TouchSensitive
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Researchers digitize writing with cheap, touch-sensitive paper
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have developed a paper that can track touch, which, among other applications, could lead to an inexpensive way to digitize writing. They're presenting their work this week at the ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. The paper itself is your typical, run-of-the-mill paper, but conductive material is applied to the back. While looking for the best conductive material to attach to the paper, the researchers wanted to make sure it was as inexpensive as possible and could be applied in a high-volume production scenario. Many materials were eliminated due to high costs, non-scalability and poor interaction with paper, but the researchers found two that were suitable -- a carbon-loaded plastic sheet that can be adhered to the paper and carbon-loaded paint that can be silk-screened, brushed or sprayed on.
Apple files patent for app access on lockscreen
Apple has filed a patent for something I would love to see implemented in a future iOS update: Quick access to certain apps directly from the iPhone's lockscreen. Patently Apple says that the patent application outlines a system of rotating the "slide to unlock" slider on iOS' lockscreen upwards, and then providing access to a number of apps directly, without having to unlock the phone and find the apps on the home screen. I could not love this idea more. I think one of iOS' biggest weaknesses is the home screen's lack of actual functionality. Apple has taken half measures by providing direct access to the camera app and a better implementation of the Notification Center, but most of the lockscreen is wasted space. There's almost no way to add information and functionality you want. It's a major loss, especially when you consider how Apple's competitors have handled things. Obviously Apple wants a good-looking way to do it, and I respect that. But this idea definitely seems like it offers some good possibilities. According to Apple's patent, the sliding display would feature a touch-sensitive home button, and the way you'd get access to these apps would be to enter some specific combination of gestures on that button directly. Of course, like all of the patents we see come out of Apple, there's no guarantee that this will ever be implemented in this way. But man, I'd definitely like to see more functionality on my iPhone's lockscreen, however it's put together.
Chris Ware releases iPad-only comic via McSweeney's app
Chris Ware is an amazing cartoonist out of Chicago, and he's done a lot of work with McSweeney's, the literary journal run by novelist Dave Eggers and his company. Now, Ware has released an iPad-only comic, released inside the McSweeney's app, and co-developed with Spaces of Play, the studio behind the recent iOS game Spirits. The comic is called Touch Sensitive, and it's apparently 14 pages of art and animations by Ware, featuring his great style and pace. The piece itself is a 99 cent purchase inside the McSweeney's app, which is a free download available now. There's a lot of other content in there, too, including a month long subscription to their service called The Small Chair, featuring stories, essays, interview, and other works from the McSweeney's stable. If you haven't checked the app out yet, you should definitely pick it up. And the Ware comic is a great first purchase in there, too -- it's completely exclusive to the iPad, so this is your only chance to read it.
ZeroTouch 'optical multi-touch force field' makes a touchscreen out of just about anything
The rise of tablets and smartphones has made the touchscreen a rather ubiquitous interface, but they aren't everywhere quite yet. A group of students from Texas A&M intend to change that, however, with the invention of ZeroTouch: a seemingly empty picture frame that lets you turn any surface into an interactive touchscreen. It might not look like much, but ZeroTouch is packing a series of pulsing LEDs and infrared sensors that turn that blank space into a highly sensitive surface. Basically, the strategically placed LEDs cover the open area in a sheet of invisible light. When a hand or stylus enters the picture (or lack there of), those beams are interrupted, providing cues to a piece of software that tracks the object's movement -- and boom! You've got a touchscreen. Of course, this isn't the sort of thing that's going to make it to market anytime soon, but you can check out ZeroTouch rocking the rippling water effect in the video below.
NEC turns your arm into a touch-sensitive remote control
You may ask yourself, why bother tapping touchscreens or physical buttons when an accelerometer can be strapped to the wrist, turning any ol' arm into a wireless touch panel? That's the claim that NEC is making today. A wrist-worn band of compact acceleration sensors divides the arm into seven sections along the upper, middle, and lower arm that can then be assigned as virtual inputs to an electronic device. No more reaching into a bag to answer the phone, no more plucking at the strings of a guitar to create song -- everything is controlled through a natural tap of the arm or clap of the hands. Once in a lifetime tech that feels the same as it ever was.
Bang & Olufsen's multifunctional BeoTime gets carefully handled
It's rare that we get to see magic wand-shaped remote controls, and rarer still for them to have integrated alarm clocks. The Bang & Olufsen BeoTime is just that sort of exotic specimen, and its $375 touch-sensitive aluminum body has now been tested for our amusement. Being able to turn on your other B&O products by simply grabbing the remote or setting an alarm for the desired time struck positive notes, and those bite-sized displays earned praise too. With automatic backlighting, built-in accelerometer, and full channel readouts, they ensured the minimum of strain for the user (which is probably still pretty high considering they're tiny!). There wasn't much to complain about, but at that price point you wouldn't expect it either. Full hands-on gallery can be found at the read link.
Sensitive Object's Anywhere MultiTouch extends touch sensitivity to the whole device
Sensitive Object, a French startup best known for its louche, Gitanes-smoking engineers and its love of cocktail jazz, has just announced the development of Anywhere MultiTouch, a Windows 7-compliant platform that brings touch sensitivity to glass, aluminum, and plastic, through the use of piezoelectric sensors. This product is an extension of the company's ReverSys technology, which recognizes the precise location where an object is touched through soundwaves, with the new platform throwing in handwriting recognition and palm rejection for good measure. It looks like multitouch has finally been freed from the tyranny of the display, with developers now able to incorporate actions along the whole device. Excited? We bet you are. Full PR after the break.
Genius' SP-T1200 speaker system loves to be touched
Okay, so you could argue that most any speaker system would appreciate some TLC, but Genius' latest really adores it. The SP-T1200 2.0 Touch Speaker System comes with a black-onyx finish and enables owners to rely on a touch screen to control function, volume, bass or treble. When touched, the panel lights up to visually show that contact has been made, and while these promise 30-watts of skull-rattling sound, we wouldn't count on audiophile type results. Grab 'em now if you wish for $99.
Nokia patent app envisions touchscreen input lids
In an apparent effort to make using a touchscreen possible sans eyesight, Nokia has filed a patent application describing "slider inputs lids." Essentially, these lids would be placed onto a touchscreen to enable users to input certain commands without actually having to look at what's going on. For instance, a circular lid could give you easy access to volume, while a horizontal version could easily slide through music tracks or voicemail messages. The documentation points out that lids could contain a switch that would allow users to access a second set of user interface inputs "based on the position of the lid in relation to the touch sensitive area." Granted, this does seem like a stretch, but there's a hint of promise in there somewhere, we suppose.[Via UnwiredView]
Saitek's sexy Obsidian mouse incorporates touch-sensitive scroll
If you've found yourself pacing in tense anticipation for Apple's touch-sensitive mousing device, Saitek's latest could definitely calm your nerves and satisfy your desires simultaneously. The sexy Obsidian mouse touts a 1,000 DPI optical tracker, four-way touch-sensitive scroll, a bundled recharge cradle with wireless transmitter, five total buttons, support for Windows / OS X systems, Teflon feet, and best of all, it even includes a pair of Li-ion batteries to keep you mousing all through the night. Additionally, the curvaceous critter doesn't play favorites with dominant hands, as both righties and southpaws alike shouldn't have any qualms handling this one. Currently, the Obsidian is available now for £39.99 ($80) for our pals across the lake, but if you'll just be patient, the device is slated to land on US soil for a mere $49.95 real soon.[Via I4U]
Sony's CyberShots: 10 megapixel DSC-N2 and 7.2 megapixel DSC-T50
If you've been craving that hot, 3-inches of touchtastic screen riding atop double-digit megapixels then check it pixel junkies, 'cause Sony's here to sate that need. The CyberShot DSC-N2 is just what we expected following those leaked images and specs: 10.1 megapixels from a tiny 1/1.7-inch CCD, 52MB of on-board memory, a massive 3-inch touch-screen LCD, and an all-too-familiar image-stabilized 3x optical zoom lens in a 6.6-ounce followup to the DSC-N1. The DSC-T30 also got a bump with the announcement of a new top-end T, the 7.2 megapixel DSC-T50 which ditches some of the mechanical buttons 'round back by introducing touch-sensitive control to the existing 3-inch LCD. This 4.6-ounce cam still maintains the same Carl Zeiss Vario Tessar 3x optical lens with image stabilization but drops the built-in flash memory by 2MB to 56MB. Get your Sony Style, pre-oder on starting tomorrow or wait for these to go retail in October at $450 for the champagne gold DSC-N2 and $500 for the DSC-T50 in your choice of silver, red, or black. Peep the DSC-N2 after the break. [Via Digital Camera Review]
