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Microsoft intros Wedge Mobile Keyboard, whose case doubles as a stand
As we've seen, there will be no shortage of tablet / laptop hybrids on offer when Windows 8 starts shipping this fall. But since those keyboard docks will typically be sold separately, that means you're also about to see loads of third-party alternatives. Not to be left out, Microsoft just announced a Bluetooth mobile keyboard, along with its smallest-ever mouse -- both of which can be used with any Windows tablet. Starting with that Wedge Mobile Keyboard, it resembles Zaggmate's iPad case from 2010, in that it has a hard case to make it more travel-resilient. Here, though, the casing is made of flexible rubber, allowing it to double as a tablet stand. Putting it over the keys also turns the keyboard off, allowing you to conserve battery life. On board, you'll also find hotkeys specific to certain Windows 8 features, such as the Charms Bar. And, as the name suggests, the keyboard rises a bit in the back, thanks to the battery door on the other side (this takes two AAA cells, by the way.) One caveat: though you can use it with Windows 7, 8 and RT, and even Mac OS X, it's not compatible with Vista. Sorry, folks. In a similar vein, the tiny Wedge Touch Mouse has a matching soft-touch surface and is also Bluetooth-enabled. Like other mice in Microsoft's lineup, it has BlueTrack technology, allowing it to be used on a wide variety of surfaces. The mouse, which runs on a single AA battery, also shuts down whenever you power down whatever device it's paired with. These products will ship "soon," according to Microsoft, with the keyboard retailing for $79.95 and the mouse going for $69.95. For now, we've got a bunch of photos below for your viewing pleasure.%Gallery-161072%%Gallery-161098%
Apple snags broader design patent for the MacBook Air's wedge shape
It's not the first design patent related to the MacBook Air that Apple has received, but the one it managed to obtain from the USPTO earlier this week is certainly the broadest to date. As explained by The Verge, this one is intended to cover the laptop's distinctive wedge shape, or what's indicated by the solid lines in the illustrations included with the patent. That doesn't include things like the hinge, rear or sides of the device, but it would appear to give Apple some fairly solid ground to stand on should it choose to go after other laptop manufacturers using a "substantially similar" wedge shape (regardless of any other differences). Those interested can examine the full patent at the link below.
Microsoft hints at touchless Surface combining camera and transparent OLED (video)
We've always wondered whether Microsoft's multitouch table would actually ever arrive, dreaming of Minority Report hijinx all the while, but after seeing what the company's Applied Sciences Group is currently cooking up -- a touchless telepresence display -- we'd rather drop that antiquated pinch-to-zoom stuff in favor of what might be Surface's next generation. Starting with one of Samsung's prototype transparent OLED panels, Microsoft dropped a sub-two-inch camera behind the glass, creating a 3D gesture control interface that tracks your every move by literally seeing through the display. Combined with that proprietary wedge-shaped lens we saw earlier this month and some good ol' Johnny Chung Lee headtracking by the man himself, we're looking at one hell of a screen. Don't you dare read another word without seeing the prototype in a trifecta of videos after the break.
Microsoft's new lens tracks your face, steers 3D images to your eyes (video)
Glasses-free 3D has taken several forms, but most have a critical flaw -- viewers have to stand in predefined locations to get the effect. That just won't do, so Microsoft's prototyped a new approach, and it's one of the wildest we've seen. Taking a cue from Project N... we mean Kinect, cameras track the face while a special wedge-shaped lens traps bouncing light, and after the beams have reached a "critical angle," it exits towards the viewers eyes, aimed by programmable LEDs at the bottom of the screen. Since the system can beam a pair of simultaneous images to two different places, the obvious use is stereoscopic 3D, but researchers found they could also send different images to different viewers, as a sort of privacy screen. If that sounds far fetched, you're not alone -- but you'll find a video proof-of-concept at the more coverage link.
Polk Audio's HitMaster: your own personal Rock Band stage monitor
Sheesh. Just days after Altec Lansing shocked the gaming world with a dedicated stage monitor for Guitar Hero, Rock Band or any other gaming title you'd care to pump through a mini-wedge, Polk Audio has stepped in to do the same. As we witness the beginning of a curious, um, beginning, the HitMaster has stepped things up for anyone else thinking of joining the fray by packing 60 watts of RMS power, a pair of 2.2- x 5.5-inch horns, twin 1-inch tweeters and a booming 6.5-inch subwoofer. The whole cabinet weighs some 13 pounds, and aside from line level inputs and outputs, you'll also find a 1/8-inch jack for connecting iPods and the like. Oh, and did we mention that you can daisy chain these things? Because you can. Look for this one to rock your face off (or something to that effect) in early 2010 for $99.99. [Via Hot Hardware]
Smooth Creations intros customizable Wedge netbook
Smooth Creations' custom paint jobs certainly aren't for everybody, but if you're a bit tired of the current netbook sameness, you might want to consider its new Wedge model, which questionably promises to make a "powerful yet subtle statement." Apparently, you can either take your chances with a one of a kind design like the one above (seemingly from before they settled on the name "Wedge"), or you can shell out some extra bucks for a completely custom design. The netbook's insides, on the other hand, are considerably more in line with the usual netbook fare, and include a 10-inch display, a 1.6GHz Atom processor, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, and Windows XP as standard (Vista is apparently also available if you really want to push things). Look for this one to set you back about $500, and no doubt quite a bit more if you want get one to match the paint job on your 1975 Dodge van.[Via jkkmobile]
