You've probably heard of or even owned a computer that automatically turns off its hard drive when it senses shock or heavy vibrations. That is an example of sensitive human-machine intimacy. Another example I like is tilting the iPhone to use it as the driving bar for my racing games. Well, that nifty human-to-computer interaction is about to go to whole new level.
HP announced Thursday a new inertial-sensing technology that enables the development of digital micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometers that are up to 1,000 times more sensitive than those in high-volume products currently available.
A MEMS accelerometer is a sensor that can be used to measure vibration, shock, or change in velocity. When implemented, this allows the device to "feel" the environment it is in.
According to HP, the new sensing technology--the result of HP's 25 years of nano-sensing research--includes multiple detectors as part of a complete sensor network and therefore is capable of real-time data collection, management evaluation, and analysis. This information enables users to make better, faster decisions, and take subsequent action to improve safety, security, and sustainability.
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The Apple iPod Nano 4G comes in nine colors, but I, of course, chose the dullest one.
(Credit: Donald Bell/CNET Networks)When I first glimpsed the leaked photos of Apple's skinny, rounded-screen redesign of the iPod Nano, I have to admit I was a bit skeptical. It seemed so unlike Apple to revisit the older designs of its first- and second-generation Nano, and the wing-shaped form seemed a bit odd. Holding the Nano 4G in my hand, however, I'm starting to think that last year's squarish design was just an awkward, forgettable phase in the Nano's development. This year, Apple has set the Nano back on track with the thinnest, lightest design yet, and features that are hard to ignore.
Offered in a wide range of colors (nine total) for both the 8GB ($149) and 16GB ($199) capacities, the latest iPod Nano strikes a great balance of price and features. The iPod Nano 4G uses the same high-resolution 2-inch screen found on last year's model, only now the included screen uses a portrait orientation covered with rounded glass. Video playback requires you to turn the iPod Nano 4G on its side, much like the Flash-based Microsoft Zune MP3 players. Unlike the Zune, however, Apple has included an accelerometer within the 4G Nano that reorients the display based on how the player is held, making it easier to view photos or switch the player into Apple's Cover Flow music mode. The accelerometer also enables a new "shake-to-shuffle" feature that will automatically shuffle music playback when the player is deliberately shaken (a casual shake won't trigger the feature). The shake-to-shuffle feature can be switched off under settings and the button-hold switch at the top of the player will disengage it, as well.
Accelerometers are neat, but the big new feature rolled into the iPod Nano (as well as the new iPod Touch, iPod Classic, and iTunes 8), is a new intelligent playlist feature dubbed "Genius." Using the Genius feature, you can take a single song from your collection and create an instant playlist of 25 songs that share similar musical characteristics. Of course, the performance of the Genius function is proportional to the size of your available music collection--so mileage may vary. It is a novel new feature, however, and it'll be fun to test over time.
Other smaller features on the 4G Nano include the option to create voice recordings using an optional set of headphones that include an inline microphone (much like the headphones included with the Apple iPhone), and increased accessibility features for vision-impaired users (font size adjustment and the ability for menus and media information to be read aloud from a built-in synthetic voice). Previous Nano features such as music, photo, podcast, and video playback are unchanged, and extras like games, alarms, calendars, contacts, stopwatch, and notes are all still there.
The only bummer so far regarding the new iPod Nano is that despite the similarities of screen size and features, Apple is not offering an upgrade path for iPod Nano 3G users to get their hands on features such as on-device Genius playlist creation or increased accessibility features. Otherwise, sound quality seems to be about on a par with previous iPods, and battery life ratings of 24 hours for music and 4 hours are nearly identical to last year's specs, which promised 24 hours of audio and 5 hours of video.
I'll be writing up my full review as soon as possible with more iPod Nano 4G details to share. Stay tuned.
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Computer Geeks)
Long before before $4 a gallon became the national average, many newer cars already included dashboard instruments that gauged fuel consumption. But it's the older gas guzzlers that arguably needed them more, to show how much money was being wasted models manufactured in the pre-hybrid era.
That's why the K.A.T. Matrix 3-Axis accelerometer may come in handy as a reminder of how much careless driving costs at the pump, depending on one's performance in horesepower, G-forces, quarter-mile speeds, and 0-60 clock time. Or, as Dvice says, it can be a badge of honor for those who simply don't care and want to display that fact for all the world to see on the windshield.
Either way it's apparently easy to install, requiring just 3 AA batteries for power. But remember, it has an "error compensation feature" in case you think of cheating with the stats.
In a project that's grabbing headlines this week, researchers at the University of California, Riverside and Stanford University are recruiting laptops to help them monitor seismic activity. The Quake-Catcher Network is a distributed network of laptops running software that takes advantage of a built-in accelerometer to monitor and report seismic activity. (The accelerometer's primary purpose is to detect a fall or shock to the chassis in time to stop the hard drive from spinning, though it's been a key element in several fun hacks, including the Smackbook [video] and SeisMac.)
Based on the same software as the popular SETI@Home project, the Quake-Catcher Network uses your laptop's down time to record and send data to a central repository for analysis. Aside from gathering data, the network also has a significant educational component that's designed to help students better understand earthquakes.
Ars Technica has a detailed writeup of the technology involved, while PC World talked to Elizabeth Cochran, one of the lead scientists on the project. You can download the program (currently Mac-only, with a Windows version to come soon) at the QCN Web site.
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