Qeexo showcases actual 3D touch technology
Last summer, Qeexo demonstrated their software’s ability to recognize different parts of the hand. This year they’re bringing us true 3D touch.
Let me back up a bit. Remember that time when Apple publicly showcased a “new” feature arriving to iPhones that bewildered Android users who had been using a similar feature for years? You might be thinking of voice commands, or widgets, or third party keyboards, or multitasking, or interactive notifications, but what I’m talking about is pressure-sensitive touchscreens.
See also: Google in control: Does Android need to be more like iOS?
I’m no app developer, but I remember playing around with the Android SDK all the way back in 2012 and tinkering with the touchscreen pressure sensitivity. It turns out that Android has had pressure detection since at least 2009, which was Eclaire. The reason nobody made much use of it was because it was deemed pretty counterintuitive by the development community at large. Swiping and multitouch made a lot more sense, but the capability remained update after update. Your Android device has always known how hard you were pressing on it.
So yeah, my right eyebrow elevated quite a bit when I first saw the ad for the iPhone 6s showcasing “3D Touch,” a name for pressure sensitivity that has literally nothing to do with three dimensions.
The jury remains out the usability of “3D Touch,” but some innovators have decided to build some technology that actually fits this horribly misappropriated name.
Qeexo is a company that seems obsessed with making our interaction with our devices more intuitive and intelligent. In this demonstration, they present technology that allows an Android device’s screen to determine the yaw and pitch of the finger touching it in three dimensions. Actual 3D touch.
It’s pretty incredible stuff. Their previous push made an Android screen aware of knuckles and nails, but without an evolutionary precursor to align with these innovations, the use of part-specific hand recognition technology remained as abstract and mechanical as the iPhone’s pressure sensitivity.
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The touch screen has precedence, after all, in finger painting. In drawing in the sand. It’s a communicative tool as old as cave paintings. Pressure sensitivity and fingernail touches have no such original language. However, the twisting and pointing that Qeexo plays with in their video are incredibly intuitive. If someone asks you “Which way did he go?” using your finger to symbolize a vector in 3D space is a natural reaction. In the same way, maybe this actual 3D touch might just catch on.
What do you think? Potential game changer or gimmick without a cause? Let us know in the comments!
OnePlus Android Marshmallow update is coming in Q1 2016
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Seems like today is a good day to announce your plans for an Android software update – after ASUS announced their plan, OnePlus has chimed in to say that their OnePlus Android Marshmallow update is coming in Q1 2016.
Detailing their plan, OnePlus says OnePlus 2 owners can expect their update to Android Marshmallow to include the standard API for fingerprint scanning that Google has cooked up, getting rid of the method that OnePlus included in OxygenOS at launch.
For the OnePlus One, OnePlus will be releasing a Cyanogen OS update in the Q1 window, but won’t be releasing an OxygenOS update until “time allows” – that’s kind of a bummer for people who have come to love the even more stock feeling of OxygenOS.
However, that’s not as much of a bummer as owning a OnePlus X. Despite being OnePlus’ latest device release, the OnePlus X wasn’t given a timeline in OnePlus’ forum post, with the only promise of this being “we will update you on a time frame at a later time”. At the very least, OnePlus is on the case, so keep your eyes and ears open for more news in the near future.
What do you think about OnePlus’ strategy for rolling out Android Marshmallow updates? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The post OnePlus Android Marshmallow update is coming in Q1 2016 appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Havit Bluetooth Touch Headphones: Great sound and touch controls for $45 (Review)
Most everyone has owned a few pairs of headphones in their lifetime. Wireless over the ear headphones are becoming more popular as wireless technology advances while prices drop. In the recent past, a variety of Bluetooth headphones has spawned with a wide range in quality and price. Over the past couple weeks I’ve had the opportunity to spend some serious time with the Havit Bluetooth Touch Headphones and want to share my experience with you.
Design
The Havit Bluetooth Touch Headphones look like many other headphones with a common head band with over the ear cups. They are made of plastic, cloth, and very soft faux leather. The head band is nicely padded and comfortable both on top of your head and around your neck. There are some minor construction flaws in the pair I received – a strange small bump on the top of the headband, which is purely cosmetic but still noticeable.
The ear cups are made of a nice glossy plastic and have touch sensitive controls built into the sides. Touch sensitive controls are usually found on headphones at least five times the price of the Havit Bluetooth Touch Headphones. You can play/pause music, answer/hang up on a phone call, increase/decrease volume and fast forward/rewind songs all from the side of the headphones.
Incredibly, quick touch NFC pairing is available too making connecting the headphones to your phone a breeze.
Usage
With ample battery life, surprisingly loud audio and prominent bass, the Havit Bluetooth Touch Headphones have replaced more expensive Bluetooth name brand headphones in my daily use. They’ve been excellent for both listening to music at work, and unexpectedly handy for using as my headset while gaming at home too. With the 12-14+ hours of battery life, I didn’t have the battery die on me once through many charge cycles.
The touch controls are useful too, a tap on the left ear will pause or play, swiping up and down with one finger will increase or decrease the volume, while two fingers are used for track control. I found myself simply using the tap to pause or play the most. The same left headphone has the physical power button, physical volume controls, the USB charging port, and the audio input jack keeping all of the controls at the tips of your fingers.
The Havit Bluetooth Touch Headphones sound great and get really loud. They don’t have the detail of high-end headphones, but for $45 they are quite a deal. My only issue was as good as they looked from three feet away, once I got up close I could tell there were some slight manufacturing defects. These little things matter to me and make me worry about long-term durability. Although with a good 20 hours of solid usage, I never once experienced one build-quality issue and was in awe of how many features were packed into these headphones.
Specs
- About 12 hours of hands-free talking and 14 hours wireless music playing
- Charging time: about 2-2.5 hours
- Wireless working distance: 8-10 meters
- Supports Bluetooth A2DP, AVRCP, and HS/HF profiles
- Headset line length: 120cm
- USB Cable Length: 65CM
Summary
For the $45 amazon price tag I’d recommend the Havit Bluetooth Touch Headphones over many wired headphones and any wireless headphones in the same price range. Just be sure you’re okay with the trade-off of the material and build quality for the excellent sound quality and touch controls. I sure am.
If you’d like to check out the Havit Bluetooth Touch Headphones head on over to Amazon.com. Over the past 12 months, HavitDirect has a 100% satisfaction rating, with over 6k reviews, at Amazon.com so rest assured that they will do everything to make you happy.
The post Havit Bluetooth Touch Headphones: Great sound and touch controls for $45 (Review) appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Check out this roundup of VR Cardboard kits for less than $10
Virtual reality(VR) is rapidly picking up in the U.S. With companies like Google, Oculus and Samsung leading the charge, content is growing by leaps and bounds everyday. Enjoy content in a revolutionary way with just lenses and cardboard. Netflix, YouTube and Hulu are among the many who provide virtual reality content for your viewing pleasure.
Gearbest.com makes it cheap and easy to jump into the world of VR as they have a whole host of VR viewers for less the $5 with free shipping included. Gearbest.com also has a 45-day 100% satisfaction guarantee, so if for any reason you aren’t satisfied with your product simply mail it back for a refund. Prices are subject to change so don’t be alarmed if our prices don’t match with Gearbest.com. Check out our roundup of fantastic Cardboard deals from Gearbest.com.
iBlue DIY Cardboard 3D VR Glasses for phones up to 5.5″ – $1.39 – LINK
Material: Corrugated paper
Color: Khaki
Feature: DIY 3D VR Glasses
Special Function: Magnetic sensor
Application : Smartphone
iBlue DIY Cardboard 3D VR Glasses for phones up to 7″ – $4.63 – LINK
Made of high-strength corrugated paper
Installation process is simple and can be completed within 3 minutes
Comes with headband, convenient to wear in daily life
Can control your phone with the magnet
Suitable for 4-7 inch displays
LightsCastle 2015 DIY Cardboard 2 Virtual Reality VR 3D Glasses for phones up to 6″ – $4.59 – LINK
Standard Bi-convex lenses
Adaptive touch technology, keypad touch
Easy to operate, made of customized cardboard, glasses, and some conductive foam
Compatible with 3.5-6 inch mobile phones (including iOS)
EVA Board DIY 3D VR Glasses for phones up to 6″ – $9.39 – LINK
A simple and inexpensive DIY virtual reality glasses
Made of high-strength EVA material
Installation process is simple and can be completed within 3 minutes
Can control your phone with the magnets
Can look at the left-right 3D film
Suitable for 6 inch displays
RITECH 3D Magic Box 3.5 – 5.6inch Universal VR Smart Phone 3D Glasses – $6.50 – LINK
Creative M – box (short for Magic Box) 3D glasses for 3.5 – 5.6 inch displays
Simple operation, you can use it during your travel, leisure and homes
Headband
Adjustable strap
Unique gift for your friends
Head on over to Gearbest.com to check out these great deals on VR viewers.
The post Check out this roundup of VR Cardboard kits for less than $10 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
ASUS Chromebit review: Turn any display into a Chrome OS machine
If you’ve got some spare time, search for the words “Android dongle” on eBay — your screen will be filled with little, Android-powered HDMI doodads that purport to make your dumb TV smart. But what about Chrome OS, Google’s other operating system? For years, it lived most prominently on notebooks, but the new $85 Chromebit from ASUS is Google’s attempt to give Chrome OS even more of a life beyond the laptop. Got a spare monitor with an HDMI-in port? Or an HDTV that could stand to be smarter? Just pop in the Chromebit and voilà: Your dumb display is now a Chrome OS computer. It’s not that powerful, and it’s far from perfect, but the Chromebit is just cheap and just good enough to find a home in classrooms and tinkerers’ dens. Slideshow-341501
Gogoro rides its battery-swapping electric scooter into Amsterdam
After launching in the scooter-drenched city of Taipei, Taiwan, Gogoro is setting its sights on Europe; Amsterdam specifically. Today the company announced that it’s headed for the capital of the Netherlands in the first part of 2016 and that it will expand to other cities in the second part of the year. Unlike other electric scooters that charge via a wall outlet, Gogoro has a series of GoStation battery swapping stations. When the charge on a bike runs low, riders pull into a station and swap their one or both of their nearly dead batteries with a fresh ones and carry on. That entire ecosystem is coming to bike-centric Amsterdam along with the company’s Smartscooter.
Source: Gogoro
Microsoft uses ‘Minecraft’ to teach your kid how to code
You can get kids to do a lot if you promise them Minecraft… just ask parents who’ve watched their children race through chores to get some building time. And Microsoft knows this, too. It just released a tutorial for Code.org that uses Minecraft to teach the basics of computer programming. Instead of pointing and clicking to smash your way through the landscape, you construct a string of commands using code-like snippets such as “turn left” and “destroy block.” This hopefully shows your young ones how programming can be both fun and relevant — it’s not just some boring thing you do to make money. Many students will try this when the next Hour of Code kicks off on December 7th, but you can visit the website today if your kids can’t wait to give it a shot.
Via: GeekWire
Source: Code.org, Microsoft in Education Blog
Researchers discover the source of animals’ natural compasses
For years, biologists have pondered how so many members of the animal kingdom — from fruit flies and pigeons to sea turtles and wolves — are able to navigate long distances apparently by sensing the Earth’s magnetic field. Two theories have emerged in recent years: one that the ability derived from iron-binding molecules, the other that it came from a protein called cryptochrome. Now a team from China’s Peking University have discovered that both theories describe complimentary aspects of the same bio-navigational system.
Via: New Scientist
Source: Nature Materials
Get a $50 solar-powered 10,000 mAh power bank for $14
Amazon is currently selling a highly-rated ZeroLemon SolarJuice power bank for almost 70% off. To take advantage of this incredible deal, use coupon code Q7RVCPQ2 while checking out. The price will drop to $14. It’s also eligible for prime shipping.
This portable external battery is rainproof, shockproof, and comes with a 36-month warranty from the manufacturer. The device is perfect for hikers or outdoorsy people, as it’s capable of recharging itself completely via solar panels. It takes about 8 hours of direct-sunlight charging to get about a 50% charge on most devices. This might sound like quite a bit of time, but the device is intended for emergencies and casual use. If you’re going camping but want to keep your smartphone charged, for instance, this deal is for you!
The power bank’s capacity is 10,000 mAh. In addition, it has an LED flashlight and four display LEDs to indicate its battery levels.
Like the idea of an inexpensive external battery but don’t have any interest in the solar aspect? We’ve got a bonus deal for you, then. Kmashi is offering a 15,000 mAh power bank for only $12.50. To redeem this offer, add the external battery to your cart on Amazon and use the code DNWS3612 before checking out. This one comes with a 12-month warranty.
Both of these are pretty incredible deals, but the ZeroLemon power bank has the added cool-factor of solar charging, even if it does have a somewhat lower capacity. It’s a hard call between the two of them, but I think I might grab the Kmashi just because last time I spent more than ten minutes outside was when I went to check the mail and accidentally locked myself out of the house.
What do you guys think? Solar or more charge?
MIT breakthrough may bring night vision to smartphone cameras
Ever wonder why your smartphone doesn’t have night vision? I mean, it can’t be that advanced of a technology, right? They used night vision goggles in World War II, for crying out loud. My phone can recognize my face and read my fingerprint. Why no night vision?
See also: Nexus 6P camera glass may spontaneously crack
Well it turns out that even though night vision isn’t all that technically difficult, making it cheap and small is a bit of a hassle. The problem is cooling.
Normal cameras behave very similarly to the human eye in that they detect light bouncing off of objects. If there’s no light source, they can’t see anything. However, night vision devices work differently. They detect infrared light that radiates off all warm bodies.
The problem is that the sensors that detect this heat have to be kept really cool. Otherwise their view of the world would be blotted out by all the infrared noise of the devices containing them. Historically this has been done with a system of refrigerants, much like a liquid-cooled computer. That kind of technology is bulky and cumbersome, and it can get expensive.
However, an MIT team has come at the problem in a different way. For a heat sensor, they’ve used atom-thin sheets of honeycomb-arrayed carbon molecules. This material, called graphene, is already used in a lot of night vision devices. It’s stronger than steel, transparent, and flexible. The research team solved the overheating process by using additional strips of graphene to suspend the sensor over a pocket of air. This keeps the sensor cool enough to detect objects at range without needing refrigerants.
This could be a huge deal for a lot of technologies. Consider how gadgets that recognize things like hand gestures and faces currently work. They rely on normal cameras to provide them with visible light. From that flood of information, programs must be able to recognize the shape of a human hand from background images before it even begins interpreting movement. Given infrared information, the hand would stand out starkly from the cooler background.
Although the team was able to get their sensor to detect a hand at range and a heated MIT logo, the resolution of this technology remains pretty grainy. They’re hoping increase the definition and bring this capability to devices like cell phones and vehicles in the near future.
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