input
Latest
Samsung draws in developers with S Pen SDK for Galaxy Note
Ever since the mighty Galaxy Note first popped up at IFA we've been curious about that S Pen and how it'll make its way into our real-life workflow. Samsung promised there'd be an SDK back at its October London launch and it's finally here, letting developers get busy adding some S Pen magic to their apps. Version 1.0 lets you add a basic canvas, a pop-up for pen settings (opacity, line color and so on) as well as erase and un/redo. Sure, ICS might natively support stylus input, but as Samsung is keen to point out -- with its capacitive tip and configurable button -- a simple stylus this is not. And remember: until the Note gets an ICS update, you'll be scribbling all over that snappy Gingerbread install anyway. Tap that source link if you want to get your hands on the goods, and let the tic-tac-toe commence.
Microphone for Mac
Got a pair of iPhone headphones with a built-in mic? If you've got an Apple laptop made after 2007, chances are that microphone will work just as well with your computer. Plug it in, then check in the Sound system preferences pane for the 'External Microphone' input.
Fling joystick lets you get physical with Super Megaworm on the iPad
You know, some people take gaming very seriously, and there's no doubt that a good portion of them will be picking up this new peripheral from Ten One Design. For $24.95, the Fling tactile game controller promises to enhance some iPad games by overlaying their virtual D-pad with a physical mini joystick. And that's not it -- the funky spiral mechanism also provides resistance to simulate force feedback, meaning your thumb will always know its boundaries. Check out the video demo after the break. %Gallery-112504%
LaCie Float concept combines external HDD with trackpad, ingenuity with fantasy
How do you freshen up the typically unexciting external storage unit? You slap a multitouch trackpad on the top of it, of course. And since you're dreaming up wild concepts, make that top out of carbon fiber, provide a base made out of glass and insert some LEDs next to it to provide ambient illumination -- with an integrated light sensor adjusting their brightness on the fly, obviously. Yes, André Silva's LaCie Float is indeed out of touch with things like "feasibility" and "economics," but don't tell us you wouldn't love that slice of converged awesomeness sidling up next to your laptop. USB 3.0 comes standard and an SSD option is also available, if you wish for it hard enough.
Xbox 360 gets a limited edition orange Tron controller, because wired gamers need love too
In most circumstances, we'd argue a self-illuminating controller crisscrossed by bright bands of orange is a couple of notches over the top, but when it's Tron you're talking about, it all makes sense. This latest peripheral for the 360 is up for pre-order now at $39.99 and comes prepackaged with the smugness of knowing that each one sold will be part of a very limited 250-unit production run. It's officially licensed by Microsoft and arriving at snowy doorsteps some time later this month. A less exclusive blue brother should be joining it soon as well, in case the current hue's not quite to your liking.
SteelSeries Shift MMO Keyset comes optimized for online questing
Outside of Word documents and IM clients, one of the most intensive uses of keyboards nowadays is in massively multiplayer online games. But, gaze upon the button array before you and you'll notice that there's nary a single concession to your ten-hours-a-day WoW habit. SteelSeries is today looking to rectify that situation with its all-new MMO Keyset, which you can see above, attached to the company's already available Shift gaming keyboard. This assortment of oddly titled keys comes with an exhaustive set of customization and macro options, so even the most hardcore of online raiders should be able to extract some added value from it. We're not sure that utility will ever add up to the $25 (€25 in Europe) asking price, but then we've never managed to get our Night Elf Mohawk to Level 80, either.
Grippity 1 back-typing keyboard finally up for pre-order, asks for $60 and your patience
To say the Grippity has been a long time in coming would be an understatement. The quirky keypad that stashes the buttons around back seemed to have all but vaporized into thin air after showing some early promise, but hey, it's back now! Back with a vengeance, which in this case means pre-order availability on its eponymous site at $60 a pop. Mind you, the earliest deliveries are scheduled for February, so we do hope you have enough to distract you while waiting through this holiday season. January should be nice and fun, though, as we're sure the Grippity guys will find a way to hit up our CES 2011 trailer for another hands-on opportunity with this trackball-equipped peripheral -- which is now billing itself as the ideal media center controller. We'll let you know how well the Grippity plays that role as soon as we can.
Hitachi displays a capacitive screen capable of accepting stylus input (video)
Can someone ring up Lucifer and check that his heating's still working? Hitachi has achieved the unthinkable in bringing together the high precision and input flexibility of resistive touchscreens with the finger friendliness of capacitive panels. It's graced this year's FPD trade show with a new prototype that offers the capacitive functionality we're all used to by now, augmented with the ability to recognize input from a stylus or, perhaps more importantly, gloved hands. We're sure we can hear the sound of cheering coming from the chilly shores of Scandinavia right now. If all goes well, Hitachi should be able to bring them (and you, and the rest of the world) this finger-saving innovation at some point in late 2011, after production gets going in the second half of that year. Video demonstration after the break.
Microsoft kicks out a pink mouse for Breast Cancer Awareness Month
If you've been following your NFL broadcasts, you'll have noticed an entirely unusual hue infiltrating your typically macho sport -- in most clashes this weekend players on both teams could be seen sporting pink paraphernalia alongside their usual uniform colors. This courageous act of pinkification was in aid of the US National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which Microsoft is also supporting in its own small way. That small way is called the Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000, which will retail from now until the end of September of next year for $40 and contribute a $4 donation per sale to the Komen for the Cure charitable fund. Hey, it's got BlueTrack if you need to feel manly while buying one! [Thanks, Andrew]
BlindType acquired by Google, Android typists grin uncontrollably
The note's short and sweet, but it confirms that Google's buying spree is still on -- BlindType was just acquired by the Big G. If you'll recall, we were wowed back in July by the software's ability to predict words regardless of how text was inputted, and it seems as if a few bigwigs within Google were as well. It's unclear what Google's Android team plans to do with its newfound IP, but you shouldn't have to strain your imagination too hard to hazard a guess. As for the BlindType team? They're "excited to join Google, and look forward to the great opportunities for mobile innovation that lie ahead." Likewise, folks... likewise. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Razer Tron Mouse leaves light trails in our hearts (video)
We don't really expect that the actual Tron movie will be any good, but boy, its officially endorsed accessories aren't looking half bad. The $100 laser mouse from Razer has snuck out for a quick pre-release video demo where we get to see it tracking gloriously on an accompanying "precision" mousepad. There's hardly much to be learnt about the mouse's ergonomics or 5600dpi accuracy, but it does glow with that mighty inviting shade of blue (cyan?) and the mousepad reacts to the laser's illumination by leaving dreamy light trails after your movements. It's cyber-poetry in motion, available after the break.
Galaxy Tab Bluetooth Stylus emerges, up for £49.99 pre-order
It's been a month since we caught our first glimpse of the Galaxy Tab's Bluetooth Stylus and today, although still seemingly unofficial, it's appeared in its first pre-order listing. Priced at £49.99 ($79) by UK online specialist Play, this capacitive stylus will facilitate handwriting recognition for those of us not served well enough by the Tab's generally excellent soft keyboard. It's also capable of hooking up to two Bluetooth devices at a time and has the extra intelligence thrown in to receive and reject phone calls -- whether on the Tab or on your phone. It's an intriguing piece of kit, maybe Samsung should go ahead and make it official now, eh?
Apple granted patent for handheld that recognizes your hands
You could probably fill a book with Apple patent applications that never amounted to anything, but here's one that's at least been granted -- a "handheld device" that uses capacitive sensors to recognize your identity just by the way you hold it, and subsequently personalize the device's buttons and settings to your hand based on your user profile. That's all that's actually been patented here, but the general idea is a little more grand -- you could theoretically grip a handheld with either hand, and it would automatically generate "button zones" under each finger using sensors (or disappearing buttons, perhaps) baked right into the chassis, making cries of "you're holding it wrong" hopefully fade into obscurity. Still, it's not the first time we've seen Cupertino reaching for digit recognition and we're sure it won't be the last, so we'll just file away our enthusiasm until or unless Jobs announces it on stage.
InputDynamics makes dumbphones smarter with tap-to-touch tech
You can't afford a proper QWERTY keyboard on your phone, much less a expansive multitouch slate. What to do? Well, if a UK startup named InputDynamics has its way, you'll just tap on any surface of your handset. The company's developed a piece of software called TouchDevice that uses a phone's embedded microphone to analyze the acoustics inside, reacting to your finger's impact on the surface with a touchscreen-like input on the device. New Scientist reports that's not all, as the algorithms can also be fine tuned for detect scratches and swipes for scrolling and zoom, and the company's in talks with "tier-one handset manufacturers" to license the program even as we speak. You'll forgive us if we're a bit skeptical, though -- if this truly requires only software and works on any surface, why not release an app to tap the backs of our Droids, BlackBerrys and iPhones?
Xbox 360's transforming D-pad controller gets handled on video
Boy, we've gone from rumor to hands-on experience in just a couple of days with this thing. Microsoft's November 9-bound Xbox 360 controller refresh couldn't escape the clutches of Joystiq, who have put together a neat photo gallery and video overview. That chrometastic new D-pad is clearly the headliner here, and the early feedback is that it works well -- it takes a bit of effort to transform from a flat button to the elevated four-way navigator you see above, but that's apparently a good thing as it means you'll never flip modes by accident in the middle of a hot and heavy gaming session. The analog buttons have also been subjected to some nipping and tucking and there is of course a new desaturated color scheme to explore as well. You'll find a shot of the retail packaging after the break and a lot more at the source. Update: Video now embedded after the break.
Microsoft Kinect starts making home deliveries to beta testers
As beta testing programs go, Microsoft's Kinect venture has been kind of... leaky. No surprises, therefore, that we've now received our first in-the-plastic pictures of the motion-tracking camera peripheral, replete with a few select shots of its packaging. Redmond's promise that hardware was en route to testers was clearly not a hollow one, and we can now probably expect a bunch more unauthorized disclosures about the user experience with what should be final retail units. The outside of the packaging includes a couple of teasers encouraging users to pick up some of those bodacious PDP stands and wall mounts for their Kinect -- presumably the start of a tidal wave of Kinect accessories. %Gallery-101257%
Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse seriously, finally, officially announced, doesn't ship until December
After the overt teasing, leaking, and then more leaking, Microsoft's finally ready to spit out the details on its Arc Touch Mouse, which at the end of the day is really just... a mouse. As we've seen, the peripheral has an incredibly unique design -- the flat device arches its back to click into a mountain shape, which actually ends up powering the little rodent up. So, where does the whole "touch" factor come into play? Well, very similarly to the Mad Catz Eclipse mouse, the Arc Touch has a capacitive touch strip with sensor pads between the mouse buttons that can be used for scrolling and customizable shortcuts. We've got you covered with some hands-on impressions and video after the break, but that's about all you'll be getting for a while since the press release below says the $69.95 mouse won't hit the market until December. Yep, December! That's a bit odd to us, but they'll be taking pre-orders today so hit the break to finally see this thing push the cursor around.%Gallery-100833% %Gallery-100834%
PlayStation designer explains what the controller symbols mean, dishes a bit of history
Teiyu Goto, the man responsible for saving us from that kidney-shaped disaster above and delivering us the splendid original PlayStation's controller, has sat down for a little chat with Famitsu over in Japan. Involved in the PlayStation project almost from its inception, the designer played a pivotal role in shifting Sony away from its Nintendo copycat ways and into the world of handle-equipped button pads. Moreover, his brainbox is the one responsible for coming up with the now legendary geometric button icons adorning the PS controller's buttons. Here's how Goto explains their meaning: the circle and x represent yes and no, respectively, the triangle symbolizes a point of view, and the square is equated to a sheet of paper, there to be used to access menus. Frankly, given the backlog of memories we have built up with those keys, this explanation leaves us a little high and dry, couldn't he have made up some dragon-slaying stories? Hit the source below for the whole interview, it's well worth the read.
Logitech's Wireless Illuminated K800 keyboard boasts ambient light and proximity sensors, costs $100
It wasn't too long ago that we were pondering the relative scarcity of backlit desktop keyboards, so let's all warmly welcome a new entrant into this niche category. The K800 from Logitech picks up where the wired Illuminated Keyboard left off: it has the requisite inflated price, adjustable and intelligent illumination to please functionalists, and a dagger-like profile for aesthetes. Ambient light sensors will align the keyboard's brightness to your environment, while proximity detectors will only flip the switch when your hands are in position to start writing. There's also a Micro USB cable to refresh your battery when it starts running low -- it's rated for up to 10 days of wireless use -- but whether this whole package of smart convenience is worth the $99.99 we'll leave up to you. The K800 should be shipping out later this month, and you can find out more about it in the press release after the break.
Microsoft Research reveals RearType, puts QWERTY back where it belongs
We've seen a few wacky split keyboards in our day, and even the occasional back-typing peripheral, but Microsoft Research has just congealed the core ideas into a why-didn't-I-think-of-that device for mobile use. Dubbed RearType, the QWERTY solution literally sticks a three-row keyboard on the back of a tablet PC, allowing users to have the same physical sensation as on laptop or desktop without taking up valuable touchscreen real estate. While there's still a few kinks to be worked out of the system (like how to set it down without triggering input) and no plans yet for commercial availability, a brief study showed users could attain 15WPM speeds on average with a single hour of training, and one participant managed to eke out a healthy 47WPM in the same timeframe. We imagine a certain Motorola device is feeling a mite jealous right about now. See the front of the (non-Microsoft) tablet right after the break, and read the full study at our more coverage link.