proximity
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Google is testing a way to activate Assistant without wake words
A leaker triggered the voice assistant just by getting close to a Nest Hub Max.
Ultrasound and software could replace a phone's proximity sensor
Smartphone makers are obsessed with making their gear thinner, and Norwegian startup Elliptic Labs has come up with a pretty good way to help. Their answer: get rid of the proximity sensors in our phones (and the requisite dark dots near our screens) entirely. Instead, Elliptic CEO Laila Danielsen says her team has developed some clever software that uses a phone's existing speaker and microphone to do the same job.
'Proximity' is Samsung's equivalent of Apple's iBeacon, coming to a mall near you
Tired of only seeing adverts 99 percent of the time? While Apple's already announced intentions to take over the final one percent with iBeacon, Samsung's just today getting in on the action. The Korean electronics giant has a website introducing Samsung "Proximity," a "mobile marketing platform that connects consumers with places via cutting-edge Samsung location and context-aware technology." As nakedly awful as that sounds, the "marketing platform" described sounds a lot like Apple's iBeacon -- technology that enables communication between your mobile device and the places you go. For example! Say you're in Macy's getting a fancy new cashmere shawl. If Macy's has iBeacon/Proximity set up (via in-store transmitters), the store could tell you what's on sale, what might match, and a variety of other information. That information could be helpful (clothing match suggestions), it could be nonsense ("spend over $1,000, get 15 percent off!"), and it could be somewhere in-between.
MacBeacon and Locate for iBeacon: An inexpensive way for developers to design and test iBeacons
iBeacons are a hot topic and getting hotter. It seems like we're hearing a lot about retailers and others who are chomping at the bit to use the short-range, highly focused location technology for things as varied as in-building directions or targeted advertising. But how are developers able to start creating iBeacon-enabled apps without having one of the Bluetooth devices on hand? That's where some tools from Washington, DC-based Radius Networks can help out. The company recently announced MacBeacon (US$9.99), which allows any Bluetooth 4.0 (Bluetooth Low Energy) equipped Mac to be set up as a test iBeacon. If a developer is just getting his or her feet wet in the iBeacon world, the company even has a free iOS app called Locate for iBeacon available. MacBeacon allows developers to create beacon profiles that provide full iBeacon functionality. For developers who want to test iBeacon-enabled apps, it's a great way to see how the apps react to proximity to iBeacons. Devs can give the iBeacon a name for labeling purposes (it's not broadcasted by the beacon), generate a UUID, set group identifiers and adjust the beacon's power level. A full help page provides both an introduction to iBeacons as well as assistance in using the app. The Locate for iBeacon app does exactly what the name implies -- it locates iBeacons. But it does more than that, providing distance measurements between the iOS device and the iBeacon, a way to calibrate the iBeacon and also a way to turn an iOS device into an iBeacon itself. A developer could theoretically just use the Locate for iBeacon app for testing purposes. Radius Networks also has iBeacon hardware development kits available (US$99.99 to $149.99). Based on the popular Raspberry Pi single-board PC, these kits feature one or two Bluetooth LE transmitters and come with iBeacon software that works with Apple's iBeacon SDK. The company has developer tools available, including the Message Radius platform (for pushing notifications to devices when they're within a certain range of an iBeacon) and a Proximity Kit API for setting up localized geofences. TUAW reported earlier this week on how retailer Macy's and shopping app Shopkick teamed up to use iBeacon technology in a few flagship stores. With tools like those from Radius Networks making it easier for developers to implement the technology, you can look forward to seeing iBeacons everywhere you go.
Google patents drag-and-drop content sharing with nearby groups
Proximity-based content sharing systems for mobile tend to focus on one-at-a-time transfers -- see Android Beam and Apple's upcoming AirDrop as examples. Google, however, has just patented an interface that would simplify sharing content with nearby groups. Users would only have to drag private items into a public space to share them with everyone inside of a certain range; the reverse would hide those items once again. The approach wouldn't be limited to files, either, as it could be used for invitations to chat sessions or events. Google won't necessarily take advantage of its sharing patent, but the concept is simple enough that we wouldn't be surprised to find it in future apps or Android revisions.
Mosoro releases its Bluetooth LE sensors and SDK for VIP appcessory developers
Since we last heard about Mosoro's Lego-brick sized Bluetooth LE modules, they've changed their names, picked up another member and are now making their way to iOS app developers. The 3D-Motion's got an accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer, while the Enviro measures temperature, humidity and barometric pressure. New to the team is Proximity, useful for triggering location-based apps and tracking motion for creating alerts. All three rechargeable Bluetooth low energy sensors have "shake-to-wake" support, an RGB "glow-cap" for notifications and a humble programmable button. They are expected to hit retail in fall 2012, but "VIP" app developers can grab them now, as well as the SDK which simplifies iOS Bluetooth integration. Got the ideas and inclination to become one of Mosoro's "rock star app-developer partners?" Then go sign up on the website and see if you make the VIP grade.
Citizen Eco-Drive Proximity watch notifies iPhone owners without betraying their nerd status
It's hard to deny that Bluetooth watches usually lack the social graces you need when dressing to impress. Citizen doesn't want to leave you a binary choice between technology and poshness, however. The company's upcoming Eco-Drive Proximity watch has all the respectability of an analog steel timepiece, but it quietly syncs to an iPhone 4S (or newer) through Bluetooth 4.0. Miss a call, get a message or approach a meeting, and the seconds hand will point to a word on the dial indicating what needs attention -- there's no broadcasting your geek credentials to everyone in the room. The iPhone syncs its time with the watch if you're so inclined, and a search mode will ping the handset if it's lost under the couch. Expect to pay $550, or about as much as many mid-tier quartz watches, when the Proximity goes on sale in the fall. It's certainly not a trivial price next to other Bluetooth watches, but the public acceptance factor may be more than worth the premium.
Facebook's Find Friends Nearby feature falls off the map, leaves buddy locating to other social apps
We're happy to chat up our Facebook friends on the web, but empowering them to track us down in person makes that virtual social experience feel a bit too real. Perhaps that was the reasoning behind the mysterious disappearance of the company's new Find Friends Nearby feature, which bit the dust yesterday just as quickly as it first appeared. During its hours-long tenure, the new tracking tab didn't give precise friend location information, but did provide a list of buddies in an undisclosed vicinity, making it possible for some not-so-top-tier contacts to realize that you're still in Tulsa, and didn't actually make that move to Timbuktu. Whatever the reason, Find Friends Nearby is now very much lost, but it could theoretically make its return at any point in the future. For now, you'll need to return to keeping an eye on acquaintances the old-fashioned way.
Facebook's Find Friends Nearby: GPS lets you give nearby mobile users a Friendshake
A mobile Facebook feature called Find Friends Nearby, previously code-named Friendshake, is coming out of development and will soon be on its way to your iOS or Android phone. Perhaps springing from the social network's acquisition of ambient social app Glancee, it's still fairly primitive, merely navigating to a browser page on your device, where it will show you a list of other users within a given, undisclosed radius. Presumably, the benefit is to let you quickly add someone in your purview like Find my Friends, although we're interested to see what privacy settings are on offer. You never know, Mr. Zuckerberg could be tempting the privacy gods -- and governments -- once again.
Y!kes' app-enabled system transforms hotel accessibility: talking with hotel chains, launching this month on iOS, Android, BlackBerry and WP7
We all knew opening one's hotel room door with a smartphone was just the beginning, didn't we? As the years have turned (and LodgeNet has inexplicably remained), a smattering of companies have seen the opportunity to connect savvy hotel guests to the properties they frequent. Y!kes is the latest to tune in, and its solution undoubtedly has the potential to change the way smartphone users interact with lodging venues. Designed as a hardware + software platform, the proximity-aware access system offers hotels the ability to tightly and specifically grant or deny access to one's phone. As an example, a hotel and guest both utilizing the system could see an elevator automatically choose one's floor upon entry, a door automatically unlock when a patron walks within range, a parking deck automatically have its gate raised, and a VIP lounge door automatically open if the credentials are programmed in. Going a step further, one could envision this system having the ability to alert a hotel when a guest lands at the nearest airport, thereby triggering a series of events that places fresh Perrier bottles on the desk, blue mood lighting in the bathroom, a thermostat adjustment to 74 degrees and whatever else that person has specified in their profile. Insane? Sure, but not at all outside of the realm of feasibility. Once a venue has installed the system, guests need only have the associated app -- available for Android, BlackBerry OS, Windows Phone and iOS -- running in the background on their device. If all goes as planned, he or she won't even have to drop by the check-in counter, and when the stay is over, they'll be able to bypass the check-out line as well. If you're curious about app availability, we're told that the iOS build will hit the App Store "this week," while the other three platforms will see launches "within 30 days." We asked the company if it was ready to announce any partnerships with hotel chains, and received the following reply: "As for integration, Y!kes is currently engaged in deep discussions with the top hotel chains and will have information pertaining to specific contracts in the near future." Needless to say, the jetsetters in the crowd will be keeping an ear to the ground for more.
Insert Coin: Rowdy Robot creates Bluetooth 4.0 beacons that activate automatic alerts
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. It's no secret that Bluetooth 4.0 is energy efficient, but now a startup called Rowdy Robot wants to use it for something rather less predictable than monitoring heart palpitations during your Tour de France training. A network of little beacons ("tōds") interacts with your iPhone or iPad and lets you receive movement-triggered alerts: like when your kid wanders too far, or when they finally return home after hanging out with the corner cartel. Many uses will be similar to NFC tags, but with the advantage of a vastly greater range of up to 500ft -- plus a single beacon can last for years on a single battery. Of course, it could also work with location-based services, triggering automatic updates as you pedal past the Arc de Triomphe -- but none of this will happen unless you check out the video after the break and help Rowdy Robot meet their $50,000 target.
RIM's latest patent details automatic volume adjustments based on handset placement
That moment when you physically hurt your ear by mashing your cellphone up against it in a futile bid to hear the person on the other end. That's the very moment that RIM's gunning to make history with its latest patent, which was filed way back in November of 2007 but just granted today. The BlackBerry-maker's patent describes an adjustable acoustic speaker output "based on an estimated degree of seal of an ear about a speaker port" -- effectively a system where the volume can automatically increase if a handset jostles further from your ear. Not surprisingly, the description details "at least one touch sensor" used for detecting the distance between one's ear and the device, and the connecting method of adjusting the audio depending on what information the sensor picks up. We're guessing folks who walk and talk would be keen on taking advantage, but then again, you could just walk around with a Bluetooth headset on. (Keyword being could, not should.)
MagnetU connects you with similar people in your area, because diversity is overrated
You could make friends the old fashioned way, with casual introductions, eye contact and other intrinsically human social skills; or you could just sit back and let MagnetU do all the heavy lifting for you. The Israeli startup, founded in 2010, has just unveiled what it calls a "proximity networking" device -- a tiny accessory that connects users to other like-minded people within their immediate vicinity. Within this lightweight gadget lies information on a user's "social desires," which can be customized and modified depending on a given situation. If you're at a networking event, for example, you can activate your "business" profile, before switching into the grossly mistitled "social" mode once you walk into a bar. Once activated, the device will automatically scan for other users within your area, comparing your data against theirs. If it finds a match, both misfits will be notified with a text message that provides details on their level of compatibility. At that point, it's up to you to exchange furtive glances and do the whole "Come here often?" Kabuki routine. The tool could also open up new marketing avenues for retailers, though MagnetU plans to begin rolling out its $24 device at college campus events, where more traditional social lubricants are few and far between.
Charles Walton, father of RFID technology, dies at 89
We have some somber news to bring you today: Charles Walton, the man who pioneered the rise of RFID technology, has died at the age of 89. The Cornell-educated entrepreneur garnered more than 50 patents over the course of his career, but it only took one to cement his legacy -- a 1973 patent for a "Portable radio frequency emitting identifier." It may not have been the first RFID-related invention, but Walton's breakthrough would prove to be foundational, spawning many similar patents, including ten from the creator himself. It all began at the Army Signal Corps, where Walton worked after studying electrical engineering at Cornell and earning a Master's degrees in electrical engineering and economics of engineering from the Stevens Institute of Technology. In 1960, he accepted a position at IBM, where he conducted research on disc drives before founding his own company, Proximity Devices, in 1970. It was at Proximity where many of Walton's patents came to life, including his initial design, which he developed alongside the Schlage lock company and eventually licensed to other firms, as well. He would go on to earn millions from his technology, though as Venture Beat points out, he may have been a bit too far ahead of the curve. Many of Walton's patents expired by the time RFID devices caught on with big spenders like the Department of Defense and Wal-Mart, thereby excluding him from any subsequent windfall. But that didn't seem to bother him too much, as evidenced in a 2004 interview with Venture Beat: "I feel good about it and gratified I could make a contribution."
Toyota demos Prius' proximity notification system, touts 'futuristic' purr (video)
Silence may be a virtue under most circumstances, but not when you're driving around a leafy, residential neighborhood in your Toyota Prius. That's why the manufacturer came out with its very own vehicle proximity notification system last year -- a "futuristic," underhood noisemaker designed to alert pedestrians and the visually impaired to the plug-in's presence. Now, Toyota has offered more details on its safety system, in a freshly released demo video starring the 2012 Prius V. The car's artificial engine noise, as the company explains, only kicks in at speeds below 15 miles per hour, allowing it to broadcast its audible heads-up across parking lots or other low-speed zones. The sound itself, meanwhile, emanates from external speakers and consists of a blend of high and low frequencies that won't be by muffled by background noise or physical obstacles. The vehicle's pitch shift technology also enables the tone to rise in pitch as the car speeds up and to fall as it slows down, giving others an idea of how fast it's approaching. Accelerate past the break to see the full video for yourself, while John Kerry nods in silent approval.
Evatran's Plugless Power wireless EV charger gets smaller, conscripts Chevy Volts for testing
When it comes to technology, the old adage of "bigger is better" died a long time ago, so it's not a surprise to see "smaller is smarter" thinking apply to products and prototypes across the board. Today's (relatively) tiny wonder is Evatran's Plugless Power electric vehicle charging system: now smaller, more efficient, and primed for its first trial phase. The last time we saw Plugless Power, the system's wireless charging "station block" stretched nearly the length of a full vehicle and charged at 80 percent efficiency. Today the charge block is only slightly larger than an average hubcap, boasts a 97 percent charging efficiency, and is less picky about your car missing the wireless charger's "sweet spot." Evatran is now working on launching a test fleet of up to 12 Chevy Volts to put the system through its paces, and hopes to expand the tests to as many as 30 vehicles by January. Ready to ditch pumps and plugs forever? Start saving: a complete Plugless Power system (including vehicle retrofitting) will set you back as much as $5000 after production starts sometime in 2012. Don't be too surprised, cool stuff rarely comes cheap -- besides, that old adage has to apply to something, doesn't it?
Apple seeks patents for 3D and 'physics metaphor' gesture controls
Deep in the stodgy bowels of the USPTO sits a folder full of Apple patent applications specifically for gesture controls. A few more pages from that expanding tome were just made public, and the concepts unearthed are certainly thought-provoking. The first involves using a proximity sensor in addition to the touch panel to register gestures in 3D. For example, you could use three fingers to mark out the corners of a triangle on the screen and then "pull up" and pinch to create a pyramid for use in a CAD application. The second idea involves gestures based on intuitive "physics metaphors" that are recognized using motion sensors. So instead of navigating menus in order to start a file transfer between an iPhone and iPad, the user could arrange the desired files on the phone's screen and then pretend to "pour" them onto the tablet -- an idea which rather reminds of the funky Project Blox. Oh, did we just make a Cupertino lawyer twitch?
Blu e-cigarettes help you make friends, light up when you're near another Blu smoker
Oh, that old adage: smoke, be cool, make friends. Die. Well, e-cigarette manufacturer Blu is now trying to resurrect that image, albeit perhaps without so much of the death bit, by making its packaging more sociable. It's new "smart packs" are equipped with radio sensors that detect when a fellow Blu smoker comes within 50 feet, causing your box to light up and vibrate. This is meant to encourage you to go over and make conversation, like "Hi, so, er... you also spent $80 on a pack of battery-powered smokes. Is that fur real?"
White iPhone 4 thickness creates issue for case makers, owners
By now you've probably seen the latest spectacle to consume the white iPhone 4: it's thicker than the black model. The image above illustrates the point using a piece of lead from a mechanical pencil. So what, you say, in righteous indignation to a device that shipped ten months late. Well, the size difference creates a potential consumer issue since cases (at least the good ones) are manufactured against the tight tolerances supplied by Apple. We've confirmed ourselves, that an Incase slider that fits a black iPhone 4 just fine has to be forced into place on the new white model. Unfortunately, Apple's own spec page doesn't highlight the change in thickness (measured at 9.5mm by TiPb). Instead it still shows a 9.3mm depth with a tiny disclaimer stating, "Actual size and weight vary by configuration and manufacturing process." The result is confusion -- will this case fit or won't it? -- which is never a good thing for consumers. But why is the white iPhone 4 thicker? Phil Schiller mentioned that Apple needed to add extra UV protection among other tweaks, in an attempt to reduce the "unexpected interactions" between the white cover and the internal components. As such, Apple apparently needed to sacrifice some slimness for a better functioning white phone. In the end, we have what looks to be four different size / button configurations that must be considered when purchasing a shrink-wrapped case for your white iPhone 4, black iPhone 4, white Verizon iPhone 4, or black Verizon iPhone 4. Good luck with that. Additional reporting by Sam Sheffer [Thanks, Jon]
Google HQ gets juiced with Plugless Power EV charging unit
We've seen it adorned with a giant Honeycomb and an oversized Gingerbread man, and now Google's bringing a more practical addition to its Mountain View campus -- specifically, a Plugless Power EV charging station. Its maker touts the installation as "the first public release" of the handsfree re-juicing system, and says it will eventually provided power to a fleet of low-speed EVs already in use at El Goog HQ -- the first of which has already been retrofitted to get pumped up. Who knows, maybe now we'll see something come of Google's claims to make electrical vehicles charge more efficiently. Full PR after the break.
