3dMultitouch
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3D UI patent snapped up by Apple in 2008: could be bases-covering, could be life-changing
We've seen this done badly so many time that it's hard to imagine anyone so self serious as Apple taking a crack at it (even if they've already done so in the desktop space), but for whatever reason the company picked up this 3D UI patent back in 2008 under the guise of a few French employees. The patent was just released in December, and describes in some detail a method of zooming around in 3D using multitouch. Of course, this picture seems to imply that it's for jumping through some representative icons on a 3D plane, but the patent seems more concerned with the core mechanics of using multiple fingers at once to get around in 3D space and manipulate 3D objects -- and then going to great lengths to cover Apple's back in regards to multitouch, capacitive touch, and "multifunction" devices. So, this could be something we see in "the tablet," the next iPhone or even never, but at least we can rest assured that pinch to zoom won't be the only multitouch game in town forever.
Video: Immersion's Cubtile 3D multitouch cube
Everybody loves a multitouch device -- Apple's making it easier for developers to get in on the action by way of the MacBook's trackpad, hackers are making it easier for Android fans to rock it on the G1, and how about that happenin' SmartTable? Immersion is no stranger to the field itself, and now the company has unveiled something called Cubtile. This is a cube-shaped interface designed for manipulating complex 3D data in virtual environments, with not one but (count 'em!) five multitouch faces. Check out the videos after the break to experience the chills and thrills as researchers manipulate Google Earth data and images of the human brain with two deft hands. We're really looking forwards to the Rubik's Cube they build out of this thing...
