..speaking of 'laser pointers'...

[dsli_jon]

..anyone here try one of these? First I've seen of 'em.. http://www.celluon.com/products.php ..then again, I've usually got my head stuck-up two Co's *'s and often miss 'new-stuff' for awhile... are they already 'old news'? Pretty cool, in any-case..

j

[Galvonaut]

I think they've been around for a few Years.

I'm not sure I would like a keyboard that didn't click when you pressed the buttons. I suppose you could project it on to some bubble wrap

Keith

[JasonB]

dlsi_jon,

I just saw one at a Brookstone in an Airport a couple weeks ago. It was * amazing * how accurate the scan was of the projected keyboard! There was no flicker! I researched the companey a bit but could not find any information on the type of scanner they used, obviously that is their competetive secret. Maybe its not a scanner at all, perhaps some tricky optics? I searched PL when I returned from the trip and could not find anyone talking about it and figured I used poor keywords in the search.


The salesperson said they are all on backorder and won't be available until the middle of January....

IF it does use a scanner it really makes a fella wonder how they get such a high scan rate....

Does anyone have any knowledge about the type of technology used to project that keypad image ?

-Jason

[swamidog]

i would guess it's an HOE, not a scanner. i don't think they have any moving parts inside.

dlsi_jon,

I just saw one at a Brookstone in an Airport a couple weeks ago. It was * amazing * how accurate the scan was of the projected keyboard! There was no flicker! I researched the companey a bit but could not find any information on the type of scanner they used, obviously that is their competetive secret. Maybe its not a scanner at all, perhaps some tricky optics? I searched PL when I returned from the trip and could not find anyone talking about it and figured I used poor keywords in the search.


The salesperson said they are all on backorder and won't be available until the middle of January....

IF it does use a scanner it really makes a fella wonder how they get such a high scan rate....

Does anyone have any knowledge about the type of technology used to project that keypad image ?

-Jason

[JasonB]

Swamidog, forgive my ignorance....what is a HOE?

[Bradfo69]

They've been on some TV commercials recently. Does look pretty cool. Small and easy to steal though. And sure as heck won't make me a better typist. I'm still hunt and peck at best.

[swamidog]

we're all photonic ho's..

HOE is a holographic optical element.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hologra...ptical_element

Swamidog, forgive my ignorance....what is a HOE?

[dsli_jon]

@ Jason, ayep, Swami called-it.. similar (albeit less-complex..) elements can be found even in those 'super-cheapo' Chi-pointers, with those 'interchangeable-caps' - ya know, the ones that project stars or rabbits or smileys or even simple-words, 'LOL', etc, ie: http://www.laserpointersafety.com/ne...617d6b-349.php etc.. and there's even some pretty far-out Dev going on with 'HOE-based / related' research, ie: http://now.tufts.edu/news-releases/e...ake-food-safer ...pretty-cool / kinda-creepy at the same time..

..Anyhoo, ya, I guess I missed the bus on this one.. Still, I can't see it being much use for, say, an iPad (..why??) but.. sure would be helpful for the annoyingly-tiny iPhone / other phone keypads... And, like those 'Microvision Show-WX' nano-pj's, it's a pretty-cool 'Bondian' piece of kit to tote-around / use on a flight, etc.. Good conversation-starter / nerd-chick magnet, at least..

..I think it could also be pretty badass to have, say, a 'laser-HOE'd APC-40', so you could, uh, 'control your laser-projector with your laser-projected controller'..

..Now, who's gonna be the first to RE / hack one and put a 520 in it for better daylite-vis?..
j

[Vidal Wolf]

Them theere devices is ooold hat! I bought one nine years ago. =)
It was an uber cool toy and still is a waay cool toy today. =)

[Eidetic]

The device used in the Canesta virtual keyboard is a DOE (diffractive optical element), not a HOE. I made a prototype HOE for them in 2003 when it was in development, but the DOE was cheaper to produce in large numbers.