Posts Tagged ‘real’

The Google Glass Wink Feature Is Real

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Rumors have been circulating that Google Glass may have a feature that lets you wink to take a picture. Within the kernel source code, developers have discovered that the feature does exist deep in the code, but for most users of Google Glass, this feature is not an option on the front-end.

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However, TechCrunch has confirmed with multiple sources, who wish to remain anonymous for obvious reasons, that the wink feature is indeed real and being used by a small number of engineers who were seeded with the original developer units of Google Glass. In other words, those who are developing for Glass as a part of the second wave of units (#ifihadglass) are not privy to the feature, as far as we know.

In fact, one source told us that Google actually came to a location to physically install an updated version of the software to unlock this feature, which appears in settings. Developers have already started building applications that employ the wink feature, but Google can also offer the command on an OS level.

Here’s how it works: At any time while Google Glass is on your head and turned on, the user may perform an extended wink (much like the one Lucille Bluth does repeatedly in Arrested Development*) to snap a picture instantly.

A second source explained to us that Glass actually trains itself to recognize your wink. In other words, you calibrate the tool so that Glass recognizes what your particular “wink” looks like. Without calibrating the length of a purposeful, command-giving wink, Glass would pick up each and every blink as a photo op. Obviously.

Multiple sources confirmed that the wink feature is available as an option in settings, once Google has updated the unit with the proper version of the software. The kernel also confirms this, as the code has options for “ENABLED” and “DISABLED” as well as information on “CALIBRATION,” just like one of our sources mentioned.

Sensors

Google has not clarified the exact number or names of the sensors within Google Glass, though many believe that there is both an infrared sensor on the inner portion of the headset, as well as a proximity sensor baked inside. The proximity sensor is there to handle the “waking” and “sleeping” states of your device, according to Google’s official statement.

Just like a smartphone, Google Glass will go to sleep when you put it down, halting incoming calls and messages and turning off the display (though keeping the camera button alert in case there’s a Kodak moment afoot). When you pick it up and place it on your head, it instantly wakes back up and starts receiving notifications, etc.

The infrared sensor, on the other hand, is far more mysterious. Google hasn’t really spoken up about it much, though sources around the web tend to believe that the unidentified little sensor on the inner rim of the headset is indeed an infrared camera. This would allow Glass to track eye movements to some degree. As our sources have clearly confirmed, the IR camera can at the very least detect a blink and a wink, and the possibilities beyond that are deep and wide. Just take a look at these Google patents.

Patents

The first is a patent that names Adrian Wong, Google Glass engineer, Ryan Geiss, a senior software engineer at Google, and Hayes Raffie, an interactions researcher on the Special Projects team at Google.

The title? “Unlocking a screen using eye tracking information”.

The patent broadly describes a method by which a user could unlock a display (most often referenced as a Heads-up-display on a wearable computing device) through various forms of eye-tracking. Sure, unlocking a device and snapping a picture are different, and so is the method by which this patent describes unlocking and our information concerning the Google Glass wink command for pictures.

However, be well aware that there are 26 mentions of the term infrared, and more than 100 mentions of the term HMD (head-mounted display). There also seems to be a passage within the patent that confirms the ability to decipher blinks (if only to disregard them, in this instance, but still).

To unlock a screen coupled to the HMD after a period of inactivity that may have caused the screen to be locked, a processor coupled to the wearable computing system may generate a display of a moving object and detect through an eye tracking system if an eye of the wearer may be tracking the moving object. The processor may determine that a path associated with the movement of the eye of the wearer matches or substantially matches a path of the moving object and may unlock the display. The path of the moving object may be randomly generated and may be different every time the wearer attempts to unlock the screen. Tracking a slowly moving object may reduce a probability of eye blinks, or rapid eye movements (i.e., saccades) disrupting the eye tracking system. The processor may generate the display of the moving object such that a speed associated with motion of the moving object on the HMD may be less than a predetermined threshold speed. Onset of rapid eye pupil movements may occur if a speed of a moving object tracked by the eye of the wearer is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold speed. Alternatively, the speed associated with the moving object may be independent of correlation to eye blinks or rapid eye movements. The speed associated with the motion of the moving object may change, i.e., the moving object may accelerate or decelerate. The processor may track the eye movement of the eye of the wearer to detect if the eye movement may indicate that the eye movement may be correlated with changes in the speed associated with the motion of the moving object and may unlock the screen accordingly.

Now, take a look at this patent.

Though it doesn’t go into any detail on eye-tracking, it does reaffirm Google’s intentions to use infrared sensors within their head-mounted, wearable computing devices. A year later, that device is called Google Glass.

Next Steps

Whether Google intends to roll out this feature more broadly is still unknown.

Since Google is allowing a small number of developers to use “wink,” the company is clearly staying true to its tradition of beta testing services thoroughly before a huge roll out. In fact, anyone wearing Glass right now is undoubtedly a beta tester of the whole operation.

But wink will almost certainly raise questions of privacy. If you feel like a simple, spoken “Ok glass, take a picture” is already too much of an invasion of your privacy, imagine how you’ll feel when some Glasshole can take your picture without you ever being the wiser.

On the other hand, the wink also brings up all kinds of interesting use-cases, like the ability to determine when someone is having a seizure, for instance. People were afraid of the geolocation, and CCTV, and online banking, too, at one point in the past. And look how that turned out.

It’s too soon to tell whether Glass will fly or die, but it can sure as hell wink.

*Who’s excited for May 26?

[Review] Woodchuck Case – Real Wood iPhone 5 Skin

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Author: Melissa Shroeder

[Review] Woodchuck Case - Real Wood iPhone 5 Skin

Buy them here: http://amzn.to/112gonv Or at: http://www.woodchuckcase.com Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/macmixing Like my Facebook page: http:…

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9 Video Game Products That Are Totally Real

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Author: Charity Woods

Go out and buy them today!

This Sony PCP is definitely real.

Source: i.imgur.com

Also, this Sony Game Boy Advance.

Source: i.imgur.com

Also, this classic Fony Dualshock!!! controller. Why are they redesigning it for PS4? Don't mess with a classic, Fony.

Source: i.imgur.com

Also real: this cool indie game for Windows. I haven't had time to play it yet but it looks like at least 2-3 hours of fun.

Source: i.chzbgr.com

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Postcard from Washington: UFOs are real – Vancouver Sun

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Author: Antonio Pierce

Postcard from Washington: UFOs are real – Vancouver Sun
… at the National Press Club, whose windows overlook the grounds of the White House to which the debonair alien Klaatu and his indestructible robot Gort came in peace – and were summarily blasted with machine guns and flame throwers by the U.S. army …
Read more on Vancouver Sun

Mainstream is magic on Ivies weekend
If anyone is looking to rekindle a dying flame for Ivies, this is your jam. Hopefully you can last all eight … The robots have returned and I'm excited for the touch-it-bring-it-pay-it-watch-it-turn-it-leave-it-start-format-it-technologic singularity …
Read more on The Bowdoin Orient

Pentagon's Terminator-Like Robot To Test Military Gear
Such future developments could see robots that aren't simply used to test the flame-retardant camouflage jumpsuits but also to suit up and protect their human creators. The fact that such a robot might look human is just a bonus. Source: Peter Suciu …
Read more on RedOrbit

Real Racing 3 – iPhone 5 Vs Galaxy S3 – iOS Vs Android

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Author: Markus Smith

Real Racing 3 Review – iPhone 5 Vs Galaxy S3 We did a real time test of Real Racing 3 Performance Test on i Phone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S3. And guess who emer…
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The Real Victims Of Facebook’s Nefarious New Messaging Fees

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Author: Matthew Baker

Charging $ 15 to message a celebrity hurts the people we care about most: celebrities.

Tragic hero Josh Groban and his supermodel girlfriend.

Via: Joe Corrigan / Getty Images

This month, Facebook started testing out a new revenue model/spam filter system for messaging famous people on Facebook. If you’re not friends with the celebrity, it'll cost you $ 5 to $ 15, depending on just how popular that person is. You can still send a message for free, but it'll end up the twilight purgatory of the dreaded “Other” inbox.

There's more than one serious problem with charging more to message “celebrities” (since this is based on subscriber/friend count, these high-fee people also include fan pages and parody accounts, not just actual famous people).

For one thing, there's no way for these celebrities to control the price or opt out of charging their fans. Fans may not realize this and may think that the celebrity is purposely charging money — and that makes them look bad.

Worst of all, Facebook isn't giving the celebrities a cut of the profits made from their accounts.

I know, I know: Think of the celebrities! Deluged by their adoring fans sending them praise! Boo-hoo.

$ 5 to message Josh Groban

Here is the rough business model for being a celebrity:

1. Make money doing whatever it is you do.
2. Don’t let people make money off you without getting a cut.

This is why Kim Kardashian will sue the shit out of you if you put her photo on your diet-pill ad. If you try to pull this shit with Kim, Robert Kardashian will rise from the grave, slip on the glove that didn't fit O.J., and use his zombie strength to rip out your throat.

This is essentially the same as if a record store held a record signing for Josh Groban, charged fans $ 5 each to get in the door, and never told Josh about the fee. Do you think The Grobster would stand for this? Of course not! And trust me, you do not want the wrath of Josh Groban coming down on you.

Last December, Facebook introduced a flat $ 1 fee to make sure a message to someone outside your friend graph didn't go in the “Other” box. I don't mind this system: $ 1 is a nominal fee if you really want to get in touch with someone (consider it the price of two postage stamps), but enough to keep actual spammers away. How often are we messaging people we're not friends with anyway? For those few times you need to, it seems like a fair price.

In a way, celebrities of the Kim Kardashian caliber are more likely to be spared from this fee structure, since they often have fan pages instead of a regular personal account. Fan pages do not charge messaging fees (Groban has both an official artist fan page as well as a personal account, which is hidden from search results).

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Japanese Teens Playing Quidditch In Real Life Pictures

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Author: Markus Smith

I spy a hoverboard.

First Dragon Ball relocates in reality, then Vader force-choking, and now some Quidditch in reality photos (although some just appear like witches). It’s strange how the net works, isn’t really it? It’s like, cyclical. Just one big turd-recycling collection of tubes. Think of it as a lazy river– no issue the number of times you explore, you always end up back at the exact same area. Anyone desire to guess exactly what next week’s photo meme will be? Due to the fact that I’m wishing for huge boobs with ‘I HEART GW’ composed on them. Now that would be brand-new and amazing.

Hit the jump for a couple more.

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Inhabitat’s Week in Green: stair-climbing vacuum cleaner, carbon dioxide diapers and a real 3D-printed face

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Author: Charity Woods

Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week’s most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us — it’s the Week in Green.

Just a few short years ago, 3D printing seemed like science fiction; we could grasp its value, but we didn’t yet have the ability to harness its power and put it to good use. Now, we’re seeing the technology advance every day — and it’s opening up new possibilities in medical science and other fields. This week, we shared the story of one British man who received a new 3D-printed face that gave him a second chance at life. In an equally amazing story, scientists at the University of Notre Dame successfully 3D printed the entire skeleton of a living rat. California-based Signal Snowboards unveiled the world’s first 3D-printed snowboard this week. And desktop 3D printing and scanning is getting cheaper every day — Canadian company Matterform is developing a lightweight 3D scanner called the Photon that’s cheaper than a tablet.

Filed under: Misc, Internet

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Doctor Who’s Real Life Tech Toys

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Author: Brittany Turner

Doctor Who is coming back for a new season and he’s bringing along awesome technology straight from the future! But some of these gadgets are actually being …

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Photon 3D Scanner Will Let You Turn Real Objects Into Printable Objects

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Author: Tiffany Shoman

The Photon 3D scanner is a self-contained laser scanner that creates point clouds of real objects, allowing you, in turn, to create printable files of things you build or need to copy. It is $ 399 on Indiegogo and looks amazing. In short, you have no idea how badly I want to order one of these right now.

Built by Adam Brandejs and Drew Cox, a pair of Torontonians, the device uses a small laser and a turntable to scan all the surfaces of an object. The scans are converted to STL or OBJ files – filetypes usable by most 3D printers – and can be printed.

Similar projects are popping up these days, including a Makerbot-backed scanner – but none look as polished as this model. Some features:

The Photon scanner uses a high definition camera and dual laser lines to capture 3D scans in as little as 3 minutes. The Photon can scan objects up to 190mm x 190mm x 250mm (7.5″ diamter x 9.75″ height), and yet folds up into a compact size. It’s lightweight, portable, and compact, making it easy to integrate into your workspace.

I’m fascinated with the concept of in-the-field 3D scanning and it seems that we’re getting there faster than ever. We’re living in a world of miracles and wonder the fact that you can spend four Benjamins (or centiloonies or whatever they have in Canada) and get a 3D scanner is amazing to me.

Posts Tagged ‘real’

The Google Glass Wink Feature Is Real

Sensors

Patents

Next Steps

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[Review] Woodchuck Case – Real Wood iPhone 5 Skin

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9 Video Game Products That Are Totally Real

This Sony PCP is definitely real.

Also, this Sony Game Boy Advance.

Also, this classic Fony Dualshock!!! controller. Why are they redesigning it for PS4? Don't mess with a classic, Fony.

Also real: this cool indie game for Windows. I haven't had time to play it yet but it looks like at least 2-3 hours of fun.

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Postcard from Washington: UFOs are real – Vancouver Sun

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Real Racing 3 – iPhone 5 Vs Galaxy S3 – iOS Vs Android

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The Real Victims Of Facebook’s Nefarious New Messaging Fees

$ 5 to message Josh Groban

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Japanese Teens Playing Quidditch In Real Life Pictures

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Inhabitat’s Week in Green: stair-climbing vacuum cleaner, carbon dioxide diapers and a real 3D-printed face

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Doctor Who’s Real Life Tech Toys

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Photon 3D Scanner Will Let You Turn Real Objects Into Printable Objects

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