A New way to communicate

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  How it works

  Gmail Motion uses your computer’s built-in webcam and Google’s patented spatial tracking technology to detect your movements and translate them into meaningful characters and commands. Movements are designed to be simple and intuitive for people of all skill levels.

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  Motion Guide

  Familiarize yourself with some of the basic functionality of Gmail Motion using this printable guide of sample gestures. With it, you’ll be able to start writing and responding to emails – with your body – in no time.

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  Safety precautions

  Using Gmail Motion is not only safe but also healthy and fun. As with any physical activity, certain precautions are recommended. First, make sure to clear the area around you. Second, try to take short breaks every 30-40 minutes, just as you would if you were typing. And finally, take time to stretch after each session to give the muscles you’ll be using some relief.

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  Coming soon to Google Docs

  This new motion detection technology doesn’t stop with Gmail. We’re excited to announce that Google Docs Motion will be coming later this year. Learn more

Microsoft’s Surface, aka the product you’ll never be able to buy, has been unveiled in all its next-gen glory at CES. What was once a gargantuan box, costing upwards of $10,000 apiece, is now essentially a giant tablet, and only 4 inches thick. Not only that, but unlike the original Surface which only allowed for multiple single points of touch (“multitouch”), the 2nd generation has infrared “pixel sense” detection in every pixel. What does this mean? Well I’m here to tell you! The screen of the device now has the ability to image your entire hand in all its greasy glory, instead of merely your fingerprints. The amazing part of the demo at CES showed that if you place a piece of paper with writing on the screen, the sensor lets you “scan” the contents of that piece of paper. Amazing! Unfortunately, this technology can only be scaled down to 24 inch screens, so its pretty much guaranteed that this Surface technology and UI will stay in its table-style form factor.

Now that the Surface’s technology has been lightened (and thus, more portable), do any new applications or uses for it arise? What would you use it for? Since it will likely continue to be purchased by the usual clientele of hotels and casinos, even though Microsoft announced it will be cheaper than the original Surface, how do you suggest they implement it in their services? Could you see one of these replacing the usual desk in every hotel room? Maybe these could be used as secure gambling tabels in every guests hotel room? What do you think? Sound off in the comments!

And check out the Surface 2′s promo video below!

Click here to view the embedded video.

The 404 343: Where we’re so Liz Money we don’t even know it ( Check out Podcast below)

Star of The Gagdet 411′s “The Money Shot” Web show, Liz Money, joins us in the studio today to talk about the gadgets she’s currently obsessed with. Liz is in town from New Orleans (see Nawlins) and was nice enough to stop by the 404 studio for some good, clean fun.

That wholesome fun ends when we get into a story about a recent Trojan outbreak in the office that, while seemingly benign, spread like wildfire. Liz helps gets the message across: it’s always best to use antivirus protection.

Next it’s on to Ron Howard’s new film “Angels & Demons”. We chat about how the book will probably still be better than the movie, but that it’s pretty much guaranteed to be better than “The DaVinci Code.”

Finally, we quickly touch on the fate of Duke Nukem Forever, a game stuck in the development process for just over an entire decade. Then we get Jeff’s quick take on SlingPlayer Mobile for the iPhone and iPod Touch

From The 404

Click Here for the PODCAST MP3 DOWNLOAD!

TheGadget411.com reviews LG VERSA On The Money Shot from TheGadget411 on Vimeo.

@lizmoney on twitter reviews the LG Versa and the Gaming Extension. Also she tell of the Giveaway that thegadget411.com is hosting .

Check us out shoot us a email. liz@thegadget411.com twitter.com/lizmoney twitter.com/TheGadget411 Correction: Thanks to verizon wireless for this review!

Press Release:

Pure Digital Technologies, Inc. – the maker of the acclaimed Flip Video family of camcorders – today announced the second generation of its Flip Ultra line, America’s number-one selling camcorder since its debut in 2007. Now available in both high-definition and standard-resolution models, the new line offers everyday consumers the easiest and most affordable way to capture and share high-quality video. The new Flip Ultra and Flip UltraHD feature two hours of recording time, a large high-resolution two-inch screen, and convenient battery recharging through the built-in USB arm.

“The original Flip Ultra changed the way the world captures and shares video by making it easy, accessible, and, most of all, fun,” said Jonathan Kaplan, chairperson and CEO of Pure Digital. “Our new Flip UltraHD takes this to the next level by making it incredibly simple and affordable for anyone to capture and share hours of video in stunning HD.”

The new Flip Ultra and UltraHD camcorders set a new standard for convenient and affordable video capture. Both new models offer a full two hours of recording capacity, a bright two-inch transflective screen for no-glare viewing even in direct sunlight, and an innovative AA rechargeable battery pack that can be conveniently recharged through the camera’s built-in USB arm. The Flip Ultra is priced at just $149.99, while the Flip UltraHD sells for $199.99.

Like all Flip Video camcorders, the new Ultra line is pre-loaded with FlipShareâ„¢, the on-board software that leads consumers seamlessly through the process of organizing, editing and sharing videos. Consumers simply plug the built-in USB arm directly into any Mac or PC to begin sharing their videos immediately.

The second generation Flip Ultra camcorder promises to build on the success of the Flip Video family, which has sold more than 2 million camcorders since first introduced less than two years ago. The Flip Ultra continues its reign as the number-one selling camcorder in the U.S., while the Flip MinoHD, launched last November, is currently the top-selling HD camcorder in the country, both according to first quarter 2009 rankings from leading market research firm The NPD Group.

Flip UltraHD Camcorder Features:

SRP: $199.99
Colors: Black, White (with chrome trim)
Video Resolution: High Definition, 1280 x 720
Records: 2 hours (8 GB built-in memory)
Screen: 2 inch – transflective (anti-glare)
Batteries: 2 x AA (rechargeable AA battery pack included)
TV Output: Widescreen with HDMIâ„¢ output
Zoom: 2 x Digital
Flip Ultra Camcorder Features:

SRP: $149
Colors: Black, White, Yellow and Pink
Video Resolution: 640 x 480
Records: 2 hours (4GB built-in memory)
Screen: 2 inch – transflective (anti-glare)
Batteries: 2 x AA (optional rechargeable AA battery pack sold separately)
TV Output: SD Composite Video
Zoom: 2 x Digital
About Pure Digital Technologies, Inc.
Based in San Francisco, Pure Digital Technologies, Inc., is a pioneer in developing simple, affordable digital imaging solutions for the mass market. Its revolutionary Flip Video family of camcorders ignited a new category of video cameras that puts the power to shoot and share video into the pockets of everyday consumers. Flip Video camcorders are the world’s first with on-board software to enable editing, organizing, and seamless video uploading to YouTube™, MySpace™ and other video-sharing sites. As part of the Flip Video Spotlight program, the company pledged to deliver one million camcorders to help nonprofits use the power of video to change the world. Flip Video camcorders are available in over 10,000 retail locations including Amazon, Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, Sears, and Kmart, and TheFlip.com. Flip Video products are also available in Canada and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.TheFlip.com.

Samsung has felt it’s time to make a 32GB Yepp P3 available as well. No firmware updates in time of this announcement like with the S9. Price for this high-capacity Samsung player is around $290 when converted. No release date has been announced. Makes me wonder when the cheaper brands will adopt the 32GB capacity in their line ups. It won’t hurt for a basic MP4 player to have enough capacity to play all those video codecs they ordinarily support, and a price that’s consistent–say, $150-ish–with what we expect of them, of course

Thanks to PMPtoday for this one!

Bluetooth 3.0 will be unveiled on April 21, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group says. The new specification achieves faster speeds with Wi-Fi (802.11n) technology while development of ultra-wideband development continues. Bluetooth 3.0 will be compared to the upcoming USB 3.0 spec, which is expected to be 10 times faster than USB 2.0.

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group said Friday that it will unveil version 3.0 of the Bluetooth wireless specification on April 21. The companies ready to roll out new Bluetooth 3.0 devices will be announced at that time, together with some of the technical details, the industry group said.
In a nutshell, the new high-speed Bluetooth spec will achieve faster link speeds by using the latest Wi-Fi (802.11n) technology. The goal is to enable very fast data transfers of large multimedia files while building on the very low-power  idle modes of Bluetooth.

Users won’t have to connect to a Wi-Fi network to implement high-speed file transfers via Bluetooth. “Transferring an entire music library, a complete DVD, a vacation’s worth of photos, all within seconds at the touch of a button and wirelessly will now be possible,” the group said.

Two for One

The Bluetooth SIG has developed an innovative method of radio substitution that will allow current Bluetooth protocols, profiles, security  and pairings to be used in consumer devices while simultaneously achieving substantially faster speeds through the use of a secondary radio already present in the device.

“On the technical side, I can tell you that it is a Generic Alternate MAC/PHY (AMP) that will enable Bluetooth profiles to take advantage of 802.11 speeds,” a Bluetooth SIG spokesperson said. “The 802.11 Protocol Adaption Layer (PAL) will enable the Generic AMP feature to be used with an 802.11 radio.”

The association’s two-pronged design neatly addresses the issue of backward compatibility by taking a classic Bluetooth connection “and allowing it to jump on top of the already present 802.11 radio, when necessary, to send bulky entertainment data faster,” Bluetooth SIG Executive Director Michael Foley said last year. “When the speed of 802.11 is overkill, the connection returns to normal operation on a Bluetooth radio for optimal power management and performance .”

Though speed is perhaps the coolest part of 3.0, there’s also good news for wireless headset and handset users. Bluetooth 3.0 will feature Enhanced Power Control, which reduces the incidence of disconnects caused by movement such as placing a phone in a pocket or purse, the group said.

The Ultimate Goal

Bluetooth 3.0 inevitably will be compared to the forthcoming USB 3.0 spec for use in next-generation PCs and digital media devices, beginning next year. USB 3.0 is being designed to achieve a 10 times boost in bandwidth throughput in comparison with present-day USB 2.0, while simultaneously improving the energy  efficiency of the data transfers.

In other words, if it takes 10 minutes today to load up an Apple iPod with a wide selection of multimedia tracks, it would only take 60 seconds over a USB 3.0 connection, according to Intel .

The ultimate goal of the Bluetooth SIG is to produce a Bluetooth standard featuring speeds of up to 480 Mbps, which would allow it to be favorably compared to the USB 3.0 spec. In 2006, the Bluetooth SIG tapped the WiMedia Alliance brand of ultra-wideband (UWB) technology to serve as a high-speed channel for Bluetooth. However, the Bluetooth SIG intends to make immediate use of currently available 802.11 technology even as development work on UWB continues.

“We’re committed to speedy wireless personal area network connections, and we’ll always be looking for the best near-term and long-term way to accomplish that,” Foley said. “The greatness of a generic alternate radio architecture being developed is that it’s adaptable.”

 

 Thanks to Mobile Tech Today

The SideKick 2009 (SideKick Blade), rumored to be available from May 13th, has just got FCC approval now. The Sharp PV300 is the internal model number from Sharp. It has also approved with T-Mobile 3G wireless band. The first leaked live photos of the new SideKick was available in Feb this year, it will come with a 3.2 megapixel camera, 3.2-inch WVGA screen and microSD card slot.

 

-Thanks to Kim Poh Liaw of slashphone

It may have been St. Patty’s day but in the tech world, it was iPhone OS 3.0 day. Coming on the last day of South By Southwest’s Interactive week, Apple announced what would be included in their next iPhone update. The hype machine was in full effect in the days preceding this announcement. We knew that there would be some good stuff coming – we talked about MMS and tethering in the latest Money Shot, my homie Chris Pirillo wanted a search function, and Kevin Rose of Diggnation predicted cut n paste.

When it was all said and done, Apple touted over 100 features to be included in the update.

Here’s the Deets:

• Cut Copy and Paste. W00t! Apple may have taken it’s time, but they definitely did it well – it works across all apps, and, in cute Apple fashion: you shake it to undo. Hee.
• MMS! W00t W00t! Finally, you can send peeps pics via SMS. I guess I owe a lot of peeps pictures now. No more teasing them about phone cam pics I’d send them if they could get them. Also you can send contacts, audio and locations.
• SMS services: now you can forward and delete your text messages.
• Push Technology – get alerted by text, a little badge or by voice.
• Spotlight: search. Just like on their computers, across all apps and even mail that’s still on the server.
• Typing in landscape – across apps. Very Nice.
• Bluetooth connectivity is beefed up. More functionality to connect to more hardware. Johnson and Johnson demoed LifeScan – a diabetes monitor and meal planner app. This is very interesting, and opens up the possibilities of the iPhone being utlized more in the medical field.
• iphones will also be able to communicate to each other via peer-to-peer Bluetooth technology.
• Maps and GPS – more support for turn-by-turn GPS when devs supply their own maps.
• CalDAV- subscribe and share your calendar. Let everyone know what you are up to.
• Stocks app – beefed up and can subscribe to news feeds.
• Stereo Bluetooth support.
• YouTube: login to your account. Subscribe to channels. Like…The Gadget411′s Money Shot.
• VPN on demand. Dope. Virtual Private Network.
• Voice Memo.
• Auto-fill for web forms. Awesome.
• Audio/Video tagging.
• Live video streaming from the web. ESPN did a dope demo streaming some March Madness games.
• Shake to shuffle your songs.
• Wi-Fi auto login.
• Proxy support.
• Parental Controls.
• LDAP support.

Whew. That’s a lot of stuff. In sum, it’s a lot of stuff that frankly, most phones already do. Only Apple can create such fervor of gratitude for stuff that their products should have had in the first place. My favorite tweet from the coverage: @engadget “Applause for a feature that every other device in the world has. Odd.” haha. I found that quite the amusing.

Some fun things were also demoed – LiveFire – a First Person shooter, and  Smule, creators of the Ocarina app brings on Dr. Ge Wang up from Stanford — he directed the Stanford laptop orchestra, to demo the new Trombone Leaf app. Will the iPhone be the next new musical instrument? Will it make being in the high school  band cool? Marching Bluetooth Band.

Now you want it. Yes you do. When can you get it? Summer. Yes, now you have to wait. It’s free for the iPhone, and $10 for the ipod Touch. But if you are a dev, SDK is out and available now. Go Play. Let us know what you think!!

For some live blogging action from the announcement, hit up gdgt.com

In this episode Liz talks about Flash on the iphone, The LG arena,STREET fighter 4