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haptics posts

Trio of 'thin touchscreen phones' inbound for Nokia later this year?

by Chris Ziegler posted Apr 9th 2009 @ 8:02AM

One look at the N97 will tell you that Nokia intends to take this whole touch thing pretty seriously, and considering that we're talking about the largest handset maker in the world here, it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that they've got new touch models in the pipe; the volume and style of those new models, though, might be a little shocking. TheStreet.com is reporting "people familiar with the plan" as saying that Espoo will launch up to three different thin touch-enabled models by this fall using the VibeTonz tech it licensed from Immersion back in the day, suggesting that the company's more traditional non-touch S60 devices might have to start to share the spotlight equally with touchier brethren. VibeTonz should give Nokia plenty of options for tailoring haptic feedback based on user interaction, but here's our question: what the hell ever happened to Haptikos?

[Via Unwired View]

Nokia's Haptikos tactile feedback tech revealed in patent application

by Joshua Fruhlinger posted Jul 8th 2008 @ 7:05PM

It's been a while since we've heard anything about Nokia's Haptikos tactile touch screen technology, but with the unearthing of some juicy patent details, we finally know what's going on here. Basically, the tech uses layers under the touchscreen to allow control of surface roughness and friction. The patent describes a "plurality of closely space voltage controllable protruberances" that can raise or lower based on where the user is touching the screen, resulting in what feels like resistance and tactile feedback. Filled with fluid, the protruberances increase fiction and help users feel like they're actually touching something rather than poking at a plane of glass. No word on any devices with the new haptic tech, but we wouldn't be surprised to see this show up in some of their new touchy-feely handsets in the near future.

[Via Unwired View]

Read - Patent Application (warning: PDF)

Sony Ericsson files patent on haptic gaming device, doesn't call it PSPhone

by Joshua Topolsky posted Mar 7th 2008 @ 9:57AM

It's nice to know that Sony Ericsson is plugging away on making our crazy, dare-to-dream fantasies a reality. The latest proof that someone up there (and by up there, we mean Japan) likes us comes in the form of a new patent for a touchscreen handheld that forgoes physical buttons for a haptic-feedback scheme. The design mandates that the phone / game device would be free of the pesky clutter of regular buttons, and would instead by configurable to any number of forms (PSP, phone, MP3 player, digital camera) by arrangement of on-screen controls. The device would vibrate in accordance with button-presses, though it's unclear whether this will just be a standard vibration, or a more advanced, location-specific feedback system. Even with a little buzz, we're not quite sure you can replicate the feeling real gaming controls provide -- and that could seriously interfere with our typical success in games.

[Via Unwired View]

iphone-haptics makes typing on the iPhone just a little more lively

by Chris Ziegler posted Feb 27th 2008 @ 6:46AM

Haptics are still more of a novelty than a necessity in the phone world (RAZR 2 owners, we know you're feeling us there), and if we could think of one single way to significantly increase the visibility of the technology and its mobile applications, it'd be to get it fired up on the iPhone -- a device where tactile feedback is definitely... shall we say, at a premium. Enter iphone-haptics, an app that's still in its teething stages but gives a sneak peek at the future of rumblin' keyboards on everyone's favorite Apple handset, letting users test out just what it feels like to be buzzed with every key press using a sample text editor. We're far from convinced that this is going to improve speed or accuracy for most folks -- not to mention battery drain concerns -- but hey, maybe the delightfully pleasant sensation alone is worth it. Who are we to judge?

[Thanks, Suzy]

LG's slinky KF510 slider is ready to rumble

by Thomas Ricker posted Feb 4th 2008 @ 6:15AM

The run-up to ~~3GSM~~ GSMA Mobile World Congress has begun with the announcement of LG's KF510 slider. Launching February 11th in Barcelona, the new 10.9-mm thin phone features a metal frame and tempered glass touch interface. LG primarily touts the phone's "advanced touch technology" (incorporating VibeTouch haptic feedback like their Voyager, we presume), 3 megapixel camera, and MP3 player. Available worldwide in March in Stardust Dark Gray or Sunset Red.

[Via AVING]

Nokia licenses Immersion's VibeTonz haptic goodness

by Brian White posted Jul 4th 2007 @ 3:05PM

Immersion hopes we're creatures of mobile haptics, as the company has licensed its VibeTonz whole-mobile haptic engagement software platform to Nokia. VibeTonz, already licensed to Samsung and included in the SCH-W559 from Verizon Wireless (and many more Samsung handsets), slaps multi-stage vibrating haptics into mobile games, ringtones, menu systems and more. Immersion calls it a "multisensory experience," which we find to be an accurate description. With Nokia onboard, we would not be surprised to see the cellphone sales leader start touting VibeTonz as a "must have" feature in its newer handset models. After all, no retrofit is needed -- VibeTonz is basically software control over vibrating motors only (no extra hardware required).

[via MobileTechNews]

Haptic Clock beats the time into you

by Chris Ziegler posted Jun 4th 2007 @ 9:33PM

Given that its timekeeping capability rivals actual... you know, calling as the mobile phone's most important function in our lives, we figure it's a function worth embellishing just a bit. Why stop at analog or digital? Che-Wei Wang's "Haptic Clock" Java app features a cool looking (if not obfuscated) display of the time, but even better, it vibrates the time to you every fifteen minutes using a sequence of long and short pulses. The feature can be manually initiated by pressing the 5 key, too, so we could even see some value for vision impaired folks. Grab the app from Wang's site, but beware -- as the developer himself points out, it works a number on battery life.

[Via Future Feeder]

Immersion: haptics will make touch screens easier to use

by Chris Ziegler posted Jun 27th 2006 @ 5:53AM

If you're like us, phones with on-screen keypads seem like a great idea until you actually try to use them, at which point you realize just how important the sense of touch is to your ability to type a phone number accurately. While waiting for Sony to make their next move, Immersion Corporation is using some of its down time to show off haptic touch screens, which pulse in sync with a user's taps to provide some feedback that a virtual button has been pressed. As you might guess, they're looking to market the technology to smartphone manufacturers, but to the best of our knowledge, no partners have been announced. We'd prefer screens that change shape in response to what's being displayed -- maybe Immersion can get going on that if they end up scoring $90 million in the Dual Shock fiasco.