Tap Tech Brings Touch To Dumb Phones

Posted by timothy on Friday September 10, 2010 @10:54AM 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."

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A boon for the touch phone knock off makers. by Kenja · 2010-09-10 10:56 · Score: 3, Interesting

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

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"Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
1. Re:A boon for the touch phone knock off makers. by lalena · 2010-09-10 12:15 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  Companies (Elo Acustic Pulse Recognition) are already using this technology. They can detect the location of the touch, and they do an OK job with finger drag. They cannot detect when you take your finger off the surface.
  If these limitations are OK, they you get a cheap touch screen that lets you use a scratch resistant glass surface.