It’s been a while since we’ve seen the Meizu MX, but these latest shots from Mr. Blurrycam reveal that the phone could see a substantial tweak to its main home button. These photos are likely to be of a work-in-progress handset, with plenty of bizarre cutaways presumably obscuring details of the mole. In the leaked drawings, Meizu’s upcoming smartphone looked an awful lot like its M9 predecessor, albeit with a bigger screen, running on a superior A9 Cortex processor. The main button apparently doubles as an optical trackpad, with the two flanking capacitive buttons rotating depending on orientation. While it still remains uncertain whether this nub will replace the squarish button found on the MX mock-up earlier this year, hopefully CEO Jack Wong will still manage to meet the December launch date — if only for the sake of all those loyal Mei-yo. Fans of severely obscured photography can catch another glimpse after the break.
Continue reading Meizu MX resurfaces, home button gets a nip-and-tuck, turns into optical trackpad?
Meizu MX resurfaces, home button gets a nip-and-tuck, turns into optical trackpad? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Nov 2011 10:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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We heard a while back that Windows 8 would support multi-touch via the trackpad. Sure, there’s some stuff you can do right now, but the promise made by Microsoft and Synaptics has been deferred for the most part. But they’ve put up a video that shows just how you can expect to interact with Windows 8 and Metro using a multi-touch trackpad.
You can watch the video here, but I’ve embedded it here as well for your convenience:
I have to say that some of these things look extremely handy. I use a PC desktop and a Mac laptop, and each one is jealous of the other for several reasons. One of the things I love on my MacBook is the multitasking multi-touch gestures. Switching between desktops or applications with a swipe of a couple fingers becomes second nature, and it looks like that’s being nicely integrated in Synaptics’ concept.
Essentially what they’re doing is just mapping your input on the large touchscreen into the normal touch driver; the difficulty is probably the precision and filtering, determining exactly where that finger is so you can provide touchscreen-level accuracy.
Naturally there are obstacles. I wrote a long time ago about the fundamental difference between direct and indirect manipulation of UI elements, and I can’t say that this video makes any difference to my opinion that we’ll likely always need both. After all, the feedback loop telling you where you’re putting your finger is a bit incomplete: it needs to let you know where your finger is hovering, since you can’t touch the items directly. As it is, I think you can touch and then press down to click, as we’ve been doing for a while, but that’s not cohesive enough.
Yet the edge gestures look like a joy. Flipping between apps looks as natural and useful as it feels on the tablets, and I like the idea of bringing up the charm bar like that. There’s a danger of accidentally activating these, but that’s a matter of software optimization and Synaptics is no slouch. In fact, usually it’s ODMs and OS makers who fail to implement their solutions properly.
They’ll be showing this off at the Microsoft Ecosystem Summit later this week. In the meantime more info can be found at the Synaptics press release.
We’ve seen NFC technology pop up in everything from smartphones to windshields, but a company called Cirque has now expanded it to desktops, as well, with its GlidePoint trackpad. Cirque’s system is relatively straightforward, consisting of its GlidePoint module (with an onboard NFC antenna) and a simple touch sensor. With these two elements working in harmony, users can scan a compatible card by hovering it over the module, while simultaneously using the trackpad to execute onscreen functions. The company has applied the same concept to its proprietary glass touch panel, as well, which could be integrated at payment terminals, or within tablets and touch-based smartphones. It remains unclear whether we’ll see this kind of technology pop up on the commercial level, but for more details, check out the demo video after the break, followed by the full press release.
Continue reading Cirque’s GlidePoint NFC trackpad makes online shopping even lazier (video)
Cirque’s GlidePoint NFC trackpad makes online shopping even lazier (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Aug 2011 10:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The wise folks who brought us the inductive Magic Charger for the Magic Mouse are now back with a new trick up their sleeves. This time we have the Mobee Magic Bar, which can energise either an Apple Wireless Keyboard or a Magic Trackpad thanks to their identical dual AA battery compartment. To get some wireless charging action, simply install the supplied battery cylinder to either device (presumably extra cylinders will also be available for purchasing), and then slide the extruding part into the charging dock. Of course, the nature of this setup limits the number of compatible devices (unlike the flat Magic Charger), but this is still more convenient than unscrewing the lid every time you run out of juice. If this Magic Bar tickles your fancy, you can pick one up around end of June for $ 59.90 — pre-order starts on May 15th.
Continue reading Mobee’s Magic Bar brings inductive charging to your Apple bluetooth keyboard and Magic Trackpad
Mobee’s Magic Bar brings inductive charging to your Apple bluetooth keyboard and Magic Trackpad originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Apr 2011 01:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The Magic Connector is a lot like the BulletTrain adapter. It creates a union between the Apple Wireless Keyboard and the Magic Trackpad, making it one single unit, except without the extra bulk.
It’s great for keeping both peripherals side-by-side, especially when sitting somewhere other than a desk — like your couch. The Magic Connector also claims to be the only adapter that still allows the left and right click feature on the Magic Trackpad to work. Best part about it is that it’s only $ 25 and available here.
Kind of crazy that we haven’t seen more accessories that combine the Apple Bluetooth keyboard with the Magic Trackpad yet, but TwelveSouth has it covered with the Magic Wand, a simple aluminum half-tube that takes your two Apple wireless peripherals and joins them as one. Cute. Of course you’re still stuck with duplicate sets of batteries, and you’ll have to somehow deal with the fact that you just spent $ 30 on a piece of metal that creates a godless keyboard chimera monster, but if you can get past that the Magic Wand is shipping now. Video after the break.
Continue reading TwelveSouth Magic Wand brings your keyboard and Magic Trackpad closer together
TwelveSouth Magic Wand brings your keyboard and Magic Trackpad closer together originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 Feb 2011 00:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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…It seems the right and left button also act like the trackpad. Anyone have a solution?
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You’re a dude (or dudette) that likes to be prepared, right? It’s the Boy Scout motto, after all. To that end, we’re surmising that you’re already gearing up for OS X 10.7, and while that new finger exercise regimen will definitely pay off in the long run, Bullet Train’s Express Keyboard Platform is what you’re really in need of. For all intents and purposes, this is a $ 99 slab of aluminum, precisely crafted to hold an Apple Keyboard and Magic Trackpad. Essentially, the trio creates the bottom portion of a MacBook Pro, albeit with a larger touchpad and a slate of keys that aren’t nearly as dark. The outfit’s charging quite a premium for this thing, but we’re told that demand is through the roof — in other words, if you want one, you should probably jump in line now. But really, are you having that much trouble using both in their own space?
Continue reading Bullet Train Express Platform: a $ 99 home for your Apple keyboard and Magic Trackpad
Bullet Train Express Platform: a $ 99 home for your Apple keyboard and Magic Trackpad originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 21:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Magical? Maybe. But there’s no doubt that Apple’s Magic Trackpad was a shot out of left field when it debuted earlier this summer. Offering loads of multitouch gestures to desktop users who are sick and tired of using the same ‘ole mouse for the past score, the pad received little attention from Apple itself. Rather than launching the new hardware at a press event, the company simply slid it into its webstore, just hoping and praying that you’d put your optical bias aside for a moment and try it out. We’ve already given you our take, and now we’re interested in hearing your own thoughts. Has the Magic Trackpad revolutionized the way you control your cursor? Caused more frustration than it’s worth? Did you forget you even owned this thing? How would you tweak it if allowed into Cupertino’s design labs? Tell all in comments below.
How would you change Apple’s Magic Trackpad? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Oct 2010 22:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Look: if you want an all-red Magic Trackpad, we can’t and won’t judge you. We can, however, judge you for spending $145 for the privilege of getting it. Like clockwork, custom paint job guru ColorWare has just flipped the switch on Magic Trackpad orders, letting you choose separate colors (in flat, metallic, or pearlescent paint) for the case and the pad itself. If you’ve already got a unit handy, you can send it in for $75, meaning you’ll save a full dollar over the “buy new” option. It’ll go great with your baby blue iMac and orange / black Magic Mouse, won’t it? Peep ColorWare’s promo video after the break.
Continue reading ColorWare’s Magic Trackpad magically eliminates 145 magic dollars from your magic bank account
ColorWare’s Magic Trackpad magically eliminates 145 magic dollars from your magic bank account originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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