PointGrab
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Switched On: Token gestures
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. In early 2005, even after the launch of the Nintendo DS, Switched On critiqued pen computing, noting that it was too cumbersome and unnatural to become a mainstream input method. That column was validated by the launch of the iPhone, which banished the stylus to "blown it" status and popularized "finger-friendly" handset designs from all major smartphone OS developers. Many have described the user interfaces of products such as the iPhone and Surface as ushering in the post-WIMP (windows-icon-mouse-pointer) era. Former Windows Magazine editor Mike Elgan has referred to the new paradigm as "MPG" (multitouch, physics, gestures) However, while these user interfaces feature streamlined designs and more direct manipulation, they still form a bridge with the graphical user interface. The main shift has been to more direct manipulation as the device processes more natural inputs. The same can be said for Kinect. For a tidy sum and some untidiness, Kinect enables the kind of motion-sensing gameplay that has become the Wii's hallmark without having to strap the controller to various limbs (as with EA Active for Wii). In fact it eliminates the need to hold a controller entirely, just like the iPhone and iPad free users of mice and styluses. Beyond Soviet Russia, the input device uses you.
Pointgrab's motion sensing tech coming to more laptops, we go hands-off
Yeah, so we haven't been the biggest proponents of motion sensing laptops -- it's sort of hard to see the point when you've usually got your hands on the keyboard or touchpad to control the screen -- but apparently Pointgrab's software is gaining some traction. The software, which works with any 2D webcam, is currently being shipped on Fujitsu Lifebook AH laptops in Japan, but it'll be expanding to other markets soon. In addition, we were told another laptop maker would be preloading it "before the end of the year." Interesting. We got to spend some time with the Lifebook AH500, and we have to say the software / webcam combo does work quite fluidly -- all we had to do was wave at the screen to bring up the company's menu for opening programs or controlling media. And it was super responsive to our wax-on / wax-off movements to control the volume. But regardless, it's still really hard to imagine when we'd actually use this on a laptop... though, get it on a nettop, HTPC or all-in-one and we'll be all ears (or hands in the air!). It'll be interesting to see which laptop manufacturer feels differently and snatches up Pointgrab's tech soon, but until then check out the gallery and video after the break to see us (awkwardly) wave at a 15.6-inch screen. %Gallery-96268%
Fujitsu's motion sensing laptop interface makes no sense (video)
We're not sure what Fujitsu is thinking here, but it has to stop. Get a load of its motion control interface running on a 15.6-inch laptop. Yes, a 15-inch laptop. We might be able to understand this if it was plugged into a big flat panel television or projector, but trying to manipulate those itty bitty controls from 10-feet away is, well, silly. The Core i3-350M-powered Fujitsu LifeBook AH700/5A does feature HDMI-out but you still have to place the laptop in front of you (and the TV) with the display popped open so that the camera can see your movements. On a positive note, it looks like a great way to develop your wax-on / wax-off ninja tuna skills.
