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Woven's wearable platform for gaming, cool points and a whole lot more (video)
TshirtOS showed us one take on wearable gadgetry earlier this month, and now it's Woven's turn. This particular e-garment packs quite the selection of hardware, as you can see above -- a trio of LilyPad Arduino boards (and some custom ones), a Bluetooth module, 12 x 12 RGB LED "screen", speakers, bend sensors, a heart rate monitor, shake motors and a power pack. You'll need to accessorize, of course, with a smartphone for hardware harmony and to run companion apps. So what's it for, you ask? Well, the creators are touting it primarily as a "pervasive" gaming platform, and even seem to have a working first title in the form of SPOOKY (think gesture-based ghost-fighting). Other uses (which appear a little more conceptual) see Woven as a workout companion, TV remote, Wii controller, social network alerter or simply a fashion accessory. Check out the videos below to see it in action and imagine all the fun you could have in the five minutes before you're ushered into that padded room.
Droplet and StackAR bring physical interface to virtual experiences, communicate through light (hands-on)
Light-based communication seems to wind throughout the MIT Media Lab -- it is a universal language, after all, since many devices output light, be it with a dedicated LED or a standard LCD, and have the capacity to view and interpret it. One such device, coined Droplet, essentially redirects light from one source to another, while also serving as a physical interface for tablet-based tasks. Rob Hemsley, a research assistant at the Media Lab, was on hand to demonstrate two of his projects. Droplet is a compact self-contained module with an integrated RGB LED, a photodiode and a CR1216 lithium coin battery -- which provides roughly one day of power in the gadget's current early prototype status. Today's demo used a computer-connected HDTV and a capacitive-touch-enabled tablet. Using the TV to pull up a custom Google Calendar module, Hemsley held the Droplet up to a defined area on the display, which then output a series of colors, transmitting data to the module. Then, that data was pushed to a tablet after placing the Droplet on the display, pulling up the same calendar appointment and providing a physical interface for adjusting the date and time, which is retained in the cloud and the module itself, which also outputs pulsing light as it counts down to the appointment time. StackAR, the second project, functions in much the same way, but instead of outputting a countdown indicator, it displays schematics for a LilyPad Arduino when placed on the tablet, identifying connectors based on a pre-selected program. The capacitive display can recognize orientation, letting you drop the controller in any position throughout the surface, then outputting a map to match. Like the Droplet, StackAR can also recognize light input, even letting you program the Arduino directly from the tablet by outputting light, effectively simplifying the interface creation process even further. You can also add software control to the board, which will work in conjunction with the hardware, bringing universal control interfaces to the otherwise space-limited Arduino. Both projects appear to have incredible potential, but they're clearly not ready for production just yet. For now, you can get a better feel for Droplet and StackAR in our hands-on video just past the break.
SparkFun launches ProtoSnap, pre-wired Arduino kits for beginners (video)
Looking to get your start in the world of Arduino programming, but having trouble with that whole circuit prototyping thing? Well, the crafty guys and gals at SparkFun have whipped up something they call ProtoSnap -- pre-wired boards with an Atmel AVR processor and a small pile of components that are ready for experimenting. When you've got your code down, the parts easily snap apart for use in a properly soldered, permanent project. There are three different kits available in the online store now, the Pro Mini ($45), the LilyPad Development Board ($60), and the LilyPad E-sewing kit ($20), the latter being an accessory pack for the LilyPad Board. Check out the gallery of goodies below, as well as the video and PR after the break. %Gallery-129783%
Pussy versus willow, the latest PSP ad
I hope you didn't get the wrong idea. Sony's latest ad continues to promote the PSP's unique capabilities in strange ways. In the same vein as the love-it-or-hate-it dustball commercials, these plants solemnly contemplate battling over PSP's wi-fi connection. Because as you know, PSP: it's like a lilypad with wi-fi.[Via IGN]
