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Liquidware team crafts laser tripwire that tweets intruder alerts, keeps fake sharks at bay (video)
Laser tripwire security systems can be expensive propositions that don't always work as planned -- just ask Raytheon, which saw its $100 million Perimeter Intrusion Detection System for JFK International Airport undermined by one wayward jet skier. Taking that as a form of dare, Justin Huynh and teammates at Liquidware have devised a much cheaper (if also much smaller) tripwire of their own. Any interruption of a laser pointer's beam is caught by an Arduino light sensor that promptly sends the alert to an Android-running BeagleBoard xM; if a toy like Bruce the shark dares cross the line, the BeagleBoard sends a Twitter message to let the authorities, or at least Huynh, clamp down on the trespasser. The invention won't replace Raytheon's handiwork anytime soon, although Huynh notes that additional or more powerful sensors could theoretically catch real, muscle-bound sharks and not just their plastic counterparts. The supply checklist and source code are waiting on the company's project page below, so those who'd like to ward off miniature invasions can get started today.
Hillcrest Labs open sources Kylo web browser for TVs, hopes the people want one
We didn't hear much from Hillcrest Labs' Kylo web browser for TVs after it launched in 2010, but now the company is apparently turning its fate over to the community. A Mozilla-based browser, Kylo will work with any mouse but is designed specifically for its Freespace pointer controls. It's available under the Mozilla Public License which means others can use it for commercial products, but so far web connected products have been slow to take off and even Google TV has had trouble pushing a typical browser experience on HDTVs. Interested devs can snag the code at Kylo.tv or GitHub, we'll see if anyone builds anything with more market impact.
Interphase's Penveu interactive display system highlights its strengths (video)
If you've ever been on the receiving end of "death by PowerPoint," you'll know just how tiresome a passive presentation can be. Interphase hopes its new Penveu (pronounced Pen-View) portable interactive display system can maybe help spice things up a little. The hand-held unit is about the size of a mouse, and has a corresponding wireless receiver that plugs into anything with a VGA connection. Using "invisible targets" based on missile technology, you can digitally draw on whatever screen you are using it with, altering pen color and thickness as you go. You can also flip it into mouse-mode for regular navigation, aided along by a number of gyroscopes and an accelerometer. The kicker is the price, with Penveu costing $700 ($500 for educational institutions) which the makers claim is a fraction of more conventional systems. Is the writing on the wall for interactive whiteboards? Head on past the break for the promo video to find out.
Samsung patents using a phone as a pointer while wearing a head-mounted display
We're not sure how many head-mounted displays you've had your follicles on, but generally the answer around the Engadget compound is, "quite a few." If you've ever played with such a wearable gadget though, you'd know that head-tracking, while intuitive, isn't always the most accurate way to control a device. Samsung has patented an alternative method that lets you keep wearing those silly goggles, but uses your cellphone almost like a gyroscopic mouse to pilot a pointer. Rather than use a gyroscope or accelerometer (both of which are present in many modern smartphones), Samsung's patent turns to the camera -- a feature found in even the lowliest dumbphone. The primarily software-based solution would require that both the phone's sensor and the display have an agreed upon background marker to help line up the motions. If you're the type that loves to dig through the minutiae of patents there's something seriously wrong with you, but you'll find what you're looking for at the source.
Big Big Cursor: the tablet stylus that's also a fridge magnet
The stylus, as you might have noticed, is making a slight comeback this year, and it's now also moved into throwback territory with the Big Big Cursor. Available in both arrow and pointer varieties, the cursor is designed for use on capacitive touchscreens, and it packs some handy magnets that let you affix it to certain magnet-friendly tablets or cases -- or your fridge, for that matter. $13 and it's yours -- video is after the break.
Griffin announces 'Stylus + Pen + Laser Pointer,' gives up on creative product names
Multitasking business executives are going to love this. Whether you're taking notes on your tablet, pointing out graphs in a presentation or just signing reports, Griffin's new "Stylus + Pen + Laser Pointer'' should have you covered. As the name implies, it's a three-in-one input device containing a red laser pointer, an "omni-directional" capacitive stylus and a refillable ball point pen. It certainly seems convenient, but with a $50 price tag you may want to think twice before ditching your Bic. Full PR past the break.
8-bit hanger is a gravity-defying, geek-gratifying implement of mass distraction
What's this you say, your clothes would be better off if they weren't strewn all over the floor, but you just don't know how to maintain them airborne sans magical abilities? Fear not, we've finally found a hanger worthy of a true gadget geek in the retro styled 8-bit pointer you see above. There's not an overwhelming amount of complexity to it -- hell, even the one screw that holds the finger to the wall is permanently attached -- but nothing communicates your tech credentials quite like a pixelated mouse cursor from yesteryear. Available now for $19.99 a piece plus shipping.
New Samsung Windows Mobile device to feature mouse pointer?
No, no, we're not just here to show off the typical blurry spy shot, this is much meatier than that, this handset -- if you believe the video, and we kinda do -- shows the user scrolling about that Samsung's interface with a pointer. Embedded in the somewhat Blackjack-esque looking device's d-pad is what seems to be a scroll wheel a-la BlackBerry Pearl. Windows Mobile devices could be so much nicer to use if this is legit and is done right. The source has no info on model number or pricing, but there's a lovely vid you can hit after the break that'll at least make you smile a bit. Go Samsung![Via PocketPCThoughts]
The Jasper Keynote RF green laser pointer: Powerpoint or Astronomy, you choose
If you've been waiting around for the world's first green laser with RF Powerpoint slide-control then today's your lucky day. Sure, sissies will get by with their weak sauce red laser pointers, but any self-respecting he-C-leveler knows that green lasers -- some 50 times stronger than red -- are where the real action is. In fact, Jasper say it's so strong that it's "ideal for astronomy use." See little Billy, right there... that's the cheese I was telling ya about. Ok, ok, we know how sky pointers work, but still. $169 with USB receiving device right in the box.
ThinkOptics' WavIt 3D Media-PC Remote gunning for Wiimote
We're hearing some fairly bold words from a startup company with a purported Wiimote killer, even though it's about as far from the gaming realm as it could possibly be. In what's likely a shameless attempt to link the WavIt 3D Media-PC Remote to the well-regarded Wiimote, ThinkOptics has reportedly "made a pointing system for the computer and TV that makes the Nintendo Wii's controller look downright primitive." Realistically, the Wavlt doesn't look much better than any other overachieving wireless pointing device, but it does hope to interact with TVs and HTPCs in order to make on-screen navigation a bit less painful. Additionally, the creator is looking to incorporate the motion-sensing device into home automation in order to raise and dim lights, crank up the furnace, or mute your youngster's blaring music from the living room. The controller supposedly utilizes both RF and infrared technologies, and although it can track minute twists, flips, and turns, it does lack both an accelerometer and built-in Bluetooth. Notably, the wand will rely on the 2.4GHz band as well as Zigbee's 802.15 protocol, and while no firm release date was set, official pricing information should be unveiled shortly. [Warning: Read link requires subscription]
Sony patents Wii-like pointer tech (20 months ago)
God bless the U.S. Patent and Trademark office. While the archaic system of idea protection might indeed stifle creativity and lead to what some call "legalized extortion," its publicly accessible patent filings give us some of the best early glimpses into the internal plans of some highly secretive companies.The latest bit of insider information comes from a Sony patent filed for "an input device providing users with a pointing capability [which] includes a sender portion and a receiver portion." According to the patent, filed way back in May 2005, a user-operated unit sends a beam of light to one or more receiver units, which interpret the input as a "target point" on the screen.You'd be forgiven for thinking this sounds a lot like the remote and sensor bar combo used in a competing video game system, but there's nothing in the patent limiting the device to just the PS3. In fact, the patent explicitly states the pointer should be easily integrated with "televisions, DVD players and recorders, digital or personal video recorders, cable and satellite set-top boxes, and video game consoles." A universal remote/pointer? An intriguing idea, but one that sounds hard to implement.Which isn't to say Sony is necessarily planning on implementing it at all. Just because a patent has been filed doesn't mean a product is pending -- indeed, there hasn't been a public peep on the subject from Sony since the patent was filed months ago. Still, don't be surprised if and when you hear about Sony's revolutionary new control device.Previously: WIPO patent on similar Sony tech.[Via Digg, MaxConsole]
