Everyone has a mouse. Everyone has a computer. Without a mouse, today’s computers are largely useless. Alternatives like the trackpad exist, but essentially mimic the same actions. Leap Motion may take more time to get used to to, but it could bring a host of new possibilities for musicians, game designers, gamers, developers, or just any old average Joe. It could change the way you use the computer. Literally.
Leap Motion
So how does this tiny (3” long) cube change the way we (sc)roll? Well, Leap Motion lets you use your primary appendage to do everything: your hands. Yes, it allows you to scroll, pinch, close, draw, play, and much much more using your hands. This unlocks several fascinating possibilities. The first is the apps. Since nothing like Leap Motion has been programmed for the masses before, all the apps will either be completely new or enhanced versions of more conventional apps. Along with Leap Motion, the developers will release a online store called Airspace where you can get all the apps for many occupations. I will highlight a few here:
Graphic Designer
Leap Motion will revolutionize graphic design. You can draw with your fingers, or even draw with a pencil in the air. Also, 3D models will become virtual sculpting. Just an idea for you sculptors out there, but this could be the first mass produced sculpture using 3D printing. Every virtual model will become better with Leap Motion.
Musician
Music could be another thing Leap Motion will revolutionize. Computerized music apps like GarageBand will be much easier to play. Before you know it, you’ll be playing the air guitar and the air drum, then sending it off to iTunes. You can use your instrument skills and not really buy the instrument, and still make music. Also, new music teaching apps will probably pop up so you can become a professional air guitarist, creating awesome music without paying for a teacher OR a instrument. If you are a musician or to-be-musician, Leap Motion is for you.
Educators/Students
This is getting redundant, but online teaching will also get revolutionized. You can zoom through space in a hand-controlled spaceship, dive to the depths of the ocean, and fly through the world at a molecular perspective. Apps such as these could make teaching so much easier. Plus, learning visual gestures like sign language will be significantly upgraded. Leap Motion is teaching made easy.
Photographer/Cameraman
OK, we can just say Leap Motion will revolutionize everything. Photography and videography apps like iMovie or Photoshop will allow you to play with photos with your fingers or move around a slideshow by grabbing photos and dragging them in their place. Anyone with tons of photos NEEDS this. Seriously.
Gamer
Gaming isn’t revolutionized, it’s TRANSFORMED. Whether it is RPGs, strategy, creative, or just addictive (Angry Birds or Cut The Rope), Leap Motion will suck you right in. Hand motions will control the games, such as forming a gun shape with your fingers, making for a great interactive game. Racing games is another example of a game that will be amazing with Leap Motion. Most likely, you will pretend to hold a steering wheel and drive away. Leap Motion brings on a whole new prospecting in PC or Mac gaming that we have never seen before.
Leap Motion is not just an amazingly awesome tool, it is also a big opportunity for developers. New app ideas could flourish while old apps get a renewed chance for success in Airspace. So if there are any developers looking for a platform to program for, Leap Motion is a great start. (Go here for info on when the SDK is coming out.)
Overall, Leap Motion is pretty awesome. It will allow you to use you computer in ways you have never imagined. And for all this awesomeness, wouldn’t you expect it to cost a fortune? But it doesn’t. It only costs $79. Leap Motion is open for preorder, and on May 13, 2013, they will start shipping. I will be ordering one, so check back here for my review!
Passwords are the key to our information security in the 21st century. Whether it is your phone’s password or your social security number, if someone gets a hold of it, it’s bad news. So, whenever we make a password, we (hopefully) try to make it as secret as possible. But, we are humans, and we forget. So we do something *nearly* secret, like the last four numbers of an old phone number, and think we are fine. But we aren’t. By using old White Pages or online sources, hackers can often get the information they need. We also don’t write down our passwords, for the same reason. How do we get around our security conundrum? Well, biometrics is coming to the rescue again by bringing NeuroSky Mindset to the table.
It doesn’t look like much, does it? Just a pair of headphones with a microphone curiously placed high on your head. But, don’t judge a book by its cover. That microphone is actually a electroencephalogram (EGG) sensor. It can sense your brainwaves, meditation level, attention level and much more. The Mindset is not just for sensing brainwaves, though. It has a microphone, so it is also good for games, research, and other microphone needing applications. It is also useful for developers, and at a cheap $200, it’s a pretty good deal.
An Early EGG
So how does this help with the password situation? Well, a team of researchers at the University Of Berkley recently designed and tested a hyped-up Mindset that reads what you are thinking/imagining. It may sound creepy, but it is great news for people with bad memories. The developers were afraid it wasn’t powerful enough, but when they tested it, they found out it work to a surprisingly low 1% error rate.
A Guy Testing Out Pass-Thoughts
Using a Berkley Mindset is very simple. All you have to do is set up a “password,” they found imagining singing a song or counting colored shapes worked the best, and imagine that password whenever you want to log in to a phone or computer. They call these **pass-thoughts**. In terms of product integration into phones or Web applications, the system still has long way to go. But pass-thoughts are a big step forward, and potentially a new advance in information security. And I have to admit, they don’t even look half bad. For all its possible uses, the Berkley’s pass-thoughts for Mindset will hopefully make it’s way into the product landscape.
Do you ever wonder what it would be like to play a 1974 adventure video game? Maybe not, but it would still be cool. Nicolas Cannasse also thought it would be cool, so he made the game Evoland, and submitted a early version of it Ludum Dare competition. It won. Not only did it win, but it got up a big following of 300,000 players in A COUPLE OF MONTHS. All in a days work (literally, he made the game in a day). After Evoland’s quick success, Nicolas Cannasse thought it was time to expand and polish off Evoland, so he sent it to Shiro Games. Eventually, it would be Shiro Games to make what now is the final version of Evoland.
Evoland Classic Screenshot (the graphics aren’t bad, it’s just that you have to start that way even in the real game)
Gameplay:
How does Evoland let you go through the history of adventure games (i.e. Legend Of Zelda) while still having a compelling story and addictive gameplay? Well, when you start out playing Evoland, you are in a VERY pixelated black and white world. All around you are trees, which you can’t penetrate, and two treasure chests. The chests are actually a very important part of the game. To open treasure chests, you just walk right into them. When the chests open, you can get a assortment of prizes from money to terrain updates. This is what drives the gameplay. When you get a terrain update of the game, say, from going to the starting black and white to the kind of thing that’s pictured above, it really gets you going. You just want more and more.
Storyline:
[SPOILER ALERT: This paragraph reveals key details of the gameplay.]
You are a man named Clink (which you can change), and at first, the gameplay seems just for fun. There is no real point. But, later on as you go through fighting monsters and opening chests, you reach a town. At the town, you have to use all the money you collected from the monsters to buy lots of defensive and offensive equipment to get through to the next part(it won’t lets you go through without it). Once you get through the city, you will find a injured girl named Kaeris (you get to name her also) getting attacked by monsters. Once you save her, she will tell you she needs you to save her ransacked city. From then on, you and her will go through Evoland to save the city.
A Comparison Of Three Terrain Levels
Overall, Evoland is a great game. It is like a walking tour of the evolution of video games, all while not losing its gaming purpose. Unfortunately, Evoland is a short game compared to something like Call Of Duty, as will only take you about two to three hours of non-stop playing. Yet, the low $10 price tag could make it worthwhile. The game is available on both Mac and PC. You will have a fun time playing it while it lasts, and I definitely recommend it.
Public transit is always an issue when discussing a highly populated city. Whether it is buses or taxis, trains or subways, they all pollute a fair amount. Some cities have started to change, such as the popular bicycle system in Paris and other European capitals, but many other cities haven’t bothered. SkyTran, a NASA funded project, is a public transportation system trying to help the pollution, not only in China, but all over the world. Not only could it help the environment, but it is also very fast, lightweight, efficient, cheap and cool-looking.
The pollution is so bad in Beijing, many put their hands out in front of them because they’re worried they’ll hit something… or they’re doing Tai-Chi.
SkyTran uses magnets to hover in the air, reducing friction, making the pod go really fast. The aerodynamic shape and size help it fly through the air. It might be a little fast for some people (almost as fast as a roller coaster), but the passengers can adjust the speed. Still, speed is important, because if you have been on a bus or train, all those stops really slow you down. On a SkyTran, since you and two other people are the only ones in the pod, you can choose the stops. That makes for a fast, energy efficient commute.
If SkyTran does become a reality, the plan is that the pods will all come out from stations, much like chairlifts at amusement parks. The pods would be magnetically floating near a metal rod, supported by relatively thin metal poles. That way, cars can still drive under it, unlike trains. More space, more convenient. Sounds good, right?
Designed by NASA Ames laboratory in Silicon Valley, California, with the help some start-ups, the SkyTran is a great help to everyone. Whether you are always late, or are worried about the environment, SkyTran is a fascinating transportation idea. Using its solar power, it barely uses any real fuel. Plus, because it is so lightweight, it is really cheap, even cheaper than a bus system. Just imagine, zooming across the city at up to 100mph, going just to where you want to go, no stops. You’ll never have to worry about being late again!
Self driving cars are the future of automobiles and Google Car is the first prototype to actually be allowed to test drive in a few states, including California. And guess what? I spotted one ON THE FREEWAY and the Google Car pulled up right next to us, so I snapped the picture below:
When you look at it closely, it’s just a Lexus with a special camera system strapped to its roof. But when you see the person has no hands on the wheel, it really blows you away. It just seems unnatural. Unfortunately, for half the time I saw it the car was most likely being driven, because it was seemed to be speeding. Still, it show how close we all are to “driving” a self driven car.
For a very long time, pianists have been layering sounds and synths to get the perfect sound. Guitarists, to get the same mix, have to have a complicated set of wires. Jamstik helps that, while also making mobile playing easy, comfortable and seamless.
Jamstik, a Ukelele sized guitar, is made out of only 5 frets, a part to strum and a control button on the side. Jamstik, made for iOS, wirelessly connects and records your music on to your iPad using apps like GarageBand, Animoog and other music apps. Take GarageBand for instance. If you have ever played around with the iOS version of GarageBand, you know that you can virtually pluck strings and play the keys of different instruments, such as the piano, bass, guitar, and other forms of those 3(ie. upright bass, acoustic guitar, hard rock guitar, ect.). But if you have tried to make a good, complex song using the virtual instruments, you know it is extremely hard. Jamstik allows you to play comfortably on real strings and frets, while also taking advantage of the other sounds. Yep, you read it correctly. Say you’re playing the Jamstik, and you are not happy with the regular electric guitar sound; you want a electric piano with a little synth in the background. With Jamstik, you can get that.
To get the piano-synth, you would use two apps: GarageBand and Animoog. Animoog is basically a music-making app that uses colored lights to show you visually what the notes are, and to change the notes you use dials. But instead of this approach, you can use your Jamstik to directly play the synth sounds. But, remember, you don’t want synth sounds. To mix the sounds, all you have to do is easily set up both apps and play and Voila!, you get your sound.
At the Engadget Expand conference, I got to hear a example of what a mashed sound would sound like to the tune of Here Comes The Sun. It sounded great. It makes me almost want to learn the guitar, just to play around with the Jamstik. It just so happens that Zivix(the company that makes Jamstik) thought of that. So, they made a great learning app to go along with Jamstik called Jamtutor. Jamtutor makes it fun to learn guitar by adding in Guitar Hero like games in with the drills. Jamtutor is not the only app they are making, so the Jamstik experience will be complete.
Jamstik is a perfect way to compose music on the move. The WiFi just makes it easier. With Jamstik, you can make hi-quality music on road trips, on the plane, even on the bus. Unfortunately, Jamstik will be on the market by the 3rd or 4th quarter, so we will have to wait. It’s also not overpriced like some new products are at $250 – $300. So if you are always trying to squeeze your guitar into your car, or you are just beginning, Jamstik could be for you.
CAD (Computer-Aided Design) systems are key tools for hardware design. They make it easy to view and virtually manipulate the object you are designing. Think of Google SketchUp. It is the most basic design software available, but you can still use it to make intricate designs. zSpace takes CAD to the next level.
While attending the Engadget Expand conference in San Francisco, I was lucky enough to try out zSpace on one of their animations. zSpace really immerses you into your animation. You can move things around, virtually pick things up, disassemble items, turn them over and view them from all directions, using a stylus you hover in mid-air. Unlike 3D movies and TVs, if you turn your head or look at it from a different angle, it doesn’t get distorted. There’s less need to view it from different angles, because you can virtually rotate objects. But if someone comes up and wants to view the design in 3D (with lightweight glasses), they can look at it as well and the object won’t be distorted, it will just appear at a different angle, like in real life.
zSpace if also developer-friendly. You can get the SDK (software development kit) and design your own apps for it. There is even a contest where you design an app using zSpace’s Access Center’s system. If you win, you get a your very own zSpace system! If you do get a zSpace, applications extend across many fields. zSpace is the start to the future of engineering, graphic design, product design, and lots of other occupations. zSpace also has apps for medical needs like a 3D human body, and they encourage doctors and medical students to take part in their developer program.
zSpace is currently on the market for around $4,000, a pretty hefty sum. But, for what you’re getting, it could be worth it.
EyeVerify: a new biometric way to unlock your phone, without the hassle.
Ever been in a situation where you are trying unlock your phone in public, and you have to twist around uncomfortably to hide your password? EyeVerify may be the solution. Yes, Android phones have Face Lock, which photographs your face and scans it to see if it matches. But, that could potentially be compromised using photos of the owner of the device.
EyeVerify uses the camera on your phone to take a picture of your eye. Then, it scans the veins around your pupil to see if you are the same person or not. Again, it could be beat using photos, but how would a thief get a detailed picture of your eye without your cooperation? Plus, you have to dart your eye to the left or right before it scans your eye, to make sure it is real. You could crack it with a video perhaps, but even after you get in with your eye, you can set it up so you have to put in a password anyway.
EyeVerify likely won’t be its own app, rather it will be an add-on for 3rd party applications. That will be better for developers and big game producers like Google, Apple and Samsung, who might integrate it into their future products. EyeVerify could prove faster and more convenient than other authenticators. It’s still in the development stages, but if you are a developer or a mobile phone expert who wants to work on authentication, EyeVerify might except you into their Beta program and give you an early copy of EyeVerify. But if you aren’t a developer, you will have to wait and see...
Transparent smartphones: the thing of the future. Anyone who has seen any sci-movies has seen transparent phones which are basically a piece of glass. That will come farther in the future. But if you are impatient like most of us, and want the best thing available with a relatively short wait, Polytron is for you.
Now, don’t get to excited. Polytron’s smartphone pictured above is still in its developing stage. As you can see, not all of the hardware is completely transparent, and all the add-ons like a camera are visible. Sill, it is a pretty big jump from the old iPhones and other smartphones.
The secret to Polytron’s masterpiece is what they call, “Switchable Glass Technology”. It uses liquid crystal molecules to form the images or text. But when no energy is flowing through the phone, the molecules turn white and clear, making a perfect transparent smartphone.
But Polytron aren’t stopping there. They say in a couple weeks they will announce their design for a transparent tablet. Sooner or later, the word will be full of these transparent smartphones, and sci-fi movies wil become reality.
Apple are working on a new smartphone, but this time in the shape of a watch.
Apple haven’t decided on a name, but they have two good options, iPhone Wrist and iWatch (I’ll be calling it iWatch). iWatch could use Corning’s Willow Glass, a type of bendable glass. Willow Glass is a new technology and will most likely be used for many things from smartphones to bringing back scrolls, only digital.
The iWatch hasn’t been fully designed yet, and could still be in concept phase. There are a few suggested designs out there, such as a clear ring around your wrist. The problem with that is that it might be too wide, and bump into the table when you are trying to write. Also, being clear, it might be hard to see colors like yellow or especially tan. Another design for the watch might solve that particular problem, but bring up some other ones.
For instance, the small screen might not bump anywhere, but might just be to small to actually serve as a “smart” watch. It would be EXTREMELY hard to type on the screen, and if you have bad eyesight, the lettering will be very hard to read.
Apple iWatch, along with Google Glasses (see my Google Glasses article) are going to start a new industry, smart clothing. Smart clothing will soon transform our world, using Willow Glass as just the start. And just like lots of other industries like smartphones and software, it will most likely be led by Google and Apple.
TOTW: Google's Project Ara Modular Phone May Be The Future Of SmartphonesOctober 30, 2014
