| Gaikai's cloud gaming beta arrives on cue to high-end Samsung Smart TVs Jul 5th 2012, 09:12  Gaikai announced with a flourish that it was partnering with LG and Samsung for Smart TV cloud gaming, so its acquisition by Sony made us wonder if those arrangements would still hold. Well, it looks like all's well with the arch-foes, at least on that front. The service has landed in a closed beta, provided you're the lucky owner of a 2012 Samsung LED 7000 series or higher Smart TV with the latest firmware update. Should you decide to download the software, you'll be offered the chance to check out the company's early access program, which will not only let you sample the cloud gaming wares, but also get you a Logitech Gamepad to boot -- provided you're a "selected participant." That'll let you kick back and test out some Gaikai games for yourself, so if you're among the select few with the right TV, check the source to see how the install works. Gaikai's cloud gaming beta arrives on cue to high-end Samsung Smart TVs originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Jul 2012 05:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink  The Verge |  PC Perspective | Email this | Comments | | University of Calgary's Fat Thumb trick allows one-handed phone use, jugglers are thankful (video) Jul 5th 2012, 08:23  Everyone's let it happen at some point -- that moment where we're desperately trying to use our smartphones in one hand while juggling groceries or coffee in the other. There'll be no way to recover those social graces, but six researchers at the University of Calgary have developed a software technique, Fat Thumb, that should at least keep the contortions and dropped phones to a minimum. As the name implies, it's all based around pressure: a light touch performs the usual commands, while squishing the thumb's wider surface area against the screen allows the equivalent of a multi-touch gesture, such as a pinch to zoom. The advantages for comfort and grip virtually speak for themselves; what's surprising is that Fat Thumb may well be faster than other one-handed gestures. Work on the project is so far confined to a research paper stemming from experiments with an iPhone, although it's easy to see this spreading to other platforms and real products before too long. Catch a glimpse of the cleverness in action after the break. Continue reading University of Calgary's Fat Thumb trick allows one-handed phone use, jugglers are thankful (video) University of Calgary's Fat Thumb trick allows one-handed phone use, jugglers are thankful (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Jul 2012 04:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | University of Calgary | Email this | Comments | |
