If you felt like the Apple Touch ID sensor in the iPhone 5s wasn’t enough, that you’d like so much security in your Apple products that it’s easier to get locked out than get in, you’re in luck. There’s a set of patent applications out there this week that show how Apple’s Touch ID system […]
It’s funny how, as time passes, we grow fonder of gadgets that were once disregarded. Nerd nostalgia has a knack of trumping common sense and draining wallets, which is why we’re almost hesitant to bring this auction of Palm and webOS gear to your attention. Featuring the collection of a former webOS employee, you’ll find everything from t-shirts, posters and other branded paraphernalia, through to a mint-condition Palm VII PDA, 4G TouchPads and a range of mobiles, including many from the long-forgotten Pre series. The prize piece, however, has to be the boxed, unused Palm Foleo complete with an hour of phone time with one of the product’s OG engineers, who also “has apps for you,” apparently. All money raised from the auction is going to a charitable cause, which totally justifies whatever exaggerated sum Palm’s nigh-mythical flop ends up going for.
Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds, Laptops, Tablets, HP
Source: 32auctions, Josh Marinacci
Wacom is covering all grounds lately with new products
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Logitech has announced a new wireless keyboard that comes with a built-in trackpad. The TK820 is a new teardrop-shaped keyboard that includes a chiclet style keyboard layout and a huge trackpad built in on the right side. It’s not quite as large as Apple’s Magic Trackpad or the company’s own Wireless Touchpad, but it’s larger […]
HP might have abandoned ship long ago, but some developers are still trying to make the TouchPad happen. While successfully running Android on the discontinued tablet (which shipped with the ill-fated webOS) is old hat at this point, there are still a few obstacles standing in the way of achieving full functionality. For TouchPad owners yearning for Bluetooth support, hope has arrived in the form of developer James Sullins’ unofficial Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2 build. If you’ve already modified your tablet to work with Android, installing Sullins’ Bluetooth addition seems to be a pretty straightforward process. Those of you who’ve stuck with your TouchPad this long (we commend your device loyalty) can download the update at the source link below.
Filed under: Tablets, Software, HP
Via: Liliputing
Source: Goo.im
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
While Tobii has a peripheral that brings eye tracking to Windows PCs of all sorts, there’s little doubt that an integrated approach would be more elegant. The company agrees: it’s partnering with Synaptics on a concept Ultrabook (seen above) that combines both Gaze UI and Synaptics’ pressure-sensitive ForcePad in a showcase of new input methods. The partners haven’t said just what new tricks they’ll demonstrate, if any, but it’s clear that there won’t be a size penalty when the concept is as slim as the laptops in stores today. Synaptics and Tobii plan to tour the PC throughout the industry during the summer and the fall, and they’re no doubt hoping that a few vendors use the concept as inspiration.
Filed under: Laptops, Peripherals
Source: Tobii
The problem with laptop trackpads: they’re usually not very good. But would turning the touchpad into a mouse solve the problem? Perhaps. That’s what MSI seems to be attempting with its MouseBook concept. In essence, it’s a laptop with a trackpad that can pop out and then be used as a standalone mouse. As you can see in the photo above, there’s a release switch for removing the pad. Once it’s out, you can move it across your desk as you would a mouse, as opposed to just using it as an external trackpad. It connects over Bluetooth and, as you’d expect, it recharges when it’s inside the laptop. What we find most intriguing, perhaps, is the fact that when you remove the trackpad, a flat surface rises up to fill the space so that you’re not left with a gaping hole in your palm rest. Since this is just an experiment at this point, MSI can’t say if it will ever make its way into a real product. If you’re curious, though, we’ve got a walkthrough video after the break, showing everything except, uh, how it works — MSI still doesn’t have a fully functioning unit to show off.
Gallery: MSI MouseBook concept hands-on
Filed under: Laptops
ASUS was rather cryptic about this little peripheral with its “It’ll move you” teaser, but now we get it. Dubbed the VivoMouse, ASUS claims this to be the world’s first mouse-and-touchpad hybrid, and it’s also wireless. One bonus feature here is that you can use it as a handheld remote with thumb control — presumably the thumb stays on that circular trackpad with ASUS’ iconic spin finish. We’ll know more once we get our hands on this optical mouse in a moment, so keep an eye out for an update here.
Update: Hands-on gallery added below, and there’s also a demo video after the break. The VivoMouse is actually slimmer than we expected, and when held in air, you can scroll pages by simply stroking along the lower edge of the circular trackpad. Other usual Windows 8 gestures are supported, including pinch-to-zoom, rotate, start menu toggle and sidebar toggle. The LED underneath the device uses blue light for better tracking as well. It’s a pretty slick device, but hopefully it’s won’t be too pricey, either.
Gallery: ASUS VivoMouse
Filed under: Peripherals, ASUS
The company that’s bringing Fan TV to the market is not a new one. It’s not necessarily an old one, either: still considered a “startup” as they released their “Fanhattan” app back in 2011, they’ve since moved this streaming video environment to the web and now – surprise – to the television as well. While the machine itself does not yet have a price point or a release date as such, co-founder of Fanhattan Gilles BianRosa spoke up this afternoon: they mean to take over.
The device known as Fan TV, developed and manufactured by Fanhattan, builds on the success of the web and iOS-based Fanhattan collections of video sources. Inside users will also find live TV, on-demand TV, a “cloud-based DVR”, and streaming services galore. Then there’s the remote.
While the rest of the world – for the most part – still works with keyboards and multiple physical buttons to control any display, Fan TV uses a single palm-resting touchpad. Designed to work without having to see anything but the display it’s controlling, this pad is also designed with its physical aesthetic in mind – it looks like an upside-down version of the Fan TV main unit.
This system works with multiple services, and will work with more by the time it launches. Though the actual device has not yet been tied to any services, but having a peek at those connected with the iOS and Web Fanhattan user interfaces should give some rather healthy clues. It’s expected that RedBox Instant, Netflix, and Hulu Plus will continue to be partners with the effort when this device launches – whenever that ends up being.
BONUS: Fan TV works with Kabletown! According to Fan TV: “Yes, we know Kabletown isn’t real, but we love Liz Lemon. Product images represent the vision of where we’re headed and are not indicative of final partnerships.”
Fan TV aims for set-top future with all-touch interface is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
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