Technabob » touch screen

GM Demos Touchscreen Windows for Interactive Road Trips

Shane McGlaun — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:00:55 +0000

When it comes to road trips, any parent can tell you a few hours spent in a car with a couple kids can feel like days. Kids get bored and cranky after a while, leading to cranky parents. Now, GM is showing a cool concept that takes the windows of the car and turns them them interactive surfaces to keep the young ones (and other passengers) occupied.

The idea is that the windows would be transparent screens which could display all sorts of content from game apps for kids to navigation details for the driver or passenger. I really like the idea of navigation content being projected onto the windshield. That way you don’t need to take your eyes off the road for directions.

The apps for kids though are the ones that will likely get the most attention. The prototype apps let kids finger paint, and interact with characters who react to the speed of the vehicle. For the big kids, there are apps for navigation as well as streaming music and social networking.

GM notes that it has no current plans to use the window tech in a production vehicle, and there is no indication when this tech will leave concept and come to the real world. Hopefully it’s not that far off.

Sony Releases X1000 Series of Media Players; Apple Doesn’T Notice Because of Their Thick Walls of Money

Lambert Varias — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 12:30:09 +0000

Sony has seen better times: the PSP was almost abandoned by game developers due to rampant piracy, the PS3 isn’t selling like its previous incarnations, and the iPod is the new Walkman. But the Japanese giant soldiers on, and are still releasing new products left and right, such as the X1000 series of media players, previously known as “Walkman X.” The media players will be available in Japan starting April 25.

The X1000 series come in two flavors, but the only difference between the two models is their storage capacity. The NW-X1050 can store 16 GB of data, while the NW-X1060 has double the capacity at 32 Gb. Both models can play audio (mp3, ATRAC, linear PCM, AAC) and video (WMV, AVC, MPEG-4) files.

The X1000 series also includes the barely functional NetFront browser, the same browser that’s on the PSP, along with Microsoft Live Search and a quick link to YouTube. The latest Walkmen (Walkmans?) are also equipped with the now requisite capacitive touchscreen, as well as a 1-seg digital TV tuner.

The NW-X1050 will sell for about ¥40,000 ($408 USD) while the NW-X1060 is priced around ¥50,000 ($509 USD). Check out Sony’s press release or the Sony Style website for more details on their latest potaburuodiopureya.

[via anythingbutipod]

Duo: Turn Any Monitor to a Touchscreen

Lambert Varias — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 12:30:30 +0000

People who want or need a tablet or touch screen display don’t really have a lot of affordable options. For example, Wacom’s tablets are nice – Penny Arcade’s Gabe uses it – but they’re quite expensive. Fortunately, Korean company Pen and Free has invented a peripheral device that might make touch screen affordable. Called the Duo, it gives touch screen and tablet capabilities to any ordinary monitor that it’s attached to. The best part is that it’s worth a whopping $44.

The model pictured above is for laptops while the one pictured below is for desktop monitors. You can attach the Duo on top or on a monitor’s sides. It has word recognition, motion recognition and supports plug & play via USB. One other neat thing with the Duo is that you can choose which part of your screen to use as a tablet/touch screen.

I’d give you more details but the Engrish on Pen and Free’s website goes up to 11. Overall it’s a promising alternative but I don’t think that this is going to replace a dedicated tablet device, especially for people who draw. It’s cheap all right, but it’s not that easy to draw on a vertical surface (e.g. your PC’s monitor), compared to a tablet that’s resting on your desk or on your lap. If any of you own a Duo, tell us how the quality is. Also, try attaching it to a touch screen monitor. It should explode.

[via Gadget Venue]

Sony Touchscreen Walkman [Rumor]

Lambert Varias — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 14:19:39 +0000

Sony Insider claims that a new, touch screen-equipped Walkman will be unveiled at CES 2009. The player is also rumored to have a 3-in OLED display and will come in 16 GB and 32 GB versions. The big addition to the Walkman will be web browsing via WiFi.

The article adds, “upon listening to an artist, you may click on the artist name and watch music videos of the artist on YouTube through Wi-Fi (WPA and WEP support included).” Other features that the new Walkman are supposed to have include a built-in link to Amazon’s online music store, a dedicated You Tube app, podcast downloads as well as online software updates.

This rumor is so hot that all we got was the mock-up… so yeah. No other pics. Just got logos and pasted em together. Anyway the new Walkman is said to also have a built-in S-Master digital amplifier and noise canceling capabilities. To differentiate themselves from the competition, Sony are calling the new Walkman “iPod Touch”. Kidding.It can play cassette tapes. No. The new Walkman also has a built-in FM radio. If any of you technabob viewing people get to go to CES ’09,do tell us if any of this is for real or if I just made it up.

[via Sony Insider via anythingbutipod]