Prototypes - SlashGear

Posts Tagged ‘prototypes’

Microsoft TouchWall inexpensive Surface multitouch alternative

By Chris Davies on Wednesday, May 14th 2008 2 Comments

Making DIY versions of Microsoft’s multitouch Surface table seems to be so popular, even Microsoft themselves are getting in on the action. Somewhat bizarrely, the company has developed another multitouch platform, this time coming in a whole lot cheaper than the $10k Surface. TouchWall basically relies on three infrared lasers that scan the surface of a plexiglass board, and an infrared camera to register any touch against it; in Microsoft’s demo of the system, they used a rear-projector, 4 x 6 foot plexiglass screen, and a basic Vista PC running the software app, Plex.

Microsoft TouchWall

Check out the video demo of TouchWall after the cut

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Samsung to show Blue Phase LCD panel prototype at SID

By Ewdison Then on Wednesday, May 14th 2008 No Comments

Samsung will be showing its latest LCD panel with 240Hz image frame rate next week. The prototype Samsung will be demonstrating is a 15-inch panel at the SID (Society for Information Display) 2008 International Symposium, Seminar and Exhibition, which takes place in Los Angeles from May 18 to 23.

bluephase 480x344

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Sony’s palm-sized fuel-cell

By Chris Davies on Monday, May 5th 2008 No Comments

Looks like MTI Micro have some big-name competition in the fuel-cell business. Sony have unveiled their own hybrid fuel-cell system, and while the concept might be big, the prototype isn’t. In fact, it measures just 5 x 3cm, but is still capable of pumping out up to 3W of power.

Sony hybrid fuel-cell

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Fuel-cell powered GPS prototype promises 60hrs continuous use

By Chris Davies on Monday, May 5th 2008 No Comments

MTI Micro are demonstrating the latest version of their portable fuel-cell technology, in the shape of a GPS reference design prototype. Powered by the company’s Mobion fuel-cell, which relies on easily exchangeable methanol packs, MTI Micro are claiming the system provides up to three times as much energy as in a typical GPS with four AA batteries. In the case of this particular design, one fuel-cell manages up to 60 hours of continuous use.

MTI Micro Mobion fuel-cell GPS

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Honda demo Walking Assist exoskeleton for elderly & disabled

By Chris Davies on Tuesday, Apr 22nd 2008 No Comments

We’ve seen exoskeleton suits designed to grant their wearers super-human strength, but they tend to look somewhat obvious. Fine if you’re an attention-seeking superhero, but less of a selling point if you’re an elderly person with mobility problems. Honda have thankfully come to the rescue, though, with their ‘Walking Assist Device‘; worn as a straightforward belt with thigh straps, the 2.8kg unit promises to lengthen a user’s natural stride by supplementing their own muscle power.

Honda Walking Assist Device

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Twist & Squeeze interface tested by Microsoft Research

By Chris Davies on Monday, Apr 21st 2008 No Comments

A team at Microsoft Research have developed a prototype interface [pdf link] for mobile devices that responds to twisting, squeezing, flexing and stretching to control and on-screen GUI. The system, called Force Sensing, relies on very small manipulations of a handheld device – in this case a modified Samsung UMPC – with different gestures mapped to navigation and other controls. Visual feedback, such as interfaces twisting or bending, apparently decreases the learning time necessary for users to adapt to the new controls.

Microsoft Research twist-interface prototype

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Hands-on with Lenovo U8 MID and Aigo MID prototypes

By Chris Davies on Tuesday, Apr 8th 2008 2 Comments

The U8 MID prototype Lenovo have been flaunting lately is, frankly, lovely, and Josh Bancroft was lucky enough to get some serious hands-on time with the device – and the Aigo MID – at Intel’s Mobility Software Enabling Lab this week. Comparing the Lenovo MID to a prototype MID device we’ve seen in photos before, a Samsung Q1 Ultra Premium UMPC, a Fujitsu Lifebook UMPC and Josh’s own iPhone, he’s promising in-depth video of each new device, but until now this Flickr gallery will have to sate us.

Lenovo MID hands-on

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Mio and ATX partnering to bring you real time info you can use

By James Allan Brady on Tuesday, Apr 1st 2008 No Comments

miologo Mio, long time manufacturer of GPS devices, is partnering with ATX, a major provider of telematics services in both the US and Europe. The types of things this partnership will bring you include lots of location-aware types of data including local weather, weather for your planned destination, in-depth traffic info, and business directories that change as the respective businesses open and close.

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Android HTC prototype device shots

By James Allan Brady on Tuesday, Dec 18th 2007 5 Comments

Well, looky here, we have a new Android OS prototype device still coming from HTC. All the previous models we have seen have been white, and looked considerably different, and one of the prototypes was some dark color, but it was a giant touch screen ala the iPhone, so this is a new 3rd prototype, which bodes well for development, but what’s different.

android live

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Nokia demonstrate Haptikos haptic touchscreen prototypes

By Chris Davies on Thursday, Nov 8th 2007 No Comments

Nokia, I take it back. When you showed your 2008 concept video last month, I mentioned it was all strikingly iPhone-esque; now, I’ve seen the light and I realise you’re actually leading, not following. Yes, the phone in the video has a vaguely Apple theme to the UI, but we now know it does what Cupertino can’t do: proper, spatially-contextual haptic feedback.

Nokia Haptikos haptic touchscreen prototypes