Apr 05
When you have a product like Kinect, so closely associated with gaming, how do you convince everybody else that they should be installing a motion-tracking camera in the home? Microsoft … Continue reading
Mar 20
If you’ve ever been in a situation where you needed to draw up a floor plan or recreate a room’s dimensions, then you’ll appreciate what RoomScan can do for you. … Continue reading
Mar 04
Motion-tracking startup Thalmic Labs has been showing off what its early developers can do with a muscle-reading Myo armband and a little imagination, with the new peripheral already integrated with … Continue reading
Feb 28
Every man’s home is his castle, or so the saying goes. Well, even castles can fall into a state of disrepair, as you can tell from the numerous ancient megastructures that we have seen in the past. The thing is, we are blessed to live in an era where food is cheap and plentiful for the ordinary working person in a developed country, and there should be more than enough to go around throughout the month without having to live on the streets. That would also mean being able to splurge once in a while on life’s small things such as improving your home decor. Enter the $79.99 Motion-Sensing LED Track Lights, where these will create safe, indirect lighting which will not rouse those who are sleeping from their slumber despite being activated.
The LEDs on the Motion-Sensing LED Track Lights will come mounted on thin strips, where there are a dozen 12 LEDs per foot. All you need to do is to unspool the strips and mount them under a bed, crib, sink, vanity, sideboard or inside a closet, and you’re good to go. Whenever there is any motion is detected at night, the LEDs will turn on instantly, delivering soft, warm (2700K) lighting so that you do not end up stubbing your toe against the edge of the cupboard as you make your way to the kitchen to fix yourself a late night sandwich.
[ Motion-Sensing LED Track Lights adds a touch of ambience to your home copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Jan 14
Apple Patents An iOS Interface That Adapts To Movement And 3D Video Editing
Posted in: Today's Chili
Apple has a couple of new patents granted by the USPTO today (via AppleInsider), one of which deals with improving its mobile software for uses particular to how we interact with mobile devices. It describes a way in which a mobile OS could alter how its interface behaves and responds to user input based on whether it detects it’s in motion or not, and could be great for on-the-go iPhone interaction.
The system invented by Apple would use sensors built into the phone to detect when a user is in motion, including the accelerometer and gyroscope. It could distinguish between walking and running, for instance, and even detect the angle at which the screen is being held. Depending on all this information, the system would intelligently modify the graphic user interface of the phone’s software to make it easier to use.
Individual UI elements might be enlarged, along with their touch points, to make them easier to hit, for instance. Or fisheye and other effects that emphasize certain portions of the screen might be applied, too. Whole rows could be dynamically shifted to compensate for a bobbing motion, in some cases, to make it seem like the display is stable even when the device is moving around.
It makes sense to try to adapt devices for easier movement while out and about, since it’s fairly common for people to pull their phones out while they’re on the move. This patent has been around for a long time however (first applied for in 2007) and it seems like it would be immensely challenging to get the different shifts right in order for this to be useful. If it could work perfectly every time, it would be a great boon, but I wouldn’t hold my breath about seeing this make it to shipping products.
Apple’s second new patent is much more likely to become real, and probably fairly soon. It describes a means for editing 3D video on software like Final Cut Pro. FCP X actually doesn’t include 3D video editing, though most of the competitors it faces in the market including Adobe Premiere do. Editing 3D video created using stereoscopic imaging means treating two frames captured by two different cameras simultaneously as separate things, then stitching them back together.
The patent describes how you’d be able to link some aspects that are important between frames, like time-based cuts and trims, while keeping other elements separate, such as color correction or visual tweaks. This makes sense as both cameras might be capturing images with slightly different white balance, hues or other things, but timings should be consistent across both.
It’s actually a very basic patent with antecedents in other competitive software, and makes sense as an update to FCP down the road. A lot of that may depend on the future of the Hollywood blockbuster, however, as studios keep trying to make 3D something in demand, but don’t seem to be generating any great desire for the tech in the end.
Dec 09
The swing is an important part of many sports, ask any golfer and they’ll tell you its as much about having a perfect swing as it is about making proper contact with the ball without digging too much into the fairway. Baseball or tennis players rely on their swing too, which is why dedicated players keep on training and practising. Zepp Labs has created a nifty little device that will help players in their pursuit of a perfect swing. The Zepp 3D motion sensor is a tiny sensor that can be attached using specific mounts to baseball bats, golf clubs and tennis rackets. It captures, measures and analyzes the swing in 3D and records 1,000 data points per second.
The sensor itself and the mounts are designed in a way that users won’t even notice they’re attached to the bat, club or racket. Weighing just 6.3 grams, the sensor offers an eight hour battery life, enough to last a normal practise session. Baseball players can track bat speed, path, timing, impact angles, trends and more. When attached with a golf club, the sensor tracks speed, tempo, club plane, hand path, hip rotation, backswing position and more. Tennis players can track shot type mix, power and spin, apart from other things. Data beamed via Bluetooth to the companion iOS and Android app can be used to compare swings to pros and friends, it can also be shared with others. The app also provides analysis, drills, coaching, and personalized tips. Zepp 3D motion sensor is available through Apple and Verizon and also through Zepp’s website for $149.99.
Zepp 3D Motion Sensor Lets You Analyze Your Baseball, Golf Or Tennis Swing original content from Ubergizmo. 
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Dec 07
PetChatz is a web cam that lets you interact with your pet on a number of levels from anywhere in the world. Install it over a wall outlet, secure it to a stud, connect it to your home WiFi, fill it with treats and a special scent, and you’re set to go. The device was […]
Nov 07
The holiday season is right around the corner as its official start will begin once Thanksgiving comes and goes here in the U.S., with people scrambling to find the best deal possible for their friends, family and children. Speaking of children, we’re sure many of them will be trying their best to find hidden gifts around the house, making all of that effort go to waste if they actually find their presents before they’re supposed to. Thats why Archie McPhee has created something that will help alert you and everyone else in the area if someone is looking for something they’re not supposed to. (more…)
Gift Alarm Uses Motion Detection To Keep Your Presents Safe From Snoopers original content from Ubergizmo. 
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Oct 02
Google has acquired Flutter, the gesture-recognition specialist dubbed “Kinect for OS X”, with development of the hand tracking system headed in-house at the search giant. Flutter, which offers a Mac app that turns the webcam into a remote control system for navigating media players like iTunes, Spotify, and VLC, has cooked up its own machine-vision […]
Sep 19
Eye-tracking specialist Tobii has launched its latest peripheral, the Tobii EyeMobile, bringing gaze control to Windows 8 tablets like Microsoft’s Surface. Combining the company’s PCEye Go tracker with a special cradle for your slate, the USB accessory brings eye control to everything from Office and other productivity apps, through entertainment apps like Hulu, Netflix, YouTube, […]
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