Hasta La Gadget!

This week the pre-order ship date for the Leap Motion 3D controller device has been moved due in part to a mistake made with Best Buy orders. This date change will not affect the way the device functions, but will change when the device is sent to those that have already pre-ordered the device. The date at which Leap Motion will be leaving the factory is now is in mid-to-late July.

Beta testing in will continue through June, as the heads at Leap Motion have let it be known today, while the ship date for the device appears now to be hard set for July 22nd. Arrival dates will be soon after, depending completely on customer locations relative to the ship points. Leap Motion has made it clear that their requirements for release are extremely strict and that the beta test period was alwasy in play.

“We are behind schedule, it’s not as if we woke up for the first time today and decided we needed a beta test,” noted Leap Motion CEO Michael Buckwald. According to the Buckwald, they do have the ability to meet the original ship date, but have delayed it due to their desire for more comprehensive testing on the device. At this moment, it would appear that the hardware is ready, software tweaks may be in play, and the product “could be shipped tomorrow.”

As for the HP deal spokem about quite recently, it would appear that nothing has been affected between them and the computing company.

“It definitely won’t affect the HP deal. All the milestones that were in play with the HP deal are still in effect.” – Buckwald

The only different between the Beta test units that are created today and those that will be out later this year will be an updated SDK. This software update will bring the device up to the final release version of the machine which will, indeed, be shipped at first on July 22nd.

Leap Motion delayed as Best Buy takes the blame is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Sony has announced a new set of digital recording binoculars called the DEV-50V. The binoculars allow users to take still photos and video of wildlife from afar. That wildlife can include things such as birds and deer (or the hot blonde who lives across the street.) Sony says that these new binoculars are lighter, smaller, and more weatherproof compared to the versions released previously.

The digital recording binoculars have a magnification range of 0.8x to 12x optical, and up to 25x digital zoom. The magnification can also be adjusted on the fly so you can use the low magnification setting to find your subject and then quickly zoom in. The binoculars also automatically focus themselves and have integrated image stabilization.

They’re also able to record 2D or 3D images and work in low light conditions as well. Still images can be taken at a resolution of 20.4-megapixels, and video can be captured in Full AVCHD (presumably, that means 1080p resolution). Each eye gets its own XGA resolution OLED “Tru-Finder” and the binoculars have integrated GPS for geo-tagging photos and video. One cool feature is that you can even play back 3D video through the eyepieces. They also have an HDMI output for connecting to an HDTV.

The DEV-50V binoculars will be available this June for about $2000(USD).

You’re looking at the Sony DEV-50V, an overhauled version of the pricey multi-gadget Sony announced at IFA a few years ago. Meet the new and improved Swiss Army goggles. They’re part 25x zoom digital binoculars, part sophisticated 3D camcorder, and all kinds of crazy expensive. More »

This week Google Earth has been demonstrated with 3D navigation in collaboration with the device known as Leap Motion. This device’s makers have discussed several high-level collaborations in the recent past, most notably with computer manufacturer HP. This new collaboration with Google Earth allows the device to have access to the environment with a sort of “fly-through” action that’s demonstrated in a video today.

This integration of Google Earth exploration abilities has spawned a YouTube collective of videos being submitted this week as well. If you have a peek at the demonstration video below, you’ll see Leap Motion’s take on Google Earth with their basic device. This demonstration takes a look at San Francisco, Paris, New York City, and the Grand Canyon in short clips.

This update to Google Earth also adds several new features to the environment, including Map-Making, Viewshed, and a set of Google Earth Pro boosts as well. The downloadable version of Google Earth is the one being used here today – this demonstration shows the app on a desktop computer, while mobile apps are also up for your smartphone or tablet.

Google Earth Pro is a system where you’ll need to pay a license fee and gain added features not available to normal users. Leap Motion integration has been added this week to the free and Pro versions of the software. Have a peek at the Leap Motion timeline below to see what else the 3D motion control device has been up to lately!

Google Earth gets 3D navigation with Leap Motion is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The last we heard about TeleNav’s Scout GPS app was back in December, but the folks behind the popular navigation app are back with a new update. This time around, users will be able to take advantage of 3D buildings and landmarks while they navigate through unfamiliar cities, thanks to the SSAO technology that TeleNav has added on to the app.

TeleNav announced the update via their Twitter account, noting that the new 3D features will “give drivers a better view and navigation experience.” The feature will be available later this year, along with crowd-sourced traffic reporting like we’ve seen in Waze. It’s not said exactly when the update will hit, but hopefully it’s sooner rather than later.

TeleNav will rely on its 34 million subscribers to report various accidents and traffic jams around the country, and the app will update itself in real-time with the traffic information it receives from its users. This means that Scout will suggest faster alternate routes when it detects that you’re about to hit some heavy traffic.

The video above shows off the 3D buildings in a demo, and while you can clearly see the outlines of the buildings, they don’t get in your way of the navigation, and you can still through the buildings and look ahead to what roads you’ll be turning on. When the update eventually does hit, it’ll be available for both free and premium users of the app.

TeleNav’s Scout gains support for 3D buildings and landmarks is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.