While there have been so-called time-coded vinyl (TCV) systems in the past, they have all required specially-marked records and hardware to track their movement. MOPHO DJ differs in that it simply requires an accelerometer or gyroscope-equipped device, like an iPhone or iPod touch, and uses that motion tracking to do the same thing. That makes it cheaper and easier to implement; Bryan uses a disc of perspex with a rubber mat mounted to seat the iPhone, but you could feasibly use a regular record.

Because the direct movement of the turntable is being tracked, you can still use all its manual controls – such as pitch-adjustment – while the iPhone’s display shows the real-time waveform of the audio currently playing. Even if you don’t have a turntable you’ll still be able to use MOPHO DJ in the “untethered performance” mode, simply moving the phone in mid-air so as to scratch records.

Bryan details MOPHO DJ in his paper [pdf link] and intends to release the iPhone app and accompanying computer software in the near future.

[via Geek]

Hardware

The Jawbone ERA is longer than the ICON, which shifts the microphone closer to your mouth, but the physical controls have been streamlined thanks to the addition of an accelerometer. Jawbone call it Motion-X, but it’s basically a way to kick the headset easily into pairing mode – “ShakeShake” – or answer/end calls – “TapTap” – by shaking or tapping the body of the ERA. Power on and shake ERA four or so times and it will automatically go into pairing mode; then, when you’re wearing the headset, a brisk double-tap will answer incoming calls.

Inside there’s Bluetooth 2.1+EDR with headset and hands-free profile support, as well as (mono) A2DP, and Jawbone reckon up to 33 feet range. Multipoint support means the ERA will remember up to eight paired devices, of which two can be simultaneously connected at any one time; that means you can have your cellphone and your laptop paired, and handle voice and VoIP calls with the same headset.

In the box there’s the ERA, four round earbuds for use with the easily-detached ear hook, four different earbuds with integrated rubber hoops for when you don’t want to use the ear hook, a short microUSB cable, carry pouch and a USB AC adapter. Unlike previous Jawbone ear hooks, the loop supplied with ERA is far more flexible which makes for more comfort together with a better fit for those wearing glasses or sunglasses.

Jawbone ERA unboxing and hands-on:

As with ICON, ERA will work with Jawbone’s MyTALK online suite of services to extend the headset beyond merely answering calls. Basically, it’s an app store for your Bluetooth headset, and with ERA Jawbone has boosted the connectivity speed so that updates take seconds rather than minutes. That’s useful, because you can now upload your address book to the headset’s onboard flash storage: whereas on the ICON the caller ID was read out as a number by a synthetic voice, with the ERA you hear the caller’s name (Jawbone ERA’s CallerID Function works with ten contacts that you’ve programmed using MyTALK). read out by a proper voice artist. Jawbone tells us it will be adding further voice artist recordings throughout the life of the headset, so names not initially covered – and which will get the robotic voice – will eventually get the premium treatment. There’s also the usual voice-control, the ability to dictate an SMS or Twitter update by voice, and the ability to send a short voice memo to Jawbone’s Jawbone THOUGHTS app.

Performance

Audio quality lives up to the solid construction of the ERA itself, putting the headset among the best we’ve tested. Jawbone has used a new wideband speaker – supposedly 25-percent larger – for what it calls HD Audio, along with the latest version of its noise-cancelation tech, NoiseAssassin 3.0. The latter adds automatic volume adjustment and intelligent DSP; with normal voice calls and Skype there was little in the way of obvious processing and simply clear, bright sound. When we tested in more noisy environments, however, such as while driving, the processing shifted into gear and was more ruthless at cutting out background sounds. We prefer the ERA’s performance to that of our previous favorite, Plantronics’ Voyager PRO+, and the Jawbone is more discrete in its design as well.

While the ShakeShake pairing system is slick, it’s the tap-to-answer that really makes the ERA straightforward to use. Rather than hunting for a button – or having to press so hard that it hurts your ear or even dislodges the headset – it’s intuitive to gently tap the ERA a couple of times and then start talking. Jawbone tells us that the Motion-X tech on the ERA is simply the first step in how it expects to develop the technology, and the upgrade potential via the MyTALK system means there’s a good chance new motions will be introduced at a later point.

We haven’t had a chance to put battery life to the test properly yet, but will do so over the next week or so. Jawbone claims up to 5.5hrs of talktime or 10 days of standby time.

Wrap-Up

It’s tough not to be impressed by the Jawbone ERA: the HD audio and effective noise-reduction technology take care of the core functionality, around which the solid build quality, innovative use of an accelerometer, and comfortable fit add up to an all-round winner. Jawbone definitely seems to be listening to feedback, and given the upgradable nature of the ERA we’re hopeful the MyTALK platform will mean future software modifications aren’t solely preserved for new headsets.

At $129.99 – available in Shadowbox, Smokescreen, Midnight and Silver Lining finishes – it’s in the premium price range, but the functionality means you’re getting one of the best performing devices for your money. We’d opt for the ERA over the $99.99 Jawbone ICON (which will remain on sale alongside the new flagship) for its boosted HD Audio performance and easier control.

Video demo after the cut

The sample uses JavaScript and some CSS3, and basically allows the ball’s movement to be controlled by the direction the smartphone is being tilted in. You can try it on a mobile Safari browser at http://ad.ag/wjmtgt. Similar access to the iOS orientation APIs has been available for iOS SDK users – creating native apps – for some time now, but this is the first time that the same hardware access has been made available for web app devs.

The new functionality opens up the possibility of motion-sensitive web games, navigation of complex web pages by simply tilting the phone, and augmented reality apps that do not have to be locally stored on the iOS device. Meanwhile Apple has also added the WebSockets API, updated their HTML5 Form support and made other tweaks.

[via Pocket-lint]

The sensor is part of HP’s CeNSE (Central Nervous System for the Earth)  research and development program, which aims to build a planetwide sensing network using billions of tiny, cheap, tough and exquisitely sensitive detectors to measure anything and everything about the environment.

The first realistic focus is coming from oil giant Shell, who’s looking to use the sensors for underground oil detection,   Later on, HP expects to shift to “city-level” projects, in which “awareness could revolutionize human interaction with the Earth as profoundly as the Internet has revolutionized personal and business interactions today”.

[via Fast Company]

“Leveraging ADI’s accelerometer technology, Cannondale was able to create the first-ever suspension bike that can remain fully rigid on smooth surfaces for pedaling efficiency while seamlessly opening up to maintain comfort and stability,” said Stanley Song, advance projects engineer for Cannondale Bicycles. “The accelerometer also provides insights into the bicycle system that would otherwise be unattainable. For example, by sensing free fall and the duration of the fall, Simon knows when a mountain biker jumps off a rock. ADI’s accelerometer effectively allows Simon to ‘read’ the terrain in advance and preemptively adjust the suspension settings in real time.”

The programmable settings on the Simon electronic suspension system with ADI’s high-g ADXL78 accelerometer are controlled using a handlebar-mounted joystick and LCD display.  As an avid cyclist myself, this is something to look forward to in the near future.

As we’ve mentioned before, Nokia World is coming up next week, and this is where it’s pretty much official that the N900 will be shown off in plenty, and then hopefully garnished with a release date and other details pertaining to how people can get their hands on it. What we do know is that the screen is roughly 3.5-inches, it comes with GPS, an accelerometer, a 5-megapixel camera, and 32GB of on board memory.

There’s only so much to go over here, but that won’t be the case for much longer. Nokia World is just around the corner, and with it comes the Rover, which will hopefully show off a lot of different things. Things that consumers like, and will want to buy.

[via BeGeek]

The problem with the Wii’s take on motion control is it’s very limited. You can make broad, general movements but nothing specific. The Acceleglove changes that by implementing accelerometers in the fingers of the glove so you can make complicated hand gestures that will be read by the system.

Developed by AthroTronix, the Acceleglove can only detect some hand motions at the moment like pinching and such. However, the potential is there for much greater achievements. And the open source SDK means we haven’t seen the last of this gizmo yet. However, the $500 is rather “out there” for the time being. Check out the video of the glove in action below:

[via OhGizmo!]