At this rate, LG isn’t gonna have any secrets left about the Arena KM900 when it takes the stage for its Mobile World Congress press conference on Monday. The company’s released a few more snippets via its Korean site, chief among them being multitouch capabilities for image and web page zooming. Other details include a dedicated multimedia chip and designations for each of the four sides of the interface’s 3D cube: phone, widgets, shortcuts, and multimedia. One of our favorite lines, which is almost certainly made funnier by the machine translation, is that this UI is the culmination of 100 years of interface research. We’ll have more on the KM900 — assuming they don’t reveal everything before then — next week in Barcelona.

[Via Unwired View]

Filed under: Cellphones

LG Arena KM900 hangs onto limelight, reveals multitouch capabilities originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 14:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While we’ve gotta wait until Barcelona to see Samsung’s Ultra Touch S8300 slider for ourselves, a handful of outlets have already played around with a preview unit, complete with the TouchWiz UI makeover. It’s not the slimmest of touch phones, measuring 110 x 51.5 x 12.7 mm, but props are given to the 8 megapixel camera and OLED touchscreen, unsurprisingly, as well as the simple drag-and-drop widget menu and three separate home screens for micro-app organization. Other than some of the icon graphics and the aforementioned menu updates, the UI is largely unchanged from its previous form. The lack of WiFi is gonna ruffle a few feathers, but the HSDPA will probably assuage some of that pain. Hit up the read links for impressions and video — with any luck, we’ll be getting our own hands-on time at next week’s Mobile World Congress.

Read - Mobile-review
Read - GSMArena
Read - Stuff.tv’s

Filed under: Cellphones

Samsung S8300 and updated TouchWiz UI previewed originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 20:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Cellphones

Samsung’s TouchWiz UI getting a MWC makeover originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 04:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rather than waiting for the KM900 to get lost amongst hundreds of other handsets set to vie for attention at Mobile World Congress, LG has decided it best to go ahead and make its newest touchscreen handset official a few days early. The so-called Arena, which will take the crown as LG’s “flagship phone for 2009,” is hoping to wow onlookers with its dynamic 3D S-Class user interface. According to Dr. Skott Ahn, president and CEO of LG Mobile: “The direct, intuitive and dynamic S-Class UI will be unlike anything that has appeared on a mobile phone before.” We’re not quite sure we believe all that just yet, but there’s little doubt this bugger will be keen on multimedia. Other specs include integrated Dolby / DivX technology, support for HSDPA 7.2Mbps, WiFi, Assisted GPS and “far more” amenities that should be uncovered in Barcelona. Excited yet?

[Via UnwiredView, thanks Staska]

Filed under: Cellphones

LG Arena (KM900) pops official, brings along 3D S-Class UI originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Feb 2009 10:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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See that? That’s what could be on your netbook later this year. Out of nowhere, one Tariq Krim has crafted the Jolicloud operating system, which is an OS designed specifically for those miniaturized laptops that rely on underpowered CPUs and less RAM than any PC should be booted up with. In essence, Jolicloud is a modified flavor of Linux that promises faster boot times than other alternatives, and judging by the shot above, it’s pretty heavily reliant on icon-based navigation. Hit the read link to keep tabs on its release date.

[Via Engadget German]

Filed under: Laptops

Jolicloud: the OS your netbook has been screaming for originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 25 Jan 2009 03:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Video: Sexy Eee PC Touch UI demonstrated

Filed under: Laptops, Tablet PCs

Video: Sexy Eee PC Touch UI demonstrated originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Jan 2009 05:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s pretty clear by watching the demonstration video (which is lurking in the read link, just so you know) that this stuff is still pretty preliminary, but we could definitely see it going places with the right people behind it. The Interface Database Concept was dreamed up by Alan Sien Wei Hshieh, and by utilizing a relatively simple set of Javascripts, he was able to overcome traditional platform incompatibilities that can so often hamstring medical hardware / software in day-to-day usage. The creation aims to enable “seamless and intuitive data transfer” and to “define a set of gesture and multitouch commands that will override controls and input devices that may be difficult to use on medical devices.” The aforementioned vid shows off gesture-based transfers and even an accelerometer-based cross-platform transfer, both of which make you forget that we’re just talking about X-rays and blood tests.

[Thanks, Kara]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Conceptual interface brings gesture-based data transfers to medical realm originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Jan 2009 09:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We greeted the promising Pasen REI-16 with lots of skepticism, and truthfully, this thing still has some work to do to shake the dreadful shackles of the Pasen brand that we’ve always known. However, the video hosted up after the break does a fairly awesome job of proving that the firm’s new owners are serious about producing quality kit. The unit demonstrated is described as an “almost final sample,” and so far, we’re really digging the interface. Everything looks satisfactorily intuitive, and on the real, we actually caught a whiff of envy watching those thumbs go to town. Don’t let us down, Pasen — we think you’ve got a winner on your hands here.

[Via B4Tech Blog]

Continue reading Pasen’s REI-16 PMP gets examined on video

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Pasen’s REI-16 PMP gets examined on video originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 21 Dec 2008 09:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cowon’s 16GB S9 may have just started shipping out yesterday, but we just acquired one of the 8GB models a day before it’s expected to hit the rest of America. We’re planning on spending a little time with this critter to give you our thoughts, but for now, we figured we’d let you toy around in the gallery below to get acquainted. Our first impression upon cracking open the box was along the lines of “wow, this thing is small… and light!” Maybe that zoomed in press shot we’ve been drooling over had our proportions all jacked up, but needless to say you won’t have a tough time fitting this one in your right front pocket. Check out the images below for an unboxing and UI walkthrough that’ll surely bring copious amounts of joy into your life.

Update: Full specifications list now posted after the break for easy reference.

Continue reading Cowon S9 PMP unboxing and hands-on

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Cowon S9 PMP unboxing and hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Dec 2008 12:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Cellphones

On Friday, ASUS announced its latest entry into the highly competitive and exciting world of tweaked Windows Mobile phones, with the introduction of the P552w. The full-touchscreen device boasts a speedy 624MHz CPU, a 240 x 320 QVGA display, HSDPA / UMTS radios, 802.11b/g WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth 2.0 (with A2DP), 256MB of flash memory, 128MB of DDR, plus support for microSD / SDHC cards. What’s really of note, however, is the inclusion of a skinned UI utilizing a technology called “Gester,” which is controlled via slides of the finger, pinching, and flicks (think HTC’s TouchFlo). The company is tacking on a few pieces of proprietary software as well, such as “EziPhoto” and “EziMusic,” and claims that the device has “seamless Google integration.” Clearly ASUS has backed away from that 3D interface we saw at Mobile World Congress this year, though we suspect the new UI — dubbed “Glide” — bears more than a passing resemblance to it. No word yet on release dates or prices, but you’ll know when we do.

[Via Electronista]

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Filed under: Cellphones

After what feels like centuries of waiting (and suffering through that painful CeBIT demo), we finally get to see the Meizu M8’s OS in action… and it’s not as bad as you think. Sure, the interface is totally derivative of the iPhone, and there is that pesky cursor floating around, but all-in-all it looks like the company has managed to knock out a decent — if incredibly familiar — UI for its long-delayed phone. Still, there’s some low rent hilarity in this video. Our favorites? The smattering of soft porn pictures and video, and Meizu CEO and all-around bon vivant Jack Wong revealed in a reflection… wearing a face mask! Don’t believe it? Check the clip after the break (and freeze frame of Mr. Wong).

[Thanks, Patrick P.]

Continue reading A functional Meizu M8 UI, CEO Jack Wong finally caught on video

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Filed under: Transportation

Your retinas have been treated to plenty of external shots of Tesla’s Roadster, but have you ever stopped to wonder what kind of excitement sat just southwest of the steering wheel? CNET’s UK branch managed to get their camcorder within a Roadster parked on display over in Britain, and what they found was a rather robust interface that enables owners to get all sorts of involved with how and when the car charges. The representative did note that typical navigation functions were controlled via the JVC head unit, but the small panel just under the gauges enables motorists to control a number of aspects in relation to charging. There’s even a guide that explains which choices are cheaper and more beneficial for the long-term life of the battery. Have a look at the video in the read link.

[Via Digg]

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Teclast’s M26 seemed vaguely more interesting than the dozens of other garbage, status-quo portable media devices that get pumped out of Chinese factories on a weekly basis — and now we need not spend any more time wondering just where they got their design, um, inspiration. At least Meizu’s M8 sexed it up a little — this take is just a bit depressing.

[Via thegadgetsite]

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Filed under: Laptops

We know he’s just thinking about the children but damn, if Walter Bender’s latest move doesn’t smack of retribution for Negroponte’s XP-lust. Having successfully spun himself out from under NickNeg’s OLPC, Bender’s UI now owned by his non-profit Sugar Labs might just end up on Intel’s Classmate PC. Right, the same competing platform the OLPC camp had lambasted, repeatedly, for its “shameless” and “half-hearted” behavior in the educational marketplace. Nevertheless, Bender is quoted in an interview saying, “A community volunteer is working with Intel on Sugar for the Classmate PC. Sugar Labs helped to expedite the relationship.” We assume Bender’s loftier goals act as a lithium-salve to what must be a palpable internal turmoil.

P.S. That’s our mockup, Intel declined to comment on the usage of Sugar.

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Filed under: Cellphones

In the latest of what’s becoming a long history of tweaks to the Meizu M8 interface, Meizu CEO Jack Wong unleashed some new shots of the upcoming UI to his adoring fans. The new interface is designed by eico design — who have also worked with Google, Lenovo, and Philips — and looks to have a visually-satisfying sparkle animation for selected items (unless the battery above is just leaking). Another addition appears to be LED-styled status updates to applications, like number of missed calls and unread messages. Until we see this all in motion, though, we’ll quietly speculate and hope the pretty pictures are real.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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Filed under: Cellphones

Samsung’s been getting pretty creative with cell cameras lately — the Instinct lets you pan around web pages by tracking movement with the camera, for example — but the company’s latest patent application, for a gesture-based phone interface, might be a little less practical. The idea is to use the phone’s camera to track your hand movements, which, from the drawings, should have you looking insane on the subway in no time. Of course, we’ve all been guilty of waving at and even talking to our devices when they’re acting up, so maybe a little feedback wouldn’t be a bad thing — there’s one gesture we’d definitely like to see programmed in there.

[Via Textually.org]

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Filed under: Digital Cameras

Samsung and pretty much everyone else is taking a long hard look at their clumsy UIs as consumer electronics continue to commodify. We’ve certainly seen that demonstrated with striking effect with the Samsung F480’s unfortunately named TouchWiz interface. Now take a look at the UI for Samsung’s NV24HD. Besides shooting 720p video, this 10.2 megapixel shooter with 24-mm ultra-wide angle lens features a series of touch-sensitive buttons surrounding a brilliant 2.5-inch AMOLED display. An interesting twist on the lifeless touch-screens we’ve seen on other cameras. However, it does so at the expense of screen size on a crowded back panel. Still, we’re a bit smitten by the user experience which we quickly got the hang of. See for yourself in the video after the break.

Continue reading Video: Hands-on Samsung’s 10 megapixel / 720p NV24HD shooter

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Filed under: Cellphones

Now, we know the official story on the CeBIT Meizu shutdown was related to MP3 codec licensing, and not the M8’s iPhone-like UI. Still, it does seem strangely fortuitous that more pictures of the phone’s interface have just appeared that seem to showcase a move away from Apple’s familiar look. The Chinese site CNMO has new shots of the device’s music player, which now appears to incorporate song info, EQ display, lyrics, and volume / tracking controls all on one screen. The pictures also show a couple of different music browsing options, both in landscape and portrait mode. Is this a signal that the company is putting some distance between the M8 and the iPhone? Only time will tell.

[Via PMP Today]

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Filed under: Cellphones

If you’ve seen our shots of Samsung’s Armani redo, the F480, you might have noticed it’s running a new OS. The UI — called TouchWiz — is based off of the company’s Croix interface (which apparently was rushed out to compete with the iPhone), and will be used on all of the upcoming finger-touch phones from the manufacturer. The cats over at Phone Scoop had a chance to go one-on-one with TouchWiz at Mobile World Congress, and they’ve put together a pretty informative video that shows off the UI doing its thing. The inclusion of a new widget system, expanded menu options, and overall speed bump make this OS a notable step up from Samsung’s previous offering. Take a look at the video after the break to see the system getting all funky-fresh.

[Thanks, Martijn]

Continue reading Samsung’s new TouchWiz UI gets previewed on video

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Filed under: Cellphones, Features

Here it is folks, the latest and greatest that Google has to offer — the new Android SDK. As you can see, they’ve made some major cosmetic changes, as well as added some functionality. Why tell you about when we can show you, though? Take a look at the gallery below and see it all for yourself.

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