SpaceTime (software)

SpaceTime[n 1] (also known as SpaceTime3D) is a 3D graphical user interface that displays web pages in a 3d tabbed stack. The interface is available as online as a flash application, or as a free desktop software download for the Microsoft Windows operating system.

The technology was presented at the 2008 CES tradeshow.[1][2]

History

Since the inception of the Internet, the process of browsing has been limited and static. Now users can enjoy the richness of the Web with an application that is more interactive, intuitive and fun.

-Eddie Bakhash[3]

CEO Eddie Bakhash began working on SpaceTime in 1993. The product debuted in beta on June 4, 2007. On the day of the release, the San Jose Mercury News noted that the software was "the most advanced 3-D navigation system I've seen. It doesn't make me dizzy, except with the thoughts of what this could become."[4]

The software's capabilities have been compared to other current browsing and 3D technologies such as in TechCrunch's comment that SpaceTime is "pure eye candy, sort of like Second Life meets Firefox."[5]

The online version of SpaceTime features the ability to search Google, Google Images, Wikipedia, and YouTube.

SpaceTime Browser

SpaceTime 3D
Original author(s) Eddie Bakhash
Developer(s) SpaceTime 3D, Inc.
Initial release June 4, 2007 (2007-06-04)
Preview release
Release Client 1 / June 10, 2010 (2010-06-10) [n 2]
Operating system Windows 2000/XPVista/
Platform Microsoft Windows
Website spacetime.com

The desktop application was released in beta form on June 4, 2007 and is currently available for Windows 2000, XP, and Vista systems.[6] A Mac OS X version was planned for 2008, but has yet to come to fruition.[7] SpaceTime developers are currently working to port the product to the OpenGL framework in order to support the Linux and Unix operating systems.

When using search engines including Google, Google Images, Yahoo!, Yahoo! Image, eBay, and Flickr, SpaceTime loads the first ten results as a stack of pages.[3][8][9]

Reception

The beta browser received mixed reviews. Katherine Boehret of The Wall Street Journal stated that "though I’ll still rely on Google for basic searches, visual search can save time and turn searching into a fun process."[10] Rich Menga of PC Mech described how "thoroughly disgusted" he was with "any product that takes already-fast things that everyone does on the internet and tries to '3D-ize' them."[11] Jack M. Germain, of TechNewsWorld described how "SpaceTime delivers on its promise to save me time and provide a revolutionary online searching too" stating that "while I continue to use the 3-D searching environment, though, I am having more fun than I should at work."[7] Edward N. Albro of PCWorld gave the beta browser a 2.5/5 stating that while its "visual results can make searches easier", that "for basic browsing, SpaceTime has no appeal" and that the browser was too "buggy and slow for basic browsing".[12]

See also

Notes

  1. SpaceTime is trademarked by SpaceTime3D, Inc.: U.S. Trademark 78,735,286 and is also patented by SpaceTime3D, Inc. : US Patent No. 7,735,018
  2. The latest preview date is taken from the digital signature of SpaceTime3D_Installer_RC1 which was signed by SpaceTime3D on Thursday, June 10, 2010 9:39:01 AM with VeriSign Class 3 Code Signing 2004 CA.

References

  1. Stuart, Dredge (January 14, 2008). "CES 2008: The 50 Hottest Products at this year's show". TechDigest. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
  2. Meiners, Janet (January 8, 2008). "SpaceTime Takes Web Browsing 3 Dimensional". WebProNews. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
  3. 1 2 Gardner, George (June 4, 2007). "SpaceTime 3D – It's not your daddy's web browser - TECH.BLORGE.com". Tech.Blorge. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
  4. "Takahashi: Software allowing users to search web in 3-D still in infancy - Possibilities Will Soon Be Dizzying". San Jose Mercury News. 2007-06-04. Retrieved 2007-06-07.
  5. "SpaceTime: 3D Browser Eye Candy". TechCrunch. 2007-06-05. Retrieved 2007-06-07.
  6. Greene, Kate (June 4, 2007). "3-D Web Surfing from SpaceTime". Technology Review. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
  7. 1 2 M. Germain, Jack (06/08/07 5:00 AM PT). "SpaceTime Browser Adds New Dimension to Search". TechNewsWorld. Retrieved 5 November 2010. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. "SpaceTime". Retrieved 2008-05-15.
  9. Dredge, Stuart (January 7, 2008). "CES 2008: SpaceTime swizzy 3D web browser". TechDigest. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
  10. Boehret, Katherine (March 26, 2008). "Testing Souped-Up Search Functions". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 10 November 2010.
  11. Menga, Rich (Nov 20, 2007). "Review: SpaceTime 3D Web Browse". PC Mech. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
  12. N. Albro, Edward (July 17, 2007). "SpaceTime SpaceTime Browser Software Review - PCWorld". PC World. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
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