SpaceNavigator 3D Mouse For Notebooks
In the 1960s the 2D graphical user interface mouse was invented, which allows a computer user to point and click. Nowadays 3D developments are progressing and 3D worlds suggest their future for every user. But the mouse for 2D interaction is no more sufficient for all three dimensions.
Great 3D era is coming and it’s time to change old point and click methods in favor of a 3D mouse, such as the SpaceNavigator for Notebooks by 3D Connexion, which enables the third dimension of movement in depth within 3D space.
What is offered:
- black plastic 3D controller knob
- metal base with two mouse buttons, which have a rubber ring to avoid sliding
- weight (8.9 ounces) for strong feel in hand and comfortable use
- for getting started - Configuration Wizard with demos and animated tutorials
SpaceNavigator has many nuances, so all teaching tools are essential and shouldn’t be neglected. You can zoom in and out, direct, rotate and tilt the virtual surroundings. All complicated movements are combined for quick simultaneous action. Moving through 3D environment is convenient enough, but using on-screen navigation control or simple click and drag use appears to be a little bit sophisticated.
Unfortunately it works with only the following Mac programs:
Photoshop CS2(CS3)/ Acrobat Reader/ VectorWorks/ QuickTime Player/ ArchiCAD/ Maya/ Poser/ Second Life/ TurboSketch/ Blender/ Fledermaus/ Google Earth/ Google SketchUp/ Form-Z/ Geophoto/
But if you are keen on creating drivers yourself, driver software development kit can be downloaded for this purpose.
The SpaceNavigator is designed mostly for navigating in 3D applications and is not implied to replace a standard mouse, but if you use at least one of those compatible programs, the opportunity to relieve the navigation is evident. But we still hope that the range of compatible programs will be expanded, if the developers are going to tame the mouse market.
New Nokia 6212 Classic Handset
Nokia is presenting a classic model of its new handset - the 6212 Classic, showing their devotion to classic models. The model will be with integrated Near Field Communication (NFC), that allows users to interact between various electronic devices.
Nokia 6212 Classic has 3g connectivity, thanks to which users will have the opportunity to share content, access services and information, as well as conducting payments or reserving tickets for planned vacations or business trips.
People will be able to download items like business cards, web links, audio & video files or calendar notes by simple tapping NFC tag. Users are welcome to open applications such as web browser or radio.
Features:
- 2 megapixel camera
- 2 inch QVGA display
- Integrated stereo FM radio
- Audio player with vast format support
- Micro SD memory card slot (4GB is max.)
With new Nokia 6212 Classic people will write and edit their own NFC tags, varying from posting calendar entries to setting the alarm clock. With the purchase three sticker tags will be included for NFC introduction to open.
In spite of classic variant of the model, it will retain all modern features and arouse some interest due to innovative technology at a budget price. Stylish design and convenient interface will not leave the owner indifferent.
Jeremy Belostock, the Head of Near Field Communications of Nokia, claimed that NFC capable cell phones are about to change the way people interact with services and applications in their surroundings. New technology is very easy to use, which is essential, as many services are increasing in number. Nokia is still very competitive nowadays!
For Europe and Asia the sales of the Nokia 6212 Classic will take place in the third quarter of this year, and a retail price is claimed to be 200 EUR before taxes and subsidies.
Power Shirt As A Motion Power Charger
The power of mechanical energy, like wind and river flow produce, was recognized as an alternative electric power source long time ago. In that case every motion can deliver electricity! And every person performs lots of motion daily.
If the power tie is familiar to you, another device is taking advantage as a motion power charger – a power shirt. It generates electricity as a person perform physical motion and can charge small electronic devices for either soldiers, sportsmen and those who are on the move.
Power shirt has a nanogenerator that consists of two fibers as they rub together for producing an electrical current. Garment has many of that fiber pairs covered with zinc oxide wires or alternately with gold, which is enough to produce current flow. This exceptional nanogenerator can be woven into all structures that produce motion, vibration – any mechanical energy (let’s say tents or even curtains).
The way nanogenerator produce energy is quite economical and will convert any cloth into a wearable and flexible power source. One nanogenerator (with two fibers, each one centimeter long) can produce 4 nanoamperes and 4 millivolts.
The product was developed by Zhong Lin Wang, a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology. His team has already made 200 fiber nanogenerators and each was tested properly. They counted that a square meter of fiber-made fabric may generate approximately 80 milliwatts of power. Their next step is to combine lots of fiber pairs to increase current and voltage.
However there is a significant problem – zinc oxide can’t stand moisture! so you would hardly ever wash your power charger. So washing machines should be avoided not to damage nanowires. In fact, no one is protected from the rain, so some extra measures to protect this technology should be taken, otherwise it would be spendthrift to own such an extravagant suit.
Professional Screen Touch Tablets To Become A Good Artist
All those good artistic works make you feel like why not draw something good? But everything you get on outcome is something terrible and not quite artistic. Have you ever considered professional screen touch tablets as the key to becoming a good artist? Yeah, special graphic tablets will make your drawings look professional.
Wacom tablets offer budget-friendly Bamboo series from 79$ to qualitative top-ranking Cintiq line (if you don’t mind to pay, for instance, 2499$). Cintiq 12WX, Cintiq 20WSX and Cintiq 21UX are interactive pens of hi-end generation, which display natural feel with superior performance.
Using computer should be natural and productive. Drawing or writing can be quick and
convenient with using professional screen touch interactive pens. Let’s see its features:
- Draw with a stylus on the tablet
- Tablet translates your pointer’s movements on the screen in the most natural way
- Working eraser on the end of the stylus works to eliminate undesirable movements
- Stylus is pressure-sensitive, so press down and get your thick lines
- Pen accuracy gives highly precise cursor control, the Cintiq Grip Pen boasts 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity
- Good image editing with eraser
- Thorough brush control
- Wide range of effects and filters
- The combinability of all its features is resulted in smooth, responsive on-screen experience compared to real paper writing
- Stylish contoured pen barrel of ia aimed at reducing grasp effort for comfortable use
- The products of Cintiq family possess scratch-resistant surface, with flat edges so it is a great pleasure to hold and glide over
- Adjustable stands angle and rotate the display for distortion-free look
- Activate keyboard shortcuts, scroll, zoom with ExpressKeys™ and the speed of your will be increased effectively.
If you are tired of typing – just write on it, if you want to make an artistic picture – some easy-to-make editable strokes will make it, if you are a graphic professional – use it as the most convenient way to do your job!
Hands Free Interface For Second Life
Second life is a game that became popular for its realism. You can interact, construct stuff, hang around in a virtual world. That is the opportunity to lead your own second life, especially for those who are sick and tired of a day-after-day routine. Now the reality will be increased by producing a new hands-free way to navigate through the game using a 3D camera and sophisticated motion-tracking software system.
Linden Lab is working on new project, that makes it available to interact with Second Life virtual world. Segalen, its codename, makes use of a 3D Webcam, to track user’s body gestures so that to control the environment with no mouse or keyboard – the traditional interface for most games.
In this YouTube video, Second Life creator Mitch Kapor and Philippe Bossut demonstrate the basics of moving in the virtual world without any use of a keyboard or mouse. But this project has been in development just for 3 weeks, so fans have to wait for their opportunity to try this innovation out. They believe that society is ready to move beyond the mouse and keyboard. The problem is that this 3D cameras are still not available on the market. So it’s impossible to buy one for now.
It transfers people’s gestures and posture into a virtual world. The technology can also track mimics and match them on-screen in real time. Like navigating a Segway, this system is steered by leaning from side to side, or front- (back)ward. Some gestures will be for navigating your fly.
So your body is your keyboard, just generate gestures, movements and your hands-free experiment will be more than can be expected from any other game. That’s really a very smart gadget decision. Lots of people would like to join and try it out, even if they dislike the opportunity to be virtualized totally. Still not interested in Second Life?!