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Leap Motion Partners With Best Buy For Exclusive Retail Launch (video)
Leap Motion the creators of the small Leap motion gesture controller that is 200 times more accurate than Microsoft’s Kinect gesture controller. Has this week announced that they are partnering with Best Buy to offer customers an exclusive package.
The new Best Buy Exclusive Leap Motion package is expected to be available to pre-order from next month and will finally be available from both the Best Buy website and high street stores, throughout the US.
Once officially launched the Leap gesture control device will also ship with its own app store, and the leap gesture controller is also expected to be available in Europe and other world wide markets shortly. Through other partners that have yet to be announced by Leap, but as always we will keep you posted as more information comes to light.
The latest news follows on from PC manufactures such as Asus who have also adopted the new Leap Motion technology to be included with their flagship systems later this year.
Source: Tech Crunch
More BlackBerry Z10 Press Shots Leaked
We do not have much longer to wait to see RIM’s new BlackBerry 10 smartphones, which will launch on the 30th of January along with the new BlackBerry 10 OS, we have already seen a number of leaked photos and now we have some press shots of the handset.
These latest photos show a black and white version of the new BlackBerry Z10, which is rumored to comes with a 4.2 inch display with a resolution of 1280 x 768 pixels and a dual core Snapdragon processor.
Source rapidberry
FIFA Approves Use Of Select iBall Smart Soccer Ball (video)
FIFA has approved the use of the worlds first intelligent football, called the iBall which has been design to help referees know when a soccer ball has crossed the goal line or not.
FIFA has been the new Select’s iBall design over the past few months in the GoalRef system, and has now approved the new intelligent iBall system for final testing ready for use in professional football games. Watch the video after the jump to see how the Select iBall will help the game of football.
The iBall is constructed with an internal mesh of copper wire, which is then used to communicate with antennas mounted in the frame of the goal. When the ball passes over the line of the goal a notification is then sent to the referee’s wristwatch.
Peter Knap, CEO of Select explains: “It is challenging work to design an intelligent ball that can withstand Ronaldo’s kick and at the same time be able to communicate with a system on the goal line. We have been developing the soccer ball for more than 65 years, so we have a solid head start when it comes to ensuring quality in new solutions.”
Source: Slashgear
Nokia Lumia 900, Lumia 610 And Lumia 710 Getting Software Updates
Nokia has announced that it is rolling out a software update for a number of its Lumia Windows Phone devices, and the list includes the Nokia Lumia 900, Lumia 710 and Lumia 610.
The software updates for the various devices bring a range of new features to these Lumia Windows Phone smartphones as well as performance enhancements, you can see a list of what is included in the update below.
- Lumia 900 version 2175.2101.8779.12201: Enhanced sensitivity for proximity sensor performance and improvement to your phone’s screen colours in low light conditions
- Lumia 710 version 1600.3031.8779.12180: Internet sharing (Wi-Fi Hotspot) — Share your phone’s internet connection over Wi-Fi with up to five other devices or computers and Flip to silence — Silence incoming calls by turning your phone face down.
- Lumia 610 version 1066.0000.8779.12201: Enhanced sensitivity for proximity sensor performance and improved sound level for alarm tone during voice calls.
You can find out more information about the software updates for the three Nokia Lumia Windows Phone devices over at Nokia.
Source Brief Mobile
Facebook invests in underwater Internet cable for Asia
Facebook wants more members in Asia and it is going to great lengths to get them. Facebook has reportedly invested in a new underwater cable project that will stretch up to 10,000 kilometers. That’s 6,214 in miles. The project is called Asia Pacific Gateway and the idea is to improve Internet speeds for the majority of the people on the continent by using fiber-optic cable to send and receive data to North America faster.
The new cable system will apparently run from Malaysia to South Korea and Japan, with links to other countries as well. Well, if they do succeed in this, those users will know that Facebook made it happen and so hopefully they will be grateful and show their love with even more memberships.
“Our investment in this cable will help support our growth in South Asia, making it possible for us to provide a better user experience for a greater number of Facebook users in countries like India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Singapore,” a Facebook spokesman said.
Source Ubergizmo
Samsung To Manufacture Qualcomm’s 28nm Snapdragon Processors
Samsung and Qualcomm are currently competing with each other on their smartphone processors, and not it would appear that Samsung is actually going to help its rival produce their 28nm Snapdragon S4 SoC.
Qualcomm’s current processors are made by Taiwan’s TSMC, who are unable to keep up with the demand for the S4, so Qualcomm have looked for other companies to help meet the demand for their latest flagship processor.
As well as Samsung United Microelectronics (UMC) will also be producing the S4 SoC’s for Qualcomm, we wonder if a total of three different manufacturers will be able to produce enough of the chips to keep up with the demand.
It shouldn’t really come as a surprise that Samsung is willing to produce the S4 for Qualcomm, as they actually use the processor in their US version of the Samsung Galaxy S III, the international version of the device uses their own quad core Exynos processor.
Source GSM Arena
Apple’s Siri vs Google Search On Android 4.1 Jelly Bean (Video)
We have seen a couple of videos before of Apple’s Siri against various other voice activated virtual assistants, and now we have a video of Siri tested against Google Search on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.
The video below shows Google Search running on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, and Apple’s Siri on the iPhone 4S, both devices are asked the same question at the same time.
As you can see from the video, it looks like the default Google Search seems to be able to answer the questions quicker than Apple’s Siri, it will be interesting to see this test again when Siri gets updated with iOS 6 to see if it can do a better job then.
Source Technobuffalo
Facebook’s Mobile Apps Get ‘Find Friends Nearby’
Facebook has added a new feature to its Facebook mobile apps, called ‘Find Friends Nearby, as the name suggests it will let you find your friends who are close to you.
The feature is now available in Facebook’s iOS and Android applications, and it will let you see which of your Facebook friends are near your current location.
You can use the feature by going to your Facebook app on iOS and Android, and then menu > apps > find friend > other tools > Find Friends Nearby, it is also available through Facebooks mobile web app.
Source TechCrunch
Canon Mixed Augmented Reality Headset (video)
At the 3D and Virtual Reality Expo in Tokyo last week Canon were showcasing their new Canon Mixed Reality Headset, which combines both real world environments and computer graphics, and will start shipping next month.
The Verge were able to put the new virtual augmented reality headset through its paces, and took apart a complex virtual airplane engine whilst wearing the headset, which you can see in the video after the jump.
The Canon Mixed Reality Headset has been created to train people for difficult and dangerous applications, such as inside nuclear power stations, by combining reality and 3D computer graphics.
The headset is equipped with two cameras, one placed over either eye and captures real-time video that is then sent to a wired connected computer. The Connected PC then processes the data to create what Canon promises to be a precise amalgamation of the real world and CGI. Pricing for the new Canon Mixed Reality Headset depends on the applications you require says Canon.
Source: Verge
Kobo Vox Update Adds Google Play Store And Gmail Access
Since its launch back at the start of November 2011 the Kobo Vox Android E-reader, hasn’t had access to Google’s Play Store. However this will now changed and the Kobo Vox e-reader will now received access to the Android app store.
As well as access to the store, Kobo has also announced that their Vox e-reader will also now support access to other Google services, including Gmail, Google Calendar, YouTube, Google Maps and Conacts. U.S. users will also have access to Google music and movies, providing them with the ability to store up to 20,000 songs.
The new access will be made available via the next software update, that will be rolling out shortly, and will require an internet connection to download.
Source: Tech Crunch
Chrome Beta Now Supports Apple’s MacBook Pro Retina Screen
If you have already purchased or are thinking of purchasing a new MacBook Pro. You might be interested to learn that Google has unveiled their beta version of Chrome is now ready to support the MacBook Pro’s retina screen.
Apple announced their new MacBookPro on Monday equipped with a retina screen, providing a 2880 x 1800 high resolution pixels count. Wasting no time Google yesterday announced that their Chrome beta browser now supports the next generation MacBook Pro.
“Apple recently announced a new laptop with a Retina high-resolution screen, and we’re committed to polishing Chrome until it shines on that machine.
The Chrome Canary channel already shows the early results of this work, bringing basic high-resolution support to Chrome. We have further to go over the next few weeks, but we’re off to the races to make Chrome as beautiful as it can be.”
Source: Slashgear
Hotmail replaced by Newmail
Hotmail has seen many changes this past year, but the latest is that it is getting rebranded and is to be called Newmail. It’s not exactly a super name, but I guess they want to keep it simple.
Screenshots of Newmail leaked yesterday, and it looks like it is an entire overhaul from the old system. Let’s face it, it needed a huge overhaul. Not surprisingly, it kind of resembles Gmail’s layout. It should be faster as well as having a cleaner look. It will also integrate with Twitter and Facebook, so they apparently want to become a one stop shop when it comes to social media.
No matter how it works, it has to be better than how it was before. It certainly looks better now.
Source Dvice
Fedora 17 Now Ready For Download
After a short delay the latest Fedora 17, has now arrived and is available to download. Fedora 17 nicknamed “Beefy Miracle” during development includes the latest version of the GNOME 3.4 desktop environment and a number of new enhancements under the hood.
As well as Updated developer tools including Juno, Eclipse, GCC 4.7, and Java 7, GIMP 2.8 image editor and improvements for servers and cloud-based applications.
“The latest version of the Fedora Linux operating system’s Desktop Edition. It’s everything you need to try out Fedora — you don’t have to erase anything on your current system to try it out, and it won’t put your files at risk. Take Fedora for a test drive, and if you like it, you can install Fedora directly to your hard drive straight from the Live Media desktop if you like.”
Fedora 17 is now available to download from the Fedora project website, together with more information about all the various flavours of Fedora available.
Source: Register
CZC Tech U116T Hybrid Ivy Bridge Windows Ultrabook Tablet, Showcasing At Computex
CZC Tech has released a few more details regards it hybrid CZC Tech U116T Ivy Bridge Ultrabook, Tablet, which is hopefully going to be showcased at the upcoming Computex exhibition, next week in Taipei from June 5th-9th 2012.
The CZC Tech U116T is equipped with a 11.6 inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 1366 x 768, and capable of supporting 10-finger multitouch gestures. The display can be detached from the keyboard to be used as a tablet when required, similar to the Asus Transformer range.
The hybrid CZC Tech U116T is powered by Intel’s latest Ivy Bridge processor, but full specifications of the CPU have still yet to be released by CZC Tech. However it will be supported by up to 4GB of DDR3 RAM.
Storage for the CZC Tech U116T is provided by a choice of 16,32,64, and 128GB solid state disk (SSD), and graphics is handles by an integrated HD 4000 graphics on Intel’s Ivy Bridge processor. Ports on the ybrid CZC Tech U116T Ivy Bridge Ultrabook include 1 x 3.5mm headphone jack, 1 x USB 2.0, 1 x USB 3.0, microSD slot, SIM card slot, and Ethernet.
Unfortunately no information on pricing or worldwide availability has been released as yet, but as soon as information comes to light we will keep you updated as always.
Source: Ultrabook News : Engadget
Five New Nexus Devices Coming In November To Celebrate Android’s 5th Birthday?
We heard a previous rumor that Google intends to release up to five Nexus devices this fall, and now according to the guys over at Talk Android, Google will be releasing these five new Nexus devices in November to celebrate Android’s 5th Birthday.
The five Nexus Android devices will apparently launch on the 5th of November, which is Android 5th Birthday, and as we mentioned previously the devices are expected to run stock Android and will be from multiple manufacturers.
These new Android devices are expected to be the first devices to run Android 5.0 Jelly Bean, we still do not have any details on whether they will be smartphones, tablets or a combination of the two, there are also no details as yet on which manufacturers will produce the devices.
Source Android Guys
Leap 3D $70 Gesture Control System Is 200 Times More Accurate Than Kinect (video)
Leap Motion has this week unveiled its new Leap 3D gesture control system, designed for hands free motion control. Which the company says is 200 times more accurate than Microsoft Kinect motion controller.
The Leap 3D provides users with the ability to control applications with with hundredth of a millimeter accuracy and introduces touch-free gestures like pinch-to-zoom. Watch the video after the jump to see it in action.
The Leap 3D gesture control system uses a smalll USB input device, combined with sophisticated software platform. Being able to detect a users movement right down to subtle movements of a finger.
Leap Motion CTO David Holz showed CNET how the Leap is adept at a range of functions, such as: Navigating an operating system or browsing Web pages with the flick of a finger, Finger-pinching to zoom in on maps, Letting engineers interact with a 3D model of clay, Precision drawing in either two- or three-dimensions, Manipulating complex 3D data visualizations, Playing games, including those that require very “fast-twitch” control, Signing digital documents by writing in air.
Leap 3D creates a “three-dimensional interaction space” of four cubic feet and is more precise and responsive than a touchscreen or a mouse. The new Leap 3D system is hopefully launching in early 2013. But no information or worldwide availability has been released as yet, but as soon as information comes to light we will keep you updated as always.
MK802 Mini Android 4.0 PC Arrives For $74
We have featured a number of mini computers here on Geeky Gadgets, including the Raspberry Pi which is just $35 and the FXI Cotton Candy priced at a lofty $200.
Now a new contender has arrived in the form of the $74 MK802 Android mini PC. Which is equipped with a single-core 1.5GHz AllWinner A10 processor, supported by 512MB of memory.
The MK802 is also equipped with 2 x USB ports, one full-sized and one micro, and runs Google’s latest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) operating system. As well as being equipped with a HDMI port for connecting to your monitor of preference.
Connectivity on the MK802 is provided by WiFi 802.11b/g, with 4GB of Flash storage as standard, which can be increased to 32GB via the microSD card slot.
Source: Liliputing : CNX Software
I’m Watch New Shipping Dates Announced
I’m Spa the Italian smartwatch manufacturer of the delayed I’m Watch. Has this week announced new shipping dates for the launched of its highly anticipated Android 1.6 smart watch, which was expected to by shipping on April 15th.
An initial batch of 300 I’m Watches will be shipping out on June 15th for initial testing and feedback. With other further outstanding orders being fulfilled by July 15th and all orders being dispatched by September 15th.
However if you have already ordered a I’m Watch but would like to cancel your order you have until July 15th to do so. But I’m Spa is now offering a 15 percent discount for those customers who would rather wait a little longer. I’m Spa explains:
“But we are now able to define them as follows, taking into account that we intend to conduct a last serious testing program with our customers:
1) By June 15th we will provide i’m Watch to a group of 300 customers, who will cooperate with us for a final and ultimate check, to be completed by July 15th. We will ask them to give regular feedback on their experience, which will be reported in a public blog on the website http://www.imwatch.it in order to allow you to follow its evolution as well.
2) Starting July 15th we will begin to ship the product to all those who have an unsent order. We expect to fulfill the delivery for all current orders within and no later than September 15th.
Given that we understand that you might have lost interest in the purchase, we decided to offer you the following possibilities:
• Giving up the purchase and requesting an immediate refund of the paid amount, providing by July 15th an e-mail to the following address, if you are residing in Italy: assistenza.italia@imwatch.it, or to the following: assistance.world@imwatch.it if you are residing abroad.
• If instead you are willing to wait until the expected date of delivery, you will receive at the delivery a 15% discount on the price paid.”
Source: Engadget
Steam Remote Download Service Goes Live
After launching its Steam Remote Download service in beta just a few weeks ago. Steam has now announced its taken the beta wraps of its new Remote Download service, which is now available for all to use.
The new Steam Remote Download service enables gamers to now manage their library of games remotely via the web. Allowing you to purchase games via your smartphone and have it downloaded and ready to play when you return home.
Once a active client is running on Mac or PC gamers can then manage games, download pre-loads, new releases, or any new purchases, as soon as they’re available. Steam explains how to get started with the new Steam Remote Download service:
“To kick off a remote download, simply visit your Games list on the Steam Community site, which can be accessed from your own profile using a web browser or the Steam mobile app on iOS or Android. If logged into the latest update of the Steam client on a PC or Mac, there you’ll see which games are currently installed, and have the ability to install others from your library. Or, seamlessly complete your online purchase with remote installation: When a remote session is detected, the Steam store will ask whether you’d like to download your new purchases immediately. “
Source: Steam
Lenovo Announces ThinkPad X1 Carbon Ultrabook
Lenovo has unveiled its latest ultrabook, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon which according to Lenovo is the lightest 14 inch ultrabook available and it comes with the latest Intel Ivy Bridge processors.
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon features a chassis which is made from carbon fiber, and this makes the X1 Carbon extremely light weighing in at just three pounds, it is also thin measuring just 18mm at its thickest point.
Other specifications on the ThinkPad X1 Carbon include two USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports, a Mini DisplayPort, a 3.5mm audio jack and an SD card slot, there is also a built in fingerprint reader and the display features a resolution of 1600 x 900 pixels.
The Lenovo X1 ThinkPad Carbon comes with a rapid charge option which will let you charge the ultrabooks battery to 80 percent in just 30 minutes, it will go on sale in the next couple of months there are no details on pricing as yet.
