Archive for the ‘touch’ Category

Sony Ericsson acknowledges touchscreen issues on Aino

As if the Aino’s odd name wasn’t handicap enough, Sony Ericsson’s taking another hit on its high-end Remote Play-capable full-touch (but Symbian-free) phone today with news that it’s got a dodgy touchscreen. It’s unclear exactly what’s wrong or how it’s ultimately going to get resolved, but several British retailers — most notably behemoth Carphone Warehouse — have elected to yank it from shelves until they’ve gotten confirmation that the mothership has fixed the problem. A company spokesman notes that “Aino has sold in limited numbers in the UK, so this issue affects only a very small number of customers,” which is a backhanded way of saying “for once, we’re incredibly lucky no one wants this thing” — though considering that the Satio’s on hold now, too, “lucky” might not be the right word for it. For what it’s worth, Sony’s US SonyStyle store is still hawking Ainos for $600, so part with that six-pack of Benjamins at your own risk.

Sony Ericsson acknowledges touchscreen issues on Aino originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 18:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LED Wand + RFID Waves = Beautiful [RFID]

Sometimes it’s the unseen that’s the most terrifying. In the case of RFID we think there’s plenty to dread, but never actually looked at those scary, scary waves. Thankfully someone at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design did.

Jack Schulze and Timo Arnall made this stunning video by using a specially-made LED wand, long-exposure photography, some animation, and a metric ton of patience. I, on the other hand, will be using the next few moments, my eyes, and an ounce or two of amazement to appreciate the supposedly paranoia-inducing beauty of RFID. [PopSci]

10/GUI interface looks to redefine the touch-enabled desktop

Redefining the way we interact with computers is a pretty ambitious task as far as things go, but that’s just what R. Clayton Miller is looking to do with his so-called 10/GUI project, and he may just be onto something. Miller begins with the notion that the traditional mouse-based interface lacks the “interaction bandwidth” afforded by multitouch interfaces, and that touch-enabled desktops (or laptops) are inherently problematic since they can’t be used for prolonged periods of time — even a flat surface will do a number on your neck if you use it all day. To solve that problem, Miller proposes separating the touch surface from the display and placing it below the keyboard in the form of a large, hybrid capacative / resistive touch panel. That’s just the beginning, however, and Miller has also devised a whole new interface that makes use of all your fingers, and a new linear means of displaying windows that strikes a balance ease of use and the ability to manage numerous applications. Of course, there are some drawbacks — you’d still likely pull out a mouse for Photoshop or a marathon Left 4 Dead session — but we’d certainly be curious to see how this would play out in practice. Head on past the break for a full video overview.

[Via Slashdot]

Continue reading 10/GUI interface looks to redefine the touch-enabled desktop

Filed under: Desktops, Software

10/GUI interface looks to redefine the touch-enabled desktop originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Switched On: Microsoft’s touchy subjects

Ross Rubin (@rossrubin) contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

As CEO of Microsoft, Bill Gates would often talk about his dream of “information at your fingertips.” The company he co-founded, though, is now taking literal steps toward that goal. By the end of the month, Microsoft will have released three new devices or platforms that embrace or extend touchscreen support — but the impact touch will have on each varies significantly by their legacy, usage, and manufacturers.

Windows has long had touchscreen support. Such support, in fact, was the basis of the Tablet Edition of Windows XP, and Tablet PCs were proclaimed to be the future of notebooks. Early iterations were larger and thicker keyboard-lacking slates much like the new Archos 9pctablet. But this was before rampant Web browsing, streaming video, casual games and electronic books — all of which now provide relevance for a new generation of touchscreen PCs as content-consumption devices.

Continue reading Switched On: Microsoft’s touchy subjects

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds, Portable Audio, Portable Video, Tablet PCs

Switched On: Microsoft’s touchy subjects originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone and iPod touch radio app with iTunes store integration on the horizon?

We know what you’re thinking, how dare that new iPod nano have features your premium iPhone and iPod touch handhelds don’t? Well, if this 9 to 5 Mac rumor has any merit, Apple is right there with you and has a solution in the works. According to said whispers, a Radio app is in the works to capitalize on the recent models’ latent FM tuner. It’ll either be standalone or integrated into the iPod app, and either way it’ll be able to work in the background while you browse other, not so fortunate apps. The apparent cause for delay is work on a feature that’ll identify the songs and link you to the appropriate iTunes page for purchase. As always, this is just a rumor, so do yourself a favor and try not to dwell on it too much, k?

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio

iPhone and iPod touch radio app with iTunes store integration on the horizon? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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