Maximum PC touchscreen RSS Feed

Sony Shows Off Primitive Surface Computer, Pats Self On Back

Ryan Whitwam — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:47:14 -0600

Color us a little confused by this one. Sony has been showing off a surface computer of sorts. The system was constructed with Atracsys and utilizes a camera to track the locations of your fingers, meaning you don’t have to physically touch anything. For some reason, it’s being shown off on a table top… that you touch.

Sony/ Atracsys also showed how the camera system can track facial movements and even calculate mood. The point seems to be that you could interact with a computer without actually touching it. This would be invaluable in an operating room, for example, where sterility must be maintained. Sort of like Natal on the Xbox, apparently. Despite what they’re saying the camera tracking is capable of, Sony is making it look like a glorified Microsoft Surface. Check out the story link above to see the demo video.

Sony Ericsson Dips Its Toes in the Android Pond

Pulkit Chandna — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:51:01 -0600

Sony Ericsson today published the specs and a video of the Xperia X10, its debut Android smartphone, which was hitherto known by its code name “Rachel”. It can be expected to be a guaranteed fixture on the list of the most powerful Android phones by the virtue of its 1GHz Snapdragon processor.

As for the software, the X10 will run Android 1.6 Donut. In addition to apps found on the Android Marketplace, apps for this phone will also be available through Sony Ericsson’s PlayNow arena service. The X10 will feature a 4-inch TFT touchscreen, an 8MP camera with LED flash, WiFi, A-GPS and 3G. The company is expected to release the X10 in the first quarter of 2010.

Image Credit: Sony Ericsson

HP Nonchalantly Announces Compaq L2105tm Multitouch Monitor, First Windows 7 Certified Display

:Paul Lilly — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 08:24:21 -0500

Almost as a side note, HP today announced its new Compaq L2105tm touchscreen monitor, dedicating just a few lines to promoting the display in a press release which covered several items.

The 21.5-inch, 1080p display sports a multitouch panel with one finger scrolling and two finger mousing capabilities.. But if you prefer to roll with a stylus, you'll find one jammed conveniently into the side of the monitor. You can even use a gloved finger, says DisplayBlog.com, who points out that the two cameras, infrared light, sensor, and reflective film create a rugged light field capable of detecting just about any type of object.

There was a little bit of marketing glitz on HP's part. According to the OEM, this is the world's first Windows 7 certified monitor, which you means you can plug it in groove to your newly acquired copy of the just-released OS.

HP says the L2105tm is available now for $299.

Plasitic Logic Announces "Que" E-book Reader with Capacitive Touch

Paul Lilly — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:05:38 -0500

As competition starts to heat up, we don't know who -- if anyone -- will emerge as the dominant ebook player, but if judging on looks alone, Plastic Logic's new "Que" might just take the crown.

Named after the English alphabet letter and not the Spanish equivalent for "what," the sleek-looking Que has received a glossy black finish that wasn't present in previous prototypes. And while this isn't always the case in real life, the Que has more going for it than just good looks.

The Que's letter-sized 8.5 x 11 inch screen boasts a "shatterproof" design and also includes a capacitive touch layer that won't interfere with the e-ink display. Users will be able to sketch and manipulate documents with it, and on the connectivity front, the Que features AT&T 3G and WiFi.

Despite all the Que has going for it, Plastic Logic insists it isn't going after the Kindle market, and will instead focus on providing a comprehensive platform for mobile professionals.

More details here, including a video demo.

Image Credit: Plastic Logic

Acer Announces $800 Aspire Laptop with Multitouch Screen

Paul Lilly — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:13:10 -0500

Acer, the world's third largest PC maker, unveiled its Aspire 578PG notebook., the company's first laptop with a multitouch capacitive screen. Unlike competing models from HP or Lenovo, Acer didn't integrate touch optimized software of its own to run on top of Windows 7, but users will still be able to pinch, zoom, two-finger scroll, and perform other standard multitouch gestures.

Inside the 15.6-inch LED notebook sits an Intel Core 2 DuoT6600 processor (2.2GHz, 2MB L2 cache, 800MHz frontside bus), 4GB of DDR2-667MHz memory, a 320GB hard drive, ATI Radeon HD 4570 graphics with 512MB of dedicated DDR3 video RAM, an 8X DVD burner, webcam, HDMI port, four USB 2.0 ports, 6-cell battery, and Windows 7 Home Premium.

Acer says its new notebook will coincide with the launch of Windows and be available starting October 22 at "leading retailers" for $800.

Image Credit: Acer

New Tablet From Getac Add a Resistive Multitouch Screen for Extreme Computing Requirements

Justin Kerr — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 00:51:19 -0500

Have you ever found yourself in a life or death situation where you simply couldn’t take your gloves off to operate a touch screen? Well probably not, but Ultra rugged-PC maker Getac who primarily supplies computer hardware to the police, military, and other field service organizations feels this is a market that is clearly under served, and is hoping to fill a niche with its new V100 convertible tablet PC. The V100 will be the first tablet PC on the market to sport a brand new resistive multitouch display, which unlike the capacitive screens found in the common iPhone, works even when you can’t operate the display with your bare fingers.

The inspiration behind the tablet is to bring multitouch computing to non-traditional markets, and take advantage of the increased compatibility that is being added in Windows 7. “Our customers work in some of the most extreme environments and weather conditions where touch screen technology and flick gestures are faster, safer and more convenient than using a keypad,” said Jim Rimay, president of Getac in a statement.

With regards to the internal specs on the V100 it will contain a full size keyboard, sunlight-readable 10.4 inch TFT LCD, and an ultra-low voltage 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor. On the outside it features a magnesium-alloy case making it vibration, dust, moisture, and even drop resistant. Pricing for the V100 will start at around $3,499 with an extra $225 for the multitouch display. It is expected to go on sale at the end of November.

Touchscreen PCs Will Surely Pave the Way for More Multitouch Innovations

Paul Lilly — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:02:31 -0500

The future looks bright for touchscreen computing, which will get a boost from Windows 7's built-in support for multitouch technology. And in case you haven't noticed, touchscreen PCs are beginning to gain steam. But is the world ready for touch computing in its current form?

"The question is, can we rethink the touch interface as a first-class citizen and provide a fresh approach to the desktop?," says Anand Agarawala, founder and CEO of Toronto's Bumptop. "Not only is touch a more natural way to interact with your desktop, but it also adds to your productivity."

Up to now, there hasn't been much motivation to focus on touch. According to Display Search, only about 3 percent of desktops and notebooks currently come with a touchscreen. Touch technology is much more prominent in the smartphone market, so the first step is getting the hardware out there. Then there's the task of making touchscreens easier to use and functionally relevant.

"PCs with touchscreens look cool, but what do you do with them?," says Jennifer Colegrove, a director at Display Search. "When it comes to the iPhone there are 50,000 applications that use touch -- but what do you do on a PC with touch?"

That question might be answered sooner than you think.

Image Credit: V12 Designs

Gateway Announces First Touchscreen All-in-Ones with Windows 7

Paul Lilly — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 08:12:05 -0500

In preparation for the launch of Windows 7 and its multitouch capabilities, Gateway has announced two touchscreen all-in-one PCs built specifically for the upcoming OS.

On the higher end, the Gateway One ZX6810-01 will come with a 23-inch touchscreen display, an Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200S, a heaping 8GB of DDR3-1333 memory, a 64GB solid state drive for the OS and 1TB hard drive for storage duties, and ATI Radeon Mobility HD 4670 graphics with 1GB of memory. Cnet, who managed to get its hands on one already, praised the PC for its speed, while noting that the "touch input could be frustratingly unresponsive" at times.

Lower on the all-in-one totem pole sits the Gateway One ZX4800-02. At half the price of its bigger brother, this model boasts a 20-inch touchscreen display, an Intel Pentium dual-core T4300 processor, 4GB of DDR2-800 memory, a 750GB hard drive, and Intel's GMA X4500HD graphics. both PCs ship with 64-bit flavors of Windows 7 Home Premium.

Gateway says the ZX4800 will be available in late October or early November for $750, while the FX6810 will debut sometime in Q4 for $1,400.

Image Credit: Gateway