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News Apple patent reveals touch improvements

Discussion in 'Article Discussion' started by CardJoe, 8 Jan 2010.

  1. CardJoe

    CardJoe Freelance Journalist

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  2. Wossack

    Wossack What's a Dremel?

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    if they build it, they will buy it :)
     
  3. eddtox

    eddtox Homo Interneticus

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    Sounds like a good idea, especially for laptop/tablet form factors. I have a Portege M200 and that has some similar pen buttons on the side of the screen making it easier to access ctrl shift etc when in slate mode. As for the "Dual-Function Capacitive Elements", that should be even more interesting. Only downside is that this is apple which means we probably won't see these technologies in other manufacturer's devices :(
     
  4. Digi

    Digi The not-so-funny Cockney

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    How can you actually grip the device if all of the sides are functionary touch-sensitive areas then? Or am I missing the point? :)
     
  5. shanky887614

    shanky887614 What's a Dremel?

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    if you look at the right of your screen there is allways a border of material usually a plastic
    this is the part that they will stick it not the actual side that would be pointless
     
  6. Xir

    Xir Modder

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    ...touch sensitive side...
    Didn't some phones (landline) have that to "scroll" through the names on the display about ten years ago? A touch-sensitive area right next to the display?
    I'm prety sure to have seen and used that in a friends housse in the late nineties
     
  7. leveller

    leveller Yeti Sports 2 - 2011 Champion!

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    There not inventing it with this patent as they are already using the idea in their new mouse with an invisible scroll wheel. What they're doing is suggesting combining the techs together.

    The combined screen/touch surface sounds like the best bit due to the power save. Anything that extends battery life is a win in my book.
     
  8. Cupboard

    Cupboard I'm not a modder.

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    Sounds like something that one of the SE Cybershot phones has around the screen...
     
  9. Matticus

    Matticus ...

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    Anything that would improve battery life is always a bonus in my eyes, so long as it doesn't cost the earth, in both senses of the word.

    Do you mean the magic mouse? That is just multitouch all over? While I admire the idea behind it, I am sure it is not only me who has "fiddly fingers" on their mouse, I am tapping away on the buttons, but not actually the buttons, and slipping and sliding all over the place. That mouse would be hilarious for me.

    I had one of those, thought it was marvellous for a while. Then it stopped working :(
     
  10. leveller

    leveller Yeti Sports 2 - 2011 Champion!

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    Yes, admired from a far for it's design over practicality, and certainly not a mouse for me. Correct me if I'm wrong but Apple invented mice (?) - remember the puck shaped one? Ugh. They really need to bring their research and development into mice that comfortably fit the hand in a natural fit ... like the rest of the mice manufacturers have been doing for years!!
     
  11. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

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    The mouse was invented before Apple was even *founded* - Douglas Engelbart at the Stanford Research Institute invented the first mouse prototype in 1963, according to PikiWedia. Hell, they weren't even the first to market with a *commercial* version - that was Xerox, from which Apple stole^w got the inspiration for a mouse-driven GUI,.
     
  12. leveller

    leveller Yeti Sports 2 - 2011 Champion!

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    Thieving *******s!

    I stand corrected! :)
     
  13. Nexxo

    Nexxo * Prefab Sprout – The King of Rock 'n' Roll

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    They and Microsoft. Thing is, Xerox wasn't taking their good ideas any futher --so someone else was bound to.
     
  14. LucusLoC

    LucusLoC What's a Dremel?

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    i hate touch screens, but then i have oily hands (tmi i know! but it is relevant info). i am constantly leaving fingerprints that have to be wiped off to see the screen clearly. it is annoying to no end. i prefer the good old bb trackball, or a similar device. plus i think they are more precise, as you can see where the click actually is, instead of it being behind your finger. useful for tightly compressed links and small buttons. and while i know there are a bunch of neat things that are easier to do with a touch screen over a trackball (nifty zoom for instance) i find the drawbacks outweigh the benefits.
     
  15. eddtox

    eddtox Homo Interneticus

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    Hear hear.. that's why I'll take a digitizer+pen over touch alone any day.
     
  16. LucusLoC

    LucusLoC What's a Dremel?

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    the only thing i didn't like about pens was my propensity to lose them. . . .
     
  17. Jenny_Y8S

    Jenny_Y8S Guest

    My OQO e2 had capacitive scroll bars on the screed edge, they were the most annoying things in the world so I had to run with them disabled. They worked by even the slightest "brush" by a hand so you were scrolling even when you didn't need to. But if Apple can be clever with the software I can see them working, especially for "hot" controls etc.
     
  18. Darkedge

    Darkedge Minimodder

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    The combination of display and touchscreen detection elements is a cool idea.
    However from all the comments the scroll bars/touch outside the edges of the screen has been done by many other people (like so much that Apple 'invents' and tries to patent). hopefully that'll be rejected due to the blatant prior art out there.
     
  19. WestHej

    WestHej What's a Dremel?

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    Palm Pre touch area below the screen?
     
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