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Google Glass mod gives you control over home appliances with one touch pairing
The beauty of Glass is that we're just barely scratching the surface of what Google's smart eyewear can, and eventually will, do. Leave it then to the brainiac undergrads at UC Berkeley's CITRIS lab to show us one possible direction that sees the wearables modded for at-home convenience. By adding an IR emitter to the side of Glass, the Berkeley team was able to demonstrate remote control of home appliances by pairing them with an Xbee 802.15.4 WiFi radio and microcontroller. The controls for the setup are simple. A user need only look at the intended appliance to bridge a connection -- made possible by an IR-transmitted device ID -- and view toggles for control. We know what you're thinking: how does Glass select one appliance from a cluster of nearby devices? To accommodate for this hassle, the team's made it so that the heads-up display will show the user a numerical range of selectable devices and a blinking, blue LED on the intended target when pairing is successful. Users can also swap between appliances by swiping down on Glass' touchpad or allowing for a connection timeout. Yes, it's still early days for cumbersome Glass prototypes like this one, but we'd bet the farm you'll be turning on the AC with the blink of an eye before long. You can check out the demo video after the break for proof of this Glass concept.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 review (Verizon Wireless LTE)
Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 review (international edition) Verizon Galaxy Tab 7.7 with LTE hands-on Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus reviewSamsung's Galaxy Tab series boasts seven distinct models. Throw in all of the variants of each one -- LTE, WiFi, WiMAX and even the Galaxy Note 10.1 if you want to be picky -- and all of a sudden the number of tablets produced by the Korean electronics giant over the past sixteen months shoots up to exceed twenty. In a vast sea of incredibly similar-looking Android slates, there's one model that dares to be different: the Galaxy Tab 7.7, an oddly sized tablet with a stunning Super AMOLED Plus display.Last month, we were given the opportunity to review the global version, and definitely liked what we saw. It's an understatement, then, to say that we were ecstatic to give Verizon's LTE version a run for its money (which, at $500 with a two-year commitment and $700 without, is a lot). What did Big Red choose to tweak? How's the battery life once you factor in that next-gen network? These answers and more are coming your way after the break.
Sony's active shutter glasses now on sale, $150 buys your eyes a third dimension
Sony may have an impressive lineup of 3D HDTVs, but only the LX900 series comes with the requisite glasses for out-of-the-box 3D enjoyment. Thankfully, the company sells active shutter specs separately, and they're now on sale -- you'll find pairs shipping now for $150 a pop at the Sony Store and several small e-tailers via Amazon. Keep in mind you'll still need an IR emitter to sync those shades -- also available, for a $50 extra charge -- and likely a 3D Blu-ray player (or a PlayStation 3) if you want to have anything to watch. Isn't the future grand?
