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Playsurface touchscreen computing table hands-on (video)
Let's be honest -- the first time we saw the Microsoft Surface in action, we all dreamt of getting our grubby fingers on our very own unit. Five years later, we're no closer to the dream of a touchscreen coffee tablet in every living room. Templeman Automation, thankfully, shares that dream. Earlier this month, we caught word of the company's Playsurface, a Kickstarter project aimed at bringing low cost touchscreen computing to the tabletops of eager early adopters who just can't quite justify the $8,000 price tag on Microsoft's similarly named product. We were excited at the prospect of finally getting to play with the product when TechCrunch opened up the gates to the hardware portion of its Disrupt conference. Unfortunately, as we quickly found out, things wouldn't be quite so easy -- the show was held at Pier 94, a space with overabundant natural light courtesy of rows and rows of skylights. As it turns out, the sun doesn't play too well with the infrared light that helps power Playsurface's touchscreen functionality. The table's creators were nice enough to pop by our offices to let us take the living room gadget for a test drive.
New shear touch technology lets you skip a double-tap, push your device around (video)
Most every touchscreen in the market today can only register your finger input as coordinates; that's fine for most uses, but it leads to a lot of double-taps and occasionally convoluted gestures. A pair of researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, Chris Harrison and Scott Hudson, have suggested that shear touch might be a smarter solution. Instead of gliding over fixed glass, your finger could handle secondary tasks by pushing in a specific direction, or simply pushing harder, on a sliding display. Among the many examples of what shear touch could do, the research duo has raised the possibility of skipping through music by pushing left and right, or scrolling more slowly through your favorite website with a forceful dragging motion. The academic paper is still far away from producing a shipping device, although a Microsoft doctoral fellowship's partial contribution to funding the study indicates one direction the technology might go. You can take a peek at the future in a video after the jump -- just don't expect a tablet-based Van Gogh this soon. [Thanks, Chris]
Insert Coin: Playsurface open-source multitouch computing table
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. A Microsoft Surface in every office? Yeah, fat chance. At $8,000, you may never see Samsung's SUR40 glow in the wild, but budget versions of the backlit HD table have begun popping up, such as the Merel Mtouch, which retails for half the price. Still, four grand is a lot to ask from casual users -- we need a bargain-basement option to help catapult the concept to success. The Playsurface could be one solution, with an open-source design and a much more affordable price tag. The multitouch computing table is the product of Templeman Automation, and its creators have begun promoting their concept on Kickstarter. In its current iteration, the Playsurface will ship in two flavors -- short, to double as a coffee table, and tall for stand-up applications -- with a $1,750 pledge netting backers a complete kit. Setting out to fulfill the goal of widespread adaptation, the creator is promising one Playsurface kit with a $1,750 pledge, including a Windows computer, a short-throw 1280 x 800-pixel DLP projector and a transparent touch surface, all housed within a self-assembled wood enclosure. There's also an infrared LED strip to aid with input recognition and something called a "Blob Board," which serves as a dedicated hardware processor tasked with touch detection and connects to the computer via USB. A $350 pledge gets you a Blob Board alone, while $650 is matched with a table (sans computer and projector) and $1,250 will net you a full kit, less the computer. There's just shy of four weeks left to go to get your Playsurface pledge in -- hit up the source link to make it happen.
The Distro Interview: Microsoft Principal Researcher Bill Buxton
Bill Buxton has spent most of his career getting between humans and computers. While his initial focus was on music and digital instruments, that eventually led to an interest in human-computer interaction, and pioneering work with multitouch systems and other user interfaces. He worked with the famed hotbed of innovation Xerox PARC in the late 1980s and early 90s, and was later Chief Scientist for software firm Alias Wavefront before claiming the same title at SGI Inc. when that company acquired the former in 1995. After a time running his own Toronto-based design and consulting firm, he moved on to Microsoft Research in 2005, where he continues to serve as the organization's Principal Researcher. We recently had a chance to pick his brain and get his thoughts on a range of issues, including state of design at Microsoft, the future of natural user interfaces, and whether we're really entering a "post-PC" era.
Sifteo and Surface team up for magical marriage of meaninglessness
Sifteo and Surface are definitely two of the cooler, but more useless gadgets we've had the pleasure of handling over the years. So, what happens when you get these questionably useful toys (both literally and figuratively) together? Well, a whole lot of nothing particularly important. By combining the proximity sensors on the Cubes with the object recognition of the SUR40 the devs were able to whip up a simple game that has you recreating patterns of colored cubes. Sound a little dull? We won't lie, it's not the most thrilling thing on Earth, but there's a video of it none-the-less awaiting you after the break.
nSquared's seamless computing ties Windows, Surface and iPads (video)
Australian Surface developer nSquared is bringing its seamless computing ambitions to life with its new tool, Presenter 2.0. Using a Samsung SUR 40 as a hub, the software brings Windows, OS X and iOS users together to work in the same space without hiccup. The workspace can be controlled and contributed by all the users simultaneously across the spectrum of devices, as demonstrated in the video we've got for you after the break. Even better is that the software will shortly be available to order from the company's website so you and your colleagues can start making rude doodles on your spreadsheets from any device you've got to hand.
Surface 2.0 now shipping, packing PixelSense and Gorilla Glass
Samsung's SUR40 has been a long time coming. The 40-inch next-gen Surface was unveiled at CES 2011, but it's only just now starting to ship, following the 2012 edition of that gadget show. It finally went up for pre-order in mid-November for $8,400, but at the time we still had no clear date for shipments. Those of you waiting impatiently to get your table-PC can rest easy however, as the AMD-based Win7 machine should already be en route to your doorstep -- provided you coughed up the cash one of course. We guess it was just a matter of finally getting that sensor-in-pixel tech worked out. Head on after the break for the full PR.
Samsung SUR40 for Microsoft Surface available for pre-order in 23 countries, expected to ship in 2012
Microsoft's Surface hasn't exactly exploded on the sales figure front, but with next-gen model pricing estimated at $7,600 $8,400 and limited availability, we're not surprised that the table of the future hasn't begun popping up in hotels and retails stores the world over. That may slowly change, however, with one of the most recent models -- Samsung's SUR40 -- finally coming up for pre-order today. Enterprise customers (or deep-pocketed individuals) can reach out to dedicated sales reps in any of 23 countries to place an order, including the U.S. and Canada, parts of Asia, and most of Europe. An exact ship date has yet to be released, but don't expect the 40-inch 1080p multitouch table to start popping up until early next year. Want to start touching and tapping today? Check out our hands-on with an early SUR40 from CES. Update: Microsoft wrote in to let us know that pricing has jumped a bit -- to $8,400 -- since this year's earlier estimate. International pricing will vary by country.
NEC 52-inch table disguised as boring office furniture
The problem with Microsoft Surface is that it looks too much like fun. NEC has the right idea: affix some trolley wheels, brush some aluminum, give it a sedate name like "X-info Table" and then maybe, just maybe, traditional businesses will start buying into the idea. The specs, however, are easily sufficient to handle a few rounds of office Pinball HD (as in the photo above): a Core i7 CPU running Windows 7 on the 52-inch full HD screen, 6GB of RAM, three USB ports, support for multiple sub-displays, and a scanning function. There's no price yet, but you can probably expect to pay more for the 350-pound frame than for the computer itself.
New York Times envisions Microsoft Surface kitchen table, just don't spill your OJ (video)
Long since gone are the days of sitting at the breakfast table, drinking a cup of coffee and sharing the Sunday paper... or are they? The New York Time's R&D Lab is developing a "kitchen table" based-on Microsoft Surface touchscreen technology, designed to take individuals that are normally face down in their iPads, back to the table for a more social way to consume and share content. The display gives multiple readers the opportunity to sit at the table and interact, with options to share across the surface by swiveling and enlarging images or articles. The Times envisions that it will also be a mode of discovery, where users could get more information on a certain product by placing it on the table to find prices and related NYT articles, which could also an interesting method for advertising -- just be careful where you put that Starbucks cup.
Nsquared's Seamless Computing, Surface + Kinect + Slate + Phone = amazing interface (video)
Sydney's nsquared is calling it "Seamless Computing" -- software which unifies Windows Phone 7, Surface, Windows 7 Slate and Kinect. Begin designing a new home on your phone and then place it on the Surface to share between all the devices, then pick up the Slate to make some modifications before walking through a 3D model of the building, navigating with Kinect's gesture interface. Software like AirPlay and Touch to Share already give you a taste for this sort of tech, but the experience that Dr. Neil Roodyn demonstrates in the video below is far more immersive -- not to mention unspeakably cool.
Meet Patty, Microsoft's Surface 2.0 stress test robot
Locked behind a gated fence and unseen by the public until now, lives Patty, Microsoft's Surface 2.0 stress test robot. Designed to see just how much Gates' touchscreen can take, this lady bot uses 80 compressed air-driven probes, six motors and a robotic moving head to apply maximum stress to the display. It works as such: by giving Patty a command, engineers can move probes across the screen at 25 inches per second -- mimicking the movement of fingers, hands and whatever else it might encounter IRL. With so much multitasking, it's no wonder she comes with a giant red emergency stop button -- just in case. See Patty do her thing by hitting the source link below.
Microsoft Surface-controlled robots to boldly go where rescuers have gone before (video)
Ready to get hands-on in the danger zone -- from afar? That's precisely what an enterprising team of University of Massachusetts Lowell researchers are working to achieve with a little Redmond-supplied assistance. The Robotics Lab project, dubbed the Dynamically Resizing Ergonomic and Multi-touch (DREAM) Controller, makes use of Microsoft's Surface and Robotics Developer Studio to deploy and coordinate gesture-controlled search-and-rescue bots for potentially hazardous emergency response situations. Developed by Prof. Holly Yanco and Mark Micire, the tech's Natural User Interface maps a virtual joystick to a user's fingertips, delegating movement control to one hand and vision to the other -- much like an Xbox controller. The project's been under development for some time, having already aided rescue efforts during Hurricane Katrina, and with future refinements, could sufficiently lower the element of risk for first responders. Head past the break for a video demonstration of this life-saving research.
Project MGS table reads your iPhone's media, gets you hands-on (video)
We know what you're thinking -- an iPhone interfacing with a Surface? The gods must be crazy. Well, it isn't and they're not, so relax. This custom-built, multitouch table of Apple interactivity comes from Computer Science undergrads Artem Vovk and Shuo Yang at the Technische Universität Darmstadt in Germany. Aptly titled Project MGS (Media Gathering System), the system enables wireless transfer of your iPhone's media to the infrared camera-equipped tabletop for some Java-based, gesture controlling fun. How does it know the phone's on there? Simple -- the table locates a barcode affixed to the back of your device and, after that, it's just you and all the pinch-zooming, media-playing mayhem you can muster up. The project also supports file transfers between iOS devices, a feature destined for display in future videos. For now, the tech only plays nice with Apple-flavored mobile devices, but the pair promises it can easily make way for future Android connectivity. Hit the break for the full demonstration and its folksy backing track. [Thanks, Shuo]
Merel Mtouch multitouch table hands-on (video)
Multitouch tables haven't exactly hit the mainstream, but price is likely to be a major factor. Merel's Mtouch table brings that familiar Microsoft Surface-like multitouch functionality for a fraction of the price, retailing for $3,995, or about half as much as Surface. The 720p, 32-inch display doesn't sacrifice on power -- a 3.2Ghz quad-core Intel Quad i5 Sandy Bridge processor and dedicated Radeon HD 1GB video card keep the Windows 7-based interface running smoothly -- but the table's display suffers from some uniformity issues, likely due to the pair of super-bright LEDs used to light it. We spent a few minutes with the Mtouch at the CEA LineShows in NYC, and liked what we saw -- once we got past the lighting issues, which appear slightly exaggerated in the photo above (notice the two bright spots near our subject's fingers). Content is loaded using a web interface, and the table is compatible with a variety of formats, including PDFs, which are displayed as "magazines" with easy-flip pages. The table is in the early stages of production -- just 30 have been made and sold so far, assembled completely at Merel's factory in Yonkers, NY. They are available for purchase now, however, and should be shipped to your door within 30-days of placing an order. Jump past the break as we go hands-on with the Merel Mtouch.%Gallery-126947%
Pioneer's Discussion Table gets a thumping $37,000 price tag, taken for a spin (video)
We thought the latest version of Microsoft's Surface was pricey at $7,600, but it's cheapo IKEA compared to Pioneer's WWS-DT101 Discussion Table. We just reported that this beast is due to hit the Japanese market in July, but now we discover you might need as much as ¥3million (around $37,000) plus van hire before you can cart it away. Acknowledged, it has a bigger screen and better all-round specs than Microsoft's SUR40, and it looks pretty damn responsive judging from the video after the break. But it's still an unlikely amount to spend on a piece of furniture that can't even play Dungeons and Dragons.
Microsoft's Rock and Rails touchscreen lets you massage your photos with both hands
If you ever get tired of poking away at your smartphone's screen like a doorbell, you're not alone. The forward-looking folks over at Microsoft Research have been working away at a new touchscreen system designed pick up on more natural, whole-hand movements, effectively allowing users to break free from the finger-based paradigm that governs most tactile devices. Developed in coordination with engineers at Microsoft Surface, the company's Rock and Rails interface can detect three basic hand gestures: a balled fist, which holds items on the screen, an extended hand that can align objects (see the cell marked "d," on the right) and a curved paw, around which users can pivot images (see cell b). This taxonomy opens up new ways for users to crop, re-size or generally play around with their UI elements, though it remains unclear whether the display will trickle down to the consumer level anytime soon. For now, it appears to operate exclusively on the Surface, but more details should surface when the system's developers release a paper on their project, later this year. Hit the source links to see a video of the thing in action.
Surface SDK gets input simulator, opens doors to indie devs
There's one big, table-shaped obstacle to developing apps for Microsoft's Surface: you kind of have to own one. A new Surface 2 SDK, landing this summer, will sidestep that problem with an input simulator so devs can test their code on any Windows 7 PC. You can tap fingers, place tags, or paint "blobs" for your virtual SUR 40 to interact with, and even fake multitouch gestures by "stamping" a finger in one spot then moving a second one. If the Surface you're programming for happens to be movable (though we're not sure who would put a $7,600 computer on hinges) you can also alter the tilt of the display to trigger UI changes. You'll still need access to one of these behemoths to make sure your wares work in the really real world, but at least the preliminary work can be done on any old laptop or desktop. Frankly, this is something we'd have thought would be included from day one -- as they say, better late than never.
Microsoft's Surface becomes the world's biggest remote control for the AR.Drone (video)
Whether it's sheer boredom or the pursuit for something awesome, we really don't care -- the motivation behind writing software to allow Microsoft's Surface to control Parrot's AR.Drone is as immaterial as the wireless connection between the two devices. Jump past the break for video of this pair of much-loved niche machines getting their groove on.
Amnesia Razorfish Connect lets your smartphone share your Surface
It's practicality may be a bit questionable until folks actually start using Surfaces in their homes, but Amnesia Razorfish has now produced a rather unique way to share content between your smartphone and Microsoft's would-be household device. The basic idea is fairly simple: just place your smartphone (or tablet) on the Surface, and then simply drag photos and other documents directly onto the device (where you can also, incidentally, preview them instantly). Exactly how that's done isn't clear, but the company says the so-called "Connect" system "utilizes a range of technologies including WiFi, Bluetooth, proximity detection, unique ID and phone accelerometer, depending on the type of phone and location." Somewhat ironically, the system only works with iOS devices at the moment, but Amnesia Razorfish says it's hard at work on bringing it to Android, Windows Phone, and BlackBerry as well. Head on past the break for the video. Update: The lead developer on Amnesia Connect just chimed in to let us know that the system doesn't actually use Bluetooth, and that it relies on a parallel Tcp- and Udp-Socket connection to get the screen syncing "as close as possible to realtime." Any devices simply need to join the open WiFi network created by the Surface and then launch the app.
