I really like this combination of multi-point interactions and speech. In the demonstration the operator utilizes a specific gesture to enable speech input. Another nice touch is audio feedback when an interaction is recognized.
Source: Microsoft Research
The Wall Street Journal has an interesting article on HP’s “Wall of Touch”. Interestingly the wall utilizes a touch mechanism with cameras and magnetic strips to detect when you are nearing the wall. I would love to target this.
It seems multi-touch interfaces have embedded themselves within my psyche of late. The interfaces in our near future will embrace a more intuitive user experience.
It may be on Microsoft’s Surface:
I can’t wait until some of these multi-touch mice are available. The FTIR mouse is my favorite of the prototypes presented in the video. These input devices coupled with Windows 7 multi-touch support present interesting development opportunities.
Of course, if you’re running OSX, you don’t need to wait since the Apple Magic Mouse is already available.
I’ve been using Windows 7 for the last few weeks and one of my favorite features is the new taskbar enhancements. I really appreciate the elegance of the design and can see the usefulness of jump lists, thumbnail toolbars, and taskbar progress bars in future applications.
Last month I attended the Windows 7 Developer technical briefing in Portland and the first emphasis was on the new taskbar, or “Super Bar” as it’s known among developers, functionality. The presentation is offered online here.
For those of you wondering why the taskbar improvements are innovative, “jump” over to Gizmodo for an excellent article outlining the differences between the Super Bar and the OSX Dock.
Enjoy!
Gary
