The future of touchOutside of smartphones, Apple has also applied its multitouch technology in MacBook trackpads and the new Magic Mouse. Both are rather conservative implementations of multitouch gestures which don't require much specialized training from users. For its tablet and future trackpad devices, Apple may introduce a new layer of sophistication in multitouch gestures. Patent filings suggest the possibility of a new interface that manipulates objects represented in a deep three dimensional space.It's also possible Apple may release an advanced keyboard along the lines of FingerWorks' original TouchStream, presenting a flat touchpad with zero force, multitouch input. The company has steadily rolled out multitouch trackpad enhancements for its MacBook line, but has a long ways to go before it match the fancy gestures (with potential to learn programmable functions) that FingerWorks supported in its iGesture Pad and TouchStream keyboards. FingerWork's devices could enter modes suited to specific applications, such as games, Maya or Photoshop; or specific uses, including general desktop control, search, text selection and styling, and browsing functions.Many critics initially assailed the iPhone's virtual keyboard, but the popularity of Apple's smartphone since suggests tremendous potential for new applications of multitouch interfaces that augment or even replace the conventional mechanical keyboard. In addition to helping users avoid RSI damage, touch sensitive input allows for a complex vocabulary of gestures, the input typing speed of a keyboard, the pointing accuracy of a mouse, and a customizable degree of complexity scaling from the needs of basic users to very advanced, specialized functionality.The advantages of touch-driven interfaces are clear, and suggest lots of potential for future applications in both mobile devices and desktop systems. Apple certainly isn't alone in working to productize and deliver new technology in the category of multitouch devices, but the future of touch interfaces may make a big leap next week with Apple's expected tablet introduction.
iGesture PadFingerWorkshttp://www.fingerworks.comThe iGesture Pad is an ultra-thin, large-area, superduper touchpad that is both mouse and powerful multi-finger gesture input interface. Mouse operations like point, click, drag, scroll, and zoom are combined seamlessly with multi-finger gesture in the same overlapping area of the iGesture Pad's surface. The iGesture Pad gives you unprecedented control of graphical objects using gestures, and it works equally well with either hand. Anyone can learn the basic gestures in a few minutes! Slips easily into your travel bag as the perfect external USB mouse/gesture interface for your laptop.
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Topic: MultiTouch (Read 237 times)
