Engadget

Hillcrest Labs takes its TV motion control system to China, becomes TCL's new best friend

Richard Lai — Wed, 23 May 2012 00:01:00 EST

It's only been a few days since Hillcrest Labs open sourced its Kylo web browser for TVs, and now the company's back with yet another announcement. Well, this time it's more about TCL who's just declared its top TV market share in China. Much like the Roku 2 and LG TVs with Magic Motion remote, Hillcrest's Freespace engine has been outted as the enabling technology behind TCL's recently announced V7500, a 3D smart TV series featuring a heavily customized Android 4.0.3 and a 7.9mm-thick bezel. This means users can interact with and play games on this slim TV via motion and cursor control on the remote (there's also voice control here but it doesn't look like Hillcrest has anything to do with it). There are no dates or prices just yet, but TCL better be quick as Lenovo's got something very similar ready to ship soon.

Gallery: Hillcrest Labs takes its TV motion control system to China, becomes TCL's new best friend

Continue reading Hillcrest Labs takes its TV motion control system to China, becomes TCL's new best friend

Hillcrest Labs takes its TV motion control system to China, becomes TCL's new best friend originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 May 2012 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Hillcrest Labs open sources Kylo web browser for TVs, hopes the people want one

Richard Lawler — Thu, 17 May 2012 03:02:00 EST

We didn't hear much from Hillcrest Labs' Kylo web browser for TVs after it launched in 2010, but now the company is apparently turning its fate over to the community. A Mozilla-based browser, Kylo will work with any mouse but is designed specifically for its Freespace pointer controls. It's available under the Mozilla Public License which means others can use it for commercial products, but so far web connected products have been slow to take off and even Google TV has had trouble pushing a typical browser experience on HDTVs. Interested devs can snag the code at Kylo.tv or GitHub, we'll see if anyone builds anything with more market impact.

Continue reading Hillcrest Labs open sources Kylo web browser for TVs, hopes the people want one

Hillcrest Labs open sources Kylo web browser for TVs, hopes the people want one originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 03:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Hillcrest Labs intros embedded motion control system for TVs, hopes for the best

Darren Murph — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 12:43:00 EST

PrimeSense had a feeling this kind of revolution would take over the television world when we spoke with them last March at GDC, and sure enough, said revolution is happening. LG's already integrated motion controls into its sets with its Magic Remote, and now Hillcrest is providing a solution just in case the rest of the world wants to buy in. Hailed as a "turnkey solution," the Freespace MotionEngine is now integrated with Broadcom's BCM35230 digital TV SoC and BCM20730 single-chip Bluetooth solution. That's a lot of technobabble, for sure, but the long and short of it is this: by integrating this into televisions, Freespace / BT-enabled remotes that are equipped with the right sensors can allow TV viewers to control channel switching, volume levels and who knows what else with just their hands. The outfit will be busting out a demo here in Vegas, so we'll be doing our best to catch a glance.

Continue reading Hillcrest Labs intros embedded motion control system for TVs, hopes for the best

Hillcrest Labs intros embedded motion control system for TVs, hopes for the best originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 12:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Hillcrest Labs brings LG's Magic Motion remote to life, cheekily points out that Sony uses it, too

Tim Stevens — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 07:04:00 EST

We had some fun playing with LG's Magic Motion gesture remote at CES this past January, which lets you change channels with a flick of the wrist, and now we're learning a little more about its fancy innards. Hillcrest Labs, the company behind the Loop mouse/bracelet, is proudly proclaiming that its Freespace tech is what makes LG's remote so magical in the first place. Hillcrest also would like to take this opportunity to point out that Sony has licensed its technology as well, and given we're but a few weeks away from the PlayStation Move launch, many are concluding that gadget has some Freespace up in it too. However, given Hillcrest's nasty patent dispute with Nintendo over the Wiimote, it's possible this is just Sony covering its ample posterior against a similar lawsuit. Or, this could go all the way back to the tech that allows the DualShock 3 to detect movement. (Remember trying to play that dragon game just with motion controls? Man, that was hard.)

Continue reading Hillcrest Labs brings LG's Magic Motion remote to life, cheekily points out that Sony uses it, too

Hillcrest Labs brings LG's Magic Motion remote to life, cheekily points out that Sony uses it, too originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 07:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Hillcrest Labs builds TV-friendly Kylo browser for its Loop pointer, Hulu promptly blocks it

Paul Miller — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:20:00 EST

In what is becoming a depressingly familiar tale, Hillcrest Labs has just released a free new browser based on Mozilla with a TV-friendly UI designed for control from the couch, but despite these friendly and standards-compliant underpinnings, Hulu has already managed to block the Kylo browser, mere hours out of the gate. Apparently Hulu worked fine in testing all the way up to launch, and Hillcrest Labs is looking for a solution as we speak. Hillcrest, Boxee feels your pain.

Meanwhile, we played around with Kylo a bit using one of those Loop pointers for gyroscope-based cursor control, and found the mousing experience just as intuitive as ever, setup non-existent (we tested on a Mac, but it's easy on a PC as well), and the browser nicely unobtrusive and distance friendly. Typing with the onscreen keyboard is about exactly as nice as typing with your mouse, which is to say "not preferred," but completely doable in a pinch. The address bar has the same sort of URL prediction we've come to know and love in modern browsers, though we wouldn't mind if it pulled in our Firefox history to round out the database from the start. In theory we also think the Loop pointer could provide some sort of more intuitive control for zooming and panning, but overall it's a simple, clean UI that should at least beat out your PS3 or Wii browser for this sort of duty -- if you're smart enough and rich enough to get your PC or Mac plugged into your TV, or have an extra one to spare. The browser also of course works with any old mouse you might having lying around, but Hillcrest Labs sure hopes you'll make the Right Choice. Check out a video of the browser and Loop pointer in action after the break.

Gallery: Hillcrest Labs builds TV-friendly Kylo browser for its Loop pointer

Continue reading Hillcrest Labs builds TV-friendly Kylo browser for its Loop pointer, Hulu promptly blocks it

Hillcrest Labs builds TV-friendly Kylo browser for its Loop pointer, Hulu promptly blocks it originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Hillcrest Labs Loop combines Wiimote, mouse, and Ouroboros

Tim Stevens — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 08:13:00 EST

Hillcrest Labs has taken a few moments away from its bitter patent dispute with Nintendo to finally release its $99 Loop controller, a Freespace mouse intended primarily for use by those with some sort of HTPC setup. It's the latest in bangle-inspired design, sporting four buttons and a scroll wheel, compatibility with Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems, and lacking any sort of chunky sensor bars or the like, detecting hand movements to glide the cursor across the screen. We hear it also makes a great accessory for geek-chic parties.

Filed under: Peripherals

Hillcrest Labs Loop combines Wiimote, mouse, and Ouroboros originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 08:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Hillcrest Labs hops on the RF4CE remote control bandwagon with TI

Darren Murph — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 08:01:00 EST

Nothing is more frsutrating than when your IR remote "misses" a piece of gear -- your whole carefully synchronized setup goes out of whack, especially if you've got macros programmed on that remote. Hillcrest Labs is hoping to save you some headaches by joining up with Texas Instruments to produce RF remotes that comply with the RF4CE standard that came out last summer. They'll be showing some of these new wares off at CES, and we expect RF technology is pretty much essential for use with Hillcrest's Freespace motion control where the whole point of the device is to wave it about with reckless disregard for a chicklet-sized IR sensor. Press release past the break.

Continue reading Hillcrest Labs hops on the RF4CE remote control bandwagon with TI

Filed under: Remotes, Others

Hillcrest Labs hops on the RF4CE remote control bandwagon with TI originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Hillcrest Labs hops on the RF4CE remote control bandwagon with TI

Steven Kim — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 08:01:00 EST

Continue reading Hillcrest Labs hops on the RF4CE remote control bandwagon with TI

Filed under: CES, Home Entertainment

Hillcrest Labs hops on the RF4CE remote control bandwagon with TI originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nintendo's Wiimote tapped for patent infringement by Hillcrest Labs

Paul Miller — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:50:00 EST

Nintendo just can't seem to keep its nose out of patent troubles, with its highly successful Wii now the target of a new patent lawsuit from Hillcrest Labs, which claims that its patents for "a handheld three-dimensional pointing device" and the gloriously vague "navigation interface display system that graphically organizes content for display on a television" which apparently predate Nintendo's own. At least we're not dealing with a complete patent troll here: Hillcrest Labs does have a product based on its technology, called The Loop remote (pictured left), based on what it calls "Freespace" motion control technology. It's fairly clear Freespace is a much different beast than the Wiimote, and we'd like to believe something so vague as a handheld 3D pointing device (a very un-new concept) isn't enough to best Nintendo in a court of law, but naturally Hillcrest is requesting Nintendo stop shipping Wiis to the States (that shouldn't be hard, huh Nintendo? Yuk, yuk.) and reward Hillcrest with unspecified monetary damages.

Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

Nintendo's Wiimote tapped for patent infringement by Hillcrest Labs originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Universal Electronics licenses motion control, hopes you don't put your eye out

Steven Kim — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 20:31:00 EST

Ask us what we think about voice control of A/V gear, and you're likely to get a laugh. Gesture-based control, however, is a different kettle of fish. Despite the knocks we give it, simply waving your hands through the air does make you feel more powerful than pressing a designated button. Universal Electronics (UEI) is on the same page, and has licensed motion-control technology from Hillcrest Labs to deliver more of that omnipotent feeling in its remote controls. Hillcrest's Freespace tech has already found its way into the Logitech MX Air, but we'll have to wait and see what kind of usage UEI will incorporate into its products. Creating a successful "10-foot" experience isn't going to be solved by hardware manufacturers alone, though -- optimizing the graphical side of the design is necessary as well.

Filed under: Industry, Remotes

Universal Electronics licenses motion control, hopes you don't put your eye out originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Mar 2008 20:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments