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Sunday, January 09, 2011

Motorola Xoom: pretend UI hands-on walkthrough (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/09/motorola-xoom-pretend-ui-hands-on-walkthrough-video/

The Motorola Xoom is a huge product this year for two reasons: it's a major first tablet from a major Android manufacturer, and it's the flagship device for Honeycomb, an OS that's been announced for dozens of other tablets here at the show, but not actually shown running on any of them. The only problem is that Motorola isn't really showing Honeycomb on the Xoom, either. Instead they're showing a demo video of the UI, which is actually running on top of real Honeycomb. For a glimpse under the covers, Jacob snagged a quick illicit peek at a totally unpopulated home screen, the gallery app, and even the task switcher the other day. We'll just keep that between us, however, and until we get a full-on official look at the UI, we thought we'd walk you through that demo UI video Moto is running on the actual tablet and pretend like we're actually using the thing, which should clear up some of the confusion on this brand new tablet OS while simultaneously stoking our egos. Check it out after the break.

Continue reading Motorola Xoom: pretend UI hands-on walkthrough (video)

Motorola Xoom: pretend UI hands-on walkthrough (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 09 Jan 2011 22:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook using a 1GHz OMAP 4430 processor

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/08/rims-blackberry-playbook-purportedly-using-a-1ghz-omap-4430-pro/

We already confirmed that RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook was deadly fast in use, but up until now, we've still been left to wonder what kind of silicon was powering it. According to a RIM representative that spoke to us just now on the CES show floor, a dual-core OMAP chip from Texas Instruments is doing the honors -- more specifically, it's the blisteringly fast 1GHz OMAP 4430. And now, you know.

RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook using a 1GHz OMAP 4430 processor originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Jan 2011 18:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PixelOptics emPower! electronic eyeglasses hands-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/08/pixeloptics-empower-electronic-eyeglasses-hands-on/

PixelOptics is demoing what it claims is the most significant development in prescription eyewear in 50 years: emPower! PixelOptics' glasses offer up better field of view and less distortion than traditional lenses by sandwiching an LCD-like layer in the glass that can be focused with an electrical charge. The set's inbuilt micro-machine accelerometer detects when you tip your head down -- when you read, for example -- and triggers the glasses' focal area for presbyopia. The emPower! lens can also be set to manual and is then activated by a swipe of your finger on the frame. The kit includes the glasses and the inductive charger that will keep the eyewear powered up and running for a couple days. We were able to get some video of the lens in action focusing on a tie -- it is impressive to say the least -- the change happens as quickly as your eye blinks and is not noticeable when not activated. We'd say PixelOptics is on to something here, and if you're the type to plonk down $1,200 for a pair of glasses, these are definitely worth a peek. The only thing missing is a micro speaker that blasts out Bionic Man sounds each time you fire them up -- but we've great hope somebody will hack that in.

Gallery: PixelOptics emPower! electronic eyeglasses hands-on

Continue reading PixelOptics emPower! electronic eyeglasses hands-on

PixelOptics emPower! electronic eyeglasses hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Jan 2011 19:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MultiTouch Ltd's 46-inch panel accepts unlimited touch inputs, we put it to the test (video hands-on)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/08/multitouch-ltds-46-inch-panel-accepts-unlimited-touch-inputs-w/

MultiTouch Ltd has been at this IR-based multitouch thing since 2007 and it's hit CES in force this week. Sure, the current 46-inch model requires 12 inches of depth -- in order to provide sufficient space for the infrared cameras embedded in its back to capture the whole, ahem, surface -- but having unlimited touch inputs is always a wildly impressive sight. We put one of the displays to the test by exploiting a nearby crowd and slapping down a good 40+ fingers on it, all of which were recognized. To be perfectly fair, the IR cameras don't seem to have a very flat recognition area and many of our inputs were picked up from over an inch from the screen. The 46-incher under hand is already available for a totally affordable $17,000, provides full HD resolution, and hooks up to a PC for processing of input. See our thoroughly intensive test on video after the break.

Gallery: MultiTouch Ltd's 46-inch panel accepts unlimited touch inputs, we put it to the test

Continue reading MultiTouch Ltd's 46-inch panel accepts unlimited touch inputs, we put it to the test (video hands-on)

MultiTouch Ltd's 46-inch panel accepts unlimited touch inputs, we put it to the test (video hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Sa t, 08 Jan 2011 20:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel Oasis: firetrucks, dragons, and trains hands-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/08/intel-oasis-firetrucks-dragons-and-trains-hands-on/

We'd seen Intel Lab's Oasis (Object-Aware Situated Interactive System) project a while back, and sure, while what it's showing off is the same, we love to get up close and personal. Using a Kinect-style camera, the system is able to recognize 3D objects on a surface and then project some nifty graphics to add interactivity. Placing the dragon near the house or train station sees them light on fire, drop a firetruck in and it puts out the fire, add a train then draw a track in front of it by dragging your finger, you get the idea. Intel Labs isn't bringing any of this to market -- at least not yet -- but we're enthused with what we see and look forward to what the folks with the crayons can dream up. Have a peek at the vid and gallery if trains, burning Lego people, fire breathing dragons, and firetrucks are your thing.

Gallery: Intel Oasis: firetrucks, dragons, and trains hands-on