?
• many people tell me that
• thats just normal
• don't worry - it'll go away in a month time
• you'll get on top of things again
• i thought penguins didn't were hats
• that is a big one you are talking about
• ok, that was realy a personal detail - sure nobody else is listening?
• oh
• holy crap
• realy
• arn't they supposed to be extinct?

Talking Hand for iPhone: How do I sound?

Here is a sound example posted as a movie on youtube:
YouTube movie
Sorry the sound isn't perfect, any better idea how to show this?

In the video:

• 130 speaks: listen, sweet talk, offend, hurt and happy (when hit/cuddle).
• The speaks have not been cut precisely because it takes a long time and I believe they have to be re-made.
• First it is in a neutral mode, then it listens (understands you). Then I hit it and it becomes angry for some time depending on how much I have hit it. When I cuddle it, the hand begins to sweet talk me.
• The "Buzz" sound is from the camera, not the iPhone.
• ...and he actually says "eyes" when it sounds like "ass". LOL
  

Some thoughts:
Until now I have been a bit annoyed that it has been so difficult to get a polished look on the hand. It has been equally difficult to get the sound right. It think I am minor tweeks from what will be released but the end result will not be perfect. With the equipment and time I have on my hands I don't think it is possible to make anything better.
However then I tried to glue it all together in the app you see in the video above. Yes, neither sound nor visuals are perfect but the concept acually works quite fine and people who've tried it so far tells me it's fun. So, I'm not angry any more :)

Talking Hand for iPhone: Up and running on the device

Now it's time to get some talking hand unto the iPhone device.
You find my first test on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BAyItgsf5g

Talking Hand for iPhone: Graphics

I am currently trying to get the hand footage done.

First attempt:
The top light is too bright.
Hand not in focus.
Colours have been tweeked a bit to remove some of the fleshiness.


Second attempt:
Still some focus issues.
I think the light is ok.












...Many attempts later:
I have been trying many different settings now and I'am back to the basics:
I cannot get this perfect, so I focus on the eyes.
I have battled alot with the highlight - but then thought it all a bit further. On the iPhone the image should be cropped so the hunchback doesn't show anyway.
Like this:














I'm trying a new setup:

About this blog

In this blog I share my ideas for projects where I would like your input.
Feel free to comment away.
If you think you don't have anything to teach me... just look at my picture :)

If you are really looking for general information and contact stuff: goto my root site: reinholdtmoller.com
-Here you will also find my workbench which is a more refined development blog (without user input).

I will also update Twitter when I have somthing completely silly or interesting to say: twitter.com/ReinholdtMoller

Talking Hand for iPhone: flash demo

I have played a little around with the idea from the previous posts.
The result so far is a flash demo made to see if my ideas of the visual concept is going to work.
Here is the link:
http://reinholdtmoller.com/testcase/talkinghand.html
As I am writing this the demo only has 3 animation frames and no backgrounds.


So far i think this is the right way to go.
The noise filter on top of the hand should be tweeked - but there is no sense in doing that until I get the code running on the phone (as screen resolution and graphics hardware means alot).

I have put in some backgrounds to see if the paralax thing is going to work. -It really doesn't do any difference.

Talking Hand for iPhone: tech-talk

My idea is to take photos of a real hand and animate it in a stop-motion manner.
I think there should be these frames:
-Open/Close "mouth": 25 frames
-Idle closed "mouth": 15 frames
There might be some other custom moves the hand will be able to do in time. -I get back to that later.

To make this look nice my key word is "noise":
-The hand should have little movements in the x/y-coordinates.
-There should be a filter on top of the hand image to distort it.
-There should be multiple background layers that move with paralax to give sense of depth in the image.

Also I will make the transitions between the frames be smooth: by this I mean that I will fade the next frame in on top of the old one -before- i fade the old frame out.

Talking Hand for iPhone: input from the web

I have been around the web - especially you-tube and done my own experiences:

-The hand should be seen from the front.
-Only the hand should be seen - as little arm as possible.
-Putting hats and hair on the hand really doesn't make the difference.
-Sound has alot to do with how funny a talking hand is.
-It seems that fake plastic eyes is the best way to make eyes. They are easy to see and look the same if you need to make additional photos later on.

Talking Hand for iPhone

I am making a small entertainment app for SigmaT.

The idea is very simple:
You see an animated hand on the screen. The hand "talks" as it opens it's "mouth" and sound samples are played. It really doesn't say anything - just continuously mumbles a few words and phrases in english.
To start with the hand is in listen-mode: It appears to be listening to what you say. It says things such as "aha, year I understand, she said that, oh really?".
If you tap the screen then the hand becomes annoyed and begins to tell you off.
If you drag your finger across the screen the hand becomes happy and gives you compliments.

Thats the basic app functionality.
It needs to have a profesional look and feel to it.
It needs to be very original.
I need to be able to do everything in 2 weeks.

There are some issues:
-How to make the visual appearence look professional, appealing and not take up too much disk space.
-How to get the voice working.
-Tweeking of the "feel" of the application (ie. how many taps to get the hand angry?).