If you’ve ever tried to use your smartphone while standing in a cramped subway car, or while carrying a bag of groceries, you soon realize the limitations of a touchscreen UI. You need two hands free, particularly in the age of the jumbophone. So as an alternative means to interact with your device—not a replacement—NTT Docomo in Japan has developed a handset that detects and responds to squeezes. More »
Folded in between DoCoMo R&D prototypes and One Piece-themed smartphones unlikely to make it across the Pacific, NEC’s new Android tablet caught our eye. The 7-inch NEC Medias Tab UL is one very svelte slab. Measuring in at just 7.9mm (0.3 inches) thick and weighing a mere 250g (0.55 lbs), the tablet still manages to house a 3,100mAh battery, and a Snapdragon MSM8960 1.5GHz dual-core processor. If you’d compare it to the Nexus 7, Google’s own effort look a little weighty and thick against this white-finish tablet. Performance from the dual-core chip is also suitably impressive, despite the curious DoCoMo-decked Android skin coating the Ice Cream Sandwich OS.
In true Japanese style, there’s a TV aerial embedded within the side and while it won’t broadcast the crisp high-definition delights of NOTTV, there’s plenty of terrestrial viewing available — if you stay in the Land of the Rising Sun. We were pleasantly surprised with its crisp WXGA screen, which looks to be TFT. The 1,280 x 800 resolution display meant videos and websites looked sharp, while there was barely any color degradation at wider angles. On DoCoMO’s network, users can expect to see download speeds up to 75Mbs, and upload speeds hitting up to 25Mbps. The tablet is now on sale across Japan, but there’s still no word yet on it launching elsewhere.
Continue reading NEC Medias Tab UL runs Android 4.0, weighs just over half a pound (hands-on)
Filed under: Tablets
NEC Medias Tab UL runs Android 4.0, weighs just over half a pound (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 07:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Here you an interesting concept that once turn real becomes almost a complete, behold the Grip UI from Docomo. The theory, and reality, is that it is rather difficult to use your smartphone in a confined environment like a train for example. It is indeed at pick-hours almost impossible to use both hands with your smartphone without a) Disturbing your neighbors and b) Standing still without disturbing anyone when the train is moving. Strong from this two very basic points the R&D section of …
Maintaining your balance on a packed train while trying to handle the big-screened smartphones of today is often a tough challenge. At least NTT DoCoMo thinks so, offering up a new interface to avoid such issues — and throw in some extra gesture shortcuts. Gesture UI is a combination hardware-software prototype that the Japanese carrier is showing at this year’s CEATEC showcase in Japan. Consisting of a trio of grip sensors located along the two edges and across the back of the prototype phone, these can each detect up to five levels of pressure from your hand, as well as detecting how you’re holding the device.
This data is then channeled into the user interface, which allows the user to customize what the device does under certain conditions. We saw demonstrations of grip “shortcuts” to send you back to the homescreen, while holding certain portions of the sides would launched pre-assigned apps — pinching at the top of this device launched the internet browser. Once inside the browser, the Grip UI also allows the user to transfer across to other programs without returning to the aforementioned homescreen, using a combination of gripping and swiping across the display. We get a handle on the prototype UI inside DoCoMo’s imaginary train right after the break.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
NTT DoCoMo Grip UI detects how you hold your device, makes big phones friendly for tiny hands (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Oct 2012 20:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Japan’s unique language makes calls to other countries a challenge: locals often don’t have much choice but to brush up on someone else’s language or hope there’s a Japanese speaker on the other end of the line. If all goes well with NTT DoCoMo’s planned Hanashite Hon’yaku automatic translation service, international calls will be as comfortable as phoning a store in Nagano. As long as a subscriber has at least an Android 2.2 phone or tablet on the carrier’s moperaU or sp-mode plans, the service will automatically convert spoken Japanese to another language, and reverse the process for the reply, whether it’s through an outbound phone call or an in-person conversation. The service will bridge cultures starting from November 1st, when it will translate from Japanese to Chinese, English or Korean. Indonesian, Thai and five European languages are coming later that month. If you’re not that patient, NTT DoCoMo will provide a holdover on October 11th through Utsushite Hon’yaku, a free Word Lens-like augmented reality translator for Android 2.3 that can convert text to or from Japanese with a glance through a phone camera.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile
NTT DoCoMo preps automatic translation from Japanese through Android, leaves no one an island originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Oct 2012 11:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
NTT DOCOMO today announced that on November 1 it will launch the world’s first commercial mobile service for translation of conversations between people speaking Japanese and other languages, called Hanashite Hon’yaku (automatic voice translation service). DOCOMO also announced today the October 11 launch of Utsushite Hon’yaku (AR translator with word recognition camera), which translates foreign menus and signage by simply placing a smartphone camera in front of text.
Hanashite Hon’yaku …
Tobii’s eye tracking Gaze UI hasn’t been especially portable so far, but we’ll soon see that change through a new collaboration involving Fujitsu and NTT DoCoMo. The trio plan to reveal the ibeam, an Android tablet with Tobii’s smaller IS20 (formerly the IS-2) detector taking input just through glances. Together, the partners want to show that an eye-driven interface can be more reactive than plain old multi-touch: think turning a page in an e-book while you’re holding on to a subway car strap. We’re only getting a brief preview as of today, but we’re teased with the prospect of a full look at NTT DoCoMo’s CEATEC booth in early October. Whether or not ibeam leads to more than a well-that’s-nice prototype, though, is still up in the air.
Filed under: Tablets
Tobii, Fujitsu and NTT DoCoMo partner on eye tracking ibeam tablet, promise a peek in October originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 14:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tablets these days can do a lot of different things, but NTT DOCOMO has a new tablet in the pipeline with a feature that we don’t see all that often: eye tracking. The eye tracking technology in NTT DOCOMO’s new ibeam concept tablet will be supplied by Tobii, and if you’re going to be at CEATEC in Tokyo at the beginning of October, you’ll get the chance to see it in action. It’s there, at booth #4B66, that NTT DOCOMO will be unveiling the prototype ibeam for the first time.
Of course, eye tracking tech probably isn’t going to sell millions upon millions of tablets in the blink of an eye, but it does have its uses. The ibeam uses the Tobii IS20, which is described as “the most advanced and compact eye tracker in the world,” in a statement released today. During CEATEC in Tokyo, NTT DOCOMO will be showing off examples of natural user interfaces for PCs and tablets that are centered around eye tracking integration.
One of the benefits of eye tracking integration is that users would potentially be able to control the ibeam tablet using only their eyes. This means that you could have true hands-free functionality, and we imagine that using eye tracking tech would prove to be a lot easier than using voice commands. At the very least, when using eye tracking tech, you won’t be caught in public shouting commands at your device.
The ibeam certainly sounds like an interesting tablet, but unfortunately we’re going to have to wait for the lion’s share of the details. Since it sounds like the ibeam is in the early stages of development – keep in mind that NTT DOCOMO will only be showing off a prototype at CEATEC – the tablet is probably still a ways off from hitting the market (if it ever does at all). Still, it will be exciting to see what the ibeam can do, so keep it tuned here to SlashGear for more information.
Tobii and NTT DOCOMO announce ibeam eye-tracking tablet is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Now we’re intrigued. It’s a common (if unconfirmed) belief that the next iPhone will support LTE-based 4G, but the Wall Street Journal now understands through the ever-present “people familiar with the matter” that Apple is taking 4G worldwide. Where the current iPad only supports two LTE frequencies and drops to HSPA+ outside of the US and Canada, the new iPhone will supposedly cover parts of Asia and Europe as well. The exact countries haven’t been outlined, although it’s easy to imagine Apple going for those countries where 4G speeds matter the most: there’s been rumblings of talks with KT and SK Telecom in South Korea, but we could also see France, Germany, Japan and Scandiavian countries in the mix. The rumor hasn’t been confirmed, of course. That said, the iPhone was already purported to be using a new cellular chipset — and a number of carriers, most often in the US, have long said they won’t carry new smartphones unless LTE is part of the package. We’ll know the full scoop on Wednesday.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
WSJ: 2012 iPhone to support global 4G LTE originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 18:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
The device you’re about to have a peek at goes by the name LG Optimus G and it’s about to bring on next-level hardware the likes of which you’ve never seen before. The LG Optimus G has been made official by LG this week, here showing its full specifications for one whole heck of a lot of smartphone glory. You’ll be working with the ultra-powerful 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064, 4G LTE connectivity, and LG’s futuristic application of their fully integrated touch technology that goes by the name of in-cell touch.
This technology called in-cell touch has also been tipped as being prepared for use in the iPhone 5 (or New iPhone, whatever you like), as it’s revealed some time next month (if the rumors are true, of course.) The CEO of LG let the world know last week that they were ready and willing to make their ability to create said technology in real hardware form public knowledge, and here with the LG Optimus G, it appears that the first implementation of the innovation has been revealed as well.
This device features a True HD (1280 x 768 pixel resolution) IPS+ LCD, a display which LG says is able to head right up to the edge of the 3mm bezel – fun stuff! On the back of the device you’ll find a massive 13 megapixel camera, on the front you’ve got a 1.3 megapixel camera, and inside you’ve got 2GB of RAM – that’s power! Paired with the quad-core Snapdragon processor inside, it appears that the Samsung Galaxy S III will have some benchmark competition.
The LG Optimus G will be appearing on NTT Docomo in Japan as the L-01E in October or November, while a more standard Korea release will be happening next week. This device will measure in at 8.45mm thin – considering that this is thin already, even without considering the 2,100 mAh battery inside – the LG crew may have a pretty awesome device on their hands. This smartphone will also be released with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich right out of the box.
[via Engadget]
LG Optimus G official with in-cell touch is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
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