project-natal

NEWS: LG next-gen Chocolate slider identified

Jul 17

Mysterious phone gets standalone snaps
LG next-gen Chocolate slider identified 0

LG’s next-gen Chocolate phone has been leaked in video and images, the latter of which also showed a mysterious mini-me style slider.

Now that slider has hit the leaked image spotlight with some photos of its own posted to a German site.

While the elongated Black Label series Chocolate touchscreen device appears to be the high profile launch confirmed by LG, it seems this handset will be the direct follow up to the last Chocolate phone.

With a touch pad and red glowing navigation buttons, the red keypad slides out to open. It’s thought to offer a 5-megapixel camera.

We’ll bring you more news on this, and the other coming-soon Chocolate device, as soon as we have it.

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NEWS: Microsoft working on Project Natal for Windows

Jul 17

Laptop News

Bill Gates: "Pretty exciting"
Microsoft working on Project Natal for Windows 0

It’s been revealed that Microsoft is looking at extending its coming-soon motion controlling Project Natal system to PCs as well as the Xbox platform.

According to none other than Microsoft’s Bill Gates, the company is considering such camera-based controls for a future version of its Windows operating system.

Talking about future tech, Gates said: “I’d say a cool example of that, that you’ll see… in a little over a year, is this (depth) camera thing”.

Stating it was not just for game, Gates explained: “but for media consumption as a whole, and even if they connect it up to Windows PCs for interacting in terms of meetings, and collaboration, and communication”.

“Both the Xbox guys and the Windows guys latched onto that and now even since they latched onto it the idea of how it can be used in the office is getting much more concrete, and is pretty exciting”.

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NEWS: Sony patents everyday objects as game controllers

Jul 3

Laptop News

Natal-like plans see any 3D item scanned for use in-game
Sony patents everyday object as game controllers 0

A Sony patent could point to more motion controlled gaming than just the wand-based system the company has currently demoed.

Sharing a fair bit in common with Microsoft’s Project Natal motion control system, the recently-revealed patent sees Sony gamers using ordinary, everyday objects as in-game game controllers.

The patent describes a way in which a camera can dynamically map any real-word object for use in a video game.

The patent blurb refers to “items such as coffee mugs, drinking glasses, books, bottles, etc”, but in theory would see any three dimensional object able to be used.

Players would “show” the object to the cameras, rotate it, and save a profile of it for use in a game.

This description seems very similar to how Microsoft’s Project Natal system appeared to scan and save a skateboard in the company’s official promo video.

We will keep you posted with Sony motion control and Microsoft Project Natal news as we have it.

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NEWS: Microsoft gets confused, denies new console

Jun 19

Laptop News

Microsoft gets confused? Spokesman denies new console 0 Project Natal will ship alone

Despite Steve Ballmer being quoted by numerous sources as saying that "a new Xbox 360 will hit the store shelves in 2010", Microsoft’s Director of Product Management for Xbox 360 and Xbox Live Aaron Greenberg has come out saying "there will be no console".
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Read Microsoft gets confused, denies new console on Pocket-lint now

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