Researchers at the University of Tokyo have created an advanced motion-tracking camera that is designed to attach to a mobile device like a cell phone. It allows for “in-air typing” or Project Natal-style gestures to type out text messages or emails by detecting finger movement. The demo above shows how something like this could replace a physical and touch (virtual) keyboard on mobile devices.
[Via Ishikawa-Komuro Lab; Gizmodo]
It’s a Rube Goldberg sequence with smartphones! The intricate chain reaction is ignited by a vibrating cell phone…
[Via @ebshanks]
At this year’s Wireless Enterprise Symposium (WES), Research in Motion (RIM) showed off the latest BlackBerry OS in video form. (Go acronyms! Anyway…) RIM CEO Mike Lazaridis did not go into detail about “BlackBerry 6” but he did have these choice words to say: “It’s an all-new user experience guided by a few fundamental design principles. It had to be easy to use, yet incredibly powerful. It had to be fun and approachable. Anyone that looks at it should say ‘I want a BlackBerry.'” He also shared his excitement about the “all-new WebKit browser.” According to a leaked report from BGR, BB 6 will feature a new home screen (with customizable icons), the WebKit browser (with tab support), a redesigned media player and photo viewer, and a bunch of new keyboard commands. It’s expected that BB 6 will natively support multitouch, finding a home both on touch and non-touch screen devices. RIM confirms it will release later this year.
Also introduced at the event: the new BlackBerry Bold 9650 & BlackBerry Pearl 3G. Sprint formally announced it will sell the new Bold for $199.99 with a new two-year contract; Verizon Wireless is expected to make a similar offer. The Pearl 3G is heading to Canada first on Bell, Telus, and Rogers. Peek after the break for an image of the sleek new pair of handsets.
[Via Gizmodo; Engadget; The Street] Continue reading Blackberry OS 6.0 revealed at WES 2010
Get pumped! Halo: Reach multiplayer beta launches May 3 on Xbox 360. (All you need is a copy of Halo 3: ODST to join.)
Jonah Hex is an upcoming horror Western film based on the DC Comics characher. It stars Josh Brolin as Hex, Megan Fox as Leila (a prostitute!), John Malkovich as baddie Quentin Turnbull, Michael Shannon as Doctor Cross Williams, and Michael Fassbender as Burke. Directed by Jimmy Hayward and written by Akiva Goldsman and Andrew Lazar. Synopsis:
Having cheated death, gunslinger and bounty hunter Jonah Hex (Josh Brolin) has one foot in the natural world and one in the supernatural realm. Jonah’s unusual nature gives him the ability to track down anyone, or anything, so the Army makes him an irresistible offer: They’ll erase the warrants on his head if Jonah will find Quentin Turnbull (John Malkovich). But Turnbull, who is preparing to unleash hell on earth, is Jonah’s oldest enemy and will stop at nothing to kill him once and for all.
Jonah Hex hits theatres June 18, 2010.
Rob Lowe (Brothers & Sisters) and Adam Scott (Step Brothers, Party Down) will join the cast of Parks & Recreation on May 13 in the episode titled “Master Plan.” They will become series regulars in season three. And Mark Brendanawicz (Paul Schneider) will bite the dust.
Parks & Rec airs Thursdays at 8:30PM on NBC.
The Page, designed by Jae Kim.
With all the buzz surrounding iPad this and iPad that, it’s nice to see someone else thinking outide the box when it comes to reinventing the way we read newspapers and other print media. Designer Jae Kim has conceptualized The Page, a foldable display that features a semi-transparent E-Ink screen that displays text and images. Screens that can bend into various shapes and sizes have been conceptually implemented in the past, so this certainly isn’t the first player to the game. However, it does feature a number of interesting UI enhancements, including automatic column formatting depending on its shape and interactive page navigation on a flat surface. Check it out in all its concept-y glory in the video above. There’s some stills waiting below, too.
[Via Designboom; Gizmodo]
Using a Korg R3 and Kaoss Pad, YouTuber skandrewskandrew has composed an alternate “electro” cover of the theme song from NBC’s The Office. Pretty neat, enjoy.
[Via @kpereira]
Bill Hader & company do a fantastic job at poking fun at the world’s most incredulous commercial for “weights.” SNL is a little late to the game with this one, but at least they got it right. Oh, it’s real.
The fellas at Gizmodo have got their hands on the fourth-generation iPhone, confirming Engadget’s initial report on the device being leaked into the wild. The new iPhone is thinner and a bit heavier than its 3GS predecessor (it measures 4.50 by 2.31 by 0.37 inches and weighs 140 grams, three more than the 3GS) and everything is more squared off. The aesthetics of the device go in a different direction with the new model. The back is entirely flat and is composed of either glass or ceramic. Also there’s an aluminium border that runs completely around the exterior. The silent switch, power, and volume buttons are placed in their familiar positions but are now metallic. Notice I said volume buttons; the single rocker has been replaced with two separate buttons for volume up and down. Giz theorizes that this will likely result in one of the two buttons being designated as a shutter button for the camera. The SIM slot is now a MicroSIM slot and its been moved from the bottom to the left side of the phone. There’s also a second mic located at the top next to the headphone port, likely for noise cancellation purposes. The display is slightly smaller than the 3GS’s, but its resolution is much greater. Though Giz cannot determine its exact resolution, they would not be surprised if it sported a 960×640 screen that’s been sitting in the rumor box. On the back there’s an upgraded camera with a larger lens plus flash. On the front next to the earport there’s a *front-facing camera*. Get ready for on-the-go video Skype calls! Some other nuggets of information: its got a 16% larger battery and the internal components have been miniturized.
This prototype model of the next iPhone unfortunately cannot boot up iPhone OS 4. That means there’s no way of finding out its storage capacity, how high-rez the screen actually is, and other secrets hidden within OS 4 built for this device (iChat, anyone?). Do you need proof that this is the real deal? Head over to Gizmodo and read their exhaustive breakdown for proof. Until the final model is (likely) revealed this June at WWDC, bask in the photos and video (after the break) Giz has provided with the world. iPhone HD, you are so close yet so far away…
[Via Gizmodo]
On April 9 Kid Cudi visited Bucknell University in Pennsylvania, another stop on his nationwide college tour. I was there, so naturally I took videos and pictures to share with you. Cudder knows how to put on a concert. He really draws in the entire crowd and interacts with some of them. He feels the music when he’s performing and you can tell; that’s a special quality only few artists have. If you get the opportunity to see him live, don’t miss out.
Cudi performed 17 songs total, including tracks from his debut album Man on the Moon: The End of Day and his mixtape A Kid Named Cudi. He also performed Groovin’, an unreleased track he said we’ll find on his next album tentatively titled Cudder and the Revolution of Evolution.
The video below is Part 1 of 3; look after the break for Parts 2 & 3. Or you can visit my YouTube page. While you’re there, check out my coverage from this year’s Consumer Electronics Show at Las Vegas. In June I’ll be traveling to Los Angeles to cover E3, the biggest video games trade show in the world, so be on the lookout for that.
Continue reading Kid Cudi college concert @ Bucknell University