Innolux hopes to boost touch screen use

LOWER COST:A Topology Research Institute staffer says the LCD panel maker has set ‘too aggressive’ a target because touch screens are not affordable right now

Innolux Corp  aims to increase the penetration rate of itstouch panelsused in notebooks and all-in-one PCs to 50 percent next year, a company executive said yesterday.

Only a very small portion of PCs worldwide are currently equipped with touch panels because of their high price and unattractive Windows 8 operating system, Innolux said.

It believes about 10 percent to 15 percent of notebook computers around the world will have touch screens at the end of this year, Innolux said.

To boost the penetration rate, the world’s No.4 LCD panel maker has developed low-cost touch screens by integrating touch sensors and LCD glasses, Jeffrey Yang , an associate vice president, told reporters during a touch screen trade show in Taipei.

Innolux plans to begin shipping the new low-cost touch screens later this quarter and expand its monthly output to around 200,000 units next quarter, Yang said. The low-cost screens are made on one-glass-solution technology, he said.

Innolux installed a new production line in a Chinese factory to produce the screens and is working to overcome a labor shortage problem to increase the factory’s output, Yang said. The company plans to recruit 3,000 workers, he said.

However, Harris Po , an analyst with local research firm Topology Research Institute (TRI,), is less optimistic, saying Innolux’s target was “too aggressive.”

“It could only be reached after touch screens become standard products, which can help drive the cost of touch screens to an affordable level,” Po said.

Local rival AU Optronics Corp (AUO), which is showcasing 19.5 inch and 21.5 inch touch screens at the touch screen show, has predicted that about 20 percent of its notebook computer panels will be touch screens at the end of this year.

Yang said the company is also set to ship new energy-saving touch screens using Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide (IGZO) technology by the end of this year.

As an IGZO screen only consumes one-third the power that average LCD screens consume, an “IGZO [panel] is important for tablets,” he said.

IGZO panels have been under the spotlight amid growing speculation that Apple Inc will have its new-generation iPhone, iPad and Macbook laptops equipped with the screens.

Japan’s Sharp Corp is the major IGZO panel manufacturer.

Innolux, which holds a 70 percent global share of the 4K2K TV panel market, expected 50 percent of its TV panels would be such ultra-high-definition panels next year, up from 10 percent estimated for this quarter, Yang said.

The company plans to more than double its output of 4K2K TV panels to 500,000 units a month by the end of this year, from 200,000 units currently.

Separately, Innolux and AUO yesterday said they did not plan to lower factory utilization because they expected demand to return soon, driven by the holiday shopping season in October in China, shopping for Christmas shopping in the US and Europe and then the Lunar New Year demand from Asia.

Innolux has seen demand recover this month and expects customers’ inventories to return to normal next month.

“We hope to keep our equipment loading rate at a stable and reasonable level,” Innolux spokesman Lin Chen-hui  said. “The fourth quarter will be a better period than the third quarter.”

The company plans to maintain a factory utilization rate of more than 90 percent this quarter and next quarter, Lin said.

From:NJYTOUCH

Apple Granted 36 Patents Today Covering key Touchscreen & GUI Technologies

The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 36 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In this particular report we cover several new design patents covering the iPhone with the iOS GUI and an all-new icon related to the iPad and more. Additionally, we cover a patent relating to a new speakerphone, mobile clubbing and two key original touchscreen related patents. One of them lists the Late Steve Jobs as an inventor.

Apple Granted Patent for Portable Multifunction Device, Method, and GUI for Interpreting a Finger Gesture on a Touch Screen Display

Apple has been granted two original touchscreen patents that were designed for the 2007 iPhone and future iDevices. The pair of patents could one day be used in litigation. The graphic below which specifically relates to patent 8,519,963, depicts an exemplary user interface for unlocking an iPhone or iDevice.

This particular patent generally relates to portable electronic devices, and more particularly, to portable devices that can uniquely determine operations associated with a finger gesture when the finger gesture occurs near multiple icons on a touch screen display. This patent is covered by 25 patent claims.

The second noted touch related patent is 8,519,964 which generally relates to portable electronic devices, and more particularly, to portable devices that support user navigations of graphical objects on a touch screen display. This patent is covered by 12 patent claims. The Late Steve Jobs is listed on this patent as one of the inventors.

Apple Granted Patent for Mobile Clubbing App

Apple has been granted a patent today for their invention that generally relates to mobile clubbing. Apple’s patent covers systems and methods for facilitating a music experience that could be shared amongst members of a group of people each in possession of an iDevice. More particularly, the music listened to by each member of the group could be specifically selected by an individual member using a music characteristic common to all members. See Patently Apple’s original 2011 patent application coverage for details.

Apple credits Sylvain Louboutin as the sole inventor of granted patent 8,521,316 which was originally filed in Q1 2010 and published today by the US Patent and Trademark Office.

Apple Granted Patent for a Speaker with a Horizontal Former

Apple has been granted a patent today for their invention relating an iDevice speakerphone system. The key to this patent is a speaker having a horizontal former. For more details, see Patently Apple’s original coverage of this patent application under the title “Apple Reinvents Speakerphone System for iOS Devices,” in May 2012.

Apple credits Christopher Wilk as the sole inventor of granted patent 8,520,886 which was originally filed in Q1 2011 and published today by the US Patent and Trademark Office.

Apple Granted 7 Design Patents Today

Apple was granted 7 new design patents today covering the iPhone 5 with iOS User Interface; a Store-within-a-Store retail display; a new iPad Icon; iPad retail packaging; an iBook related icon for Drag Book Here; a calculator icon (not shown) and a Maps UI (not shown).

The Remaining Patents that were granted to Apple Today

From:NJYTOUCH

Constant use of touch-screen devices poses serious risks to youth

Rambam Medical Center experts worry that mobile devices poses threats to welfare of young people, threatening to affect them physically, emotionally, cognitively and developmentally.

Rambam Medical Center experts worrythat the mobile devices pose serious threats Photo: Edward Kaprov

While people of all ages seem unable to live without a touchscreen device – smartphone, tablet or i-Pad and all the rest – Rambam Medical Center experts worry that the mobile devices pose serious threats, especially to young people.

Recent surveys have shown that as the use of the interactive devices spreads even to kindergarten children – with a third of those aged six to nine having their own cellphone – touchscreen devices threaten to affect them physically, emotionally, cognitively and developmentally.

Prof. Naim Shehadeh, director of the pediatrics A department at Rambam and the juvenile diabetes and obesity clinic, said this week that tablets can lead to serious overweight in children.

“A fat child is very likely to turn into a fat adult, with all the risks of diabetes, hypertension, high cardiac risk and more. The causes include the lack of physical activity.

I don’t exaggerate when I say that the most common physical activity in young people today is moving their fingers on the touch screen of a computerized device, which is why the current crop of young people is called ‘the Touch Generation.’ Even when they go out, they are usually busy with their touch screens. There is no doubt that the Touch Generation is a significant high-risk group for the development of overweight at a young age,” said Shehadeh.

Besides the fact that the brains of very young children, with thin skulls, could be affected by electromagnetic radiation from cellphones held close to their heads, there are many other risks not connected directly to physiological health, said Amisar.

Dr. Dana Amisar, an expert in child and adolescent psychiatry and head of children’s psychiatry at the Haifa hospital, said that there are also psychological implications.

Children are increasingly exposed to the world not by experiences but to a virtual world via the screen.

“Their attention used to be dependent on what happened directly in their environment at a certain time. But now, she said, their attention is captured by the screen. They have less direct connection with friends and more virtually, giving the impression that they are ‘connected’ and are in contact. But in fact, many children see their friends less and less, and whole relationships begin, carry on and end virtually.”

The averagetouch-screen user receives some 150 messages and SMSs per day while they are doing other things. At any given moment, the user must divide his attention among all these “events,” said Amisar, and each activity cuts off the previous one. This reduces the quality of their attention and reduces their freedom of choice.

They become dependent on the devices and can’t manage without, the psychiatrist continued.

The latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), published by the American Psychiatric Association, lists “Internet addiction” as a new diagnosis and notes the need for more research.

Such addiction, said Amisar, can cause users to forgo social ties or daily tasks, reduce their ability to reach satisfaction, and lead to the inability to stop using computers and smartphones and using the Internet to try to improve their mood or escape from reality.

Researchers around the world who collect data say the phenomenon is quickly becoming a syndrome like other addictions.

From:NJYTOUCH

Touch-screen voting initiated in Bali

On a bright Monday morning on July 29th, residents of Mendoyo Dangin Tukad, in Jembrana, Bali, lined up to choose their next village chief. Most wore traditional Balinese attire – batik sarongs– with kebaya for the women and a headscarf (destar) for the men.

Election workers assist Wayan Ngidep during e-voting at Mendoyo Dangin Tukad village in Bali on July 29th. [Ni Komang Erviani/Khabar]
A voter uses touch-screentechnology in the village chief election in Mendoyo Dangin Tukad in Jembrana, Bali, on July 29th. [Ni Komang Erviani/Khabar]

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The election voting was far from traditional, as election officials said it was the most technologically advanced ever held in Indonesia, using touch-screen devices that verify voters’ identity via their national ID cards.

Implementation of the e-voting system was a collaborative effort by the Agency for Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) and the Jembrana regional administration. BPPT provided the four e-voting devices, each worth about Rp 10 million ($1,000).

A major breakthrough

The new technology is a breakthrough for Indonesia, which plans to implement it in other parts of the country, according to the head of BPPT, Marzan Iskandar.

“We are very happy the system could be implemented for the first time in Bali, as this will be a pioneer of many other elections. The e-vote village chief election will become a miniature of a system that will be implemented across our country,” he said.

All election workers were trained and certified by the BPPT and the Indonesian Technological Auditors Association (IATI), he said. The system prevents any attempt to vote more than once, because voters use their electronic identity card.

“So, no one can manipulate the result,” Marzan said.

E-voting is also part of the country’s attempt to reduce election costs, and could decrease such costs by nearly 50%, according to Marzan. “It will also cut much time for the vote count process, as well as cut the social cost that can be caused by polling disputes,” he added.

Mixed Reactions

Many Mendoyo Dangin Tukad voters appeared sceptical about the new system as they’d never previously voted by computer. Local election committee members patiently guided voters through the process, one-by-one.

“I’d rather vote using ballot papers than using a computer system. It is harder. The traditional system is far easier for me,” said 55-year-old voter Wayan Ngidep.

The grandmother of eight had a particularly rough experience when the device she was using malfunctioned. Although election officials helped her navigate through the system, she felt her privacy was breached.

“Everyone finally knew my choice when they tried to help me,” Wayan said.

Putu Bukit, 70, had to ask for guidance from her nephew in order to vote. “I don’t understand at all how to use the computer,” she said.

But other villagers said it was smooth sailing. “I had no problem in the booth. I think the e-voting system is good,” said I Gusti Agung Ayu, 67.

Initial rejection

Voting ended at 2pm, after 1,753 out of 2,381 eligible voters cast their ballots. Candidate number two, IGAK Bambang, won the election with 536 votes, defeating three other rivals.

It was also a victory for local election officials who managed to convince the community to pioneer the system, with the help of promotional programmes and outreach by BPPT and the Jembrana administration.

“It was not easy for me to ensure the local leaders in the village would use the e-voting system. Most of them were worried about the accuracy of the election result,” said local election committee chairman I Gusti Putu Suarden.

“The e-voting system was stipulated in Jembrana Bylaw No. 1/2010 on village chief elections. It was our pride to be the pioneer of our national e-voting system,” Jembrana Regent I Putu Artha said.

E-voting could be implemented in other elections on the island, even the presidential election, said Ketut Lanang Sukawati Prabawa, chairman of Bali’s General Election Commission.

“However, it needs a long preparation time before the system can be implemented all over the country. We should also conduct special programmes for several remote areas across the country, where most of the residents are not able to read,” Sukawati said.

From:NJYTOUCH

Science and technology: Can touchscreens save you from carpal tunnel? They...

Science and technology: Can touchscreens save you from carpal tunnel? They...: From your smartphone to your car to your computer, and even to your coffee pot, the age of the touchscreen is upon us. But as we transition...

Google announces second generation Nexus 7 tablet

Google has started rolling out a software update for the new Nexus 7 tablet with build number JSS15Q. The new update fixes the touchscreen problems being faced by several users.

Google’s Paul confirmed in the Google Product forums that the ongoing update is indeed for the touchscreen issues. Here is his statement.

“As a couple of you have mentioned, there’s a new system update that’s started rolling out for your Nexus 7s. This update does address the touchscreen issues discussed in this thread.”

As you would know, Android updates are typically rolled out in phases and this specifically being a bug-fixing update will be released to even smaller number of consumers at first, so that Google can check the impact before a wider release. Don’t get impatient if you don’t get the update right now, it is better to wait for the wider release.

If you have already updated your Nexus 7 tablet with JSS15Q update and you previously had touchscreen issues, do let us and other readers know in comments if the update fixed the problem.

From:NJYTOUCH

Touchscreen laptops are here to stay and that’s a good thing

here are lots of business conferences… TNW Conference US isn’t one of them.

“We’ve done tons of user testing on this, and it turns out it doesn’t work. Touch surfaces don’t want to be vertical. It gives great demo, but after a short period of time you start to fatigue, and after an extended period of time, your arm wants to fall off.” -

-Steve Jobs

What Jobs was referring too in this speech from 2010 was, of course, gorilla arm; a by-product of holding your arm in a vertical position while performing micro-movements on a touchscreen with one’s finger.

There have been many rumors over the years that Apple would introduce a touchscreen laptop, and it seems there’s no smoke without fire – patents have been filed and, by Jobs’ own admission, the company has carried out extensive user-testing in the field. Based on its research, however, it seems any plans to introduce a touchscreen MacBook were shelved long ago.

However, having used a touchscreen Windows 8 machine on and off for more than a year, I can safely say my arm has remained human at every juncture. And the key lies in how I’ve been using the touchscreen.

There’s not a chance in hell I’d forego a mouse and keyboard on a laptop. They’re essential facets of usability, functionality and any other kind of -ality. But that doesn’t mean a touchscreen doesn’t fit right in alongside it. This blending of traditional peripherals and the more contemporary touch-based interface really works.

I still use a mouse for a lot of stuff, like highlighting words to copy/paste for example, and clicking on links. But as soon as I hit a page that requires scrolling, or even in the main Start screen where the Windows Store and all the apps are housed, the mouse is dropped and that trusty old forefinger really comes into its own. It’s never more than a few seconds at a time, plus my elbow actually sits rested on the desk – it’s not a big deal.

Confusing the debate

While I am wary of the wave of hybrid Windows devices that have hit the market – tabtops, convertibles or whatever other nomenclature takes your fancy – I just don’t like them. They’re trying to be too many things at once – call me old-fashioned, but I like my laptop to be a laptop and tablet to be a tablet. Some devices don’t even know if they’re Windows or Android.

And I’m still awaiting the first line of real quality Ultrabooks. Almost a year on from the Windows 8 launch, the selection of decent, portable, powerful laptops is pathetic.

Plus, Windows 8 isn’t that great an operating system – it’s not designed with its core user-base in mind. As with the hybrid machines, Windows 8 is trying to be too many things at once. Microsoft’s Windows Store is absolutely fine in itself, but the duality of the desktop and Windows UI (Metro) desktop apps is confusing.

But here is the point. All this natter around the pros and cons of poor software and hardware merely muddies the water when it comes to the touchscreen debate. Touchscreen laptops, as a concept, have become synonymous with Microsoft’s latest operating system (though Google has started dabbling in this realm), and thus haven’t had the chance to really take off.

With the right hardware and software, I can’t see touchscreen laptops being anything other than successful. It’s almost as though Jobs & Co. were anticipating that people would use a touchscreen machine exclusively with their extended arm and forefinger – of course that would never work, it’s not a natural way to interact with a computer.

But alongside a mouse and keyboard, touchscreens fit in pretty well and I’d be surprised if nearly all machines – be it Windows, Mac, Chromebook or a new contender – weren’t touchscreen-enabled a few years from now. I just hope that the keyboard and mouse aren’t ushered out the back door in the process.

Meanwhile, if you want to see what a touchscreen MacBook might look like, check out this concept video below.

From:NJYTOUCH

Apple Receives Patent for 3D Gesture Control on Touchscreen Devices

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published a newly-granted Apple patent(via AppleInsider) addressing a means for extending the multi-touch input present on Apple’s touchscreen devices to the airspace above the screen, allowing for 3D manipulation of objects via 3D gesture inputs.

The patent, which was filed in July 2012 and is entitled “Working with 3D objects”, describes a system that detects both 2D objects in a user interface and a 3D gesture input close to the device’s surface, which then generates a 3D object that is presented in the user interface of the device.

According to the patent, the device detects the location of the user’s fingers using a combination of both the capacitive touch sensors and the proximity sensors located in the display. The new technology would work in combination with the existing touchscreen controls on the device, and would allow users to lift their fingers off the screen in order to “pull out” a 3D shape from a 2D one (as the drawing in the patent shown above demonstrates), just like in most existing CAD programs.

Techniques and systems that support generating, modifying, and manipulating 3D objects using 3D gesture inputs are disclosed. For example, 3D objects can be generated based on 2D objects. A first user input identifying a 2D object presented in a user interface can be detected, and a second 3D gesture input that includes a movement in proximity to a surface can be detected. A 3D object can be generated based on the 2D object according to the first and second user inputs, and the 3D object can be presented in the user interface where the 3D object can be manipulated by the user.

Other uses for the new technology include the ability to use 3D gestures to sculpt using virtual clay-like materials and to change parameters such as shadows, brightness, textures and more. The patent may mark Apple’s move to push the iPad more as a creative device which can be used in a variety of industries, including computer-aided design (CAD).

The idea of controlling a device using gestures is not new, however. The Samsung Galaxy S4 currently features a technology known as “Air Gesture”, which allows the user to control their device using a number of simple gestures. But Apple’s patent covers different technology — whereas Samsung uses a light sensor to detect the user’s gestures, Apple’s technology would instead be embedded into the device’s screen.

From:NJYTOUCH

Haptix aims to be a “mouse killer

Haptix, a little camera device that promises to turn regular surfaces into 3-D multi-touch controllers, has exceeded its Kickstarter goal of $100,000 in just five days.

That’s enough for the five-person Haptix team to complete “tooling” of its device so it can be manufactured in China and sold for $70.

Haptix aims to be a “mouse killer,” so users can precisely manipulate what they see on the screen in front of them by using their fingers on any flat surface. Of course, they’ll have to set up Haptix so it can “view” that surface, but the gadget should work on a desk, or on top of a regular keyboard.

Haptix co-creator Darren Lim says the trick is his team’s software, which allows affordable 3-D sensing to work in poor conditions like close proximity to surfaces.

Sure, $100,000 is a particularly modest goal as far as Kickstarter hardware campaigns go, but now it’s out of the way. Today, Haptix is telling backers that if it can hit $150,000, it will also produce a pressure-sensitive stylus for artists.

Haptix fits into one of the more interesting current trends in technology — taking users away from the abstractions of standard computer interfaces and back into the environments around us. I like to think of it as “the disappearing interface.” It all started with the touchscreen — where you feel that you directly manipulate virtual objects — and now is extending into the air and onto regular surfaces.

After Microsoft’s Kinect, the best-known recent effort in this space is Leap Motion, a well-established startup with nearly $50 million in funding as well as a $25 million fund from its investors to support third-party application development. Leap famously and somewhat magically allows users to control their PCs by gesturing in the air. But it has suffered delays, and continues to be “challenging” and “tiring,” given that users must hold their hands in the air for extended periods of time.

In a way, Haptix seems less exciting than Leap Motion because it’s anchored to surfaces. It also seems like it might be less relevant in the coming years, as more laptops add touchscreens, and as tablets continue to rise in popularity.

Lim disagrees, because Haptix will allow users to comfortably rest their hands so they can use the controller all day without tiring, for all sorts of tasks other than typing on a keyboard. Also, Lim said, Haptix doesn’t rely on infrared, so it will work in all lighting conditions, where Leap doesn’t function as well in very bright light.

Haptix currently works on Windows and Ubuntu, with Android in progress. Lim says the most salient bit of feedback so far has been from backers who want a Mac version. If all goes as planned, the device will be shipped to Kickstarter backers in January, and applications won’t have to be modified to support Haptix input.

Haptix has been in development for a year, and Lim received support for the project as one of the young entrepreneurs selected to be a Thiel Fellow this year. He said the company is also now raising an angel round of funding.

from:NJYTOUCH

Science and technology: Can touchscreens save you from carpal tunnel? They...

Science and technology: Can touchscreens save you from carpal tunnel? They...: From your smartphone to your car to your computer, and even to your coffee pot, the age of the touchscreen is upon us. But as we transition...

Can touchscreens save you from carpal tunnel? They might actually be worse

From your smartphone to your car to your computer, and even to your coffee pot, the age of the touchscreen is upon us. But as we transition from a button- and keyboard-centric world to a world of flat panel, capacitive displays, are we hurting ourselves in the process? Do our bodies need to evolve to keep up with technology?

Here’s an idea – maybe everything doesn’t need to have a touchscreen. Though PC and tablet manufacturers want to fill your life with interactive touch displays, it’s not always in your body’s best interest.

Are touchscreens an ergonomic solution?

For years we’ve heard tales around the office coffee pot of carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, and other repetitive stress injuries caused by working at a traditional computer for too long. Ignoring the advice of ergonomics experts who recommend specific monitor distances, keyboard angles, and mouse grips results in a pain that is much worse than just a case of the Mondays. 

With the prevalence of touchscreen computers, tablets, and the ever-present smartphone, you’d think touching a screen to scroll would be better than constantly stressing your scrolling finger, right?

Not really. There’s a whole other slew of problems that touchscreens present in everyday work life that are just starting to surface. Speaking of Surface, Microsoft may eventually rue the day it made touch nearly indispensable in Windows 8 – if not for the sales of RT, than for the pain in the shoulder and neck its latest OS could cause.

In 2012, prior to the release of Windows 8, InfoWorld wrote about the additional force with which touchscreen users tap their screens due to the lack of tactile feedback. While a clicky sound when pressing letters on a virtual keyboard helps, it’s less than ideal. A typical user will strike a virtual key with eight times the force of a physical key. No wonder manufacturers started using Gorilla Glass! 

Hitting virtual targets with excessive force isn’t the only problem, either. Neck strain is a major concern with tablets and, by extension, hybrid laptops. Hanging the head down or forcing it forward with a hunched back, or “turtling” puts pressure on the cervical part of the spine and results in muscle fatigue. The same issue is particularly problematic with laptops. 

Cynthia Burt, Injury Prevention Division Manager at the UCLA Office of Environment, Health and Safety, believes that the inherent nature of laptops make them less than ergonomically sound due to the relatively fixed screen and keyboard positions. This is amplified with a touchscreen laptop because, as she explains, there is a difference between optimal visual difference and optimal reach distance. “We recommend that people have an 18- to 20-inch envelope in front of them for optimal reaching,” Burt told us. “But for dealing with a monitor, people are recommending arm’s length or more, which would be 28 to 32 inches … The closer the monitor is, the more your eyes have to work to see the screen.”

Eye strain isn’t the only concern with a touchscreen laptop that’s positioned like a typical laptop. The act of touching the screen itself presents a host of potential physical issues. “The biggest thing that I see with a touchscreen is that to touch it you have to elevate your arm and reach out so you’re using a lot more shoulder and trunk muscles as well as arm muscles … It will require a lot more workload on your extremities, and it will also impact your sitting balance,” Burt said, explaining that how you sit is extremely important, and it’s even more important than when you’re using a keyboard.”

Hybrid laptops that contort into tablets are slightly better because you have more control over how you’re positioned. Still, it’s recommended that you use a separate Bluetooth keyboard if you plan on writing the Great American Novel on a tablet. In fact, many of the physical stress issues related to laptop use – whether it’s a traditional display, touchscreen, or hybrid convertible – may be greatly reduced with the use of an external keyboard. 

What about gesture control? Is it ready?

Products like the Leap Motion controller and Thalmic Labs’s MYO take the touch and the typing out of the equation entirely by employing gestures. While these products offer a different take on computer interaction, are they any better than an old fashioned keyboard and mouse?

Leap Motion uses a USB controller that can be placed almost anywhere in front of a screen as long as one of the cords are able to connect to your computer. Leap Motion states, “The interaction space of 2x2x2 feet is approximately arm-span distance, which we felt was more of a natural, efficient motion than broad gestures, for use of the Controller.”

This works nicely with Burt’s assertion that a monitor should be kept at arm’s length, but there’s still the issue of suspending your arm in a less than ideal position. The support section on Leap Motion’s site includes a page with ways to use the controller comfortably, which includes keeping your shoulders relaxed and your arms at a comfortable angle. 

While Leap Motion doesn’t make any claims about its product helping people who are suffering from a repetitive stress injury or other workplace ailments, the company says, “the ability to interact with and control a computer, using natural hand and finger movements, may be a positive option for people who find that the mouse and keyboard are a limiting and ineffective experience.”

However, as our review of the Leap Motion controller attests, the controller isn’t quite precise enough to replace a touchscreen or a mouse – yet. As a category, gesture control is still nascent and is going to improve over the next few years.

Burt agrees. “It’s a very promising technology, but in terms of it being ready right now to substitute for a mouse, I don’t think we’re there yet… But we’re just at the beginning of that technology, so I’m sure it’s going to improve and get better. When I’ve tried to use it and I’ve watched other people try to use it, there are very awkward hand and wrist finger motions trying to get it to work, because it’s not intuitive right now.

The ideal solution

What’s a touch screen enthusiast to do if they want to avoid physical strain and possible repetitive stress injuries? There are practical solutions for home offices and the workplace. Whether you’re using a desktop or a laptop, Burt recommends using a monitor with an articulating arm type of mount, which will allow you to move the screen closer or further away as needed. 

Likewise, an external keyboard is useful for both laptop and hybrid set-ups when you have a lot of key pounding to do. 

But what about your shiny new touchscreen? Avoid reaching for it. Keep it close enough to touch it while maintaining good posture and relaxed shoulders. “Perching forward and leaning causes a lot of overuse problems because it forces you to be in an awkward posture,” Burt said. 

One of the possible advantages of using a combination of a touchscreen, keyboard, and touchpad or mouse is that you’re moving between three different inputs and, as a result, are changing positions more frequently. As long as you’re not awkward about it in terms of your posture, this is a good thing.

So what’s the ultimate solution? A good ol’ fashioned keyboard and mouse, a touchscreen, or gesture control device? As far as Burt is concerned: None of the above. “At the point in time, given what the technology is, I would encourage people to look at voice recognition systems before they go forward with touchscreen systems.”

from:NJYTOUCH

Microsoft-Backed Software Turns Any Surface Into Touch Screen

In recent months, critics of Microsoft's Surface tablets have used their lackluster sales as an opportunity to question the company's competitive edge. But no matter your opinion, one thing has become clear: the company's focus on touch screen interfaces is proving to be right on the mark. Now, one company backed by Microsoft is looking to revolutionize the touch-screen market by making any surface interactive.

Microsoft announced this week that Ubi Interactive is now taking orders for software that works with the Kinect to instantly turn nearly any surface into a touch screen. Ubi Interactive showed off an early prototype version of the software as part of the Microsoft Kinect Accelerator program last year, and it's now ready for primetime.

"By making it possible to turn any surface into a touch screen, we eliminate the need for screen hardware and thereby reduce the cost and extend the possibilities of enabling interactive displays in places where they were not previously feasible—such as on walls in public spaces," Ubi Interactive CEO Anup Chathoth said in a statement. "Our technology has implications of revolutionizing the way people live their lives on a global level."

According to the company's support documentation, the software cannot be used on reflective surfaces, which makes the interface controller an interesting alternative to the glossy touch screen many of us have become accustomed to on the latest tablets. The basic Ubi Interactive software package, which supports screens up to 45 inches is selling for $149, while the professional version supports screens up to 100 inches and sells for $379. The company is also selling an enterprise version for $1,499.

In addition to the software and a flat surface, users will also need to purchase a Kinect for Windows sensor, which sells for $249.99. But when you consider that for just a little more than $500 you can begin using your own Minority Report-style display, suddenly the entire package seems like a bargain.

from:NJYTOUCH

Are touchscreen laptops the best of both worlds?

May 2013 showed some promising results for IT, with year-on-year growth rates of 22.4 per cent in volume and 4.1 per cent in value compared to last year. This growth was mostly contributed by the B2B channel which grew by 58 per cent in volume and 6.5 per cent in value. The consumer channel showed mixed results growing by 2.5 per cent in value but declining by 1.7 per cent in volume.

Media tablets, software and communication devices were the biggest drivers of growth in the IT market. Media tablets grew by 82 per cent in sales units year-on-year in the Consumer Channel. Tablets growth is declining and may not be the engine of growth for IT for much longer. In March and April, the PC market survived the impact of various factors affecting its growth. However, in May, it suffered from decline.

Unit sales of notebooks dropped by 7.6 per cent in May compared to the same period last year in the consumer channel, however sales value only dropped by 6.1 per cent. This is the first month in 2013 when notebooks have shown growth in the average selling price (ASP) when compared to last year. Growth in ASP can be attributed to the availability of higher spec models at a more affordable price. Internal research on price and demand elasticity shows that £350 is a sweet spot for the PC market. There is a significant spike in sales as soon as high spec models come closer to the £350 price point. Given the ASP drop in high spec models to match consumers’ affordability, incremental innovation is critical to keep the PC market into growth.

The touchscreen interface has travelled all the way from 3.5-inch screen size format smartphones to 9.7- inch screen size format tablets. Initial touchscreen PCs sales have been positive. The question is can touchscreen give that incremental value growth to PCs in the long term? Sales value share was between six per cent and seven per cent of the notebooks market in the last three months. Initial success has been mostly in 11.6-inch, and prices are close to £350. Justifying the value for dual interface PCs on the large screen size format like 14-inch is a challenge.

There have been major game console launches this year and lots of smartphone launches are also scheduled throughout the second half of 2013. The challenge for touchscreen PCs is to justify their value and maintain sales growth in the long term, whilst maintaining a price premium and thus satisfying both manufacturers and consumers.

from:NJYTOUCH

Touchscreen Breaker For Google’s Second-Gen Tablet?

An HD display and new Android operating system may not be enough to save the 2013 Nexus 7, as complaints from early adopters continue to roll in. Most recently, users reporttouchscreen issues, which could possibly be the deal breaker in the popularity of Google’s second-generation tablet.

The ultra-sensitive touchscreen on the 2013 Nexus 7 appears to be much more of a hindrance than an asset. Users report a number of mistyping issues including the wrong keys registering when typing, double taps and ghost taps registering when a user has not touched the screen. Nexus 7 2013 users also have an issue with the multi-touch gestures malfunctioning with phantom gestures.

These problems are reportedly only briefly remedied with a reboot; however, most report that rebooting, booting to safe mode or resetting their tablet solves nothing and that thetouch screen issues have worsened over time. Nexus 7 users have noted that they only appear to have trouble when their 2013 Nexus 7 is running on battery power. When plugged in for charging, the tablet supposedly works fine.

In addition, Nexus 7 users report other varying conditions that accompany problems. One 2013 Nexus 7 owner reported touchscreen issues with his tablet only when it was lying on a flat surface but not while holding it, while another user reported having issues regardless of whether the 2013 Nexus 7 was being held or lying flat. A number of fed up users have said the issues occur often enough for them to have considered returning their 2013 Nexus 7.

It remains uncertain whether the issues are a hardware or software problem; however, the closet connection appears to be the over-the-air JSS15J software update that was delivered to 2013 Nexus 7 units shortly after its release. So far, Google has acknowledged the problem and says it is investigating the cause.

Another major issue 2013 Nexus 7 users are experiencing is a GPS bug, in which the device’s GPS won’t work at all or will quickly drop within minutes of connecting or while switching in between apps. A malfunctioning GPS is an especially frustrating issue for those who use their tablets often while out and about. A number of systems and apps on such devices are connected to and powered by GPS. Google has similarly stated that it is investigating the issue.

The 2013 Nexus 7 released in the U.S. in late July and has yet to hit most international markets. However, it has seen some popularity in its early release, having sold out at such retailers as Staples.

In addition to issues with the 2013 Nexus 7 tablet itself, many users have also had issues with the new Android 4.3 Jelly Bean operating system, including slow performance speed, device freezing and Bluetooth incompatibility, among many other bugs.

Do you think the touchscreen and GPS issues will be a deal breaker for the 2013 Nexus 7? Let us know in the comments below.

from:NJYTOUCH

Touchscreen ultrabooks more ergonomic than tablets with keyboards

A tablet computer coupled with an external keyboard sounds like a way to get the best of both worlds: easy to watch and web-surf, and easy to type a document. But an old-style ultrabook with a touchscreen might be the better option, according to testers at German computer magazine c’t.

After testing 11 devices – six tablet/keyboard combinations, two hybrids with a fold-out keyboard and three ultrabooks – the magazine pointed out that a single ultrabook weighs less than two devices do.

A tablet is also difficult to stand up at the right angle when you are sitting in a car or a plane and are using your hands to type. It is likely to come with either a non-adjustable base, or one with such limited range that the tablet topples over when the car rocks.

Looking at the display from a sub-optimal angle can be wearing on the eyes. With an ultrabook it is a cinch to get the angle right.

Where tablet computers win out is that they often come with a stylus. Users can write with one directly on the touchscreen.

All machines were rated fast enough for basic computing. However, booting up could take as long as 10 seconds in some cases.

There were also differences in battery life. Using wi-fi and with mid-level display brightness, average devices could last five to six hours without a recharge. A few could hold out for seven to nine hours, while flunkers only lasted four.

from:NJYTOUCH

Apple first sued Motorola Mobility

Now-ubiquitous touch screen for Apple iPhones and iPads are worthy of patent protection, the Federal Circuit ruled, reversing the U.S. International Trade Commission.

Apple first sued Motorola Mobility – now owned by Google – in 2010 for a number of patent infringements related to its iPhone and iPad. Motorola countersued over claims that Apple infringed on its wireless technology, and the two companies have been locked in a multi-pronged worldwide war ever since.

Though an administrative law judge found that Apple violated Motorola’s 3G wireless patents, the ITC recently reversed that decision. Despite the finding, Motorola continued to enforce a German ban on Apple products and drew the ire of the European Commission, which opened antitrust proceedings earlier this year.

Back in the U.S., Apple had been appealing an ITC decision that invalidated one of its touch screen patents for obviousness and anticipation, and a finding that Motorola did not infringe a second related patent. The first, patent ’607, covers the way the screen handles finger swipes and touches. Patent ’828 meanwhile discloses how the touch screen is made transparent.

A three-judge panel of the Federal Circuit panel found Wednesday that the first seven claims of Apple’s ’607 patent had been anticipated by a prior patent. The court rejected Apple’s argument that its speed improvements and the enabling of multiple touches at once make it sufficiently different than the prior patent.

“Apple fails to provide any reason why the faster or optimal approaches would be too slow or inaccurate to detect multiple touches or why the disclosure of Perski ’455 fails to enable multiple touches,” Judge Kimberly Moore wrote for the panel. “To the contrary, as Motorola points out, the scanning algorithm disclosed in the ’607 patent is very similar to the ‘faster approach’ disclosed in Perski ’455. The ’607 patent discloses a sensing circuit that detects changes in capacitance at each node along n columns in the matrix by cycling through one row at a time for the m rows. Moreover, the claims of the ’607 patent do not expressly contain a speed or accuracy limitation. Thus, we conclude that substantial evidence supports the ITC’s finding that Perski ’455 anticipates claims 1-7 of the ’607 patent.”

The panel nevertheless took the ITC to task for its finding that claim 10 of the ’607 patent should be dismissed for obviousness. The ITC agreed with its administrative law judge that the Apple technology at issue stemmed from a previous innovation called SmartSkin without even examining Apple’s evidence, according to the ruling.

“This is not adequate under our law,” Moore wrote. “The ultimate conclusion of obviousness is a legal conclusion to be reached after weighing all the evidence on both sides. The ITC analyzed only the disclosure of the prior art references and based solely on that evidence determined the claims would have been obvious.”The ITC’s prejudicial failure to take into account industry accolades for the iPhone, sales figures and evidence of industrywide copying undermined its obviousness finding, according to the 37-page opinion.“Apple presented evidence showing a nexus between the undisputed commercial success of the iPhone and the patented multitouch functionality, namely evidence that Apple’s competitors copied its  touch screen and that those in the industry praised the iPhone’s multitouch functionality,” Moore wrote. “The ITC did not address any of this evidence.”

She continued: “To be clear, we conclude that the ITC fact findings regarding the scope and content of the prior art (what the reference discloses) are supported by substantial evidence. We remand so the ITC can consider that evidence in conjunction with the evidence of secondary considerations and determine in the first instance whether claim 10 would have been obvious to one of skill in the art at the time of the invention.” (Parentheses in opinion.)The panel completely threw out the ITC’s finding that Motorola did not infringe Apple’s ’828 patent. It agreed with Apple that the ITC improperly limited terms in the patent’s specifications to find noninfringement.In his partial dissent, Judge Jimmie Reyna said he would have gone further and reinstated the first seven claims of the ’607 patent.

Reyna applauded Apple’s innovation and said the majority made a mistake in invalidating the claims as secondary art.“Based on the extensive record in this case, I believe Apple overcame significant complexities to produce a touchscreen with desirable optical properties that accurately detected multiple simultaneous touches,” Reyna wrote. “Ultimately, it was Apple – not the prior art inventors – who identified the problem, disclosed the steps explaining how the problem was solved, and then created a marketplace for its contribution. By incorporating the invention in the patented products of the iPhone and iPad, Apple’s efforts endowed users around the world with better access to information, more efficient communication, and unparalleled convenience to organize life on the mobile.”

from:NJYTOUCH

APEN Touch 8 Pen Gives Students Touch Capabilities to Make Schoolwork Easier

A consumer electronics designer and marketer of fun, easy-to-use lifestyle products, has the perfect device to turn students’ Windows 8 computers into touchscreen devices — the APEN Touch 8 pen. Using ultrasonic and infrared technologies, the Touch 8 gives students touch capabilities on their standard Windows 8 PC monitor or laptop, making both schoolwork and creative activities easier.

“The Windows 8 software is built for touch, but not every family can purchase a new touch screencomputer,” said Jason Liszewski, managing director and VP of sales for E FUN. “The APEN Touch 8 is an affordable solution that gives touch capabilities to students’ computers for use in the classroom and at home. With the Touch 8 they can easily complete homework, then create a drawing or handwritten note to send to friends on email or social networks.”

The APEN Touch 8 gives students the ability to open programs, folders, and files; search the Internet; access e-mails; play games; draw; sign digital documents; shift to background programs; close applications; and so much more with the flick of a pen.

The APEN Touch 8 comes with a cordless digital pen, detachable receiver, and a USB cable connection to the Windows 8 device. It offers plug-and-play simplicity; there are no drivers to download. A user simply needs to attach the receiver to the edge of the screen using the provided magnetic clip, and then connect the USB cable. Once the computer or laptop is turned on, they can start enjoying Windows 8 touchscreen capabilities with the Touch 8 pen.

Other features of the APEN Touch 8 are up to 17″ coverage area, 500 hours of continuous writing/hovering battery life, and absolute positioning.

About E FUN
As its name implies, E FUN is a designer and marketer of fun, lifestyle e-products that are easily accessible. While appreciated by techies, E FUN products are primarily designed for consumers who desire the latest technological products, but are more concerned with what they do, not how they do it. E FUN’s ongoing product innovation focuses on making electronics and computing more fun! Initial product offerings from E FUN include the APEN digital pen and Nextbook Android tablets

from:NJYTOUCH