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There exists a paradox that we can’t really put our heads around. Does futuristic technology get invented because thinkers/movies/books envision it first or does it get made because there is a logical connection in all this. Maybe we will never know! You must have watched Minority Report and drooled at all the amazing ways in which those guys in the future can control their computers from a distance by gestures. It is popping up all over the place and we last saw such a thing in the Avengers.

We knew this was possible when Microsoft launched Kinect 2 years ago. It was enthusiastically adopted by all the gamers who wanted in on this kind of revolutionary input model. Now, a startup called Leap Motion has announced their low cost interaction tool which will most definitely disrupt the current crop of motion sensing input devices and bring it out for the general public.

 

Leap:

Their product is called ‘Leap’ and it is surprisingly small and elegant. The Leap is a little bigger than a standard USB pen-drive and connects with a laptop or a desktop. It creates a space of 8 cubic feet where you can manipulate and gesture and this is picked up by the sensor which in turn interprets the signals to deliver the exact response for the gesture on the virtual space. The input can be via your fingers, hands or pencils. Leap Motion claims that the device is startlingly accurate and can take inputs from a sharpened pencil tip which is 1/100 of a millimeter. This signifies an accuracy level at which you can create pixel perfect drawings virtually.

This is the video that has everyone talking:

 

Leap Motion says that its device can find wider application amongst many fields.

• Artists and creative types can use The Leap to emulate a stylus or easily create 3D images.
• Anyone can use The Leap to interact with Windows 7/8 or Mac OS X by clicking, grabbing, scrolling and using familiar gestures like pinch to zoom in 3D space.
• Users pointing a pen at the signature line of a document to sign it in space.
• Engineers can interact more easily with 3D modeling software.
• Gamers can play more easily and many will modify with Leap in mind.
• Surgeons can control 3D medical data with their hands without taking off their gloves.

We agree! The possibilities are endless. The most exciting part is the fact that the device is on pre-order for $70 (3,863 INR) only! There are limited devices currently, so you might want to hit this link quick and pray that all of them have not sold out yet.

The first shipments will go out this winter after the product is completely ready and tested. In the meanwhile developers are invited to apply for a SDK. If you want to read about Leap and Leap Motion in detail, you might want to check out their About section.

Simple and Disruptive enough to change the world. Don’t you agree?

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Online e-classifieds company Quikr India Pvt Ltd has secured US$ 32 Million in its fifth round of funding.

Private equity firm Warburg Pincus led the funding while existing investors Matrix Partners India, Norwest Venture Partners and eBay Inc also participated. The company plans to utilize the funds to diversify onto the mobile platform & acquire new customers through intensified marketing activities. This investment coincidentally marks the first for Warburg after a hiatus of nearly a decade.

Quickr has so far managed to get US$ 50 Million (Rs. 260 Crores). The company claims to have more than 17 Million unique visitors per month from 83 cities . Quickr offers a simplified platform to sell or buy just about anything online. Spread over 165 broad categories, one can buy/sell electronics, automobiles & even real estate here. Observing this drive to boost online e-commerce, multiple companies like Matrix & Omidyar, then Norwest & later Nokia Growth Partners put in US$ 4.13 Million, US$ 6 Million & US$ 8 Million respectively.

The online classified markets is not a niche one. In fact, Quickr faces competition from multiple companies like ReleaseMyAd, ibibo, MJunction etc. However, with the emergence of newer platforms like mobiles & tablets, the survivors will be decided on their ability to adapt & grow. We just saw how mobiles were driving e-commerce. Hence, it seems obvious that Quickr is developing classifieds platform for the mobile ecosystem.

With India’s online e-commerce market just breaching the US$ 10 Billion mark, there is ample opportunity for companies to exploit this new avenue. Last year private equity funds put in a total of US$ 10.58 Billion across 501 deals.

Do you use Quickr? How’s the experience?

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