Elliptic Labs develops touchless gesture control for Windows 8, assuages our fear of fingerprints (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/14/elliptic-labs-develops-touchless-gesture-control-for-windows-8/

The rise of touchscreen Windows 8 PCs isn't a happy occasion for anyone who's been carefully keeping PC screens clean: years of slapping wayward hands have been undermined by an interface that practically begs us to smudge up the display. While we suspect it's really aiming for ease of use, Elliptic Labs may have heard that subliminal cry for cleanliness while producing its new Windows 8 Gesture Suite, a touchless control system built for a very touch-focused platform. The company's newest take on ultrasound control can pick up 3D hand motions near the display and invoke all of Windows 8's edge swipes and scrolling without the extra effort (or grease) of putting skin to screen. The method doesn't need a one-to-one map of the screen and can work even in pitch darkness, which leaves adoption mostly dependent on hardware support rather than any wary users -- despite immediate availability for the SDK, PCs need extra microphones and transducers to drop the touch layer. If computers with the Gesture Suite arrive in the hoped-for 12 to 14 months, though, we can get back to obsessing over a fingerprint-free LCD while saving some physical strain in the process.

Continue reading Elliptic Labs develops touchless gesture control for Windows 8, assuages our fear of fingerprints (video)

Filed under: Laptops, Tablets, Software

Elliptic Labs develops touchless gesture control for Windows 8, assuages our fear of fingerprints (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Nov 2012 06:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Visa's V.me digital wallet service graduates from beta with 53 banks, 23 retailers on board

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/14/visa-v-me-beta-ends-53-banks-23-retailers/

After roughly a year since its unveiling, Visa's digital payment platform V.me has emerged from beta with support from a total of 53 banks, including PNC and U.S. Bank, and 23 retailers. If V.me has escaped your memory thanks to the proliferation of electronic payment options, you'd be forgiven. For those in need of a refresher, the service lets users check out at participating online stores using a one-click solution that remembers credit card details from multiple providers (American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa) in addition to billing and mailing addresses. Visa's Global Head of eCommerce, Jennifer Schulz, told TechCrunch that the firm is planning on making mobile apps and bringing the service to checkout terminals next year. How does the company plan on standing out from the sea of options? Visa's banking on its brand-name and ability to spread the service far and wide. If V.me has piqued your interest, leap past the break to catch the full list of supported banks and retailers.

[Image credit: Philip Taylor, Flickr]

Continue reading Visa's V.me digital wallet service graduates from beta with 53 banks, 23 retailers on board

Filed under: Cellphones, Misc, Internet

Visa's V.me digital wallet service graduates from beta with 53 banks, 23 retailers on board originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Nov 2012 05:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vuzix Smart Glasses M100 to battle Google Glass for Android eyewear supremacy

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/13/vuzix-smart-glasses-m100-announce/

Interactive eyewear maker Vuzix revealed its potential challenger today for Google Glass in the Android-powered world of augmented reality: the company will showcase its Smart Glasses M100 at CES 2013, in hopes of bringing over-the-eye display support to everyday mobile applications. Set for a mid-2013 release, the Ice Cream Sandwich-based eyepatch, features a WQVGA display with a 16:9 aspect ratio, a 1GHz OMAP4430 processor, 1GB of RAM and 4GB of internal memory. This modernized monocle is also capable of capturing still photos and 720p HD video, with playback and picture viewing available through its mounted display. While the M100s run Android 4.0, Vuzix has included support for iOS devices and plans to release an SDK for developers sometime in December to the tune of $999. As more tech companies begin focusing their efforts on HUD glasses, hopefully some jerk will come along and create a next-gen Opti-Grab to hold these things steady.

Continue reading Vuzix Smart Glasses M100 to battle Google Glass for Android eyewear supremacy

Filed under: Peripherals, Wearables

Vuzix Smart Glasses M100 to battle Google Glass for Android eyewea! r suprem acy originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Nov 2012 17:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint quietly launches ZTE Flash with 12.6MP camera and vanilla(ish) Android

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/13/sprint-quietly-launches-zte-flash/

Sprint and ZTE decided not to hold a fancy get together to announce the Flash. Heck, there wasn't even really proper PR. The ICS-sporting handset simply popped up in the online store and a spec sheet was sent out over the wire for those interested enough in mid-range Android devices to pay attention. The leak that caught our attention a couple of weeks back turns out to be spot on -- the 4.5-inch phone is running what looks to be a pretty vanilla build of Ice Cream Sandwich on a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon and 1GB of RAM. There's also plenty of little niceties included, like NFC (fingers crossed for Google Wallet!), Bluetooth 4.0, LTE and a microSD expansion slot to complement the reasonably paltry 8GB of internal storage. Oh, and that display -- it's IPS and HD, so expect nice viewing angles and crisp images. The two biggest bullet points here, though, are the eco-friendly design and that massive 12.6 megapixel sensor. You can pick one up now for $130 with a $50 mail-in rebate. The complete data sheet awaits you after the break.

Continue reading Sprint quietly launches ZTE Flash with 12.6MP camera and vanilla(ish) Android

Filed under: Mobile

Sprint quietly launches ZTE Flash with 12.6MP camera and vanilla(ish) Android origina! lly appe ared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Nov 2012 17:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Droid DNA coming to Verizon on November 21st for $200, pre-orders begin today

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/13/htc-droid-dna-verizon/

It's not much of a secret at this point, but HTC and Verizon have finally made their king-sized smartphone official at today's press event: the Droid DNA, which is essentially Big Red's variant of the J Butterfly released in Japan a few weeks ago, will be offered in stores and online starting the day before Thanksgiving for $200 with a two-year commitment, but early adopters will be able to pre-order their unit today.

As you may recall, the DNA is already well known in mobile circles thanks to its 5-inch 1080p Super LCD3 display (which comes out to 440ppi), but there's plenty of other goodies that make this particular handset a rather tempting purchase for the holiday season. For instance, it's helped along by a 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor (APQ8064 paired with MDM9615m, to be specific) and 2GB of RAM, and will come running Jelly Bean and HTC's Sense 4+ UI. It will also come with an 8MP f/2.0 rear camera with 28mm wide angle lens, BSI sensor, ImageChip and 1080p HD video capture. On the opposite side of the phone you can expect to see a 2.1MP f/2.0 front-facing cam that features 1080p HD video record and an 88-degree ultra-wide angle lens. By the way, all of these spiffy specs will rely on an embedded 2,020mAh battery for its power supply, but it'll have Qi-compatible wireless charging to help out when it's getting low.

HTC continues ! to highl ight its audio prowess, as the DNA takes advantage of Beats Audio and a 2.55v built-in headset amplifier and dedicated rear speaker amp, which is geared to offer minimal distortion at maximum volume; in terms of how much multimedia you can throw on the phone, however, it comes with 16GB internal storage and no microSD slot. Rounding out the spec sheet, the DNA offers Verizon LTE, quad-band GSM and UMTS (we haven't been told if global roaming will be enabled, but we suspect so), Bluetooth 4.0 with aptX support, NFC, MHL, dual mics for noise cancelation and WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n (dual-band). It measures 9.73mm thick and weighs 4.86 ounces (138g). We'll update our post with Verizon's press release as soon as it's available, and our team is at this morning's event getting ready to have some quality hands-on time with the new beaut. In the meantime, you may want to think about revising your Black Friday shopping list.

Continue reading HTC Droid DNA coming to Verizon on November 21st for $200, pre-orders begin today

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, HTC, Verizon

HTC Droid DNA coming to Verizon on November 21st for $200, pre-orders begin today originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Nov 2012 11:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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