The gum's gone, but Topps cards add a Web connection
Augmented reality
In the old days, if you wanted to see what a baseball player looked like and how good his numbers were, you had to buy his card at the candy store. (Ours was John's, in Queens. My pals and I would trade our cards right outside of the store.) Now, with the Internet as the go-to source for player stats, "We're asking what else we can put into baseball cards," said Steve Grimes, chief digital officer at Topps. "We are [remaking] cards as tickets to other experiences, in addition to something you can collect."
Enter Topps 3D Live, an augmented reality card game. Here's how it works:
Each pack of Topps' 2009 Series 1 baseball cards includes one that the Topps 3D Live Website (www.toppstown.com) recognizes through your computer's webcam. A 3D animation of the player then appears to spring up from his card, in your computer's Web browser. You can then pitch, hit, or catch a ball, using your keyboard. The more accurate your pitch, for example (Dice-K is on one of the 30 or so cards available for Topps 3D Live), the higher your score.
The game's graphics are pretty neat, too. Say you have Dice-K's card in front of your webcam. As you turn the card around, you will see the Red Sox pitcher from every angle. You can also hear an announcer's voice, the roar of the crowd, and the crack of the bat on the ball, depending on whose card you're holding.
Topps 3D Live was created by the AR developer Total Immersion (www.t-immersion.com). You can check out a video of Topps 3D Live in action at its Website.
Grimes is planning more games with Total Immersion. One idea: a two-player game, in which players such as Dice K can pitch to the Cardinals' Albert Pujols and others.
We will not have to wait long for the new games. The first 3D Live app, said Grimes, "was nothing more than a concept at Thanksgiving."
Topps 3D Live works only on Windows PCs but will be available for Macs in April.
NETBOOKS
Linux, and your digital life, on a stick
It's a great time to be in the market for a netbook, the new class of sub-$800 portable computers with small screens and limited computing power but all the WiFi and Web apps you need to stay productive.
If you are an open source fan, Emtec Electronics (www.emtecelectronics.com) has a lovely new Linux number, the Gdium Liberty, with a 10-inch screen and a full keyboard, that's expected to sell for about $400. (Emtec has not yet announced a release date.)
The Gdium Liberty has a really neat feature: the G-Key, an 8GB or 16GB USB drive that contains all of your personal stuff - even the Linux OS that drives the netbook.
That means you and your roomies can share a single netbook, if each of you has a G-Key. The only thing you'll have to fight over is the netbook's color: black, white, or pink.
Firefox and Thunderbird come loaded on the G-Key. The Gdium Liberty and G-Key also come with Open Office, which includes a word processor and spreadsheet and presentation apps. 