trackpad
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Google built a machine to test the speediness of laptop trackpads
An unresponsive trackpad can ruin a laptop. But how do you test for that without having access to ready-made equipment? If you're Google, you build your own machine. The company's Chrome OS team has created the Quickstep, a USB add-on that uses a laser to gauge trackpad latency on Chromebooks. Whenever you break the laser's beam with your finger, Quickstep measures the delay between that and the registered touch input. The device only looks for drag activity, but it's simple -- you can even build it yourself, if you're handy with electronics. Whether or not you're that interested, Google's project should take some of the frustration out of future Chrome hardware.
Apple is working on a fix for the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro's keyboard problems
If you've had issues with your shiny new 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro's keyboard and trackpad not working properly, Apple has your back. Cupertino has posted to its support forums that an update for the unresponsive inputs is en route, while also suggesting that closing the display for a full minute to reset the relevant hardware might be an interim solution. If that doesn't work, we'll let you know when the proper patch arrives.
Wacom's Bamboo Pad: a Magic Trackpad-esque peripheral with stylus input for $49 and $79
Touch pads are nice for navigating with gestures, but what about when you need to scribble a signature or mark up a draft by hand? Well, Wacom has an option with its new stylus-friendly Bamboo Pad. The peripheral enables multitouch gestures alongside a pressure-sensitive Wacom stylus. Compatible with both Mac and Windows PCs, the add-ons can employ a wireless connection or be tethered via USB and come in one of four accent-hued options: grey, blue, green or purple (violet unit is wireless only). If you've already gotten cozy with a Bamboo Stylus feel, that input device will work alongside this new Bamboo Pad as well. Wired units will set you back $49 while the wireless model is priced at $70 with both arriving later this month. For now, you can snag a closer look at the goods in the gallery down below.
Logitech TK820 melds wireless keyboard and trackpad for $100 (video)
Logitech's no stranger to Windows-optimized keyboards and trackpads, and now it's ready to show off its latest offering: the TK820 -- a compact keyboard with an adjacent touch surface. The wireless kit shares some design language with the company's Tablet Keyboard, but sweetens the deal with a generously-sized touchpad with support for up to 13 gestures (configureable via Logitech's SetPoint software). Its slightly concave keycaps feature PerfectStroke tech, which promises consistent resistance from edge to edge. It may not be much more than a modernized K400, but if it suits your fancy, $100 is what it'll cost to get it under your mitts this month. Full press release after the break.
Tobii and Synaptics team on eye-tracking Ultrabook concept
While Tobii has a peripheral that brings eye tracking to Windows PCs of all sorts, there's little doubt that an integrated approach would be more elegant. The company agrees: it's partnering with Synaptics on a concept Ultrabook (seen above) that combines both Gaze UI and Synaptics' pressure-sensitive ForcePad in a showcase of new input methods. The partners haven't said just what new tricks they'll demonstrate, if any, but it's clear that there won't be a size penalty when the concept is as slim as the laptops in stores today. Synaptics and Tobii plan to tour the PC throughout the industry during the summer and the fall, and they're no doubt hoping that a few vendors use the concept as inspiration.
MSI's MouseBook is a laptop whose trackpad doubles as a standalone mouse
The problem with laptop trackpads: they're usually not very good. But would turning the touchpad into a mouse solve the problem? Perhaps. That's what MSI seems to be attempting with its MouseBook concept. In essence, it's a laptop with a trackpad that can pop out and then be used as a standalone mouse. As you can see in the photo above, there's a release switch for removing the pad. Once it's out, you can move it across your desk as you would a mouse, as opposed to just using it as an external trackpad. It connects over Bluetooth and, as you'd expect, it recharges when it's inside the laptop. What we find most intriguing, perhaps, is the fact that when you remove the trackpad, a flat surface rises up to fill the space so that you're not left with a gaping hole in your palm rest. Since this is just an experiment at this point, MSI can't say if it will ever make its way into a real product. If you're curious, though, we've got a walkthrough video after the break, showing everything except, uh, how it works -- MSI still doesn't have a fully functioning unit to show off.%Gallery-190243%
ASUS launches VivoMouse, a wireless optical mouse with a multi-touch trackpad (video)
ASUS was rather cryptic about this little peripheral with its "It'll move you" teaser, but now we get it. Dubbed the VivoMouse, ASUS claims this to be the world's first mouse-and-touchpad hybrid, and it's also wireless. One bonus feature here is that you can use it as a handheld remote with thumb control -- presumably the thumb stays on that circular trackpad with ASUS' iconic spin finish. We'll know more once we get our hands on this optical mouse in a moment, so keep an eye out for an update here. Update: Hands-on gallery added below, and there's also a demo video after the break. The VivoMouse is actually slimmer than we expected, and when held in air, you can scroll pages by simply stroking along the lower edge of the circular trackpad. Other usual Windows 8 gestures are supported, including pinch-to-zoom, rotate, start menu toggle and sidebar toggle. The LED underneath the device uses blue light for better tracking as well. It's a pretty slick device, but hopefully it won't be too pricey, either. %Gallery-190090%
Apple awarded glass-on-metal trackpad design patent
The next time you sit down at an aluminum unibody MacBook and glide your finger atop the trackpad, you can take pride in knowing that the design of that trackpad has been issued a patent by the US Patent and Trademark Office. Design patent D674382 was published today under the rather mundane title "Portable computer" and is for the "ornamental design for a portable computer." Other than a group of drawings showing that the patent is for the trackpad and no other element of the MacBook design, there's not a lot of detail. Probably the most notable feature of the design patent document is that it includes two very familiar names in the list of inventors: Jonathan P. Ive and Steve Jobs. The design patent has a life of 14 years, and is associated with a string of application continuations starting in 2008.
Logitech intros two Mac accessories: the Easy-Switch Keyboard and an external trackpad
After unveiling a handful of accessories designed for Windows 8, it's clear Logitech had some catching up to do on the Mac side. The company just announced two things, the Bluetooth Easy-Switch Keyboard and the Rechargeable Trackpad for Mac, and they're both more or less Apple-friendly versions of items that were announced for Windows back in October. Starting with the keyboard, it's basically the same as the Illuminated Bluetooth K810 keyboard, in that you can pair it with up to three Bluetooth-enabled devices and switch from one to the other by pressing a button. As the name suggests, it's also backlit, with sensors that turn on the lights when your hands are hovering, and lower the brightness when backlighting isn't necessary. The truth is, the K810 does all of this too and can pair with devices running any OS; it just has Windows 8-specific hotkeys, which you wouldn't need if you were a Mac user. Moving on, the external touchpad is a Magic TrackPad competitor if ever we saw one, with support for all the multi-finger gestures you're used to making in OS X. Unlike the Magic Trackpad, though, it recharges over USB, whereas the Magic Trackpad runs on AAs. The keyboard and touchpad will be available in the US and Europe starting in January, with the keyboard priced at $100 and the trackpad retailing for $70, about the same price as the Magic Trackpad.
Dell announces its first multi-touch monitor, the S2340T, and a wireless trackpad for Windows 8
In addition to trotting out a new Windows 8 Ultrabook and putting its Windows RT tablet up for pre-order, Dell just announced its first multi-touch display along with a wireless trackpad optimized for Win 8. Starting with the 23-inch S2340T, it has 1080p resolution and a 90-degree articulating stand that allows the display to lie nearly face-up. At the base, you'll find various inputs, including USB 3.0, HDMI, DisplayPort and Ethernet. There's also a webcam up top for those of you who plan on giving the new version of Skype a try. Meanwhile, the TP713 (pictured) is a Magic Trackpad-style touchpad designed to support Windows 8 gestures, such as swiping in from the left to toggle through applications. Both are up on Dell's site now, with the monitor priced at $650 and the trackpad going for $70. Both are expected to begin shipping this week.
Logitech outs two wireless mice and an external trackpad, all optimized for Windows 8
It'll be another two weeks before Windows 8 PCs go on sale, but if you like, you can pick out your gesture-enabled peripherals now. Logitech just announced two wireless mice and an external trackpad, all optimized to support gestures in Windows 8. Starting with the mice, the Touch Mouse T620 has the same design as the M600 announced earlier this year, except it supports Win 8 gestures out of the box. (The M600 will get a software update allowing it to work the same way.) Similar to its predecessor, the T620's entire top surface is touch-enabled, which means you can do things like swipe the right side for the Charm Bar, or swipe from the left to rotate through open programs. You can also double tap with one finger to return to the Start Screen, and double tap with two fingers to show the desktop. Moving on, the Zone Touch Mouse T400 has a touch strip that you can use to move up and down through pages, as well as scroll through the live tiles on the Start Screen. In a brilliant twist, though, the touch strip itself is comprised of two buttons, which you can use to toggle open apps or bring up the Start Screen, depending on which end you press. Finally, the Wireless Rechargeable Touchpad T650 is a Magic Trackpad-style touchpad with a spacious glass surface, which seemed impeccably responsive during our brief hands-on with it. Unlike the two mice, which run on AAs, the T650 has a rechargeable battery, which you can re-juice over USB. All of these accessories use proprietary 2.4GHz wireless technology instead of Bluetooth, which means you'll need a free USB port to accommodate the accompanying transceiver. The dongle can pair with up to six Logitech peripherals at once, but that's a bummer if you also happen to own gear made by a Microsoft or HP. As you might have guessed, these are compatible with Windows PCs only, though you could use them with Win 7 if you so chose. Look for all three this month, with the Touchpad T650 priced $80, the Touch Mouse at $70 and the T400 at $50.
Synaptics spills more details on ForcePad, a pressure-sensitive trackpad coming to laptops in 2013
We spend an awful lot of time in laptop reviews railing against modern trackpads -- you know, the ones that mistake left clicks for right ones, or have a really stiff button mechanism. Well, it looks like relief might be on the way. Synaptics (easily the largest touchpad maker of 'em all) just spilled more details on ForcePad, a pressure-sensitive pad that responds differently depending on how much you bear down with your fingers. Before we get into possible use cases, though, it's important to clarify this: there is no mechanical touch button, meaning those stiff hinges we've been complaining about should be moot. Rather, if you want to "left click" or "right click" you'll need to push against the pad with your finger. When you do this, you'll get the littlest bit of tactile feedback, along with a sound effect. (You can turn those off.) All told, the pad responds to up to 1,000 grams of pressure, and recognizes 64 different levels of sensitivity. As you can imagine, this feature is likely to come in handy with drawing apps, but Synaptics also imagines it being used in gaming. With scrolling, too, you can page through documents quickly or slowly, depending on how hard you press the trackpad. Additionally, the pad recognizes up to five fingers at once, and can tell when you're applying more pressure with one finger than another. For now, Synaptics won't name any future products that will use this technology, so don't put any stock in that Lenovo machine used in the first demo video below -- it's just a U300s retrofitted with a ForcePad. But, a company rep did say we'd start seeing ForcePad-enabled laptops at CES in January, so expect lots of notebook news then.%Gallery-162613%
Gigabyte launches Aivia Xenon dual-mode touchpad mouse
When our eyes first landed upon the device from Gigabyte you see above, it took them a few seconds to work out exactly what they were looking at. There's a reason for that, though, as the Aivia Xenon -- as it is known -- lives a double life. By day, it's an ordinary PC mouse, with support for multi-touch gestures. By night (well, and day too, if you choose) it's a portable touchpad. The hybrid device offers 1000DPI resolution, can be used up to 10 meters away (for presentations etc.) and comes with software that lets you create custom gestures. If you have two birds, but only space for one stone, head down to the source link for more info.
Google's Project Glass trackpad gets swaddled in patent protection
Remember when Sergey Brin was on The Gavin Newsom Show showing off Project Glass' right-sided physical trackpad? Today, that element of the tech was given the official thumbs-up by the US patent and trademark office. Legally-trained minds in the audience concerned about the appearance forming prior art, take it easy -- the patent was filed five days before the Google chief took to basic cable to demonstrate his pet project to the current Lt. Governor of California.
Clamcase's Clambook gives Android phones and iPhones a laptop shell, feels decidedly Airy
The idea of creating a full-fledged laptop companion to a smartphone isn't new -- just ask the former Palm team -- but rarely has it come across as so pretty. Clamcase's upcoming Clambook, while it has more than a slight hint of MacBook Air about it, is really meant as a large canvas of sight and sound for an Android phone or iPhone. Although the Clambook can at least be used as a big, 16:9 ratio display for an iPhone, the emphasis is clearly on more Google-inclined users that can use an MHL port: the one cable provides audio, video, power, an Android 4.0-native keyboard and a multi-touch trackpad. More recent Motorola phone owners might get the most out of it, since Webtop's full-size Firefox browser and windowed interface will kick in without needing one of Motorola's proprietary docks. We're still waiting on many basic details, like exact device support and the all-important matter of pricing, but the Clamcase should be ready for supersized Real Racing sessions by the holidays.
Vizio PCs officially launch in June, home theaters look on with envy
The FCC gave us a clue that Vizio's first-ever PCs would be shipping soon, and the company is now spilling a few beans more directly. Although the official statement is still short on many of the details we've been hoping to know, Vizio is promising that the line will launch before June is up. As a refresher, the normally home theater-focused company is planning to go all-out despite being the new kid on the block, going with a trio of mid-size laptops as well as two sizes of all-in-one desktops that rely on Magic Trackpad-like input to draw attention. Mum's the word on whether or not the 10-inch tablet will be part of the June arrivals, although there's unconfirmed talk that Walmart will carry at least some of the lineup and trigger some jealousy in the 2012 Vizio TVs across the aisle.%Gallery-156696%
Project Glass revealed to have physical trackpad along right arm (video)
Sergey Brin has appeared on The Gavin Newsom Show on Current TV to drop a few more enticing hints about Project Glass. While showing the presenter a picture he'd taken with the AR glasses, he revealed that the prototype is controlled with a trackpad running down the right* arm. He also talked about the device's genesis in Goggle's (pun intended) X Lab, which he described as an "advanced skunkworks" where "far-out projects" are developed -- it's also the department that occupies most of his time. While the units he and his colleagues have been wearing are very rough prototypes, the Google co-founder shared his private hope that the tech will make its way to general release next year. You can catch the extract in full in the video after the break. *Right for the wearer, left for the observer. It depends entirely on your perspective.
Vizio keyboard and mouse roll through the FCC, PCs may ship by July 31st
The wait for Vizio's first PC range we first saw at CES may feel like an eternity, but our friends at the FCC have made that wait a little shorter with a pair of approvals. Both the wireless keyboard and its equally cable-free trackpad companion have been given clearance to pair up with your future all-in-one desktop when it reaches the US. There's even a clue as to the release timing baked into the filings: Vizio wants manuals and photos for both kept secret until July 31st to protect the "actual marketing of the device," suggesting we might have our designer PCs in hand by then. You're looking at the keyboard above, and you can read through for a view of the trackpad.
Apple granted 22 patents including trackpads, iPhone circuit boards and more
Every once in a while Apple gets granted a big chunk of patents all at once, and this is one of those times. In addition to an Apple TV patent we've described in its own post, Apple's been granted over 20 other patents ranging from advanced trackpads to iPhone circuit board designs and beyond. Patently Apple describes the advanced trackpad as "a touchpad that extends into the palm rest areas." Three different touch-sensitive areas would essentially extend Multi-Touch functionality to the entire lower half of a notebook like the MacBook Air, but the design would be smart enough to distinguish between a hand or wrist simply resting on the surface versus a user intentionally tapping and swiping at the surface. An alternative or possibly supplemental design feature describes a "hand detecting sensor," mounted near or within the current housing for iSight/FaceTime cameras, that would enable tracking of hand movements for user inputs. This sounds similar in principle to the system used in Microsoft's Kinect and Sony's EyeToy. Another patent describes a context-sensitive earpiece accessory that's capable of knowing whether it's inserted in a user's ear or not and adjusting both its own behavior and the behavior of its linked device accordingly. In other words, the earpiece would be smart enough to switch an iPhone's audio to the earpiece when it's inserted in your ear, but audio would automatically resume playing over the iPhone's built-in speakers once the earpiece is removed. A patent for "smart garments" expands on the existing features of the Nike + iPod device by potentially expanding beyond the running/shoe focused implementation we have now. Among other things, the sensor is designed to alert a user when the garment reaches its "expected useful lifetime" based on tracked usage -- hopefully this kind of alert is easy to disable, because I for one wouldn't appreciate my shoes prodding me to buy new ones every time I put them on. Apple describes expanding the Nike+ tech beyond running to "cross-country skiing, in-line skating, or outdoor swimming," as some examples, further indication that Nike+ may one day spread beyond shoes. Yet another patent describes one way Apple may continue to shrink circuit boards for devices like the iPhone and iPad. Rather than being spread over the board like houses in the suburbs, chips get stacked on top of one another like floors in a skyscraper. As best I can tell from the teardowns Apple hasn't actually started doing this yet, but it could be one way to make logic boards for future products take up even less space than they do now. Some of the recently-granted patents describe items Apple's already had on store shelves for quite some time, but many of them describe features that haven't yet made it to market -- and they may never actually do so. It's still instructive to look at the kinds of patents Apple files and gets granted, though, because they're often a decent barometer of where the company's interests lie.
Mobee's Magic Feet and Power Bar juice up Mac peripherals, no more battery swapping for you
Mobee's no stranger to the world of Mac peripherals these days, and you would've already come across the brand if swapping batteries is too much for you. Following its Magic Charger (for Apple's Magic Mouse) and Magic Bar (for Apple's wireless keyboard and Magic Trackpad), at this year's CES the company's decided to dish out an all-on-one charging station that features a second inductive charging pad plus four USB ports. But of course, there's a trade-off for this big daddy: in addition to the USB connection to your Mac, the Magic Feet also requires an AC adapter. However, given that each device has a battery life of up to 10 days only, this external power will actually come in handy for night time charging. Alternatively, if you're not a fan of clogging up desk space with a charging station, then you can consider Mobee's Power Bar. Unlike its inductive-charging counterpart, this stick simply adds a 10-day battery and a micro-USB port to the Magic Trackpad, thus letting you plug-and-charge when needed. Oddly enough, Mobee doesn't say whether the Power Bar is also compatible with Apple's wireless keyboard, but the response we received was that it isn't a matter of technical limitation; but rather, it's simply that the company believes the Magic Bar is the better solution for owners of the wireless keyboard. Well, we'll let you be the judge.
