Crunchfish, a Swedish app company, has built software for mobile phones that turns the phone’s camera into a mouse. It allows the phone’s front-facing camera to track a person’s hand movements so he or she doesn’t have to touch the screen. As someone who surfs the web on her handset while eating Chex Mix, this might come in handy (and keep my phone cleaner). It’s also useful for folks wearing gloves.

The Crunchfish gesture control engine also allows for 3-D manipulation of content, although I’m not really able to picture how that works on a flat screen. The software is just a prototype at the moment, and it sounds like handset manufacturers will have to elect to integrate the gesture control with Crunchfish’s existing 3-D rendering engine for cell phones, in order to give developers a chance to take advantage of the motion-control (especially the 3-D part).

Crunchfish isn’t the only one trying to figure out a gesture-controlled UI, and its decision to go after phones seems a bit off. However, as phones get front-facing cameras and have more processing power, the ability to track movements and turn them into commands for the phone could be useful. Samsung has also filed a patent on the topic and a company called Eyesight is trying to bring gesture-controls to tablets.

Mobile tech isn’t the only place motion-control research is targeting; televisions are another popular device. GestureTek, Softkinetic and Canesta (which was purchased by Microsoft) are all working in the television space to enable lazy bums like myself to control our TVs from the couch even if we can’t find a remote.

It may have started with Nintendo’s Wii and graduated all the way up to Microsoft’s Kinect, but gesture controls are moving beyond consoles to help us control the myriad devices around us. Crunchfish may sink or swim, but it’s not alone in its ambitions.

Related content on GigaOM Pro (subscription required):

• Cool, Calm and Connected: 3 Design Principles for Connected Objects
• Today’s Smartphones Give Rise to Tomorrow’s Robots
• 5 Companies that Ruled Mobile in 2010

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Ten One Design Pogo Sketch stylus for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch (Cactus Green)

• High-gloss curved pocket clip keeps the stylus handy
• Works with any combination of gloves and nails
• Allows you to use your touchscreen device or multi-touch trackpad at a natural drawing angle
• Typing on a software keyboard (especially at first) is much easier with a stylus
• Sleek aluminum design with detailed graphics

Superbly designed using a light-weight aluminum alloy and detailed graphics, the Pogo Sketch features a look that’s hard to ignore.The soft tip glides easily over the surface of your trackpad or display, making it fun and easy to sketch, draw characters, or just slide to unlock. Sized for comfort, it does away with inaccuracies common to fingertip-only use.Turn your MacBook trackpad into a pen tablet for premium drawing programs! The new multi-touch trackpads allow the Pogo Sketch to control your favorite drawing programs (like, say Scribbles).Wear gloves in the winter? We do. With an iPhone, the stylus allows you to answer calls and surf the web all while keeping your hands toasty.Longer nails can be a problem with touchscreen devices. Using your Pogo Sketch, you’ll soon find that problem is history!Lastly, the cool, glossy Pogo Sketch pocket clip will keep your stylus close by, wherever you are.

Rating: (out of 3 reviews)

List Price: $ 14.95

Price: Too low to display

TEN 1 POGO SKETCH DRAWING PEN FOR IPAD ,IPHONE , MACBOOK, MAC AIR

• Our high-gloss curved pocket clip keeps the stylus handy
• Works with any combination of gloves and nails
• Allows you to use your TouchScreen device or multi-touch trackpad at a natural drawing angle
• Typing on a Software Keyboard (especially at first) is much easier with a stylus
• Sleek aluminum design with detailed graphics

Ten One Design T1-AP25-102 Pogo Sketch Silver. Superbly designed using a lightweight aluminum alloy and detailed graphics, the Pogo Sketch features a look that’s hard to ignore. The soft tip glides easily over the surface of your trackpad or display, making it fun and easy to sketch, draw characters, or just slide to unlock. Sized for comfort, it does away with inaccuracies common to fingertip-only use.

Rating: (out of 7 reviews)

List Price:

Price: $ 7.69

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BoxWave Apple iPad Capacitive Stylus (Metallic Silver)

• Works on all capacitive touch screens
• Conveniently designed in pen form, perfect for carrying around
• Durable construction
• Perfect for cold days when you don’t want to remove your gloves
• Available in Jet Black, Metallic Silver, Crimson Red, or Lunar Blue color

While capacitive touch screens are great, one flaw is the inability to use a stylus. Not anymore! BoxWave’s Capacitive Stylus allows you to use your Apple iPad without ever touching the screen with your finger.  Perfect for the ladies out there who have their nails done, or for those who don’t want to take their gloves off during a cold day. The Capacitive Stylus is conveniently sized, and designed like a pen to fit just about anywhere.

Rating: (out of 2 reviews)

List Price: $ 24.95

Price: $ 20.95

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Stihl MS 211C Chainsaw. Esquire’s Digital Man, Barry Sonnenfeld, and his analog dog Lucky, gear up to rip through a fallen tree. With wasy to start action, a 35.2 cc engine, and weighing only slightly more than 10 lbs this chainsaw can make a MAN out of anyone. Well, you may not need chainmail gloves but if you got some wood to cut this chainsaw is for you. With all the new gadgets coming out it takes a tech guru like Producer/Director Barry Sonnenfeld (“Men In Black”) to sort out the wonderful from the worthless. The tech guru brings his popular show and tell Esquire column to the web. More Digital Man? Watch free TV, Movies, & Originals crackle.com The Esquire Digital Man Stihl MS 211C Chainsaw Ep: 01002 Barry Sonnenfeld technology high tech review Men in Black crackle free TV movies originals Pushing Daises The addams family Miller’s crossing When Harry met sally Big Raising Arizona geek faq cnet tree manly woods
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