Gizmodo: virtual

Nokia Patent Describes Cellphone With Virtual Keyboard

Haroon Malik — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 08:28:00 EST

Virtual keyboards aren't exactly a new concept, but Nokia's patent describes a cellphone with integrated equipment, which allows a virtual keyboard to be set up more rapidly. The patent, titled, "Mobile device with virtual keyboard," does away with the need for a separate projector entirely, by instead using the onboard camera and optical sensors that are already present in typical cellphones. There is a drawback, however.

As projectors are not included in your standard cellphone, there is no way to project a keyboard on an external surface. Nokia plans to use the phone's display to show the QWERTY keyboard, while the camera and sensors pick up finger position and relay that information back to the screen in real time. Inputs of sounds, or vibrations from fingers tapping, will also be translated into certain on-screen gestures. We have to give Nokia the good effort award, but it sounds awfully far-fetched. Hey, technology didn't get to where it was today by not challenging the status quo. We just think Nokia is challenging it in the wrong way. (Yes, there is a wrong way.) [Unwired View]

U-Tsu-Shi-O-Mi Lets You Reach Out and Touch a Virtual Friend

blongo3 — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 17:30:29 EDT

U-Tsu-Shi-O-Mi is a system that lets you both see and touch a virtual humanoid. Developed by Michihiko Shoji, it works by combining a head mounted display with a creepy green sensor-laden robot. As you interact with the bot, not only will it react accordingly, but you'll be able to see the virtual buddy via the HMD instead of just the weird green person in front of you. Oddly enough, Shoji believes that one of the best applications for this technology could be with arcade games. We don't even want to think of what kind of creepy arcade game would require a tangible humanoid robot. [Robot Watch via Pink Tentacle]

Laser Keyboard Getting USB Update, Still Hard to Use

Jason Chen — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 15:40:18 EDT

Remember those old Bluetooth laser keyboards from a few years back that projected a laser image on the desk that you could type on? Celluon's releasing a new version of that old device, but this time it's connected over USB instead of Bluetooth. Still compatible with Windows Mobiles, Palm OS, BlackBerry, Symbian and Windows 2000/XP/Vista though. Of course, you're still typing onto a desk without any kind of "give," which means painful fingers just like the old version. [AVING via Gearlog]

35WPM On an iPhone Keyboard

Jason Chen — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 20:00:41 EDT

Here's another guy claiming he gets 35wpm by typing with a thumb an his index finger. Personally, we don't see how using the index finger on one side and a thumb on the other helps the typing. Unless of course, he's got a foam rubber thumb on his right hand.

YouTube (see related videos for this one) is filled with these videos now, with people claiming using their two pinkies, an ear and an elbow, an eyeball and some snot, or their genitalia gets them super fast iPhone typing.

Us? We use two thumbs and we're pulling it off, just a day or two into our experience. After a week of practice and training the dictionary, we'll probably be pros.

Sharp SD-SP10 1.1 Surround Sound Reviewed (Verdict: Virtually Great)

Jason Chen — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 18:58:27 EDT

How can the Sharp SD-SP10 single speaker (plus sub) system get surround sound? By using Dolby's Virtual Speaker Technology and Audistry surround processing, that's how. Steve Guttenberg took this for a test and found it actually sounding like a surround sound system.

Dynamic range and visceral impact were the equal of most entry-level home-theater-in-a-box systems. Dialog was clear and fairly natural. And for the most part, the SD-SP10 didn't fall prey to the artifacts—an irritating hollow or echoey quality—we experienced with other virtual-surround speaker systems.

All was fine as long as you were sitting directly in front of the speaker. If you moved left or right, the effect disappears and you only hear sound coming from the one direction. All in all good for a 1.1 system, but at close to $400, we'd recommend a standard surround sound system unless you're really tight on space. – Jason Chen

Sharp SD-SP10 [CNET]

Virtual Sightseeing

johnb — Wed, 24 May 2006 11:36:16 EDT

Those creepy, potentially-diseased heavy metal binoculars that you find at tourist spots might be going the way of the Do Do. The Virtual Sightseeing system uses a similar concept but can overlay graphics and text on any scene. Who wouldn't want to see the colonists giving the Indians smallpox in Colonial Williamsburg! Why not relive the wondrous evenings of the London Blitz while looking out over the Smoke!

The system contains an LCD touchscreen, an uninterruptible power supply, and a mini CPU. The camera actually includes a motorized zoom and is currently used at Pinhel Castle in Portugal.

The system is completely weatherproof and works with most currencies. You drop in a Euro or quarter and you get to view the terrain for a few minutes. There's even a group viewing feature so you and the rest of the folks from your Everquest clan don't all have crowd around one pair of binoculars. Not for sale to the public, but if you own a tourist trap, drop them a line.

Product Page [YDreams]