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N-trig DuoSense Pen and multitouch tech to power ASUS TAICHI input
Wondering about that mysterious stylus ASUS referenced yesterday during the company's TAICHI launch? A source has confirmed that the tech in play will be provided by N-trig, and will feature the company's existing DuoSense grid-based capacitive solution. N-trig uses a single digitizer to track both stylus and 10-point multitouch input, and can support up to 256 pressure levels with the battery-powered DuoSense Pen. ASUS didn't have the Pen on hand during its Computex event, so we can't speak to its size or precision, but if it's anything like N-trig's current product, it would definitely appear to be a versatile input device. We're still unsure of pricing and availability, along with detailed specs, but considering how quickly this input bit came to light, we shouldn't have long to wait for confirmation on that front either. Head on past the break for a closer look at TAICHI.
ASUS reveals TAICHI convertible notebook / tablet with dual 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch displays (update: hands-on photos and video)
Two displays in one tablet? Yes you can. ASUS' new TAICHI series packs displays on both the front and the rear, letting you use the device in a variety of configurations. In 'notebook' mode, you can use TAICHI with a backlit QWERTY keyboard and trackpad. Once you close the lid, however, it's stylus time. TAICHI includes Intel Ivy Bridge Core i7 processors, 4 gigs of RAM, SSD storage, dual-band 802.11n WiFi, FHD/Super IPS+ displays and, naturally, dual cameras. Despite the display duo, both the 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch configurations are reportedly as thin and light as the Zenbook line. Both variants will offer 1920 x 1080 pixels on each side, and displays can be used independently, so you can even share the device with a friend -- with completely different content on each LCD. We spent a few minutes with the 11.6-inch version at ASUS' launch event at Computex today, and while the device we saw was clearly an early prototype, it functioned as described and looked quite polished, so this certainly isn't merely a concept at this point. The touch panels were very responsive, and quite bright, even at their lowest setting. The rear LCD had visible backlight bleed around the top and bottom, which we of course don't expect to see on production samples. Despite the thin design, there's no shortage of connectivity options -- the left side of the device (in tablet mode, at least) packs a power button, lock toggle, mini VGA, USB 3.0 and power ports, while the opposite panel includes a headphone jack, a second USB 3.0 port, micro DVI, a volume up/down switch and a rotation lock button. There's no pricing and availability just yet, but you can see it in action right now -- our hands-on video is waiting just after the break.%Gallery-156811%
Kinect yoga game debuts at Cirque du Soleil event
[My Yoga Online] Among the acrobatics displayed at tonight's Cirque du Soleil Kinect event, a demonstration was given of a yoga game where players emulate the actions of an on-screen instructor performing various Tai Chi and Yoga moves. Rather than the occasionally frantic actions of Wii Fit or EA Sports Active, the actions in this games seemed much more tranquil. The player replicates the stance of the on-screen instructor, effectively following an exercise routine. Considering an Xbox Live Avatar wasn't anywhere to be found, it would seem this is an entirely separate game from the already revealed Kinetic Sports. We'll find out more as the week goes on.
KAIST's HUBO shows off some newfound dexterity, hides emotions behind ill-fitting motorcycle helmet
Sometimes when we see the seemingly slow advance of Honda's ASIMO, the inherent limitations of WowWee toys, or the purposefully limited one-off research projects of universities, we start to give up hope of being super best pals with a humanoid robot this century; hope of partaking in whimsical 80s movie hijinks, hand-in-metal-hand. This little video of the Korean Institute of Advanced Science and Technology's recent advances on its HUBO project therefore serves as a bit of a "hope refresher," allowing us to once again re-imagine those aforementioned scenes of whimsy with a metallic bot that can handle a sword and walk at an almost-useful pace, while inexplicably wearing a smallish, visored helmet. Sure, there's a long way to go, but we'd just like to say that when the robot apocalypse doesn't happen and we realize how much we really have in common with these machines we've built to look like us, that somewhere in late 2009 this video helped us keep on believing.
