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Show 5 just to a mix of ski bums and the moneyed few. It is also home to fitness advocate and leading edge programmer Bruce Ewert. Mr. Ewert is always on the go, go, would a regular computer with a pick-up on the wheel and a bracket on the handle bars. In fact, the mounting system is go, and one of his more favored compatible with ACT’s regular healthful activities is mountain biking. Unfortunately winter in — the Wasatch is not conducive to unit allowing for easy switching between computers for riding in the living room and riding out of doors. Once the user is all hooked up the fun begins. The device on the handlebars includes a keypad similar to a home video game pad. The buttons control Livewire’s Moab ride program. mountain biking. Mr. Ewert decided to use his remarkable computer skills to see if he could alleviate the tedium of riding a stationary bicycle indoors. | His efforts led him to a sophisticated, but little known, technology on the cutting edge of home entertainment. 3DO. There is a warm up and then the big ride. Once properly connect- 3DO (3 Dimensional Orientation) is a CD Interactive Multiplayer system developed by, coincidentally, The 3DO Company. AT&T, GoldStar, Matsushita, Panasonic, Samsung, Sanyo and Toshiba have all computer according to Mr. _ Ewert’s specifications. The user installs the device exactly as one ; signed on as manufactures of the. stand-alone systems. Creative Technologies, the maker of the very popular Sound Blaster-series ed, the motion on the screen is controlled by peddling. As you speed up or slow down your riding ‘companion’, Ms. Spencer, appears to ride faster or slower on the screen. Mr. Ewert’s program even comes complete with a musical score to “...bring you into the virtual reality world.” The whole effect is incredible. The screen will also personal computer sound cards shows elapsed time and distance and other multi-media add-ons, is making a 3DO PC card to allow _ traveled as well as heart rate your home computer to Pe (which requires the rider wear a 3DO software. 4 -3DO players will not only run 3D0 software, they will ‘monitor). To keep things interest-_ also play music CDs, photo CDs, as well as new movie CDs with the addition of the 3DO Digital Video module. : The 3DO platform allows the creation of not only arcade-level games but also incredibly realistic experiences. The 3DO software is where Mr. Ewert has tried his hand and what he has produced is nothing short of extraordinary. It is also extraordinary that current tech- nology allowed him to form the Livewire Project Ltd. to produce his new-fashioned software at the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon. _ What Mr. Ewert has done is allow a person with the right equipment to ride along the White Rim Trail in Moab, control speed, and even select which _ fork to take in the trail - all while lounging in front of the television set. That is, if one can lounge on a bicycle wind trainer, which is one of the pieces of the ‘right equipment’. - Along with a bicycle, a wind trainer, a television and a 3DO machine, a device to connect the biker to the 3DO machine is needed. This is accomplished by the ACT company’s redesign of their cycle ing there are several forks in the trail which lead to scenic vistas. Also planned are other visual treats such as cartoons or “morphing.” To take a fork the rider must press a button on the handle bars at the proper moment. Passing the “‘other’ rider is one of the few things not possible (passing does happen, but it is not gramming breakthrough the ~ a good candidate for this process. speed of filmed action such as In a few years the local health this could not be controlled by club could offer stair climbs up the user. The technique he used Mount Olympus and K2 or one has stirred quite a bit of interest in could ride the Concept II Rowing the 3DO coterie. machine down the Nile. As of October 1994 the Unfortunately one of the major stumbling blocks to majority of the programming was Mr. Ewert becoming the next Bill finished and prototypes of the — Gates is 3DO system sales. The controls that mount on the handle basic system, even down at the bars had been fabricated. Mr. local Salt Lake Cybernetic Ewert expects to have the proMegaporium, is $400 plus a few gramming finished, the comput_ percent for the Governor. The ers ready and the compact disk power of the 3DO engine rivals mastered all in time for a 1 that of even most home computJanuary 1995 release. ers, but the cost is high, and the When the sales of the potential 3DO customer generalMOAB RIDE take off Mr. Ewert ly already owns a music CD plans not only more bicycle rides player and a home video game making this less of a necessity. (anywhere could be filmed, _ In Mr. Ewert’s favor, the Moab was handy) but also climbprice of the system is expected to ing video to be used in a program drop and the interest in CD-based for stair climbers. Rowing is also M or by US Mail at PO Box 8084, Alta UT 84092-8084 WCR_> _ LHERMI TAGE — French Restaurant L’ Hermitage serves classic French country cuisine in a casually elegant : atmosphere. Rich sauces accent the subtle flavors of fresh salmon, veal and filet mignon entrees after an appetizing soup and a salad vinaigrette. 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A motorcycle to help stabilize the image as even the _ best bicycle suspension was found to be too harsh. Then the film was digitized to be used in the program. Previous to his pro- event news. pocccoe------ Please make Icheck or money order ---------5 Mail to: WCR P.O. Box 8118 Alta Ut 84092-8118 Name: payable to: © Wasatch Canyon ; otate: Reporter | Zip: | Town: Lee ie a at os emcee ee al t,t A i a x | } _ ita Sa aeons a} Alta, Utah is home not ee Bruce Ewert’s Hot New Software for 3DO software is swelling. For more information, contact the programming virtuoso himself by e-mail at INTERNET: 74664.3721 @CompuServe.CO . ~ Cutting Edge Technology in the Canyons: ta eiaienes November 9-22, 1994- -Page 9 POO A WASATCH CANYON |