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Panasonic Eluga P P-03E takes on Samsung with its own air gestures (video)
Don't think that the Galaxy S 4 has a lock on the concept of touch-free input. Panasonic has bolstered NTT DoCoMo's summer lineup with the Eluga P P-03E, a 4.7-inch Android phone whose one-handed interface can involve even less finger contact than Samsung's flagship. Its central Touch Assist feature lets owners unlock their phone, answer calls, preview content and enter text by hovering a digit just above the glass. The handset is no slouch outside of its signature trick, either -- it carries a 1080p LCD, a 1.7GHz Snapdragon 600 processor, 32GB of expandable storage and a sizable 2,600mAh battery. Japanese customers will have their chance at Panasonic's above-the-screen magic in late June, although we wouldn't count on the Eluga P reaching the US anytime soon.
Hands-on redux: Creative's Interactive Gesture Camera at IDF 2013 Beijing (video)
At IDF 2013 in Beijing, Intel is again making a big push for perceptual computing by way of voice recognition, gesture control, face recognition and more, and to complement its free SDK for these functions, Intel's been offering developers a Creative Interactive Gesture Camera for $149 on its website since November. For those who missed it last time, this time-of-flight depth camera is very much just a smaller cousin of Microsoft's Kinect sensor, but with the main difference being this one is designed for a closer proximity and can therefore also pick up the movement of each finger. We had a go on Creative's camera with some fun demos -- including a quick level of gesture-based Portal 2 made with Intel's SDK -- and found it to be surprisingly sensitive, but we have a feeling that it would've been more fun if the camera was paired up with a larger display. Intel said Creative will be commercially launching this kit at some point in the second half of this year, and eventually the same technology may even be embedded in monitors or laptops (remember Toshiba's laptops with Cell-based gesture control?). Until then, you can entertain yourselves with our new hands-on video after the break. %Gallery-185293%
3 small UI tweaks Apple should steal from Google and Facebook for iOS 7
There's a lot of excitement surrounding the next release of iOS. Many people expect it to be a major revamp since Jony Ive has taken over software design at Apple. Some (like me) don't expect to see a major redesign in the next release, but incremental improvements -- like the removal of skeuomorphism from some apps. Whatever the case, I hope Apple will consider stealing borrowing these three smal UI tweaks from Facebook and Google iOS apps to make iOS even simpler to use: What: Drag photos (or other elements) down to close them. As found in: Facebook for iOS. How it works: In Facebook for iOS, a user can close a photo by swiping it down. They're then returned to the album view and/or the Newsfeed. Why: Tapping a "Done" button is so 2007. By now, most of the iPhone-using masses are intimately familiar with gestures. They're as natural to us as our own body movements. Any time you can have a simple gesture replace button taps, you should. There are two reasons for this: first, gestures eliminate the need to display buttons on the screen and second, they are generally more intuitive to implement than stretching our thumb to tap a Done button. How it would benefit iOS: Imagine this in the Photos app alone. It would make navigating photo albums much faster. And this wouldn't need to be limited to photos. Any kind of attachment you can tap in Mail or any other app could quickly be brought to to fullscreen and a simple swipe down would return you to the original location of the photo. As screens get bigger (if iPhone's move into the 4-plus-inch category), any gesture that stops you from having to stretch your thumb to reach those Done or Back buttons that get pushed farther and farther away makes for a much better user experience. What: Tap twice and hold, then drag up or down to zoom in and out. As found in: Google Maps for iOS. How it works: In Google Maps for iOS, Google has built in a simple one-fingered gesture that allows a user to zoom in and out using only their thumb. In Apple's Maps (and other apps that allow zooming) the standard zoom gesture is a two-fingered pinch to zoom in or out, and a double-tap to zoom in. While this is great if you're standing still, if you're using Maps while walking down the street, particularly if you're other hand is full, pinch to zoom is generally a pain. That's because generally most people can't do pinch to zoom with one hand. It normally requires the other hand to hold the device. Also, while a double-tap does allow you to zoom in, it doesn't allow you to zoom out (sure, a double-tap with two fingers allows you to zoom out, but that still requires the other hand to hold the phone). Google realized this and came up with an ingenious gesture: in their Maps app, the user can simply double-tap the map then keep their finger on the screen and move it up or down to zoom in or out. Why: Once you discover and use this gesture you realize: this is how zooming should be done. How it would benefit iOS: It makes one-handed zooming in and out easy. Apple doesn't only need to borrow this gesture for their Maps, it can add it to any other app that uses zoom -- like Photos, Safari and more. What: Gradient borders when scrolling. As found in: Google Search. How it works: When you preform an image search in Google Search you're presented with the standard search results: image icons on a white background. However, when you start scrolling down through them, the white background goes through a gradient change to black. Why: Visually, it's more appealing to the eye. The gradient change also makes it easier to pick up individual images. Plus it signals to the user that they have moved the elements on the screen so if they are looking for the the first small thumbnail in the list, they know from the black background that they have scrolled past it. How it would benefit iOS: Unlike the other suggestions, I think this would only benefit apps that use image thumbnails -- namely Photos. However, any visual cues -- even for a single app -- that give users a clue as to what they are doing on a small screen is always beneficial. So those are three of my hopes for iOS 7. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot more I want to see from iOS 7 (like fixing the disastrous way Apple implemented switching between groups in Contacts in iOS 6), but adding the above is a good start. Please use the comment below to give your thoughts on what UI improvements you hope iOS 7 brings.
Steelcase Gesture chair adjusts to support our smartphone slump (video)
As advanced as office chairs can be, they're still based on one increasingly bad assumption: that we're sitting upright in front of a traditional computer. Steelcase's upcoming Gesture chair at last acknowledges that we're living in a world of smartphones and tablets. Its back and seat shift in tandem to maintain support in any number of real-world postures, whether it's leaning back to check text messages or curling up for an e-book. The armrests are equally flexible to save us from the added strain that comes from holding a gadget in-hand. As long as habitual mobile device users can wait until the fall release, and aren't worried about the eventual price, the Gesture might literally have their backs.
Clear promises Leap Motion support in Mac app, offers a glimpse of what's to come
We've seen some big Leap Motion deals announced, and some fairly impressive demos, but we haven't yet heard of many big-name apps that will support the gesture control technology. While not the biggest around, Realmac has today confirmed that the Mac version of its Clear to-do app -- itself noted for its novel interface -- will indeed support the motion controller "later this year." Details are light beyond that, but the company's offered a peek at what you can expect in the brief video after the break.
Myo senses your muscles, brings yet another way to control devices (video)
With visions of Minority Report, many a user's hoped to control gadgets by wildly waving at a Kinect like a symphony conductor. Now there's another way to make your friends laugh at you thanks to the Thalmic Labs' Myo armband, which senses motion and electrical activity in your muscles to let you control your computer or other device via Bluetooth 4.0. The company says its proprietary sensor can detect signals right down to individual fingers before you even move them, which -- coupled with an extremely sensitive 6-axis motion detector -- makes for a highly responsive experience. Feedback to the user is given through haptics in the device, which also packs an ARM processor and onboard Lithium-Ion batteries. Myo is now up for a limited pre-order with Thalmic saying you won't be charged until it ships near year's end, while developers can also grab the API. If you're willing to risk some ridicule to be first on the block to grab one, hit the source.
Linpus Gesture2Launch brings neat, customizable touch control to Windows 8 (hands-on)
You might remember Linpus from its various Linux projects, but these days the outfit is getting into apps in a big way. We've just been hands-on with its latest offering, Gesture2Launch, a straightforward concept that could prove seriously useful to those with Windows 8 touch-enabled devices. The current app has default gestures that can be assigned to an array of functions -- both to launch applications and to trigger system actions. Most of the gestures are based on letters, so to launch the calculator you'd just bring up the charms bar (which primes the system for your input) and then draw the letter 'C'. An upside-down 'U' would bring up the lock screen. The version we played with, however, takes things a step further. It lets you create your own gestures, which ought to make them a tad easier to remember. This feature should be added soon, but for now you can see how we fared with the app in the video after the break (demoed on a rather nice Acer Aspire S7) and then it try out free-of-charge via the link below. It leaves us wondering why Microsoft didn't implement something like this out of the box.
SwiftKey 4 launches with Flow, personal style detection (hands-on)
SwiftKey has been promising its own answer to Swype ever since it launched the SwiftKey Flow beta late last year, and the company's retort is at last finished. The newly available SwiftKey 4 -- Flow is just a component here -- brings Android writers the promised gesture-based typing along with Flow Through Space, which lets users glide to the spacebar to keep typing rather than pause after every word. The upgrade also expands contextual word prediction to 60 languages, offers simpler corrections and watches for personal typing habits to adjust accordingly -- it should learn whether you're a hunt-and-peck newcomer or a seasoned pro blazing along with both thumbs. The update is free for existing users in both phone- and tablet-sized forms, and it's temporarily priced at $2 (normally $4) to lure in anyone who isn't happy with their existing input methods. We gave the final version a spin on a Galaxy Nexus, and much of what we saw in the SwiftKey Flow beta holds true with SwiftKey 4. Anyone comfy with a gesture-based keyboard will be happy with the speed and accuracy here, especially when they don't have to lift their finger between words. However, the previous quirks remain as well: Flow Through Space tends to melt down after a few words, so you'll want to stop after "the quick brown fox" before you finish with "jumps over the lazy dog." The style recognition is harder to gauge when this author is an an experienced user who's only had a short while to teach the app any tricks, but the simplified corrections are handy for quickly polishing up a sentence. While we don't feel that SwiftKey is orchestrating a revolution with version 4, it doesn't have to -- the appeal here is not having to give up SwiftKey's generally well-regarded feel to get a feature previously reserved for competitors. It remains our go-to keyboard for those times we don't like what Google or phone designers have to offer.
NEC's spring all-in-one PC lineup melds TV with Twitter
Like all-in-one PCs, TV and Twitter? NEC's new desktop PCs might just hit the spot -- if you live in Japan, that is. The company just launched its spring 2013 lineup of Valuestar systems which will be available in two display sizes on February 7th. Valuestar W computers pack a 23-inch screen and Core i7 processor with the 3D-capable VW970/LS costing ¥235,000 ($2,550) and the 2D-only VW770/LS listing for ¥215,000 ($2,330). The Valuestar N series boast a 21.5-inch display and come in three versions: VN770/LS with Core i7 for ¥195,000 ($2,110), VN570/LS with Core i3 for ¥160,000 ($1.740) and the ¥125,000 ($1,360) Celeron 1000M-equipped VN370/LS. While there are no details on RAM or storage options, all PCs run Windows 8 with Office 2013, and feature TV tuners, Blu-Ray drives (DVD on the VN370/LS), DLNA support, Yamaha sound systems, built-in video tutorials and access to music.jp's service. The 23-inch models provide instant-on TV functionality with three TV tuners (two for recording, one for viewing) while 21.5-inch units include dual TV tuners. NEC offers several ways to control the computer's TV functionality: via standard remote control, using gestures (except VN370/LS), with a custom smartphone / tablet app and even from Twitter, Yes, you can now DM your Valuestar system (even when it's turned off) and tell it to record TV -- what could possibly go wrong? It can also monitor Twitter for mentions of your favorite TV show(s) and overlay a popularity meter right on the screen -- welcome to the future.
Movea gesture control coming to Orange's Livebox Play TV system, launches next month
In a bid to spruce up its hardware, European mobile operator Orange has drafted in Movea to bring gesture controls to its new set-top box. Running the SmartMotion server, movements will be picked up by Movea's MEMS motion-sensing remote, with gestures for volume control, web browsing and even gamepad and joystick commands. The new Livebox Play will pick up ten "contextually aware" movements, with a 'check' gesture aimed to avoid the frustration at selecting items on a distant screen, while there's also a close function embedded into the TV remote. Alongside gestures, the LiveBox Play service will offer the obligatory internet, social network and VOD bells and whistles, as well as access to games and apps on your big screen. Sick of buttons? The device is available on pre-order (for now, in France) and launches next month -- we've embedded a quick demo of the remote's precision after the break as a quick refresher.
in:play is a minimalist music player with wonderfully easy gesture controls
In:play is a new music player for the iPhone that's elegant and easy to use. It has a minimalist interface with comfortably sized on-screen elements and gesture-based controls. It's designed so you can control basic playback functions without having to look at your screen and it's perfect for situations like driving or exercising when you can only spare a glance at your iPhone or iPod touch. When you launch in:play for the first time, it will step you through the gestures that control playback and provide access to menu items. You can toggle playback by merely tapping anywhere on the screen -- tap once to pause, tap again to resume. You can also advance to the next or previous track by swiping left or right. There are a variety of gestures to learn, but they are all simple and can be mastered in just few minutes. To help you switch between artists and songs, in:play uses a deep context navigation system that lets you tap on artist, album or song on your screen and swipe between those elements in your library. For example, you can listen to the Beatle's White album and tap/hold on the album name in in:play. A quick swipe from left to right and you will be listening to the songs in Sgt Pepper. If you don't like this gesture navigation, then you can pull down a menu that contains a traditional alphabetical list that's organized by songs, album, artists, playlists and songs. There are other neat features like a night mode and support for AirPlay that round out this app. The biggest feature missing from in:play is search, which is something bigbluecouch plans to add in an upcoming version. It also doesn't pull down music from iTunes match as those songs stored in the cloud are only accessible to Apple's music player. Songs have to be downloaded to your iOS device before in:play can access them. in:play is perfect for listening to music while you run, drive or are otherwise occupied. It's also a great player for people who want a pleasing player experience. You don't have to hunt through complex menus and difficult-to-tap onscreen elements. You don't have to squint to see your track information or worry about searching for that tiny play button. in:play is available for US$0.99 from the iOS App Store. It's on sale this week and will jump up to its regular $1.99 price tag soon.
Elliptic Labs develops touchless gesture control for Windows 8, assuages our fear of fingerprints (video)
The rise of touchscreen Windows 8 PCs isn't a happy occasion for anyone who's been carefully keeping PC screens clean: years of slapping wayward hands have been undermined by an interface that practically begs us to smudge up the display. While we suspect it's really aiming for ease of use, Elliptic Labs may have heard that subliminal cry for cleanliness while producing its new Windows 8 Gesture Suite, a touchless control system built for a very touch-focused platform. The company's newest take on ultrasound control can pick up 3D hand motions near the display and invoke all of Windows 8's edge swipes and scrolling without the extra effort (or grease) of putting skin to screen. The method doesn't need a one-to-one map of the screen and can work even in pitch darkness, which leaves adoption mostly dependent on hardware support rather than any wary users -- despite immediate availability for the SDK, PCs need extra microphones and transducers to drop the touch layer. If computers with the Gesture Suite arrive in the hoped-for 12 to 14 months, though, we can get back to obsessing over a fingerprint-free LCD while saving some physical strain in the process.
Tokyo University of Technology's Pinch interface creates ad hoc video walls from mobile devices (video)
Most video walls would be just a tad too large for the average living room, but the Tokyo University of Technology might have a clever technique to make them travel-sized. Its new Pinch interface joins mobile devices (currently iOS hardware) into a single display simply by making the namesake gesture between at least two gadgets: WiFi keeps them in sync and recognizes the relative size and orientation. While we probably wouldn't resort to a wall of iPads in place of a large TV, there's clear practical uses like extra-large creative apps, communication and very local multiplayer games. The best news may be that the university isn't keeping the technology to itself. It wants developers to borrow Pinch for their own apps, which could lead to a legion of smartphones and tablets getting extra-cozy.
SwiftKey Flow keyboard takes the fight to Swype with predictive gestures (video)
SwiftKey must be keen to finish its bout with Swype, as it just went for the knockout. It's launching SwiftKey Flow, an extension of its Android keyboard that blends SwiftKey's familiar word prediction with the hold-and-swipe gestures we most commonly associate with the company's arch-rival. Speed-minded typists now just have to glide across the virtual keys and let go as soon as Flow makes a correct guess. They don't have to pick a typing mode and stick with it, either, as both gestures and the usual taps will work at the same time. Prospective testers will want to sign up today for the SwiftKey Flow beta starting in the next few weeks. Everyone else, though, might want to watch from the bleachers -- the new parallels between SwiftKey and Swype just made this fight infinitely more entertaining.
Microsoft Touch Mouse gets promised Windows 8 support, works like a Charm
Microsoft vowed that its Touch Mouse would get Windows 8 support in time for the software's big release day, and it's being very true to its word by posting the relevant update with less than a week to go. Mouse and Keyboard Center 2.0 saves time for those not graced with a touchscreen by introducing multi-touch swipes that bring up Windows 8's Charm bar, switch between active apps and invoke Semantic Zoom. Will the Touch Mouse update trick you into thinking you have a Surface? No, but it's certainly much easier on the wallet.
Apparent Gmail for Android 4.2 leak shows off pinch-to-zoom, swipe features
If you've been desperate for new Gmail on your Android, a leaked APK obtained by Android Police -- that may or may not have come from one of those LG E960 Mako (alleged) Nexus phones that it seems everyone has -- is sporting some fresh tweaks. As seen in this demo video, the update adds pinch-to-zoom on individual messages, as well as swipe to delete or archive. The app itself is labeled as version 4.2, and while the APK isn't widely available, the site reports that if it is released you'll need to be rooted and running Android 4.0 or higher to get an early taste of the future.
Microsoft Research crafts wrist-worn device that tracks hand gestures in 3D space (video)
A team led by researchers at Microsoft's UK-based R&D lab has crafted a system that tracks the full 3D pose of a user's hand without the need for a pesky glove. Dubbed Digits, the Kinect-inspired rig latches onto a user's wrist and utilizes a diffuse infrared light, IR laser, camera and inertial measurement unit to track fingertips and just five key points of a hand. Leveraging a pair of mathematical models developed in-house after studying the mechanics of the human hand, the group uses the captured data to extrapolate the position of a user's paw. The team envisions the solution as a supplement to touch-based interfaces, a method for eyes-free control of mobile devices and as a gaming controller that could work in conjunction with Kinect or similar systems. In its current state, the device is composed of off-the-shelf parts and needs to be tethered to a laptop, but the ultimate goal is to create a mobile, self contained unit the size of a wrist watch. Hit the break to catch a video of the setup in action or tap the second source link below for more details in the group's academic paper.
Pioneer's latest Raku Navi GPS units take commands from hand gestures
An AR heads-up display wasn't the only navigation hardware Pioneer showed off at CEATEC 2012. The firm also took the opportunity to tear the wraps off a new line of gesture-controlled Raku Navi GPS units. With the infrared-powered Air Gesture feature, drivers can wave their hand in front of a device to pull up a menu with commands such as setting their home or a personal haunt as a destination or skipping to the next tune on a playlist. Once a hand is retracted, the menu will be replaced with the usual map interface. Though the solution isn't completely hands-free, horizontal hand waves can be assigned one of ten different functions. Japanese store shelves will be lined with two dashboard-embeddable units by mid-October, while four console-independent models will join them in early November. As of now, there's no word if the hardware will make the pilgrimage stateside.
Google makes Gesture Search compatible with Nexus 7, improves app's overall performance
Earlier this morning, Google did the iOS crowd a generous favor by flipping the switch on its Street View service to help alleviate some of those Maps troubles, so it's only natural to take care of the Android faithful as well. With that in mind, Google has updated its Gesture Search to be fully compatible with the ASUS-built Nexus 7, as well as improving the application's UI, boosting search performance, adding support for more languages and allowing contacts without digits to now be searchable. The new version of Gesture Search can be downloaded now via Google Play, straight from your device or by simply using the link down below.
Akimbo Kinect hack offers precise control with minimal effort (video)
We've seen Microsoft's Kinect used in countless ways, but 3Gear Systems means to better these predecessors with the beta release of its SDK, which turns all the subtleties of hand movement into actions. In addition to using two Kinect cameras for accuracy, the software compares hand poses against a pre-rendered database so gesture commands are executed with little lag. It offers complete control of a virtual 3D environment from the comfort of your natural desk position, so you won't have to worry about flail fatigue after long stints. A free public beta is available now until November 30th, at which point bigger companies will require a license, while individuals and small enterprises will continue to get complimentary access. We know what you're thinking -- it's just another Kinect hack -- but we suggest you reserve judgment til you've seen the demo below, showing examples of how the API could be used for CAD, medical, and of course, gaming applications.
