Gestures

Apple ‘iRing’ concept brought to life by Kickstarter project

Cody Lee ∙ March 5, 2014

Around this time last year, Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White made headlines for a note he sent to investors regarding the 'iRing.' White said that Apple was working on a television set that could read motion gestures from a user who was wearing a ring-shaped device on their finger.

Well, we have yet to see the product materialize, but a company called Logbar is looking to change that with their new Kickstarter project. It's called 'Ring: shortcut to everything,' and once connected to your mobile device, it allows you to send texts, control your home appliances, and more...

How to quickly launch apps using gestures

Jeff Benjamin ∙ February 24, 2014

Gestr is a brand new jailbreak tweak that allows users to assign gestures to a specific app and launch the app using the assigned gesture. The tweak, which is available for $0.99 on Cydia's BigBoss repo, uses an Activator action to engage the screen used for inputing gestures.

In the end, Gestr probably isn't a tweak that will significantly speed up app launches on iOS, but it's undoubtedly a cool way to do so. Have a look inside for our video walkthrough, which showcases how it works.

How to get Zephyr-like gestures on iOS 7

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

MultitaskingGestures is a just released jailbreak tweak that brings Zephyr-like functionality to iPhones running iOS 7. Since it doesn't look like we will see an iOS 7 updated version of Zephyr, developer Hamza Sood has taken the initiative to bring us something similar.

To be clear, MultitaskingGestures is not a 1:1 copy of Zephyr; it brings its own ideas and features to the table, but it's a flattering impersonation of Chpwn's groundbreaking tweak of old. Have a look at our video walkthrough inside to see MultitaskingGestures in action.

Apple patent taps gesture input for multi-user iOS Lock screen access

Ed Sutherland ∙ September 3, 2013

Many iOS devices, particularly the iPad, are often shared among family and friends. For example, wouldn't it be great if you could unlock just your Games folders for the kids, but give yourself and your spouse access to more applications?

Apple may have heard your thoughts, because a new patent outlines ways to offer limited access to select sets of iOS apps, straight from the Lock screen. The technology could supplant the one-size-fits-all nature of a passcode, with proposed 'access inputs' featuring gestures ranging from letters, shapes and more...

Canary motion detector bolsters up home security while looking stunning

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 13, 2016

iOS continues to change modern living for the better by improving upon the connected home promise through various innovative app-enabled accessories from third-parties, like the beautiful and smart Nest thermostat, the intelligent Philips light bulbs and clever locks by the likes of Jawbone and Kwikset, to name just a few.

Canary, "the world's first smartphone security device for everyone" by a New York-based startup, promises to beef up your home security by bringing motion detection, push alerts, streaming spycam video and other goodies to your iPhone by way of an IndieGoGo crowd-funded project.

The stylish device, reminiscent of Jony Ive's industrial design work, comes packed with a 720p HD camera, wide angle lens, Wi-Fi connectivity and smart sensors that detect motion, and is easy to set up on your mobile device. I've included a promotional video for your viewing pleasure just after the break...

DoubleTap: toggle brightness and volume with double tap gestures

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Alan Yip, the creator of Tap to Widgets and Overview, is back with a brand new free tweak on Cydia. His tweak, Entitled DoubleTap, is a release that allows users to use three-finger double tap gestures to execute certain actions.

The included actions are a brightness toggle, volume up/down, and an orientation lock toggle. Although the under-the-hood mechanics are no-doubt deeper than what meets the eye, DoubleTap is a fairly simple tweak in usage. Full video walkthrough inside.

$149 MYO armband brings wearable gesture control to Macs and iDevices

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWu9TFJjHaM

Here's an accessory that looks like something straight out of a James Bond movie, or Minority Report for that matter. A company called Thalmic Labs has just launched a sci-fi gesture control for Mac and Windows PCs via its new armband called MYO. Connecting to your desktop or mobile device via low-power Bluetooth, the $149 gizmo detects the electrical activity produced by your muscles, translating finger and hand movement into user interface interactions, Kinect style.

For example, you could use a circular hand motion to control the volume of iTunes playback, scroll up and down a web page by lifting or lowering your hand, switch between running tasks by swiping to the left and right with two fingers and more. What's best, the MYO is a standalone accessory in that it doesn’t require a camera to interpret the user's gestures. The video certainly looks promising...

Here’s gesture recognition tech Apple probably licensed for iTV

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 7, 2016

Jefferies & Co's Peter Misek wrote in today's note to clients that production of the rumored Apple-branded HD TV is in full swing. While we suspect there would have been plenty of leaks ahead of manufacturing ramp up, a pair of The Wall Street Journal reports yesterday (here and here) did claim that Apple’s been working on a set-top box with cloud DVR features and the ability to retrieve premium cable TV content.

Whatever living room gizmo Apple may have in the works (or in manufacturing), it could rely heavily on hand gestures seen in sci-fi movies like Minority Report. In order to nail gesture recognition in 3D space, Apple allegedly licensed a technology from JDS Uniphase Corporation (JDSU).

Here's what so special about it...

‘MusicGestures’ adds customized gestures to the stock Music app

Jeff Benjamin ∙ February 26, 2012

MusicGestures is a jailbreak tweak that lends the ability to control the stock Music app with gestures instead of button presses. There are a total of 6 actions (7 if you count disabled as an action) that you can assign to any number of gestures.

The gestures can be used to skip, play, pause, and gather info on both the album cover view, and the individual track view.

It's not the deepest tweak in the shed, but the simplicity of MusicGestures makes it worth a look...

Chpwn Unveils Zephyr, an Awesome Multitasking Tweak for the iPhone

Cody Lee ∙ December 28, 2011

Hot on the heels of the release of his popular Siri port, Spire, the infamous iOS hacker known as chpwn has released another jailbreak tweak. The utility, known as Zephyr, will change the way you switch between active apps.

The program is a two-part tweak with a focus on multitasking. Chpwn has been talking about Zephyr for several weeks, saying things like "you guys are really going to love this." And tonight, it finally hit the Cydia Store.

The Wall Street Journal Reveals Details on Apple’s Upcoming TV Set

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 18, 2018

Rumors of a secret Apple TV set project have been really heating up over the past few months. Word on the street has been that the iPhone-makers are looking to jump into the TV-making business, and the company's first entry could revolutionize the industry.

We've heard a few whispers regarding the set's features, including multiple screen sizes ranging from 32-inches to 55-inches, Siri voice control, and deep AirPlay integration. And now we have even more details thanks to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

Simple Concept Gesture For Multitasking on the iPhone is Brilliant

Alex Heath ∙ December 5, 2011

Sometimes we see a concept video and think, "Wow, why hasn't Apple done this?" Such is the case with a simple multitasking gesture concept by UI designer Max Rudberg.

While the iPad offers multiple enhanced gestures for navigating through iOS, including 4-finger swipes and pinch moves, the iPhone still lacks basic gesture support that would make navigating so much easier. Rudberg's concept takes a very simple approach to reinventing the way we access the multitasking bar in iOS 5 on our iPhones.