The Omron HT-B551 looks like any other electric toothbrush, but inside, it’s got a tri-directional secret: a accelerometer. Hey, fancy-pants futurists! You didn’t see this one coming, did you?
As the name suggests, Motorola’s new w7 Active Edition slider is targeted at sporty types, but the physical effort does not stop with the built-in pedometer and personal trainer application.
A Macenstein reader may have discovered the first instance of the accelerometer in the iPhone being used to enter a cheat code in a game. He claims that you can start on any level you like in Imagine Poker by shaking the device on the splash page until you hear a “giggle.” The trick is that the code will only work if it is attempted exactly on the quarter hour (1:15 / 1:30 / 1:45 etc). If you have the game give it a shot and let us know if it works in the comments. [Macenstein]
It took 10 months since we showed you the N95 R/C car hack, but now someone’s done the inevitable thing and made an iPhone version. The DIY hack is pretty inventive: the iPhone’s Wi-Fi link is used to send data to a PC, where some software sends serial data to an Arduino board which then adjusts the original R/C box for the toy car. Convoluted, but neat: the tilt-to-turn feature being priceless. There’re some pretty good guidelines at the project page if you’re in the mood for some DIY gadget fun, and I’d just like to point out that the iPhone has 3D accelerometers, which might be fun for aircraft… [Project via Hacknmod]
Apple has been working in new multi-touch technology that combines touch interfaces with input from the camera and the microphone. For example: this will allow you to select text in the iPhone, say “copy,” go to another application and say “paste” to make this task really easy. The most intriguing part, however, is the use of a camera in laptops and desktops.
Super Monkey Ball is arguably the current zenith of iPhone tilt gaming. The gameplay involves navigating your bebubbled monkey through a series of elevated, edgeless mazes without letting him fall—it’s fun, if repetitive. Nintendo’s Kirby Tilt ‘n’ Tumble is similar: The player guides Kirby through mazes using tilt-sensitive control, collecting stars along the way. Both games are entertaining, and both won positive reviews for nearly identical control schemes. So why is Monkey Ball getting all the attention? Well, for one, Kirby Tilt ‘n’ Tumble is only available for the the Game Boy Colour. Oh, and it was released in 2001.
