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Touch Screen
Acer delivers its first touchscreen notebook and updates the Timeline series
07:39 October 18, 2009 PDT
Up until now, touchscreen laptops have been one of two things — either low-resolution and lacking the horsepower to perform heavy tasks, or just too expensive. With the upcoming Aspire 5738PG, a multi-touch screen notebook sporting Windows 7 and some respectable specs priced at less than US$800, Acer is looking to bring a quality touchscreen experience within the budget of a wider range of users. On the same day, the PC giant also announced an update to its Timeline series with the addition of a 11.6-inch notebook and the transition to Intel dual-core processors on all existing models. Read More
Acer Liquid puts Android 1.6 on Qualcomm's Snapdragon chipset
By Tim Hanlon
17:02 October 14, 2009 PDT
There's already one smartphone running on Qualcomm's Snapdragon chipset, the Toshiba TG-01, but being Windows Mobile-based, it's a little harder to get excited about than the Acer Liquid - Acer's first Android-based phone running on Android 1.6 (aka Donut). Read More
Getac's resistive-type multi-touch technology works with or without gloves
By Darren Quick
02:34 October 9, 2009 PDT
Anyone who has tried to use a multi-touch touchscreen with anything other than their bare skin will know that it’s just not possible, no matter how hard you press. That’s because the capacitance technology used for the bulk of multi-touch devices doesn’t detect pressure, but measures the changes in electrical resistance caused by contact with a conductor – in this case, the human body. That might be annoying in cold climates, but is an even bigger problem in situations that require the wearing of protective gloves. Getac’s line of rugged Tablet PCs will be the first commercially-available rugged computers to solve this problem by offering a multi-touch screen that works with or without gloves. Read More
Microsoft patent multi touch screen keyboard
By Mick Webb
20:49 September 29, 2009 PDT
Up until now, touch screen keyboards have been problematic in that the user has had to look at the screen to navigate the location of the keys. That could all be set to change with news that Microsoft has filed a most interesting patent for a touch screen keyboard that uses multi touch capabilities to incorporate the user’s own hands as a physical point of reference. Read More
Creative gets in touch with ZEN X-Fi2 PMP
By Mick Webb
10:32 September 29, 2009 PDT
Creative's latest personal media player - the ZEN X-Fi2 - is the company's first full touch screen offering and features a 3” screen with a simplified navigational menu in landscape format, X-Fi sound enhancement and a TV-out connection for viewing video and photos on the big screen in a package that weighs just 75g. Read More
DUSTBOT collaborative, multifunctional robots keep your town clean
20:14 September 23, 2009 PDT
A group of European companies and universities have collaborated to produce a series of multifunctional robots for urban hygiene tasks. With abilities ranging from door-to-door garbage pickup and transportation, to automated street cleaning, the DUSTBOTs recently demonstrated their skills at a station in the town of Atxuri, Portugal. Read More
Pure Sensia DAB/WiFi touchscreen radio
By Jeff Salton
00:08 September 22, 2009 PDT
Not long ago, radio manufacturers had only to worry about the basic look of their devices. Rarely were new stations added, reception methods hadn’t changed in a long time and, generally, smaller was better. Sure, they had to combine an alarm clock in some models, but that wasn’t too difficult. Now a radio has to be a veritable Swiss army knife of appliances, and this is where the new Sensia from Pure excels. Its list of features includes a large color touch screen display, DAB, FM stereo and digital radio with full Band III, wireless media streaming, input from iPods/iPhones and MP3 players, and Pure Apps that let you connect with Facebook, Twitter, Picasa and thousands of podcasts. Read More
LG announce the LG-GW620 Android powered smartphone
By Mick Webb
15:24 September 20, 2009 PDT
LG has announced the release of its first foray in to the Android powered world of smartphones, the LG-GW620, aimed at meeting the demands of both first time and existing smartphone users. Read More
Find your way on foot with Navigon's 24 series Pedestrian Navigation
By Mick Webb
16:56 September 14, 2009 PDT
For the intrepid urban explorers out there, Navigon has unveiled a new 24 series of personal navigation systems featuring a “Last Mile” function that continues guiding the user on foot – as well as remembering where the car is parked. Read More
Toshiba unveils JournE touch home multimedia tablet
By Jeff Salton
00:25 September 7, 2009 PDT
Toshiba’s JournE touch is a portable, wireless home multimedia tablet with a 7-inch (17.8cm) color touch screen display, which serves as a communication and infotainment center for every member of the household. Users can browse the Internet and download digital content anywhere in the house in a flash, because the device boots instantaneously. However, with its small size (only 14mm/0.5in thick) and great user-interface, we say families better get ready for a fight over who gets to use it. Read More
Environmentally-friendly navigation - the Vexia Econav 435 GPS
By Mick Webb
18:16 September 1, 2009 PDT
As GPS navigation systems increase in popularity, the world’s fuel supplies simultaneously are in decline. However, the Vexia Econav 435 GPS is attempting to do its bit for the environment by offering a system that gives drivers information on the most economical route, which gear to use and when - even how firmly to accelerate. The manufacturers say the aim of the unit is to reduce drivers' fuel consumption by up to one third. Read More
Smarter touch surfaces with new pressure sensitive technology
By Darren Quick
01:43 August 28, 2009 PDT
Resistance touch technology, which generally relies on the use of a stylus or similar instrument, typically detects touch by measuring changes in electrical resistance. But it can only detect one touch at a time. Touch screen using capacitance technology can detect multiple inputs, but can’t detect pressure. Now researchers at New York University (NYU) are looking to get the best of both worlds with a new type of touch-sensitive pad that responds precisely to pressure and can detect multiple inputs at once. Read More
Tests on reducing glare and fingerprints from touch screen devices
By Jeff Salton
23:04 August 27, 2009 PDT
Big touch screens, like those used on smart phones and portable media devices, are great … unless the sun is out. Then the glare can be a killer, rendering some devices next to useless. Scientists have developed a test for analyzing reflection-resistant coatings to make using touch screen devices easier. The research also includes defining a better smudge-resistant coating to deter ugly fingerprints and scratches from screens and surfaces. Read More
Sony adds wireless Daily Edition eBook reader to family
By Jeff Salton
00:06 August 26, 2009 PDT
Sony has added a third child to its eBook reader family – the Reader Daily Edition – a sibling to the Pocket Edition and the Touch Edition products, which were released earlier this month. The Daily Edition eBook reader, however, is the ‘big brother’ to the other two, boasting a larger page view (seven inches wide) and 3G wireless connectivity. Read More
Help design a car for the future
By Paul Ridden
23:22 July 27, 2009 PDT
C,mm,n (pronounced common) is an open community design project that is not only counting on its members to help design a car but is also tasking them with producing a whole new mobility solution to cope with the challenging demands of the future. The blueprints for the proposed electric car concept and the mobility concepts are freely available under an open source licence and contributions are welcome from anyone and everyone. Read More
Samsung watch phone calls in early
By Darren Quick
20:17 July 23, 2009 PDT
Looks like Samsung is going to beat LG to the punch with the release of its S9110 watch phone due to hit stores before the rival LG GD910 – in France anyway. Aimed at Dick Tracy fans and gadget lovers alike the S9110 even manages to squeeze a few more features into its diminutive body, including a larger 1.76-inch touchscreen (to the GD910’s 1.43-inch), Bluetooth 2.1 and Outlook email sync. Read More
Holographic laser projection technology to transform any surface into a touch screen
By Darren Quick
01:02 July 21, 2009 PDT
Light Blue Optics (LBO) has received an injection of funds to further its development of, among other things, a holographic laser projection technology. The big news is that this technology can be touch-enabled, meaning any flat surface, such as a table, can be instantly transformed into a touch-sensitive display, eliminating the need for a touch screen and allowing users to directly interact with multimedia content. Read More
Pop-up buttons the future of touchscreens?
By Mick Webb
19:47 June 23, 2009 PDT
“Eyes-free” mobile phone dialing may be a not-too-distant reality. Hot on the heels of Google recently announcing its experimental Android powered interface comes this prototype from Carnegie Mellon University featuring pop-out buttons on a touch-screen which allow you to tap away without keeping a close eye on the screen. Read More
Samsung jet - smartphone or not?
By Darren Quick
22:57 June 15, 2009 PDT
Samsung is touting the new Jet as “smarter than a smartphone”. Not sure how “smartness” is measured, but the claim probably stems from the beefy 800MHz processor powering the phone. However, opting for Samsung’s own TouchWiz 2.0 platform instead of a traditional smartphone operating system means the phone is more likely to fill a niche between feature phones and smartphones. Read More
Sony X-Series Walkman packs OLED display and noise canceling technology
By Darren Quick
06:00 May 14, 2009 PDT
Sony has set its PMP sights firmly on the iPod Touch with the new X-Series Walkman. Sporting a similar form factor and much of the functionality of its Apple competitor, the X-Series manages to hold its own with the inclusion of an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) touch screen and integrated digital noise canceling technology. Read More
Gigabyte gets all touchy-feely and swively with new touchscreen netbook tablet
By Darren Quick
18:11 April 15, 2009 PDT
Gigabyte’s T1028 manages to straddle a few categories with its netbook size and specs, touchscreen capabilities and rotating screen, which gives the netbook a tablet look and feel. The new model sports a 10.1-inch WSVA 1024 x 600 display, while under the hood beats an Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz processor, Intel 945GSE graphics chipset, 1GB RAM (expandable to 2GB) and 160GB SATA HDD. Read More
Glacier's W200 Wearable Computer
By Darren Quick
01:37 April 10, 2009 PDT
While laptops have ushered in the era of mobile computing, their form factor still dictates the need to use a desk, table, or at the very least, a lap. Other handheld units are easier to use on the move but would be even better if we had another appendage, given that one hand is rendered useless through the need to hold the device. The solution - wear your computer. This example for Glacier Computer - the new Ridgeline W200 wearable computer - combines the same features of a standard computer with a device that straps to the wrist to provide hands-free operation while retaining full access at all times. Read More
Timeline series notebooks lead Acer's product avalanche
By Darren Quick
01:10 April 9, 2009 PDT
Looks like Acer’s product developers have been slamming down the Red Bulls with a raft of new products being announced including the Timeline energy-efficient series of notebooks, the first small-form-factor PC based around NVIDIA’s Ion platform, a new netbook, and a notebook or three. Let’s get to it. Read More
Samsung launches first WiMAX-enabled mobile internet device
By Darren Quick
23:07 April 2, 2009 PDT
One of the new releases attracting a lot of attention at CTIA is the Samsung SWD-M100 Mondi, a mobile WiMAX enabled handheld device that is designed for use with the Clear mobile WiMAX service from Clearwire. The touch screen Mondi includes a slide out lower lip QWERTY keypad and, according to Samsung, ‘many of the powerful features and uses of a laptop computer or netbook,’ in a unit that fits in your pocket. Read More
Plastic Logic eReader to be used by Detroit newspapers
By Darren Quick
20:32 March 31, 2009 PDT
Many have predicted that the rise of the internet and the free availability of online news resources would sound the death knell of the humble newspaper. While that hasn’t happened yet the industry realizes it must adapt or indeed face extinction. The Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News have seen the writing on the wall and think the time is right to go digital by partnering with Plastic Logic to offer digital content delivery and distribution with the forthcoming Plastic Logic Reader. Read More
Jonathan Cole
- November 6, 2009 @ 16:15 UTC
