Because I like sharing cool watches with you guys I decided to share this cool watch with you guys. It’s called the Ressence Type 3 and it’s actually a liquid-filled mechanical watch with a nearly featureless face. Each of those dials – registers in the parlance – look like they are seamlessly embedded in the face surface and the watch, being suspended in synthetic oil, has no crown and is wound automatically.
Arguably the movement itself isn’t very special – it’s a standard timekeeper that displays the date and includes a rotating seconds wheel – but the way the entire package is put together is a feat of horology. The sapphire crystal surrounds the face almost completely and the back of the watch hides the manual winding mechanism and a switch that allows you to change the time.
On the wrist, the watch looks like a blob of liquid with markings suspended in it. It’s as if you were wearing a slug of liquid metal or a dollop of crude oil. The entire face spins (you can see it in action here) and a pressure valve compensates for temperature-related changes in the liquid.
You can see hands-on photos right here or visit the product page. The watch, sadly, costs $ 34,000 and comes in a wildly limited edition but it may be worth it just to say that your watch is literally full of alien liquids.
If you’re still desperate to get that Facebook acquaintance something for their birthday or some kind of anniversary, the Social Network has instituted a new way to take your money give. You’ll be able to pick up gift credit for the likes of Jamba Juice, Olive Garden, Sephora and Target, plucking what you’d like from the gift cards and digital category, stating an amount and the lucky gift-getter. The friend will get a notification and a lovingly Facebook-branded card will be sent their residence. The card can then be used immediately, reused and even hold multiple balances for the differing providers — ideal for the times you need fragrances, electronics and … olives. Balances can be monitored direct from your Facebook page or app, even updating and sending notifications when credit is being used. Facebook says the cards will roll-out gradually across the US, though wasn’t specific on any launch regions. Expect to hear more in the next few days.
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Source: Facebook
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I’ll admit it: I still use a BlackBerry. I also use an iPhone and an Android phone, but I don’t mind being teased by friends when I need to crank out a long email in seconds, because the BlackBerry keyboard is still the best. My thumbs can speed along on its tactile keys without forcing me to look down as I walk, and it never makes an embarrassing word change using autocorrect.
But really, typing on glass keyboards—like those found on iPhones, Android phones and Windows Phones—should be much easier by now. This week I took a look at a few technologies that gave me hope.
I tested two apps for Android phones that use very different approaches: the $ 3.99 SwiftKey 3 by TouchType Ltd., which is available now, and Snapkeys Si by Snapkeys Ltd., which will be available free in the Google Play Store Jan. 16. (Apple doesn’t allow third-party companies to take over core features, like the keyboard, on devices running its iOS mobile operating system.) I also got to briefly try out the smart predictive keyboard technology on Research In Motion’s upcoming BlackBerry 10.
Of the two new apps, I had an easier time adjusting to SwiftKey 3, which uses a traditional on-screen keyboard and guesses what you’ll type next by using a predictive language algorithm. It also incorporates touch gestures, like a right-to-left swipe across the keyboard to delete the last word and left-to-right swipe from the period button to insert a question mark.
Snapkeys Si was a tougher adjustment: It abandons the traditional keyboard altogether, forcing users to type on just four squares that hold 12 letters; all other letters are produced by tapping in the blank space between these four squares. Like SwiftKey 3, it uses some swipe gestures, like a right-side diagonal swipe down to create a period. Snapkeys Si aims to solve fat-finger syndrome, giving people’s fingers bigger targets and guessing the words they mean to type.
The BlackBerry 10 is scheduled to be launched on Jan. 30. I got some hands-on time with its on-screen keyboard, and was impressed by its suggested words, which users can swipe up to throw into sentences. This is designed to make the device easy to use with one hand. The BlackBerry 10 keyboard also reads and learns exactly where a user taps each key to better predict which letter to type, so clumsy fingers make fewer mistakes.
SwiftKey 3 for Android is an app that has a healthy understanding of how language is used in everyday conversation, and supports 54 languages, including variations like American, British and Australian English. Creator TouchType scraped Internet language data from around the world to understand how people speak in real-life situations—not by studying a dictionary. It then used this knowledge to create a predictive algorithm that guesses what you’re likely to type next, suggesting three options above the keyboard as you go.
This app can also detect where you meant to add a space, automatically adding it in for you. I found this feature to be a handy time saver as I typed since I could just keep going rather than stopping to tap the space key after each word.
During setup, SwiftKey 3 users can opt to give the app access to their Gmail, Facebook Twitter and SMS interactions so that it can study a user’s language to further understand how the person talks. For example, if someone always preferred to spell “thanks” as “thx,” SwiftKey 3 would learn this behavior and add “thx” in as a word rather than continuously trying to correct it. A TouchType spokesman says later this year the company may add a feature allowing users to customize the app to write out complete words when they type abbreviations, like typing “abt” to get “about.”
For privacy purposes, the app only stores this data locally on your phone rather than sending it back to the company for making improvements. And you can erase the app’s personalized data at any time in Settings, Personalization, Clear Language Data.
SwiftKey 3 is free for the first month, and then costs $ 3.99 to continue using it. The app will remember all of your custom language settings when you upgrade, so you don’t have to reteach it.
Snapkeys Si, made by Israeli startup Snapkeys, lets you see more of your smartphone screen while you’re typing by using just four squares containing 12 letters instead of the traditional keyboard. Although these bigger finger targets made it so I never accidentally typed the wrong square, it took me a while to get used to knowing where each letter was and which letters weren’t in squares at all.
Typing words with letters that aren’t in squares requires using the blank space in the middle of these squares. So to type the word “wish,” I’d find the first three letters in squares, selecting each of them. But the “h” isn’t in a square, so I’d tap the blank space between these squares. In the case of “wish,” Snapkeys Si got it right, but other words were more challenging to type, which frustrated me. Suggested words appear on the right side of the four squares, and tapping one of them adds it to a sentence. Once a new word is added to Snapkeys Si dictionary, it will be suggested from then on.
Like SwiftKey 3, Snapkeys Si only saves your personalized language settings on the phone.
The space key is to the right side of these four squares, and the backspace key is to the left. I added periods to the end of sentences by swiping diagonally down from right to left, and added commas by swiping diagonally down left to right.
Snapkeys Si is worth a try if you’re looking for a fresh alternative to traditional keyboards. But I found that it was a lot of work to learn after years of using the traditional QWERTY keyboard layout. The app is still in its beta, or first version, and the company says it will continue to improve.
Smart keyboard apps like SwiftKey 3, Snapkeys Si and others make typing on glass less painful and more intuitive. Just beware of the steep learning curve you may have to climb to start using them.
Email Katie.Boehret@wsj.com
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Microsoft had a new patent application published with the USPTO today (via Unwired View) which shows a glasses-based heads-up display system that could overlay information on the real world for a user. If it sounds familiar, it’s likely because that’s what Google’s trying to accomplish with Project Glass, which actually already has functional prototypes out in the wild.
The device described by Microsoft is a little less ambitious, but maybe also a little more purpose-driven. The patent describes a tool that’s designed for use in specific situations where it’ll be most relevant to a user – rather than being intended for all-day use, the way that Google seems to want to position Glass. So, for instance, you could pop on Microsoft’s glasses when at a baseball game and view box scores from around the league, pitch speed information, pitch count and other info overlaid on your view. By acting in specific contexts instead of as a general-purpose device, Microsoft’s design could help users get over what will certainly be an adoption curve for cumbersome wearable tech.
Microsoft’s patent deal specifically with live events, in fact, and is designed to be used pretty much in a stationary position, without compromising the field of view. Microsoft describes its capabilities as follows:
A computer implemented method providing supplemental information to a user with a head mounted display viewing a live event, comprising: receiving an indication that a user is attending a live event, the live event having an event duration; determining a field of view of the user through the head mounted display, and objects within the field of view at the live event; retrieving supplemental information describing at least the objects in the field of view of the user during a portion of the live event; determining elements of said supplemental information to present to the user in the head mounted display; and displaying the supplemental information in one or more display elements in the head mounted display.
Of course, an AR/HUD glasses device from Microsoft could also plug into its existing hardware ecosystem, maybe to produce combined experiences with the Xbox and Kinect. But this is still just a patent, and one that was only relatively recently filed (May 2011), so even if Microsoft does go ahead and put this into production we won’t see it for a while. But getting some patent skin in the game for this market, which could explode depending on consumer reception of Google’s early efforts, is a very good idea for Microsoft, especially given the cross-platform ambitions it seems to be diving into head-on.
Microsoft had a new patent application published with the USPTO today (via Unwired View) which shows a glasses-based heads-up display system that could overlay information on the real world for a user. If it sounds familiar, it’s likely because that’s what Google’s trying to accomplish with Project Glass, which actually already has functional prototypes out in the wild.
The device described by Microsoft is a little less ambitious, but maybe also a little more purpose-driven. The patent describes a tool that’s designed for use in specific situations where it’ll be most relevant to a user – rather than being intended for all-day use, the way that Google seems to want to position Glass. So, for instance, you could pop on Microsoft’s glasses when at a baseball game and view box scores from around the league, pitch speed information, pitch count and other info overlaid on your view. By acting in specific contexts instead of as a general-purpose device, Microsoft’s design could help users get over what will certainly be an adoption curve for cumbersome wearable tech.
Microsoft’s patent deal specifically with live events, in fact, and is designed to be used pretty much in a stationary position, without compromising the field of view. Microsoft describes its capabilities as follows:
A computer implemented method providing supplemental information to a user with a head mounted display viewing a live event, comprising: receiving an indication that a user is attending a live event, the live event having an event duration; determining a field of view of the user through the head mounted display, and objects within the field of view at the live event; retrieving supplemental information describing at least the objects in the field of view of the user during a portion of the live event; determining elements of said supplemental information to present to the user in the head mounted display; and displaying the supplemental information in one or more display elements in the head mounted display.
Of course, an AR/HUD glasses device from Microsoft could also plug into its existing hardware ecosystem, maybe to produce combined experiences with the Xbox and Kinect. But this is still just a patent, and one that was only relatively recently filed (May 2011), so even if Microsoft does go ahead and put this into production we won’t see it for a while. But getting some patent skin in the game for this market, which could explode depending on consumer reception of Google’s early efforts, is a very good idea for Microsoft, especially given the cross-platform ambitions it seems to be diving into head-on.
There’s no shortage of fitness apps to track how much (or how little) you’ve been shaking your tail feather lately — such as MyFitnessPal, Endomondo and GAIN Fitness to name three we’ve written about lately. And if you don’t want to strap your phone to your arm and baste it in sweat, there are even a few dedicated fitness-friendly gizmos, such as Apple’s Nike + iPod in-shoe system, Nike’s Fuelband wristband or Motorola’s MotoACTIV. But none of these devices are especially intelligent — they tend to track total steps, distance, calories, and that’s about it (unless you start adding additional accessories such as heart-monitor chest straps).
Enter Amiigo: a fitness app and lightweight plastic bracelet (with detachable shoe-clip) that can identify the type of exercise you’re doing and tell you how well you’re doing it as you’re doing it, thanks to a variety of sensors analysing how your body is responding as you run, bike, swim (yes it’s waterproof), or whatever your preferred exercise poison.
Amiigo’s gesture-based software algorithms identify the different types of exercises you’re engaged in — and should improve over time as the software learns more about your movements, according to the startup. Having both a bracelet and a shoe clip helps its system distinguish between a pull-up and a bicep curl, say, although you don’t always have to wear both. To generate real-time fitness data, the hardware includes a variety of sensors that track variables such as your heart rate. The device includes motion sensors/accelerometers to track how you’re moving, plus an infrared sensor to monitor blood oxygen levels. The bracelet also incorporates a stainless steel plate to measure skin temperature.
Then the corresponding Amiigo iOS and Android apps allow you to view the data, set fitness goals and custom challenges, share workouts in real-time (which won’t be at all annoying…) and accrue fitness points for bragging rights and/or the chance to redeem them against discounts on fitness gear.
The startup reckons no one else in this space is doing gesture recognition to track activity type and response in such granular detail — at least not using just one main wearable device — which in turn allows it to provide detailed feedback via the app in order to act as a virtual personal trainer.
The startup is kicking off an Indiegogo on October 29 with the aim of raising $ 90,000, and hopes to be ready to ship in April 2013. First taker backers will be able to snag the device for an extremely tasty price of $ 89, after which it will be sold for $ 119 — which is still pretty neat considering it undercuts some of Amiigo’s less-capable competitor devices.
Also neat: Amiigo will be releasing an SDK for the device so app makers can explore additional uses. The startup tells me it could envisage various alternative use-cases for the hardware, such as enhanced patient care monitoring or chronic care monitoring, or — tapping up the Wii-style motion sensors inside Amiigo — even gaming scenarios.
The startup has been working on the device for around 10 months so far — with a core team of four, including “tech talent” from MIT.
Contains 2 credit card slots. Removable 360 degrees belt clip included. Opens and closes with magnetic studs, for ease of use. White stitch finishing, making this case look more beautiful. 3WSSISB41 www.pdair.com Video Rating: 0 / 5
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Magnet Closure. Opens and closes with magnet, for ease of use. Red stitch finishing, making this case look more beautiful. Also acts as a stand with adjustable viewing angles. 3BMOM2BX1-R www.pdair.com
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Most digital Braille devices are built on the assumption that the legally blind already know how to write in the format — if they don’t, they’re often forced back to the analog world to learn. PDT and Perkins hope to address that longstanding technology gap with the Perkins Smart Brailler. Going digital lets Perkins build in lessons for newcomers as well as provide immediate audio feedback (visual for writers with borderline vision) and text-to-speech conversion to give even an old hand a boost. Logically, the leap into the modern world also allows transferring documents over USB along with traditional Braille printouts. Smart Braillers will cost a weighty $ 1,995 each when they first ship in September, but it’s hard to put a price tag on mastering communication and fully joining the digital generation.
Continue reading Perkins Smart Brailler helps the blind learn to type, closes the digital divide
Filed under: Peripherals
Perkins Smart Brailler helps the blind learn to type, closes the digital divide originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 07:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Question by thanks: Is there a Words with Friends type game for Windows Phone 7 and Iphone? I have Windows Phone 7 and want to play Scrabble/WWF type game against someone with an Iphone. Is there a word game compatible with both?
Best answer:
Answer by Becci HendrixThere are (at this time) three scrabble type games on Windows Phone 7. Alpha Jax and Spell It for WP7. Words by Post (free) will work on WP7, iPhone and Android.
Add your own answer in the comments!
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