Multi Touch -- Engadget Mobile

multi-touch posts

Motorola DROID's built-in apps don't have multitouch support, third-party stuff is another story

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 4th 2009 @ 5:05AM

Turns out that the DROID does support multitouch after all -- it's just not as baked as the MILESTONE's, and it's certainly not the kind you'll see out of the box. The DROID's European cousin features multitouch right in the phone's core software load (most notably pinch-and-zoom in the browser, which we've seen demoed on video) whereas the DROID itself still features multitouch capability in APIs but doesn't expose it through any built-in app. Translation: the apps you use every day -- Google Maps and the browser, chiefly -- get left out in the cold for some reason that neither Google nor Motorola (nor Verizon) have thus far been willing to adequately justify. Where you can experience the magic of pinch-and-zoom is in third-party apps written to take advantage of Android 2.0's new APIs (Phandroid demos it on a fresh version of Picsay, for instance), but at the end of the day, that's a consolation prize -- we still want a spin-free explanation of why this was all turned off for the base apps. Follow the break for video of Picsay's support for the good stuff in action.

[Image via mobile-review]

Continue reading Motorola DROID's built-in apps don't have multitouch support, third-party stuff is another story

Motorola MILESTONE does what DROIDon't

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 2nd 2009 @ 7:14PM

We've already seen the MILESTONE showing off multitouch capability, something the DROID clearly lacks in the States despite the fact that Android 2.0 rocks kernel support for it -- and now we've got another smoking gun: the official spec sheet. A quick glance at Motorola's tech specs for the Euro-flavored handset lists "pinch and zoom" as an interface feature, so yeah, it looks like this'll be in the shipping firmware. There's speculation out there that Apple was somehow involved in making sure that multitouch "fell" down a flight of stairs before reaching US-bound Android devices, but really, it's anyone's guess what's going on here -- and Moto's official statement isn't helping much:

"We work very closely with our carriers and partners to deliver differentiated consumer experiences on our mobile devices. At times, similar devices come to market with different features, depending on the region, carrier preferences and consumer needs."

Nor is Google's:

"The Android 2.0 framework includes support for multi-touch. As with other platform technologies, such as the text-to-speech engine, carriers and OEMs can choose to implement it."

So let the speculation -- and the firmware hacking -- begin.

[Via Gearlog, image via mobile-review]

HTC's HD2 continues to impress, reveals multi-touch web browsing

by Tim Stevens posted Oct 22nd 2009 @ 6:57AM

We've seen plenty about HTC's hot HD2, gone hands-on and sized it up next to everyone's most/least favorite smartphone, but there's one thing we haven't seen yet: multi-touch in IE. The video embedded below from Techblog.gr is in a language you may not quite understand, but certainly everyone can grok the snappy UI performance and the pinch zooming demonstrated at the 2:20 mark. It does look a wee bit unresponsive at this point, but HTC still has time to make things perfect before releasing it here -- though to be honest we'd rather just have it now.

[Via WMPoweruser.com]

Continue reading HTC's HD2 continues to impress, reveals multi-touch web browsing

Windows Mobile 7 to be a premium, multitouch beast of a platform

by Chris Ziegler posted Aug 3rd 2009 @ 4:34PM

Seeing the gold build of Windows Mobile 6.5 in action was pretty nifty, but Inquirer's recent video actually managed to unveil a few juicy tidbits about version 7 as well -- a platform that's shaping up to be that massive, ground-up rewrite of WinMo we've all been hoping for for years (as far as we can tell). The lack of multitouch is a sore point for some in 6.5 -- not just because of the goodness of the multitouch gestures themselves, but because it's indicative of a broader failure on Microsoft's part to recognize that touch-based mobile UIs have been wholly reinvented since the days of Windows Mobile 2003. Redmond looks to be cognizant of that, though with a mention in the video that 7 will "exploit the hardware" and "introduce multitouch," going on to say that it'll be able to go toe-to-toe with "competitor devices" -- ostensibly a reference to some combination of webOS, Android, and the iPhone. The video also mentions that 6.5 will end up being a "breadth play" while 7 branches out into the premium end of the market -- at least to start -- and over time, 7 will become Microsoft's mainstream mobile platform as future versions are released. In other words, Microsoft looks like it could be setting itself up for a two-version cadence going forward -- one for the unwashed masses, one for the gadget fiends. You know which category we fall into -- and we suspect we know yours, dear readers.

[Via Unwired View]

LG's GD900 with (multi-touch?) transparent keypad gets S-Class UI

by Thomas Ricker posted Mar 30th 2009 @ 4:15AM

The recent glut of telephony news can mean only one thing: CTIA Wireless 2009 is getting ready to kick off in Vegas baby, Las Vegas. In the runup we have LG upping the hype on its 13.4mm-thick GD900 handset first outed in Barcelona at February's MWC show. This time, however, the 7.2Mbps HSDPA slider with world's first transparent glass (not plastic as originally assumed) keypad will be functional, running LG's new S-Class UI on the 3-inch display. We know that the GD900 features vibrational haptic feedback and that the transparent keypad seems to double as a touch-sensitive mouse pad (like that on your laptop) when surfing the internet or navigating the UI -- it also seems to support gestures like writing "M" to launch MP3 music player and multi-touch such as pinch to zoom on photographs. The GD900 will launch in Europe and Asia sometime in May. No US release announced so we'll have to make the most of our time with it this week in order to clear up all the mysteries presented by the Korean press release. One more pic showing an apparent finger-swipe rotating the UI after the break.

[Via Akihabara News and Engadget Korea]

Continue reading LG's GD900 with (multi-touch?) transparent keypad gets S-Class UI

Stantum's mind-blowing multitouch interface on video!

by Paul Miller posted Feb 19th 2009 @ 10:32AM

We just got a look at some amazing touchscreen interaction, running on a humble resistive touchscreen with some OMAP hardware backing it up. Stantum's technology is a software-based refinement to resistive touchscreens that allows for accuracy beyond the pixel density of the display, a complete lack of touchscreen "jitters" and some fairly incredible input methods. Termed "TouchPark," the multitouch framework provides gesture recognition, cursor management and physics processing for phone builders to stick on top of the phone OS (Symbian, Windows Mobile and Android are currently supported), and works with hardware such as Texas Instruments Zoom, Freescale i.MX and ST Nomadic. The PMatrix multitouch firmware allows for unlimited inputs, detection of any contacting object (a finger, a stylus or even a paintbrush) and pressure sensitivity. We played with the demo unit for a bit and were frankly blown away, it's far and away the best touch experience we've ever seen or felt, and the multitouch functionality is just gravy on top. Stantum is targeting resistive touchscreens because they're still considerably cheaper to build than capacitive ones, and from our perspective there seems to be zero tradeoff -- for sensitivity and accuracy this destroys everything else we've seen on the market, capacitive or not. Sadly, there's no word on when this will make it into real, shipping handsets, but we'll certainly be tracking its progress obsessively. Video is after the break.

Gallery: Stantum's mind-blowing multitouch interface on video!

Continue reading Stantum's mind-blowing multitouch interface on video!

Nokia ramping orders in preparation for "several" multi-touch phones?

by Thomas Ricker posted Feb 3rd 2009 @ 4:20AM

While DigiTimes tends to nail rumors focused on Taiwanese companies like Acer and ASUS, its component supplying sources can be hit or miss across other geographies. So take it with the usual lump of NaCl when talkative sources say that Nokia is increasing orders in March as it prepares to "launch several 3G and 3.5G products with multi-touch and multimedia functions in 2009" -- Texas Instruments, Qualcomm, and Synaptics being the chief beneficiaries. Of course, Nokia has been perfectly clear that its 5800 was the just the initial salvo in an onslaught of touchscreen devices to come and led by its flagship N97. Nevertheless, with profits down and the economy mired in the suck, it's nice to have confirmation (as tenuous as it is) that things are on track in Espoo.

Get your hack on: unofficial multi-touch support released for Android

by Chris Ziegler posted Jan 25th 2009 @ 2:12AM

We've been hearing for months now that both Android and the T-Mobile G1 hardware have some magical, top secret low-level support for multi-touch, but unless we can... you know, do something with it, it really isn't doing anyone any favors. That's where the lovely people in the ever-industrious dev community come into play, throwing together demos on their way to a full release that you -- yes, you -- can finally install on a G1 of your very own. It's still in the proof-of-concept phase, but the load does include a multi-touch version of Android's excellent browser, probably the single app that could use two fingertips more than any other. Needless to say, you should be installing this jazz at your own risk -- but considering the number of hoops you need to jump through to get it up and running (hint: you need to start by gaining root access), the whole process should be enough of a deterrent for the casual types who can't take a hiccup here and there. Video of the included multi-touch map browser app (among others) in action after the break.

[Thanks, Ryan G.]

Continue reading Get your hack on: unofficial multi-touch support released for Android

Video: coder whips up working multitouch demonstration on T-Mobile G1

by Darren Murph posted Jan 12th 2009 @ 12:54PM

Ryan Gardner did wonders when he proved that multitouch was a real possibility on the G1, and now Sir Luke Hutch has taken things one giant leap further. Put simply (or as simply as possible), he has figured out a way to demonstrate full working multitouch on a stock T-Mobile G1, and he even provides the video to prove it and a list of instructions for developers to follow suit. For those just casually interested, the vid after the break is apt to be enough to get your saliva flowing, but for the hardcore data snoopers in the crowd, the incredibly lengthy read link is where it's at. Go where you must -- it's like a choose-your-own-adventure book, but for nerds.

[Via Phandroid, thanks Rob and Keyan]

Continue reading Video: coder whips up working multitouch demonstration on T-Mobile G1

G1 multi-touch a reality, integrated headphone jack still just a dream

by Tim Stevens posted Nov 22nd 2008 @ 10:55PM

When reviewing the G1 we found a lot to like, but a lot to dislike too. We knew that some of its shortcomings, like the missing headphone jack, were sadly permanent (free adapters notwithstanding), but hoped that it would just be a matter of time before some enterprising soul (with an enterprising compiler) would take care of another complaint: the lack of multi-touch. Lo and behold now is that time and Ryan Gardner is that coder, author of a little app that proves the inability of the G1 to accept a two-finger salute is not a hardware limitation. You can see for yourself in a video after the break, and once Ryan is done cleaning up his code he pledges to post that, too (don't forget those comments, man). Okay, so being able to cover your screen with red and yellow splotches isn't going to convert any spoiled iPhoners, but we're thinking the rest of you developers out there should be able to pick up this ball and run with it. So make with the running, already.

Continue reading G1 multi-touch a reality, integrated headphone jack still just a dream

Video: HTC's Touch Diamond / Pro are multi-touch gods, just not how you'd think

by Thomas Ricker posted Aug 20th 2008 @ 5:16AM

While multi-touch input might be all the rage in handhelds and laptop trackpads at the moment, alas, it's not on the feature list for HTC's latest Touch Diamond and Touch Pro. However, the capability is indeed present and exploited on video by HTC's own debug application. Even more interesting is the way that the handsets' entire front, capacitive surface (not just the 2.8-inch, 640 x 480 pixel display) can be used for multi-finger input. So like Dell's Latitude XT Tablet which launched multi-touch ready, expect to see future, multi-touch capabilities come to HTC's latest... someday. Click through for the vid.

Continue reading Video: HTC's Touch Diamond / Pro are multi-touch gods, just not how you'd think

NeuScreen multi-touch screen engine shown on Nokia N95

by Darren Murph posted Jun 13th 2008 @ 9:23AM

Call us loony, but it sure seems like Nokia's heralded N95 ends up in the middle of quite a few DIY endeavors. Sure enough, said mobile is at the heart of Sittiphol Phanvilai's latest project: NeuScreen. Put as simply as possible, the project creates a multi-touch engine for the N95, and in the demonstration waiting after the jump, a simple pen light is used to control objects on a TV screen that is connected to the aforementioned handset. Confused? Give the video a look, that always clears things right up.

[Thanks, Moses]

Continue reading NeuScreen multi-touch screen engine shown on Nokia N95

Samsung follows crowd, preps M4650 Windows Mobile touchphone

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 4th 2007 @ 6:13PM

Don't be fooled: Samsung officially calls this the M4650 Multi-Touch, but get this, it doesn't support multi-touch. It does support single touches of its 2.8 inch screen, though, which'll have to do seeing how it lacks either numeric or QWERTY keypads. The Korean company is prepping the Windows Mobile 6-based touchphone for its domestic market, matching a recent trend toward keyless, finger-friendly input that LG, HTC, Apple, and others have adopted in recent months. A customized build of Windows Mobile isn't the only trick up the handset's sleeve, either: haptics give users a little bit of positive feedback when they make contact with the display, and when Office Mobile finally ceases to be entertaining, the terrestrial DMB tuner should come in handy. Ironically, the M4650 will be offered through LG Telecom -- of all carriers -- for something in the range of 500,000 won (about $550) before rebates.

[Via textually.org]

Is HTC's "major announcement" a multi-touch device?

by Chris Ziegler posted May 30th 2007 @ 4:26PM

The plot is starting to thicken ahead of HTC's press conference on the fifth of June -- and as we suggested before, it appears that the company does indeed have its sights set on stealing some of Apple's thunder. As far as consumer electronics releases go, the crown for the month of June had pretty much been handed to the iPhone; yeah, pretty much any Apple release is considered something of a landmark event, but one of the iPhone's big draws is its support for multi-touch. So what if HTC were to announce its own multi-touch device -- based on the lovely Elf -- just days before the iPhone's release? A little deflating for Apple, yeah? Smartphone Thoughts is reporting that HTC plans to introduce said device at its June 5th event with the intention of releasing it quickly on a global scale. Microsoft was showing off its "Shift" touch-based interface not long ago; while we don't know that the rumored HTC device uses it, this could all work out very nicely indeed considering the cozy relationship Microsoft and HTC enjoy.