Video: HTC Touch's TouchFLO interface
by Ryan Block 
posted Jun 7th 2007 at 1:12PM
[MP4] Download the video (VGA)
[MP4] Download the video (QVGA)
[AVI] Download the video (VGA)
[AVI] Download the video (QVGA)
Update: Yeah, we know, the videography kind of sucks. Check out Phone Scoop's demo, they do it up right (as always).
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Brian @ Jun 7th 2007 1:22PM
Does the word FOCUS mean anything to you !?!?!?
paloooz @ Jun 7th 2007 1:26PM
Focus? That wouldn't fix the blown out screen. The screen was too bright, they should have turned the brightness down before they recorded it. When the HTC was idle for a few seconds and the screen dimmed, it looked fine ...
But yeah ... cube like interface? Can you say Compiz/Beryl??
evan @ Jun 7th 2007 1:24PM
yeah nice job filming.. all i see is glare.. this is not engadget caliber material.
wako @ Jun 7th 2007 1:24PM
I hope you guys plan on doing another video of the phone because (im sure you are well aware) I cant see ANYTHING on the screen...
lozaccio @ Jun 7th 2007 1:29PM
The camera/ phone is placed at the wrong angle.
Nando @ Jun 7th 2007 1:30PM
It's a cool phone but what sucks is that Windows Mobile 6's ugly user interface is still under there. But what sucks even more is how Paris Hilton got out of jail.
B. Minchella @ Jun 7th 2007 1:34PM
just a little little , liiiitttle bit of tilt in the upwards direction would make this video watchable
paloooz @ Jun 7th 2007 1:35PM
Guh ... okay people. Let me explain the problem with the video. It's not glare, it's not focus, it's not the LCD's viewing angle. It's too bright. When you see the screen dim due to the device being at idle, you can see that the rest of the image gets brighter. That's because the aperture is being adjusted. It no longer has to be constrained because the concentrated light source that is the LCD has dimmed. Then, when he touches the screen and the LCD brightness goes back up, the rest of the image gets darker because that bright concentrated light source is back. It's a VERY simple photography concept.
In conclusion: The quality is shit because the screen is too bright and the camera sucks and metering. The focus or glare and the LCD viewing angle has nothing to do with it.
Shane @ Jun 7th 2007 1:55PM
Paloooz. You are correct that the focus is fine, but not on the rest.
I record videos of phone, PDA, TVs, and laptop screens every week for training classes at work. In all cases I have the screen brightness all the way up, and my videos come out perfect.
The screen angle does matter based on the lighting in the room if you have a reflective screen, which most phones, PDAs and newer laptops do. This is furthur confirmed when I do a video if a older laptop that has the anti-glare screens. For those I can shoot at almost any angle and lighting and it comes out clear. But on devices with reflective screens the angle does matter. If the light is behind me, it reflects off the screen into the lens and I need to adjust the white balance and aperture accordingly. If the light is in front of me, no problem.
This is furthur evidenced by videos that are shot of backlit screens in a room with the lights off. The screens look great because the only light coming into the camera lens is from the screen. But if you set the camera for that setting, then turn the lights on in the room, the screen gets washed out until the camera settings are changed. So the screens brightness means nothing. It is the room's lights and camera settings that matter.
The reason the screen became visible when the backlight went off is because the lens on the camera and the angle were set up for those parameters. If the camera settings and angle of the device had been set up properly to begin with for the lighting you would have seen just the opposite. The device with the screen on would have looked great, but when it dimmed the screen would have been too dark.
You simply have to adjust the angle of the screen based on the ambient lighting in the room, and the lens's aperture and white balance. The screen brightness has nothing to do with it when you set up the camera correctly.
Djakona @ Jun 7th 2007 1:40PM
Right, all comments being valid...Engadget can you please re-take the video and this time make sure screen is visible? Thanks eh :)
Ryan Block @ Jun 7th 2007 5:31PM
Sure, happy to reshoot the video in the next couple of days, but I have a feeling the moment will be lost! Check out: http://www.phonescoop.com/articles/htc_touch/
paloooz @ Jun 7th 2007 2:17PM
The screen is too bright for the camera settings. The camera is unable to automatically meter for those kinds of conditions. That's why it's blown out.
They aren't working with nice cameras,that was most likely a cell phone or a point and shoot.
Big Al @ Jun 7th 2007 1:55PM
OK, OK, the video sucks, but it's not like we haven't already seen demos of the interface. Jeez, give 'em a break already.
Crappy video or not, this thing is all kinds of hot and I want one in CDMA with REV A EVDO ASAP, please.
Michael Pearson @ Jun 7th 2007 1:57PM
So, TouchFLO did what Vista was unable to do...ripoff Beryl.
paloooz @ Jun 7th 2007 2:19PM
And Beryl did what Compiz couldn't do. Rip off Mac OS X.
I kid ... but you do know that Compiz is the origin of the cube, right?
Beryl is a fork of Compiz.
Michael Pearson @ Jun 7th 2007 2:25PM
Interesting. I am not familiar with Compiz. I am somewhat of a n00b at Linux.
Bob @ Jun 27th 2007 3:56PM
Wow sure looks like Apple's iPhone has HTC up against the wall.
Talk about coming out with stuff already seen from Jobs.
I just hope HTC doesn't get sued by Apple.
BTW I 'm not buying one as this thing sucks.
iPhone baby all the way.
Sean Gerety @ Jun 7th 2007 3:00PM
Is there a on screen keyboard for email, browsing, etc? If so how was it?
Peter @ Jun 7th 2007 3:47PM
Oh to surf in that Ocean...
paloooz @ Jun 7th 2007 3:23PM
There is but it's so small you have to use the stylus.
If you go to the TouchFLO summary on the main Engadget page, the video is listed in the comments.
jeff @ Jun 7th 2007 3:38PM
Dude, why would you even post this video? Why dont you learn how cameras work and play around with the lighting until you can get an actual view of the display.
BOOooo this man!
Sorry but Engadget should be better than this! Come on!
goocomp @ Jun 7th 2007 3:44PM
Another very visible argument for Engadget to go to gadget film school. Sorry, but the quality of your videos and "quick takes" has always been so far below what the rest of the internets seems able to muster. If you really wanted your readers to have a good intro you would have just admitted defeat and passed us a link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gj8PMcvYTZo
I have said it before and I'll say it again: Invest in a real camera and some real lights and spend half an hour learning to use them. The rest of your product has a much higher standard, so if you could bring up your game here - or just pass a link when you can't - then I think our time and yours would be better spent.
Micah @ Jun 7th 2007 5:53PM
Texting is a pain. You HAVE to use the tiny stylus (simulated QWERTY). I was all siked about this phone until I saw that.
Cameron Newland @ Jun 7th 2007 3:47PM
I can't see anything in the video...I really wish you all would get a better shot of the screen and adjust the white balance/contrast so as to show detail of what's going on with the Touch.
ryan10ad @ Jun 7th 2007 4:00PM
My day just gets worse. First Hilton gets out of jail (FAKER!!!!!!!), i find out Ugly Betty is finishing (For the season), still no release date for the iPhone in the UK and the only real alternative runs Windows Mobile. I might run a new look but its still Bill's.
Peter @ Jun 7th 2007 4:01PM
It's the way the camera meters the light. The camera thinks that the area surrounding the screen is the main subject, and not the screen itself. Zoom closer and eliminate as much of the surrounding space as possible and you will see the screen. It's like the reverse effect of taking pictures at the beach and everyone you take pictures of turns out like a dark shadow.
ryan10ad @ Jun 7th 2007 4:01PM
And also, my piggy bank is broke, so i can't even afford a iPhone. Man my day is bad!!!!!!!!!!!
Peter @ Jun 7th 2007 4:12PM
And to add to my previous comment, the screen being washing out has nothing to do with brightness/contrast or focus. Both are fine.
Brian @ Jun 7th 2007 4:35PM
I wonder how long it will be before someone ports the touchflo UI to other phones.
Marc @ Jun 8th 2007 6:22AM
For anyone wanting to see another video of the TouchFlo interface see here: http://www.msmobilenews.com/videos/video-using-the-htc-touch.html
Sting @ Jun 11th 2007 12:23PM
iPhone is a multimedia Device the HTC is a business Device. If you think the iPhone will satisfy you why on earth are you looking at the HTC? These comparisons cannot be made. Thus, this argument is a total waste of time and ridiculous.
BTW, As yet the iPhone is locked down to Apple S/ware only... as far as im aware there is virtually no other s/ware available for it. CRAZY!
Ive got a Win 2003 SE PPC though the hardware is way outdated im still able to download thousands of very useful apps for free. HTC and 3rd party apps FOR FREE? YEAH BABY HTC and alike ALL THE WAY BABY!!! Lol Yes, I just ordered the HTC Touch!