Some iPhone touchscreen roots 'splained by FingerWorks inventors

It really wouldn't be an Apple device if it didn't involve the practical kidnapping of a pair of inventors and secretive technology buyouts, and the iPhone seems to be no exception. Word is getting out of John Elias and Wayne Westerman, co-founders of FingerWorks, who were struggling to keep their dream of gesture-operated gadgetry alive when the company suddenly closed up shop a year and a half ago. Few doubt Apple snapped up the pair, and with interesting touchscreen abilities of the iPhone, it looks like it found a use for the men in some secretive underground laboratory. The greatest admission so far to such cahoots comes from Westerman, who said recently: "The one difference that's actually quite significant is the iPhone is a display with the multi-touch, and the FingerWorks was just an opaque surface. That's all I'm going to say there. There's definite similarities, but Apple's definitely taken it another step by having it on a display." FingerWorks devices, which included a no-touch keyboard, mouse-less mouse pad and other multi-touch devices, have developed a bit of a cult following from "Fingerfans" on the internets, with people paying upwards of $1,500 for a FingerWorks keyboard that originally sold for $250. The ergonomics and usability enhancements of FingerWorks devices appeal to a small niche right now, but the hope is that Apple won't be limiting its implementation of these technologies to just the iPhone -- of course, nobody is holding their breath.

[Thanks, Geezer]

[Alex C @ Jan 22nd 2007 1:11PM]

Wow you people will never be happy. One moment it's the Microsoft lovers complaining that engadget is too anti-Zune, now it's the Apple lovers complaining about a harmlesss joke which isn't particularly offensive to Apple. They don't even try and say the idea was stolen, merely aquired, which is what i assume is aggravating you. On the most part the editors are very neutral, so either be happy and don't whine, or go read TUAW instead.

[Gil @ Jan 22nd 2007 12:21PM]

Apple bashing? Have you lost your mind? It's an article about technology particularly how multitouch was developed.

Besides Engadget is one of the most pro-Apple blogs on the net that is not dedicated to apple.

Al: That's not really multi touch. What the touchpad read was the larger area being stimulated on the pad.

[Al @ Jan 22nd 2007 12:09PM]

Apple trackpads have been using a form of multi touch for a while now anyway. Dragging two fingers across it and it scrolls the window and of course holding with two fingers and clicking does the magic right click. After a little practise this is much better than having two buttons on the trackpad, still prefer a two button mouse though.

[Ignacio @ Jan 22nd 2007 1:23PM]

"Al: That's not really multi touch. What the touchpad read was the larger area being stimulated on the pad."

No, MacBook's trackpads actually detect both fingers. I tried putting several fingers together or even my palm and it wouldn't right click/scroll. It's only when it detects two different contact points that it switches to scroll mode or right click.

Also, something not many people know, you don't have to click while holding two fingers to get the right button behavior: just standard tapping -but with two fingers- works too (assuming of course that you have tapping = click enabled in System Preferences)

[strider_mt2k @ Jan 22nd 2007 12:44PM]

Also in the world of the future we will all look like Bill Gates.

Ironic.

[thom @ Jan 22nd 2007 12:52PM]

You might want to check sensitive object technology, kinda cool.
They can turn ANY SURFACE into a sensitive one using time reversal of lamb waves.
http://www.sensitive-object.com/

[strider_mt2k @ Jan 22nd 2007 1:00PM]

MMMMM lamb...

[Maztec @ Jan 22nd 2007 1:05PM]

I admit, I am a TouchStream (FingerWorks) keyboard freak. I love it. Too bad it has some technical glitches and the support software sucks .. oh and it is no longer supported due to the buyout.

But if the iPhone is based on this (which I assumed it is), then the iPhone's touch interface will be the best ever encountered on a cell phone. Very response, very awesome. Only one problem - do not try using it when your fingers or damp! At least, if the iPhone uses the same electroconductive technology of the TouchStream keyboard, you will see some weeeirrd behaviors..

Now, last problem, I wonder.. My TouchStream keyboard wigs out when my cellphone rings and is near it.. Hope that does not happen with the iPhone.. That would be weird.

[Buis @ Jan 22nd 2007 1:17PM]

$1.500? Who, why, where? I have one of those collecting dust in my almost-forgotten-gadget-vaults...

[kOa7 @ Jan 22nd 2007 1:37PM]

Ok, these two nerdy looking guys are using a Sun computer, running Windows, to develop an interface for an Apple only system for stylish people.

Now if only Jobs could think in such an open way (viz his comments about running the open, cross platform java me on the iphone).

[ibrahim @ Jan 22nd 2007 1:46PM]

will we see anymore multi touch products? e.g. a line of apple multi touch controllers for use by arty farty types? it seems a bit counter-productive for apple to sit on innovations like this and only introduce them in the iPhone (which although mighty fancy, doesn't really offer much for people who want to be productive with their technology)

[Manos De Plata @ Jan 22nd 2007 3:26PM]

Unless I'm mistaken, my best guess is that this is the technology they're using, only smaller:

http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/09/nyus-multi-touch-sensing-through-frustrated-total-internal-refl/

In other words, the surfaces for "arty farty" types are already being built.

[SubGenius @ Jan 22nd 2007 4:43PM]

I'm sure we will see an Apple eBook reader with a high res screens and multiTouch technology within a year.
Apple iPod is to MP3 as Apple eBook is to PDF.
You will be able to purchase books and magazines through the iTunes store.
You will also be able to subscribe to PDFcasts through iTunes.
iTunes will sync your PDFs to the eBook for reading.
You will be able to turn pages with a simple gesture and it will look beautiful with the CoreAnimation page flips.
You will also be able to use the pinch gestures to zoom in and out.
The text will look amazing because of the high res screen and Leopards res-independent GUI.

[leob @ Jan 22nd 2007 9:29PM]

There are a bunch of igestures and keyboards on Froogle. I wonder if they are legit...

[gburch @ Jan 23rd 2007 3:18AM]

Buis: I was just thinking the same thing - I have one that I gave up on because I just couldn't use it fulltime and it has been in my desk for 3yrs. I would welcome a 1500 bid for it :). I found a $500 bid on it on ebay.

[isaac @ Jan 23rd 2007 9:05AM]

I'm going to wait to see how well this stuff actually works with a device that will be in your pocket all day and subject to all kinds of environments. I mean, it's pretty easy to know the scenarios that a keyboard will face but a mobile phone has to have issues.


John
http://www.monomachines.com

[joelja @ Jan 23rd 2007 1:16PM]

The fingerworks keyboards simply wasn't that good. yeah it was novel and having a huge mousing surface without removing your hands from the keyboard was prety cool. but lack of tactile feedback and the fack that you're typing on a hard surface lead to new and interesting kinds of wrist/finger strain. The thing shuffled around our office until I could longer get rid of it... it had some utility, but the perfoamnce was never there.

[Oyvind @ Jan 23rd 2007 2:45PM]

I still think Apple will come out with some amazing products based on this kind of technology. Read: Big displays with multitouch...

http://brilliantdays.com/multi-touch/

[EEDesigner @ Jan 30th 2007 3:13PM]

It appears that Apple utilized good technology and made it work. To my mind, Microsoft takes good technology and absolutely screws it up. Let's face it, makeing things work properly is NOT Microsoft's strong suit. It is Apple's strong suit. So, please have the author go back to Vista (the new Yugo of OS), and have fun waiting for his machine to boot up (if it ever does).

[mikegmn @ Mar 9th 2007 4:35PM]

I have been using the iGesture pad for as a few years. It's the only thing I can use as my wrist has gone south on me. An ordinary mouse drives me up a wall. Plus I really can't do my job anymore. I'm in graphics and use precise motions that I can't do anymore with the mouse. So NOW, my iGesture pad went Kapoot! I just realized that I can't get it fixed nor buy a new one. Looked for a couple days. Until I found this article, my hope was dashed. Well it's still dashed, but maybe... Anyway has anyone found another touchpad mouse? Of Fingerworks abilities? Not.
mike

[samov @ Jun 7th 2008 12:23PM]

See.... THAT'S windows on that computer there... F U apple :D