IR
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MultiTouch Ltd's 46-inch panel accepts unlimited touch inputs, we put it to the test (video hands-on)
MultiTouch Ltd has been at this IR-based multitouch thing since 2007 and it's hit CES in force this week. Sure, the current 46-inch model requires 12 inches of depth -- in order to provide sufficient space for the infrared cameras embedded in its back to capture the whole, ahem, surface -- but having unlimited touch inputs is always a wildly impressive sight. We put one of the displays to the test by exploiting a nearby crowd and slapping down a good 40+ fingers on it, all of which were recognized. To be perfectly fair, the IR cameras don't seem to have a very flat recognition area and many of our inputs were picked up from over an inch from the screen. The 46-incher under hand is already available for a totally affordable $17,000, provides full HD resolution, and hooks up to a PC for processing of input. See our thoroughly intensive test on video after the break. %Gallery-113460%
IOGEAR GW3DKIT wireless 3D media kit banishes your components to the closet
We went hands-on with IOGEAR's wireless HD system last year at CES, and now we've managed to do the same with a prototype of the boutique brand's new GW3DKIT 3D wireless streamer. The kit consists of a 3D transmitter and receiver that each feature four HDMI inputs as well as one component, composite, VGA, and USB input. Each box also features one HDMI and USB output. Together the system is designed to stream full 1080p 60Hz HD video / 5.1 audio along with 3D content over WiFi (802.11n) from as far as 100 feet away with supposedly little latency or wireless interference. IOGEAR says to expect the system sometime in Q1 of 2011, and no official pricing is available yet, but we've been told it would be around $499 by IOGEAR's CES booth staff. If everything performs as advertised, it sounds like a great solution for you home theater minimalists out there who prefer components out of sight. We'll reserve official judgment though until we can go eyes-on with some extended tested. For more information, be sure to check out the full PR after the break.
UnityRemote brings a universal, customizable remote to iOS devices
Ever since Apple killed the Griffin IR remote on the original iPod I've been wanting to consolidate my iPod with a home theater remote. The iPhone seems perfect for this; with an infinitely variable canvas available, you could theoretically do anything with your remote. The trouble is getting an IR signal to your components. The UnityRemote from Gear4 solves this problem by connecting your iPhone to a small cylindrical IR beamer via Bluetooth. We didn't get much of a chance to try it ourselves, but the demo was mighty impressive. I should note that Gear4 is not new to this game -- they created an RF-based remote for iPods several years ago but it never took off. iOS devices, however, are much better suited to remotes. While you have the usual raft of buttons and shortcuts (you can add buttons to your favorite stations with station icons) plus the ability to teach the device your oddball remote codes, the really compelling piece in my mind was the ability to use gestures. You can flick your finger up in the gestures screen to increase volume, much like FlickTunes does on your iPhone or iPod touch. The UnityRemote works on iPad as well, which means you can have a really big remote in your living room. The app is free, but the UnityRemote hardware will set you back $99. Considering Harmony remotes can cost $200 or more, that's still a pretty good deal if you have a lot of components or you're a control freak.
SQ Blaster Pro is a WiFi, Z-Wave, and IR blaster home automation powerhouse
We've seen plenty of IR blasters around the Engadget trailer but few, if any, include WiFi and Z-Wave home automation radios. But that's exactly what the boys over at Square Connect have planned as a followup to their existing SQ Blaster product. A trick that lets you control your home theater equipment, window coverings, lights, and HVAC systems from the company's own SQ Remote iPhone app. At least that's the plan when it ships sometime around Q2, possibly touting WiFi Direct capability and Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS). The device above is a non-working prototype that just happens to look nice with the Apple TV. It features cutouts for a USB port (power and setup), IR extenders, built-in blasters, and removable antenna. Working models are already in field testing with shipments expected to land in the homes of consumers sometime in Q2. %Gallery-113322%
Speakal Doctor Who TARDIS speaker prototype hands-on
Hardcore Doctor Who fans might argue that the faulty chameleon circuit is to be blamed here, but really, this mini TARDIS is just a forthcoming Speakal iPod speaker dock that also doubles as a Bluetooth speaker and an IR remote control. As pictured above, the dock connector lies in a pull-out tray at the bottom-front of the device, with the stereo speaker drivers hidden behind the front windows. There's also a bass chamber inside the box, and we could see the opening through the back windows, along with the volume dial and power switch at the bottom. We were told that the final product will actually be slightly smaller than this prototype, and the lamp at the top will also have an IR emitter installed, which can control your TV via an iOS app (presumably via Bluetooth). Anyhow, expect to see this blue box on the shelves for around $130 to $150 come April. %Gallery-113118%
ZigBee finalizes low-power, RF standard for input devices, could finally kill off IR for good
Over the years of idle channel surfing and menu browsing you've surely developed some finely-honed IR shootin' skills, knowing which surfaces will and will not reflect the signals from your under-powered universal remote control as you try to bounce that beam around a pile of magazines and soda cans on the coffee table. Those skills are on a fast-track to obsolescence thanks to the new ZigBee Input Device standard, which finally could bring all TV remote controls to the world of RF wholesale. Well, it could, if it finds more success than the already existing ZigBee Remote Control spec has managed. The new Input Device standard builds on that, said to require less juice than IR so those tired and mismatched AAs could last even longer. It'll also work with mice and keyboards and the like, but naturally we're most optimistic for remotes, even though this comes a little too late to let us turn off our PS3s with our Harmonys.
IR-embedded Surc case converts iPhone into a universal learning remote
Whoa, Nelly! ThinkFlood won't like this... not one bit. If you'll recall, the RedEye universal remote dongle was well received, as a simple 3.5mm adapter added IR beaming to Apple's slate of iDevices. But now, Mashed Pixel has taken the integration one step further, seamlessly embedding an Infrared emitter into a case. Simply pop the Surc around your iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4, download the (free) accompanying app and start programming. Before long, you'll be dictating your home entertainment setup sans any external accessories, and heck, you may even improve your phone's reception all the while. The only downside to this approach compared to ThinkFlood's is that the iPad is obviously not supported, and once you upgrade to the iPhone 5, your trusty IR case becomes a glorified paperweight. If you're kosher with that, though, you can get your pre-order in now for $69.95, with initial shipments expected to make their way out in Q1 2011. %Gallery-110542%
MS applies for patent on 'light-induced shape-memory,' a touchscreen that could touch back
Touchscreens are selfish lovers, taking your gentle caresses and impatient taps without offering a hint of feedback to you. We've seen attempts to change that, like prototypes from Toshiba and Senseg that add a bit of texture to a touchable surface, but now Microsoft might be looking to bring such dynamic tactility to the one of the biggest touchable surfaces: Surface. A recent patent application entitled "Light-induced Shape-memory Polymer Display Screen" describes a technique for a display that uses infra-red light to detect touch, but also to "selectively change a topography of the topography-changing layer." In other words: to make it bumpy or smooth. Certain wavelengths of light projected on the screen can cause areas of that topography layer expand or contract, which could finally mean all our cries for attention might finally be responded to in kind.
Thinkflood survives recall, now shipping redesigned RedEye Mini
We're guessing the past few months haven't been the greatest at Thinkflood, who has been dealing with a nasty recall of RedEye Mini IR dongles. Based on information passed down from the company to us today, each one of the recalled units has been replaced, and now the redesigned / better-than-ever models are on sale for the same price as before. $49 nets you an IR adapter that plugs into your iDevice headphone jack, enabling your iPod touch, iPhone or iPad to control essentially any home entertainment component that understands Infrared. Crisis averted, as they say.
iRobot patents 'Celestial Navigation System' for the Roomba
While Roomba's automated approach to floor cleaning might've been novel for its day, its random bumbling is starting to look dated, particularly in comparison to laser-guided, ultra smart vacuums like the Neato XV-11. Well, iRobot is naturally not going to take this lying down, and the company has received a patent for a new "Celestial Navigation System" based on IR beacons bounced off walls and ceilings that the Roomba can track and calculate its position from. It doesn't sound as fancy as Neato's completely self-contained system, and it'll require the setup of multiple beacons throughout the house to make the bot self-sufficient, but we're guessing it requires less processing and gadgetry on board to pull off -- which hopefully means Roomba can stuff this into bots cheaper than Neato's $400 XV-11. Mint, which was supposed to ship this summer from Evolution Robotics, uses a similar system to the one iRobot is proposing and has a rumored price of under $250.
Kaleidescape shows off a new kid-friendly remote/menu system, Blu-ray disc vault
Besides being a thorn in the side of the MPAA, Kaleidescape is all about letting its owners play back their movies as quickly and easily as possible, and showed off a couple of new products to that end this week at CEDIA. As promised, it showed off a disc loader due later this year designed to rip and hold on to your Blu-ray discs while it actually plays them back not from the disc, but as images. Convoluted, but necessary to work around the rules in place. Once you've got all those discs loaded up (up to 100 per vault) there's another new way to play them back, with its new kid-friendly interface (available as a free download for existing owners) and $39 remote that lets parents give kids their own limited list of movies to watch and a durable, nine-button IR remote to browse them with, perfect for keeping their grubby fingers off your remote and iPhone. Update: And now with video, direct from Kaleidescape's CEDIA booth, embedded after the break. %Gallery-103335%
Sharp prepares XV-Z17000 3D DLP projector for 2011 release
Sharp just announced its first 3D projector, the XV-Z17000, at CEDIA. Due early next year, the company is holding back pricing information until CES but wasn't shy about mentioning mentioning it works with active shutter glasses using either DLP Link or IR syncing technology by bouncing an IR signal off the screen the picture is projected onto. It packs two HDMI 1.4a inputs and specs include a measured 30,000:1 contrast ratio and 1,600 ANSI lumens brightness. Check the press release after the break for the rest of the details currently available, we'll be taking another careful look at this one in January.
Amulet voice-activated Windows Media Center remote hits the FCC
Amulet Device's intriguing voice-activated remote for Windows Media Center has long since missed its original ship date, but it just popped up at the FCC, complete with product shots and the user manual. Besides providing typical universal features like IR learning, as a package the rechargeable battery-powered controller, USB dongle, and companion Windows Media Center Plugin will allow users to operate their home theater by simply speaking commands to the remote's built-in microphone. Like any good robot servant, the remote will also audibly respond to questions such as "what song is playing" and even distinguish when you're talking to it versus just chatting with friends, thanks to nifty advanced positioning sensing technology. Sadly taking dictation isn't in the cards and there's still no word on an official launch date, but that hasn't stopped the budding emperor in us from hoping it arrives soon.
Infrared laser shown to quicken heart rate, gives hope for ultra-small pacemakers
Here's an interesting one. Just years after a researcher in Japan realized that lasers could stimulate nerves, a professor of biomedical engineering at Vanderbilt University along with cohorts from Case Western Reserve have found that the same is true with the heart. By using an Infrared laser on an early embryonic heart, tests were able to show that the muscle was "in lockstep with the laser pulse rate." The crew also found no signs of laser damage after a few hours of experimenting, though obviously more extensive research would be required before any medical agency allowed such a device to be beamed underneath a human chest. The hope here is that this discovery could one day lead to ultra-small, implantable pacemakers, or better still, to "pace an adult heart during surgery." There's nary a mention of when this stuff will actually be ready for FDA oversight, but there's a downright creepy video of it all in the source link. Consider yourself warned.
DIYer constructs 4.3-inch Open SciCal graphing calculator, puts your TI-83+ to shame
What's 4.3-inches diagonally, costs $200 to build and has absolutely no reception issues when held as shown in the image above? Why, the Open SciCal! Matt Stack, the genius who pieced this gem together, relied on a 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 CPU, 8GB SD card, WiFi module and a spartan web browser in order to concoct what's likely the most desirable graphing calculator this side of Pluto. The handheld device weighs about 1.6 pounds, runs Linux as well as the statistically inclined R, and is reportedly capable of doing roughly twice as much crunching as Texas Instruments' Nspire. Skeptical? Considering that this bad boy sucked down stock data from Yahoo! Finance and ran auto-correlation on the numbers in order to near-instantly report current trends, we're guessing TI (or any other graphing calculator company, really) has no room to argue. Hit the source for more details, and don't worry -- that feeling of insignificance wanes with time.
NVIDIA 3D Vision Pro Technology uses RF syncing to woo professionals
NVIDIA has a strong lead in PC land with its IR-based GeForce 3D Vision tech, but apparently us lowly consumers aren't enough for the squiggly green eyeball. The company has just announced NVIDIA 3D Vision Pro, which makes use of RF syncing to give the glasses a 150 foot range, along with avoiding some of those line of sight and crosstalk issues that plague the IR glasses used by most 3D-at-home applications. NVIDIA plans to market this new system, which will be out in October, to professionals for tasks such as 3D modeling and medical imaging, and just in case you don't believe them they've priced the glasses at $349 and the RF hub at $399. Still, when have unreasonable costs ever stood between us pesky proles and the 3D nectar we yearn for? There's a press release after the break, along with a video of Siemens putting the glasses to use on some ultrasound imaging.
Redeye mini dongle out now
We posted about the Redeye mini a while back -- it's an IR dongle that hooks up to the audio port on the iPhone to let you control any IR device (your TV, DVD, or whatever else you've got) with the touchscreen on your phone. You need a free app from the App Store to use the dongle and it doesn't look like much, but ZDnet actually says it works great, controlling multiple devices with ease. You can also set up various activity settings on the remote, and then customize buttons to do whatever you want to do. So it looks like this is a very workable solution if you're interested in using your iPhone as a remote, especially compared to something much more expensive. At just US$49 (though of course you'll need an iPhone), this easily beats most other touchscreen remotes. Thinkflood is taking orders on the dongle right now.
RedEye Mini dongle now on sale for $49, looking good in early review
You've heard about it for months, and now the universal remote that looks nothing like a universal remote is finally on sale in 52 nations. Thinkflood's RedEye Mini -- which simply plugs into the headphone jack of your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch -- can now be procured for $49, and when used with the gratis app in the App Store, can control anything in your home entertainment setup that accepts IR commands. ZDNet was fortunate enough to get a little hands-on time with the device, and their early impressions are quite positive. In fact, they recommend skipping the Harmony hoopla and heading right for this if you're already an iDevice owner (who doesn't use an imposing case or Bumper), and at a buck under a Grant, we certainly aren't in a position to argue. %Gallery-97818%
IR-beaming RedEye mini iPad / iPhone remote dongle gets real, its own video demo
Oh, sure -- ThinkFlood promised us back in early March that a RedEye mini would be landing this summer, but at the time, all we had were a few luscious renders. Today, the company has finally revealed the first actual shots of the forthcoming device, along with a video showing it in action. While diminutive, it's certainly not as compact and discrete as IR-enabled cases, but if you've already committed to an iPod touch / iPhone / iPad case (or just prefer rocking your device sans clothing), this here dongle is likely the next best thing. In case you're wondering, this little guy will transform your iDevice into a universal remote, enabling it to talk to any home entertainment component that listens to IR (read: that's just about all of 'em). We're still stuck waiting a few more months for this $49 product to hit shelves, but for now, feel free to hop past the break and peek a brief demonstration.
Sony's active shutter glasses now on sale, $150 buys your eyes a third dimension
Sony may have an impressive lineup of 3D HDTVs, but only the LX900 series comes with the requisite glasses for out-of-the-box 3D enjoyment. Thankfully, the company sells active shutter specs separately, and they're now on sale -- you'll find pairs shipping now for $150 a pop at the Sony Store and several small e-tailers via Amazon. Keep in mind you'll still need an IR emitter to sync those shades -- also available, for a $50 extra charge -- and likely a 3D Blu-ray player (or a PlayStation 3) if you want to have anything to watch. Isn't the future grand?
