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Tap Tech Brings Touch To Dumb Phones

Posted by timothy on from the now-that's-clever dept.

nk497 writes "A Cambridge-based firm has come up with a way to bring touch interfaces to phones without touchscreens. According to TouchDevice, the system uses the microphone to turn any surface on a handset into a touch-sensitive input panel by analysing sound signatures. 'For example, where icons are displayed on a non-touch screen display, you could tap on there and it would activate the application,' said founder Mike Bradley. TouchDevice believes there are two markets for the technology: firstly to augment input potential in touchcreen smartphones, and secondly as a way of adding touch to 'dumb' displays. The system should be making its way into devices by early next year."

5 of 70 comments (clear)

  1. New excuse for drunk-dialing your ex... by Locke2005 · · Score: 3, Funny

    "I dropped my phone, and the microphone-based touch detection interpreted as calling your number!"

    --
    I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
  2. I should have waited... by gsarig · · Score: 2, Funny

    2 weeks ago I said goodbye to my 4 year old Sony Ericcsson K750i, and bought an iPhone... If I knew about that device, I would have waited... :P

  3. Re:neat but no. by by+(1706743) · · Score: 4, Funny

    If you are screaming in an argument, then you have already lost.

    NOT TRUE!!! SCREAMING IN AN ARGUMENT MAKES YOU MORE RIGHT!!!

    (This bit down here is to appease /.'s filters, as it thinks I'm yelling...no sense of humor at all.)

  4. Re:A boon for the touch phone knock off makers. by Jurily · · Score: 4, Funny

    Cant wait to see the 10$ iPhony cell phones that use this rather then an actual touch screen.

    Could we just let the whole touchscreen idea die instead? Please?

  5. Re:A boon for the touch phone knock off makers. by shri · · Score: 2, Funny

    And I cant wait to see what happens to those iPhonys at a Stomp concert. :)