Oct 31

Researchers use inkjet acumen to create wireless explosive sensor from paper

Posted in: military, prototype, research, sensor, Today's Chili
Meet Krishna Naishadham and Xiaojuan (Judy) Song. They’re researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and those little devices they’re holding may one day save you from an explosive device. This petite prototype is actually a paper-like wireless sensor that was printed using basic inkjet technology, developed by professor Manos Tentzeris. Its integrated lightweight antenna allows the sensor to link up with communication devices, while its functionalized carbon nanotubes enable it to pick up on even the slightest traces of ammonia — an ingredient common to most IEDs. According to Tentzeris, the trick to such inkjet printing lies in the development of “inks” that can be deposited at relatively low temperatures. These inks, laced with silver nanoparticles, can then be uniformly distributed across paper-based components using a process called sonication. The result is a low-cost component that can adhere to just about any surface. The wireless sensor, meanwhile, requires comparatively low amounts of power, and could allow users to detect bombs from a safe distance. Naishadham says his team’s device is geared toward military officials, humanitarian workers or any other bomb sniffers in hazardous situations, though there’s no word yet on when it could enter the market. To find out more, careen past the break for the full PR.

Continue reading Researchers use inkjet acumen to create wireless explosive sensor from paper

Researchers use inkjet acumen to create wireless explosive sensor from paper originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 08:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 18

Microsoft’s PocketTouch prototype is like x-ray vision for your fingers (video)

Posted in: capacitive, Microsoft, multitouch, prototype, research, science, sensor, smartphone, Today's Chili, touch, video
Is it more gauche to pull out your phone in the middle of a date, or to draw a bunch of crop circles on your pants? That’s the question we were asking ourselves after coming across PocketTouch — a new Microsoft Research prototype that lets you manipulate your handset without ever removing it from your pocket. Developed by researchers Scott Saponas, Chris Harrison and Hrvoje Benko, the device essentially consists of a customized, multitouch capacitive sensor hooked on to the back of a smartphone. This sensor is capable of picking up gestures through fabric, allowing users to execute a wide array of eyes-free, gesture-based functions (including simple swipes and alphanumeric text) without ever having to actually whip out their phones. To do this, the team implemented what it calls an “orientation-defining unlock gesture,” which helps the prototype get its bearings, before testing the capacitive sensors across different fabrics. According to Microsoft, the outcome “exceeded expectations,” though there’s no word on when or if this Goliath of a device could ever hit the mainstream. Head past the break to see a video of a man playing tic-tac-toe on his pants.

Continue reading Microsoft’s PocketTouch prototype is like x-ray vision for your fingers (video)

Microsoft’s PocketTouch prototype is like x-ray vision for your fingers (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 05:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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 12

MIT researchers suggest graphene could be used to build a better camera sensor

Posted in: mit, research, sensor, solar, solar power, SolarPower, Today's Chili

As you may have noticed from the pace of research over the past few years, graphene is promising to make a whole lot of things a whole lot better. Now, it seems, you can also add camera sensors to the list. A team of MIT researchers recently discovered that graphene can serve as a photodetector over a “very wide energy range,” and that it works particularly well in infrared light, where other types of detectors often come up short. That, the researchers say, could open to the door to everything from better nightvision systems to more advanced detectors for astronomical telescopes — not to mention more inexpensive camera sensors in general, since graphene is cheap to work with. What’s more, the researchers also suggest that those same light-detecting abilities could make graphene a good material for collecting solar energy, although they note that there’s still much more research needed to determine if it’s truly an efficient means of generating energy.

MIT researchers suggest graphene could be used to build a better camera sensor originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Oct 2011 03:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 11

Plantronics Voyager Pro HD headset knows when it’s kissing your cheek

Posted in: bluetooth, headset, mobilepostcross, sensor, Today's Chili

If you drive around all day bumping your gums with remote friends and colleagues, then you can’t really get along with those more diminutive headsets on the market. That’s where the fat and proud Voyager range from Plantronics comes in, with features like all-day battery life, a long boom, A2DP and an InstantMeeting app to connect you to conf calls on your iOS, Android or BlackBerry. The latest Voyager Pro HD model is the first to contain sensors that detect proximity to your jowls and allow the device to re-route calls appropriately. The Pro HD is available now at $100, which includes a year’s subscription to the company’s Vocalyst voice recognition service — although we suspect a certain newcomer might have that area covered. The full PR is a click away.

Update: We’ve just been reminded that the earlier Pro UC headset also had the sensors, so please ignore what it says above (and in the Plantronics press release) about the Pro HD being the first. Thanks, b-e-q.

Continue reading Plantronics Voyager Pro HD headset knows when it’s kissing your cheek

Plantronics Voyager Pro HD headset knows when it’s kissing your cheek originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Oct 2011 03:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 01

Compact Stress Meter provides checkups from the comfort of your cubicle (video)

Posted in: mouse, prototype, science, sensor, Software, Today's Chili, video
Chances are you don’t need a machine to know that the office stresses you out, but if you’ve ever felt an urge to actually quantify the toll your boss takes on your body, the Compact Stress Meter could be your new best buddy. Developed by researchers at Tokyo Metropolitan University, this system uses a pulse wave sensor and infrared reflective probe to measure the blood flowing through a user’s fingertips, which serves as a relatively accurate stress index. All you have to do is place your finger on the sensor for ten seconds, and an accompanying computer program will automatically display your stress levels in real-time by analyzing variations in blood flow. At this point, the software and sensor are still separate, though the meter’s developers have already completed a new prototype with the sensor built in to a mouse, allowing users to continuously gauge their stress while diligently working in front of their computers, or while furiously searching for a new job. Click past the break to see the meter in action for yourself.

Continue reading Compact Stress Meter provides checkups from the comfort of your cubicle (video)

Compact Stress Meter provides checkups from the comfort of your cubicle (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 01 Oct 2011 05:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 07

Sony’s F65 CineAlta 4K camera now available for a paltry $65,000

Posted in: availability, film, price, sensor, sony, Today's Chili, wifi
Sony’s F65 CineAlta camera now has a price tag to match its name — and its girth. The imager, which was first unveiled at this year’s NAB Show, has now been officially released ahead of this week’s IBC conference in Amsterdam. The newest member of the CineAlta family captures images in 4K (4096 x 2160) resolution and features a speedy 20.4 megapixel, Super 35mm CMOS sensor, capable of reaching up to 72fps at 4K resolution and 120fps on 2K. The F65 also comes boasts 16-bit RAW output at 19Gbps on 4K and WiFi connectivity that allows you to manipulate it from the comfort of your tablet. The shooter won’t start shipping until January, but filmmakers or production houses with lots of disposable income can order one now, for a mere $65,000. More details await you in the press release, after the break.

Continue reading Sony’s F65 CineAlta 4K camera now available for a paltry $65,000

Sony’s F65 CineAlta 4K camera now available for a paltry $65,000 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Sep 2011 13:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 02

LG Hom-Bot 2.0 Smart Robot Vacuum Cleaner hands-on (video)

Posted in: camera, hands-on, household, Ifa2011, korea, LG, remote control, RemoteControl, robot, RobotApocalypse, Robots, sensor, smartphone, Smartphones, Today's Chili, video


Smile, you’re on Vacucam! LG’s Hom-Bot (RoboKing in the US) was zipping around its own special playpen on the stage at the company’s IFA booth today, picking up the occasional speck of dust and using its dual cams to spy on bloggers and Germans, while also diligently avoiding a plastic family dog along its ten-square-foot cube of real estate. The bot’s Smart ThinQ technology enables it to interact with an Android or iPhone app, which you’ll use to watch a live video feed from its built-in cam, send it rolling to a specific point in the house in “Patrol” mode, or adjust settings. You can also log in remotely, assuming your Hom-Bot is powered up and has a WiFi connection. Official US and Euro pricing and availability hasn’t been announced yet, but an LG rep suggested we’ll see it in the €500-700 range (about $710-995 US). Cameras and interactivity are nice and all, but that’s a lot to spend on any vacuum cleaner. Today’s trade show sneak peek is probably the closest we’ll be getting to this pricey little vac, so roll past the break for some super action footage.

Gallery: LG Hom-Bot 2.0 Smart Robot Vacuum Cleaner hands-on

Continue reading LG Hom-Bot 2.0 Smart Robot Vacuum Cleaner hands-on (video)

LG Hom-Bot 2.0 Smart Robot Vacuum Cleaner hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 30

LG launches ‘RoboKing Triple Eye’ smartphone-controlled vacuuming robot

Posted in: camera, household, Ifa2011, korea, LG, remote control, RemoteControl, robot, RobotApocalypse, Robots, sensor, smartphone, Smartphones, Today's Chili

You won’t have to leave your post on the couch, but you will have to lift a finger to your smartphone in order to tidy up with LG’s ‘RoboKing Triple Eye’ VR6180VMNV robot vacuum. Unlike it’s purple cousin who spends his time looking inwards, this little guy is always looking outward with its three cameras, capturing video and sending it to your smartphone or PC over WiFi. The robot uses sensors to create a plan of attack map of your home, allowing you to move it around by clicking the filthiest parts. Like a well-trained puppy, the dust buster also responds to voice commands from up to 5 feet away and it doesn’t even bark — only emitting 48dB of sound while sucking up dust. Of course, laziness of this caliber doesn’t come cheap, as it costs 899,000 Korean won, or around $840 bones.

LG launches ‘RoboKing Triple Eye’ smartphone-controlled vacuuming robot originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 20:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 29

Stem’s iZON Remote Room Monitor lets you spy on the babysitter from your iOS device

Posted in: app, audio, camera, ios, ipad, iPhone, ipod touch, IpodTouch, itunes, mobilepostcross, monitor, remote, sensor, Today's Chili, video, Wireless, YouTube
Stem iZON
Stem has just come out with a new, wireless camera that could help put parents’ minds at rest, while striking fear into the heart of virtually every teenager. Known as the iZON, this room monitor allows concerned and / or paranoid users to remotely watch and listen in on sensitive spaces, from the comfort of their iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. All you have to do is download the free Stem:Connect App from iTunes and configure the device to alert you whenever it detects any motion or sound in within its vicinity. All content can be streamed across Edge, 3G, or wireless connections and will be safely encrypted, though if you feel like sharing your flatmate’s daytime antics with the rest of the world, you could easily record video of him directly to YouTube. Check out the gallery below and the video after the break.

Gallery: Stem iZON

Continue reading Stem’s iZON Remote Room Monitor lets you spy on the babysitter from your iOS device

Stem’s iZON Remote Room Monitor lets you spy on the babysitter from your iOS device originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Aug 2011 11:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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