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Parrot reveals Starck-designed Zik Bluetooth touch-activated headset, Zikmu Solo wireless tower speaker (hands-on)
Parrot's AR.Drone 2.0 may have been one of the more joy-inducing wares we've seen here at CES, but that was yesterday. Today, we dare to say that that one of two audio devices just unveiled (and designed by Philippe Starck, we might add) has our jaw dropping, and our ears tingling -- the absolutely gorgeous Zik Bluetooth touch-activated headset, pictured above. The Zik's loaded with goodies -- Bluetooth connectivity, active-noise cancellation, NFC and touch controls on either earcup, not to mention its jawbone and "presence" sensors among a few other notable tidbits like its DSP-enabling app that adds a "concert-type" vibe to its sound. As far as that second device goes, Parrot's introducing a singular stereo version of its Zimku wireless tower speakers, aptly named Zikmu solo. Head past the break to find our brief impressions and a video overview of a pre-production Zik, and hit up the galleries below for some closeup shots of it and the Zikmu solo.
Volvo unveils Concept You luxury sedan, dripping with touchscreens (video)
The Frankfurt Motor Show is underway in Germany, where Volvo has just taken the wraps off the Concept You -- a new luxury sedan that features some pretty nifty, touch-based controls. Directly behind the car's steering wheel lies a monitor that digitally displays your basic driving information, including speed and a map of your trajectory. The wheel also features some sensor enhanced panels, which you can use to adjust your radio or cruise control settings. A touch interface on the center console, meanwhile, uses an infrared sensor to pick up on any hand or eye movements before activating to bring up the system's infotainment control mode, which boasts an unreleased FreshAir subwoofer from Alpine. From here, you can surf the web, swipe through radio stations, check for safety alerts or control your air conditioning, using only your fingers or customized gestures. Plus, there's an extra touchscreen placed between the two rear seats, meaning your kids won't be left out of the action, either. Cruise past the break for an exclusive video of the Concept You's so-called smart pad technology, along with the full PR.
Keyglove ditches QWERTY for one-handed computer control (video)
We've seen some pretty ambitious hand warmers in our day, but this one takes the cake. Keyglove is an Open Source Hardware (OSHW) project that's intended to eliminate those clunky keyboards and unmanageable mice from the computing process altogether, instead engaging a series of conductive sensors that, when touched together, mimic a keystroke. The mitt's creator says the traditional mobile keyboard is "either too big to be portable, or too small to be easy to use," adding that his solution would eventually become second nature just like touch typing. Keyglove is an Arduino and AVR-powered device that also incorporates an accelerometer to control mouse movements. It's apparently fully customizable and allows for a total of 60 unique touch combinations -- impressive, sure, but it took us long enough to figure out the home keys on the real thing. If you dream of a world full of one-handed typists, check out the video after the break, or follow the source link to find out how you can donate to the project.
Samsung's dual-band CY-SWR1100 wireless router prioritizes for media streaming
Worried about your son's World of Warcraft habit? More worried about your son's World of Warcraft habit interfering with your ability to stream last week's episode of Glee? We feel you, and so does Samsung. Amidst loads of new televisions and sound systems announced here at CES, the aforementioned company has just let loose a rather novel new wireless router. The currently unpriced CY-SWR1100 is a dual-N band device, supporting 802.11a/b/g/n and doing one thing in particular that your current router probably doesn't: it prioritizes data flow and sends the strongest signal to the television when streaming is ongoing. There's even an on-screen router configuration panel that does away with the need for a PC to initially configure it, but it's only compatible (for now) with the LED D5000 series and up, LED D550 series and up, and Plasma D550 series and up. Now, if only you could convince Comcast to do away with that pesky bandwidth cap...
Next gen PSP to have touch controls -- on the wrong side?
Touchscreen controls are nice for some applications but, until someone invents transparent fingers, they're a real bother for gaming. Many, including Apple, have toyed with the idea of putting the touch sensitive sections on the back of the device, and we have strong rumors coming out of Gamescom this week that this is the path Sony is taking for its next-generation PSP. Now, we've been hearing various rumors about this thing for just about as long as we've known about the first-gen PSP, but Sony is said to be quietly showing off a prototype unit about the size of a PSP-3000. While everyone agrees about the touch-sensitive portion 'round the back, it's unknown what (if any) physical controls will go along with it. A release date for the thing is also unclear, with some saying next year and others saying it'll be later than that. Whenever it ships we hope it'll do the right thing and finally put the UMD format out of its misery.
Would you buy a voice-controlled camera, or perhaps a DSLR with touchsceen?
Do you talk to your digital camera? Perhaps stroke its glossy LCD? If a pair of recent patent applications are any indication, those mildly creepy gestures might one day actually do something. Sony's just laid claim to a DSLR touchscreen that can be manipulated by thumb even while the rest of one's face is smushed up against the viewfinder, and Canon's got its eye on technology that lets shooters activate advanced camera functions using simple voice control. The latter wouldn't be limited to "fire," but could potentially be directed to switch modes, stops and even zoom in and out of the frame. It wouldn't necessarily substitute for a remote as there are just two modes, "close-talking" for speech uttered when using the viewfinder, and "non-close-talking" when you line up shots on the LCD display. Neat as they are, these alternatives to physical controls make some at Engadget HQ quite sad, but we understand that minimalism is the word of the day.
Fraunhofer IPMS demonstrates OLED with touch control
Look, we're not going to argue that those chintzy clap lamps weren't pretty sweet in their heyday. And we're also not going to put up a fuss when you assert that snap bracelets were equally adorable in the early 90s. Nostalgia aside, Fraunhofer IPMS is headed straight for the future with its latest OLED breakthrough. Reportedly, the company has devised an OLED display that can be controlled via human touch or by simply waving one's hand in front of the panel. Unlike similar applications that have come before it, there's no additional hardware needed -- and therein lies the magic. The outfit is currently showing off the design at the Plastic Electronic 2008 show, though it yet to reveal anything close to a release plan. [Via OLED-Display]
