<![CDATA[Gizmodo: motion sensing]]> http://tags.gizmodo.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/gizmodo.com.png <![CDATA[Gizmodo: motion sensing]]> http://gizmodo.com/tag/motionsensing http://gizmodo.com/tag/motionsensing <![CDATA[Motion-Sensing Transtube 360 Shower Puts You On Display]]> The Transtube 360 isn't as packed with features as the Aquapeutics shower, but it does have one thing that's impressive: a motion-sensing door.

The whole shower is like a glass go-go cage designed to make you feel like you're washing yourself for other peoples' enjoyment, but in a classy, design-centric sort of way. It's definitely smaller than a traditional shower/tub combo, but all that glass is going to be rough to clean. [Trendir via Dvice]

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<![CDATA[PlayStation Motion Controller: Behind the Scenes Part 2]]> In part one, Sony explained that next Spring's glowing wand will have rumble feedback. Here, Anton Mikhailov (the guy from the E3 demos) dishes the prototype was built using parts from Home Depot, and caused a stir with airport security.

Mikhailov also confirms that the combination of camera tracking, gyroscopes and accelerometers are precise enough for the wand to be used in more complicated games, not just casual titles.

I'm looking forward to seeing how the multiple axis tracking may improve on traditional dual stick DualShock controls. We should hear more from the Tokyo Game Show on September 24. [Sony]

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<![CDATA[PlayStation Motion Controller: Behind the Scenes]]> Sony, you're such a tease. The PlayStation motion controller wand won't hit shops until next Spring, but SCEA research head honcho, Richard Marks, gives a pretty interesting look at its background and capabilities in this video.

Hearing how the technology works is cool and all, but what caught my attention was that it'll have rumble feedback, buttons, and an analog trigger. I'm looking forward to seeing how games use it at the Tokyo Game Show on September 24. [Sony]

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<![CDATA[A Quick Update on the PlayStation Motion Controller]]> With the PS3 Slim hogging the limelight, you may have missed Sony's update on its motion sensing controller. This reel from GamesCon shows it waving about as a wand, flashlight, and yep, even a hair brush.

Still only mini game demos though, and we won't hear much more until the Tokyo Game Show on September 24. Hopefully we'll get to see some live demos of real games, along with a finalized name and date to expect it in Spring.

Also See: How Sony's PlayStation Motion Controller Works

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<![CDATA[Samsung's Holographic Gesture-Based Eye Candy Upstages Product Announcement]]> At the announcement of their new superfast Jet phone, Samsung used used Project Natal-esque holographic gestures for effect. The Jet seems cool, but we just want to hear more about the holographic gimmickry!

Designed by Korean firm D'strict, the tech is a combination of infrared motion sensing and 3D imagery, pretty much like Microsoft's Project Natal. It's not quite as seamless as Natal, but given that it's main purpose is just to add a little flash to a cellphone announcement, we're awfully impressed—and distracted. Check out the video below for a clip of one of the announcements, and you'll see what we mean. [Fast Company]

Samsungmobile Jet making film from d'strict on Vimeo.

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<![CDATA[Orthodox Jewish Couple Sues Over Motion-Sensing Light]]> Was that headline mean? I'm sorry, but the silliness of this lawsuit, which centers around one couple's quest to annoy/sue the hell out of their entire apartment building, warranted it. The story unfolds like this: Updated.

On Saturdays, Dr. Dena Coleman and her husband Gordon claim they are imprisoned in their condo because the landlord went and installed a motion-sensing security light to save energy and money. As Orthodox Jews, they say triggering the light violates a Sabbath rule, so they sued. Which rule? The Promethean one:

[The couple] claim they cannot leave their holiday flat on the Sabbath because when they do they automatically trigger the light in the communal hallway - contravening a religious ban on turning on electrical items from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday because it constitutes 'creating fire'. They say their human rights are being breached and are now suing the flats' management company - their neighbours - for failing to accommodate their religion.

Of the 35 other owners in the complex, not a single one of them supports the Colemans' lawsuit or their suggested fix, which entails forcing the management company to install a custom override switch. Oh, and management and the other tenants must pay back all the legal costs too.

Adding insult to injury is the fact that this is just the couple's holiday flat.

The case is scheduled for later this year. May the management install even more motion-sensing lights in that span.

Editor's Note: The original headline for this post was insensitive, and I'm now writing, individually, to those readers who contacted me this weekend expressing their disgust.

I also regret that my personal feelings on organized religion influenced my writing to the point that the article ended up lacking core tenets of Gizmodo: Mainly, gadgets, technology, relevance and intelligence.

What started in the lead as a criticism of lawsuits and one couple''s attempt to push a belief on 35 other families was soured by the remainder of the post, and I appreciate the readership pointing this out over the weekend. In that short span of time I've learned a lot about insensitivity, tact and timing. Most importantly, however, I am reminded that while Gizmodo readers come to the site for many reasons, none of them are to hear me spout off ill-informed BS about religion. For that I apologize. - J.L.

[Daily Mail - Thanks, Sctoland]

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<![CDATA[PlayStation Eye Still Alive, Support For Facial Recognition Coming Soon]]> The all-but-forgotten PlayStation Eye, not one to be outshined by its prototype, unnamed motion-sensing PlayStation controller brother, will soon support facial recognition.

Says Sony Europe's Head of Developer Services, Kish Hirani, the Eye will have the ability to "detect gender and even the age of the face, separate facial features such as the nose, eyes and ears, and even detect whether you're smiling or not."

And taking a page from Microsoft's Natal platform, Hirani said the Eye will also support "skeleton tracking."

Now, I'll admit, these are cool features, but I do hope the update allows the PlayStation Eye to work in the dark. Facial recognition firmware update or not, for this to work Sony's going to have to figure out a way for this forgotten gadget to function from within the pitch black confines of people's storage closets and attics. [Gamasutra Kotaku]

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<![CDATA[Rumor: Microsoft to Release New, Project Natal-Centric Xbox Hardware Next Fall]]> 1Up ran a story yesterday that Microsoft is planning to release an updated Xbox console this fall that will focus on Project Natal's motion-sensing technology. We're not sure we believe it.

The rumor states that Microsoft will be debuting a totally new console that will include native Project Natal support, full backwards compatibility with Xbox 360 software, and with slightly updated muscle to handle newer games. Supposedly, it'll be released in fall 2010.

Microsoft did mention that with the debut of Natal, the Xbox 360's lifespan is "less than halfway done," but we think it'd be a mistake to release a game-changing new control system as an entirely new console rather than a more affordable peripheral when we've seen that a peripheral is all that's needed to handle Natal. Further, the way Microsoft has phrased talk about the Xbox 360's lifespan implies to us that the humble white console is going to be around for awhile: "There's still an awful lot left we can do with that piece of hardware, so we're going to continue to do that," said Microsoft's VP of Interactive Entertainment John Schappert.

We don't think the rumor really makes sense, but maybe it's just wishful thinking; we don't want to have to buy an entirely new console, but we just might have to if that's the only way to get our hands (well, our entire bodies) on Project Natal. [1UP]

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<![CDATA[Project Natal Intro Videos Show Real Controller-Free Interaction]]> GameTrailers somehow nabbed the actual video Microsoft played on the big screen at its E3 conference. Check it out, but turn down your volume, as audio got borked in the transfer.


Gameplay:

Interaction With Milo:


[GameTrailers.com]

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<![CDATA[Even Steve Ballmer Says to Pay Attention to Microsoft's E3 Announcements]]> Microsoft's really pushing out the hype for their E3 announcements, getting Steve Ballmer to say that people should really pay attention to what they're going to reveal. This makes the rumor of an Xbox 360 motion sensing accessory seem all the more real. [Dallas News via Kotaku]

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<![CDATA[SIMSense Motion Detecting SIM Card: Drunk Dial Even When You Pass Out]]> Oberthur Technologies has come up with yet another interesting application of accelerometer technology. Their new SIMSense card is the first motion-sensing SIM card on the planet.

Why the hell would you need a motion-sensing SIM card you ask? Well first off, it could give any run-of-the-mill handset the capability to navigate menus, send calls or SMS messages with a simple shake or tap. It could even allow users to pre-program an emergency contact into the phone that could be called or sent a text message on a trigger of rapid movement—like a fall. So you are covered should you fall and break a hip or pass out in a bar.

The card was just introduced at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, so there is no word on when we might see something like this available commercially. But my guess it will come sooner rater than later. [PR Newswire via Uberphones]

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<![CDATA[The Nintendo Wii's New Real Price]]> The Wii's $249 base price always allowed it to be known as both the cheapest console and the best deal in town for next-gen gaming. Even at a price of $60 a pop for the WiiMote and Nunchuk, the cumulative price of the system and four controllers would still be under the cumulative price for the Xbox 360 and PS3. This all changes with the Wii MotionPlus.

Part of the reason why we're comparing four players is because of the way Nintendo sets up its games. While it's very rare for Xbox 360 and PS3 owners to have four controllers—partially because their online connectivity is so good—it's very common for Wii owners to have four. You need four controllers to play four-player Wii Sports Tennis. You need four controllers to play Super Smash Bros. Brawl. You need four controllers to play Mario Kart Wii. It's very much a living room system, something that's emphasized by Nintendo themselves in their own advertising.

And what do we find when we compare the Wii with four controllers to the other systems with four controllers? That the Wii is $20 more expensive than the Xbox 360, and only $10 cheaper than the PS3. That's definitely NOT the cheapest console.

In the interest of fairness, we compared all of Nintendo's accessories (the Wheel, the Zapper, Retro Controller, Nunchuck and Balance Board), and grabbed the cheapest one's price point—the wheel at $14. We priced the MotionPlus at the same price. So far Nintendo has only said that their Wii Sports Resort will cost $49, with one MotionPlus accessory, but nothing about how much the accessory will cost on its own.

It's also necessary to note that if you buy your first MotionPlus the smart way, with Wii Sports Resort, you'll have to pay $35 more than the price we calculated with buying only the accessories. This pushes the Wii into the "most expensive console" territory at $525—which is above even the PS3.

We also didn't include those other accessories like the wheel or the zapper as a "necessary purchase" because they're not necessary to play all games, and are only directed toward a certain title niche. The MotionPlus, on the other hand, is a necessary purchase to play a big chunk of upcoming Wii games, since many games starting from the next year on will require the MotionPlus as a necessary accessory to enable accurate motion detection. As Mark said in his hands-on impressions, the MotionPlus is so good that gameplay without it feels incomplete. Nintendo has gone back and retroactively made your current experience (in relative comparison) worse by introducing this new accessory. Do we think Nintendo is right in releasing this accessory? Of course. But by doing so, they push themselves out of the cheapest console throne.

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<![CDATA[Sony Ericsson F305 Has Wiimote-Like Motion Gaming, May Be PSP Phone?]]> This leaked Sony Ericsson's F305 phone is notable for a couple reasons. One, it's their first motion gaming phone under the F-line (there've been one or two here and there for various other phones), which makes us and The Unofficial Sony Ericsson Blog think that it the series stands for "Fun". Two, it's got PlayStation buttons on there, namely the O and the X, giving users an NES-level of complexity to the games.

Other details are slightly less impressive. It's quad-band GSM with only EDGE, has a Power Pack CCP-100 purchasable accessory for backup battery capabilities, stereo rear speakers, Bluetooth connectivity to other phones for multiplayer, Memory Stick Micro slot, built-in FM, TrackID track recognition, and a "selected market" release in Q3 of this year. Se-nse says it'll be formally announced on Tuesday. [Se-nse]

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<![CDATA[Xbox 360's Wiimote Accessory Is Already In Development, Coming This Generation]]> Microsoft's been working on a Wiimote-esque controller due to come out late this year—development started on it all the way back in Summer '07—but the whole process has been "a colossal clusterfuck." Here's what MTV news knows courtesy of their exclusive source, who sketched out what it looks like above.

The 360 Wiimote shaped very much like the Nintendo Wii's Wiimote and has a speaker, microphone, four LED lights, A/B/X/Y face buttons, an analog stick and an underside trigger. The Wiimote, on the other hand, doesn't have a Microphone and has a D-pad instead of an analog stick. It's being worked on by Rare, who are trying to come up with a "unified interface and look for the controller." The current problem Microsoft's having is between marketers and designers. The former wants it just about exactly like the Wiimote so they can match them on spec sheets and lure game developers into porting over Wii games onto the 360. The designers want it to be even more feature-rich than just the Wii, and describe it as Halo, Gears and Forza "in waggle form."

Microsoft is also working on their equivalent of the Nintendo Mii avatars to go along with this accessory, and will be ported into every game that uses the controller. The problem with Microsoft porting characters around is that each one "standard look" and be somewhat generic. On the other hand, Rare's having much difficulty meeting their deadlines, which means that target date of end of 2008 could be hard to hit.

Hit up MTV Multiplayer for a bigger view of the sketch. [MTV - Thanks Ravi!]

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<![CDATA[Nintendo Patent Hints at Wii Portable]]> With the success of the Wii being primarily due to its motion sensing controls, it would seem pretty logical for Nintendo to try it out on their portable line up as well. And it looks like they might do just that with the discovery of an updated patent filing by the big N themselves that states

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"A game system includes a housing to be held by a player. The housing incorporates an XY-axis acceleration sensor to detect an acceleration in an X-axis and Y-axis direction and a Z-axis contact switch to detect an acceleration in a Z-axis direction. These sensor and switch detect at least one of an amount (e.g. tilt amount, movement amount, impact amount or the like) and a direction (e.g. tilt direction, movement direction, impact direction or the like) of a change applied to the housing. A simulation program provides simulation such that a state of a game space is changed related to at least one of the amount and direction of the change applied to the housing."
Well if this is the next version of the DS I've got one big question. How on earth are you supposed to see the screen if you're going to be flaring all around? Riddle me that Nintendo.
[Technabob]]]>
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<![CDATA[Xbox 360 Motion Sensing Controller Gets an Update]]> We're not sure how useful motion sensing controllers are for Xbox 360 since none of the games are, you know, designed for it. But if you're into keeping up with the Sonys in the world, Talismoon's Tilt Board mod will bring motion detection to your Xbox 360 controller.

The tilt board costs $39, and requires you to actually solder seven wires and install the thing inside your controller yourself. If you're not comfortable with that, we'd suggest you skip this. And to Talismoon? You should sell these things pre-installed if you want more than just a few hundred nerdy customers.






tiltboard-2.jpg
tiltboard-3.jpg

Product Page [Total Console]

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<![CDATA[Bestilt 360: Motion Sensing for Xbox 360 Now Ready to Rock, Roll, Pitch and Yaw]]>

Remember the Xilt, the hack to Wiimotize your Xbox 360 controller? Well, this is not it. At least, it seems that while Xilt 360 is still coming soon, Total Console has released the Bestilt 360. Same concept: "simply" solder it to the bottom part of your Xbox 360 pad, activate it with a switch and have fun awkwardly controlling games that weren't designed for motion sensing in the first place.

The Bestilt 360 will start shipping on May 14 from New York City and is available now for pre-order for $37.99. Wii Sports, Zelda and Mario Galaxy are not included and will never be.

Product Page [Total Console]

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<![CDATA[Scarecrow Sprinkler Scares Away the Critters]]> The thought of a random critter pillaging through my garden makes my blood boil, but now those son of a guns will pay. The Scarecrow Motion Activated Sprinkler is exactly that. This device hooks up to a hose and will start spraying bursts of water upon detection of motion, or an animal. No longer will giant barbwire electric fences be needed to protect those precious tomatoes, now the Scarecrow is all you need. This is a pretty foolproof device, unless, of course, a fish decides to ruin your garden. $75.

Product Page [Via uber-review]

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<![CDATA[Bird House Camera: Oops, We Forgot the Bird House!]]> This "Bird House Camera" was designed to use motion sensing technology to snap pics of our feathered friends without them realizing it. It's a great idea and all, but isn't there something missing from this design? Like, you know, something to get the birds in front of the camera?

Seems to me that this would have worked a lot better if it was an actual birdhouse or was attached to a birdfeeder. As it stands it's just a motion sensing camera in a stupid plastic casing. One that'll set you back $181.22, even.

Product Page [via Uber-review]

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<![CDATA[Nintendo DS Motion Sensing Card]]> We're not sure how useful this $25 third party motion sensing card would be, seeing as there aren't any official DS games that support it. But if you're a fan of homebrew games and swinging your DS around like a monkey with a Dickens' novel, have at it.

Perhaps if enough people buy this once it's released next year, Nintendo will provide some games and/or an official motion sensing card as well.

Product Page [NDS Motion via DS Fanboy]

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