I want a better magic wand for my TV

[jducoeur]

I was just reading this article in Ars, arguing that voice input is likely to be very useful with Google TV. Basically, this is going to be a really powerful and flexible set-top box, but having to use a keyboard with it is a hassle -- so voice input seems like a natural.

And I'm put in mind of this gadget, which I was introduced to some months ago and keep meaning to get -- basically a motion-sensitive magic wand with an RF transmitter, which you can program to use as a TV remote.

And now I'm thinking: put them together, and you might really have something. I'm envisioning a wand similar to this, but more powerful. It would probably have a Bluetooth transmitter for talking to the Google TV box, maybe some Wii-style positioning systems, and would contain a small condenser mic. Along with the usual motions, you can hold the thing up in front of you, which activates the mic and lets you send voice commands.

That might work quite nicely. Define how to navigate the UI with the wand, using flicks and "presses". Use voice input for search. It would take some testing and refinement, but I'd bet that you could produce a gadget that is decently easy to learn, intuitive to operate once you've learned it, and hellaciously fun...

Comments

[dragonazure.livejournal.com]

Accio SyFy Channel?

[jducoeur]

The advantage of Android's open architecture: it's all but certain that *somebody* would build a Potter-Latin language pack...

[dragonazure.livejournal.com]

You could also create "Ad Nix" to mute ths sound on commercials. But that would violate Sagan's copyright. 8^)

[tpau]

form all i have heard that wand doesnt work worth crap. never does anytignright, hard to program etc

[jducoeur]

Really? Interesting -- the guy I discovered it from (the in-house geek at Fidelity, who had set up their entire presentation room to work with it) positively gushed about the thing...

[metageek.livejournal.com]

motion-sensitive magic wand with an RF transmitter, which you can program to use as a TV remote.

Do you mean IR?

[jducoeur]

Duh -- yes. Long week...

[johno.livejournal.com]

So "magic" is just tech in disguise.

Flick + Command Word(s) = action

or for simple/common actions

Flick = action

[mneme]

I'd be happier with this were I more happy with android's voice input, which seems to get one word in four wrong. Useful to stare at and often figure out what someone -really- wrote in voice mail (ok, that's google voice, but they seem to have about the same hit rate), but not that great.