(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CNET)
Along with a redesign of the iMac, MacBook, and Mac Mini, Apple today also unveiled its new Magic Mouse, a departure from the underwhelming Mighty Mouse Wireless that flew beneath the consumer radar back in 2006. The new Magic Mouse is also the next device (after the iPod, iPod touch, and MacBook Pro) in line to receive a dose of multitouch capability.
We've only had a day to play around with the multitouch features, but so far we're still on the fence about switching from our Logitech Performance Mouse MX. There's certainly no denying the aesthetic appeal: the bottom half is sleek aluminum and the top shell is made of a milky white shade of polycarbonate with a subtle gloss. The entire surface is a single button (no Mighty nipple, of course), but you can also change the settings to recognize a right-click or a lefty orientation, as well.
The multitouch user area is spread across the entire surface of the mouse, so you can swipe your finger anywhere and expect uniform results. Aside from the two main buttons, you can also scroll 360 degrees around a Web page, photo viewer, or document using a single finger, or quickly navigate forward and backward in a Web browser by simply swiping two fingers horizontally across the top of the mouse. The last feature is basic, but useful: holding down the Control key on the keyboard while scrolling up and down with a finger lets you zoom in and out of virtually anything onscreen.
Like the Mighty Mouse, the magical sibling connects to your computer through a simple Bluetooth pairing, and it works with any Mac running OS X version 10.5.8 or later, as long as it has the latest Wireless Mouse Software update 1.0. Windows users will bemoan its inability to work with non-Mac PCs.
Check out more pics after the jump and look for a full review coming soon.
... Read moreOn Sale Now: $69.00 - $87.45
View the latest prices for Apple Magic Mouse
PC maker Acer is adding another pair of laptops to its Windows 7 laptop lineup. The two entries are a 15.6-inch touchscreen system, called the Aspire 5738PG; and a 11.6-inch addition to the Timeline series, called the Aspire Timeline AS1810TZ.
The touchscreen Aspire 5738PG has a multi-touch display that can understand two-finger gestures, but in a standard laptop design instead of a convertible tablet. We've seen something similar recently with the Lenovo ThinkPad T400s.
The Aspire Timeline AS1810TZ has an 11-inch Netbook chassis, but instead of the Intel Atom CPU, it has the dual-core Intel SU7300 -- which essentially gives it thin-and-light performance in a Netbook-size system. Although, at $599, you're definitely well out of the standard Netbook price range.
Both systems will be available starting with the October 22 release of Windows 7.
The Acer Aspire 5738PG
Acer Aspire AS5738PG-6306 Multi-Touch Screen Notebook
- 15.6-Inch HD CineCrystal LED-Backlit Multi-Touch Screen Display (Widescreen 16.9 Aspect Ratio, 1366x768 Resolution)
- Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
- Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T6600 (2.2GHz, 2MB L2 cache, 800MHz FSB)
- ATI Radeon HD 4570 Graphics with 512MB Dedicated DDR3 VRAM
- 4GB DDR2 667MHz Dual Channel Memory
- 320GB SATA Hard Drive
- 8X DVD-Super Multi Double-Layer Drive
- Dedicated Numeric Keypad
- Two Built-In Stereo Speakers With Dolby 10-Optimized Surround Sound System
- HDMI Port and Four USB 2.0 Ports
- 6.16 lbs with 6-Cell Battery
- MSRP: $799.99
The Acer Aspire Timeline AS1810T
Acer Aspire Timeline AS1810T-8679
- Intel Core 2 Duo Processor SU7300 (1.3GHz, 3MB L2 cache, 800MHz FSB)
- Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
- 11.6-inch HD Widescreen LED-backlit TFT LCD 1366 x 768, 16:9 aspect ratio)
- Mobile Intel GS45 Express Chipset
- Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD
- 4096MB DDR2 Dual-Channel 667MHz memory
- 320GB 5400RPM SATA hard drive
- Integrated Acer Crystal Eye webcam
- Multi-in-1 digital media card reader
- Dolby Sound Room Audio Enhancement
- Intel WiFi Link 1000 802.11b/g/Draft-N WiFi
- Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
- 3 USB 2.0 ports
- HDMI port
- Multi-Gesture Touchpad
- Standard 6-cell Li-ion (5600 mAh) Battery
- 3.08 lbs.
- 11.2" (W) x 0.87" to 1.18" (H) x 8.03" (D)
- MSRP $599.99
Developer Luke Hutch was the first to release multitouch features on the G1.
(Credit: Luke Hutch)Google Android fans have long been waiting for official multitouch support on Android devices, but Google has yet to offer any confirmation. Even at this year's Google I/O developers conference where multitouch was a hot topic, I only heard that "we don't know when it is coming." But after doing some digging and speaking to several sources with knowledge of the situation, it looks like Android users may finally get their wish this holiday season.
When is it coming?
Allow me to start with the rumor of the day. From what I understand, Android 2.0 will ship this year and will include multitouch support similar to what's found on the iPhone and the Palm Pre.This might sound far-fetched to some readers, but there is mounting evidence to back it up.
Several blogs have reported that Android will receive two more updates this year. I believe the first will be a minor update based on the Donut branch of Android. The second update, however, is likely to be a major refresh based off the Eclair branch.
The release schedule was recently echoed in a Reuters interview with Andy Rubin, director of mobile platforms at Google. Reuters reported that Donut will become Android 1.6 and Eclair will ship as Android 2.0.
So if Android 2.0 is coming this year, when exactly will it be released? ... Read more
When the latest 13- and 15-inch MacBooks were announced in October 2008, a similar revamp of the larger 17-inch version of the MacBook Pro was conspicuously missing from the lineup.
In January of 2009, Apple announced the 17-inch model would be getting the same "unibody" aluminum chassis, buttonless (or more accurately, all-button) trackpad, and edge-to-edge glass on the LED backlit display. It's actually taken until late February for the systems to start shipping, but finally big-screen fans can get all the latest and greatest Apple improvements in a desktop replacement design, starting at $2,799.
The MacBook Pro, while expensive, remains a go-to for media professionals, and the new 17-inch version will be an especially welcome addition for photo and video types who have wanted the latest graphics, chassis, and trackpad upgrades in an HD-friendly 1,920x1,200 package.
On Sale Now: $2,195.00
View the latest prices for Apple MacBook Pro 2009 (2.66GHz, 17-inch)
Multitouch gestures on the iPhone are simple and really easy to use. Mobile touch-screen devices that don't have it, however, can make Web browsing a harrowing experience. Enter Linja Zax, a new project that's trying to give users an easy way to zoom in and out of Web pages (and potentially other UI elements) with one finger only.
Similar to the "wax on, wax off" mantra of Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid, this simply involves moving your finger in a circular motion. Going clockwise zooms in, while counterclockwise zooms you back out. In the demo, which I've embedded at the end of the post, you can see how this would be useful to let users select from multiple pages, which would remove the need to add a dedicated on-screen button.
Technology like this and Swype is giving us less reliance on peripheral devices and making computing on devices without a mouse and keyboard a lot easier to swallow. The project has been open-sourced on Mozilla's development site. If you've got a tablet PC or touch-screen display you can add it to Firefox with the use of an extension.
If you're intrigued by multitouch technology as much as I am, you've probably been following it pretty closely and are at least impressed by its potential.
But what could it do better? According to Apple, taking the "touch" out of multitouch would be a good first step.
According to an article on AppleInsider, Apple has issued a 30-page patent that touches on the implementation of proximity sensors into its multitouch technology on devices larger than the iPhone.
The potential innards of a multitouch panel with proximity sensors don't do much for me, but robots may feel differently.
(Credit: Apple)The multitouch sensors combined with proximity sensors would let users interact with the given interface without actually having to touch the screen. Now, this seems a tad ridiculous to me, and is anyone really too lazy to move their finger an extra inch? Yeah they are, but that doesn't make it a good idea.
Apple sees some different applications for the technology. According to the company, users would have the capability to turn off the entire touch-screen panel, or just portions of it. In addition, users would able to power down one or more of the computer's systems by dimming or brightening the screen as they see fit.
Awesome, huh?! Alas, no. OK, I may be missing something, but why would you need a proximity sensor to do this? You could just move your finger another inch and accomplish the same thing. The only unique feature Apple cited from the filing was the idea that you could highlight virtual buttons on a display without touching them. This could prepare the button for actually being pushed. Again, how is this useful?
... Read moreApparently, Apple fanboys (and girls) are determined not to let the iPod fade away into obscurity and let Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak's prophecy come true where he predicts the music player's death.
With the sleekness and sexiness of most recent iPods, or the extreme portability of the old minis, Indian designer Gopinath Prasan, creator of the iBangle, must've wondered how to go about turning it up a notch and make the iPod a wearable fashion accessory as well as a functional one.
Don't let its loose look fool you; the iBangle is a thin piece of aluminum with a multitouch track pad that won't easily slip off. That tiny blue button seen in the illustration somehow inflates the blue cushion inside the bracelet with air for a snug fit on the wrist.
(Credit:
dvice.com)
The "voice interface"--where you hear what track you're "scrolling" through--is supposed to help offset the fact that there is no visual interface on the bracelet/MP3 player. Also, instead of being tethered to the standard earbuds or headphones, audio is transmitted wirelessly via Bluetooth.
The multitouch interface is a good idea until it brushes up against you and changes your song.
(Credit: dvice.com)Now, if only it had a way to play video files. Perhaps a screen could be put on it, and the iBangle could pass for a watch--go, go gadget! However cool the concept is, there's no mention of how you would charge the device--dock, dongle, adapter? Also, is it gender neutral? Well, being as this is only a concept from the designer, we'll cut it some slack. There is definitely something here to work with.
So, my question to you is: if Apple co-opted the designer along with the idea and started mass production on this, would you buy it?
Look what the FedEx guy dropped off...
Forty-eight hours after Steve Jobs showed off his latest MacBook collection to the public, a pair of shiny new Apple laptops have arrived in the CNET Labs.
We're currently benchmarking these new systems--one 13-inch MacBook and one 15-inch MacBook Pro, so stay tuned for full reviews. In the meantime, we snapped a few photos of the new systems to show off some of the physical changes, and to compare an older black 13-inch MacBook.
The 13-inch MacBook is the more radically redesigned of the two, with an aluminum body that closely apes the classic MacBook Pro--so much so that we've heard it referred to as the "MacBook Pro Mini." The edge-to-edge glass on the display and giant touch pad are also new.
Side by side with a previous generation MacBook, the new model is slightly thinner, and the metal body (carved from a solid block of aluminum) feels much sturdier (not that the older MacBooks felt particularly flimsy).
The giant touch pad will take some getting used to--it lacks a separate mouse button. Before opening the box, we had assumed the new touch pad was strictly tap-based, but in fact the entire pad depresses like a button. It's actually a bit hard to get used to, and feels a little clunky at first compared to a totally fixed-position touch pad. On the other hand, there are some useful new gestures: you can hide all your apps by sweeping four fingers up on the pad, and you can also designate one corner as a "right-click" zone.
Check out these unboxing and comparison pics, which will hopefully hold your interest while we test and review the new MacBook and MacBook Pro. ... Read more
The MultiTouch Cell. Be ready to impress your friends if you have the money.
(Credit: MultiTouch)MultiTouch announced on Tuesday that the Philip K. Dick future seen in Minority Report is here. Actually, that's not true at all, but the style of computer interaction in that movie was the first thing I thought of when watching the demo of the MultiTouch Cell.
This is a large LCD touch-screen display which, according to MultiTouch, is the world's first modular multitouch LCD screen. The screen is available in 32-inch and 46-inch versions in 1080p, and an "HD ready" (1366x768) version at 32 inches. Two or more screens (according MultiTouch, the amount is only limited by imagination and budget) can be combined to form a larger display and be used as a wall, floor, or table display.
The screens (cells) can be positioned in landscape or portrait modes and are compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux. The screens can be used by multiple users simultaneously, with each person using both hands.
According to MultiTouch, other touch screens are only able to recognize each point of the fingertips touching the screen. The MultiTouch screen, however, sees that each fingertip is connected to a hand. So with two hands on the screen, rather than seeing 10 discreet points of interaction (each fingertip), it sees 2 unique points (each hand). This allows the screen to accept more complex interactions.
The demo shows a very impressive interaction between two users and eight running videos. Each user is moving, scaling, and playing multiple videos simultaneously. Since the screen runs are 60 frames per second it can accept this level of complex interaction.
By combining displays, you'll have room for multiple users to have their own interaction simultaneously.
(Credit: MultiTouch)As for pricing, well it's not consumer-level stuff here. The cheapest of the three solutions--the HD-ready 32-inch version--will cost around $7,000, with the 1080p 46-incher coming in at about $15,000.
More exciting than this actual product, however, is the technology underneath it. Multitouch technology is nothing really new ,as it dates back to the early '80s with the current and most popular implementation today being the iPhone. Also, Microsoft recently showed off a very impressive display of its Surface multitouch technology.
This is the most probable future for mainstream computer interaction right now. In a few years there will be a generation of children born who will grow up having never used a mouse to interact with a computer.
(Credit:
Crave Asia)
Forget multi-touch technology and face recognition. At its Computex booth in Taiwan, Asus displayed concept designs that take the user interface to new frontiers.
Termed "Reality-to-Virtual," what looks like a clamshell laptop with dual LCDs is actually a showcase of how motion sensing can be combined with context-based displays. With a sweep of your hand, for example, the Webcam will detect the motion and switch the upper LCD to the requested application. The lower portion is really a touch-sensitive LCD that can be used as a keyboard, media control, and photo-editing panel. As this is only a concept model, the device shows just a video of its future capabilities for now.
But right next to it is a working prototype of a new way to watch your DVDs. The widescreen player provides visual cues and allows direct control of the playback and eject features. You can check out a short clip on how it works below.
(Source: Crave Asia)
