Hasta La Gadget!

That’s not a PMP wirelessly mirroring the TV’s dipslay. It’s a Samsung remote control that first blew us away at CES in January when Samsung’s ultra-thin LCD 9000 series TV was first announced. So why revisit it? Well, for starters… look at it! It’s a 3-inch touchsreen remote control in its production form that’s now shipping with the LED backlit 200Hz (not 240Hz, it’s Europe remember) Samsung C9000 — a TV measuring just 7.98-mm thick with a 55-inch diagonal. The remote control itself is built on a 600MHz ARM 11 processor with a custom remote control layer sitting atop Linux and a 2.4GHz 802.11n radio. As such, this little powerhouse gives you lots of options to control and view your media including the ability to continue watching the game even as your bladder drags you into less, shall we say, comfortable rooms. You can even preview other channels without interrupting that vast expanse of LCD viewed by others in the room. It also supports DLNA for streaming your media from any number of compatible devices. Naturally, it also functions as a programable remote for all your new gadget additions. Really, the entire package is quite amazing. Check it for yourself after the break.

Continue reading Samsung’s 55-inch C9000 LCD and its amazing Touch Remote control land at IFA

Samsung’s 55-inch C9000 LCD and its amazing Touch Remote control land at IFA originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 08:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We had some fun playing with LG’s Magic Motion gesture remote at CES this past January, which lets you change channels with a flick of the wrist, and now we’re learning a little more about its fancy innards. Hillcrest Labs, the company behind the Loop mouse/bracelet, is proudly proclaiming that its Freespace tech is what makes LG’s remote so magical in the first place. Hillcrest also would like to take this opportunity to point out that Sony has licensed its technology as well, and given we’re but a few weeks away from the PlayStation Move launch, many are concluding that gadget has some Freespace up in it too. However, given Hillcrest’s nasty patent dispute with Nintendo over the Wiimote, it’s possible this is just Sony covering its ample posterior against a similar lawsuit. Or, this could go all the way back to the tech that allows the DualShock 3 to detect movement. (Remember trying to play that dragon game just with motion controls? Man, that was hard.)

Continue reading Hillcrest Labs brings LG’s Magic Motion remote to life, cheekily points out that Sony uses it, too

Hillcrest Labs brings LG’s Magic Motion remote to life, cheekily points out that Sony uses it, too originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 07:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The intersection of video games and real life is a fantastic place to play, as evidenced by Roombas, Halo and the occasional six-string guitar, but all you really need to blur reality is a webcam, an R/C car and a studio filled with cardboard. That’s what Malte Jehmlich and company used to create this rendition of Wipeout, which moves practically as fast as the PlayStation original due to the blinding scale speed of its 1/28 model cars. It’s all controlled by an arcade racing cabinet complete with steering wheel and on-screen display wirelessly connected to an Arduino board. Originally a two-month hobby project, the designers are presently working towards an advanced version with force feedback and powerups (including boost!) using sensors built right into the track — and hopefully a forklift to lug all that corrugated wood pulp around. See it in action after the break.

Continue reading German designer brings Wipeout racing game to life, burns up cardboard tracks with an R/C car (video)

German designer brings Wipeout racing game to life, burns up cardboard tracks with an R/C car (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Aug 2010 09:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sure, you’ll have seen Lego-based Wall-E imitators before, but few recreate both the cuteness and the basic functionality of the drone quite like this one here. Programmed using Lego Mindstorms, this adorable little creation can transform itself into a box (like the real Wall-E!), pick up and carry objects, look up and down, and even produce and respond to sounds. It can be controlled remotely or left to do things by itself. Follow the break to see it on video.

Continue reading Transformable Wall-E gets recreated with some love, Lego and DIY skills (video)

Transformable Wall-E gets recreated with some love, Lego and DIY skills (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 05:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s all about how you hold it, apparently. Intel’s Labs have churned out a proposal for a new user-identifying system to be embedded into remote controls. Given a bit of time to familiarize itself with particular users, this new motion sensor-equipped channel switcher is capable of correctly recognizing its holder just by the way he operates it. Taking accelerometer readings every 100 nanoseconds, the researchers were able to build a data set of idiosyncrasies about each person, which would then be applied the next time he picked up the remote. Alas, accuracy rates are still well short of 100 percent, but there’s always hope for improving things and for now it’s being suggested that the system could be employed to help with targeted advertising — which is annoying anyway, whoever it may think you are.

Intel’s smart TV remote will recognize you, tailor content to your wishes originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Jul 2010 07:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink New Scientist  |  Branislav Kveton [PDF]  | Email this | Comments