Xperia X10 will get pinch-to-zoom in Q1 2011, with some limitation (video)

By Ross Miller  posted Nov 17th 2010 1:11PM

There's been a long back-and-forth from Sony Ericsson and the dev community as to whether or not theXperia X10 was at all capable of multi-touch -- the company stance has been that the hardware just can't do it, but still whispers to the contrary have lingered. Consider those murmurs validated: Sony Ericsson Product Blog has announced that the X10 will, in fact, get multi-touch in the first quarter of next year -- with some caveats. The large asterisk that's destined to clarify the minutiae will tell you that pinch-to-zoom will be enabled for browser and maps, but as the blog post put it, "situations like when the movement of the two fingers cross each other on the X- or Y-axis that could cause strange behavior." Third-party apps should be able to join some functionality, too, with the similar limitations (including when buttons must be pressed simultaneously -- that won't work). In the video demonstration after the break, take note how Angry Birds doesn't quite pinch and zoom smoothly. So yeah, it's not all sunshine, but at least there's something to look forward to.

Xperia X10 Blog Sony Ericsson

Artifical retina reconstructs normal vision in mice, human trials next

By Joseph L. Flatley  posted Nov 17th 2010 4:04PM

Scientists have been working on artificial retinas for years, and while the main focus of research has been to increase the amount of light captured, a study led by Sheila Nirenberg, PhD, has taken a different tack. The new system being devised at Weill Cornell Medical College better mimics frontline photoreceptor cells, making it easier for the ganglion cells to output a more accurate image. "If you want to really restore normal vision, you have to know the retina's code," Nirenberg said. "Once you have that, the door is open to the possibility of restoring normal vision." When researchers performed tests with mice, they found that those with the new system reconstructed more details (the second image, above) than those without (image three, above). "Incorporating the [more accurate] code jumped the system's performance up to normal levels - that is, there was enough information to reconstruct faces, newsprint, landscapes, essentially anything," Nirenberg said. The next step? Coordinating with other researchers to test the technology on human participants.

PhysOrg, Science News

Kinect data massaged into retro-futuristic 'Box Cloud,' iPad tilts its way into the action

y Paul Miller  posted Nov 17th 2010 4:32PM

We're sorry if you're like, so over Kinect hacks, but with a million tinkerers just getting warmed up on the thing, we recommend you just get comfortable and try to enjoy it. A new processing app by Chris Rojas takes the distance data and renders objects in neon cubes, with the size of the cube based on the object's distance from the sensor. Sure, it won't cure world hunger, but it looks pretty sweet. Of course, that wasn't good enough, so Chris hooked his app up to TouchOSC on the iPad, which gives him sliders to define and adjust different "planes of interest," along with the accelerometer input of the iPad to control zoom and pan of the virtual camera. Just don't get too close to that sensor, Chris, or the MCP might decide to digitize you entirely! Check out the original, iPad-less Box Cloud video after the break.

Adafruit Industries Blog cruxphotography (YouTube)

BoxWave's Keyboard Buddy turns your iPhone 4 into the Droid it always wanted to be

y Paul Miller  posted Nov 17th 2010 8:14PM

Suffering from a little bit of Droid envy? It happens to even the most loyal of iPhone users, and now BoxWave is stepping in to make your life almost complete (we say "almost" because there's still no native Gmail client for the iPhone, and all your tears aren't going to solve that). The BoxWave Keyboard Buddy Case is just what it sounds like, a Bluetooth keyboard embedded in an iPhone 4 case, only instead of flipping out like the TK-421 or slide-tilting like the ultra-bulky Nuu Mini Key, BoxWave's solution is a simple sliding affair that adds very little to the iPhone 4's profile and hardly anything to its footprint. Also, it's your buddy. It'll start shipping next month, and it's a little spendy at $70, but can you really put a price on the flattery of imitation?

BoxWave

SRI's electroadhesion tech enables new army of wall-climbing robots

By Darren Murph posted Nov 10th 2010 9:47AM

When the inevitable Robot Apocalypse goes down, you can credit SRI International for helping the forces assimilate. The aforesaid entity has apparently been toiling around the clock on a technology it's calling compliant electroadhesion, and to put things simply, it gives robotic climbers the ability to scale all sorts of walls made of all sorts of materials. Tests have shown wall-gripping robots climb surfaces made of steel, brick, concrete, glass, wood and drywall, which effectively eliminates any hope of you surviving the fallout based on the construction choice of your bunker. Thankfully, it does seems as if this could also be applied to human footwear, giving Earthlings at least a fighting chance of standing toe-to-toe with these guys on the side of the Menara Kuala Lumpur. Head on past the break if you're looking for a horror film. Or a demonstrative video... same difference.

See more video at our hub!

Switched SRI [PDF]

BlackBerry PlayBook to cost 'under' $500

By Thomas Ricker posted Nov 10th 2010 1:57AM

RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie finally gave us a crucial bit of information about the BlackBerry Playbook this morning: price, or at least a threshold. According to a Korean interview, Balsillie said that RIM's 7-inch tablet will be "very competitively priced" with Bloomberg quoting the man saying that it will be "under" $500 when it hits North America in the first quarter of 2011, expanding globally in Q2. A price that should at least match the 9.7-inch WiFi-only iPad (16GB) and undercut the 7-inch 3G Galaxy Tab which goes on sale on Verizon tomorrow for $599.99. Thing is, by the time Q1 rolls around we're going to be looking at many, many more viable tablet alternatives including a likely Apple refresh.

Bloomberg

Sony Ericsson's Anzu / X12 to be Xperia Gingerbread flagship? (Update: more pics!)

By Richard Lai posted Nov 10th 2010 7:27AM

We're not sure what Sony Ericsson's gotten to lately with its mythological codenames, but if Xperia X10 Blog's source is to be trusted, what we're looking at here is supposedly an upcoming handset codenamed "Anzu" (a lesser god of Akkadian mythology), or simply the X12 according to the often reliable Eldar Murtazin. Details are thin right now, but the leakster claims that said device is "very, very slim" yet packing a 4.3-inch display and HDMI output -- sounds very much like the Droid X, if you ask us. Although this particular photo shows an Android 2.1 build on the phone, rumor has it that it'll be shipped with Gingerbread (which is now pretty much officially 2.3) in Q1 next year.

Here's another interesting bit of gossip to take with you: we've heard from a couple of reliable sources close to the matter that the Anzu lies in the same category as the PlayStation Phone "Zeus" (also on Gingerbread but lacking the Xperia branding), and that they're being tested alongside each other. Whether this is an indication that the mystical Z-System gaming platform is heading to the Anzu, we don't know, but it makes sense given that both upcoming SE devices appear to bear the same screen size, or at least the same aspect ratio. Either way, we're told the pair will be officially announced some time before or shortly after Christmas, which again supports Xperia X10 Blog's leak. Time to stock up on some fine champagne, folks -- looks like 2011 is going to be a good year.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Update: Well that was quick. Xperia X10 Blog's just posted a few more lovely pics of the Anzu, and boy it sure is thin -- check out the profile shot after the break. The site's also just heard that said phone can capture 1080p video and will have a front-facing camera. [Thanks, Tejstar]

@eldarmurtazin (Twitter) (1), (2), X10 Blog, IT168 BBS

NASA budgets $15 million for hypersonic flight

By Sean Hollister posted Nov 8th 2010 4:46AM

You're probably familiar with supersonic planes like the SR-71 Blackbird pictured above, which managed to fly at over three times the speed of sound, but imagine this: NASA set aside $15 million to develop a hypersonic plane that could exit our atmosphere at speeds between Mach 5 and Mach 20. The US space agency's not expecting to build it quite that cheaply, of course, and it's not holding out hope for a contractor to build the entire plane just yet -- the organization intends to fund some sixteen smaller science and engineering projects (ranging from "how to build a Mach 8+ engine" to "predicting hypersonic fluid dynamics") and letting would-be government contractors pick and choose. Know how to quantify baseline turbulent aeroheating uncertainty in a hypersonic environment? You've got until November 23rd to get your proposal in.

[Thanks, Gadi]

Popular Science, Fast Company NASA (PDF)

RockMelt social browser launches in limited beta, we go hands-on

By Joanna Stern posted Nov 7th 2010 11:57PM

Hands-On

Been thinking that Firefox or Chrome browser of yours just isn't, say, social enough? Probably not, but RockMelt is hoping that's exactly what you'll think after you try out its web browser. The Mountain View startup, which is backed by web bigwigs such as Marc Andreeseen, has just released its new browser in a limited beta today, and it's -- as you probably may have guessed -- built entirely around social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Using Chromium at its core, the browser naturally looks and feels a lot Chrome -- fret not, Incognito mode is still there -- but there are some clear interface tweaks. As you can see in the screenshot above, the left edge integrates your Facebook friends so you can chat, send messages or check out status updates no matter what site you're visiting. (Oddly, there doesn't seem to be a way to poke from the interface! Blasphemy!) The right column is meant for Twitter and RSS feeds -- both are updated in the background and use "push notifications" to let you know how many unread messages or posts you've got piling up. You can update your statuses from both rails as well as share the site you are reading by just hitting the large share button to the left of the search bar. It's all fairly straightforward and actually works quite well.

However, RockMelt is pitching itself as more than just a sharing platform -- it also claims to have improved the speed and ease of search. Instead of the search box taking you to a Google search page, it brings up the results in a box of its own and allows you to visit the different sites within the browser window -- basically, you don't have to keep clicking back and forth from that Google search page. It's fairly neat, and actually does seem rather snappy. So, when can you try out RockMelt yourself? We wish we had better news, but it's in a limited beta for both Mac and PC, so your best bet is to head over to the source link and give away your Facebook details (if you're cool with forking over that info). Based on our first impressions, it's definitely worth putting your name in the running.

RockMelt hands-on

Show full PR text

RockMelt Re-Imagines the Browser Around Friends, Feeds, and Sharing
Innovative New Browser Builds on Facebook®, Twitter® & Google
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA – November 8, 2010 – RockMelt announced limited beta availability of its new browser, designed for how people use the Web today. The company has re-imagined the browser for modern Web users, building in the Web's most popular services. RockMelt enables you to interact and share with friends on Facebook, Twitter and other sites instantly from anywhere on the Web. RockMelt is built on top of Chromium, the open source project behind Google Chrome™, making it fast, secure, and reliable.

RockMelt was founded by Tim Howes and Eric Vishria in November 2008, and is backed by some of the Web's greatest innovators, including the father of the browser, Marc Andreessen.

To sign up for a beta invitation go to http://www.rockmelt.com.

"Today's Web users need a browser that does more than just navigate pages. RockMelt helps people do the things they do every single day – keep up with their friends, share, get updates, and search," said Vishria, RockMelt's co-founder and CEO. "We are very excited to begin offering early access to the RockMelt beta as we begin the race to our first million users."

"RockMelt is onto something huge. They've rethought the browser around the massive shifts in user behavior that will drive the Web over the next decade," said Andreessen, general partner, Andreessen Horowitz. "RockMelt is the freshest, most innovative take on browsing since browsers were created. Eric and Tim have built a stellar team that will continue delivering breakthrough innovations."

A New, Personalized Browser Backed by a Cloud Service
RockMelt has re-imagined the browser experience around how people use the Web today. Logging into RockMelt, through Facebook Platform, unlocks your personal Web experience, where you'll find Facebook, Twitter, and other popular social and Web services directly integrated into the browser. Your friends, feeds, and favorite services are always available, wherever you are online. And because RockMelt is the first browser backed by a cloud service, the experience can go wherever you go.

Key Features of the New RockMelt Browser
RockMelt's key features include:

· Your Friends. RockMelt integrates your Facebook friends directly into the browser, so you're always ready to chat, share a video, or keep up on what your friends are doing, wherever you are on the Web.

· Easier, Faster Sharing. RockMelt builds sharing directly into the browser, allowing you to update status, tweet, or share content on Facebook, Twitter and other services with just one click. No more wading through a different share widget on each site, or copy-pasting URLs.

· Your Favorite Sites. RockMelt is the first browser with push notifications. It keeps track of your favorite sites for you, alerting you when a new story comes out, a friend posts new pictures, or a new video is available, freeing you up from checking the same sites multiple times a day.

· Speedy Search. RockMelt has completely rethought the search experience in the browser, enabling you to get to the right search result radically faster. You get the same great results and suggestions from Google, but RockMelt allows you to quickly flip through results and find just the one you want, without having to click back and forth through a laundry list of URLs.



RockMelt is available for both Mac and Windows.


A Safe, Secure and Fast Web Browser, Built on Chromium
In addition to leveraging Chromium, the foundation of Google Chrome, RockMelt also utilizes open APIs that enable powerful, stable integration with the services people love from Facebook, Twitter, Google, and others.

"RockMelt simply would not be possible without all the great work that has come before us. In particular, we'd like to thank Google for the Chromium open source project, Apple for starting WebKit, and Facebook and Twitter for their APIs, help and support. We are proud and deeply grateful to be able to build on the shoulders of these and other giants," said Tim Howes, RockMelt's Chairman, CTO and co-founder.

RockMelt Backed by Industry Innovators
Along with Andreessen, RockMelt is backed by some of the technology industry's greatest innovators, including Bill Campbell, chairman of the board and former CEO of Intuit, and Apple board member; Ron Conway, legendary angel investor in Google, Facebook, Twitter, and others; Diane Green, co-founder and former CEO of VMWare; Ben Horowitz, general partner at Andreessen Horowitz and former CEO of Opsware; and Josh Kopelman, managing partner at First Round Capital.

For more information, images and product demo, please visit www.rockmelt.com. Read the RockMelt blog and learn more about the company on the RockMelt Facebook fan page or by following RockMelt on Twitter.


About RockMelt

RockMelt's mission is to make the Web easier, faster, and more fun. Founded in November 2008 by Eric Vishria and Tim Howes, the company has re-imagined the browser around how people use the Web today. RockMelt launched a private beta of the RockMelt browser in November 2010. RockMelt is based in Mountain View, CA and backed by Marc Andreessen, Bill Campbell, Ron Conway, Diane Green, Ben Horowitz and Josh Kopelman.

Disclaimer: Facebook® is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc. Twitter® is a registered trademark of Twitter, Inc. All other product names, logos, brands, and other trademarks referred to herein are the property of their respective trademark owners.

GigaOM RockMeIt

Kinect does hacker's bidding, but not for fortune or fame (video)

By Sean Hollister posted Nov 7th 2010 7:07PM

Yes, Microsoft's Kinect has already been cracked, as you'll see on video after the break -- the motion-sensing depth camera now nods its head on command and displays real-time accelerometer data on one lucky hacker's PC. We tracked down the son-of-a-gun who did it -- as it happens, the same NUI Group member who hacked the PlayStation Eye in 2008 -- and found to our disappointment that he doesn't necessarily intend to unleash his new exploit on the world. The $2,000 prize Adafruit is presently offering for open-source Kinect drivers isn't his aim, though he does have big personal plans for the device, as he hopes to integrate it into his company's commercial visualization suite CL Studio Live. It seems that work is progressing fast, as he's already gotten video streams from both cameras to output to his computer, and he plans to upload a far more convincing video soon. Here's hoping he has a change of heart about sharing his rapid accomplishments.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Gizmodo, Adafruit NUI Group

Mercedes-Benz SLK gets Magic Sky Control roof, turns transparent at the touch of a button

By Tim Stevens

Put down those iPads, Mercedes owners, and look to the sky. There's a word of wonder up there and, if you had yourself an SLK with the Magic Sky Control vario-roof, you could be looking at it. Well, of course, you could already be looking at the sky if you had an SLK because, you know, it's a convertible. But, let's say you want to do it without actually having to experience nature. Now we're talking. The vario-roof is a glass panel in the center of the SLK's retractable hardtop and now, if you tick the 2000 euro ($2,800) Magic Sky Control option, you can control that sky, tinting the glass panel at will by re-aligning the light-blocking crystals embedded within. It's like a big pixel on an LCD with the whole sun as your backlight and a truly awful dot pitch.