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Live from the Engadget CES Stage: Leap Motion CEO Michael Buckwald
In the short time since it was first announced, Leap Motion has caused us to rethink the way we interact with our PCs. CEO Michael Buckwald joins us to discuss the future of natural computer interfaces. January 8, 2014 2:30:00 PM EST Follow all the latest CES 2014 news at our event hub, and check out our full stage schedule here.
Touchless music game lets you create jittery drum and bass with your face
If there was one ubiquitous item at NYU's ITP Winter Show, it was the Kinect. Countless projects were built around the Microsoft-made sensor. Max Ma's Touchless, which he built with a ton of help from Tony Lim, originally featured one, but the version that made it to the floor went with an OEM equivalent instead. But the effect is the same: a set of cameras and sensors track various parts of your face, turning your muscle twitches and eyebrow raises into raw data. While Max says this data can be used for a host of different applications, such as unlocking your door with a series of blinks and winks, he focused on bringing joy to people's lives through music creation. The sensor tracks between 16 and 64 points (under ideal conditions) on your face, and uses your movements to trigger and manipulate samples. Truth is, it's hard not to smile while making ridiculous faces, though, I was a little disappointed to find out that the tracker did not play well with my winter beard. The main method of interacting is by tilting your head, opening your mouth and raising your eyebrows, but Max added some depth by turning a Leap Motion sensor into a controller for a software synthesizer. So samples and beats are all above the neck, but you can wave your hands through the air to play a lovely lead melody. Really, the whole thing is pretty self-explanatory and quite fun, as you can see in the video after the break.
HP adds Leap Motion control to select PCs just in time for the holidays
HP's adding more Leap Motion to its PC arsenal. After refreshing its Envy 17 with inbuilt Leap Motion control, HP's now expanding that partnership to select products in its desktop and all-in-one lines. The 11 devices, which encompass HP's Envy Recline, Phoenix and TouchSmart series, in addition to its Pavilion TouchSmart line, will come packed with the Leap Motion keyboard. But that keyboard would be useless without the necessary Leap Motion software, which HP's made sure to pre-install on the devices, along with a few free apps to demo the gesture control and Airspace, Leap Motion's own app store. If a motion-controlled PC sounds like something you'd want to gift wrap and nestle under the tree, then be sure to check out HP's online shop for the full list of supported devices. Because nothing says, "Merry Christmas!" (or "Happy Holidays," or whatever) like expensive, gimmicky technology.
Oculus Rift-based virtual reality game could help restore 3D vision (video)
Many will tell you that video games are bad for your eyes, but James Blaha doesn't buy that theory. He's developing a crowdfunded virtual reality title, Diplopia, that could help restore 3D vision. The Breakout variant trains those with crossed eye problems to coordinate their eyes by manipulating contrast; players score well when their brain merges two images into a complete scene. Regular gameplay could noticeably improve eyesight for adults that previously had little hope of recovering their depth perception, Blaha says. The potential solution is relatively cheap, too -- gamers use an Oculus Rift as their display, and they can add a Leap Motion controller for a hands-free experience. If you're eager to help out, you can pledge $20 to get Diplopia, and $400 will bundle the app with an Oculus Rift headset. Check out a video demo of the therapeutic game after the break.
Leap Motion releases Free Form, an app that lets human hands sculpt digital clay (video)
When we reviewed the Leap Motion controller earlier this year, we found the application selection to be a bit lacking. Since then, the number of apps has doubled from 75 to around 150, and the Airspace store's newest edition is the coolest Leap app we've yet seen. It's called Free Form, and it's a 3D sculpting app (not unlike 3D Systems' Sculpt) built in house at Leap Motion that lets you manipulate and shape digital objects using your fingertips. David Holz, company co-founder and the man who figured out the math behind Leap Motion's technology, gave us a demo of the app and talked a bit about why Leap built it. Additionally, he showed us a new developer beta software that does 360-degree tracking built to address some of the original Leap shortcomings.
Expand NY workshops roundup: 3D Systems, littleBits, Leap Motion and more!
The stage at Expand acted as a platform for conversations between many people involved in the future of technology -- but there was a lot more that attendees were able to enjoy. Some of our nifty workshop sessions had 3D Systems show off its new Sense scanner; littleBits gave a demo of the Synth Kit; Leap Motion talked about its SDK and the implementation of it on 3D web apps; and Raspberry Pi revealed the results of the Make-Off contest. These are only a few of the workshops from our event in New York City, so head past the break to check out the full list -- we've got a video for each one.
The future of motion interfaces: Wave goodbye to the mouse
We're still big fans of Douglas Engelbart's original pointing device, but human/computer input is moving past traditional peripherals. We're rapidly approaching a future of touchscreens, motion sensors and visual imaging control solutions. "Gone are the days, probably, of the keyboard, mouse and maybe even touch input," Samsung's Shoneel Kolhatkar told us. During a panel on the future of gesture and motion controls at Expand NY, Kolhatkar suggested that these technologies could fade away within the next 20 years. His fellow panelists, Pelican Imaging's Paul Gallagher and Leap Motion's Avinash Dabir agree that there's more to the future of computing than the traditional point and click.
Live from Expand: Gesture / Alternate Interfaces
Wait, you're still using keyboards and mice? Well, we just typed this with our mind! Explore the world of alternative interfaces with representatives from Samsung, Leap Motion and Pelican Imaging. November 10, 2013 11:50:00 AM EST Follow all of Engadget's Expand coverage live from New York City right here!
Daily Roundup: PlayStation Vita hands-on, HP SlateBook x2 review, iOS 7 lockscreen bug, and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Don't miss Wikimedia, OLPC, Leap Motion, Voltaic and more at Expand NY!
We're getting more and more impatient waiting for Expand New York with every subsequent speaker announcement -- and we've got five more names to lay on you right now. This November, we'll be joined by Wikimedia's director of mobile, Tomasz Finc, Leap Motion's director of developer relations, Avinash Dabir, The One Laptop Per Child Association's chairman and CEO, Rodrigo Arboleda, founder / CEO of Voltaic Systems Shayne McQuade and Michael Carroll, a professor of law at American University Washington College of Law and founding member of Creative Commons. And, of course, we've already announced a number of folks who will be joining us on November 9th and 10th, including LeVar Burton, Reggie Watts, Ben Heck, Peter Molyneux, Ben Huh and speakers from companies like Google, Sony, Pebble, Adafruit and The Electronic Frontier Foundation -- and we've still got more to come. Check out the full list below.
HP lays claim to the first fanless Haswell PC and the first Leap Motion laptop
What do a fanless PC and a motion-controlled laptop have in common? Nothing, really; just that HP is going to be first to market with both of these things. After teasing a fanless tablet back in June, the company has formally announced the Spectre 13 x2, which isn't actually a tablet so much as a hybrid laptop. Additionally, HP unveiled a special edition version of its Envy 17 notebook with a Leap Motion controller built into the palm rest. Starting with the Leap Motion machine, this is truly the same Envy 17 that's already on the market, complete with an aluminum chassis, backlit keyboard and generous Beats branding. Except, you know, it has a conspicuous motion sensor below the keyboard, allowing you to control games and other apps using hand gestures. Per Leap Motion's requirements, HP includes a shortcut to Leap Motion's Airspace Store, where there are currently 100-plus apps and counting. (If you read our review, you know the selection is hit or miss.) Once you calibrate the sensor, you can turn the controller off by pressing the spacebar plus the Fn key; a small LED indicator will light up to let you know when it's on. Surprisingly, too, that the sensor doesn't add to the thickness of the laptop, as the module only measures 3.5mm thick (granted, a 17-inch machine probably has plenty of leeway inside the chassis). Look for it October 16th, with a starting price of $1,049.99 and your choice of Intel processors and NVIDIA graphics.
HP fills out its tablet lineup with four Android slates and two Windows models
When HP announced its first Android tablet, the Slate 7, we were surprised (and a little disappointed) to see the company attacking the low end of the market. Where were the high-end tablets, we wondered? What about some big-screened models? Or medium-sized ones? Turns out, HP was saving them all for the holiday shopping season. The company just announced four Android tablets, ranging in size from 7 to 10 inches. Two have Tegra 4, two can be had with 4G, and one has a stylus in the box. On top of all that, HP also introduced two more Windows tablets, including a 10-inch slate and an 11-incher with a keyboard dock. All will go on sale in November, though with the exception of one model HP isn't revealing pricing yet. For now, though, best if you study up on the specs: there's quite a bit to unpack here.
Elon Musk shows off Iron Man-style rocket design with gestures and 3D printing (video)
In another confirmation that Elon Musk lives life differently from the rest of us, he's just posted a new SpaceX video that's straight out of a sci-fi movie. In it, he demonstrates designing parts for a rocket the company could use just with hand gestures using a Leap Motion controller. After that, we move to a 3D projection of the part, free standing glass projection just like Iron Man, and even an implementation with the Oculus Rift VR headset. While much of its appeal is watching a billionaire play with the latest tech toys, the video gives a peek at what's possible with technology that's actually available to a rapidly growing number of people. Inspiring stuff -- we'll see if we can finish the Hyperloop concept with a Kinect and an old Virtual Boy.
This week on gdgt: the new Nexus 7, the Leap, and two-step authentication
Each week, our friends at gdgt go through the latest gadgets and score them to help you decide which ones to buy. Here are some of their most recent picks. Want more? Visit gdgt anytime to catch up on the latest, and subscribe to gdgt's newsletter to get a weekly roundup in your inbox.
The Weekly Roundup for 07.22.2013
You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past seven days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Dropchord drops into Leap Motion store, OUYA and mobile versions to come
Leap Motion owners better start stretching their air keytar muscles now that Double Fine's Dropchord is available for purchase in the Airpsace store for both PC and Mac. In terms of innovation, the game itself isn't particularly earth-shattering -- if a score-based arcade game and a music visualizer got together and had a baby, it would be Dropchord. What's enough to pique our interest is the fact that its gesture controls have been optimized for use with Leap Motion, allowing it to showcase the device's motion-activated potential. That being said, the game is also heading to other platforms in the near future. It'll land on OUYA on July 31st and iOS and Android devices on August 1st. You can check out the full press release after the break or head on over to Airspace to purchase the game for $2.99.
Leap Motion controller review
When the Leap Motion controller was revealed to the world, it brought with it the promise of a new and unique computer user experience. And, ever since we first got to see what the Leap Motion controller could do -- grant folks the ability to interact with a computer by waving their fingers and fists -- we've wanted one of our own to test out. Well, our wish was granted: we've gotten to spend several days with the controller and a suite of apps built to work with it. Does the device really usher in a new age of computing? Is it worth $80 of your hard-earned cash? Patience, dear reader, all will be revealed in our review.%Gallery-194274%
Leap Motion controllers now shipping
Would you look at that? Seems Leap Motion's eagerly awaited motion controller has started shipping a few days early -- well, a few days before its delayed July 22nd date, but we'll take it. We've received a couple of confirmations from future Leapers that their devices are on the way. Until they actually arrive, however, why not take a look at some of the apps developers have been working on for the system? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
The New York Times Leap Motion app: for all the news that's fit for gestures (video)
Few of us reading the morning news enjoy putting our greasy hands on a tablet or newspaper just to flip through articles. With the newly unveiled New York Times app for the Leap Motion Controller, we won't have to. The release lets news hounds navigate stories (and ads) through a unique interface optimized for touch-free gestures. Both Mac and Windows versions of the NYT app will be available in the Airspace store on July 22nd, the same day Leap Motion ships to customers. More importantly, the app will be free -- at least at launch, readers won't run into the usual paywall. If the prospect of contact-free news has you intrigued, there's a video demo available after the break.
Leap Motion and Airspace App Store coming July 22
Leap Motion has entered a new developer beta that will lead up to the product's ship date of July 22. Its product, the Leap Motion Controller, is a tiny device you plug into your computer that allows you to interact with it through hand gestures in the air. With the announcements of the latest beta, Leap also unveiled its Airspace App Store. The Airspace App Store will feature more than 100 apps upon launch, however not all the apps will be Mac compatible. Some will be Windows only. In a blog post announcing the new beta and Airspace App Store Leap said that beta testers will have access to the following: Mac and Windows OS interaction – They'll be able to scroll and click with simple finger moves, and Windows users can open and navigate metro apps, like a recipe collection or a game, with ease. Airspace Home – The desktop launcher is where all Leap Motion apps will live. This includes other software on the computer that uses a Leap Motion API, like Google Earth. Airspace Store – Browse, buy and download apps across a wide variety of categories. Users can access the store through Airspace Home. Orientation – Our interactive tutorial, which will run after testers download the Leap Motion software, will help orient them to Leap Motion's field of view and the zone of interaction when using Leap Motion for the first time. Leap has a strong Apple connection, with its President and COO Andy Miller having come from Apple where he was the vice president of Mobile Advertising at the company, leading the iAd program. The Leap Motion Controller will cost US$79.99. Interested parties can preorder the device now.
