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Golf swing sensor offers smartphone-based coaching, saves your best drives in cloud storage
Sony might have claimed tennis, but Seiko Epson is going for golf. After (surprisingly) announcing its foray into wearables at CES last month, the company has announced its next step into broadening its remit beyond printers and projectors. The M-Tracer For Golf sensor attaches to golf club handles and houses two acceleration sensors, able to measure up to 16 and 300 G, respectively. There's also a gyroscope, with all the sensors involved apparently developed and made in-house. From these, the sensor can gauge the orbit of your swing as well as the face angle at time of impact. This, alongside other metrics, are then transmitted to your (at the moment, Android) smartphone, which demonstrates animations and graphs of that last epic drive, as well as offer a view of your swing from three different viewpoints. The in-app analysis was co-developed with the Sports Dynamics and Informatics Laboratory of the Keio Research Institute. The app can beam up to 2,000 items of swing data to cloud storage, while it'll locally store 300 on the smartphone itself. The sensor will cost 29,800 yen (around a pricey $290), and launches in Japan on April 10th.
Epson won't make a consumer 3D printer, but promises big, industrial ones within five years
Epson's presence at CES 2014 this year focused on its surprising push into wearables. But the company name remains almost a synonym for printers -- the two-dimensional ones at least. There are plenty that reckon the likes of Epson, HP, etc. will soon weigh in with their multinational clout on the 3D printer market, slashing the average price with everyman models, but Epson won't be doing that. President Minoru Usui told us that probably wasn't going to be the case, at least for them. "We are developing our own printers, but our aim is to change everything. When it comes to 3D printing... we want our machines to make anything." Breaking it down into three issues he saw with 3D printing as it stands, he said that printing materials were not at a high enough standard, that the precision was simply not there for what the company would like to be creating and productivity was simply not efficient enough. We've had some experiences that mirror these criticisms. But wouldn't a printing giant like Epson entering the 3D printing arena make it more of a realistic proposition? Mr. Usui responded by describing how the company claimed a lion's share of the photo printing arena years earlier, citing better print quality and hardware. "Not many people need to print a plastic figure." "Not many people need to print a plastic figure." That said, Epson is working hard developing its 3D printing tech, but fixing that list of problems is going to take time -- especially when it comes to materials. Usui wants the company to be able to print "anything" and reckons that could take around five years from now. And anything really means anything: The president mused on printing cars, which would make that eventual manufacturing hardware a fair bit bigger than a Cube 3. The results need to be as precise as current (c'mon, more boring) moulding production, where templates are measured in microns: That's where Epson needs 3D printing to reach.
Epson Expression Premium XP-610 Printer: Small printer, big features
The Epson Expression Premium XP-610 Small-in-One Printer is a small profile printer (with a long name) that offers an impressive array of features. While it doesn't seem to be as robust as other Epson printers I've tested, it has performed well in most cases over the past month of use. I used this printer as my default for over 30 days with only minor issues. The XP-610 offers auto 2-sided printing, a dedicated photo tray, CD/DVD printing, built-in cards slots, wireless printing, copying and scanning (up to 2400 dpi). With the free Epson iPrint app (shown below) and support for Apple AirPrint, it prints from your iOS device easily too. It's a speedy little printer and produces a mix of color and text well, just not very quietly. Even set to Quiet Mode in the Driver preferences, the printer chugs quite a bit. For such a small printer, it has wide assortment of copy features. I like like two-sided copy capabilities, which came in handy when I needed to copy forms for my health insurance application. It also can reduce and enlarge documents between 25% and 400%, scan to PDF and scan photos to coloring book pages. It fits into a space about the size of a large baking pan. It should fit on any household desk or workspace with its 15.4" x 13.4" x 5.4" (W x D x H) dimensions, but with the output tray extended it is 19.8" deep. It only weighs 21.5 lb, so it is easily moved. The software CD comes with Epson Print and Epson Scan, but those of you with newer Macs sans CD drive can download the software from the Epson site (or check Software Update under the Apple menu), if your Mac doesn't notify you automatically. Unlike most programs, there isn't a setting to have Epson Software Updater application automatically check for updates, so I launched it manually. A Low Ink Reminder program is also included and it lets you know your ink status in the print dialog. The XP-610 includes two paper trays, which I also like. One tray fits up to 100 sheets, no larger than 8.5 x 11" and the other handles the photo paper. The photo tray holds up to 20 sheets if you use the thicker glossy paper. You access all of the controls through the very readable 2.5" LCD touch panel display, which tilts out for easy access. You set up the Wi-Fi access, 2-sided scanning, and copying through the display, while the printed output from the computer uses Epson's Print dialog, as always. I tested the Wi-Fi access through my 2012 iMac and MacBook, plus a Windows 8 machine and an iPhone. Except for an MS Word doc printed through the PC, which regurgitated pages of garbage, the Epson XP-610 produced the needed output flawlessly. Mixed Text and Graphic Printing The XP-610 produces crisp text and graphics when used in Normal or Fine modes. As seen in my review of Greeting Card Shop by Chronos, it printed a greeting card on Kodak stock, which is not as thick as regular card stock, just fine. The area in which I think this printer pales is when you use the Economy setting to save ink. I usually use Economy to print drafts of articles and I found in some cases the print was too light to read adequately. The Fast Economy setting produced completely unreadable pages. I tried the economy settings with brand new black ink cartridges and ones that were partially used with the same results. The cartridges are easy to install and it seemed as if the small black ink cartridges lasted through a lot of printed pages; a few hundred sheets plus many photos of varying sizes. Epson claims you can print about 250 sheets with the regular black cartridge and 500 with a large cartridge. I'm sure I went over 250 sheets. You do get notices of low ink when there's still plenty of ink available. One user suggests disabling the Status Monitor so that the printer keeps going until the ink cartridge is empty. Photo Printing I do not think the XP-610 is up to Epson's usual standard in photo printing. This printer includes five Claria Premium inks: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Photo Black. This ink produces smudge, scratch and water resistant photos, which supposedly last 200 years. Sorry, I wasn't able to test that... I like not having to switch between matte black and photo black cartridges as I must do with my Epson Stylus Photo R2880. I think I'm a bit spoiled by my R2880 though, because I'm not thrilled with the photo output of the XP-610 and it's probably an unfair comparison because one printer cost around US $500, while the other is now available for $99.00. I tried a variety of photo papers and thought it produced the best results with Epson-branded papers. It pixelated the prints when I tried HP and Kodak 4 x 6 photo paper. I also got better results with the small print sizes than with 8.5 x 11 photo paper. I found that I had to use Epson Controls color to produce color-correct prints instead of ColorSync or another program's. When I tried printing from Photoshop, in which I usually have Photoshop control the color output, the prints came out too red every time. When I set it to the Epson Color Controls the prints looked fine, but just not as crisp as my more expensive printer. While the printer claims it will do borderless printing on photo paper, I could not make it print to the edges (borderless) on paper larger than 5 x 7. CD/DVD Prints I realize that most people no longer print their own CD labels, because most Macs don't even have a DVD burner installed anymore. But, the XP-610 comes with a CD tray conveniently stored in the bottom of the printer. I used the Print CD module and the LCD display to quickly print out some DVDs. I used water-resistant printable media received for another review years ago from Iomega. Sadly, this media is no longer sold. You can adorn your media with the sample labels included, choose one of 95 provided backgrounds and 40+ graphics or create your own masterpiece, as I did in the screen shot above. The print quality is excellent and I ended up killing an evening printing out labels on DVDs on which to archive my photographs and family videos. If memory serves me, you're really supposed to burn data to a CD or DVD before you print on it, but I didn't have that luxury of time. Of course, now I have to use one of my older Macs to burn files onto the media. Printer Trays Some printers work when the output tray isn't extended and spew the paper all over the floor, but the XP-610 produces a loud 5-beep complaint and stops when it's output tray isn't pulled out. The input tray is easy to pull out and slide back in, another plus. The second input tray for photo paper is a bit too easy to push in too far, but it still works though. Summary In brief, the Epson Expression Premium XP-610 is a bit loud and may not product larger photos as well as you'd like, but offers many of options in a small printer. All the needed trays store in the printer itself and it makes scanning easy. If you need a wireless home printer, this one should satisfy your needs, especially if you have school-age kids. The Expression Premium XP-810 (MSRP US$229.99) is similar to the XP-610, but comes with a 30-page Auto Document Feeder for two-sided copying, scanning and faxing, plus it has a bigger 3.5-inch touchscreen and offers Ethernet networking. I only tested the XP-610.
Epson introduces new Moverio glasses with head-motion tracking and camera
Everybody knows about those other smart glasses, but they're certainly not the only ones making a big fuss these days. Epson has been working on a similar product called the Moverio BT-100, for the last few years, and it's ready to show off the next iteration of its signature wearable at CES. This one, the BT-200, will retail for the same $700 price point as the original, and comes with Android 4.0 support and a few new features and capabilities: Bluetooth 3.0 support, head-motion tracking aided by sensors and Dolby Digital Plus for surround sound are among the new options. Also, there's a front-facing camera with image and video capture, but bystanders won't need to worry about asking you if you're filming them -- an LED lights up on the lower left corner anytime you're trying to capture precious moments. But how does it look inside the glasses? Thanks to a pair of tiny transparent displays built into the glasses, you can view movies, play games, do augmented reality and conduct other tasks while walking around, talking to other people or any other normal activity. It comes with an Android device attached that doesn't actually feature a touchscreen; rather, it acts like a mouse of sorts, mimicking your movements on the display and letting you drag the cursor around to wherever you want. It also features wireless mirroring, so other people can watch you fall flat on your virtual face on a HDTV. Sound good to you? Check out our full gallery of images and save up $700 before March. Mat Smith contributed to this report.
Epson's Pulsense fitness wearables can measure your pulses, of course (hands-on)
Epson, for better or worse, is best known for printers and projectors. However, it has been known to dabble in wearables, like its Moverio head-mounted displays, and even the occasional GPS watch. Now at CES 2014, the company is going up against the likes of Fitbit and Basis (and the rest) with a duo of fitness-focused watches. Called Pulsense, the wristbands are designed to monitor your heart rate, activity levels, calories burned and sleep patterns based on Epson's patented biosensors and internal accelerometer. The initial launch of Pulsense consists of two models: the Pulsense PS-100 and the PS-500. The PS-100 is just a simple LED bracelet, while the PS-500 has an LCD display that lets you read (at least a little bit of) fitness data on the go. Among other things, the aforementioned bio sensors are able to measure your heartbeat by the amount of light reflected from red blood cells, and find out calories burned based on personal info like age and gender. There's also built-in memory, which means the watches can store about 480 hours of data before having to be offloaded to either an app or a PC. Additionally, each Pulsense wristband has a 3-in-1 proprietary chip that promises faster processing, a thinner profile and better battery life. Other features include heart rate-based "zone training" so those looking to shed extra pounds or get a bit more of an aerobic exercise can get additional guidance. Both watches will ship starting during summer 2014. The PS-100 will be available for $129, while the PS-500 will cost $199. Those deciding to pick Epson's fitness wearables over the increasingly tough competition will apparently be able to pre-order one starting today. We've added a few impressions after the break.
Evena's smart glasses offer nurses a through-the-skin view of patients' veins (video)
It's not always easy for nurses to find the right vein for an intravenous drip -- the target vessels are sometimes hidden below the skin. Evena Medical's new Eyes-On smart glasses may make those injections a little easier. The Moverio-based eyewear overlays a 3D blood vessel map on the patient, helping the nurse insert even a tricky IV line on the first try. It can also tap into a hospital's medical records and share imagery with doctors in remote locations. There's no word on just which hospitals will use Eyes-On when it ships in the first quarter of 2014, but don't be surprised if it makes your hospital stay a little more bearable in the near future. Check out a video promo for the glasses after the break.
Apple releases Digital Camera RAW Compatibility and Epson Printer Drivers updates for OS X
In addition to the release of OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.5 last night, Apple has released a number of smaller updates for OS X including a new Digital Camera RAW Compatibility update and an Epson Printer Driver update. The Digital Camera RAW Compatibility 4.09 update adds RAW image compatibility for the Olympus PEN E-P5 to Aperture 3 and iPhoto '11. It also restores lens correction to Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 images and addresses a white balance issue with some Nikon images that were modified by third-party applications. The Epson Printer Drivers v2.15.1 update installs the latest software for Epson printers and scanners, a full list of which can be found here. Both updates can be manually download via the links above or by running Software Update on your Mac.
Epson launches MHL-enabled 1080p 2D/3D projector for $999
It's rare that we document the arrival of a new projector, but we thought that Epson's PowerLite Home Cinema 2030 deserved some special attention. It's the company's first unit that offers an MHL-enabled HDMI port, enabling you to output video from your Android phone or tablet. Otherwise, the unit offers 1080p 2D/3D visuals, built-in speakers and a 2,000 lumens bulb. It'll be available at the start of September from Epson's online store for $999 -- a small price to pay to get those Netflix episodes of Breaking Bad splattered over your walls.
Epson dangles $1,000 bounty to attract augmented reality apps
Epson's Moverio BT-100 is one of the more hackable headsets thanks to its Android control box, but few developers have given it a good look. The company may have an incentive for those coders -- it's holding its first-ever Moverio hackathon on August 24th and 25th. Those who visit Epson's Long Beach headquarters on those days can design and pitch an augmented reality concept in hopes of winning a either $1,000 grand prize or one of two $500 runner-up awards. Space is very limited at just 50 slots, so you'll want to sign up quickly if you're interested. Whether or not you can attend, the hackathon is good news for Moverio owners that could soon get more use out of their $699 eyewear.
Hands-on with Meta 1, a 3D augmented reality headset with a natural UI (video)
Augmented reality is the future, or at least the proliferation of AR apps and hardware seems to indicate that'll be the case. Meta revealed its own augmented reality device, called Meta 1, in January and is currently in the midst of a Kickstarter campaign to ramp up manufacturing and get it to the people. If the headset looks familiar, that's because its hardware is: it's comprised, in no small part, of Epson and SoftKinetic gear. It utilizes the 960 x 540 binocular 3D displays from Epson's Moverio glasses and the depth sensor sitting atop them comes from SoftKinetic. Of course the glasses you see are but a first generation and are wired to a battery pack worn around the waist -- the company's currently working on slimming things down with customized eyewear that'll be revealed later this year, however. For now, the dev kit and the still-in-development Unity-based SDK are slated to ship in September, but we got to see some of what Meta 1 can do a bit early.
APX Labs mods Epson Moverio headset, adds camera, mic and motion sensors for improved AR
Epson's 3D display glasses, the Moverio BT-100 have been floating around as a development platform for a couple years, and APX Labs is the latest to hack the headset. APX Labs is a software firm best known for creating Terminator Vision augmented reality tech for the US military, and it decided to use the BT-100 as a vehicle to develop and showcase a smart glasses platform it's built to work for both business and consumer applications. In order to get the functionality it needed, APX grafted a 5 megapixel camera, mic and a full suite of motion sensors to provide nine-axis head tracking onto a Moverio headset.%Gallery-187866% All that gear is shoved into a 3D-printed module and attached to the BT-100 to turn it into a pair of smart glasses. In addition to the cameras and sensors, APX also hacked an Epson daughter board onto the Moverio's controller to allow an HDMI video feed from a smartphone to be shown on the displays. This result? A system that understands where you are, what you're seeing and hearing and a UI that allows users to glean information from the world around them using voice commands and head gestures. That should sound familiar to fans of Google Glass, but by using Epson's binocular displays, these smart glasses can convey depth in a way Mountain View's monocle cannot. (Not to mention that Glass doesn't even do AR apps... yet). The hardware we got to see was a crude prototype built for demo purposes only, but the software platform shows promise and Epson's got a version two Moverio headset in the works -- so perhaps you can see a bit of the future of smart glasses in the video after the break.
Epson adds the Home Cinema 750HD to its line of home theater projectors, ships in March for $899
Looking to finally convert that guest bedroom into an in-home movie theater this spring? If so, you're in luck as Epson has announced the 3LCD Powerlite Home Cinema 750HD projector here at CES 2013. The home theater unit offers 2D and 3D 720p capabilities for viewing at up to 120 inches or larger. Touting up to 3,000 lumens of both color and white brightness, the 750HD sports Bright 3D Drive tech and Easy-Slide image correction to power viewing sessions from DVD / Blu-ray players, cable boxes, gaming consoles, PC, Apple devices and smartphones -- without the need for an additional format converter. Of course, HDMI and USB connections are here as well alongside five color modes for adapting the picture to each viewing environment. Epson's RF 3D glasses are also along for the ride that boasts 40 hours of viewing or up to three hours after a three-minute quick charge. The Home Cinema 750HD is set to arrive in March, hitting wallets up for $899 in order to procure one. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
IRL: Epson R1800, Babbel for iPad and the Nokia Lumia 920 on Rogers
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. This week we've got Darren learning a little Spanish through Babbel and Jon, the man of many Canadian phones, testing the Lumia 920 on Rogers' LTE network. And, on a slightly more nostalgic note, Billy delivers a eulogy of sorts for the Epson photo printer that got him through years of graphic design school.
Epson's video board pumps composite inputs to the Moverio BT-100 headset (video)
Bummed that your $700 Moverio BT-100 headset doesn't have video input? Well, Epson's here to tease you with a board that plugs into the trackpad and accepts any composite video source. Despite best attempts to hide the identity of hardware it's being tested with and give the lawyers a weekend off, it's shown to receive feeds from a PS3, an iPad and a 360 with Kinect. Check out the honk-filled video of all the fun you're not having, and contact Epson if you've got an interesting idea for using the board, because they might just give you one. How about -- "I want to play games on it?" That sounds like a pretty good reason to us. [Thanks, Joe]
Epson leaves well enough alone with its new Home Cinema projector lineup
Epson has decided not to mess with success, as it's left the new Home Cinema 3020, 3020e, 5020, 5020e and Pro Home Cinema 6020 projectors largely untouched from last year. All the models still carry full 1080p resolution, active shutter 3D, 2D-to-3D conversion, WirelessHD and a pair of RF 3D glasses. There's a slight bump in brightness for the lower-end 3020/3020e models from 2,200 to 2,300 lumens and a 100,000:1 contrast hike for the 5020/5020e and 6020 models. Otherwise, the new projectors remain unchanged, right down to the colors, housings, 3LCD tech, 6,000 hour lamp and Fujinon OptiCinema lenses for the 6020. Prices also carry over from the previous models, at under $4,000, $3,000 and $2,000 for the high- to low-end models, respectively. The projectors will start arriving in October and with little other competition in that price range, Epson can probably rest on its laurels -- at least for a while longer. Update: As commenter jeremymc7 pointed out, the rechargeable RF 3D glasses are an update from last year's IR non-rechargeable units, and only the e-models support WirelessHD tech.
Engadget's back to school guide 2012: printers
Welcome to Engadget's back to school guide! The end of summer vacation isn't nearly as much fun as the weeks that come before, but a chance to update your tech tools likely helps to ease the pain. Today, we have printers on our minds and on our desks -- and you can head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back -- at the end of the series we'll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides -- and hit up the hub page right here! It's safe to say that, at some point, you'll need to print out a collection of assignments this fall. We're looking to save the environment just as much as the next set of folks, but physical outputs are still required for a number of things -- especially in the realm of academics. Now that WiFi has become a standard option on most ink-to-paper peripherals, the ability to print from mobile devices has become a hot commodity. A number of our selections offer just that, allowing you to get the job started without needing to be in front of a computer. Enough chatter, though... head on past the break to peruse our picks for the back to school season this year.
Ask Engadget: best four-in-one printer, scanner, copier and fax?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Georgi, who is risking his life, his wallet and his sanity to buy the most hated of all consumer electronics: a printer. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I'm looking into buying a new four-in-one for my company. I'd love an internet connected printer that can scan directly to a mac from the menu, be able to email faxes it receives without printing them to save on paper and if it could support mobile devices, that'd be fantastic. I had my eyes on a couple of Epson and HP models but I'm not sure what to buy in terms of longer lifespan, cartridge price and software support. My budget's around $125. Thank you!" Your humble narrator can tell you for sure that HP's Photosmart 5514 isn't the way to go -- we're waiting on our third replacement unit in as many weeks. Each time a new reconditioned model arrives at our door, we plug it in only to find that it's as broken as the one we bought new. Anyway, let's turn the question over to our audience, who may know of a printer that's reliable, cheap and not a figment of our collective imagination. Over to you.
IRL: Verizon Jetpack MiFi 4620, iHome iC50 and Epson's EH-TW9000 3D projector
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. Just call this week's column the something borrowed edition. Rather than do a formal review -- the sort of cookie-cutter project that can be over and done with in a week, frankly -- we asked three staffers to not just test new products, but to live with them. For starters, our very own jet-setting Darren Murph used Verizon Wireless' new Jetpack MiFi 4620L to get work done on the go, while our new editor Jon Fingas traded in his Sony clock radio for an iHome dock that promised to play nice with his non-Apple device. Rounding things out, Sharif took a $4,000 3D projector for a weeks-long spin because, well, why not?
Epson Moverio BT-100 3D goggles now shipping in the U.S. for $699
Any Americans out there wanna buy a wacky head-mounted 3D display? Then Epson's Moverio BT-100 micro-projection headset ought to be right at the top of the your not-so-long list of options. It's just started shipping in the States for $699, including its Android-powered trackpad controller that streams and navigates content on the perceived '80-inch' transparent viewing window. You could even pair the Moverio with a Parrot AR.Drone and discover what it feels like to be an Apache pilot strafing your neighbor's rabbit.
Parrot AR.Drone joins with Epson Moverio BT-100: UAV gets down with HMD (video)
Let's say you've explored all the abandoned cathedrals in your hometown and have decimated all comers on the virtual battlefield -- if your interest in the Parrot AR.Drone has begun to wane, then take a gander at this bit of handiwork from Thomas Sohmers and dream of what could be. Essentially, he's taken the popular UAV from Parrot and has combined it with a transparent, head-mounted display that allows one to simultaneously view the AR.Drone and an overlay of its video feed. More than just a set of glasses, the Epson Moverio BT-100 was ideal for the task as it also features a handheld controller that just so happens to run Android. While Sohmers has met with good success in combining the two devices, the product isn't quite ready for mass consumption -- for example, it's said the AR.Drone can only rotate and move vertically at this point. While you'll have to use a bit of your imagination for the heads-up display component, you can find a demonstration of Sohmers' creation in a video after the break.
