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Touch Screen Tech Comes of Age

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the hello-computer dept.

pottercw writes "Good summary of today's touch-screen technologies on Computerworld — the obvious Apple iPhone and Microsoft Surface, plus projected touch screens (nothing for users to break), handheld devices that you control from the back (so your fingers don't obscure the screen), and of course giant multitouch walls a la Minority Report. Anyone got $100K?"

2 of 78 comments (clear)

  1. $100k? Try $40! by Roger+W+Moore · · Score: 4, Informative

    I don't have $100k but I do have $40, a web browser and a basic knowledge of electronics. If you do too you might want to try this link.

  2. Re:please....MS Surface is not touch by westlake · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Surface has nothing to do with touching. There are 7 cameras below the glass that track and feed movement. The glass is the point reference and is not configured to detect or relay any physical content. It's just a big ass table with old tech stuffed inside.

    Surface can take the punishment of the game room or bar.

    It might be possible replace a damaged table top with a cut glass sheet or plastic panel purchased from Home Depot.

    The use of rear projection suggests that it should at least be relatively simple and cheap to scale Surface to any arbitrary size or shape, for vertical or horizontal mounting.

    Surface can read codes stamped into objects. Glasses. Cameras. Game pieces. Surface can communicate with objects - perhaps over a Bluetooth link or something faster.

    Surface seem to do most of its work in software. I can't see any objection to using simple, reliable, off the shelf hardware.