Yeah, so we haven't been the biggest proponents of
motion sensing laptops -- it's sort of hard to see the point when you've usually got your hands on the keyboard or touchpad to control the screen -- but apparently Pointgrab's software is gaining some traction. The software, which works with any 2D webcam, is currently being shipped on Fujitsu Lifebook AH laptops in Japan, but it'll be expanding to other markets soon. In addition, we were told another laptop maker would be preloading it "before the end of the year."
Interesting. We got to spend some time with the Lifebook AH500, and we have to say the software / webcam combo does work quite fluidly -- all we had to do was wave at the screen to bring up the company's menu for opening programs or controlling media. And it was super responsive to our wax-on / wax-off movements to control the volume. But regardless, it's still really hard to imagine when we'd actually use this on a laptop... though, get it on a nettop, HTPC or all-in-one and we'll be all ears (or hands in the air!). It'll be interesting to see which laptop manufacturer feels differently and snatches up Pointgrab's tech soon, but until then check out the gallery and video after the break to see us (awkwardly) wave at a 15.6-inch screen.
posted June 25th 2010 5:25PM
Kinect.....with less animals
@commenter7 I think this whole thing is soon or later of get out of hand. I'm 100% sure it would be faster to just touch the damn thing. Maybe it's just me, but other than those oh so sticky hands *coughs* anyone else find a particular use for this type of interaction?
@ThatDudeSolo well if the tech is/is going to be good enough, fingerprints shall be a thing of the past! ha!
@commenter7 Getting closer and closer to Minority Report! I like. Tis good.
@commenter7
honestly i find this stupid on laptops.
y sit a few feet away from laptop and struggle just to play some songs.
one cant even see wats hapng on the screen from that far.
@commenter7
If only... Kinect could plug in to the computer...
@ThatDudeSolo
Hand Solo?
@Jukah give it like 2-days before hackers get a HAND on Kinect and add PC compatibility. It will very likely be USB ready. I would really enjoy something like this on my computer as my bed is distant enough that I would have to get up to change what I'm watching. My wireless remote doesn't work on 7 unfortunately so this along with brawndo would be exactly what I need and what plants crave.
Could someone please tell me....What would you use this for on a LAPTOP?!
@Ninjacody11
This is quite useful for people with disabilities who may not be able to use a keyboard to type or a touchpad to move things in the desktop
@Ninjacody11
This is very useful for someone with disabilities especially when they can use the keyboard or touchpad. Think outside the box
Interesting... name.... Pointgrab + ChatRoulette. Hmm.. The possibilites.
Absurd, total waste of time of any laptop-like device. *maybe* on an HTPC where you don't want to be near it and aren't already up against the more usual input methods, but I still feel voice control for those scenarios is more likely.
i'm not really good at multitasking you see, one hand mastur.... i mean one hand writing and the other using this gizmo would just put me off my stride
@kreatos
that's what Steve Jobs said
now someone make an interactive Beavis and Butt-Head app
(in before another Beavis and Butt-Head joke is deleted)
useless, bring 3d instead. for 3d porn.
kinect and notebook, , that's combination can kick the iPad ass. without touch the screen, we can interact with the desktop. yeah!!
Pointgrab + hologram projector + smartphone = walking down the street using phone like on Palm's WebOS commercial. Finally, no more fingerprints!
That thing is so hot its going to blow steve jobs cancerwig right off of his head !
@Stormstrike +9999999
May not seem useful for a laptop... but mount that into the wall (a cabinet, or refrigerator) in your kitchen and you could scroll through recipes, change songs, pause and fast forward Netflix of hulu, take pictures of products for a shopping list, watch a cooking video and be able to pause it all without having to wash and dry your hands while cooking. Sure will cut down on the bbq sauce smudge marks on my IPAD... :)
Knowing you guys, you probably won't find it cool until Apple says it's cool. Until then, I guess we'll have to suffer until then.. Although Apple might want to think about using this for the iPhone 4, since you shouldn't touch it a certain way.
@rwalrond hopefully kinect takes off and MSFT is known for physical gesture input, not the fruity joke of a company
@rwalrond
Well, I have one on my Dell Studio 1745 and I think it's cool but I neither need nor want Jesus Jobs to TELL me what's cool.
If only I could fugure out what this thing was for....
You know its pretty interesting piece of tech but for those who grew up using a mouse or touchscreens they wont see much use for this. For the next generation though I could see them embracing stuff like this for tech demos in stores or maybe if the "future" house every takes off. The potential is there so dont be so quick to dismiss it because you have no use for it.
I could see myself using it for my crap-box server across the room. Wave at it to shutdown... mmm... that's probably about it, really.
@manIK you know... if it actually works from 10 feet away, that is.
if the software can track hand movement on top of laptop keyboard or table, i think we can stop using mouse and just move around our finger to point and click.
has anyone here seen iron man? I think this would be just a little bit useful
NO, this thing is CLEARLY USELESS!
Gawd, how is it possible that the majority of the respondents don't understand the assets of this technology.
If this technology is developed fully and we see an emphasis on precision when being developed, this can overtake touchscreens AND the mouse.
Not to mention, possibly the biggest thing for me personally is the fact that there is no physical touch needed. As a person with a germaphobe tendency, this is a huge benefit to feeling more peace of mind.
There's a difference between motion sensing and motion tracking or camera tracking whatever you call it. This definitely isn't motion sensing
well you could use it with the new iphone 4 front facing camera, so you wouldn't have to touch it
Something tells me that Kinect will fail `cause Microsoft don't know how to use it right (had shown that before with not so old peripherals)... ...but who knows?
How very pointless and uncomfortable.
Why? I'm all for innovation and touch devices are DEF a step forward....but waving your hand in from 5 feet away just seems like way more work...and completely non intuitive.
FAIL!