Audacious, All-purpose Appliance!

Posted on 07/12/2016 by Sarang Sheth

audi_layer_1

Black and white are usually associated with retro or vintage, aren’t they? Well, this article is a glorious contradiction, because the Audi Layer input device looks unbelievably futuristic despite all the images on this page being black and white.

The Audi Layer doesn’t just look futuristic. It IS futuristic. Combining 4 devices into a single form, this genius of a peripheral will literally be all you need to attach to your computer.

The Layer comes with a flat track-pad that also becomes a tablet input when you use the stylus embedded within. Slide the track-pad out to reveal a complete tactile QWERTY keyboard underneath. Beside it (and occupying the most visual mass) is the ever-so-sleek mouse that absolutely slays with the Audi branding proudly engraved into it. Anyone who said touchscreens are the future never owned the incredibly versatile Audi Layer!

Designer: Jarim Koo

audi_layer_2

audi_layer_3

audi_layer_4

audi_layer_5

audi_layer_6

audi_layer_7

audi_layer_8

audi_layer_10

audi_layer_9

Flow lets you play your computer like an instrument

Posted on 09/01/2015 by ahmed

The mouse is certainly a comfortable controller and some people still can’t get used to the idea of using merely the track-pad on the laptops and they still attach the mouse for a more ‘user-friendly...

Zorro Macsk review: instantly add touchscreen functionality to your 21.5-inch iMac

Posted on 17/09/2012 by Richard Lai

Over the years we've come across a few signs that pointed to the possibility of touchscreen-enabled iMacs, but Steve Jobs had already dismissed this as a possibility for current Mac form factors. Quoting the man at the "Back to the Mac" keynote from two years ago: "It gives great demo, but after a while your arm feels like it's going to fall off. Touch surfaces want to be horizontal."

So perhaps our fantasy's still stuck in the "research project" phase.

Luckily, the more adventurous touchscreen lovers can look to third-party solutions. For MacBooks you have Axiotron's Modbook, except you lose the keyboard and you can't perform the modification yourself. As for iMacs and Cinema Displays, we've been following Troll Touch for its resistive touchscreen replacement panels, but they aren't exactly affordable and most of them have to be installed by the company. Even its user-installable SlipCover series starts from $899, anyway.

This leaves us with the Zorro Macsk, a cheekily named iMac accessory hailing from TMDtouch of Shenzhen, China. The 21.5-inch model is priced at just $199 on Amazon with no modifications required. Plus, it supports multitouch -- a glaring omission from Troll Touch's Mac lineup. So is this truly a bargain? Or is it just a case of "you get what you pay for?" Follow past the break to see how we got on with the Zorro Macsk.

Gallery: Zorro Macsk review

Continue reading Zorro Macsk review: instantly add touchscreen functionality to your 21.5-inch iMac

Filed under: Peripherals

Zorro Macsk review: instantly add touchscreen functionality to your 21.5-inch iMac originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Sep 2012 15:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Apple patent application details method for detecting and displaying hand position on screen

Posted on 06/09/2012 by Sarah Silbert

We've had a glimpse at Apple's conception of a sensor-based keyless layout, and the latest patent application from Cupertino shows the company looking to further refine the input experience -- this time using a camera and other sensors to detect hand position and overlay that hand position on a device's screen. The filing details three methods to this end. The first shows a user's hands on a traditional hardware keyboard projected in an on-screen representation (as background, Apple mentions the ergonomic strain of looking down to check your hand placement, so perhaps that's the thinking behind this one). A second scenario involves a laptop with unlabeled keys, where the marked keyboard is displayed on the screen, and the final, most intriguing, setup shows backside controls on a tablet a la the PS Vita, with a user's fingers projected as if the device was transparent. Of course, this is just a patent application at this point, so don't expect to see this tech make its debut September 12th.

Filed under: Displays, Peripherals

Apple patent application details method for detecting and displaying hand position on screen originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Sep 2012 10:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

USPTO (PDF) | Email this | Comments

ZeroN slips surly bonds, re-runs your 3D gestures in mid-air

Posted on 14/05/2012 by Steve Dent

Playback of 3D motion capture with a computer is nothing new, but how about with a solid levitating object? MIT's Media Lab has developed ZeroN, a large magnet and 3D actuator, which can fly an "interaction element" (aka ball bearing) and control its position in space. You can also bump it to and fro yourself, with everything scanned and recorded, and then have real-life, gravity-defying playback showing planetary motion or virtual cameras, for example. It might be impractical right now as a Minority Report-type object-based input device, but check the video after the break to see its awesome potential for 3D visualization.

Continue reading ZeroN slips surly bonds, re-runs your 3D gestures in mid-air

ZeroN slips surly bonds, re-runs your 3D gestures in mid-air originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 May 2012 16:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink

The Verge | source

Jinha Lee | Email this | Comments

Bella KillerKeys brings desktops shortcuts and control to iOS for $20, we go hands-on (video)

Posted on 18/04/2012 by Zach Honig

Creative types working their magic on Windows may already be familiar with KillerKeys, a desktop app that brings push-button control to most Adobe apps, Microsoft Office, Sony Vegas and a few others, letting you tap a preset action rather than digging through a multi-layer menu or remembering hundreds of keyboard shortcuts -- if you use any of these apps as part of your workflow, the $10 (and up) investment certainly seems to be worthwhile. Now, Bella, the company behind KillerKeys, is bringing the tool to iOS (the iPad, more specifically), letting you tap your intentions on your tab, rather than using the mouse to click around the desktop.

You can group buttons by function, and the panel adjusts automatically to match the current app -- there's also an application launcher available at the bottom corners of the display, which helps to minimize your mouse time. To that end, you'll also find an on-screen trackpad (which unfortunately wasn't functional during the company's demo at NAB), and once it's enabled you'll be able to reposition your pointer from the tablet, letting you hide that cumbersome mouse. Initially, the app will only be available for iOS when it ships next month, though an Android version is in the works, as is a Mac OS version of KillerKeys, which should launch with the iPad app. The mobile application will set you back $10, and you'll also need to pick up a copy of KillerKeys, which ranges in price from $10 for a home and student addition to $90 for the whole shebang. Check out the hands-on demo after the break.

Gallery: Bella KillerKeys for iOS hands-on