Video: coder whips up working multitouch demonstration on T-Mobile G1

Ryan Gardner did wonders when he proved that multitouch was a real possibility on the G1, and now Sir Luke Hutch has taken things one giant leap further. Put simply (or as simply as possible), he has figured out a way to demonstrate full working multitouch on a stock T-Mobile G1, and he even provides the video to prove it and a list of instructions for developers to follow suit. For those just casually interested, the vid after the break is apt to be enough to get your saliva flowing, but for the hardcore data snoopers in the crowd, the incredibly lengthy read link is where it's at. Go where you must -- it's like a choose-your-own-adventure book, but for nerds.

[Via Phandroid, thanks Rob and Keyan]

[Arkenklo @ Jan 12th 2009 12:59PM]

This is fantastic.

[Arkenklo @ Jan 12th 2009 5:48PM]

Shut. Up.

[hotbob55 @ Jan 13th 2009 3:12PM]

IPHONE OWNS, ANDROID SUCKS BALLS!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Flashpoint @ Jan 12th 2009 12:59PM]

Someone's not gonna like this comment but,

I really like the G1. But, I'd perfer it if it ran iPhoneOS.

[Jon Doe. @ Jan 12th 2009 1:06PM]

Yah because I want a locked down OS on my phone. NOT. Android will continue to evolve. While Apple will continue to be Apple.

[Arkenklo @ Jan 12th 2009 1:06PM]

Buy an Iphone then.

[imacmatt09 @ Jan 12th 2009 1:07PM]

Agreed. I have an iPhone and I keep thinking about the next phone I'm gonna get. The iPhones browser is the best I've used. Sure it doesn't have flash but it does render pages near perfect.

[KRIS_C_123 @ Jan 12th 2009 1:09PM]

explain why??

[civilian @ Jan 12th 2009 1:30PM]

yeah, apple will continue to be apple. Because version 2.2 is the same as 1.0 right? No kind of progress.

lets wait till either the wmc or sometime in june, then see what continues to be.

[atomb @ Jan 12th 2009 1:47PM]

How is android any more open then the iphone os. You have to go through their approved store to get apps for either one. I was looking into getting a G1 but I was let down that it still has to be "jailbroken" to do all the fun stuff with it.

[Scythe @ Jan 12th 2009 1:51PM]

@atomb -- I can physically go view the source code for the OS.

The app store is open to anyone who's willing to pay $25. Also it's near-instant approval, as opposed to an Apple talking head approving it.

[Flashpoint @ Jan 12th 2009 1:51PM]

I like the G1's mix of capacitive touchscreen, keyboard, video capture ability and Google integration.

But I like iPhone's vitual keyboard, APP store, Itune's synching and iphoto synch.

If you sandwiched them together, you'd get a big bulky phone that does pretty much everything the average person wants it to do.

[eric @ Jan 12th 2009 1:55PM]

@atomb
Android can run apps not in the market. By default, only apps from the market are allowed, but you can go to Settings > Applications and turn on Unknown Sources. Then, simply download the application from the web (the .apk file), and it automatically goes through the install process.

[atomb @ Jan 12th 2009 2:02PM]

Thanks for the info! I am glad to hear that they have kept that external install process open.

[Monte @ Jan 12th 2009 2:25PM]

@atomb - "How is android any more open then the iphone os. You have to go through their approved store to get apps for either one. I was looking into getting a G1 but I was let down that it still has to be "jailbroken" to do all the fun stuff with it."

Actually, no, you don't have to go through the Market. There's even a handy little setting on the phone to allow the install of non-Market applications. And, if you're wondering how Android is more open, perhaps you've missed the many articles covering Apples seemingly arbitrary approval process for iPhone apps? I won't make any excuses for the system's legitimate shortcomings (app installs being restricted to built-in phone memory is the worst, in my opinion), but as far as openness goes, Android has the iPhone beat, plain and simple.

[Geert Schoots @ Jan 12th 2009 2:29PM]

What is this mythical iPoneOS you are talking about? (It is called MacOS, yes a slimmed down version)

Like Apple will ever license their software to a 3rd party, actually Steve Jobs first action as returning CEO was to stop licensing (pre MacOS/X). Android is a great idea and hopefully a lot of phones will be able to use it (yes, even older existing ones could and probably for free)....

This whole "don't touch the superiority of my latest gadget" has to stop, it's childish and stupid!

[VanillaSpice @ Jan 12th 2009 8:10PM]

Apple is not actually doing anything different to what Nintendo and Sony did and still do with their consoles and portables. They maintain strict controls on what can, and cannot, be released for their platforms. They have approval processes for all software releases that take far longer (and are just as arbitrary) as Apple's process. Nintendo, it must be remembered, were far more heavy-handed than Apple in controlling content on their platforms, even by the stage of the N64 they still did not want any adult or mature content (gore in particular) in any games.

The idea that maintaining control over app releases is automatically a bad idea and has no good points in its favour, is ridiculous. A completely open market would leave users susceptible to all kinds of malware and age-inappropriate content, which is precisely why the Android market is not completely open. The anti-Apple crowd brayed long and loud when Apple announced that their market would not be completely open, yet were strangely quiet when Google announced that the Android market would also not be open. Unprepared, they were, to judge their favourite device by the same standards they had held others to.

[DP @ Jan 12th 2009 1:00PM]

Would you like mustard with that ketchup? See what I did there?

[ImaYam @ Jan 12th 2009 1:59PM]

No.

[someguy @ Jan 12th 2009 2:20PM]

as they say Apple has patents over gestures, meaning using the two fingers to zoom in/out is theirs... implementing them on Android is not a big for us but there is no point to ship them if lawers will be knocking our doors the next morning.

[fuma @ Jan 12th 2009 4:43PM]

@someguy -

but really.. that's like saying i have a patent on using your whole hand to move your mouse... everyone must now use their thumb and pinky only... dont use your middle 3 fingers...

or patenting 3 finger holes in bowling balls... and all bowling balls not manufactured by a certain company must now use 1 hole only.

multitouch is multitouch, 1,2,3 or all fingers & toes I cant see this ever holding up in patent court at all.

[Jon Doe. @ Jan 12th 2009 1:05PM]

My wish is that Google would implement this in cupcake....however the reality is that it will remain a wish. :-(

[Shyam D @ Jan 12th 2009 1:07PM]

Wait, how is this different from a Resistive touch screen in terms of input? We know that with the capacitive touch screen it takes a lot less pressure to activate it, but a resistive touch screen has the exact same problem with multiple inputs.

[Juxtah @ Jan 12th 2009 1:16PM]

Umm what? Capacitive has nothing to do with pressure, resistive maybe as the more pressure you apple to the 2 thin sheets the harder it is for the device to read the input but in capacitive pressure has no bearing on accuracy/pointing as it's a single layer.

[thomas @ Jan 12th 2009 1:07PM]

no 6 axes control system = no care

[Paul @ Jan 12th 2009 1:10PM]

Why, are you chopping lots of wood?

[LC @ Jan 12th 2009 1:36PM]

No need to worry. Latest update is that the negotiations with the 6 lumberjacks is going to go through.

[Decoy @ Jan 12th 2009 4:04PM]

You have my six bows.

[Cagrino @ Jan 12th 2009 1:11PM]

Wait, "isn't choose-your-own-adventure book, but for nerds" redundant?

[ethana2 @ Jan 12th 2009 1:25PM]

It's not a true 2d multi-touch screen, as the guy said. It's just a normal touchscreen that happens to be able to be made to provide 'scale' capability. I'll bet there are a lot of touchpads out there on laptops that could do the same thing.

[Eltorro @ Jan 12th 2009 1:55PM]

Like the AA1.

[ethana2 @ Jan 12th 2009 2:13PM]

Certainly the AA1, but I'm thinking a bit more vanilla than that; I'm wondering about synaptic touchpads and the like.. If they send the raw data to the OS they should be able to.. 'course, if they turn it into simple x and y first, there goes that.

[chris @ Jan 12th 2009 1:26PM]

Doesn't Apple have multi-touch patented?

[Person @ Jan 13th 2009 2:31AM]

This is exactly what I wanted to say... I don't think this coder is going to much appreciate his cease and desist order coming in the mail as well as all the other developers that will follow him.

Do you really think that other phone manufacturers have not looked into multi-touch? Especially the Google OS?

[Danest @ Jan 12th 2009 1:39PM]

Multi-Touch has been out for years it is not patented by apple.

[Aaron @ Jan 12th 2009 1:41PM]

Palm's new baby has multi-touch so the answer is obviously no (from a practical point of view).

Remember that Microsoft holds a lot of multi-touch patents too and hasn't sued Apple yet.

[atomb @ Jan 12th 2009 1:56PM]

Palm could have licensed the patent from whomever does hold the patent whether that be apple or not. Just because palm is using it doesn't mean there is no patent.

[chris @ Jan 12th 2009 1:57PM]

I looked into it a bit, and apparently Apple has filled patents on ALL their iphone multi-touch gestures.
But the patents are still in process and have not yet been granted. So all the copy cat phones are
safe for now.

But if Apple gets some or all of the multi-touch patents granted they can put the smack-down
on anyone that tries to use it.

[superhobo @ Jan 12th 2009 1:58PM]

No, multitouch was invented in Bell labs in the 80s.

Apple tried to patent the term "multitouch" [1], but probably got laughed out.

[1] Wikipedia

[Freakin Ijit @ Jan 12th 2009 2:07PM]

Independent open-source development of multitouch that isn't installed on the phone as sold but is available free "elsewhere" may copy the "look and feel" but may not violate any weird patent and licensing stuff.

Visicalc is brought to mind at this point...

[someguy @ Jan 12th 2009 2:23PM]

as they say Apple has patents over gestures, meaning using the two fingers to zoom in/out is theirs... implementing them on Android is not a big for us but there is no point to ship them if lawers will be knocking our doors the next morning.

[Ed T @ Jan 12th 2009 3:08PM]

I love it when geeks talk patent law. The only thing they know less about is sex that doesn't involve their own hand gestures.

[Eddie @ Jan 12th 2009 1:26PM]

Now this...This is awesome.
Totally going to take a look at his code when I get home :)
Very nice work buddy. And woo android XD

[MIA @ Jan 12th 2009 1:33PM]

chris, have you taken a look at the pre???????????????????????????????

[JWC @ Jan 12th 2009 1:36PM]

Sweeeeeeet.

[whowhatme @ Jan 12th 2009 1:44PM]

hey, that's a map of MIT!

[superhobo @ Jan 12th 2009 2:02PM]

Microsoft is going to release a version of Windows 7 that will run on smartphones and can run all Windows applications at the upcoming WMC. Watch all of them go out of business then.

Ok, maybe not, but I can dream.

[chris @ Jan 12th 2009 2:08PM]

I heard "7" stands for the number of minutes it takes to boot : )

[superhobo @ Jan 12th 2009 2:10PM]

More like the time it takes to install.

[ethana2 @ Jan 12th 2009 2:15PM]

Actually, that's the projected ACID3 score for IE8, or, alternately, the size of the OS on-disk.