Microsoft gives the first official look of Windows 8 touch interface

At the D9 conference today, Steve Sinofsky, President of Windows and Windows Live at Microsoft, gave the first look at the next version of Windows, currently “codenamed” Windows 8. On display was the new touch user interface: an interface designed for tablets and touch computers.

For the first time in its life, Windows will receive a true touch interface. Since Windows XP, Microsoft has tried to graft touch capabilities onto its operating system, but has consistently failed to bridge the gap between precise mouse and keyboard interfaces, and sloppy, imprecise, finger-based interfaces. Windows 8 changes that. Microsoft describes the new interface as “touch first”; it’ll work with a mouse and a keyboard, but it was designed for fingers.

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Microsoft gives the first official look of Windows 8 touch interface

Thanko Sells HD Video Camera Sunglasses

Do you want to wear sunglasses while being able to shoot videos in a discreet way at the same time? Tokyo-based crazy gadget maker Thanko seems to think there are people who need their HD Video Camera Sunglasses [JP]. The device’s 5MP CMOS camera lets you take AVIs in 1,280×720 resolution at 30fps – handsfree.

Pictures (JPEGs) can be shot in 4,032×3,024 resolution. The material can be stored on microSD cards (32GB max., the sunglasses feature a slot) and later be transferred to a computer via USB 2.0. Thanko says about 1.4GB are enough to store about 10 minutes of HD video.

The sunglasses are already on sale on Thanko’s Japanese website (price: $74). Ask online store Geek Stuff 4 U if they can get one shipped to you in case you live outside Japan.

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Thanko Sells HD Video Camera Sunglasses

Amazing Underground Walks

Want to go on an amazing vacation this summer filled with adventures that would even make our notorious explorer Ransom Riggs jealous? Well then, it might be time you check out one of these amazing underground destinations.

Not all of them are tourist-free meccas of ecological wonder; some are downright urban destinations, like Montreal’s Underground City that boasts about 20 miles of malls, hotels, banks, offices and more. If you are looking for something off the beaten path though, the Aktun Chen Eco Park Caves in Yucatán, Mexico (pictured) provide all the cave exploration you can handle, all located under a massive, pristine rain forest.

[Image courtesy of Dtraveller’s Flickr stream.]

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Amazing Underground Walks

Next PlayBook to have 10-inch screen, 4G radio, and white color option?

A 10-inch followup to the BlackBerry PlayBook seemed inevitable and indeed, tidbits about a rumored larger-screen version are starting to flow fast and furious. N4BB, which recently managed to spy the 9900 before it was unveiled, is citing anonymous sources who claim it will have a thinner bezel, a SIM card slot, a white color option, and, like the soon-to-be upgraded 7-inch version, 4G / WiFi connectivity. What’s more, these sources assure us this new PlayBook will have native email and calendar apps and be able to connect to BlackBerry Enterprise Server without the help of BlackBerry Bridge — a confounding quirk on the current model. That’s all well and good (and fairly realistic), though we’ll just have to wait until that rumored holiday launch — or a more unequivocal leak — to see what RIM has up its sleeves.

Next PlayBook to have 10-inch screen, 4G radio, and white color option? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 11:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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uBeam wireless power startup shows prototype at D9 (video hands-on)

As seems to be the case each year, one or two stars show up to demonstrate new technology here at the All Things D ‘Science Fair,’ and it just so happens that a pair from the University of Pennsylvania are soaking up the limelight this go ’round. uBeam’s the company, and based on what we saw at D9, we’re guessing that you’ll be hearing an awful lot more from the duo in the coming months. The company’s mission is to provide wireless power — hardly a new concept, but it’s all sorts of refreshing to see what’s often thought of as a pipe dream get an injection of reality. The outfit is literally comprised of two people for the moment, with the prototype shown here concocted just a few weeks ago.

The goal? To get uBeam transmitters installed in as many locales as possible, and then to hit critical mass from a device standpoint. Imagine walking into a restaurant with uBeam transmitters in the ceiling, and watching your handset magically recharge as you await your appetizer. Granted, the outfit’s a long way from that — its first product will be a small charging puck that’ll connect to a bevy of USB devices. That’ll pair with an enterprise or consumer-level transmitter, a device that will ideally be situated in a ceiling. For now, things are strictly line-of-sight, but the shipping system will be able to detect a uBeam puck in the room and charge it if it’s anywhere within a 20 to 30 foot radius. We’re told that the consumer version will be suitable for piping power to just a handful of devices, whereas the enterprise build will be able to juice up an undisclosed amount more. Care to learn more? Head on past the break.

Gallery: uBeam wireless power demonstration hands-on at D9

Continue reading uBeam wireless power startup shows prototype at D9 (video hands-on)

uBeam wireless power startup shows prototype at D9 (video hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Next-gen PlayBook to have 10-inch screen, 4G radio, and white color option?

A 10-inch followup to the BlackBerry PlayBook seemed inevitable and indeed, tidbits about a rumored larger-screen version are starting to flow fast and furious. N4BB, which recently managed to spy the 9900 before it was unveiled, is citing anonymous sources who claim it will have a thinner bezel, a SIM card slot, a white color option, and, like the soon-to-be upgraded 7-inch version, 4G / WiFi connectivity. What’s more, these sources assure us this new PlayBook will have native email and calendar apps and be able to connect to BlackBerry Enterprise Server without the help of BlackBerry Bridge — a confounding quirk on the current model. That’s all well and good (and fairly realistic), though we’ll just have to wait until that rumored holiday launch — or a more unequivocal leak — to see what RIM has up its sleeves.

Next-gen PlayBook to have 10-inch screen, 4G radio, and white color option? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 11:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mitsubishi creates giant OLED globe for Tokyo’s museum-goers, cloud gazers

This year, Tokyo’s National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation is celebrating its 10th anniversary — a milestone that Mitsubishi is commemorating with a giant OLED globe. Comprised of over 10,000 Diamond Vision OLEDs (each measuring 96 x 96mm), the six-meter ‘Geo-Cosmos’ installation will hang about 18 feet above the museum floor, where it will beam clouds and other satellite images at a resolution of 10 million pixels. It may not be the first curved OLED we’ve seen from Mitsubishi, but it’s the first that could double as a pretty sick disco ball. The globe will be unveiled on June 11th, but you can head past the break for the full PR, as well as an image of the beast while it was under construction.

Continue reading Mitsubishi creates giant OLED globe for Tokyo’s museum-goers, cloud gazers

Mitsubishi creates giant OLED globe for Tokyo’s museum-goers, cloud gazers originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 10:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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