G1 multi-touch a reality, integrated headphone jack still just a dream

When reviewing the G1 we found a lot to like, but a lot to dislike too. We knew that some of its shortcomings, like the missing headphone jack, were sadly permanent (free adapters notwithstanding), but hoped that it would just be a matter of time before some enterprising soul (with an enterprising compiler) would take care of another complaint: the lack of multi-touch. Lo and behold now is that time and Ryan Gardner is that coder, author of a little app that proves the inability of the G1 to accept a two-finger salute is not a hardware limitation. You can see for yourself in a video after the break, and once Ryan is done cleaning up his code he pledges to post that, too (don't forget those comments, man). Okay, so being able to cover your screen with red and yellow splotches isn't going to convert any spoiled iPhoners, but we're thinking the rest of you developers out there should be able to pick up this ball and run with it. So make with the running, already.

[Persian @ Nov 22nd 2008 11:03PM]

I saw this video earlier today. This is great news, although it seems that this will only be a reality for those with a rooted G1. (unless Google releases this publicly, of course)

I for one am looking forward both to it and what the people can develop with it. If nothing else, it should lead to some awesome games!!

[Jake Tobak @ Nov 22nd 2008 11:11PM]

I'd be surprised if Google didn't release/allow something like this soon.
I mean... it's GOOGLE!

[KarlW @ Nov 22nd 2008 11:29PM]

They won't. I believe Apple has patented a lot of its gestures. Things like the pinching for zooming gestures.

It'd explain why no multi-touch phone (at least AFAIK) has used them. I'm pretty sure that if Google could have used them, Android would have shipped with them to begin with.

[Persian @ Nov 22nd 2008 11:36PM]

There is no other multitouch phone. Apple has patented the pinch gesture, but that doesn't mean other uses of multitouch can't be used. We will see how this whole patent debacle pans out.

[Derek @ Nov 22nd 2008 11:49PM]

@ubn2
Do you think you posted that enough????

[ubn2 @ Nov 22nd 2008 11:57PM]

wtf happened there? i swear i didnt multi post!i refresehed a couple times to see new comments thats all!

[ubn2 @ Nov 22nd 2008 11:57PM]

wtf happened there? i swear i didnt multi post!i refresehed a couple times to see new comments thats all!

[ubn2 @ Nov 22nd 2008 11:57PM]

wtf happened there? i swear i didnt multi post!i refresehed a couple times to see new comments thats all!

[ubn2 @ Nov 22nd 2008 11:57PM]

wtf happened there? i swear i didnt multi post!i refresehed a couple times to see new comments thats all!

[ubn2 @ Nov 22nd 2008 11:57PM]

wtf happened there? i swear i didnt multi post!i refresehed a couple times to see new comments thats all!

[ubn2 @ Nov 22nd 2008 11:57PM]

wtf happened there? i swear i didnt multi post!i refresehed a couple times to see new comments thats all!

[ubn2 @ Nov 23rd 2008 12:00AM]

one. I didn't post all of those comments as a joke, fireofox was acting up a little.
two. why is my avatar showing up on a few of my insane amount of posts?

[ubn2 @ Nov 23rd 2008 12:08AM]

why is my account sooo screwed ,between my avatar problems and multi-posting?

[ubn2 @ Nov 23rd 2008 12:08AM]

why is my account sooo screwed ,between my avatar problems and multi-posting?

[ubn2 @ Nov 23rd 2008 12:08AM]

why is my account sooo screwed ,between my avatar problems and multi-posting?

[ubn2 @ Nov 23rd 2008 12:08AM]

why is my account sooo screwed ,between my avatar problems and multi-posting?

[ubn2 @ Nov 23rd 2008 12:08AM]

why is my account sooo screwed ,between my avatar problems and multi-posting?

[ubn2 @ Nov 23rd 2008 12:08AM]

why is my account sooo screwed ,between my avatar problems and multi-posting?

[ubn2 @ Nov 23rd 2008 12:08AM]

why is my account sooo screwed ,between my avatar problems and multi-posting?

[ubn2 @ Nov 23rd 2008 12:08AM]

why is my account sooo screwed ,between my avatar problems and multi-posting?

[ubn2 @ Nov 23rd 2008 12:08AM]

why is my account sooo screwed ,between my avatar problems and multi-posting?

[ubn2 @ Nov 23rd 2008 12:08AM]

why is my account sooo screwed ,between my avatar problems and multi-posting?

[ubn2 @ Nov 23rd 2008 12:08AM]

why is my account sooo screwed ,between my avatar problems and multi-posting?

[ubn2 @ Nov 23rd 2008 12:08AM]

why is my account sooo screwed ,between my avatar problems and multi-posting?

[Boards of Canada @ Nov 23rd 2008 2:17AM]

hahahaha! ha ha! haha ! ha ahhh ha hum.

[Mike @ Nov 23rd 2008 8:00AM]

Then how does the LG prada allow the pinching gestures?

[pt0ne @ Nov 22nd 2008 11:07PM]

i didn't know the hardware could actually support multitouch

[BratPAQ @ Nov 22nd 2008 11:43PM]

according to the site, Synaptics were the company that provided the touchscreen for G1, same company that was rumored to develop the touchscreen of iPhone, same company that has released multi-touch for touchpads of laptops, etc. its a big possibility that the sreen is capable of multi-touch but google didnt release it on the software side, why? dont know.

[Nice gUy clifF @ Nov 22nd 2008 11:07PM]

not clean at all but its an awesome start. too bad the battery power will only allow for 5 minutes of multitouch.

[Caullen @ Nov 22nd 2008 11:13PM]

where did you get that inclination from?

[ducky @ Nov 22nd 2008 11:35PM]

@Caullen, the demo itself proves it. See how the circles are being drawn so far apart? For those circles to make even a simple cohesive line, the driver would have to be polled at an insane rate, one that would run the battery out very quickly.

[wootman @ Nov 22nd 2008 11:36PM]

why only 5?

[Persian @ Nov 22nd 2008 11:37PM]

@ducky

Or it could just mean his method of polling is incorrect/very inefficient.

[ducky @ Nov 22nd 2008 11:43PM]

@Persian, the fact remains that if HTC doesn't specify it to be a multitouch screen, it doesn't have to be. If somehow the current screen is in fact multitouch, and they decide there's no point, they could start shipping phones with regular touchscreens without having to say anything.

Despite all that, I don't think this video proves that the Dream's touchscreen is truly capable of multitouch. I don't mean hacked-up multitouch, as this implementation may well be, but the real thing.

[dajobo @ Nov 22nd 2008 11:08PM]

This is a prime example of the "open source" OS that is Android. This is not only exciting news, but it really shows where software developers can take Android to the next level, above and beyond any other phone. Android has been out for a few weeks now, and already we are seeing something like this!

I for one, own a G1. I am excited to see this software, and the OS, develop and grow as I own this phone.

[sublimewulf @ Nov 22nd 2008 11:12PM]

I might sell my iTouch and pick up a gPhone, All of the open source juiciness is too delectable to resist, No more apple limitations sounds Excellent!

[XGM @ Nov 22nd 2008 11:20PM]

When are these coming to Canada ? Seeing as the iPhone is with Rogers its either this or the Storm...

[sinai @ Nov 22nd 2008 11:21PM]

the biggest shortcoming of the G1 is not multitouch, it is the terrible terrible battery life. listening to music for 30 minutes brings my battery to 70% from a full charge. it's useless as a portable device.

[Mark @ Nov 23rd 2008 12:50AM]

Really? Cause I listened to music for about 5 hours during my ride back into town yesterday with google maps up showing my location(using GPS) and the bluetooth on and it was still at like 50% when I got back. If you're experiencing really bad battery problems try letting it fully deplete till it dies and then charging it all the way back up(like 2 1/2 hours) before turning it on again. I did that and now my battery lasts freakin forever

[Scythe @ Nov 22nd 2008 11:22PM]

It's not true multi-touch, but it's a decent emulation of such through threading. Hence why if you go above 2 threads to monitor input, you'll get issues.

The only way to get true multi-touch is to have hardware that can monitor multiple input points. Also with the software emulation that's shown in the video, the polling will murder battery life.

Still, good work by the developer.

[Persian @ Nov 22nd 2008 11:23PM]

Do you have any real evidence to back that?

You are mistaken. It uses the same touchscreen technology as the iPhone. It simply needs the software to back the hardware.

[ducky @ Nov 22nd 2008 11:28PM]

@Persion, do YOU have any real evidence to back that? You don't know that the G1's touchscreen has the exact same capabilities as the iPhone's; you're only inferring that. You can only go with what is known for now, and that's the HTC spec. Which does not mention multitouch.

Plus, the developer implies multiple times in the video that this is an emulation.

[Persian @ Nov 22nd 2008 11:34PM]

What he mentions is that this is simply an emulation in the JAVA layer. Capacitive touch is used in both the iPhone and the G1. So the technology IS the same.

If you look at another one of his demos (a program that just states where his fingers are touching) you will see the hardware notices where the two fingers are touching and can give the coordinates for them.

[BratPAQ @ Nov 22nd 2008 11:57PM]

@Persian

if you have read that little text on the video on how did he do it, he did it by polling the touch events written on a directory, so its not really "multi" but the code is so fast at polling and writing the circles that it looks like its "multi".

[bjsguess @ Nov 22nd 2008 11:22PM]

Super. Now we have two phones with the same worthless feature set.

It's an awesome achievement for the sake of achievement but I still find multi-touch on a mobile phone to be nothing more than a novelty.

[Fernando @ Nov 22nd 2008 11:28PM]

seconded, now I can pinch stuff to zoom in oh joy

[ducky @ Nov 22nd 2008 11:32PM]

There are certain applications where multitouch by far provides the best interface. Look at the Google Earth app on iPhone, for instance. Zoom, rotate, and move without having to press a single button or toggle switch. The alternative? Three separate buttons for those functions, and having to toggle those buttons endlessly for simple navigation. Not fun.

[ryaninc @ Nov 23rd 2008 8:17AM]

Agreed. I like using my phone one handed, so zooming into maps and webpages with the G1 is easy. But with the iPhone, you need two hands. Multitouch sure looks cool and is a darn good "impress the friends" feature, but for practical use, I don't like it.

[ducky @ Nov 22nd 2008 11:26PM]

At the risk of inciting a riot from hopeful G1 fans, it doesn't look like a sure thing, as the video says.

He mentions that he's done this through a "hack" and that the G1 might support multitouch "well enough" to allow basic gestures.

What does he mean by well enough? Either the hardware supports it, or it doesn't. It seems to me that it's just a workaround, rather than actual multitouch.

Plus, the G1 spec mentions nothing about multitouch, so HTC could legitimately manufacture some G1's without multitouch, and some with. It's not guaranteed.

But put your rifles away, 'cause I don't know the technical details of this, I'm just thinking.

[markle @ Nov 22nd 2008 11:36PM]

WHERE CAN I GET IT!