Hasta La Gadget!

Motorola dropped some jaws this week, when Advanced Technology and Projects Group chief Regina Dugan revealed the company’s tinkering on digital tattoos, week-long implanted electronics that could free you from the tyranny of remembering passwords. Dugan – a former DARPA head – described the tattoo as perfect for a wearables market targeting users that don’t actually bother wearing watches any more, instead turning the body into a walking authentication token. She also namechecked mc10, a company not unfamiliar to SlashGear, as the brains behind the flexible tattoo-tech, but just what’s inside?

Cambridge, MA, based mc10 calls the tattoo “epidermal electronics”, and has in fact been working on the concept for some years now. The idea is relatively straightforward: rather than rely on the user carrying a device, or remembering to strap one on each morning, the technology is temporarily bonded to their skin.

That bond has another advantage, since the responses of the wearer’s skin can also be used to collect health data. The tattoo is made up of various sensors and gages, such as for tracking strain in multiple directions (how the user is flexing), EEG and EMG (electrical impulses in the skeletal structure or nerves), ECG (heart activity), and temperature, as well as light and other factors. In total, it’s a mini-lab for your arm, the side of your head, or anywhere else on the body.

Like NFC chips, the mc10 epidermal electronics get powered up from an external electricity source, using the embedded wireless power coil. It’s a similar system to the wireless phone charging Nokia and others have implemented in recent handsets, and it powers the tattoo’s transmitter. That’s all layered onto a sheet of water-soluble plastic that gets laminated to the skin; in fact, it can even be disguised with a regular temporary tattoo pattern, opening the door to potential branding and such.

Once they’re in place, they’re incredibly resilient. The tightly coiled structure of the electronics means that, even if the tattoo is stretched or twisted, the connections won’t break. It’s also waterproof, which means that even if you’re swimming or in the shower, the tattoo won’t be affected.

However, epidermal electronics don’t just have to stop at being biometric keys for your laptop and your Netflix account. Studies using the technology have found that they can also track muscle movements around speech, when applied to the throat, potentially turning the tattoos into half of a wireless hands-free kit. Since you don’t actually have to speak out loud, it could pick up sub-vocal commands, too. Alternatively, they can even track brain signals with enough accuracy to control a computer, which might mean simply thinking about making a call and having your nearby smartphone place it. Similar sensors have been used to fly remote-control planes and drones, something mc10 is working on replicating with its more compact tattoos.

They were some of the possibilities mc10 co-founder Ben Schlatka spoke to us about last year, when we talked to him about the advantages of persistent sensing. The company is also working with the US army on embedded electronics in battlefield clothing, which could collect energy and convert it into electricity to power the gadgets soldiers carry.

“Imagine a kids’ fake tattoo that can sense how our bodies work: data from the heart, the brain, muscles, body temperature – even hydration levels,” Schlatka told us. “When a sensing technology conforms to the consumer and not the other way around, it can capture more insights for longer periods of time without discomfort or distraction.”

Motorola isn’t the only company intrigued. Back in April, mc10 announced it had closed a new $8m financing round, taking the company’s total Series C funding to $18m. Exactly which investors have come on-board is yet to be confirmed, though mc10 did say that it now has backers across its consumer, digital health, and medical devices divisions.

Whether Motorola will actually release a wearable using mc10 technology remains to be seen; the Google-owned company still needs to prove it has a solid foot in the smartphone market, though the new Moto X could address that. Still, it’s clear that the digital tattoo is capable of further breaking down the boundary between users and their devices. If Motorola can leverage that, alongside Google’s own ongoing research into wearables like Glass, it could be the differentiator the company needs from the increasingly crowded Android market, not to mention finally silencing the critics who doubted the wisdom of the smartphone company’s acquisition in the first place.

IMAGES: Dr Todd Coleman; mc10

What’s inside Motorola’s digital tattoo? is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Today the Google Edition of the HTC One has been announced by the head of Android, Sundar Pichai. This announcement was made during the D11 conference in which this Google head spoke to Walt Mossberg about Android, Chrome, and all things Google software. The HTC One Google Edition follows in the footsteps of the Samsung GALAXY S 4 Google Edition which was announced a Google I/O 2013, and both devices will be available in late June.

The official launch date of the HTC One straight from Google is June 26th, while its off-contract price will be $599 USD. That’s unlocked as well, opening the door for hackers and developers to create custom user interfaces and interact with the deepest innards of the phone and its software. Google Play will be selling “Nexus” devices now aside two Google Edition smartphones, this being a first for the company.

“A special edition of the new HTC One running stock Android will be exclusively available through the Google Play store in the United States starting on June 26th. This edition pairs the all-metal unibody design, low-light capabilities of the UltraPixel camera and dual front-facing stereo speakers of the new HTC One with the stock version of the latest Android software, Jelly Bean 4.2.2.” – HTC

It’s apparent now that Google is willing to work with the top companies in the environment to not just bring forth a pure Android experience, but to allow these companies to retain their brand power as well. Though much of the Samsung GALAXY S 4′s user experience is based on the software Samsung pushes with it, the “GALAXY” name remains strong with or without the details – Google appears to believe the same to be true about HTC and the HTC One.

This HTC One will be launched with Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean without any software additions by HTC. This will be separate from the SIM unlocked and Developer Edition phones direct from HTC, and pricing will be slightly different based on edition. The “Nexus Experience” aka “Google Edition” of the HTC One will cost $599 USD, while the SIM Unlocked phone straight from HTC will also cost that same amount.

The Developer Edition costs just a bit more straight from HTC because of its slightly larger internal storage size, that being 64GB instead of the 32GB of the Nexus Experience phone. These devices all work with HSPA/WCDMA, GSM/GPRS/EDGE, and LTE.

SOURCE: HTC

HTC One Google Edition made official with “Nexus User Experience” is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Samsung has revealed the Galaxy S4 Mini, the widely-anticipated smaller version of the Galaxy S 4, packing a 4.3-inch display, dualcore processor, and an 8-megapixel main camera. Set to hit shelves in LTE, 3G, and 3G dual-SIM forms, depending on country, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini shrinks its full-sized sibling’s screen down to qHD resolution from Full HD, and has only a 1.7GHz dualcore chip rather than the quadcore of the bigger phone. However, that makes for a more pocketable device, trimmed to 124.6 x 61.3 x 8.94 mm and 107g for the new Mini phone.

Above the display there’s a 1.9-megapixel camera, and Samsung’s various camera editing features – such as Best Photo, HDR, and Panorama – are also included. In fact, many of the Galaxy S 4′s software enhancements will also be included on the Galaxy S4 Mini, with S Voice, S Translator, Group Play, and WatchON, the latter of which gets to use the Mini’s built-in infrared abilities.

Underneath TouchWiz there’s Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, which gets 1.5GB of RAM to play with. There’s 8GB of storage – around 5GB of which is user-available – and a microSD card slot. Connectivity includes WiFi a/b/g/n, GPS, GLONASS, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC on the LTE version of the Galaxy S4 Mini, and the usual sensors (light, digital compass, accelerometer, etc).

In total, Samsung will offer three variants of the phone. There’ll be a basic 3G model, with quadband GSM/EDGE and up to 21Mbps HSPA+ support, network depending, and a dual-SIM version which can take a pair of SIM cards. Then, there’s a 4G model, with up to 42Mbps HSPA+ and LTE, with various band sets depending on market.

No word on pricing for the Galaxy S4 Mini at this stage, nor when it will hit shelves. However, there’ll be more details at Samsung’s “Premiere 2013″ event in June, where the White Frost and Black Mist versions of the phone will be shown off, among other devices.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini official: 4.3-inches and optional LTE is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Today Gmail will be appearing with an update on several platforms, each of them allowing the mail environment to sort your messages automatically. This update includes several pre-set categories such as Social, Promotions, and Updates, but can be edited and customized according to the users’ preferences.

The new tabs effectively act as separate inboxes for users and are entirely optional – once they appear, they can be turned off in favor of Gmail’s more traditional all-in-one setup. Individual emails inside the main, single email inbox as well as the new categorizes sets can be further marked by Labels – this ability having been part of the Gmail experience in the past, as well.

This update has the potential to effectively sort spam instantly – what remains to be seen is if the algorithms Google has put in play are as slick as they appear in the first promotional video the team has revealed.

While the Gmail team has noted that this experience will begin rolling out to users today, they’ve also made clear that “the next few weeks” are included in the rollout period. This means that for desktop, Android, and iOS, your update might come today, or it might come two weeks from now – we’ll just have to wait and see.

For those of you wishing to get in on the action as soon as possible, you’re to have a peek at the little gear icon in the upper right-hand corner of your Gmail page on the web browser version of the email client, and from there click “Configure inbox” when it appears – it might not be there yet, but the Gmail team says it will be soon.

SOURCE: Gmail

Gmail update brings automatic, customizable inbox sorting is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Lexus has come a long way since the days of the buffed-up Toyota luxo-barge, and the 2014 Lexus IS is arguably the best illustration of that. True, the new 3-Series rival may not have the same wealth of outlandish madness as the LFA sportscar (though it does borrow some of the $375k limited-edition’s cabin features) or the brutish luxury of the LS, but the striking design and eager pricing make for a freshly competitive car. Lexus brought us out to the Michigan International Speedway to see how the 2014 IS ticks.

Design

Distinctive, striking, and divisive: Lexus gives the 2014 IS the most extreme treatment of its L-finesse design language we’ve seen on a sedan to-date. The company’s designers describe the styling ethos as a combination of “intriguing elegance” and “incisive simplicity” which, in this case, means a sweeping, creasing riot of curves and surfaces that don’t ape BMW reserve or Cadillac crispness.

The enormous, pinched hourglass grille – Lexus refers to it as a “spindle” – is the most obvious flourish, starting low on the front edge of the hood and dipping deeply into where you’d traditionally find a separate front spoiler. With its chrome edging it’s certainly distinctive but, like many other elements of the new IS’ design, it works much better in person than in photos, which rob it off some of the three-dimensional complexity you get in the metal.

The F Sport spec pack – an option on the IS 250 and IS 350 – trades the standard grille bars for honeycomb mesh, and the IS looks all the better for it. Either way, though, the shape of the grille and how it cuts down to the front of the car makes the IS look lower and “sucked down” to the asphalt, emphasizing the broad, low stance.

Face-on, you also get the impact of the new car’s daytime running lights, which rather than being integrated into the main light clusters as we’ve seen on other cars, are split out into tick-style flourishes underneath. It’s an effect that looks particularly good in the darker finishes, like the nebula gray or matador red.

From that point back it’s a pleasing collection of sweeping lines and creases, including a strong shoulder-line – pinching up neatly into the rear door window – and a sharply rising twist that begins as the front doors end and pulls up all the way to the wrap-around rear lights. Get the lighting right, and they reflect and shine in particularly pleasing ways, giving the flanks a silkiness that the old IS didn’t get near.

Engines and Performance

You only get two engine options in the 2014 IS, and neither of them are new. The 2.5-liter V6 and 3.5-liter V6 from the old car are carried over, though now there’s no manual option (which Lexus admits only around 1-percent of IS buyers every actually specified).

Instead, you get either the standard 6-speed auto, or – an option on the IS 350 – an 8-speed auto that was previously found on the IS F. Each slots paddle shifters behind the chunky steering wheel, or the ratios can be flicked through by jabbing at the stubby stick in the center. Of course, you can also leave the 2014 IS in auto mode.

With 204HP and 184 lb-ft of torque, the IS 250 sits roughly on a par for power with the naturally-aspirated 2.5-liter Cadillac ATS (the entry-level BMW 320i does better in torque but falls behind in horsepower). Official numbers are 7.7s 0-60mph for the RWD model (8.3s for the AWD) and it doesn’t feel the most spritely “performance sedan” we’ve driven. The 6-speed gearbox is solid in its changes, but not especially eager.

Far better is the IS 350 which steps up to 306HP, particularly if you’re running that through the 8-speed ‘box. Lexus’ quotes 5.6s for your 0-60mph run, and behind the wheel we can believe it, with the car eager to thrum through the gears with a pleasingly throaty growl from the engine. Lexus knows that good sound makes for more enjoyable driving, too, with the F Sport package piping a little more of the under-the-hood audio into the cabin.

Lexus claims to have done special things with the 2014 IS’ suspension and handling, and – thanks to some side-by-side comparison with the outgoing 2013 car – it’s clear that’s no empty boast. The power-assisted steering is noticeably meatier, and we were able to throw the new car around corners with more confidence than its predecessor. Among the changes are a more solidly constructed chassis, and that platform makes for more predictable handling.

That’s not to say the new IS is only happy if you’re thrashing it. At more appropriate speeds it’s smooth and stable, with no bump or shudder; rear seat passengers reported an altogether comfortable ride. The F Sport variant unsurprisingly tightens things up with an eye on more aggressive driving, but it’s still capable of wafting if you’re designated driver.

It’s worth noting that the cars we were testing were prototypes; we’ll revisit the IS when production models are available.

Interior

Lexus made its name, in part, by throwing just about everything its rivals would leave optional into the standard mix. The IS isn’t quite so comprehensive – the LS, after all, starts at over $70k – but you still get a good amount of baseline equipment.

Dual-zone climate control, keyless entry, a power moonroof, Bluetooth audio, and HD Radio are standard, along with “NuLuxe” faux-leather. If you want the real hide, you’ll have to step up to the Luxury Package which also throws in wood trim accents, rain-sensing wipers, auto-dimming mirrors, electric memory seats, and a blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert. A more affordable Premium Pacgae adds heating/ventilation to the NuLuxe seats.

There’s also the Navigation Package, with a 7-inch color display, backup camera, voice command, and Lexus Enform, the company’s internet-connected hub complete with Bing search, Pandora streaming, Facebook Places, Yelp integration, and navigation. A Mark Levinson Audio Package ($3,225) adds a 15-speaker A/V system to that, with a 1,500W Class-D amp, subwoofer, and machined aluminum controls. It certainly sounds impressive, though the standard-fit audio system is no slouch on its own.

Sit inside, and the tiered dashboard layout is packed with controls but reasonable straightforward to familiarize yourself with. A navigation control in the center console scrolls through the main 7-inch LCD, and only the analog clock reminds you of Lexus’ more staid history. The meaty steering wheel feels great – though it’s peppered with buttons – and the seats are comfortable and sit lower in the car than before, leaving you feeling sportily cocooned.

Step up to the F Sport package, however, and the 2014 IS’ real interior glitz appears. The sports seats get more ample bolstering and hold you nicely in the corners, though they’re still NuLuxe rather than proper leather (albeit with heating as standard). Most exciting is the moving instrumentation, borrowed from the LFA: press a button and the combo speedometer/tachometer slides across to reveal a 4.2-inch LCD with secondary information, such as fuel economy. Press it again, and it slides back to dominate the binnacle with no distractions.

Again, compared to the outgoing car, the new IS is a marked improvement. The seats hug you more closely – a boon during more outlandish cornering – while, in the back, the seats in both regular and F Sport trim are comfortable, and – a first for Lexus – can be dropped down with a 60/40 split for accommodating bigger items of luggage.

Wrap-Up

The 2014 IS kicks off at $35,950 for the IS 250 RWD, and $39,465 for the IS 350. AWD is a roughly $2,500 upgrade, while the more appealing F Sport package is $3,000. That’s about $3k more than the cheapest – though less powerful – 3-Series, and around $1,500 more than the entry-level ATS, the 2014 IS’ most obvious competitors.

It’s likely to be aesthetics, not specifications, that prompt most decisions about the new IS, however. Opinions of those we’ve talked to are split; some, like us, appreciate how Lexus has opted for something that’s distinctive, though others prefer the more mainstream good looks of BMW’s car. As we said, though, it’s undoubtedly a car that looks better in real life than on the screen.

For that matter, it’s also a car that benefits hugely from the larger engine option. Where the IS 250 is solid, the IS 350′s extra grunt gives it some much-needed sparkle. If you can afford the F Sport package then we’d say it’s well worth it, with the worked-over suspension particularly benefiting. That’s not a cheap car by any means, but it’s the spec level that’s most fitting to the no-holds-barred design and capable chassis.

2014 Lexus IS Prototype Test Drive is written by Vincent Nguyen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.