Some of the work, Lanier said, has its roots in the earliest days of virtual worlds, when people wore sensor-covered body suits to experience imagined environments.

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The DSC-TX55 camera features a range of innovative new technologies, including "By Pixel Super Resolution" technology, which boosts the cameras' zoom range to a virtual 10x without losing quality at the image sensor's maximum resolution (16.2 million pixels).

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Along the way, Sony has managed to support competing 3D technologies, while adding a virtual reality-type experience to 3D games that also use PlayStation Move motion-sensor controls like MLB 11: The Show featuring Joe Mauer.

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The Avatar Kinect uses cameras and motion sensor technology to allow users to bring avatars to life and interact with friends in virtual environments.

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Tests of the virtual fence didn't lead to nearly as many arrests as designers had hoped, and the lag from sensor detection to transmission of an image to border agents was apparently a big part of the problem.

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