Showing posts with label Information Technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Information Technology. Show all posts

GestureWorks Gameplay adds customizable touch controls to any PC game

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The GestureWorks Gameplay program allows any video game running on a Windows 8 device to be played with an on-screen touch controller

The computer interaction experts at Ideum have developed a number of impressive multi-touch smart tables in the past, such as the Platform 46 and the Pano Touch Table, many of which were built around their proprietary GestureWorks software. Now the company is gearing up to release its GestureWorks Gameplay program, which is built around the same engine and allows any video game running on a Windows 8 device o be played with an on-screen touch controller.
With GestureWorks Gameplay installed, players will be able to create their own virtual controllers for any game, which will show up as an overlay on the action. Using a simple tool, gamers can add an assortment of buttons, joysticks, D-pads, switches, and scroll wheels right onto the screen and build a full set of controls from scratch. From there, each item can be moved anywhere on the display and altered in terms of size, color, opacity and labeling to form a unique controller that's tailor-made for a specific title.

Once these controllers have been put together, users will be able to share them with other players through an online community and download any existing ones for a wide range of games. The touch control software even allows for two players to share the same screen and use their individual controllers on co-op games.



Besides adding digital buttons onto the screen, players can also program over 200 different gesture commands, swiping in front of a character to make them attack or tapping above them to trigger a jump, for instance.


Many PC gamers might balk at the idea of replacing a mouse and keyboard with an on-screen controller, but the addition of touch controls could make gaming on the go much easier, especially for people with a large backlog of titles to play. Some games that are less action-focused, like Trine, may actually benefit from them.

Currently, Ideum is allowing people to sign up for a beta of GestureWorks Gameplay through an official website. The beta will be released in October, with the full version of the software slated for November of this year.

In the meantime, you can watch the video below to see how GestureWorks Gameplay's touch controls perform on a number of modern games.

Source: GestureWorks Gameplay




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Asus Eee Pad MeMO ME370T confirmed with quad-core Tegra 3, for $249

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We got our hands on the Asus Eee Pad MeMO ME370T earlier today, and Nvidia just confirmed its price and chipset: the 7-inch Android tablet sports a 1280 x 800 resolution and a quad-core Tegra 3 SoC (not a Qualcomm SoC as previously thought). The best part? It'll only set you back $249. Flustered with the original Transformer Prime you just purchased? We'd advise you to have a seat. ASUS just took the wraps off an all new Transformer Prime (the TF700T) here at CES, which is presumably designed to rival Acer's newly-announced Iconia Tab A700. Notably, this guy won't be an outright replacement for the existing TF201 model; it's simply an upmarket alternative for those tired of the same specs over and over again. Speaking of, let's dive under the hood of this one, shall we? It's a 10.1-incher with NVIDIA's Tegra 3 within (1.3GHz quad-core Cortex A9), a Super IPS+ / Gorilla Glass 10.1-inch display with a downright silly 1,920 x 1,200 resolution (watch out, Lenovo!) and 32GB or 64GB of internal storage space. There's also an 8 megapixel rear camera / 2 megapixel front-facing cam, support for 1080p playback, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, a micro-HDMI port, microSD card reader, a 25WHr Lithium-Polymer battery and a chassis that weighs just over a pound. It'll ship with Android 4.0.1 onboard (yeah, that's Ice Cream Sandwich), and will be compatible with the exact same keyboard dock as the existing Prime. Needless to say, ASUS is aiming for the stars with a build sheet like this, and the $599 to $699 retail price points enable you to know it. It'll land next quarter here in North America, and no, there's no GPS functionality listed on the spec sheet after the break; though we've been informed that this new Prime will come with a new back panel design (pictured after the break) that should enhance WiFi, BT and GPS performance. Moving onto more diminutive offerings, the Eee Pad MeMO (ME171) that we saw months ago is getting a formal reveal here in Las Vegas, boasting a 7-inch WXGA (1,280 x 800) IPS capacitive touchpanel, a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm 8260 processor, a gigabyte of memory, 16GB / 32GB of storage, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, a 1.2 megapixel front / 5 megapixel rear camera (with 1080p recording), an A-GPS sensor, gyroscope, proximity sensor and a micro-USB port. There's a 4,400mAh Li-polymer battery reportedly good for some 8.5 hours of video playback, and it'll be Android 4.0.1 running the show. The unit checks in with dimensions of 7.8- x 4.6- x 0.50-inches (and a weight of 14.2 ounces), and while mum's the word on price (sadly), it'll supposedly ship in Q2 to North American adobes. keep up with the newest technologies and contemplate about how these will be used in the future. On this blog I'll share my thoughts about the future of technology, based on the high Tech Road Show Blog inventions of today.
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Google to Get Scary With Anne Rice

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Google has been known to celebrate authors and encourage educators to write books. It even made finding authors of articles easier by improving the quality of search results for authors.

Now the search giant is playing host to legendary horror novelist Anne Rice.

Even if you’re not a Google employee you can tune in to author Anne Rice’s presentation at the company’s Mountain View, Calif. headquarters on Feb. 24 via live broadcast. Rice will be discussing her latest novel, The Wolf Gift. You can check it out on the Authors@Google YouTube channel on Feb. 24 at 10 a.m. PST.

The recording will be posted on YouTube in its entirety after it’s over.

Knopf describes Rice’s new book thus: “A whole new world—modern, sleek, high-tech—and at its center, a story as old and compelling as history: the making of a werewolf, reimagined and reinvented as only Anne Rice, teller of mesmerizing tales, conjurer extraordinaire of other realms, could create.”

The Authors@Google series hosts famous and of-the-moment writers of all genres at Google for informal chats about their works and recently published books. The series take place at Google’s Mountain View headquarters or one of its other locations in New York, Cambridge, or Ann Arbor, as well as other offices. The series is under the umbrella of @GoogleTalks, which brings in famous people, politicians, innovators and significant figures from all around the world.

Past writers and journalists who’ve participated include novelist Salman Rushdie, journalist Bob Woodward, Noam Chomsky and Neil Gaiman. Google has also hosted President Barack Obama, David Beckham, Tom Brokaw, Lady Gaga, Ron keep up with the newest technologies and contemplate about how these will be used in the future. On this blog I'll share my thoughts about the future of technology, based on the high Tech Road Show Blog inventions of today.
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RIM’s BlackBerry LondonSurfaces with New Design

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While RIM’s 2012 roadmap that leaked out a few days ago gave us a potential timeline for the release of the company’s first BlackBerry 10 smartphone, it didn’t provide us with what we have been craving. An image. Well, today, CrackBerry has unearthed an image of what is apparently the BlackBerry London, a device that many believe will be one of the first BlackBerry 10 smartphones to hit the market.

The London first appeared in an image back in November. However, as you can see, RIM is apparently going to be going in a different direction with the London as the phone you see here takes some design aesthetics from the BlackBerry Playbook with those curved edges and all-black coloring.

We have included the original BlackBerry London concept here as well just so you can get a feel for the differences.

And no, this isn’t the first time that we’ve seen a company do this. Motorola showed off a Droid Bionic at CES 2011 that was vastly different from the Droid Bionic that was released in September of last year.

And that’s just one example.

BlackBerry London

The new London.

The report also claims that RIM has two other BlackBerry 10 phones in development, the Lisbon and the Laguna. Those are apparently going to be heading to the U.S. while the London, go figure, might just be a UK device.

Sadly, it’s going to be awhile before we find anything out for sure.

BlackBerry London

RIM isn’t expected to launch any of these phones until September or October.

So what do you guys think?

Interested in a BlackBerry 10 device that looks like this?

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Motorola Droid RAZR Arrives in New Colors with Cheaper Price

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A couple of days ago, Verizon launched a new cheaper version of the Motorola Droid RAZR. The new model checks in at $199 with a new two-year contract. It also comes with 16GB of on board storage. Sorry, no microSD card included in this deal. Until today though, the only color available was black. Starting today though, the 16GB Droid RAZR now comes in both purple and white flavors.

Both the purple and white models of the Droid RAZR are exactly the same as the device that we reviewed, and loved, back in October. They just come with a price tag that’s $100 lower.

Taking the place at the $299 price point will be the Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX which still doesn’t have an official release date but is rumored to be launching on January 26th.

Droid RAZR

Verizon likes to announce these kinds of things at the last minute.

The Droid RAZR MAXX, if you’re unfamiliar, is going to come with a massive 3,300 mAh battery which will allow for owners 21 hours of continuous talk time. It’ll also be a tad thicker than the original Droid RAZR.

As for the specifications of the RAZR that was released today, for $199 you’ll be getting:

  • CPU: 1.2-GHz TI OMAP 4330
  • RAM: 1GB
  • Internal Storage: 16GB
  • Display: 4.3-inch, qHD 960 x 540 resolution
  • Cameras: Rear – 8MP; Front – 1.3MP
  • Battery: 1780 mAh battery

We should also mention that it comes with 4G LTE capabilities which means that you’ll be able to utilize data speeds that are up to 10 times faster than 3G.

Not bad for a $200 smartphone.

keep up with the newest technologies and contemplate about how these will be used in the future. On this blog I'll share my thoughts about the future of technology, based on the high Tech Road Show Blog inventions of today.
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Huawei Goes High-End With Diamond Smartphones

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Huawei’s new high-end smartphones, which will be introduced at Mobile World Congress next month in Barcelona, will be part of the company’s new ‘Diamond’ series. The Diamond series, according to Huawei’s chairman Richard Yu, will best the company’s latest Ascend P1 S

smartphone flagship, which was introduced just this month at CES 2012.

The Ascend P1 S was a noteworthy introduction at CES 2012 thanks to its super slim form factor, besting even the slim Droid RAZR, and small footprint despite powerful internal specs.

Yu didn’t go into specifics about how the Diamond series will best the Ascend P1 S nor did he go into details about the specs for the new phones.

Whatever the case may be, it’s an exciting time for Huawei as the company attempts to replicate HTC’s success in the smartphone space and try to build a brand for itself. Like HTC in its early Pocket PC/Windows Mobile days of yore, Huawei started out as a manufacturer that rebrands its phones at the request of carriers and other retailers. Now that Huawei is trying to shape its own destiny with its own brand, it is stepping up its game from entry-level handsets into the high-end market. And with the solid build quality of the T-Mobile Springboard Android tablet, it seems that Huawei has a lot going for it.

We’ll just have to wait for a few more short weeks to find out what exactly Huawei will be showing off on the international stage.

Via: The Verge

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Everything You Need to Know About the Apple for Education Talk

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Today’s Apple event presented a giant leap forward in the process of updating American education. As of today, elementary, high school and college students are all able to experience a new, dynamic digitization of textbooks and course materials through the iPad. Textbooks for iBooks marks a new wave of modernization in the educational system, and if it succeeds, a new learning style might be on the horizon.

Combined with iBooks Author for Mac and a revamped iTunes U interface, Apple has officially established itself as a conductor for the digital education experience. The WYSIWIG interface of the application means that even technologically green teachers will be able to develop customized coursework companions for their curricula. From soup to nuts, users are able to take part in developing educational tools for any level and also do it relatively cheaply. All of the apps iTunes debuted today are free from the iTunes or Mac App Store, and are available for immediate use.

The revamp of iTunes U also brings a new wave of promise to an old idea. Users can now participate in open courses from some of the country’s best universities, without ever having to leave their homes. Dynamic and interactive, iTunes U’s new facelift could possibly attract more universities to the platform and, in turn, produce more overall educational content through Apple’s mediums.

Take a closer look at the highlights from the event, including in-depth anaylsis from the Mashable team.

What are you most excited about as Apple begins its foray into education? Let us know in the comments.

1. iBooks 2

The iPad's iBooks app is what the rest of the Apple for Education apps cleverly rest on. Available for free today in the iTunes store, iBooks 2 provides deeper functionality and a special section for Apple's major announcement...

keep up with the newest technologies and contemplate about how these will be used in the future. On this blog I'll share my thoughts about the future of technology, based on the high Tech Road Show Blog inventions of today.
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