proximity
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Next-gen iPad may come with proximity sensor, iOS 4.3 beta reveals
Some careful digging in the iOS 4.3 beta has revealed an intriguing new string intended for the iPad's Settings menu. As you can see above, users will be able to toggle a new auto-unlocking feature on their iPad, which would respond to closing and opening of the slate's cover (or case, or sleeve, or whatever). Though the iPad already has an ambient light sensor, the one true way to make this functionality work is by employing a good old proximity sensor, so we can probably pencil that into our ever-expanding list of iPad 2 attributes. Who'd have thought there were so many ways to improve on a magical revolution, eh?[Thanks, Mike]
EPFL's fly-inspired 3D camera takes omnipresence to the third dimension (video)
Just in case you were concerned that the 3D revolution hadn't yet taken over the scientific research field, EPFL is here to convince you that all is well. Researchers from a pair of EPFL laboratories have recently invented a fly-inspired dome camera that's not only loaded down with cameras to snag views from (nearly) all angles, but also equipped with an output algorithm that constructs a bona fide 3D image. The trickeration lies within the hardware platform, which calculates depth on each camera image and then reconstructs a 3D visual based on how far away things truly are. That's a far more sophisticated approach than the stereoscopic one used on existing 3D televisions, as the depth would (theoretically) change as your angle of view changed. There's an outstanding patent application on the approach, and if the world at large latches on, we could see this thing used for "video surveillance, movie making, and creating backgrounds for video games." Among other things, of course. A demonstrative vid awaits you just after the break.
Wireless USB reaches revision 1.1, makes for smarter and more efficient toys
Wireless USB 1.1 is here, whether you like it or not, and we're betting you're going to like it if manufacturers make it work. The USB-IF's new spec, finalized this week, is still capped at the same 480Mbps of its wired cousin USB 2.0, but it reportedly brings with it reduced power consumption and near-field communication for proximity-based pairing. And if the idea of, say, touching your smartphone and a wireless Pixel Qi panel together to automatically connect the twain doesn't make you jump for joy, we're not really sure what would. Perhaps you're still waiting for the one-gigabit-per-second Intel's Jeff Ravencraft promised three years ago this month? Download the full spec at our more coverage link to see what's what.
Evatran's Plugless Power gives your wheels a wireless proximity-based charge
Trading gas nozzles for electric sockets may be the green thing to do -- in more ways than one -- but wouldn't plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles be that much sweeter if you could just forget about the plug? That's what Evatran is trying to do with its Plugless Power technology, shown off at Plug-In 2010 in San Jose, which charges your car automatically when you pull up to the company's specially-designed curb. The "station block" above is a wireless induction charger (yes, a car-sized Powermat) that beams electricity to a shoebox-sized device you mount to the undercarriage of your vehicle, magnetically detecting and gravitating towards said shoebox even if you park somewhat crooked. The system presently works with 80 percent efficiency when firing electrons across a two-inch gap (engineers are shooting for 90 percent by the time it hits production) but of course the base station itself doesn't get power from the ether -- it requires one of the company's own Level 2 wired chargers (and compatible wiring) to run. Should your residence or place of business be equipped, the 240 volt towers will set you back $3,245 this December, and the proximity charger will be available to early adopters in Q2 2011 (we're hearing April) for the bargain price of $800.
The iPhone 4 Apple Press Event metaliveblog
Apple Press Event Welcome to our iPhone 4 live press conference event! Today we'll be metaliveblogging Apple's iPhone 4 announcements, adding our traditional TUAW twist to the proceedings. Will Steve Jobs offer a $29 bounty or free bumpers to all early iPhone 4 adopters? Or will the iPhone 4 itself be recalled? (We seriously doubt it!) Or is today's announcement about new service providers for those mysterious iPhone3,2 and iPhone3,3 models that Engadget uncovered a while back? Join us as we find out! Sources for today's metaliveblog include: Engadget Ars Technica gdgt Macworld Fortune
iPhone 4 proximity sensor fix in the works
If you think the proximity sensor on your iPhone 4 has been acting wacky, don't worry, turns out you're not crazy: Apple has just committed to fixing weirdness in the next software update at its press conference today. Problems have mainly revolved around the sensor failing to detect your face when you're on a call, leading to accidentally hang-ups, mutes, and so on as your ear makes contact with the screen -- not too cool. Then again, if you've been staying off your phone lately for fear of dropping a call, well... maybe you didn't notice.
Why Apple has a split personality when it comes to keeping iPhone owners happy
After shelling out top dollar, the customers felt betrayed and angry. The shine on the company's new flagship product was tarnished. The remedy wasn't cheap... and the CEO stepped up and spoke to those irate early adopters. "We want to do the right thing for our valued customers. We apologize for disappointing some of you, and we are doing our best to live up to your high expectations of us," he said, responding quickly after the first complaints came in. Within a few weeks, the PR hiccup was calmed, and the new product went on to glory and success. Looking back on that experience is illuminating. With the rapid response, the willingness to pay for customer happiness, and the frank handling of the situation, it's a bit surprising to be in the midst of the current stressfest and see how things have deteriorated. Where's the corporate responsibility and the can-do attitude of 2007 when we need it? Let's take a look at how the two scenarios diverge, and why Apple didn't -- or couldn't -- step up to the plate now like it did then.
Proximity sensor woes caused by reflective ear canal
Following the recent release of iPhone 4 several of you reported an issue with the proximity sensor running amok during your calls. Our poll results were dead even with 50.1% of readers seeing issues and 49.9% having no problems. At the time I considered myself in the all-clear category, but recently that changed. Read on for my story of woe, intrigue, and incredulity.
Cypress touchscreens track hovering fingers, make devices even more 'magical' (video)
If you're reading this from a Samsung i8910 or Palm Pre, you're already holding a Cypress-powered touchscreen, but chances are you've never given it a thought. That's going to change, because this week the company demoed a killer app: TrueTouch screens that can detect fingers hovering over glass, not merely on it, allowing compatible software to finally register mouseover input. In other words, you won't actually need to touch new touchscreens to zoom in on text or perform certain commands. Cypress expects to have the tech ready in Q2, but first it might have some explaining to do -- we're pretty sure Apple successfully patented this very idea in January. Plus, KIRF iPhone? See it in action after the break.
Apple granted patent for a proximity-sensing touchscreen
Never say the USPTO doesn't have impeccable timing: on the eve of Apple's tablet launch (and on the very day we finally realized that we've been looking at the same set of Apple patent images in loosely-related filings since 2004), the Patent Office has granted Apple some 13 patents, including #7,653,883 for a proximity-sensing multitouch screen. That's right, granted -- as in, Apple can file a lawsuit if others infringe these ideas now. (Usually we just look at patent applications, which have no legal weight.) The proximity-sensing screen is obviously the most interesting of the bunch, since it's actually related to those same Apple multitouch patents we've been seeing forever -- it describes a touchscreen that can detect when an object (like a finger or a stylus) is close to the screen but not touching it, and then offer up context-dependent controls based on what it detects. Imagine seeing window controls when your hand gets close to the top of the window -- it solves the problem of your finger covering the display. Of course, we have no way of knowing whether it'll be in whatever device is announced tomorrow -- but it's certainly interesting. There's also a fun little design patent granted on the external design of the third-gen iPod nano, and then 11 other patents covering things like color management, bandwidth detection, and, uh, "Method and Apparatus for Selectively Switching IC Ports to Card Slots Through the use of Three Switches per Switch Group." Riveting, we know. Check the full breakdown at the read link.
RFID coming to iPhones?
Photo courtesy of flickr: Thijs Jacobs Back in April 2009, TUAW's Dave Caolo posted a video showing off the potential (and some of the potential annoyances as well) and possibilities of an RFID-enabled iPhone world via an iPhone RFID prototype by Near Field. And, according to a Near Field Communications blog posting, Apple is said to have equipped prototypes of the next-generation iPhone with RFID readers. How awesome would it be if, instead of using my Mobil Speedpass, I could turn to my iPhone and swipe that against the gas pumping station to pay for gas? And, because there may eventually be "an app for that," I may also be able to view my current balance and fuel economy statistics. Or, instead of needing to put a FasTrak transponder atop my windshield (which is annoying), I could simply put my iPhone on the dashboard as I cross the toll road. I could then view my balance, as well as fill up my credits on the fly. These are just some examples of RFID applications in use today.
Patent Roundup: 'Hover' touch surfaces, liquid-cooled laptops
Two Apple patent filings have piqued interest this week: One for a touch surface that detects where your finger is hovered above it, and another for a liquid-cooled laptop. The hover surface works by measuring light reflected off your finger at various wavelengths to figure out where it is over the surface. Apple uses a basic proximity sensor in the iPhone (so it knows when it's up against your ear), but this new technique would allow more precise recognition of objects hovered above a touch-sensitive surface. Unlike a graphics tablet, which requires a stylus, your finger or hand is likely the intended tool for this surface, as evidenced by the drawings. Second, the liquid-cooled laptop, as with similarly-cooled Power Mac G5s from a few years ago, is designed to improve performance by reducing the temperature of the components of the computer. The patent describes wrapping a small heat pipe around various components in the computer that contains a liquid coolant. Liquid-cooled G5s, though, were prone to leaks, which led to heavy damage and dismay for users of the systems. Apple entirely replaced many of the systems that leaked, rather than trying to repair them. [Via Electronista and AppleInsider.]
Dynamic Life shirt clearly shows you're taken by a fellow nerd
Oh sure, we've seen proximity-based clothing before, but for the couple who just can't help but express their intense adoration for technology (and each other), we present the $24.99 8-bit Dynamic Life shirt. This wonderful piece of garb, which is obviously designed to be purchased in pairs, sports six whole hearts on the chest. When your lover strays, both sets of hearts slowly fade away, but when he / she comes running back for one more steamy round of Wii Boxing, the combined dozen lights up to signify precisely how geeky you two truly are. You do know what's coming in a fortnight, right?[Via Shiny Shiny]
Oregon Scientific's Weather In Motion clock touts proximity sensor
Just in case you've no real need for a seven-day forecast integrated into your timepiece, Oregon Scientific is hoping to lure you in with its proximity-sensing Weather In Motion clock. This stylish device sports a sexy black frame and an infrared motion sensor that changes the display based on how close / far away you are. When you're at a distance, expect to see the "current time, day and weather forecast displayed in large digits and icons," while walking up on it persuades it to show the "indoor and outdoor temperature readings, while the time and weather forecast icons automatically reduce in size." Furthermore, you can enable an automatic scroll mode that will "smoothly shift the information every five seconds." No word on when shipments will arrive, but it'll cost you $64.99 when it becomes available.[Via Technabob]
Apple acquires Proximity
According to Proximity's website, Apple has bought out all Proximity technology including their artbox workgroup and artbox enterprise products. Proximity's artbox is used to provide a single pro-level catalog content management system for both graphics and video clips. Its video asset management is used mostly in post production. Artbox has been used by numerous broadcasters including WBNS in Columbus, Ohio, WHTR in Indianapolis, Indiana, WTHR in New Orleans, Louisiana, and the ONN 24 hour News channel. The Proximity acquisition further solidifies Apple's commitment to providing high-end post production products. [Via ThinkSecret.]
Meetro released for OS X
Location based social-networking is a concept that has been bouncing around the net for a while now. The idea is to make getting together and interacting with people easier by sorting users by--or simply displaying--their geographic proximity to you. Services such as dodgeball have become hugely successful in mobile markets, and Meetro is attempting to do the same thing for desktops and laptops. With Meetro, you create a buddy list, and are alerted whenever someone on that list comes within a user specified distance of your current location. I'd get into the magic internet voodoo that Meetro uses to figure out where you are, but their FAQ page is currently down. Although Meetro is the first location-aware instant messaging service that I know of, I can't see it taking off. My issues with it are two fold; I have to create a whole new identity to use the service, and if I want to know where my friends are, I have to get them to do the same. Although the interface of the program has come a long way from when I first saw it in its early beta stages, its still not nearly as user friendly or intuitive as I would like. Ideally, I'd like to see a plug-in for iChat or Adium which allows me to see the location of my regular AIM/MSNIM/YIM buddies when I mouse over them. In any case, Meetro is certainly an interesting concept, and worth checking out, even if only to get a taste of what surely will be many similar services to come.Via MacNN
