Sign language translator turns gestures into spoken letters

By far one of the greatest challenges of sign language has been to translate it for everyday folk that wouldn't know where to begin a conversation with the deaf. Cornell University engineering students Ranjay Krishna, Seonwoo Lee and Si Ping Wang -- along with some help from Jonathan Lang -- used their final project time this past semester to close this gap in one of the more practical solutions we've seen to date. Their prototype glove uses accelerometers,

Acer ships Aspire M5 Ultrabook to UK in June,

with Kepler chips in tow, Acer ships Aspire M5 Ultrabook to UK in June


 Picking the 15-inch model adds an optical drive along with a keypad for number-crunching. Mum's the word on exact specs and that all-important pricing, but those questions will be answered by the time the M5 hits British shops in mid-June. Now all that's left is to know when the new Aspire reaches the other side of the Atlantic.

Regal Entertainment Group teams up with Sony to bring subtitle glasses to US theaters

We've been hearing about glasses that only display subtitles to those who need them for years (most recently with a trial run in the UK), but it looks like they're now finally about to enter the US market in a fairly big way. Regal Entertainment Group announced today that it's partnered with Sony Entertainment to bring the company's Access Glasses to "practically all" of its digital theaters in the US (that includes the vast majority of its 500+ theaters and more than 4,700 screens in all).

Did the Samsung Galaxy S III just appear in Vietnam?

 We're still weeks away from an official big stage unveiling, but it looks like Samsung's next Galaxy phone is already out there. Vietnamese site Tinhte, which has past form on these kind of things, has got it hands on the GT-I9300 -- purportedly the Galaxy S III if Samsung decides to follow its own naming convention. According to the specifications leaked, the phone houses a 4.6-inch display at 720 x 1184 resolution (320 DPI, depending on whether you include those on-screen Android buttons), while a quad-core 1.4 GHz processor works on keeping the Ice Cream Sandwich OS running smoothly.

Microsoft evangelist admits he misspoke regarding Windows Phone 8 updates

This is why companies have to be careful in their external communication: if a spokesperson reveals relevant details about an anticipated product, the news is going to be reported. Such a situation happened just two days ago, when Microsoft employee Nuno Silva went on the record -- on video, nonetheless -- to say that all current Windows Phone handsets would receive the upgrade to Apollo. Not so fast. Silva has since retracted his statement and now insists that his remarks only extend to apps.

Microsoft reveals the fourth version of Windows 8: Enterprise

We're sure some of you aren't as interested in the Windows 8 versions destined for workplace drudgery as you are the home editions, but admit it, the IT guy inside of you is a little curious. As detailed in an official blog post, the new unique feature in Windows 8 Enterprise is Windows To Go, which we think of as Windows on a stick. Basically it allows you to run your corporate image on a home PC or

AT&T Translator app hands-on: smashing the language barrier (video)

Translation apps aren't exactly the newest or sexiest thing in the world of technology, but we've got to hand it to AT&T for whipping up a rather impressive demo. The company showed off a next-gen version of its AT&T Translator app, which may one day allow people to communicate in real time regardless of their spoken language. The app uses the carrier's new Watson Speech API, in this case via a VoIP call on a pair of iPads, to not only transcribe dialog, but translate it from English to Spanish (and vice-versa), then play it back in the target tongue using a computer generated voice.

Hands-on with Arqball Spin, the app that lets you create interactive 3D models

Sometimes, standard two dimensional photos, even those taken by a 41-megapixel sensor, simply aren't enough to accurately depict a three dimensional object. Enter Arqball Spin, a free app that lets anyone with an iOS device create high-quality 3D models of whatever they like. Using the iPhone's camera, the app takes a series of images and uses some software black magic to create the finished product. The model, or "spin", can be cropped and adjusted (brightness, saturation and contrast) like a regular photograph, plus users can create custom annotations to identify or comment on specific parts of

Barclays releases PayTag: the NFC card you glue to your phone (video)

If you don't have a fancy NFC-enabled phone then it's hard to join the mobile wallet club. Fortunately, Barclays has introduced the PayTag that turns any phone into a contactless card. It's a square of plastic a quarter the size of a credit card that's sticky on one side -- yup, you just jam it on the back of your phone and hey presto, you can buy sandwiches, or any purchase up to £15 (£20 from June), without opening your wallet. The sticky squares will be rolling out exclusively to British Barclaycard

Toshiba pushes AT270 Tegra 3 tablet through the FCC, gets Excited

If a pair of hands-on treatments and an official press release somehow aren't enough to convince you that Toshiba's 7.7-inch slate is ramping up to a public debut, take it from the government: the Excite 7.7 just hit the FCC. This thin (0.3-inch) Tegra 3 tablet sauntered through CES without so much as a model number, eventually picking up the name AT270 at Mobile World Congress and finally snagging itself a spot in Toshiba's Excite series earlier this month.

PlayStation Suite's 'open beta' SDK available to download now

As promised last month, Sony has launched its PlayStation Suite SDK on open beta. Machinations have continued since November behind closed beta doors, but the free SDK is now available for anyone to download. Developers will be able to make content accessible for all PlayStation-certified devices, from the PS Vita to Sony's batch of Android phones and tablets. The official version is still pegged for launch later in

HTC One S Targets Chinese Microbloggers

HTC has unveiled its latest China-bound smartphone. A follow-up to its Desire lineup, the HTC One S is designed in collaboration with Sina Weibo, the country’s most popular microblogging site (similar to Twitter).

This smartphone comes with a fourth navigation button (usually it has three) dedicated for the Sina Weibo, along with a suite of software from the popular service.

The HTC One S is available in black and gunmetal blue casings, with an expected price of 4,688 yuan (about US$740).

source: gadget.com & engadget.com

Pocket Projector For iPhone 4

When one wants to share some videos or photos from a portable device like the iPhone 4, the audience can only be limited to 2 or 3 at the most. But if you want to share it to more people at once, you might need to have a portable projector handy. This Pocket Projector for the iPhone 4 would be an accessory that iPhone users should do without.
The Pocket Projector comes with a 15 lumen super bright LED projector lamp that allows the device to project images or videos into any flat surface for up to 50″ at 640×360 native display resolution.  It also comes with focus adjustment controls that allow users to

Nikon D3200 review: Hands-on

he 24.2-megapixel entry-level Nikon D3200 is aimed at first-time DSLR users and packs a new, beefed-up processor . We went hands-on for a closer look...

The Nikon D3200 is the brand's latest entry-level DSLR camera and is set to sit alongside the existing the popular Nikon D3100, rather than replacing it. There's plenty of new tech on board, not least the brand's third-generation Guide Mode,

Acer Iconia Tab A500 And A100 Getting Their Taste Of Ice Cream Sandwich April 27

Ice Cream Sandwich was finally released to manufacturers in November of last year, and as sad as this sounds, the update has still barely made it to any devices. Last I checked, I believe Ice Cream Sandwich held about 3% of all Android devices. Yeah, Ice Cream Sandwich has a long way to go. Acer has been one of the faster manufacturer when it comes to Android 4.0, and we can now throw in two new devices to

Canon 3rd in Interbrand Japan’s Best Global Brands Ranking

LONDON, April 16th, 2012 – Canon, world-leader in imaging solutions, has been placed third in the Interbrand ‘Japan’s Best Global Brands 2012’ ranking. Since the ranking began in 2009, Canon has consistently been placed in
the top five, and its brand value continues to increase.

“Recognition as one of the top three Japanese Global brands is