wedge

Windows 8 touch-enabled peripherals: The spread

The launch of Windows 8 also brings an opportunity for PC makers to release third-party peripherals that complement the push for touch sensitivity. If you're planning to purchase tablet, laptop, desktop, or some combination of the three, these accessories let you get hands-on with your new computer, because let's face it -- a touch-based device is only as good as the accessories available for it.

Many of the devices in this list already have reviews, but we'll continue to add products as they emerge. Head here for a comprehensive list of every major computer launching with Windows 8 or RT.… Read more

Microsoft unveils tablet-friendly mice and keyboards (with hands-on)

Not to be left out of the coming Windows 8, tablet-focused excitement, Microsoft's hardware group has an assortment of new mobile input devices to show off this morning.

The four new devices, all Bluetooth-driven, are aimed squarely at mobile Windows 8 tablets and laptops. Microsoft says they will also work with iOS and Android tablets, which helps explain why it made sense to release them before Windows 8's debut on October 26.

Wedge Mobile Keyboard Of the three new products, the Wedge Mobile Keyboard is the most interesting. The thick rubber sleeve helps protect the keyboard in transit. Once you take the keyboard out, the sleeve then folds in half to create an adjustable tablet stand.… Read more

The MacBook Air wedge aesthetic: Now an Apple patent

A new Apple patent may signal legal wrangling ahead for the Windows laptop wedge design crowd -- which means pretty much every major PC maker on the planet.

Apple's patent No. D661,296 S is described as "the ornamental design for an electronic device" and shows about a dozen images (PDF) of wedge-shaped Apple MacBook Air-like designs.

The patent documentation states that "the broken lines are for the purpose of illustrating portions of the electronic device and form no part of the claimed design," as The Verge points out.

So that seems to exclude aspects … Read more

Microsoft on track to develop glass-less 3D display?

Microsoft's Applied Sciences Group sure has some good ideas. By positioning a Webcam behind a transparent OLED or ultrathin LCD screen, The Wedge project allows a smart display to detect hand movements and interpret them as commands. If this sounds a little familiar, that's because this feature is similar to Microsoft's Kinect for Xbox 360.

While that's no big deal, what really caught our attention was the claim that by tracking body position, one smart display can stream different images to individual viewers based on the body location. Hence, someone standing to the right may see … Read more