Daily News Courier

Omek’s Gestural Interface Makes Perceptual Computing Human-Friendly

By studying human factors (shocking!), an Israeli company makes close-range gestural input make sense.

I recently reviewed Intel’s prototype “perceptual computing” interface, and while the product vision was compelling, the user experience needed a lot of work. Just because you can plop a depth camera on top of your laptop and wave your hands in front of the screen, does that mean you should? Luckily, an Israeli company called Omek Interactive has applied some actual thought and research toward answering this question. Their “Arc Menu” is the first close-range, consumer-grade gestural UI I’ve seen that takes comfort and basic ergonomics into account. Here’s a demo the company did at CES for LazyTechGuys:

Intel to showcase new dual-core smartphones at Mobile World Congress

At CES Intel showed for the first time its new, emerging market orientated, Lexington chips. During the keynote presentation though, mention was made of the next generation of performance orientated, dual-core chips for higher end smartphone offerings. Dubbed Clover Trail+, and based on Intel's Atom Z2580, CES also threw up the first smartphone powered by the chip, the monstrous 5.5 inch Lenovo K900. While the K900 is destined only for select Asian markets and Russia at this time, Intel has now promised we'll get to see more Clover Trail+ devices later this month at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. 

Other than that, we really don't have much to go on. We're promised a look at the new dual-core smartphones, as well as another look at the lower spec Lexington based devices for emerging markets. OEM partners are included, so we should be seeing actual devices that actual consumers can purchase, not just Intel reference devices. If the K900 is anything to go by though, we're pretty excited to see what Intel can bring for the future.

Source: Intel

Requiem for a Motherboard

Intel begins to divert resources from its desktop motherboard division.

Intel will begin “slowly ramping down” its desktop motherboard business, the company disclosed to journalists today. Intel’s doubling down on lightweight computing in the form of ultrabooks, phones, and tablets–meaning the PC tower you’re familiar with may be something you’re soon to be slightly less familiar with.

Intel’s New Interface Idea Is a Mash-up of All the Others

The approach could help keep laptops relevant—if intuitive applications can be found.

At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, chipmaker Intel demoed its latest big idea: “perceptual computing.”

Intel’s New Interface Idea Is a Mash-up of All the Others

The approach could help keep laptops relevant—if intuitive applications can be found.

At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, chipmaker Intel demoed its latest big idea: “perceptual computing.”

A Smart Watch, Created by the Crowd, Debuts in Vegas

The Pebble, created thanks to $10 million raised on Kickstarter, is a notable crowdfunding success story.

When Eric Migicovsky took the stage at the Consumer Electronics Show this morning, he looked nervous in comparison with the slick executives who had preceded him from giants such as Samsung and Intel.

Will the Developing World’s Smartphones have Intel Inside?

Intel announces a “value” smartphone chip designed to power millions of low-cost mobile devices.

Many predictions have been made about the impact smartphones could have on poor regions of the world—from improved healthcare to new modes of banking (see “Kenya’s Startup Boom”). Now the world’s largest chipmaker, Intel, is launching a smartphone processor aimed at enabling—and profiting from—an expansion of mobile technology in the developing world.

Future iPads could have Intel processors inside

The China Chip Advances

The country’s first homegrown microprocessor could be used in Internet servers and routers.

The processors at the heart of computers and mobile devices today come in two basic flavors: Intel- and ARM-compatible. But since 2002 the Chinese Academy of Sciences has been working in a public-private partnership, BLX IC Design Corporation, to establish a third type of processor