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Volvo’s XC90 brings Swedish minimalism to a sea of luxury SUVs
There's one word to describe Volvo's high-end SUV offering: smooth. The ride is smooth. The steering is smooth. The braking is (now) smooth. The interior? Smooth. It's like a serene lake in Sweden that also has massage seats. If only it had more USB ports.
Android P makes Volvo’s in-car infotainment system even better
Android Auto has been around for years. I know Android Auto when I see it. What's running inside a sleek Volvo at Google I/O isn't Android Auto. This is an automobile running full-blown Android P. We've seen no shortage of pure Android-powered cars at I/O in years past, but this crimson XC40 is different: it's one of the first cars in the world to fully integrate Google services, like Google Maps and the Play Store, right onto automotive hardware. That's right: you can finally download apps straight onto your car.
Volvo will embed Google Assistant and Maps into future cars
Volvo announced today that its next-generation Sensus infotainment system, which will run on Android, will have the Google Assistant, Google Maps and the Google Play Store embedded within it. Adding Google Maps has some obvious benefits for drivers while the Google Assistant will give users voice control over in-car functions like air conditioning as well as music and messaging. "Bringing Google services into Volvo cars will accelerate innovation in connectivity and boost our development in applications and connected services," Henrik Green, Volvo senior VP of research and development, said in a statement. "Soon, Volvo drivers will have direct access to thousands of in-car apps that make daily life easier and the connected in-car experience more enjoyable."
Volvo melds technology and luxury in the XC90 T8 hybrid
The name Volvo conjures up the incredibly safe but visually bland 240 Wagon sold during the '70s, '80s and '90s. You'd buy a Volvo because you were practical and possibly a bit paranoid about other drivers slamming into you. But the Swedish automaker has been working hard to make its cars not only safe but also stylish and high-tech. That work has culminated in the hybrid XC90 T8 luxury SUV.
Volvo is the latest to add phone-free Spotify to its rides
Volvo has been involved with a fair bit of high-tech stuff as of late, but the latest announcement from the company is a little less fantastical than garbage-collecting robots. The Swedish car manufacturer is partnering with Stockholm-based Spotify for a native streaming app in its XC90 SUV, S90 sedan (above) and V90 wagon this spring, no mobile device required. Accessing the streaming service in your new ride will require a Spotify Premium account, much like using it on a PlayStation 4 or other device would.
Canopy's Sensus app enhancing case hands-on
We saw Canopy and its Sensus last year at CES with what appears to be similar hardware, but really isn't. In our conversation with Sensus' VP of Software Engineering Joel Stewart this evening, he explained that the company was caught in the iPhone 5 Lightning connector storm and rather than push out a product that would almost assuredly fail, they took time to regroup and even redesign. As a reminder, the Sensus case augments the iPhone's input by adding input on the back and sides of the case via capacitive touch. Gone is capacitive input on the case; it's been replaced by pressure-sensitive pads on the back and down the sides. App choice has improved in some ways due to the pressure-sensitive pads. For example, flipping the case over and putting a cup on the case when the weighing app is running will see the case read out the weight of the cup on it. Follow on for some pics of the new packaging, case and a short demo video.
Sensus case brings touch input to the back and side of your iPhone
If you're one of the select group of iPhone owners who feels that their device simply doesn't have enough touch input options, Canopy is showing a new accessory at CES 2013 that more than addresses that problem. Called the Sensus, it's a case for the iPhone 4, 4S and 5 that bestows the devices with additional touch surfaces on the back and right side. The Sensus, which will sell for between US$59 and $99 when it arrives this summer, connects to the phone's 30-pin or Lightning connector for power and offers a passthrough for charging and data. When used with apps specifically designed to take advantage of it, the case adds 10 points of multitouch input. Canopy has a suite of apps in the works for the device, as core iOS functions and existing apps do not support it. The company does say, however, that app makers can add Sensus functionality with just a few lines of code via an SDK available now. It's uncertain how many are exploring the possibility of doing so, though. Among Canopy's own apps are a Braille keyboard and a camera that uses the right-side panel for all input, so your fingers don't get in the way of your viewfinder.
Canopy Sensus case adds backscreen and side touch to iPhones (hands-on)
Canopy promised a whole new world of smartphone control with its Sensus iPhone case in the fall, and we've at last had a chance to gauge how well it works here at CES. If you'll recall, it delivers 10-point touch input across the back and sides that lets apps add interaction without blocking the screen -- think of the PlayStation Vita's back touch and you've got the idea. That theoretically sounds great for gamers, but we'd like to see how well it works outside of a dedicated console. In practice, the case isn't much different in dimensions to a standard protective iPhone case, if a little chunkier along the base. The whole thing locks in to the iPhone 4's connector. although there's still another port to charge through there. The case also has integrated apps attuned for the blind, with Braille entry possible using all those multiple touchpanels. We've got a quick tour of how it all works after the break and you can expect to land this summer, where pricing will be somewhere between $59 and $99. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub. Mat Smith contributed to this report.
Canopy's Sensus gaming case protects your iPhone 4 / 4S, adds plenty of new touch sensors (update)
There's no doubt that smartphone accessories can get expensive, so how about a case that doubles as a gamepad? Billed as "protection with a purpose," Canopy's Sensus case aims to do just that. While there are several peripherals that add keyboards and joysticks to smartphones, Sensus goes one step further by adding touch input to a device's entire outer surface. The case's sensors recognize an additional ten touch responses, including controls on the sides and back of a device similar to the rear touchpad on a PS Vita. The focus with Sensus is to provide its users with unique touch input combinations that avoid taking up precious screen real estate. Most likely due to its uniformed design, Sensus is currently only being offered for the iPhone 4 and 4S; the outfit is taking pre-orders at $39 a pop, with shipments expected to begin in the first quarter of 2013. If you'd like to get a better feel for what Sensus has to offer (we know, we know), check out its demo video by visiting the source link below. Update: The folks from Canopy let us know that the previously mentioned $39 price is for pre-orders only -- the Sensus will retail for $59, so get in early if you're looking to save some money.
'Sensus' case adds even more touch surfaces to iPhone
Devices to add more inputs to the iPhone are nothing new; there are a variety of keyboard peripherals, arcade sticks and game controllers to enable additional interaction with apps. But a peripheral that adds additional touch surfaces... that's new.A company called Canopy has developed this unlikely device, in the form of a case called "Sensus" (the one above is a transparent prototype). It's designed to enable touch controls on the back of the phone – like the Vita's rear touchpad – as well as the sides."The sensors can handle up to ten independent responses," marketing coordinator Ian Spinelli tells me at GDC Online. These inputs add to the screen's six, enabling play for "multiplayer or mutant." The idea isn't so much about getting more fingers on the phone, but rather taking fingers off the screen, to avoid obscuring the game.Spinelli offered examples of possible interactions, including swiping the edge of the case to strafe and tapping to pull a trigger."Right now we're doing a private SDK." In the future, developers will be able to download the SDK to add more touchiness for free, though Canopy has yet to determine if the actual developer hardware (a test unit of the Sensus) will also be free.Update: Canopy informed us that dev kits and the SDK will be free to developers.
Touchy Remix is the multitouch table you could actually use
Remember when those Microsoft Surface-based tables were all the rage? Yeah, those were the days. Fast forward to today, and you'll probably realize that those things never really took off save for the in luxury yacht market, and while cost was obviously a problem, the overall design never really helped, either. You see, most of the ones we saw were in the shape of a box, which made them exceedingly difficult to sit at and use for an extended period of time. The Touchy Remix, however, solves that issue entirely and creates an alternative that can easily be used by multiple persons who are seated comfortably. German artist Janis Pönisch is responsible for the design here, and the fiberglass shell ensures that the whole thing remains nimble and easy to relocate. There's no mention of a mass commercialization date, but here's hoping this thing hits our local Pottery Barn on the double -- multi-player, multitouch Galaga, anyone? Update: Turns out these things are already out and about, with one particular tipster noting that they have a few in his London-based running Vortex software. Update II: SOCO, the Amsterdam-based creator, pinged us with a few more details. Currently, IntactLab is the only distributor (though more are hopefully on the way), and the unit ships with OS X (or Windows 7, if you prefer) loaded on. Multitouch software is provided by IntactLab, and the aforesaid bar added on their own additional software for that given scenario. You can find a product specification sheet here (warning: PDF). %Gallery-85114%
