Sunday, March 31, 2013

How Microsoft lost the future of gesture control

from computerworld




Microsoft's Kinect was miles ahead. Here's how they're snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

March 30, 2013 07:00 AM ET



Ten years ago, Windows, Office and Internet Explorer were the only "platforms" that really mattered.
Microsoft historically attained its glory by making end user products for the masses, and only later and secondarily going after enterprise and vertical markets.
But the rise of Apple as a consumer electronics company, Google's emergence as an everything company, and the advent of Web 2.0, the cloudand the social Internet have left Microsoft struggling to find a way to succeed in the markets of the future.
There was one shining exception to this trend in the consumer market: Xbox in general and Kinect for Xbox 360 in particular.
Kinect is a top-notch, low-cost in-the-air gesture control interface for Microsoft's console gaming platform that was way ahead of its time and broke the Guinness World Record for the fastest selling-consumer electronics gadget ever.
So when Microsoft later announced a version of Kinect for Windows, everybody (including me) assumed that it would go on to dominate the future of gesture control, and use its dominance as an advantage to regain its lead in the desktop PC market of the future.
But now it looks like Microsoft blew it.

What's wrong with Kinect for Windows?

Microsoft Kinect for Windows sounds like you should be able to use it with a desktop PC, and you can. Unfortunately, the closest you can get to the cameras is 16 inches away, and that's when you put it into a special "Near Mode."
That technical limitation puts the user's head and body farther away from a screen than usual. So right out of the box, it can't be used naturally, as we once expected, as an alternative to a mouse on a PC.
Microsoft doesn't mind, because it isn't really targeting end users like you and me.
Most of the example photos shown on the Microsoft website show Xbox-like distances where the user is across the room or at least five feet away from the Kinect.
These pictures show commercial and retail applications -- a business presentation, a physical therapist, a retail eyeglasses store. Microsoft's Kinect for Windows blog also emphasizes retail applications of the product.
It's possible that Microsoft may eventually market Kinect for Windows to consumers. But so far, it looks like it's not cultivating developers in that market.
Microsoft still hasn't announced commercial availability of Kinect for Windows, though it did release an updated software development kit (SDK) this month.
Right now, Kinect for Windows ships to developers only and doesn't come with software for controlling any interface. If you want to control something, you have to build your own software using the SDK.
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Facebook phone rumors explode after Android event announced

from computerworld




April 4 Facebook media event has experts expecting -- again -- that the social networking firm will unveil an Android smartphone

March 29, 2013 12:41 PM ET
Computerworld - Talk that Facebook is developing its own smartphone is spreading again.
Speculation about Facebook's hardware plans exploded yet again after the company late Thursday invited reporters to a press event on April 4 at its offices in Menlo Park, Calif.
The invitation reads: "Come See Our New Home on Android."
Not long after the invitations were sent, several news sites have speculatedthat Facebook is developing an Android-based smartphone.
The stories mark the latest round of rampant speculation that Facebook may be diving into the hardware business.
For instance, a Facebook announcement of a press conference in January also prompted widespread talk of a new smartphone. In fact, Facebook unveiled its Graph Search tool at the event.
The speculation comes despite past proclamations by Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg that the social networking company has no plans to sell smartphones. "The phone just doesn't make any sense," Zuckerberg said at a conference last September.
Zuckerberg repeatedly said he couldn't emphasize it enough that there will be no Facebook phone.
"That's always been the wrong strategy for us," he said in September. "We'll have 950 million users soon. Let's say we built a phone, theoretically -- we're not -- but we get 10 million people to use it. That doesn't move the needle for us. The phone just doesn't make any sense."
Ezra Gottheil, an analyst with Technology Business Research, said he's not putting much, if any, stock into Zuckerberg's denials.
"Is there a rule that business leaders have to tell the truth?" he asked. "When [Apple's Steve] Jobs spoke, the more emphatic he was, the more I knew he would do the opposite. Heck, it might even have been true at the time."
Gottheil said it would make sense for Facebook to try its hand at hardware, despite the fact that it's out of the company's comfort zone and is already a highly competitive business.
"A phone, even an Android phone, makes sense," Gottheil said. "Facebook, like Google, is a major beneficiary of the mobile revolution. To have a device that sort of points you toward Facebook makes sense. Getting involved in handsets makes sense, too."
Zeus Kerravala, an analyst with ZK Research, said Facebook doesn't need to offer a hand-held phone. The company could simply build VoIP services into Facebook that would enable voice and video conferencing.
"They could build a dedicated voice app based on Android first," he said. "It would be similar to the Messenger app. Think about it. With a voice app or service right in Facebook, you would have a list of users who are online and have voice capabilities. If I want to call one of them, just tap a button and it creates a VoIP call."
Kerravala said he could envision a service or app that enables Facebook users to call or video chat with their friends and generate significant business for the company. "People spend more time in Facebook than any other application, so I can see it being very popular," he noted.
Sharon Gaudin covers the Internet and Web 2.0, emerging technologies, and desktop and laptop chips for Computerworld. Follow Sharon on Twitter at Twitter@sgaudin, or subscribe to Sharon's RSS feed Gaudin RSS. Her e-mail address issgaudin@computerworld.com.
Read more about Smartphones in Computerworld's Smartphones Topic Center.
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Saturday, March 30, 2013

UK Scientists Develop Helmet to Help Firefighters 'See' in the Dark

from counselheal.com



JENNIFER BRODERICK
Update Date: Mar 30, 2013 08:19 PM EDT
(Photo : REUTERS) On-duty firefighters.
British researchers have devised the prototype of a tactile helmet which uses vibrations to help on-duty firefighters find their way through dark or smoke-filled conditions.
Developed at the University of Sheffield Centre for Robotics (SCentRo), the helmet was inspired by the study of touch-related sensing of rodents who use their whiskers as an early-warning system against potential hazards.
The devise is rigged with a large number of ultrasound sensors used to detect the distance between the person wearing the headgear and nearby obstacles, including walls. The ultrasound sensors emit signals to vibration pads attached to the inside of the helmet – pads which touch the forehead of the person wearing it.
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In other words, the closer a firefighter gets to an obstacle, the more a pad will vibrate to let the firefighter know that something's nearby.
Tony Prescott, professor and director of the Sheffield Centre for Robotics, wrote in a statement: "When a firefighter is responding to an emergency situation he will be using his eyes and ears to make sense of his environment, trying to make out objects in a smoke filled room, for example, or straining to hear sounds from people who might need rescuing. We found that in these circumstances it was difficult to process additional information through these senses. Using the sense of touch, however, we were able to deliver additional information effectively.”
The scientists used a donated a Rosenbauer-brand firefighting helmet to develop the prototype, and it took two years of work funded by funded by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to develop it.
Why the helmet? Well, the researchers justify the placement of the vibrating pads on the helmet because it allows the firefigters to respond more quickly to the signals than placing them, say, on the hand. Likewise, not placing them on the hand would keep the firefighter hands free to carry through potentially life-saving tasks.
TagsScience
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Thursday, March 28, 2013

An update on Android 4.2 upgrades

from computerworld




March 25, 2013 1:45 PM EDT
17 
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Android 4.2 UpgradeOne of the most common questions I hear these days is: "When will my phone/tablet get the Android 4.2 upgrade?"
Google's Android 4.2 release showed up last October, after all, bringing with it a handful ofnew features and refinements for the Android Jelly Bean platform. For phones, that includes features like lock screen widgetsand Photo Sphere along with a new Quick Settings panel and Daydream screensaver function. For tablets, the upgrade is even more dramatic, with a new phone-like user interface and multiuser support added into the mix.
Yet five months after its release, most Android users are still waiting to hear if or when Android 4.2 will reach their devices. So what gives?
Here's the simple truth: For the most part, manufacturers are staying mum about their plans for Android 4.2 upgrades -- and that's why it's impossible for people like me to pass along any such details.
There are a few exceptions:
  • Google's Nexus devices. By definition, these phones and tablets receive upgrades early and often, directly from Google. Even carrier-connected models like the Verizon Galaxy Nexus -- which typically experience delays in their upgrades due to carrier interference -- are finally catching up.
  • Some of Asus's tablets. Asus delivered Android 4.2 to its Transformer Pad TF300 at the start of March and says it'll upgrade its Transformer Pad Infinity,MeMO Pad Smart, and regular MeMO Pad sometime in the second quarter.
  • Sony's new Xperia Z and Xperia Tablet Z devices. Back when those products launched, Sony confirmed it would upgrade them to Android 4.2 "shortly after" their release.
  • Motorola's international Razr D1 and D3. When announcing these Brazil-targeted phones, Moto promised it would upgrade them to "the next version of Android" (but provided no firm timeline for that process).

That's pretty much it; most other devices are in a wait-and-see pattern for 4.2, with no manufacturer commitments one way or the other. (To be fair, Samsung did put out a vague and meaningless statement: "We will announce rollout plans for Android 4.2 to our Galaxy portfolio of devices in due course." Enlightening, no?)
So why the silence? On the phone side, the logical conclusion is that the manufacturers want to focus their efforts on catching up with the Android 4.1 upgrade before diving into 4.2. Since 4.2 is a relatively minor step forward from 4.1 for phones, some companies may even consider skipping it altogether and taking devices directly to the next major release -- the one most folks expect to be called Key Lime Pie (which will likely be announced at Google's big I/O conference in May).
On the tablet side, ironically enough, the upgrade may be too major for some manufacturers to consider. While the new 4.2-level tablet UI makes thingsmore intuitive for new users, it is a significant change from the Honeycomb-style UI present on older devices. Consequently, companies may prefer to introduce it with new products rather than force it upon users who are accustomed to the previous style.
This sort of poky progress is an inevitable reality of the Android ecosystem -- but that doesn't mean it's unavoidable. Android is all about choice, and it's up to you to decide what kind of experience you want. If timely and reliable upgrades are important to you, an unlocked Google Nexus device is the way to go. Other phones and tablets have their own benefits, but fast and frequent upgrades typically aren't among them.
(You can, of course, take control of most Android devices and install third-party software yourself -- a process known as rooting and ROM'ing -- but you may or may not want to mess with that type of advanced, off-the-grid tinkering. Most users don't.)
Android Power TwitterI'll continue monitoring the status of Android 4.2 upgrades and will pass along any new details as they become available. If you're still waiting for Android 4.1, meanwhile, you can check my Android 4.1 upgrade list for the latest info on that front; it's always kept up-to-date with the most current details available for all phones and tablets.
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Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Sweden Drops 'Ungoogleable' From Word List After Google Protests

from pcmag




Ungoogleable
A spat over the term "ungoogleable" has prompted Swedish language officials to ditch the term from its list of new Swedish words.
While it might seem like everything is searchable on the Web, there are apparently a few things that the Internet has not yet indexed, prompting the word "ungoogleable" - or "ogooglebar" in Swedish.
But while Google has become synonymous with Internet search for many people, it is not exactly a generic term. So Google wanted the Swedish Language Council to specify that "ungoogleable" referred to something not available on Google, not search engines overall, and that Google is a registered trademark.
The language council did not take too kindly to that request, accusing Google of trying to control the Swedish language.
"Google has wooed [the] Language Council to amend the definition of the word ogooglebar the new order list," the council said in a translated statement. "Today we instead delete the word and mark ... our displeasure with Google's attempt to control the language."
The council publishes its list of new words every December in an effort to demonstrate how society and language has developed over the previous 12 months. Google argued that use of its name must include a reference to its trademark, but the council said that would defeat the purpose. The list, it said, reflects how people in Sweden are using the language in new ways - and that might incorporate trademarked words.
"No one can define words which must be in the language," the council said. "Language development [does] not care about brand protection."
Still "we have neither the time nor the inclination to pursue the lengthy process that Google is trying to launch. Nor do we compromise and change the definition of ogooglebar [to what] the company wants," the council said. "It would go against our principles."
The council pointed out that even though it is removing "ungoogleable" from its list, the term will live on (and be "googleable") in part because of the news coverage of its battle with Google.
Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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