Hasta La Gadget!

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

In 2002, the first LCD-based iMac succeeded the translucent PowerPC G3-based models that the original Bondi Blue iMac begat. The new generation was much more striking than the one that had placed Apple on the comeback trail. The iMac G4 mounted the display on a balanced arm similar to a Luxo lamp while the motherboard resided in a hemispherical base. This allowed the display to be adjusted to a wide range of heights and angles and each of the two main sections to be “true to itself.”

Alas, the design had its limits. It’s difficult to imagine today’s ample 27-inch iMac displays balancing off such a mount. Furthermore, after the switch to Intel, processor thermals improved to help enable the slim iMac of today. The idea of efforts being true to themselves (at least until nearly compromise-free convergence is possible), however, has stayed a hallmark of Apple. For example, the company would resist adding video to the iPod for years after competitors had the feature.

Filed under: Handhelds, Tablets, Software, Apple, Microsoft

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Bringing touch interfaces to real-world objects often involves putting hardware either inside the item or in front of it, neither of which is especially natural. Fujitsu has developed a control system that could eliminate those obstructions and bring digital interaction to many surfaces, even to old-fashioned paper. Its multi-camera approach can distinguish between objects on a table and the exact positions of a user’s fingers, right down to fingertip outlines; it’s accurate enough to scan text from a book as you drag your finger along the page. The system really comes alive, however, when its projector is involved. Besides providing visual feedback, the image overlay allows for both control of purely digital objects and interfaces tailored to real-world items. The company imagines brochures or maps that pop up extra details, among numerous other examples. While we wonder how long the technology will remain useful when there’s an ongoing push to go paperless, Fujitsu sees enough practicality that it’s anticipating a product in its fiscal 2014. That doesn’t leave long until we can get a very literal hands-on.

Filed under: Displays, Peripherals

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Via: The Verge

Source: Fujitsu

Apple likes to build devices using metal. Unfortunately, the material isn’t usually conducive to touch, in the literal sense of the word — capacitive touch doesn’t always register on a metal gadget, and you can often forget about a response to pressure. A newly published patent from the company could at last get these unfeeling devices to acknowledge our grip without putting sensors above the surface. Apple’s method would detect the changes in capacitance between hidden nodes when a device’s shell is put under strain, and trigger a hardware or software reaction when there’s a strong-enough squeeze. The concept is simple enough. Just what Apple would like to do with the patent, if anything, is the real riddle. The patent was originally filed in 2009, and covers just about everything computer- or mobile-based that Apple could produce; any burning desire to use the technique would likely have been satisfied by now. If our future iPhones or Macs ever answer a hug with more than just cold indifference, though, we’ll know why.

Filed under: Cellphones, Laptops, Tablets, Apple

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Source: USPTO

Ubuntu’s Touch Developer Preview was originally put forward as something for “enthusiasts” as well as developers. Well, having been hands-on with the code that will be made public tomorrow, we’d say it requires enthusiasm a-plenty — perhaps even amateur coder quantities of the stuff. That’s because a lot of core functionality is still missing from the OS, such as the ability to play music files or import real-life contacts, and there’s a long way to go if it’s to be signed off as “code complete” in October.

On the other hand, this is really just a statement of the obvious. Canonical has been pretty clear that the main purpose of this early release is to lure in developers and get them to contribute to the fundamental stages of the project. Furthermore, the video after the break shows that there are many aspects of the OS which work fine — such as the gallery and video apps, the “side stage” and HUD features, and also general performance on the Nexus 10‘s hardware. The UI merges some Kindle- and Windows 8-esque features with things that are totally original — like responsive design which allows the exact same OS and apps to run on a phone, tablet, TV or desktop. We certainly hope it generates interest — not only among developers but also among device manufacturers who want to do more than just talk about differentiation.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Mobile

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We’re here live at Intel’s CES press conference, where Kirk Skaugen has announced that companies who want to use the Ultrabook name and Haswell internals, it’ll have to include touch as standard. The other new condition that Santa Clara is imposing is that the device must carry Wireless Display as standard. On the upside, at least you’ll be able to see the images on your TV when your Ultrabook screen gets too greasy from your fingers.

Filed under: Laptops, Intel

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