Student project makes Windows Phone controlled AR.Drone possible

 

If you’ve never seen an AR.Drone before, it is a badass, WiFi-enabled, dual-camera, quadcopter that can be controlled by an iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, or an Android device. One OS missing out on the party in particular is Windows Phone.

If there is any question as to if a Windows Phone has the capabilities to communicate with one of these things, it has been answered. Three students at Texas A&M, John Brock, David Dornier, and Alex Perovich, joined forces for a project to bring the AR.Drone and Windows Phone together at last.

In the video below, you can see that they are able to use a router and a custom app to initialize communication to the AR.Drone. Using their Windows Phone they are able to get the copter to take off, stabilize, and land without incident. In this demo they don’t fly the unit around, but they do show that it is, in fact, possible to operate an AR.Drone with a Windows Phone.

Hopefully these guys will continue their work on this project and make it into a full-blown marketplace app. If you’re going to drop a couple hundred on an AR.Drone, it’s nice to have options.

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Supposedly Google's Majel will be called Google Assistant

 

It looks like Google's next iteration of its voice command software is starting to take shape. TechCrunch is reporting that the product may have shed its codename "Majel" in favor of an official name: Google Assistant. This is especially interesting given that Android chief Andy Rubin, notoriously said that he doesn't "believe your phone should be an assistant". 

Another interesting thing is that TechCrunch is reporting that Google Assistant is now in the hands of the Android team (along with search engineer Amit Singhal) not the mysterious Google X project, which is where Majel had lived. Word has it that Google has been building this product with three goals in mind:

1. Gather all information and make it understandable by computers.
2. Create a personalization layer
3. Build a mobile, voice-powered productivity engine, which is focused less on finding information and more on getting things done

All of this sounds pretty logical. The current voice controls from Google are mainly focused on finding info or communication, so adding in more productivity tools makes sense. The personalization layer is the "plussification" of everything Google that we've been seeing, which is an effort to gather more individual and local data. And, the first goal seems like that has been one of the overarching goals of Google since before it was even called Google. 

Of course, many will call this nothing more than a Siri competitor, but as always, there is the Google openness to consider. Word has it that Google is planning to "extend this service to developers" just like it has with its current voice control app. So, there will likely be APIs allowing developers to hook into the Assistant platform, and just like the current voice control, we may even see a number of third party apps built on top of Google's software. 

The bad news is that the newest info has this product not being released until Q4 of this year.

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Motion-based gestures patent filed by Google

Flow chart for Google's hands-free system

What's a six-letter word for 21st Century gold? How about P-A-T-E-N-T? And Mountain View based Google thinks that it has discovered more gold with its patent filing that seeks to protect the use of motion-based gestures to control a device hands-free. The front-facing camera on the device would act similar to the camera on the Xbox Kinect system which takes gestures and turns them into requests to perform certain tasks. Taps, swipes and hovering would be the signals to have the device carry out a pre-programmed task, allowing you to run your handset, for example, hands-free. Let's say you have set your device to go to the browser after a single tap on the front camera. After making that tap, the user could then use a gesture to search and control web pages.

The hands-free concept has been done before. The Pantech Vega LTE, sold only in Korea, uses its front-facing camera to allow users to make a waving gesture to answer a call, flip an ebook page, browse pictures in the gallery or change a song. Check out the video below to see how the phone works. And while not important to its hands-free use, we should also point out that the Pantech Vega LTE offers a 4.5 inch LCD display with one of the highest pixel density counts we have seen at 335ppi.

With all of the patent battles going on, the first to get new technology protected is more important than ever. A promising technology that allows handset owners to control their device hands-free seems almost destined to be in use in a wide number of handsets in the not too distant future. The question then will be whether or not Google gets to collect the toll for use of the highway, or if manufacturers of non-Android handsets try to take a ride for free.

source: PatentBolt via DroidLife

Google seeks to patent motion-based gesture controls

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YouTube update brings HD for some Android 2.2 and 2.3 models

New updated YouTube app

YouTube on Android 3.0 and 4.0 devices with a HD screen is a different experience than on an average Android powered smartphone. But with some Android handsets now offering displays with 720p, it is time for YouTube fans to get a clearer look at what they are watching (which hopefully is our reviews!). Anyway, if you have an Android smartphone running Android 2.2 or 2.3 with an HD screen, head over to "My Apps" and see if you have an update for YouTube waiting for you.

Remember that the update is based on your phone's resolution and screen size and for some models that qualify for the update, there is a quirk that won't let you install the update from the Android Market. Still, this seems to be an important download to try to get because for some YouTube fans who have been having buffering difficulties when watching the streaming videos over 3G, some are claiming that this update has eliminated this lag.

Let us know if you have been able to install the YouTube update and what changes you have noticed, if any. You can give us all of those details in the comment box below, and if you don't mind spending an extra minute or so, let us know which device you are currently sporting.

source: AndroidMarket via Engadget

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Walmart cutting prices on AT&T BlackBerry models

 

Whether you are starting a brand new 2-year contract with AT&T or renewing an existing one, you can save some money buying an AT&T branded BlackBerry from Walmart. So far, our understanding is that the deal prices are only available at Walmart's online store although if you are near a bricks and mortar store, it wouldn't hurt to go in and ask if you can get the same prices.

And speaking of which, let us take a look at the prices. For a new AT&T 2-year contract, you can buy the 4G BlackBerry Torch 9810 in white or black for $19.99. For free you can grab the BlackBerry Curve 9360 and the AT&T BlackBerry Torch 9800 in both white or black. The flagship BlackBerry Bold 9900 is $109.99 and the BlackBerry Torch 9860 is $14.99. If you are renewing an existing 2-year contract, all of the sale prices are the same except for the BlackBerry Bold 9900 which is $5 more at $114.99.

Just keep in mind that RIM is still expected to show off at least one BlackBerry 10 handset this year and in doing so could drop the price of the current top-of-the-line Bold 9900 even more. A leaked screenshot has already displayed what is allegedly the BlackBerry 10 UI. But if you need the BlackBerry Bold 9900 right now, seeing that it is the Cadillac of BlackBerry smartphones, before paying Walmart's disocunted price, you might want to try Costco's web site where the same model is just $79.99 with a new 2-year contract or a 2-year contract extension.

source: Costco, BlackBerryOS

Pricing for AT&T BlackBerry phones at Walmart with a new 2-year contract

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