Oct 17

Kinect hack lets you manage your bank account with gestures, will occupy your living room (video)

Posted in: app, application, ctia, demo, interface, kinect, money, sensor, Today's Chili, ui
You know all those convoluted gestures and hate-infused fist pumps you make every time you look at your bank account? Well, you can now put them to good use, thanks to a new Kinect hack from Lithuania-based Etronika. The company’s software, which made its debut at last week’s CTIA E&A event, effectively brings motion-controlled banking directly to your living room. All you have to do is stand in front of your display, clap your hands to choose an icon, or wave your hand back and forth to navigate across the app’s carousel menu. This means you can pay your bills, check your balance and return to fetal position without even touching a sharp object. “A lot of banking software apps are filled with boring crap,” Etronika CEO Kestutis Gardziulis explained with refreshing candor. “With our software, you could be on the couch at home, having a beer, all while dealing with your bank account and kicking back.” Beer, banking and body language — sounds scandalous! Head past the break to watch a demo video, starring Pam Beesly’s doppelgänger.

Continue reading Kinect hack lets you manage your bank account with gestures, will occupy your living room (video)

Kinect hack lets you manage your bank account with gestures, will occupy your living room (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Oct 2011 12:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 13

CyanogenMod for TouchPad alpha released, is surprisingly functional (video)

Posted in: Android, demo, diy, gingerbread, GoogleAndroid, hack, hacking, Hacks, HP, mod, multitouch, slate, tablet, Today's Chili, touchpad, video, webos, wifi





Tired of seeing TouchPad Android demos that you can’t quite get your hands on? Buck up buttercup, CyanogenMod 7.1.0’s unique flavor of Gingerbread has finally made its way to HP’s disowned slate; but beware — they’re calling this one the “lower your expectations” edition for a reason. A new video and forum update belabors the point that the alpha is an early, buggy build that is not intended for the general public. However, if you’re brave enough to install CyanogenMod anyway, you’ll wind up with a neat assortment of usable features, including multiboot support, ten-point multitouch, functional WiFi, camera support for video chat, limited GPU acceleration and a ton of other features that are either working now, or are near completion. The team says there are too many nonfunctional features to properly list at the moment, but advise brave testers to expect app incompatibility and poorly optimized power consumption. Ready to throw caution to the wind? Hit the source link below, as it’s chock full of cautionary tales, installation instructions, and download links.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

CyanogenMod for TouchPad alpha released, is surprisingly functional (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Oct 2011 04:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 04

KDDI shows off sensory enhancements for smartphone users, throws a free-viewpoint virtual concert

Posted in: Android, ceatec, concept, demo, Features, hands-on, Japan, research, smartphone, tablet, Today's Chili, video
KDDI shows off sensory enhancements for smartphone users, throws a free-viewpoint virtual concert

Japanese carrier KDDI’s never been shy about showing off its latest and greatest from its lab, and here at CEATEC 2011 we got to lay our fingers on a couple of its in-development smartphone sensory enhancements, along with a free-viewpoint concert concept that’s being researched on. The first demo we saw was actually the same haptic smartphone prototype that was unveiled back in May, but we thought it’d be nice to give it a go with our very own hands — read on to find out how well it performed.

Gallery: KDDI shows off sensory enhancements for smartphone users, throws a free-viewpoint virtual concert

Continue reading KDDI shows off sensory enhancements for smartphone users, throws a free-viewpoint virtual concert

KDDI shows off sensory enhancements for smartphone users, throws a free-viewpoint virtual concert originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 06:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 23

Toyota demos Prius’ proximity notification system, touts ‘futuristic’ purr (video)

Posted in: car, demo, electric vehicle, ElectricVehicle, ev, hybrid, safety, sound, speaker, Today's Chili, Toyota, video
Silence may be a virtue under most circumstances, but not when you’re driving around a leafy, residential neighborhood in your Toyota Prius. That’s why the manufacturer came out with its very own vehicle proximity notification system last year — a “futuristic,” underhood noisemaker designed to alert pedestrians and the visually impaired to the plug-in’s presence. Now, Toyota has offered more details on its safety system, in a freshly released demo video starring the 2012 Prius V. The car’s artificial engine noise, as the company explains, only kicks in at speeds below 15 miles per hour, allowing it to broadcast its audible heads-up across parking lots or other low-speed zones. The sound itself, meanwhile, emanates from external speakers and consists of a blend of high and low frequencies that won’t be by muffled by background noise or physical obstacles. The vehicle’s pitch shift technology also enables the tone to rise in pitch as the car speeds up and to fall as it slows down, giving others an idea of how fast it’s approaching. Accelerate past the break to see the full video for yourself, while John Kerry nods in silent approval.

Continue reading Toyota demos Prius’ proximity notification system, touts ‘futuristic’ purr (video)

Toyota demos Prius’ proximity notification system, touts ‘futuristic’ purr (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 07:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 18

CyanogenMod 7 update brings WiFi, sound and accelerometer support to TouchPad (video)

Posted in: Android, demo, diy, GoogleAndroid, hack, honeycomb, HP, mod, slate, tablet, Today's Chili, video, webos, wifi

Oh, sure — HP’s webOS may be one of the most sophisticated tablet operating systems in existence, but with a permanently stagnant market, The CM Team has decided that your fire sale TouchPad may be better off running Android. You know, from a long-term perspective. All jesting aside, the crew has been pounding the pavement on a new (and vastly improved) CyanogenMod 7 for Android, with this build providing functional WiFi, access to the Android Market, audio (albeit a bit fast) and an operational accelerometer. There’s no code being released just yet — the team’s still working to cull the aforesaid Hamsterdance effect — but you can catch a sneak peek of everything in action just above.

CyanogenMod 7 update brings WiFi, sound and accelerometer support to TouchPad (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Sep 2011 11:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 17

Eyes-on with Thunderbolt on Windows at IDF 2011 (video)

Posted in: demo, hands-on, HandsOn, intel, PC, thunderbolt, Today's Chili, video, Windows

Sure, you’ve seen the announcement of Thunderbolt on the PC, the chips that’ll power it and a bevy of compatible accessories, but how about actual proof of Thunderbolt working on Windows? Hidden deep in the recesses of IDF’s technical showcase, we found just that and immortalized it on video for all to see. Essentially the same Chipzilla demo as when we first witnessed the interconnect on Macs, we watched the playback of four 1080p streams devour over 700MB of throughput off a PCIe attached SSD. You know the drill, serious bit slinging awaits in the gallery below and video after the break.

Myriam Joire contributed to this report.

Gallery: Eyes-on with Thunderbolt on Windows at IDF 2011

Continue reading Eyes-on with Thunderbolt on Windows at IDF 2011 (video)

Eyes-on with Thunderbolt on Windows at IDF 2011 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Sep 2011 11:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 26

Droid Bionic gets a silent walkthrough (video)

Posted in: demo, droid, mobilepostcross, mobilepostmini, motorola, Today's Chili, verizon, video

Sure, there’s no sword-wielding lady in a leather blouse, but this silent hands-on walkthrough will no doubt prove exciting in its own right for anyone who has been aching to get their hands on the forthcoming Droid Bionic. It’s four minutes and change of scrolling through the Verizon phone’s fancy animations, with a speed test thrown in for good measure. Overall, there’s nothing too earthshaking, but it’s one of the most in-depth walkthroughs we’ve seen of the anticipated and long-delayed device in its current form, adding to that start up video we spotted the other day — and unlike those Verizon ads, it actually has a phone in it.

Continue reading Droid Bionic gets a silent walkthrough (video)

Droid Bionic gets a silent walkthrough (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 15:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 24

Microsoft showcases new copy, move, rename functions in Windows 8 (video)

Posted in: demo, developer, Microsoft, operating system, OperatingSystem, os, preview, Today's Chili, ui, video, windows 8, Windows8
Windows 8 has yet to see the light of day, but new details on the forthcoming OS continue to emerge. The most recent preview once again comes courtesy of Microsoft’s Building Windows 8 blog, where the company has posted new information on the software’s copy, move, rename and delete functions. With the new system, all pending copy operations will appear in one dialog, where users can pause, stop and resume any job, while monitoring data transfer rates on a real-time throughput graph (pictured above). Redmond’s developers have also made it easier to resolve file name collisions, with a new dialog that displays thumbnail images of source files directly alongside preexisting documents of the same name. This allows users to decide which files they’d like to copy or replace by simply hovering their mouse over the image to see its file path, or double clicking it to open in full view. For more information, check out the demo video that’s waiting for you after the break.

Continue reading Microsoft showcases new copy, move, rename functions in Windows 8 (video)

Microsoft showcases new copy, move, rename functions in Windows 8 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 11:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 12

Netflix dons its square pants with ‘Just for Kids’ section trial

Posted in: demo, netflix, streaming, Today's Chili, watch instantly, WatchInstantly

Worried that Netflix isn’t doing enough to appeal to the under-10 set? Good news, the movie rental giant has begun testing a “Just for Kids” section, rolling out the feature to a limited number of subscribers. Eligible users will find a tab just to the right of the Watch Instantly button. At the top of the new page is a series of familiar children’s characters, including the likes of Spongebob, Popeye, and, yep, the Jonas Brothers. Each character has its own landing page with easily accessible content. We reached out to Netflix for more information on the matter, and the company would only confirm that the feature is still in testing mode. Given the amount of nostalgia currently available, we suspect that kids of all ages will be pitching in with the trial.

Netflix dons its square pants with ‘Just for Kids’ section trial originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Aug 2011 19:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 12

HAPMAP navigational system keeps your eyes on the prize, your hands on the route (video)

Posted in: demo, gps, hands-on, nav, navigation, Today's Chili, video

Alternative navigational systems aren’t exactly new, but the concept shown here just might have wings. HAPMAP was one of a handful of projects selected for demonstration at SIGGRAPH‘s E-tech event, aiming to keep a human’s eye away from the map (and in turn, on whatever’s in front of them) by developing a system that guides via haptics. With a handheld device capable of both navigating and vibrating, the interface indicates complex navigation cues that follow the curvature of a road or path — it’s far more detailed than the typical “go straight,” and there’s also opportunity here to provide handicapped individuals with a method for getting to previously inaccessible locales. By mimicking the operation and interface of sliding handrails (as well as using motion capture cameras), it’s particularly useful for the visually impaired, who need these subtle cues to successfully navigate a winding path. Hop on past the break for a couple of demonstration vids.

Gallery: HAPMAP navigational system demo at SIGGRAPH 2011

Continue reading HAPMAP navigational system keeps your eyes on the prize, your hands on the route (video)

HAPMAP navigational system keeps your eyes on the prize, your hands on the route (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Aug 2011 15:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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