GeekSugar

Geek Shot: 3M's Giant Touch Screen Display

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 04:59:39 PST

Similar to Microsoft Surface and designed to be used in retail locations and educational situations, 3M's giant touch screen display was a big hit at CES Unveiled on Sunday night. The demonstration showed multiple sections of the screen running at the same time - apps, videos, Twitter, and more. Check out the quick video of it in action on our Facebook page!

Apple Wins More Multitouch Gesture Patents

GeekSugar — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 01:47:22 PDT

I often joke about Apple's touch-screen gestures on the iPhone and iPad . . . it seems like each new function comes with a new gesture; one finger, two fingers, even three-finger tapping produces a specific result. How many more hand gestures can there be, anyhow?

Turns out, there are plenty more, and now Apple has patented 12 new gestures for use on its multitouch devices. Two notable inclusions: gestures that control the tempo of music playing on an iPod (presumably for use while working out), and a patent that includes a larger virtual keyboard or larger surface computers.

Would You Use A 'CityWall'?

GeekSugar — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 13:00:34 PDT

Folks in Helsinki have put up a large multi-touch display in downtown that acts as a collaborative and playful interface for the community and city's planning. Called "CityWall," the display is periodically organized into themes or events that are taking place in the city such as festivals, carnivals or sports events. Much like the much-talked about Microsoft Surface table, the CityWall was designed to support the navigation of media, specifically annotated photos and videos which are continuously gathered in realtime from public sources such as Flickr and YouTube. I think multi-touch screens offer some exciting possibilities for the workplace and public centers, but I'm not sure if ordinary citizens would use them or not.

Microsoft's 'Surface' Table Explored

GeekSugar — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 08:00:39 PDT

While hanging out in Hollywood for the TCA press tour my gal BuzzSugar got a chance to get up close and personal with Microsoft's newly-announced 'Surface' table, which is a multi-touch table that aims to change the way we interact with digital content. Buzz reports that the device is going to be on display in Starwood Hotels, T-Mobile stores and some other places soon, but it's still several years from home use. Oh course, it has a hefty price tag of $10,000, so you better start saving up.

The table looks like a regular coffee table at first glance, but it has cameras and touch sensitivity (iPhone style, but bigger) and you can do everything from organize photos to watch videos to drag and drop music into your Zune (of course it’s the Zune ...Thanks, Microsoft).

For additional photos and some of the coolest applications Buzz witnessed, read more

In one application, called Video Puzzle, the guy played a video on the table, but all we saw was a blank, black screen. He then dropped several square pieces of clear lucite on the table, and the picture popped up playing through those pieces. You could arrange them however you wanted, with the idea that you would put them together like puzzle pieces to see the full picture.
In another, the guy demonstrated how you could use it to order drinks at a restaurant (when you put your drink down on the table, it drew a ring around it like a virtual coaster). He then pulled up a bill of food and drinks that had been ordered by two people. He then dragged the listing for each item toward one drink on the table or to the other, splitting the bill and showing each person their own total. One that they are using for Starwood Hotels is a music application that would let you find out what music was playing in the lobby. If you wanted to download that song, you could put your Zune down on the table, and it instantly recognizes it and its files, so you can drag and drop songs into it. If you put two Zunes on the table, you can share music between them by dragging and dropping. This is something they think can eventually be expanded to anything with an RFID tag.
Maybe the most immediately useful application is the one for T-Mobile. The scenario he set up was that you’re shopping for cell phones and want to be able to compare and contrast their features. You put phones on the Surface and it immediately recognizes them, creating side-by-side comparison cards of the phones. If you’ve chosen one and you want to buy a plan, you can scroll through a list of plans and pull up descriptive cards on each, which you can rotate so multiple people can see them (that’s a bad description, but he said, “So then you say, what do you think about this one, honey?” and mimicked turning the card at an angle to show someone who was looking over his shoulder.) If you choose your plan, you just draw and drop it into the phone, and the salesperson knows to come ring you up.

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World’s Largest Multi-Touch Screen

GeekSugar — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 09:00:11 PDT

I should have guessed that the unveiling of Microsoft's interactive Surface table would launch a techie showdown of all the touch-screens out there. Particularly considering the iPhone, which comes out June 29, is also a touch screen and has been the talk of geek town since before it was even announced. According to Technabob, HP wowed crowds with their multi-touch display wall at the recent Wall Street Journal D5 Conference. The screen is 16 by 8-feet and allows multiple visitors to simultaneously control audio, video, photos and other multimedia content using their hands to navigate. Just for reference, the Microsoft Surface table has a 30 inch table top. Not that it's a fair competition.

To check out the video of the giant screen,

Jeff Han Demonstrates The Power Of Touch Screens

GeekSugar — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 00:53:40 PST

One of the amazing new features of the iPhone is it's revolutionary multi-touch display that lets you control everything by without buttons. You can glide through albums with Cover Flow, flip through photos and email them with a touch, or zoom in and out on a section of a web page. Check out this video of Jeff Han as he demonstrates how touch driven computer screens will change the way we work and play. By the way, the background tunes are pretty cool so turn up that volume!

Check out Jeff Han Multi-Touch Interaction Research for more info and videos.

4 Reasons to Love the New Tesla Model X (And 1 Reason You Won't)

Kristy Korcz — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 09:21:25 PST

Tesla announced the latest edition to its eco-friendly car lineup, the Model X, earlier this week. Staying true to its roots, the Model X will be sleek, powerful, and of course, easy on the planet, thanks to its all-electric motor. But more than just a pretty face, the Model X comes with some features you may not want to pass up. Check them out below and stay tuned for the Model X to hit the streets in 2014.

All electric motor - Of course, the most attractive thing about the Model X is its ability to go 200 to 270 miles on a charge from its electric motor, omit zero emissions, and go from zero to 60 in just 4.4 seconds. It's an eco lover's dream!
It's big enough for the family - Seating seven adults, the Model X is perfect for a growing family or car-share commuters. Three rows make for an easy ride!
Falcon Wings - You heard me right. Falcon Wings. Instead of sliding open like a minivan or swinging out like an SUV, the back doors on the Model X open up and out of the way to allow for more space to get in and out of the vehicle and to squeeze into narrow parking spaces. Easily one of the coolest things I've seen on a car.
The dashboard - The front panel of the Model X comes with a massive touch screen display to provide GPS and battery information, entertainment, and lots more.

Why on earth would you have a reason to hate a car that looks like this? Find out after the break.

Earn More Money By Changing Up Your Office Space

LearnVest — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:15:07 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

Most of us spend about 40 hours per week at work - in other words, the majority of our waking hours.

And nearly all of those hours are spent sitting at our desks. It’s a definite problem - and not just because we’re missing happy hour or quality couch time at home.

There’s no shortage of discouraging research pointing out the evils of a sedentary lifestyle and claiming that sitting will actually shorten our lives.

But, conversely, making a few tweaks to the way you sit - and the space you sit in - all day has been proven to make you a happier, healthier worker, busy earning your killer salary.

And, scientists say, the happier you are, the more you tend to earn.

In an effort to make the time spent at our desks as productive (and as profitable) as possible, we’ve combed the research for the easiest, most effective tips to soothe your mind and body when trapped in a cubicle . . . or corner office.

Just follow these four steps.

1. Make It Comfy

When we say “comfy,” we mean “ergonomic.” It’s an unfriendly word for a friendly concept: basically it means “intended to provide optimum comfort and to avoid stress or injury.” Friendly, right? Besides, an awkward workspace can lead to major health issues, including disorders in your joints or tendons, so a little tweaking of your cubicle can go a long way for your well-being. Line up your body correctly by following these two principles:

Your feet should be flat on the floor and your elbows should be even with your desk. This can be achieved either through adjustable chairs or - if chairs are a hot commodity at your office - a combination of step stools and pillows.

Read on for more tips.

Brad Pitt Spends His Morning Talking "Bad Girl" Angelina, Kids, and More

Lauren Turner — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:10:54 PST

Brad Pitt sat down with Charlie Rose on CBS This Morning as part of his latest press tour for Moneyball. He's been promoting the movie, which is nominated for an Oscar, with appearances on The Daily Show, the Today show, and a taped episode of Inside the Actors Studio, which will air this Friday. In his most recent interview with CBS, Brad chatted about making the film, but also touched on his family life. He shared that the kids are used to the jet lag of the family's constant travels and that they have the responsibility of packing their own bags. Brad also responded to a clip of Angelina Jolie on 60 Minutes, confirming that "she's still a bad girl, delightfully so." Brad broke from his promotional duties yesterday, when he and Angelina took twins Knox and Vivienne to a screening of Lady and the Tramp in Hollywood.

Photo courtesy of CBS

Virgin America Brings a Breath of Fresh Airline to Philadelphia

Sponsor — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 03:00:00 PST

Heading to Philly? This Spring is a great time to check out the city - especially with Virgin America launching its low-fare, high-frills daily nonstop flights from LAX and SFO to PHL as of April 2012. Known for its tricked-out new planes, touch-screen entertainment, and amenities like fleet-wide WiFi, the airline has created a cult-like following on the coasts. And the airline's in-flight entertainment does credit to its California roots - with an iPad-like seatback touchscreen for flyers with 35 films, live TV, Google Maps, video games, seat-to-seat chat, music videos, a 3,000-song library, an on-demand menu, and more.

To mark the quickly growing airline's Philly launch, Virgin America first shared the news with its social media fans via a video that spotted the beloved and mysterious "Greenman" from the hit FX television show It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia near a Virgin America aircraft. In addition to grabbing those super-low fares to Philly, visitors to the airline's Facebook page can enter for a chance to win round-trip flights and the ultimate It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia fan pack, consisting of seasons 1-6 DVDs, a Paddy's Pub t-shirt, the official board game, and a guide to the characters' favorite haunts. Oh, and of course, you can check out It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia en route at 35,000 feet on Virgin America.