Google’s Project Glass could be operated via laser projected virtual keypad/keyboard

Google’s Project Glass is an impressive device. But until it hits the streets in a few weeks, what do we really know about it?

Pretty darn little, if you ask me.

Yes, we know that Project Glass are virtual reality glasses, able to project computer generated images into your view, which also have video camera and some sort of wireless connectivity allowing you to broadcast live video feed to the cloud.

But how do you control it? How do you input necessary data and issue commands to tell Project Glass to display a map, and show you walking directions to your friend’s house at a particular address? Or dial a number?

Well, Google’s patent application “Methods and Systems for a Virtual Input Device” gives us one possible answer. By putting a camera on one arm of the glasses, and a laser projector on another arm, to project a virtual keypad/keyboard onto your hand.

Laser projected virtual keyboards, while not too popular, have been around for a long time. Project Glass just takes the basic idea a little further.

By projecting a virtual keypad onto your hand, it allows you to control it via various gestures. Tilting, rotating your hand, moving a thumb, pressing a fist, etc. will let you do a lot of cool things even with a simplified keypad that fits on your hand. And, since the projector and camera is already there, if you need to do some serious typing – just sit down and have a full blown QWERTY keyboard projected onto a flat surface in front of you.

Is such a laser projected virtual keypad already in the current version of Project Glass? Maybe, maybe not. I have no idea. But even if it’s not there yet, I’m pretty sure it will be in Project Glass V2 or V3

New Asus-made Google Nexus 7 tablet with Full HD display launching in May?

Google and Asus have launched the Nexus 7 last summer, for prices starting at $199.99, making it the most successful Android tablet ever. Now the two companies are seemingly preparing the second-generation Nexus 7.

According to DigiTimes, the new Asus-manufactured Nexus 7 will be announced in May. Since Google’s I/O conference will be held between May 15 and May 17, that’s where the upcoming tablet will be likely unveiled.

Reportedly, the new Nexus 7 will have a Full HD (1920 x 1080) display, and a thinner bezel. It should still run Android Jelly Bean. There is now word on exactly when it will be available for purchase. In any case, prices should be comparable to the prices of the Nexus 7 that we can buy today (pictured below): $199 for the 8GB version, $249 for the 16GB one, and $299 for the 32GB one.

“Sources from the upstream supply chain” say that total Nexus 7 shipments will probably surpass 6 million units this month. Moreover, it’s said that Google could sell 10 million Nexus 7 tablets in 2013 (including first generation and second generation models).

Earlier this month, we reported that Google was also readying the launch of a new Nexus 10 tablet. Unlike the current model (available since November 2012), the new one should have a quad-core CPU, and an eight-core Mali T678 GPU. It will be manufactured by Samsung, of course. We’ll bring more details as we get them

New ZTE Blade C (V807) with Android Jelly Bean coming soon

ZTE’s Blade series of Android smartphones is quite successful, as it’s offering decent performance at an affordable price. The Chinese company has sold millions of Blade handsets around the world since the first model was launched (back in late 2010).

Now, a new member of the family is about to be released. Called ZTE Blade C, the new smartphone is the first in the series to run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean from day one.

The Bluetooth SIG reveals that the Blade C is also known as ZTE V807, ZTE V889S, and ZTE T807. The V889S is already available for purchase in China, where it costs only 699 CNY – meaning about €84, or $112. This being said, the Blade C should arrive in Europe for a similarly low price.

According to ZTE, the Blade C / V807 has been designed to “capture a larger share of the low-end market”. Its features include a 4 inch WVGA display, 3G, 3MP rear camera, Bluetooth 4.0, dual-core 1 GHz MediaTek MTK 6577 processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal memory, and a 1,600 mAh battery. The handset measures 124 x 64 x 11 mm.

Unfortunately, we don’t know exactly when the ZTE Blade C will be launched in Europe, and neither in what countries. But we’ll keep you posted

via: UnwiredView