As consumers hold their breath for the rumored Apple tablet, KCI Communications has an immediate and possibly better solution for those who can't wait to get touchy-feely with their screens.
The Duo turns monitors and laptops 17 inches or smaller into a tablet. A small device that acts as a "base station" clips onto the top of the monitor, continuously picking up the user's input with the Duo pen. Lee Jae-jun, head of research and development at KCI Communications, explains the technology: "The pen's coordinates are calculated by the amount of time it takes for the infrared and ultrasonic waves to be reflected from the base station."
The user can write or draw directly on the screen in eight different languages, marking up Web pages, documents, or PowerPoint presentations while using the pen to navigate through the desktop. One of the more remarkable features is that the Duo also converts into a ballpoint pen, letting the user take notes on traditional paper and watch them appear in the included NoteTaker software.
Earlier this year, we reviewed Canson's Papershow, a dedicated paper-to-screen device that's mostly aimed at professionals who want to conduct interactive PowerPoint presentations. A similar gadget is the LiveScribe Smartpen, which is geared toward students, linking audio to written text. But the Duo appears to be is the first device to capture ink and convert a plain monitor into a touch screen.
... Read more
You may have read our roundup of the Top 10 phones of CommunicAsia 2009, but nothing beats seeing these yummilicious handsets in the flesh. Watch our video.
(Source: Crave Asia)
(Credit:
Huawei)
Aside from its Android smartphone, Huawei also showcased its E583X wireless modem at CommunicAsia 2009. Other HSDPA modems are usually shaped like flash drives that you plug into a free USB port on your computer.
The E583X does it differently because it's able to send out a Wi-Fi signal that you connect to wirelessly (like at a hot spot) from your notebook. This means you can leave the device out of sight and not have something dangling from your slim, fashionable Netbook. A 1,500mAh battery powers the device, giving about five hours of wireless productivity. It charges via USB, and if you prefer, you can also use it plugged in to your notebook like regular HSDPA modems.
Now, freeing up a single USB port may not seem like a fantastic reason to pick this product over a regular USB modem. What's more, your notebook will probably consume more battery power with Wi-Fi turned on. But variations of this product will allow up to five users running a single cellular connection, perfect for situations when others around you need to share your Internet access.
Like all of Huawei's products, this one will be sold through mobile operators. It will first appear in Europe come July. Below is a quick hands-on video of the E583X.
(Source: Crave Asia)
A mockup unit of the Haier H7.
(Credit: Leonard Goh/CNET Asia)China electronics maker Haier on Tuesday displayed its first Android mobile phone, the H7, at CommunicAsia 2009 held at the Singapore Expo.
The H7 is probably the fourth phone we know of that's employing the Google-developed OS, besides the HTC Dream, Magic, and the Samsung I7500. It's understood that the Haier phone will definitely operate on Android OS 1.5, but the company does not dispute that it will ship the handset with OS 2.0 if the firmware is available by then.
As the unit displayed at the booth was just a mockup, we weren't able to give the H7 a try to see if it's more responsive than the HTC phones. But its specifications state that the upcoming phone has a 2.8-inch touch-screen display, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth connectivity, FM radio, GPS, and a 2-megapixel camera with onboard flashlight.
A representative at Haier's booth told CNET Asia the H7 is expected to cost about $150, and is slated to launch in France first in September.
Related story:
Huawei shows off Android phone, dubbed U823X
(Source: Crave Asia)
(Credit:
Huawei)
China-based Huawei announced its first Android-based smartphone, dubbed the U823X, at Singapore's CommunicAsia 2009. One key feature is the 3.5-inch display, which is larger than all the HTC Android devices released so far. It will also contain a 1,500mAh cell for longer battery life and connectivity features such as HSDPA, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.
Huawei also mentioned on its specs sheet that the phone will come with the "Chrome Lite" browser. Google co-founder Sergey Brin mentioned last year that the Android browser could possibly bear the Chrome name, but the company has never done that officially. We checked this out with the product manager and confirmed that the U823X's browser is simply the default one that comes with Android.
The demo unit on display was not a working prototype, so we weren't able to try it out. At least it wasn't in a glass case, and we managed to shoot a hands-on video that shows the device's physical features. Like all other Huawei handsets, the U823X will be sold only through operators, so whether you will see it in your country will depend on the carriers. It's set for release later this year.
(Source: Crave Asia)
(Credit:
Leonard Goh/CNET Asia)
Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*Star) has developed a gender recognition system that could change the way advertising works in the future.
The technology uses sophisticated algorithms to differentiate facial features of males and females. However, unlike Face Detection 3.0, which is employed in point-and-shoots such as the Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR, the gender recognition system can only detect faces that are facing the camera.
The A*Star-developed system is bring displayed at CommunicAsia 2009 held at the Singapore Expo. A representative at the agency's booth told us the technology is focused on advertising, so future digital billboards can detect the gender of the person looking at it and display the appropriate advertisement. The system can also track statistics such as the duration the viewer spends in front of the display.
A*Star also has an age recognition system in the works, and its application is similar to the gender-based counterpart. However, Sony already has a similar technology for its Cyber-shot compact shooters that can detect whether the subject in the frame is an adult or child.
Right now, the gender recognition system is still in beta testing. The agency hopes to roll out a beefier version by the end of the year.
(Source: Crave Asia)
Samsung first announced its eco-friendly Blue Earth phone at the Barcelona-based Mobile World Congress in February. It's been awhile since the announcement, but we finally got to spend a little personal time with the solar-powered handset here at CommunicAsia 2009 in Singapore.
Get ready for some frantic hand action in our, well, hands-on video. Fret not, we were just testing to see how many calories we've burned.
(Source: Crave Asia)
The Smart Black Box saves 15 seconds of video if it senses a collision.
(Credit: KCI Communications)Earlier this year at CES, Eclipse showed us the DREC20000, an in-car video recorder that saves its last 20 seconds of footage if it senses a car accident. Unfortunately, the Eclipse device is only available in Japan. But if you want that kind of device in the U.S., KCI Communications offers the Smart Black Box drive recorder.
The viewer software integrates with Google maps.
(Credit: KCI Communications)The Smart Black Box sticks to your windshield, just above the rear-view mirror, and uses its video camera to record driving footage to an SD card. The device includes a GPS chip and a three-dimensional shock sensor. If the shock sensor feels the kind of force an accident would cause, it saves the last 15 seconds of footage. It also overlays data from its GPS chip on the video showing your speed and direction.
KCI Communications includes view software for the footage that integrates with Google maps. The view can automatically print out an accident report, showing what street you were on and from which direction your car was hit. The idea behind the Smart Black Box is that it will be easy to prove what happened in court.
Of course, with that forward-facing camera, it will also show exactly what kind of bonehead maneuver you might have made to cause an accident. And as the footage constitutes evidence, it would be open to a subpoena. Which is probably why KCI Communications put an easily accessible button on the device to format the SD card.
Channel 7's analog feed went off the air after the noon news broadcast.
(Credit: John P. Falcone/CNET)Updated Monday, June 15, at 9 a.m. PDT with post-weekend channel status.
When we last checked in with the local analog TV band, it was the afternoon of Friday, June 12 (scroll down for the original post). Some analog channels had dropped off the grid, while others were flagging their imminent demise. About 72 hours later, with the DTV transition deadline firmly behind us, we rescanned the spectrum to see what we could pull in. Only a handful of analog channels are still standing:
Channel 2 (WCBS): Running a public service announcement in English and Spanish on how to obtain and set up a DTV converter box. (This programming is only on the analog station; the digital one is running the standard CBS feed.)
Channel 4 (WNBC): Running the same public service announcement as WCBS. (This programming is only on the analog station; the digital one is running the standard NBC feed.)
Channel 17 (WEBR): This affiliate of religious broadcaster Global Christian Network is up and running. (It may be a low-power broadcaster, meaning it's exempt from the shutdown for the time being.)
Channel 46 (WMBQ): This affiliate of religious broadcaster Cornerstone TV is a low-power broadcaster, and thus currently exempt from the shutdown.
Channel 60 (W60AI): This Home Shopping Network affiliate is a low-power broadcaster, and thus currently exempt from the shutdown.
It's also worth noting that some of the digital stations have moved. For instance, the WABC digital stations are now broadcasting on RF channel 7 (where the analog station used to be located) instead of channel 45. Likewise, many stations seem to have boosted their digital signal strength, now that they don't have to worry about interfering with their analog counterparts.
Both cases reinforce the importance of rescanning your available channels, so those changes can be detected by the digital tuner. Also, as some stations move from UHF to VHF locations, you may need to reorient your antenna--or you may need to get a new one that pulls in both frequencies. (Indeed, while DTV converter boxes seem to be in plentiful supply, antenna issues and shortages have been one of the notable problems of the transition.)
The original post--which includes links to resources for anyone who remains confused about the transition--follows:
... Read more
Command your own fleet of nerds with this replica of the original Star Trek communicator, and guess what? It also happens to double as a VOIP phone, meaning you can use it to actually talk to another human being using Skype, AOL Instant Messenger, iChat, etc...
Bad news, though: unfortunately, the device does not have built-in Wi-Fi, so you must use USB for connectivity...worst. communicator. ever. Good news, though! Whoever designed this replica had the foresight (and the fear of vengeful Trekkies everywhere) to include buttons that play sound effects from the original series and a real mesh flip cover, just like the original!
Since I'm not cool enough to make a relevant joke about the authenticity of this device, I asked a co-worker for his thoughts and he scoffed in my face, telling me he'd rather wait for a badge communicator from TNG (The Next Generation) that works as Bluetooth speakerphone. Transport beam should be available for $20 more.
The Star Trek USB Communicator is available now for $75.
