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All posts tagged "surface"


Thursday, April 16, 2009

DYI Multitouch Surface Table

Posted by Chris Gohlke in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 03:00 AM

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/fe...MC-R3A917316679

"It all started while we were researching an article on future user interfaces. Touch interfaces are hardly futuristic at this point, but multi-touch hardware like the Microsoft Surface or the iPhone is just starting to become a big deal, and we decided to see what big things are going on in that field. What we found that surprised us the most wasn’t anything about the future of multitouch; it was about something that people are doing right now. There is, it turns out, a whole community of very smart folks out there on the internet perfecting the art of building DIY multi-touch surfaces. The process isn’t exactly simple, but the results we saw were stunning: multitouch surfaces with responsiveness rivaling Microsoft’s $12,000 offering, built in a garage on a shoestring budget. “Future UI article be damned,” we thought, “we’ve gotta build one of these for ourselves.”"

I've got a friend who claims he is building one of these. Looks like a cool idea. If it pans out I'll post the details.


Monday, January 12, 2009

iTable To Compete With Microsoft Surface

Posted by Hooch Tan in "Digital Home News" @ 01:00 PM

http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/01/1...u-in-every-way/

"They’ve essentially taken the idea behind the Microsoft Surface and have done it better in every way. It’s cheaper, it’s gorgeous, and perhaps most notably, it’s not a hulking monster. Two of the most notable features of the Surface are its multitouch capabilities and the availability of a development SDK, both of which PQ Labs has matched (or, in the case of the SDK, plan to match soon). The number of fingers detected by the multitouch sensor is limited only by the individual software designer’s desire - the hardware itself supports as many simultaneous prods as you can throw at it."

CrunchGear has a video demonstrating a very impressive multi-touch interface made by PQ Labs called the iTable. It runs on Windows XP and can be added as a 32" LCD overlay or as a preconfigured 30" table. Watching the video, it seems quite responsive, and can handle as many digits on the surface as you care to use. The only significant part that I find lacking in comparison to Microsoft's surface is the ability to recognize devices placed on the surface. In some ways, it looks a lot like a glorified HP Touchsmart but with a more open concept developer interface. A closer comparison would be the multi-touch capabilities that Windows 7 will bring to the table. Thinking of what one can do with multi-touch, I'm excited to see this and the price is more competitive, starting at $2,399, however, I remain unconvinced that it is worth that much extra cost.


Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Microsoft Surface: Your Mobile Shopping Experience Changes on April 17

Posted by Darius Wey in "Pocket PC News" @ 12:55 AM

http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=2604

"AT&T (NYSE: T) and Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) today announced a collaborative alliance that will transform the way consumers shop for mobile devices. AT&T will become the first company in the world to bring Microsoft Surface to life in a retail environment, giving customers the ability to explore their mobile worlds using touch and device recognition technology. Microsoft Surface is the first commercially available surface computer from Microsoft. Beginning April 17, customers can experience Microsoft Surface in select AT&T retail locations, including stores in New York City, Atlanta, San Antonio and San Francisco. Based on the success and learning from these initial pilot deployments, plans for further expansion across AT&T’s 2,200 U.S. retail stores will be determined."



By now, you should be well aware of what Microsoft Surface is and what it's capable of. Contrary to popular belief, this touch-based do-it-all table is far from vapourware. Come April 17, it's set to pull off a world first by invading AT&T stores in Atlanta, New York, San Antonio, and San Francisco. The 30" display will recognize your touch, your gestures, and the placement of compatible devices (including the BlackJack II), allowing you to learn and explore the products available, check out AT&T's wireless coverage and plans, and of course, purchase and subscribe to whatever tickles your fancy.

Read the rest of the post to see which stores will benefit from Surface on April 17. There's also eye-candy after the break. And who doesn't like eye-candy? ;) Read more...


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