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Showing posts with the label touchscreen

Nintendo Wii HD / Project Cafe rumor roundup: What will E3 hold for the gaming giant?

We're a few days out from E3, that magical place where dreams are made and fanboys and girls from all walks of life are simultaneously appeased and slightly disappointed. Surprises are expected from all of the big three this year -- particularly Nintendo. How will the gaming giant top last year's 3DS debut? All signs point to the announcement of a Wii followup, which we've heard alternately referred to as the "Wii HD" and "Project Cafe." Rumors, leaks, and the occasional bit of confirmed information have been rampant in the months and weeks leading up to the event. We've weaved it all together into one handy guidebook, to make sure that we're all on the same page, come Tuesday morning. Let's start with a genuine bit of information: back in April, the company's CEO, Satoru Iwata, confirmed that Nintendo is, in fact, working on an HD followup to the Wii that is most likely due out in 2012. A few days prior to that revelation, the requisi...

BlackBerry Torch 2 preview! (video)

We've already seen the BlackBerry Torch 2 in photos courtesy of Mr. Blurrycam, but a little birdie from Negri Electronics was kind enough to send over a pre-release device for us to get under our own glass for a little photo shoot. Though it has a virtually identical form factor to the original, the Torch 2 bumps the specs in almost every department from the camera to the RAM. Oh, and it's running the next-gen BB OS 7 -- which is really OS 6.1, and still lacks any QNX DNA. Read on past the break for a full preview of this yet-to-be-announced slider, and some glorious HD video if the beautious shots aren't enough to whet your BBM-hungry appetites. BlackBerry Torch 2 preview! The first thing you'll notice about the Torch 2 is the new gunmetal grey finish that encloses the entire device. It's not quite as shiny as the original, and we prefer the matte finish to the cheap-looking plastic of the original. We're also big fans of the new checkered silver back ...

LG V300 all-in-one hands-on at Computex 2011 (video)

The eye-catching P220 ultraportable isn't the only system LG is showcasing at Computex -- the Korean manufacturer is also gracing Intel's booth with the V300, an all-in-one with a few tricks up its sleeve. Not only is that 23-inch display using a beautiful IPS panel (full HD), but it's even 3D-capable and includes a touchscreen in some versions. Yes, this isn't your father's PC. A variety of processors are available including Intel's Core i7 with room for up to 8 GB of DDR3 RAM. Some models are paired with AMD'sRadeon HD 6650M video card. Blu-ray is an option, and storage maxes out at 750GB. The computer takes some visual cues from Apple's iMac (the stand), but still manages to have its own personality. The display is quite thin, and while the model we played with didn't appear to offer the touchscreen option, it did feature a Core i5 CPU. Take a look at the gallery below, and hit the break for our hands-on video and LG's press release. LG V300...

Microsoft unveils Windows 8 (video)

We're live from Microsoft Windows president Steven Sinofsky's keynote at D9, and there's something rather exciting on stage -- a pair of experimental Windows 8 dev boards running an OS that looks very much like Windows Phone 7's Metro UI.  All Things D  actually sat down with the man earlier today and got a sneak peek at what to expect starting with the live tiled screen you see above -- and yes, like Windows Phone 7, this OS is designed for touch. There'll be two kinds of applications for Windows 8, one that runs in a traditional desktop, and the other pseudo-mobile apps based on HTML5 and Javascript, but both environments -- rather, the entire OS -- have been designed from the ground up for touchscreen use. Keyboard and mouse will still be options for both sets of programs, but there are multiple virtual sets of keys for different form factors, including a split keyboard for vertical slate use. Multitasking is simply a matter of swiping running apps into the ce...

LG V300 does multitouch, 3D, all-in-one

A show as packed to the walls will shiny new technology as Computex could surely benefit from a few space saving devices, like, say, this new all-in-one from LG. With the high-end configuration you'll get a second generation Intel Core i7 processor, AMD Radeon HD 6650M graphics, a 750GB hard drive, 8GB of RAM, and a Blu-ray player all packed inside the system's slender 1.8-inch thick frame. The V300's multitouch 23-inch Film-type Patterned Retarder (FPR)-enabled display offers up 3D with the aid of polarized glasses. The AIW is set for a Korean launch in July, followed by trips to Europe, the Middle East, and other parts of Asia. No word on if or when it'll hit desks in the States, but at least you won't have to find much room on your desk when it does.

KDDI haptic smartphone prototype promises up to seven layers of touch, only shows off two

Ah, another possibly vaporous, yet intriguing addition to a long line of haptic patents and prototypes. Today's offering: a KDDI smartphone mockup (utilizing Kyocera display technology) promising to render sensation through multiple layers of applied touchscreen pressure. Imagine depressing a camera shutter on a touchscreen, and you've got the idea. KDDI only had a screen sporting two haptic layers on hand when they demoed the prototype at Wireless Japan this week, but Kyocera reportedly told Akihabara News  that the technology is capable of up to seven layers of tantalizing touch. Neat. Maybe we'll get a few authentic haptic touchscreens on the market and do away with all the vibrational fakery we've been seeing. Akihabara News

Omnio's WOWKeys keyboard now shipping, ready to dock your iPhone for $100 (video)

Remember that Omnio WOWKeys keyboard we mentioned back in November -- the one that brings full-sized QWERTY functionality to your iPhone or iPod Touch? Well, it's now available for your consumption. Once you lock your iDevice into the port on the right, it will automatically begin charging and syncing with iTunes. From there, you can start typing text directly into your handheld, or use the keyboard's twelve hotkeys to control music playback functions, turn off the display, or switch between PC and iPhone mode. You can even use your mobile's touchscreen as a trackpad for your Mac or PC, though you'll need an app like Mobile Mouse Pro to do so. Basically, it's an EeeKeyboard. All told, this kind of synergy will cost you around $100, so if you're interested, hit the source link for more details, or head past the break for a pretty cringe-inducing video. CompuExpert

Windows tablet OS preview coming next week?

We've heard an awful lot about a Windows tablet OS this past year, with stirrings of a 2012 launch -- heck, even Steve Ballmer's fanned the flames of speculation -- and now the rumor mill's been set in motion with word of an impending preview expected next week. According to  Bloomberg , three sources have confirmed Microsoft's plan to flaunt the much-anticipated UI, possibly at upcoming appearances at AllThingsD and Computex. The showcase is supposedly set to run the touchscreen-enabled software on a Tegra-equipped machine. We'd previously reported on stirrings of a June demo. Considering all the evidence that's stacked up over the past few months, we'd say 2012 is looking like a rather practical target. Business Insider Bloomberg

Invisible iPhone prototype puts the 'hand' back in 'handset' (video)

Not too long ago, the invisible iPhone was nothing more than   satirical fodder for the  Onion . Now, Patrick Baudisch and his team of researchers at the Hasso-Plattner Institute have moved closer to making it a reality, with a new interface that can essentially transfer an iPhone touchscreen to the palm of your hand. The device involves an Xbox-like depth camera, mounted on a tripod, that can register the movements of a person's finger across his or her palm. Special software then determines the actions these gestures would execute on a user's iPhone, before transmitting the commands to a physical phone, via WiFi radio. Unlike MIT's motion-based "sixth sense" interface, Baudisch's imaginary phone doesn't require users to learn a new dictionary of gestures, but relies solely on the muscle memory that so many smartphone users have developed. During their research, Baudisch and his colleagues found that iPhone owners could accurately determine the position ...

Kobo unbuttons for $129 eReader Touch Edition, we go hands-on (video)

Kobo today kicked off Book Expo America with the launch of a new six-inch, one-button touchscreen e-reader -- named, appropriately enough, the Kobo eReader Touch Edition. Priced at $130 -- $10 cheaper than Amazon's Kindle -- the pocket-sized device strives for a reading experience more akin to that of old timey paper books, courtesy of a Zeforce infrared touchscreen, new Pearl eInk technology, and a freescale i.MX507 processor for faster page turning. Click on through for more details and our impressions of this little reader. Kobo eReader Touch Edition Hands-on The WiFi reader has a new search tool accessible through the virtual keyboard and highlighting technology, which makes it easier to look up words via the built-in Merriam Webster dictionary. This is the same Pearl display found on the latest Kindle, so you should know what you're getting into for contrast, but the responsiveness here is hugely improved thanks to that freescale processor. Page turns are quick and, mo...