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Asus Eee PC T91 reviewed in the UK: "genuinely moves things forwards" for netbook market
Asus' Eee PC T91 has gotten its first review ahead of the reported late May / early June UK launch, and those cats at TechRadar seem quite smitten with the swivel-proficient touchscreen netbook. Battery life is said to be solid, though points are deducted for not being replaceable. Some issues with the resistive touchscreen also plagued the pre-production model, and while the company assures those kinks are being worked out, we can't help but worry they'll invariably still find their way into the finished product, and that glossy display will no doubt keep the memories of fingerprints long after you want it to. Despite these concerns, the review gives much love for the overall performance, video playback, build quality, and keyboard. At £449 ($688), it ain't the cheapest option on the market, but we do appreciate Asus straying a bit from its tried and true netbook formula. Now how about news on a stateside release, eh?
Carnegie Mellon morphs 'pop-up buttons' onto multi-touch display
While attempts to add feedback to touchscreen displays via vibration and audible tones are laudable, these attempts are nothing by comparison to the tactile euphoria felt at the press of a well-designed button. Still, many of us are willing to sacrifice tactility in order to maximize display sizes on our pocketable or portable devices. Now researchers at Carnegie Mellon have developed touch-sensitive displays with physical buttons that "pop-out" from the surface. CM's prototypes pump air through geometric-shaped holes to create concave or convex "buttons" on a screen covered with a semi-transparent latex -- IR sensors and cameras detect finger placement while a projector cast images (like numbers and graphics) onto the display. It can even sense press-force by monitoring changes in air pressure. Sure it all sounds overly cumbersome until you see the technology demonstrated. For that you can travel to Pittsburgh to count the rivers or just hit the read link below for the video. Read -- Video Read -- Technology Review
Skytone's Alpha 680 tablet, Android interface gets underwhelming hands-on treatment
We're still not sold on the $250 price tag for Skytone's Android-powered Alpha 680, and these video hands-on of the tablet / netbook from netbooknews.de don't help. While the apps shown off run smoothly -- browser, Maps, Skype, Office, etc. -- they also serve as painful reminders that multitasking's just not gonna work when each app takes up the full screen and can only be opened one at a time. Not that we necessarily expected to do nine things at once with an ARM-based processor, but something tells us we'd be reaching for the Jaunty Jackalope before too long. See for yourself in the two-part video series after the break.
Viliv S5 reviewed, is mostly smiles with good video playback
You've seen its introduction, its unboxing -- in two different languages, no less -- and maybe even fancied the pre-order page. Now Pocketables has what appears to be one of the first full-fledged review of the Viliv S5, and the verdict? It's quite a sturdy and well-built MID, with surprisingly good battery life and video performance from the Intel Atom Z520 processor (same one as found in the Vaio P). The virtual keyboard leaves a lot to be desired for, and it's a shame to hear the joystick's mouse functionality is limited to four directions, but despite these complaints and a $599 price tag, the conclusion is still a overwhelmingly positive for those who like the form factor. Hit up the read link for the full examination.
ESPN prepping its first HD NFL draft coverage
Sure, ESPN's been taking advantage of widescreen to cover the NFL Draft, but it's still a bit surprising that the 2009 Draft Weekend is the first one ready for HDTV, getting beaten to the punch by the WNBA. Check out the picture above for a quick comparison of the 2008 screen (bottom) to the new 2009 compression format (top), shot in HD and better able to take advantage of the 16x9 frame. Also new for '09? If you haven't noticed already, Todd McShay's gone all CNN on us with a "perceptive pixel touch screen" to swipe around player stats and draft possibilities, along with 21 remote cameras following potential draftees on both days. Check the gallery for bigger versions, then resume your 5th mock draft of the day, unfortunately for us, it probably won't include the Detroit Lions doing the smart thing and picking an offensive lineman first.
Lenovo MRT800 touchscreen PMP unveiled, pities no fool
On the surface, Lenovo's MRT800 doesn't seem to have any surprises, but if you look closer... well, it's more or less the same. The touchscreen PMP's got a 4.3-inch TFT LCD with 480 x 272 resolution, a microSD expansion slot, FM tuner, and a voice recorder. Codec support includes RMVB, AVI, ASF, MP4, and FLV for video, and MP3, WMA, OGG, APE, FLAC, and WAV for audio. Mum's the word on pricing, release date, or if anyone else mispronounces its name and gets the urge to watch A-Team reruns.[Via iTech News]
Mitsubishi shows off "3D touch panel" display
Bothered by all the touching involved with touchscreens? Then you may want to keep an eye out for Mitsubishi's latest and greatest bit of technology, which promises to detect the distance between a finger and the touch panel to allow for a whole host of new interface options. That's done with the aid of an array of sensors that can also be used to calculate the speed at which the finger is approaching, and allow for a so-called "mouse-over function," which would essentially let your finger control a cursor without actually touching the screen -- something Mitsubishi says would be ideal for devices with small screens. Of course, it is still just in prototype form (currently a 5.7-inch capacitive VGA display), but Mitsubishi says it's based on panels that are already on the market, which should help ease development and reduce costs. Not surprisingly, Mitsubishi also says that "it will first be used for our products," although it naturally didn't say exactly what those product might be.
Foam-infused Impress DIS.PLAY encourages touching
Move over Surface, we just found our next tabletop display. The aptly named DIS.PLAY beautifully merges the functionality of a touch panel with the allure of dimly-lit scenarios, and the inclusion of memory foam just makes it all the more sweet. In one usage scenario, we're told that objects could be put into motion with sound, and when a certain "shape" is mashed and deformed, the respective audio would bend along with it. Another instance showcased 3D modeling that could be varied by simply twisting the hand or intensifying a finger press. Check the demonstration video after the break, and grab your Tempur-Pedic pillow if you're looking to play along.[Via KanYeWestBlog, thanks DellAppleFan24]
Panasonic's Toughbook 52 upgraded, shows its touchier side
After watching its Toughbook 19 and 30 siblings get a makeover, Panasonic's CF-52 wasn't about to miss out on all the fun. The semi-rugged laptop has a few new tricks up its armored sleeve, chief among them an optional 13.3-inch XGA touchscreen with integrated stylus holder, dual overhead keyboard light, and Intel GM45 video controller. If you're not the touchy-feely type, the 15.4-incher is still around, swapping tactile interface for WUXGA resolution and an ATI Radeon HD 3650. Both models sport Intel Core 2 Duos with vPro technology, 2-4 GB DDR2 RAM, Bluetooth and 160GB HDD. Look for these babies to hit retail shelves -- and still work -- later this month for an estimated starting price of £1851 ($2677).
Video: SMART Table 50-inch multitouch Interactive Display Panel
The last time we ran into SMART Table, they were demoing a very sturdy multitouch table to a group of schoolkids in Chicago, but they're here at Macworld with some sexier tech -- 50-inch and 65-inch multitouch plasma screens that interface with any OS X machine. The tech allows you to use the screen just like the built-in multitouch trackpad on newer MacBooks, so it works in basically any app, and while it's super-pricey (they just smiled and said "thousands" when we asked), the main cost is the screen and not the touchpanel, so we could see it come down to earth sometime soon. Check the video after the break.
Apple patent reveals 'iPhone gloves' for warmer hands-on experience
A new Apple patent has been found that will assuredly warms the hearts (and hands) of many iPhone users currently enduring a cold winter. Originally filed a day before the iPhone's June 28, 2007 launch, it details a glove with a thin, electrically conductive, "anti-sticky" inner layer that is able to function with a capacitive touchscreen. It also suggests the glove could have apertures on the fingertips for opening and closing the more protective outer layer. Of course, the concept is far from new -- just do a quick Google search for "iPhone gloves" to see a wide variety of choices -- and Apple doesn't really dabble in this sort of iPhone / iPod accessory, but if Phil keeps his hands in his pockets for the first half of the Macworld keynote, we're gonna start to get ideas.[Via Apple Insider; thanks, Shawn]
Apple files patent for gesture-based text editing
An Apple patent unearthed by Mac Rumors named Swipe Gestures for Touch Screen Keyboards suggests a future direction the company might be taking which would substantially change interaction with devices like the iPhone. According to the document, the new system would allow for simple finger gestures like swipes to the left or right to control basic functions of text editing. Some movements outlined in the application include a left swipe for deletion of characters, right swipes for a space, and a swipe down in place of the return key. Of course, these types of gestures are nothing new (and frankly, nothing patentable we suspect), as applications on the company's own devices -- namely the jailbreak-only MobileTerminal -- feature almost this exact implementation of gesture control, and Microsoft has had a similar (albeit stylus-based) concept in WinMo for years. Still, adding in this functionality to the software's existing tools would likely improve navigation and input, and opens the door for solutions to the lingering (and annoying) copy / paste problems Apple seems to have.[Via Mac Rumors]
NanoTouch: like your parent's LucidTouch, but now with more nano!
Microsoft and Mitsubishi Electric Research Labs in Cambridge, Massachusetts -- the cats that brought us LucidTouch a while ago -- are back with NanoTouch, a further refinement of the technology aimed at making UIs practical on tiny devices. Utilizing a 2.4-inch screen with a touch pad on the back, users can select or drag items from the underside -- meaning that the entire screen is visible at all times. According to researchers, targets as little as 1.8mm (less than half the size of, say, the buttons on an iPhone) are easily hit using this method -- bringing the advantages of touchscreens to smaller form factors, with a number of possible applications including electronic jewelry, wearable computers, and virtual finger puppets. Video after the break.Update: It appears that unlike LucidTouch (which was in fact developed in Cambridge), NanoTouch was actually the product of work done by folks from Microsoft and the Hasso-Plattner-Institute in Berlin / Potsdam. Sorry for the mix up!
Quanta demos Optical Touch system with Windows 7
It's no secret that multi-touch support is one of the stand-out features of Windows 7, and it's also no surprise that plenty of companies seem eager to get in on the action, one of the latest which is uber-manufacturer Quanta Computer. Somewhat uniquely, however, Quanta is ditching the usual capacitive and resistive touch panels in favor of its new Optical Touch system, which simply uses two cameras placed at the top corners of the screen. That, Quanta says, still lets you perform all the usual multi-touch gestures in the same manner and, depending on the size of the display, could be significantly cheaper than a traditional touchscreen. Details on any actual products using the technology are expectedly a bit light at the moment, but Quanta says it plans to start mass production "soon," with some releases presumably planned to coincide with Windows 7's debut.[Via jkOnTheRun]
Touch-screen kit for Aspire One and Eee PC 900/901 hits eBay, no soldering required
You know you've made it when your little-laptops-that-could sit atop a market-share big enough to support third-party device-hackery like this. It's "easy," it's "fun," it's a solder-less DIY touch-screen kit made specifically for the Acer Aspire One and Eee PC 900/901 netbooks. The 4-wire, resistive panel display with Mac, Linux, and Windows drivers sure looks easy enough to install. But we'll wait for the reviews to see just how well the $96 panel (a cool 25% of the netbook's price) performs under day-to-day use, thankyouverymuch. We've got our Windows 7 pre-beta ready just in case.[Thanks, Joe L.]
Mamiya's DL28 digital camera system is slightly cheaper than you'd think
We know you want a pro-friendly medium format digital camera -- so do we -- but they're awfully expensive, aren't they? You might have to think about dropping as much as $30,000 one of these babies if you're the discerning type, but Mamiya is trying to convince you that you can save a few thousand dollars and still get results. Enter the DL28 digital camera system, which combines the body of the well-established 645 with Leaf's Aptus-II 6 digital back. It's got 16-bit capture, a 12-stop dynamic range, an ISO range of 50 - 800, and a fancy 3.5-inch touch screen at price of $15,000, appropriate for cash-strapped professionals and financially comfortable hobbyists -- unless Nikon has something to say about it.
DS Daily: Fan of the controls
Which DS game (recent release or older title) do you think really has the right stuff in the controls department? Is it a matter of touch-screen controls or plain old use of the d-pad and buttons? Why do you feel it's a great control scheme? Is there an upcoming game you're excited for that looks like the controls are really spot-on? Lay it on us!
Gigabyte M912X hack makes a smarter, cheaper Modbook
A fellow named Stuart Lowe installed Leopard on his Gigabyte M912X netbook / tablet hybrid, and we like the results. Though this isn't the first Mac tablet hack, it's a tightly wrapped little package: the interface seems smooth with either fingers or a stylus, and Inkwell's onscreen keyboard allows complete functionality when the computer is folded into its slate configuration. Much of the necessary software functionality existed in Leopard already, and since installing OS X on something other than a Mac isn't the challenge it used to be, we're envisioning a pretty smooth ride for other would-be-hackers. We've embedded a video on the other side of the jump -- take a look, and then cast your vote on what to call this niche category of netbook-like tablets.[Via Slashgear]%Poll-20701%
DS Daily: Dream feature
We often take the DS for granted. In such a small plastic shell, it houses many awesome components that come together and provide us with a gaming experience that has no equal. It's got an awesome touch-screen, a built-in microphone and with the aid of a little homebrew, it can be made to do things that we never thought a handheld could do. It's a great little system that we can't lavish with enough praise.But, if you had one wish, what kind of feature would you give the DS? A third screen? Wireless transmission through your Wii so you can play DS games on your TV? Leather trim? Lay it on us!
Shuttle D10 desktop features built-in touchscreen, little else
The D10 is a barebones rig with the classic Shuttle form factor, but the addition of a 7-inch (800 x 480) touchscreen out front makes things a little more interesting. Intel Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Duo E4000 series, Dual-Core E2000 series and Celeron 400 series processors are all supported with up to 4GB RAM, and the kit ships with an Intel GMA 3100 GPU, 5.1 channel audio and SATA II support. A base configuration is offered on Shuttle's Japanese site with a 1.6GHz Celeron processor, 1GB RAM and a 80GB hard drive for ¥69,800 (about $648), but no -- it isn't available in the States. [Via The Boy Genius Report and Akihabara News]
