hands-free
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Ford updates its BlueCruise driver assist with hands-free lane changing and more
Ford has announced that its updated BlueCruise 1.2 hands-free driving system will arrive with the 2023 Mach-E and include semi-autonomous lane changing.
GM is doubling the size of its Super Cruise network in the US and Canada
GM announced on Wednesday that it will double the number of highways that its Super Cruise hands-free driving system will work on to include 400,000 miles of state routes and interstate highways across the US and Canada.
Spotify rolls out its own hands-free voice assistant on iOS and Android
You can ask the app to play a song, artist or playlist after saying 'Hey, Spotify.'
This wearable MIDI controller can control Zoom calls too
Now you can control Zoom and Powerpoint with Genki's wearable MIDI controller.
Fire TV devices will get improved hands-free features with Alexa
Amazon Fire TV devices will soon be able to do much more hands-free with paired Echo devices.
Amazon's Alexa app now works hands-free on Android and iOS devices
Alexa allows hands-free control of all manner of devices, but there’s been one glaring exception: its own smartphone app. Amazon has finally brought that feature directly to Android and iOS devices via a new update to the Alexa app.
Amazon's Fire TV Blaster brings voice control to entire home theater setups
Amazon is adding even more hands-free functionality to your TV viewing experience. The company has announced Fire TV Blaster, an infrared (IR) companion device that extends voice control beyond streaming features to TV and cable control, too.
‘Jeopardy!’ fans can now answer trivia questions while they drive
Jeopardy! fans can now test their knowledge while they drive. To celebrate the 36th season of Jeopardy!, which premieres tonight on CBS, Sony has partnered with Drivetime. Starting today, fans can answer trivia questions from seasons 1-35 through the in-car Drivetime app. Like other games on the app, Jeopardy! will be voice-based and hands-free.
Samsung shows a smartwatch concept you control by waving your hands
Touchscreens on smartwatches are limited by their very nature; there's only so much you can fit on a tiny piece of glass. However, Samsung might overcome that surface area limit if it ever implements a recently published patent application. Its smartwatch concept would let you perform relatively complex tasks just by waving your hands in front of a built-in camera. You could send content to a TV just by flicking your hand, for example, or select something by pointing your finger.
Watch out Kinect, AllSee does gesture control without a camera
What if you could turn the music down on your phone by just waving your hand? That's the idea behind AllSee, a new gadget under development by computer scientists at the University of Washington. Built by the same guys who created the gesture-recognition in the Galaxy Nexus, the tiny sensor works completely different than the feature in devices like the Galaxy S5 that require the use of the forward-facing camera. Instead, AllSee uses TV signals to not only help it recognize gestures, but also as exceptionally efficient source power. That means it doesn't need a battery to operate and can see your movements even when your phone is out of sight in your pocket -- pretty awesome.
Honda Accord, Acura RDX and ILX get Siri Eyes Free as a dealer-installed option
We first got word that Siri Eyes Free was coming to the 2013 Honda Accord back in January, but now the auto maker is rolling out the feature to vehicles. Owners of either the aforementioned model, 2014 Accord and both the 2013 Acura RDX and ILX can get the dealer-installed accessory by visiting their local dealer. Through a software update, Apple's hands-free feature works in tandem with HondaLink and AcuraLink to complete tasks with the vehicles' built-in microphone and speaker set. There's still no word on exactly how much the upgrade will cost, but Honda has scheduled a Hangout for December 3rd to make a proper announcement, so perhaps we'll learn the sticker price then.
PayPal unveils Beacon: a USB stick that powers hands-free checkout (video)
PayPal's offered its Here service since last year to simplify buying items in brick-and-mortar shops, and today they've just unveiled their latest crack at in-person shopping: a USB stick dubbed Beacon. Business owners running a compatible Point of Sale system (Booker, Erply, Leaf, Leapset, Micros, NCR, PayPal Here, Revel, ShopKeep, TouchBistro and Vend as of now) just plug the dongle into a power source and they'll be ready to offer hands-free payments. By using Bluetooth LE, the hardware detects when a customer wielding the PayPal app walks in, but won't go so far as tracking their location within the establishment. A person's photo will appear on the PoS setup when they mosey inside, and they'll only have to give a verbal confirmation for payments to go through. Naturally, waltzing into a store that can charge you so easily raises some concerns, but the outfit's application will allow for levels of trust. Users will have control over what retail locations can register their presence, if they want to be prompted with on-screen alerts to confirm payments and which businesses can charge them automatically. The setup will be put through its paces in Q4, and is expected to roll it out early next year, but 100 lucky developers will get the dongle and accompanying API early. PayPal hopes Beacon and its API will lead to new checkout experiences, such as having your usual meal ordered as soon as you walk in. If you're a dev or shop owner yearning to give the contraption a shot, click the link below for more.
US Department of Transportation posts guidelines for reducing in-car distractions
We all know by now that directly interacting with a phone while driving is a very bad idea. There are many more potential distractions at play in a car, however, and the US Department of Transportation has just published the first phase of guidelines to help infotainment device and vehicle makers keep drivers' eyes on the road. Many of them are logical recommendations for avoiding text, video and the web while on the move, although the federal agency suggests curbs that would surprise those with cutting-edge rides. While the DOT agrees that hands-free calls are safer, it still sees an added degree of risk from using them; it's not a big fan of GPS systems that introduce 3D or photorealism, either, as they potentially distract from the navigation at hand. The current guidelines aren't hard and fast rules, but it's clear the DOT will be watching companies closely -- and when the advice is just one part of a three-part series, we'd expect close scrutiny of phones and other mobile devices before too long.
Motorola Solutions outs HC1 head-mounted computer, keeps workers' hands free in sticky situations (update: video)
We're very familiar with Kopin's Golden-i, but it was surprising that an early collaboration with Motorola Solutions didn't immediately lead to Motorola selling the head-mounted computer on its own. That odd discrepancy is being patched up now that Motorola Solutions' HC1 is here. The design keeps its signature micro-display, head tracking and voice commands, but sees a slight repurposing from Kopin's focus on security: Motorola Solutions' attention is on giving construction workers, field technicians and soldiers an always-up computer that keeps their hands free when it would be too dangerous (or just unwieldy) to grab a handheld. We haven't been told if the HC1 has been upgraded to that promised TI OMAP 4 chip, although we do know that there's an optional camera to bring on the Aliens-style video feeds as well as pairing support that offers cellular data, GPS and voice calls when linked to the right phone or hotspot. Whether or not the HC1 keeps the Golden-i's $2,500 price is an unknown as well -- that said, the corporate emphasis is more likely to see bulk sales of the wearable PC than any kind of scrimping and saving. Update: You'll find an official clip for the HC1 after the break. The clip also confirms that there's no OMAP 4 in this version.
Pioneer's latest Raku Navi GPS units take commands from hand gestures
An AR heads-up display wasn't the only navigation hardware Pioneer showed off at CEATEC 2012. The firm also took the opportunity to tear the wraps off a new line of gesture-controlled Raku Navi GPS units. With the infrared-powered Air Gesture feature, drivers can wave their hand in front of a device to pull up a menu with commands such as setting their home or a personal haunt as a destination or skipping to the next tune on a playlist. Once a hand is retracted, the menu will be replaced with the usual map interface. Though the solution isn't completely hands-free, horizontal hand waves can be assigned one of ten different functions. Japanese store shelves will be lined with two dashboard-embeddable units by mid-October, while four console-independent models will join them in early November. As of now, there's no word if the hardware will make the pilgrimage stateside.
New Nokia Luna Bluetooth headsets, now with wireless charging
So yesterday saw a whole bunch of new Nokia-related goodies. There were phones (of course), charging pillows, a slew of retailers offering charging stations, and a bevy of new apps. One thing that didn't get a mention was the new Luna Bluetooth headsets. These may look familiar, but in keeping with the trend, these now also support wireless charging. As always, you have a near rainbow of color choices, and can expect up to eight hours talk time and 35 hours on standby. The NFC-enabled headsets do also have a micro-USB port, should you find yourself away from wireless power options. Sadly, no word on pricing and availability at this time.
Samsung announces Drive Link, a car-friendly app with MirrorLink integration
Until self-driving cars become mainstream, it's best to keep eyes on roads and hands off phones. With this in mind, Samsung's debuting Drive Link, an app that balances in-car essentials with driver safety, complete with approval from the no-nonsense Japanese Automotive Manufacturers Association. It's all about the bare essentials -- navigation, hands-free calling and audiotainment from your phone-based files or TuneIn. Destinations can be pulled from S Calendar appointments or texts without trouble, and the text-to-speech feature means you won't miss a message, email or social media update. The best bit is that via MirrorLink, all these goodies can be fed through compatible dash screens and speaker systems. Drive Link is available now through Sammy's app store for Europeans sporting an international Galaxy S III, and will be coming to other ICS handsets "in the near future."
Magellan unveils RoadMate GPS units with auto-replies to calls, earns fellow drivers' gratitude
Phone use while driving is still a serious problem in the US, even for those trying to quit -- which makes us happy to see Magellan doing its part to change travellers' habits. Out of five new RoadMate GPS units the company is releasing to the world, the Bluetooth-equipped, 4.3-inch 2255T-LMB and 5-inch 5265T-LMB models both carry a Safe Texting mode that can reply to any inbound voice call with a text, supplying either the arrival time or the promise of a call later on. All five of the navigators support a portrait view for more details of the road ahead, and the top two 5-inch devices support Magellan's $150 Back-Up Camera for delicate parking jobs. We'll have to wait until September before the RoadMates arrive, but the sub-$200 prices will be a relief to other drivers who want at least a few more eyes on the road.
Parrot Minikit Neo rolls through the FCC
With roughly a month to go before it hits retail channels, Parrot's Minikit Neo is inching towards being ready for mass consumption. This week the hands-free bluetooth accessory made a run through the FCC and received Uncle Sam's seal of approval. The filing isn't hiding any surprises, and we're not even treated to a nice teardown. Still, its good to know the smartphone-friendly visor clip-on is making progress. Keep an eye out for it to pop up on shelves in September for $100.
Kinect Toolbox update turns hand gestures into mouse input, physical contact into distant memory
Using Microsoft's Kinect to replace a mouse is often considered the Holy Grail of developers; there have been hacks and other tricks to get it working well before Kinect for Windows was even an option. A lead Technical Evangelist for Microsoft in France, David Catuhe, has just provided a less makeshift approach. The 1.2 update to his Kinect Toolbox side project introduces hooks to control the mouse outright, including 'magnetic' control to draw the mouse from its original position. To help keep the newly fashioned input (among other gestures) under control, Catuhe has also taken advantage of the SDK 1.5 release to check that the would-be hand-waver is sitting and staring at the Kinect before accepting any input. The open-source Windows software is available to grab for experimentation today, so if you think hands-free belongs as much on the PC desktop as in a car, you now have a ready-made way to make the dream a reality... at least, until you have to type.
