Hey guys,
Why is there no app that uses your front camera and projects a keyboard on the surface of the table? You look at your phones screen and type away on the desk. This would be a pretty cool app. Do you know if there is something like this around?
Thanks
rethan2 said:
Hey guys,
Why is there no app that uses your front camera and projects a keyboard on the surface of the table? You look at your phones screen and type away on the desk. This would be a pretty cool app. Do you know if there is something like this around?
Thanks
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Click to collapse
It's a little difficult to hold your phone and type at the same time.. you'd need a stand which would kind of get in your way.
There's tech out there with eye tracking technology where you could use Holo glasses to type with your eyes although traditional typing is still phenomenally faster. And mouth tracking technology w/ face cam that converts how you move your mouth/tongue to text might be a better tech idea since it could work in any noise level environment and be faster than as fast as most typers can type.
Some day we'll have signal detectors on our heads intercepting directions we think.
But aside from the ergonomic issues, your idea is fun.
Depth sensors
rethan2 said:
Why is there no app that uses your front camera and projects a keyboard on the surface of the table
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Kinect, Touch+, Leap Motion, Nimble Sense, Project Tango, SoftKinetic, Intel RealSense, etc. are all various combinations of hardware and software to detect depth and gestures.
There was also a MIT and Microsoft article about the ability to use infrared LED lights and machine learning techniques to turn a simple single-lens camera into a 3-D one.
technologyreview/com/news/529986/turning-a-regular-smartphone-camera-into-a-3-d-one/
However, at this point, there seems to be a shift to depth cameras, such as the Intel RealSense that is already integrated into laptops.
Time-of-flight (TOF) cameras for point cloud data have more potential,.
It would need to be built into your phone to be cost-effective, and even then, look how pricey Project Tango is right now.
Intel RealSense is in the HP Sprout (has a projector), but it can’t do surface touch yet.
3divi has a "turn a surface into touch surface" prototype Youtube video (youtube/com/watch?v=upGTLrSUa5c ) that uses Kinect, and a Pico projector.
Touch+ was the biggest help last year, as it was only $75 for surface touch, but the people behind it can’t even get the drivers out yet.
Check out Wired’s article on the UI of Magic Leap:
>Magic Leap UI: Totems: cameras on headset could track any piece of material that’s been defined as “mouse.”
>Shows keyboard made from soft rubber that would deform and provide haptic feedback while HMD overlaid images.
>AR system may render virtual computer keyboard on surface of rectangular aluminum
wired/com/2015/01/magic-leaps-vision-for-virtual-reality/
It's like the Optimus Maximum keyboard of 2008, where every keyboard key has an OLED display so that you can remap any key to do whatever you want.
It's like that, except it doesn't cost $2000.
Eye-tracking
TryHardBlueonMac said:
There's tech out there with eye tracking technology where you could use Holo glasses to type with your eyes although traditional typing is still phenomenally faster.
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An Android SDK for eye-tracking was revealed at CES.
dailydot/com/technology/eye-tribe-eye-tracking-android-sdk-ces-2015/
I think that modifying the camera for eye-tracking is cheap, and most likely much cheaper than changing the camera to a depth sensor like in Project Tango.
With surface touch, you still might be looking at the surface some of the time, like in the dual screen HP Sprout.
With eye-tracking, you could have an eye-tracking “select-what-am-looking-at” button.
Look, touch an easy-to-reach “tap-where-I’m-looking” button, look, and then touch the same button again.
You don’t have to keep changing your hand and finger positions between each tap.
For typing:
>Microsoft patents eye-tracking keyboard software
>The idea’s just like swipe-based keyboard software, but instead of tracking the motion of your fingertip, the system tracks eye movement.
pocketnow/com/2014/12/24/eye-tracking-keyboard
Automated lip reading
TryHardBlueonMac said:
And mouth tracking technology w/ face cam that converts how you move your mouth/tongue to text might be a better tech idea since it could work in any noise level environment and be faster than as fast as most typers can type.
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It’s a tough problem, but people are working on it:
>“The first problem for automated lip reading is face and lip recognition.
This has improved in leaps and bounds in recent years.
A more difficult challenge is in recognizing, extracting and categorizing the geometric features of the lips during speech.
This is done by measuring the height and width of the lips as well as other features such as the shape of the ellipse bounding the lips, the amount of teeth on view and the redness of the image, which determines the amount of tongue that is visible.
Hassanat’s own visual speech recognition system is remarkably good.
His experiments achieve an average success rate of 76 percent, albeit in carefully controlled conditions.
The success rate is even higher for women because of the absence of beards and mustaches.
All this suggests that there is significant potential for visual speech recognition systems in the future, particularly as an aid to other forms of speech recognition.”
– Ahmad Hassanat at Mu’tah University in Jordan
technologyreview/com/view/530641/the-challenges-and-threats-of-automated-lip-reading/
TryHardBlueonMac said:
Some day we'll have signal detectors on our heads
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EEG
I’ve heard about the Emotiv EEG.
Just a few basic commands that are paired up with other inputs, like eye-tracking, would be useful.
E.g. of some adequate, basic commands:
* 1) open menu of on-screen shortcuts
* 2) select-what-I’m-looking-at (using eye tracker)
* 3) no/back/cancel
What Emotiv offers:
> “In order to provide consistency and a simple range of possible actions, each user profile will contain space for training data for up to 15 different commands, which are internally labelled COMMAND1 to COMMAND15.
With an eye tracker, you probably don’t need that many brain commands if you’re just going to be using the mind for a “Yes,-select-what-I'm-looking-at” or “back” for on-screen, virtual buttons.
Thought functions merely as the switch.
Related
Firstly, I've been following the leaks so far, and so I don't want to hear, oh there won't be a multitouch. The bottom line is, we don't know what the final product will be.
Secondly, it goes without saying, that I support any efforts by MS to incorporate capacitative screens. Currently, there are two known and upcoming solutions to replace the stylus, one an RF pen (a stylus that should work with cap. screens- google it!) and a solution that MS has recently invested in, called something like N-trig.
The purpose of this thread is to discuss, and make content those who are against multitouch if it comes to 6.5, or for that matter, 7.
Now, the main argument against multitouch, is that it is against single-handed usage. Here I will list why that is a moot/null/void argument:
- Using the iPhone as an example firstly (and pretty much throughout but it is not due to me having a liking for it, rather I hate it, but I hope to convey a more profound message), though there is argument over the pinch gesture in Safari (their internet browser), the double-tap to zoom is still available. So, the double-tap that we are used to in Opera, is also in Safari. So one can have it both ways. So, to sum up this point, devs would need to make sure that their programs are made for single handed usage, but that multitouch offers a different (and as some would argue, more enhanced) method of using the phone. So single-handed usage is still there, basically.
- Some games, require pressing of more than one button simultaneously. Now if buttons A, B and C are onscreen and are only viable via touch entry, then we're screwed once again as only one given button can be pressed at one time. If you're a gamer, you will know how big a limitation this is to your phone. It hurts in so many scenarios. If you're not into games, or your games are limited to puzzles: trust me, this is a biggie!
- A similar and relevant point; phones like Touch HD bear the brunt of lacking multitouch, as they don't even have a D-pad for games. So all buttons onscreen (D-pad inclusive) can only be pressed one-at-a-time!
- Whether you like this app or not, it demonstrates that some apps simply cannot do without multitouch. Why put limitations? If you want to argue it is against single-touch usage, then press one button at a time !
- Another app that is somewhat heartwarming . I've used it on an acquaintance's iPhone, and it's nice to swirl two of your fingers through the pond making multiple ripples. Again, just use single touch if you're against double ripples .
- Text entry for those of us that type at lightning speed would be hindered where we are required to press one button right next to the next one in quick succession. Why put this limitation?
- I will add more here onwards if something comes to mind. Maybe. Maybe not.
So all in all, single handed usage can still be there, and MS can enforce this in their SkyStore (app store equivalent), though granted it could be difficult. But most developers would do this, as most do what their customers want, not what I, the dev want.
LASTLY, this is not a WM bashing thread if you think like that, so stop hating! This is for improvements only!
Just to let you know...it's not all M$'s fault..Mostly HTC and the companys that make the devices. Just look at the omnia. It has a capactive touchscreen.
Good Points, and just because WM6.5 has Mutlitouch available doesn't mean devs or phone builders would HAVE to use it.
I'm a big fan of "many options."
Side Note: Moved to General Discussion.
Kraize said:
Just to let you know...it's not all M$'s fault..Mostly HTC and the companys that make the devices. Just look at the omnia. It has a capactive touchscreen.
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Is this truly true ? If so, why doesn't Samsung advertise it as much? Also, doesn't the small buttons become difficult to use?
JimmyMcGee said:
Good Points, and just because WM6.5 has Mutlitouch available doesn't mean devs or phone builders would HAVE to use it.
I'm a big fan of "many options."
Side Note: Moved to General Discussion.
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Click to collapse
This is precisely my point! The only little niggle is that devs should make sure that productivity tools allow single handed usage as well. One way would be to enforce this through the SkyStore. Another would be to let the magic happen itself.
I really want to see what people will say against my strong defence of multitouch. Come on people!
It will raise the cost of the devices (both due to the much more expensive screen AND the need for a special, larger stylus) and create a further layer of incompatibility between WM devices (those with multi-touch and those without).
Surur
surur said:
and create a further layer if incomparability between WM devices (those with multi-touch and those without).
Surur
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Which is why everyone should have to buy a new device when Windows Mobile 7 is released.
Seems people are forgeting WM6.5 is more like Vista, a stop gap before the better OS ie Windows 7
Why WM6.5 does not have mltitouch ?
I will try to answer this question.
The big hardware manifacturers are in the begining of producin multitouch capable phones (you all know that you need multitouch capable digitizer in order to be able to use multitouch). Microsoft communicated with manifacturers and they were not ready with such devices, which is the reason multitouch to be reserved for windows mobile 7.
Seems people are forgeting WM6.5 is more like Vista, a stop gap before the better OS ie Windows 7
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Totally agree
I see no real benefit in multi-touch on small screen. granted, in games with on devices with minimal input buttons, but until device manufactures actually start releasing 3D drivers for the devices the point about gaming isn't of much substance because there will only be mediocre games.
I don't know what the masses want but I see little benefit in it on screens that one can stretch the thumb from bottom left of the device and reach the top right.
I rather draw a counter clockwise circle to zoom and a clockwise to zoom out.
the real benefit is in the screen response, not the multi-touch. aside from gaming, tell me what other real benefit is there? because I don't see it.
Text entry for those of us that type at lightning speed would be hindered where we are required to press one button right next to the next one in quick succession. Why put this limitation?
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I think this depends on the sip you're using and have no reliance on multi-touch capabilities. I see myself as a very fast typist and this is thanks to the sip I'm using.
do this, ask your friend to do this with his iPhone: press 2 keys at the same time while typing the word "Quilts", so your friend would type it like this "Qu" then "il" then "ts" and tell us what's the result. I am pretty curious as to what the results will be. I would ask my girl to do it but she's at work now.
Hello,
I am an Industrial designer and part of implementing a product is some good groundwork. Therefor i am doing research regarding functionalities of current tablets and user needs,
I am hoping to get some inside information on XDA from some veteran tableteers. I consider you guys as early adopters and that is excactly what my target group is
I am working for a client who which uses the keywords; simplify, iconic, bold, rebels. There current portfolio consists of a phone with only one function; calling. The phone is therefor cheap, but it also make a statement 'look how cool i am with this simple phone'.
I want to design the next product for that company, in my case a tablet. To fit the current product portfolio the tablet needs to be as iconic as the phone. So simplifing everything to the basic needs of users, therefor it also makes a statement.
Products which are currently 'on the market' which are some inspiration for me are;
Wacom inkling
Sorry cant post links yet..
Noteslate(not yet on the market)
Sorry cant post links yet..
Boogie board
Sorry cant post links yet..
Part of being iconic and making a statement in my POV is bringing back the blackboard feeling with the squeeky finger due to the chalk. Combining the 'paper feel' with electronics; this is also what the company prefers.
first mock-up(excuse me for the quality)
Sorry cant post links yet..
I think the main feature of this tablet will be notetaking and drawing, including a mail service and maby an agenda. You can add or subtract functions. The focus will therefor be in the business market and perhaps for in class during lectures.
One focus lays on personalizing the tablet. Like you would do know with your paper notebook, making drawings and it feels yours. Where tablets know are being handled with care you are not personally bonding with the device. I am thinking of features where you can add your own gestures for turning on the device (like your autograph) and drawing an envelop around something will automatticaly mail it.
Finally my first questions for you guys (im hoping to asking more in the future);
1. Which functions do you use most on current tablets
2. Will you buy a tablet with these limited amount of functions, and what would you pay
3. If you own an tablet, would you see yourself using it as an personal agenda and notetaker, why and why not?
4. Do you see the monochrone screen as a negative or positive, why would you prefer a colour screen (if outcome was negative)
5. How do you currently personalize a) your tablet and b) your notebook/agenda/phone etc. Outside and inside
6. what size would you prefer?
Any feedback will be welcome, also criticism (constructive) is very welcome.
I am currently just in the research stage, but chances are this product actually hitting the market.
Thanks very much in advance for your time, im hoping for some great feedback!
greets, Kars Rotteveel
Kars.R said:
Finally my first questions for you guys (im hoping to asking more in the future);
1. Which functions do you use most on current tablets
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Click to collapse
Does features count as functions ?
2. Will you buy a tablet with these limited amount of functions, and what would you pay
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Click to collapse
I would pay around $960 for a full-fledged tablet , since I'm 15
3. If you own an tablet, would you see yourself using it as an personal agenda and notetaker, why and why not?
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Click to collapse
There is a possibility that I might use it for note-taking because of its portability
4. Do you see the monochrone screen as a negative or positive, why would you prefer a colour screen (if outcome was negative)
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Click to collapse
What's with the monochrome ? I'd prefer a colour screen because it makes the tablet experience more pleasant .
5. How do you currently personalize a) your tablet and b) your notebook/agenda/phone etc. Outside and inside
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a) Tablet:
-Bigger than 6' but smaller than 15'
-Uses a touchscreen
-Does not have any physical keyboard
-Allows native HSDPA and/or 4G internet access
-Has 2 cameras , one at the back and the other at the front .
-A decent processor of approx. 1Ghz
-A roundy + square-ish look (like the Xoom)
-Physical buttons instead of touch-sensitive buttons
b)Notebook (as in the electronic device):
-Has a processor speed of at least 1.5Ghz
-Has at least 512MB of RAM
-Runs either Windows , Mac , Linux , Ubuntu or Fedora .
-Has USB ports (duhhhhh)
-Allows multiboot
-Has a front-facing webcam .
-Optional touchscreen support with both virtual and physical keyboard + mouse
-The usual notebook design (the flap style)
-Larger than 11' but smaller than 20'
6. what size would you prefer?
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I mentioned that when I answered question 5
Hope that I helped you......
Sorry if I didn't help.....
Forever living in my Galaxy Ace using XDA App
Hello, I am looking into possibilities of Android devices (already existing or coming up in near future) to be used as a replacement for paper + ink signatures. Could this work ?
Here are my main concerns:
1.) Most of the devices nowadays work only with capacitive pens which typically don't have the feel of real pen + ink and also lack the precision which can all result in an altered shape of the signature when compared to paper + ink.
2.) Are there any devices now or in near future that will support pressure recognition ? (E.g. the harder you press the thicker the drawn line)
Since I've seen electronic signature pads in banks and they record actual pixels + the pressure data - the basic idea is if we could do the same on Android device, record pixels (without altering the shape of signature) + record pressure data - it would be as good as what banks use - so in theory it should be strong enough to be used for legal acts (as a full replacement of hand written signature) Or if that's not true then maybe someone with good security knowledge could enlighten me what data would need to be stored (with current state of touchscreen technology it would be good news if e.g. pressure data were not needed after all...).
So far the closest device most suited for this I could find seems to be HTC Flyer but I suspect it doesn't support pressure recognition - is that correct ? Then I also found some rumors about pressure recognition display technology "coming" but it's not obvious to me if it's matter of months or years.
the new Samsung Notes
can do what you want
That looks exciting ! Just to be sure - am I correctly assuming that at the moment there is no Android device on the market that supports pressure recognition / pressure sensitive pens ?
Over the past few years, there seems to have been a collective industry shift - at least in the Android market (and to an extent Windows, which really only broke onto the scene when this movement was underfoot) - to move the navbar from soft capacitive buttons (like those on the HTC One X) to wholly virtual ones (like those popularized by the Nexus series). What I've been wondering is why, and I'm hoping to get some perspective from the XDA community on this.
When everyone except Blackberry moved away from using arrays of physical buttons, three options were left on the table:
Minimal physical button usage
Soft capacitive buttons
Virtual touch buttons
Apple has clearly stuck with (1) largely because it is so core to the iconic iPhone design, but also because it's simple - the same button is used for numerous functions. Samsung's Galaxy S series has blended (1) and (2) - presumably in mimicry of Apple's success, but in different enough of a way to avoid patent lawsuits. The biggest proponent of (3), AFAIK, is the Nexus - and it really has inspired others to follow in its steps.
What I don't understand is why there has been such a strong move from (2) to (3) - and yes, I have done my Googling. But I haven't seen any particularly persuasive arguments or reasons:
Screen real estate - Uh, have you seen a Nexus? I haven't seen any phone that uses exclusively virtual buttons which doesn't have a ridiculous amount of negative space on the bezel where s.c. buttons can be dropped in.
Aesthetically appealing - There's something to be said for the negative-positive space ratio that minimalism relies on, and cutting s.c. buttons changes absolutely nothing about that ratio (see above).
Design consistency - This I understand, but only to an extent. (Disclaimer: No experience doing dev for Android) From a dev perspective, do soft capacitive buttons not provide input the same way the virtual navbar does? From an industry perspective, I can see how it's easier than re-engineering the circuit and layout design every time something as big as that changes - but is it really that important?
Customizability - NOPENOPENOPE. We all know someone that, while wonderful or positively brilliant at what they do, is completely lost when it comes to technology. That is the vast majority of the smartphone market, and therefore the vast majority of the Android market. Granted, power users might have a tendency to gravitate to Android, but playing with ROMs and the like to customize the navbar? We're the 1% when it comes to this, and there's no way that the industry would shift its design perspective solely for this 1%.
So, does anyone have another reason - or perhaps, a rationale for one of the reasons that I've mentioned that explains why I'm wrong?
Hello,
I don't (yet ?) own a PVG100. Therefore, I cannot help with PVG100 hacking.
But I may be of some help nonetheless : I have been (and am still) using a tiny Android phone (Sony-Ericsson Xperia Active, 3 inch screen) for 8 years.
I want to share the best apps I found for small screen Android phones, including PVG100. And I am sure that other folks have good apps to share too !
Please share here !
First, an application that is a must have on all tiny phones. I wouldn't buy a tiny phone that cannot run it.
MessagEase is a VERY different keyboard.
Instead of a myriad of tiny QWERTY keys, it features a small number of big keys.
It is like a numeric keypad, but every key has multiple uses. It depends if you tap it or swipe it or tap-and-hold it.
It takes a few days to get used to it, but when you feel comfortable with it, you wonder how you could use your phone without it.
Try it. Don't drop it after 5 minutes. You will be rewarded.
You can customize letter (and special characters) placement, color, appearance and the size of the keys.
Exideas (the editor of MessagEase) even provides key placements (and word dictionaries) optimized for various languages.
It has a drawback, though : the suggested words are not always the ones you would think of (at least in french). But since you don't make as many typos as with a QWERTY keyboard, suggestions are not as important.
Second, a fully customizable application dedicated to sports (not only biking).
With IpBike, you can select what parameters you want to display, and choose size and placement.
I use it a lot with my phone GPS and an ANT+ heart rate sensor when I hike or run or skate, and with ANT+ cadence & speed sensors on bikes.
If the PVG100 is not ANT+ capable, IpBike is also compatible with Bluetooth sensors.
You can display a map (and follow a GPX trace), record your trip, read graphs on your phone. It is very complete.
Its drawback is that, past 2000 km, you must buy IpBikeKey, a Key program to unlock IpBike.
A small, light and waterproof phone like the PVG100 is well suited for activity monitoring. IpBike is well suited for small (and big) phones.