Kinect app that turns any surface into a touchscreen now available, starts at $149

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/15/kinect-ubi-software-touchscreen/

With several companies developing technologies that can turn any surface into a touchscreen, it should be widely available soon. Those who want to try it out before it's cool, however, should look towards Ubi Interactive's software that combines the talents of Microsoft's Kinect for Windows sensor and a projector. So long as the software's installed on a Windows 8 computer, the sensor tracks and detects movements users make on the projected image. Interactions are the same as any tablet or smartphone, including launching icons by tapping on them and expanding areas with pinch-to-zoom. Merely a concept in 2012, the software is now available on Ubi's website with prices ranging from $149 to $1,499, depending on the display size and the type of customer support. Sounds like even an Average Joe can nab one, assuming they already have a projector and one of Microsoft's $250 motion / voice detectors.

Filed under: Misc, Microsoft

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Via: CNET

Source: Kinect for Windows, Ubi Interactive

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Researchers develop energy saving smart window that filters out heat and / or light

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/15/smart-window-nanocrystals/

In the heat of summer, either you shut the windows and crank up the AC, or pull down the blinds and stumble around in the gloom. At least, that was the case. A team at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has developed a new smart window that lets people choose what they want to let into their home, filtering out visible light, near-infra-red light, or both. Using a thin layer of nanocrystals that change state when electricity is passed through, will enable people to save on home energy bills by keeping the bulk of the Sun's heat out of the home without sacrificing the natural light. Now all we have to do is hook this up with one of Samsung's touchscreen windows and we'll never have to leave home again.

Filed under: Science, Alt

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Via: PhysOrg

Source: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

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Audi teases 700HP hybrid Quattro Sport e-Tron Concept, A8 Matrix LED lighting

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/15/audi-quattro-sport-etron-hybrid-a8-matrix-led/

We're still a few weeks out from this year's Frankfurt Motor Show, but that hasn't stopped Audi from showing off concept sketches of its hybrid supercar, the Quattro Sport E-Tron. According to Autoblog, the car will debut at the show sporting a twin-turbo V8 is similar to what's found in the company's RS6, but it has an electric motor bolted on to help it hit 700HP and a 200MPH-plus top speed. Being that it's a hybrid, you can operate solely on battery power, but for only 21.7 miles at a time -- so, if you're looking for something with a little more range, we have a few practical suggestions.

Now for news on a model we might be able to actually afford, the A8. Prior to the 2015 model's unveiling, Audi is teasing a few features ahead of time. The A8's exterior lighting got a massive upgrade with the Matrix LED headlamp system, which can auto-dim or shut the highbeams down entirely thanks to a camera that senses other vehicles. Audi didn't neglect the tail lights, either. The turn signals on the luxury sedan now sports 24 LEDs that illuminate sequentially in the direction of the turn, from the inside out. For more info, you'll have to dive into the press release below or check out the model's coming out party on August 21st, right here.

Filed under: Transportation

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Via: Autoblog (1), (2)

Source: Fortitude

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Haptix wants to turn every surface into a multi-touch controller

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/14/haptix/

Motion-based PC interfaces are all the rage, thanks to Microsoft's Kinect and the folks at Leap Motion. San Francisco-based Haptix is sure it's got a better solution than the rest, but it needs a healthy $100,000 to get there. The company's got a Kickstarter page going for its self-titled peripheral that can be clipped to a device or placed on a table to offer up both a 3D sensing layer in the air and a multi-touch layer on a flat surface. The dual layers give you more ways to interact with your device, and a chance to rest your palm on the table, when the whole reaching out thing proves too tiring. In the Kickstarter pitch video below, you'll also see a Haptix picking up brushstrokes, which could certainly have some cool implications for artists.

Filed under: Peripherals

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Source: Kickstarter

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How Prescription Drugs Get Such Weird Names

Source: http://gizmodo.com/how-prescription-drugs-get-such-weird-names-1132759044

Prescription pharmaceuticals tend to have some pretty weird and wonderful names: Bremabecestat, Vepoloxamer, Nexbolizumab, Orilotimod. They sound more like characters from sci-fi films than something you'd want to ingest. So where the hell do they come from?

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