Microsoft Surface - the iTable might just trump you in every way

Who would have thought that one of the coolest things we’ve seen at CES would be hidden in a 10×10 booth at the very back of the South Hall? Like a diamond in the rough, there sat the PQ Labs iTablet.

They’ve essentially taken the idea behind the Microsoft Surface and have done it better in every way. It’s cheaper, it’s gorgeous, and perhaps most notably, it’s not a hulking monster.

Two of the most notable features of the Surface are its multitouch capabilities and the availability of a development SDK, both of which PQ Labs has matched (or, in the case of the SDK, plan to match soon). The number of fingers detected by the multitouch sensor is limited only by the individual software designer’s desire - the hardware itself supports as many simultaneous prods as you can throw at it.

Contrary to its iCliche name, the iTable runs Windows XP rather than on OS X or some proprietary system. The last bit is good news for developers - if you’ve already got an app ready to go, you don’t need to rewrite it from scratch for compatibility. Just call in the proper APIs for mapping input, and you’re good to go. They’re pitching this pretty hard as a “big iPhone” (hence the name) - it’s probably not the best way to market it (as it’s not, you know, a cellphone), but it really does feel similar to the iPhone; the feel of the glass, the way multitouch behaves, it’s all very similar.

The iTable product comes in a variety of flavors, depending how complete of a system you’re looking for. The cheapest way to get in on the fun is the Multi-Touch G², a 32″ LCD overlay that goes for $2,399. Beyond that is where the “Table” part of the “iTable” name comes in - a few grand more (the $5000-$7000 was thrown around in conversation) nets you a table with the sensors incorporated into the display, and roughly $10,000 gets you the aforementioned table with a beast of a computer pre-configured ready to go. It may seem pricey, but with the 30″ surface going for $12,500, it’s relatively cheap.

The company is a recent startup, so they don’t quite have the resources to throw around that Microsoft does. As such, they operating without a warehouse, so these things are being built per order and they’re currently only selling units to businesses.

[via CrunchGear]

Hands on with Mattel’s weird Mindflex Game

Now here’s something that will end up at the bottom of the toybox next Christmas. The Mindflex lets you control a floating ball around a little obstacle course. Air bumps and pops the ball through hoops and tubes and ends up frustrating you more than anything else.

If you’re really into biofeedback - the thing sense your concentration - or your paralytic and have little else to amuse yourself with, this might be for you. Otherwise, I expect the average pre-teen will eventually just sit on this thing out of general principle.

What you see here is really all it does: you put on a helmet and move a ball.

[via CrunchGear]

Hands-on with Razer’s new wired/wireless mouse, the Mamba

I had a long and interesting chat with Razer’s president about the development of the first wireless mouse the company has put out. Of course, it’s not just wireless, it’s also wired, making it what he termed the first “convertible” mouse. At last, you can use a mouse while it’s charging!

You may remember that Razer was one of the die-hard ball-mouse proponents. They were making ball mice for ages after everyone else had moved to optical, because they felt the technology wasn’t good enough for gaming input. Now most of their mice are optical, but they’re transitioning now to the 3rd (and a half) generation laser sensor. And this whole time they’ve been weighing whether to try wireless; actually, it’d be more accurate to say they’ve been trying it for years and only just recently decided that the device they could put together was good enough. And now they have what they feel is the best mouse in the world, and a first in several categories.

You can see the tour of the Mamba in the video, but it’s worth mentioning here that the grip is very comfortable and they’ve tweaked the shape of the Death Adder to make it more comfortable, as well as repositioning the thumb buttons, adding some extras at the tip, and coating said buttons in the grippy finish, which I love. The base is also the charger, but you can detach the cable (appears to be a modified mini-USB interface) and put it in the mouse, so it’ll charge while you’re using it. There is no performance difference, they say, between wired and wireless; they were only satisfied with the product once the wireless firmware could support the same 1000Hz polling rate as their wired software. And now they say they’ve squashed most of the bugs and we’re going to get a really solid product.

[via CrunchGear]

IPSVM SkateBoard by Loren Kulesus

You new punk rockers and your graffiti skateboards! New wave, you say? No way. This skateboard is a strait up wild-style NYC modernist skateboard design. It’s an art-board, inspired by New York City “Wild Style” graffiti, but it’s also functional. Its unique shape provides lots of gawkers along with new bends, twists, and banks you’ve never broken your neck with before.

Designer Loren Kulesus describes the unique skate experience you’d have riding the “IPSVM” board to be comparable to a convertible car. One who is used to driving a “normal” car finds driving a convertible totally wild: they’ll find the same to be true of the IPSVM board. The same is true, Kulesus says, about the trucks specifically. Take a peek at them, skateboard enthusiasts, and say specifically how nice you’d be able to turn.

And about these banks… What kind of banks we talking about, Loren? The banks are totally amazing I bet.

[via YankoDesign]

Backpecker's Diary by Eric Zhang: Chronicle Your Travelogues The Digital Way

Unless you are doing it for Discovery or National Geographic, nobody expects you to diary your travel experiences. Even your odd post on Trip Advisor really has no weight till it’s corroborated with a video or pictures. The question is, do you like jotting your travelogues? If yes, then something like the Backpacker’s Diary could be functional for you.

Designed to look more like a book than a traditional PC, the diary has flexible pages that let you do a whole lot of things. The ‘eyes’ of your travel is the Digital Book Mark, which packs in a digicam, mic and LCD screen. What it sees, it records, and transfers to the Diary via Bluetooth. Simply clasp it to your shirt pocket and wander.

On the Diary you will find flexible pages that include a silicone rubber flexi-keyboard and a pullout solar panel. Needless to say the solar panel is to juice up the device.

Backpacker’s diary also helps you draw out your travel plans as you can use the maps to chart your course. What I like the most about this concept is the EL Illuminant Panel that doubles up as a night-light. Yes, I always need a nightlight!

[via YankoDesign]

Intelligent Cash Register by Intel Corp and Frog Design

Intelligent Cash Registers. Duh. They remember who you are, they know your “interests.” They know you! Intel is going to unveil this prototype “register” at the National Retail Federation show in New York on Sunday, but they’re really pushing the system, not the hardware. (Although, they do mention the fact that the hardware will use 90 percent less power than modern check-outs. Nothing to scoff at.)
Intel teams with Frog Design for this project. Frog is responsible for the hardware: making this 3-touchscreen terminal work with Intel’s newest processors. The touchscreen works in concert with RFID cards and salespeople (to talk you up on more products the screen shows to be juicy.) The idea is to take the internet’s ability to “up-sell” and apply that to everyday impulse buying. Fun, huh?
The best part, (or -only actual good part, for you hippies,) is that these machines fall back asleep when they aren’t active. This accounts for most of the 90-percent less energy spent. And as Wired mentions: “for a retail chain with 5,000 terminals, that’s a serious rebate.”
Designer: Intel Corp and Frog Design

[via yankodesign]