Air mouse targets TV - Apple to follow?
Gesticulating at the telly will actually make things happen!
Movea, the company behind the Gyration Air Mouse, is pushing into television with a module for adding gesture control to the humble zapper.
Waving the remote at the TV might not work right now, but Movea intends to change that with its Motion Pod - enabling remote control manufacturers to add gestures to their repertoire.
Given the utility of existing remotes - their ability to fulfil the role required of them - one might wonder why such additional capability would be useful. Movea reckons that embedding its technology into remotes for set-top boxes can enable an interface that competes more effectively with computers pushed into a media-centre role, or even Apple-TV-type plays.
The problem is that Apple TV could easily adopt gesture control if it proves popular - a simple iPhone/Android application could provide much the same functionality (patents permitting), putting the set-top box manufacturers back where they started.
But PDAs and mobile phones have had the ability to replace the TV remote control for a decade or two now, and resolutely failed to do so, so perhaps Movea is on to something - unless we end up waving our empty hands instead, thanks to Mircosoft's Kinect. ®
COMMENTS
Why do people on forums have to be idiots?
My wife for instance. Doesn't need one, doesn't want one.
My son also doesn't have one.
I only have one because I have to for work, otherwise I wouldn't have one either.
You know you don't *have* to be contactable by everyone all of the time? Phone's are actually rather a rude form of communication as, when you call someone, it's basically saying "I want you to speak to me now, not when it's convenient for you to communicate. Oh! And I'm not going to tell you what it's about before hand." E-mail, SMS, snail mail, etc. are all much more civilized allowing you to review and respond when you deem appropriate or convenient.
And, yes, I pointed out that he could change channels manually - just goes to show you didn't read before replying.
Finally, "big fat arse" is very insulting when you have no idea what the person you are talking about is like. He's 9, plays football, rugby and is currently red belt (Hong Tti) in Kuk Sool Won so would quite happily come round and kick your sorry arse for saying that.
whats this to do with a***e??
a poor attempt to collect more clicks by randomly using that brand!!
You reported on Hitachi's working gesture controlled TV back at CES 2009 and managed to not mention the fruit...
Anyway, back to my comment...
Erm, havent hitachi already demoed a working prototype TV using gesture control? how can this be anything new?!
SJ for el reg's shameless brand whoring!
So he's 9?
So he's 9 and you leave him home alone, by your own admission.
What was that you were saying about idiots?
Dragons' Den
Erm, wasn't a similar product on the Den a week or two ago and is selling very well in a multitunde of companies (think Target sell them in the States for example)
So obviously...
So obviously he just uses HER remote - after all, it was ONLY your son who you claimed would be unable to control the telly without lugging his fat arse 3m to the TV itself, ergo your wife, hitherto unmentioned and therefore unaffected must have her own remote which your poor son could use.
Problem solved!
