Jun 29

Is the iPhone 4 having proximity sensor troubles?

Posted in: Apple, iPhone, problem, sensor, Today's Chili

The iPhone 4‘s massive launch hasn’t been blemish free, with reports of spotty displays (which seem to have disappeared) and antenna woes being rather widely reported. Well — it looks like it’s possible there’s another issue too — this time with the proximity sensor. Now, we’re no strangers to spontaneously turning on speakerphone with our faces (though admittedly our cheeks are pretty round), so it’s hard to say if this is an iPhone 4-specific issue, but the mounting reports would suggest that it’s possible the new handsets sensor is a little bit… over sensitive. Reported issues include accidentally disconnecting calls, throwing the speakerphone switch, and putting people on hold accidentally. What about you? Are you having problems with your iPhone 4’s proximity sensor? Let us know in the comments.

Is the iPhone 4 having proximity sensor troubles? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Apple Insider  |  sourceApple Support  | Email this | Comments

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Jun 25

The Engadget Show: Xbox 360 and iPad on the clock at ESPN’s headquarters

Posted in: Apple, engadget, engadget show, EngadgetShow, ipad, Microsoft, sensor, Sports, the engadget show, TheEngadgetShow, Today's Chili, video, xbox 360, Xbox360

If you tuned in to this month’s Engadget Show (and you did, right?), then you caught a glimpse of our recent jaunt to Bristol, Connecticut where we toured the inner workings of the world leader in broadcast sports. ESPN’s got far more technology going on than you might imagine, with an entire “emerging technology” group dedicated to sprucing up the content you see on screen. We couldn’t quite squeeze everything into The Show, so here we’ve cut up an extended version of our tour that shows off even more of the magic behind the scenes. Ever wonder if a place like ESPN would rely on common toys like an Xbox 360 or iPad to control on-screen play demonstrations? Curious to know what kind of sensor tag technology is being worked on to give viewers a real-time look at how high skateboards (and eventually snowboards) are getting in halfpipe? Hop on past the break and mash play — there’s a lot more to ESPN than just homers, World Cup equalizers and Not Top 10s.

Host: Darren Murph
Produced and Directed by: Chad Mumm and Nina Sokoler
Executive Producer: Joshua Fruhlinger
Filmed by: Chad Mumm
Edited by: Chad Mumm and Michael Slavens
Music by: Glomag, Nullsleep
Opening titles by: Julien Nantiec

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Continue reading The Engadget Show: Xbox 360 and iPad on the clock at ESPN’s headquarters

The Engadget Show: Xbox 360 and iPad on the clock at ESPN’s headquarters originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Jun 2010 19:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 17

DIYer combines iPhone 3GS with Show WX for pico projected gaming bliss (video)

Posted in: Apple, concept, diy, gaming, iPhone, pico projector, PicoProjector, projector, prototype, sensor, smartphone, Today's Chili, video

The Moject project proved that smartphones and pico projectors do indeed have a thing for one another, but Ethan Janson has taken things one step further with an unnamed contraption that holds his iPhone 3GS, a Microvision Show WX and an “ancient” point-and-shoot camera. Put simply, the handmade thingamajig allows him to play his iPhone games on a far larger screen, and since the Show WX is continually in focus regardless of distance from walls, there’s never a blurring issue when flailing about in order to control the gameplay. The full skinny is down there in the source, but shortcut takers can head straight past the break for a video.

[Thanks, Ethan]

Continue reading DIYer combines iPhone 3GS with Show WX for pico projected gaming bliss (video)

DIYer combines iPhone 3GS with Show WX for pico projected gaming bliss (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 May 2010 13:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 16

LinnStrument multitouch music maker gets demoed on video, grasps for investors

Posted in: amazon, audio, awesome, concept, multitouch, Music, sensor, sound, Today's Chili, touch, touchscreen, video

Roger Linn. Ever heard of him? He’s only the man behind the modern day drum machine and the original MPC-60, and he’s also the man behind the concept you’re inevitably peering at above. For now, Roger’s calling this beaut the LinnStrument, and there’s quite a back story to go along with it. The design began way back in 2006, with the goal being to create a full-on multitouch instrument with the ability to let one’s finger dictate volume, timbre, pitch and pressure. No doubt, many have tried to concoct something similar, but Roger’s discovery of TouchCo enabled him to create one sans the limitations of imitators. Unfortunately, Amazon quietly scooped up the startup in January of this year (to have this sort of technology available for the Kindle product line), and in turn, shut down TouchCo’s involvement with the outside world. Now, Roger’s being forced to reveal his unfinished work in hopes of attracting investors or unearthing another company that could mimic this sort of awesomeness en masse. Jump on past the break and mash play to get a better idea of what the world’s missing out on, and be sure to tell Jeff Bezos “thanks” the next time you bump into him.

[Thanks, Peter]

Continue reading LinnStrument multitouch music maker gets demoed on video, grasps for investors

LinnStrument multitouch music maker gets demoed on video, grasps for investors originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 16 May 2010 11:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Create Digital Music  |  sourceRoger Linn Design  | Email this | Comments

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May 15

UCSD researchers hope to track airborne toxins with sensor-equipped cellphones

Posted in: sensor, Today's Chili
If researchers the world over have their way, cellphones will one day be used to detect and track everything from nuclear radiation to pollution to cancer, and it looks like you can now add one more to the group — some researchers from the University of California, San Diego have developed a tiny sensor that could eventually let cellphones track airborne toxins in real time. To do that, the researchers have proposed a rather novel system that would consist of a tiny silicon sensor that changes color when it interacts with various chemicals, and a equally tiny camera with a macro lens that would actually capture an image of the sensor and display it on the phone’s screen. As you might have guessed, however, while the researchers are now showing off the sensor itself, they still have a ways to go on the cellphone part of the equation — although they have apparently started work on a prototype.

UCSD researchers hope to track airborne toxins with sensor-equipped cellphones originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 May 2010 07:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 11

Sony NEX-5 is small, really really small (video)

Posted in: hands-on, micro four thirds, MicroFourThirds, olympus, Panasonic, preview, samsung, sensor, sony, Today's Chili, video
What started back in 2008 has become a glorious trend: stuffing DSLR-sized sensors into compact camera bodies. First it was Olympus and Panasonic with its Micro Four Thirds standard followed recently by Samsung’s NX10. Now Sony is flexing its digital imaging muscle with the introduction of its own compacts sporting APS-C-sized sensors and interchangeable glass. Both CNET and LetGoDigital already have previews of the NEX-5 — the “world’s smallest and lightest interchangeable lens digital camera” according to Sony. And by the looks of that comparison shot above with Olympus’ diminutive PEN E-PL1, we’re guessing that’s a pretty accurate assessment. CNET was particularly stoked by the “aggressively priced” pre-production NEX-5 it took for a spin. Although the camera’s not without faults — quirky UI and controls (hey, it’s Sony!), inconsistent autofocus, lack of electronic viewfinder, and a general lack of manual controls — CNET found the NEX-5 to be “fairly fast” with “really quiet” lenses for both zooming and focusing. Most importantly, it judged the photo quality and noise profile to be “really good” while producing “sharp” 1080/60i AVCHD video. Mosey on through the break for CNET‘s video preview of the NEX-5 and then hit up the source link for some sample photos and a good spec-by-spec comparison of the NEX-5 with its micro format competition.

Gallery: Sony NEX Cameras hands-on

Continue reading Sony NEX-5 is small, really really small (video)

Sony NEX-5 is small, really really small (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 May 2010 06:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 23

NC State gurus create harder, better, faster, stronger ‘smart sensors’

Posted in: military, research, science, sensor, Today's Chili, university, wargadget

The year is 1974. Skywalker lives, and a tradition is born. The year is 1983. The odds are ridiculous. The final score leads to an unpremeditated running around the court that’ll live forever in history. Fast forward to 2010, and NC State is hanging onto advancements in science while the blued neighbors in Durham and Chapel-Hill are celebrating back-to-back titles. Regardless of all that, we’re still pretty proud of Dr. Jay Narayan and company, who have just uncovered a new “smart sensor” that will allow for “faster response times from military applications.” Essentially, the team has taken a sensor material called vanadium oxide and integrated it with a silicon chip, forcing the sensor to become a part of the computer chip itself. The new approach leads to intelligent sensors that can “sense, manipulate and respond to information” in a much faster manner than before, providing soldiers with weapons and analyzing tools that can react more hastily to incoming ammunition or other, um, pertinent information. It’s no banner hanging ceremony, but we’ll take what we can get.

NC State gurus create harder, better, faster, stronger ‘smart sensors’ originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Apr 2010 11:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 19

Scientists develop implants that melt onto the surface of the brain

Posted in: Medicine, sensor, Today's Chili

Looks like brain implants have just got a lot more effective — and a lot creepier. Developed by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia, the new bio-integrated electronics eschew electrodes resembling needles or semi-flexible wires for an ultrathin flexible material that is made partly from silk. Since the new material “essentially melts into place” (scientists compare it to shrink-wrap), it hugs the brain, getting more effective readings than previous technology. It is hoped that the new technology will prove much more effective — and extremely beneficial for patients with epilepsy, spinal cord injuries, and other neurological disorders. According to John Rogers, Ph.D., the man who invented the flexible electronics at the University of Illinois, “It may also be possible to compress the silk-based implants and deliver them to the brain, through a catheter.” We wish these good folks the best of luck with their research — and we really, really hope that we never have anything shot into our brain with a catheter. PR after the break.

Continue reading Scientists develop implants that melt onto the surface of the brain

Scientists develop implants that melt onto the surface of the brain originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Apr 2010 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 15

Moject prototype combines pico projector, smartphone and motion gaming (video)

Posted in: Apple, concept, gaming, iPhone, pico projector, PicoProjector, projector, prototype, sensor, smartphone, Today's Chili, video


As if Sony’s PlayStation Move, Nintendo’s Wii and Microsoft’s Project Natal weren’t evidence enough, we’re here to inform you that motion gaming is here to stay… for awhile, anyway. One area where it hasn’t quite taken over in full force is the mobile sector, but Dave & Adie are angling to change that. Their Moject (short for Motion Projection) project has led to a prototype device that straps onto an iPhone, providing a pico projector for the phone and using the handset’s internal sensors to recognize movements. A demo title has also been crafted to demonstrate how it all works, and while the iPhone is obviously just the beginning of where this could go, you owe it to yourself to give the video (hosted just after the break) a look. And the jams aren’t too harsh on the ears, either.

Continue reading Moject prototype combines pico projector, smartphone and motion gaming (video)

Moject prototype combines pico projector, smartphone and motion gaming (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 12:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceMoject  | Email this | Comments

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Apr 15

Intel’s experimental sensor analyzes appliance power consumption from single outlet

Posted in: green, intel, power, sensor, Today's Chili, wifi, Wireless

It’s pretty much set in silicon — in the future, you will monitor your home power consumption, and perhaps even enjoy doing so. Futuristic touchscreen panels and free monitoring software abound, each designed to reward you with a warm, fuzzy Captain Planet feeling and a reduced energy bill when you finally turn off that blasted light. Thing is, unless you’ve got a home automation system, you won’t know which switch to flip. Intel wants to change that with a new wireless sensor that can identify each individual appliance in your house by their unique electrical signal, just by plugging into a single outlet in your house. The reportedly low-cost sensor works by simply recognizing voltage drop patterns when devices are turned on and off, and doesn’t require special appliances to function; Intel demonstrated it on a standard toaster, microwave and fridge in Beijing this week. Demonstrate your supreme demand for this “why didn’t I think of that” idea by directing traffic to our source link — you can jump to 20:10 to see the sensor in action.

Intel’s experimental sensor analyzes appliance power consumption from single outlet originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceIntel (video)  | Email this | Comments

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