Virtual Food on Diners' Plates
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PEOPLE: Eighth-season premiere of ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ coming Sunday. | 4D DownloadThe Paducah Sun | Friday, July 8, 2011 | paducahsun.com Section D Skype failure Virtual food on diners’ plates might be company’s fault BY STEVE ALEXANDER McClatchy-Tribune News Service We have been using the Skype Internet Q voice and video calling service for more than six months without any problems, but now we can’t connect. We can’t even sign in. We’ve done everything they suggest in the “help” area, such as changing the password and checking the user ID, but nothing works. Skype doesn’t offer much customer service. Any ideas? Over the past several months, Skype has A had several network-level connectivity problems that individual users can’t fi x. In early June, millions of users were unable to sign into the service because of what Skype called a network “confi guration problem.” In late May, some users were unable to sign in because of what Skype said was an easily fi xed software problem. In December, Skype blamed a worldwide outage on network connection points called “supernodes.” It’s anyone’s guess whether Skype’s reliability will get better now that it’s been acquired by Microsoft in an $8.5 billion deal that was announced in May. Associated Press But there are some low-level technical Staff members Alix Leonard-Morgan (left), and Andea Smuts use the interactive menu projected onto the table in an Inamo restaurant in central problems related to signing in to Skype that London on Monday. An Asian-themed restaurant in London’s theater district is giving its customers a virtual bite of what they can eat, projecting users can solve themselves. You can fi nd images of dragon rolls, black cod, and other dishes directly onto diners’ plates. Skype’s list of potential remedies at tinyurl. com/3d9vb2s. If you want additional technical help, you Wouldn’t it be great to just push a button and get your food? can send a message to the company’s cus- tomer service department on their website BY RAPHAEL G. SATTER tomer before a meal, but the next time he order?” If virtual menus and push-button at http://www.tinyurl.com/3elbs7d. You can Associated Press or she makes an appearance it’s to bring ordering spreads (Hunwick says he’s hop- use customer service whether you’re a pay- ONDON — Want a virtual bite of what the food. ing to license the concept to restaurants ing customer, meaning that you use for-pay you’ll eat before ordering from the The concept is a high-tech, high-end in Europe, the Middle East and North services such as Skype’s computer-to-phone Lmenu? take on picture menus long common America) will waiters become obsolete? calls, international calls or group video, or a An Asian-themed restaurant in Lon- to Asian restaurants. But Hunwick, a Charmaine Mok, a freelance food critic user of its free service to make voice and vid- don’s theater district is giving its custom- 29-year-old Oxford graduate, said the who dined at a branch of Inamo, in Lon- eo calls from one Skype software-equipped ers just that, projecting images of dragon addition of a click-to-order menu has had don’s Soho neighborhood, said she found computer or smartphone to another. rolls, black cod, and other dishes directly several big benefi ts since this branch of the experience “rather depressing after I took pictures while on a trip to Ireland onto diners’ plates. Inamo opened six months ago. the initial novelty wore off.” Q and saved them on a disk. But when I Ready to place your order? Just tap the Having customers compose their own “Sometimes I feel like you do want try to retrieve the photos on my MacBook Pro touchpad — your sashimi will be with you orders meant the restaurant could cut some human interaction — a bit of they come up as “.dat” fi les. No matter what shortly. back on staff, while not having to rely on banter, a few questions about what’s on software I use, I can’t get them back to the Entrepreneur Noel Hunwick says he waiters running to and from the kitchen the menu, what recommendations your “.jpg” format for photos. Any ideas? came up with the idea for the restaurant, shaved about 15 minutes off the length of server might have,” she said in an email. Your Mac has confused your photo named Inamo, several years ago while an average meal. And Hunwick said the Jakub Kiss, Inamo’s 27-year-old head A software by renaming your .jpg photo eating at a busy pizza parlor with his friend system encouraged customers to make waiter, argued that the system actually fi les as .dat fi les. But the photos haven’t been and future business partner, Daniel Potter. spur-of-the-moment orders. lets staff be more social. He took a break altered, and switching the fi le names back “We were desperately trying to attract “They can impulse buy,” he said. “They from his job navigating the restaurant’s should be easy. a waiter’s attention,” Hunwick said. “We don’t have to attract a waiter’s attention. wood-and-onyx partitions to point out Most consumer cameras take photos in the thought: Wouldn’t it be great if we could They can order that drink NOW.” that ditching the pen and notepad gave “.jpg” fi le format, also called .jpeg. The .dat press a button and get our food?” The whole restaurant experience is waiters “free hands to actually give more suffi x, short for “data,” is a generic fi le name The idea had legs. Hunwick, who spoke streamlined. Customers waiting for their true service to the guests.” used for everything from photos to spread- at a table across from Inamo’s onyx- food can even play games — like battle- Customers sharing lunch at Inamo on sheets. topped bar, explained how the system ship — while those wrapping up their Monday seemed to agree. Try renaming the .dat fi les as .jpg fi les; see worked: A projector above each table meals can order a taxi or browse the “Really quick,” was 48-year-old Mark how at tinyurl.com/42etgr5. For example, beams down a virtual, interactive table- interactive subway map. Smith’s verdict. “It’s great to be able to see change a fi le called “123.dat” to “123.jpg”. cloth, with icons for browsing the menu, Head chef Sebastian Francis said what you’re ordering.” Then see if your photo software can read the ordering food, and checking up on the bill. there were benefi ts for those working Smith recommended the restaurant for .jpg fi le. The plate stays blank until customers in the kitchen too. For one, having the fi rst dates, saying that the whole interac- use a touchpad to open the menu and customer communicate directly with the tive experience made for a great conver- Steve Alexander covers technology for the Minne- click on items, when the projector beams cooks meant there’d be less in the way of sation piece. That failing, the couple can apolis Star Tribune. Questions can be sent directly to down images of, say, crispy pork belly or bungled orders. play battleship while waiting for their The Paducah Sun at [email protected]. In the Thai beef salad. “It cuts out the middleman — and hu- food. And if the evening really goes awry, subject line write the words “Download Q&A.” Please Once a dish is chosen, the order’s sent man error,” he said. he joked, “you can order a cab from the include a full name, city and phone number. to the kitchen. A waiter will greet a cus- So what happens to “Can I take your table.” Iconic computer game ‘Civilization’ joins Facebook NEW YORK — Long before “FarmVille” much money players can spend each a civilization to cooperate with other digitally on the same day, publisher are billions of potential readers that there was “Civilization,” the iconic com- day. players on quests and discoveries. BOOM! Studios says its new series, have the ability to find comic books puter game in which players build a “It’s not fun if ... someone else is They can also work together to create “Elric: The Balance Lost” will do just through the Internet,” he said. civilized world over thousands of years. winning because they are spending world wonders and vote to attack an- that. Offering comics digitally and in Now, the game’s designer, Sid Meier, is money,” Meier said. other civilization or defend their land. The series, written by Chris Rober- stores on the same day is growing bringing his creation to Facebook. “Civ World” also avoids bombard- “Civ World” joins Facebook less than son and drawn by Francesco Biagini, among publishers, with more and Available Wednesday, “Civ World” is ing the Facebook pages of players’ a week after “FarmVille” maker Zynga is based on author Michael Moor- more of them embracing it as readers a lighter, social version of the classic friends with posts about their in-game Inc. made a filing for its initial public cock’s fan-favorite fantasy hero Elric opt to read issues on tablets, smart PC strategy game, which launched in accomplishments and requests. With offering of stock. The game was devel- of Melniboné. phones and personal computers. 1991 and migrated to video game con- that, “Civ World” is somewhat of an oped by Firaxis and published by Take- The book will be on sale in comic BOOM! first did so in January soles in 2008.