Buttons Archive

  • Motorola Droid X first (official) hands-on and unboxing! Update: video!

    Motorola Droid X first (official) hands-on and unboxing! Update: video!

    Posted on June 23, 2010 | No Comments
    Yeah, we kind of already saw this phone, but if you don't tell Motorola and Verizon, we won't. We just got our hands on an official, final Droid X at the NY launch event, and it tastes just as sweet. Here are a few notes:
    • It's built of basically the same material as the Droid, but there's something almost kind of "taut" about the phone, where when you thwack it with a finger it resounds like a drum. The phone vibration seems to work on this same principle, giving it much less of the typical buzz (in the funky, cheap sense) you expect.
    • There are three mics, and in video mode you can select between "scenes" based on which mic you want to use: outward facing for regular shoots, inward facing for narration. The third mic is up top for noise cancellation during calls.
    • Yeah, there's not kickstand, but the EVO 4G really does seem chunky up against the Droid X, and the camera bulge on the latter is not annoying at all.
    • PHYSICAL BUTTONS.
    • You get your choice between Swype and Motorola's multitouch keyboard, which is really pretty great. We were typing at speed within a few seconds of using it.
    • You can tell that the processor is fast, but the UI still has a jerky quality to it -- it's not totally fluid. We'd say that's more of an Android thing, though.
    • The new version of Motoblur is much, much more attractive than before -- the widgets are sleeker, smaller, and less in your face. You can also resize them, and they rearrange themselves somewhat intelligently.
    Update: Video after the break!

    Continue reading Motorola Droid X first (official) hands-on and unboxing! Update: video!

    Motorola Droid X first (official) hands-on and unboxing! Update: video! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Jun 2010 16:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Take control of your Xbox 360 with the X-Link remote

    Take control of your Xbox 360 with the X-Link remote

    Posted on June 17, 2010 | No Comments
    If you're like me, you use your Xbox 360 to watch Netflix and other movies. It's relatively painless, but the controller doesn't exactly make the best remote for watching tv. Enter the X-Link, a universal remote control designed to work with the Xbox 360, as well as hundreds of other devices (since it is a universal remote control after all).

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  • Penthouse “smallest” watch phone is neither the smallest nor related to Penthouse

    Penthouse “smallest” watch phone is neither the smallest nor related to Penthouse

    Posted on May 18, 2010 | No Comments
    This weird monstrosity is the Penthouse watch phone. It’s creators claim that it is the “smallest” watch phone available, which is, as we see, a lie. It’s not even smaller than the crazy Kempler & Strauss W Phone, another good idea gone bad. What’s worse, this has nothing to do with Penthouse, which was my [...]

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  • Apple Patents The Invisible Button

    Apple Patents The Invisible Button

    Posted on April 29, 2010 | No Comments
    One of Apple's famous minimalist design principles is to get rid of buttons whenever possible. With touchscreen devices like the iPhone and iPad, almost all of the buttons appear when needed on the screen. But what about Macbooks with aluminum casings? A new patent application titled "Disappearing Button or Slider" shows that Apple is at least thinking about how to bring elements of touch computing to all devices by replacing buttons and other controls with capacitive controls which appear only when needed. The patent describes a way to create backlit micro-perforated holes on the aluminum casing of a MacBook or other device which could be used for buttons on the lid when the laptop is closed or below the keyboard when it is open. The buttons could serve as simple displays for WiFi signal or battery strength, control playlists and volume for iTunes songs or movies, or even replace the trackpad.

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  • Ford’s Sync AppLink is the missing link between driver and smartphone

    Ford’s Sync AppLink is the missing link between driver and smartphone

    Posted on April 19, 2010 | No Comments
    Ford keeps rolling out updates to its Sync ecosystem, this time giving drivers hands-free control of select BlackBerry and Android apps with AppLink. The system will first be available for the 2011 Ford Fiesta later this year with the upgrade rolling out to all Sync-equipped vehicles next year. While the voice-activated service only works with certain apps, it's still a welcomed addition. It's a bit unsafe trying to control Pandora on a 3-inch screen tethered to the car's radio while navigating I-75.

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  • GameGripper: the snap-on, no-batteries-needed gamepad for your Droid

    GameGripper: the snap-on, no-batteries-needed gamepad for your Droid

    Posted on April 14, 2010 | No Comments
    Bluetooth controllers? Meh. Why reinvent the wheel when the tire just needs new treading? Take the Motorola Droid. With its big ol' physical QWERTY keyboard, it has plenty of buttons for gaming (read: playing ROMs) -- it's just that they're not very conveniently placed. Enter the GameGripper, a snap-on accessory that converts your Droid's old, boring keyboard into a full fashioned game pad.

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  • Sweet merciful Jehosaphat! Microsoft stole the WinPho UI from KLM!

    Sweet merciful Jehosaphat! Microsoft stole the WinPho UI from KLM!

    Posted on March 16, 2010 | No Comments
    Super sleuths at MS Mobiles (Motto: “Our small phone-shaped favicon is so outdated it’s popular again”) is accusing Microsoft of wholesale theft and battery in their new WinPho UI. KLM’s inflight whatsitcalled looks just like Microsoft’s whatsitcalled and the big blue buttons appear on KLMs entertainment whatchamacallit when you fly on their big, beautiful planes. [...]

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  • Video Demo: Google Reader Play is clearly meant for a tablet computer

    Video Demo: Google Reader Play is clearly meant for a tablet computer

    Posted on March 11, 2010 | No Comments
    We all know that there will be an onslaught of touchscreen computers this year and next. But the Internet really isn't touchscreen friendly. It was designed for a mouse, not finger input. Google Reader Play is one of the early examples of a site redesigned for this sort of navigation with a slideshow-type interface and larger buttons. I loaded up the demo on a Viliv X70 tablet computer and found it works quite well on the 9-inch tablet. The buttons could be a bit larger, but overall it's one of the most touchscreen-friendly websites I've seen. Click through for a quick video demo.

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  • Even as tiny blocks, you’ll recognize Super Mario Bros. in this Arduino project

    Even as tiny blocks, you’ll recognize Super Mario Bros. in this Arduino project

    Posted on March 10, 2010 | No Comments
    Funny thing, isn’t it? That you can watch some little blocks moving on an 8×8 LED matrix and recognize the first level of Super Mario Bros. buried in the squares? Developed by a Carnegie Mellon student named Chloe for an Arduino class, the project is “a simple version of Super Mario Bros using an 8×8 LED [...]

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  • The blind camera shows you someone else’s pictures

    The blind camera shows you someone else’s pictures

    Posted on March 5, 2010 | No Comments
    Here's an interesting item, from artist Sascha Pohflepp. It's called Blinks and Buttons, and it's a "blind camera." Possessing no lens and no viewfinder, the "camera" still takes a picture when you press the big red shutter button.

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  • Logitech outs the sub-$100 600 and 650 Harmony remotes

    Logitech outs the sub-$100 600 and 650 Harmony remotes

    Posted on March 2, 2010 | No Comments
    The Harmony universal remote line just got two well-needed additions to its stable. The 600 and 650 offers most of the Harmony magic at a more affordable price-point. Both models do the computer-assisted setup thing that made the brand so successful in the first place, but forgos a few creature-comforts to reach the sub-$100 market.

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  • Keyboard has A through Z layout and built in LOL buttons

    Keyboard has A through Z layout and built in LOL buttons

    Posted on February 16, 2010 | No Comments
    Why learn to actually use a keyboard nowadays? It’s all ROFL, LMAO, RTFM, TLDR, and GFY anyway. In that spirit -- or in the spirit of helping “hunt ‘n peck typists or novices and young beginners,” according to the product description – the $23 Fast Finger keyboard makes the complicated QWERTY layout and difficulty of typing 3-4 letter acronyms a thing of the past.

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  • Woot! Two pack of ESPN universal remotes for $8

    Woot! Two pack of ESPN universal remotes for $8

    Posted on February 9, 2010 | No Comments
    These aren’t the fancy-pants ESPN remotes that we’ve written about here on CrunchGear in the past. But they are universal remotes with dedicated ESPN buttons for those of you who watch a lot of sports and want a quick way to flip to between billiards on ESPN and bowling on ESPN2 at 3AM on a Tuesday.

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  • Those about to rock, we encourage you to recompile your Linux kernel

    Those about to rock, we encourage you to recompile your Linux kernel

    Posted on January 19, 2010 | No Comments
    This crazy guitar is actually an open source MIDI system using a sexy touchscreen with multi-touch and reactive fretboard. The result? Let's just say while you probably won't get much cherry pie playing this thing, the guys at Information Society will definitely invite you into their trailer at the Iowa State Fair this year.

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  • Lenovo’s mini wireless keyboard/trackball combo looks sofa-friendly

    Lenovo’s mini wireless keyboard/trackball combo looks sofa-friendly

    Posted on December 28, 2009 | No Comments
    Well hello there, Handsome. File this one under “Stuff I Want Despite No Practical Use In My Household” and cross file it into the “Not Bad For $60” folder. We’re looking at an HTPC-friendly remote control with built-in keyboard, trackball, and media buttons from Lenovo.

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