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Multitouch Goodness: Full-Screen Multitouch Mac OS X Is Here

gizmodo.com — It's not from Apple, but it gives a pretty good idea of what to expect from the Cupertino company: a band of developers called the NUI Group have developed Lux, a platform that shows the power of a free open framework that will enable true multitouch interaction in Mac OS X.

Who dugg this? Made popular May 16, 2008

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  • PiGuy, on 05/16/2008, -10/+86Very cool, but all of this is platform independent. OSX has nothing to do with the technology.

    I wonder how well it works in the light...
  • R031E5, on 05/16/2008, -10/+76But where's my multitouch 3D porn?
  • wild, on 05/16/2008, -4/+62Why do they always feel the need to show fingerpainting effects with multitouch demos? I get it. It knows where more than one touchpoint is. Now she me the useful stuff.
  • corneliusJones, on 05/16/2008, -11/+51Isn't this the same as that Microsoft table that came out like a year ago?
  • Dumbledorito, on 05/16/2008, -1/+32As someone who lives to keep fingerprints off of his monitor, I'd rather have a "Minority Report" style "gesture" system.
  • pOwErEdByNOS, on 05/16/2008, -8/+33"Full-Screen Multitouch Mac OS X Is Here"

    "It's not from Apple, but it gives a pretty good idea of what to expect from the Cupertino company."

    Which one is it?
  • Samtherocker, on 05/16/2008, -1/+22The reason I don't think the video gives an idea of what to expect from Apple, is because it shows the multi-touch capabilities being used in a pretty superfluous way, and operations that multi-touch is actually useful for are already being worked into Mac OS X with trackpad gestures.

    And I'd prefer not to be called a 'mactard' thanks, I'm not bashing the technology displayed in the video (or Microsoft's Surface), I'm simply saying that the video does in no way give us, "a pretty good idea of what to expect" from Apple. I actually think that MS's Surface is very interesting but I think the thing that makes it interesting/innovative is not the use of multi-touch technology, it is the way it interacts with other devices.
  • JerodSlay, on 05/16/2008, -3/+23My God! when will someone do something truly useful with multitouch? I don't care about making 5 parallel "S" curves on my screen!!!!
  • jeff419, on 05/16/2008, -4/+23So you can spend thousands of dollars to finger paint?
  • garths, on 05/16/2008, -1/+17First of all, quite cool.

    But, I didn't really see any integration with OS X. These were all custom apps. I did some multi-mouse input (similar idea to multi-touch, just with mice instead) work in 1998-2000, and what we discovered is that every major OS and every major app for every OS makes an assumption that there is one cursor, one point of interaction. Insert multi-touch into, say MS Word, and everything is going to break.

    Unfortunately, integrating full-blown multi-touch into an OS will require a major rethinking of the interaction framework, and more than likely a complete rewrite of all multi-touch aware apps. We will have to see if Steve or Ballmer are willing to make the investment for this to work properly.
  • EBFoxbat, on 05/16/2008, -1/+17At the end of your right arm.
  • dontswimtoshore, on 05/16/2008, -8/+22this is insane.
  • AgentVladimir, on 05/16/2008, -2/+15Surely everyone's missing the point: you can build this for about a fiver. That's genius. Who cares if it has not practical use, you can just use it to show off to girls.
  • bigsteve, on 05/16/2008, -0/+12Surface has a team of full time paid MS engineers. This guy made this on his own time out of his own pocket in his basement.
  • yokozuka, on 05/16/2008, -4/+17The demo is running in a MacBook with Mac OS X. They used Flash to quickly prototype the interface, but the developers are now using Xcode to create a few touch Mac OS X applications. So the framework works everywhere, yes, but they are running and developing over OS X.

    I any case, really cool stuff I think. Specially knowing that you can run these apps in a simple browser.
  • Chirp08, on 05/16/2008, -1/+12Oh shut the ***** up already, at no ***** point did anyone say "APPLE DID IT FIRST" not to mention this isn't even by Apple or platform specific.
  • bigsteve, on 05/16/2008, -1/+12If this was optimized using CoreAnimation and not run through Flash 9, and maybe even optimized for a better GPU (this demo was run on a MacBook with it's somewhat craptastic Intel integrated graphics) it'd look even more impressive. I'm glad we're starting to see more open frameworks available for more platforms that bring multitouch to the casual programmer.

    I'm making a note here: HUGE SUCCESS
  • newdigger, on 05/16/2008, -2/+13Left. Right is for the mouse.
  • DiggOrNotToDigg, on 05/16/2008, -5/+15Yes it is
  • alperea, on 05/16/2008, -2/+11Wait you need to use both arms to control the UI? I need at least 1 hand free
  • ePuck, on 05/16/2008, -2/+11Completely Useless but cool technology
  • cmsisson, on 05/16/2008, -2/+11If you build it, they will cum.
  • flaknugget, on 05/16/2008, -3/+12Why would anyone want to work with their arms flailing all over a screen instead of a mouse and keyboard. It looks exhausting.
  • lystig, on 05/16/2008, -3/+11Buried, whats the point of having multitouch when it's not integrated into a table?
  • mkppk, on 05/16/2008, -7/+15Multitouch is great for mobile devices.. but seriously, for day-to-day apps who really needs (or more importantly WANTS to) have to reach out with their arms and touch the screen to get something done?

    I can use my mouse and keyboard that are 3 inches away from me at all times much more quickly and efficiently than reaching across my desk and waving my arms around. Plus see the entire screen while I do it since my arms and hands aren't in the way.

    Seems like a solution looking for a problem in most cases.

    I'm making a note here: HUGE WASTE
  • LoudMusic, on 05/16/2008, -0/+7And you can tell this is totally ready for prime time.

    Totally.
  • darlyn, on 05/16/2008, -4/+11And it wasn't released. Microsoft has only made prototypes and given (or sold) samples for publicity.
  • rootadmen, on 05/16/2008, -5/+12Now this with one of those curved screens would be sweet. Maybe a 360° one, you could just walk around the room tossing things around..
  • SmilinJoe, on 05/16/2008, -1/+8Why is everybody bitchin' and moaning about this?.. I think it's cool ! Yeah, Microsoft put out Surface, but I ain't paying 10k for it.. I rather make one on the cheap - then I can scale it up and do what *I* want with it - on whatever OS I please..
  • fagalagolopolis, on 05/16/2008, -0/+7You just think nothing is real
  • cowsgonemadd3, on 05/16/2008, -6/+12Porn is wrong. Its a sin to look at porn.
  • nosscaj, on 05/16/2008, -8/+14good thing those mac screens aren't super glossy cuz that would make finger smudges stand out like a sore thumb*....oh wait.

    *my apologies for the bad pun.
  • inactive, on 05/16/2008, -1/+7How is Surface behind this? Surface is built into a table. Try taking that on a train. This can be completely mobile or adapted to the desktop with a large screen. Surface is a parlor trick. If it was a reality based product, it would be on the market by now. The iPhone is proof MS has no concept of this at all. If MS could compete with a touch interface in a portable way, don't you think they'd have a WindowsTouch phone by now? You keep holding your breath for MS to release their vaporware. Us Mac folks will calmly be about the business of leaving you even more woefully behind than you already are.
  • bigsteve, on 05/16/2008, -0/+6You can make a setup like the one used in this article for pennies more than the cost of a webcam (assuming you already have a computer.) The software is also free and open source. The movie at the bottom details building the device. All that's necessary is a cardboard box, piece of paper, piece of glass, scotch tape, and a webcam.
  • ttamshadbolt, on 05/17/2008, -1/+6its hard to tell when a comment thread starts and finishes with this new comment system :(
  • beerbarron, on 05/16/2008, -0/+5Agreed, I highly doubt MS was the first to come up with this idea
  • joltjake, on 05/16/2008, -0/+5The real story should be the DIY touch screen, I'm definitely making one of those.
  • l815, on 05/16/2008, -0/+5lol did you even read the article? Has nothing to do with Apple, they just showcase it on apple.
  • nuiman, on 05/16/2008, -0/+4And you have to keep in mind these applications are running in a Virtual Machine... aka Adobe Flash Player 9... so there is no way this demonstration can be compared to Phillip Davidsons C++ code that runs Han's MediaWall...

    Now thanks to Adobe Flash Player 10 we will have much better performance by utilizing more GPU... but still AS3 performance is not C++ :)
  • TomFrost, on 05/16/2008, -2/+6You're... affirming your pride in using improper grammar?

    No matter how you feel about Surface, it's a proper noun.
  • LuckyASN, on 05/16/2008, -2/+6Why is it that whenever someone comes out with a touch screen whatever, they feel the need to show off their fingerpaint skills?
  • Doji, on 05/17/2008, -1/+5The microsoft table is nothing new, this tech has been around a LONG time. If I remember correctly, NUI group even existed before it came out.
  • MacNyce, on 05/17/2008, -0/+4I have a six figure salary and work with comedians all day, damn, I am dumb. Stupid TV job. I guess we all can't be smart like you. Thanks for showing me the light. What's your name, istoleherface? How cool, is that what you do to the "ladies", steal their faces? Can you teach me, oh great master? And while you are at it, maybe you can teach me how to troll the internet, complaining about the way people express themselves and have no actulal valid commentary. You are gifted.
  • UKsHaDoW, on 05/16/2008, -0/+4The x server does not have multi pointer technology as of yet, this is coming in a future update.
    There are prototypes versions although.
  • Ch0mpr, on 05/16/2008, -0/+4dugg for the skate video "Yeah Right!" :D
  • inactive, on 05/16/2008, -2/+6Actually if they are using the most common FTIR (frustrated total internal reflection) method then it works sorta crappy in lights where there is some infrared such as the sun and some common household lights. (Probably why this video was recorded in the dark) The Diffused Illumination method, what the Microsoft Surface uses, works somewhat better in light but is still not 100%. In my opinion Stantum (http://www.stantum.com/) is the only company with a true multi-touch solution. Unfortunately, it's over $4000 to get a kit from them.
  • TheIinLive, on 05/17/2008, -1/+5no, this is sparta...?
  • LAMinator, on 05/16/2008, -0/+4a fan of "Girl: Yeah Right!". dugg.
  • yoris, on 05/17/2008, -0/+4You're right on the money.

    One comment though: judging from the speed at which Apple is rolling out their Multitouch stuff, I would say they also figured that out, about 4-5 years ago even. Getting the technology right to detect multiple touches and having a few custom apps work with it is one thing; creating a coherent set of gestures which your entire user base can quickly pick up and which your entire application landscape can use as input is something else entirely.

    Compare it to switching gas-powered cars to electrical cars or switching from driving on the left side to driving on the right: the theory is simple, but the practicalities of it are so enormous that anyone seriously planning on undertaking such an endeavour had better tread real slowly and have a very clear idea of how to get from A to B. Apple's actions over the past 2 years in relation to Multitouch definitely demonstrate that they know where they're heading and that they're willing to take their time, so I would say they have clearly given this issue a lot of thought., unlike the people from this demo, who seem to think that the easy part is the hard part and vice-versa.
  • nuiman, on 05/16/2008, -0/+4As far as lag is concerned this is running on a first generation Intel Core 2 Duo Macbook... with 1GB of ram... Also the particular projector used in this video has a horrible latency so GO YELL AT 3M...

    What does Jeff Han and Microsoft have some thing magical that nobody else has access to?.... Wow so Microsoft has hardware blob detection... its not that hard to develop that yourself you know :) And that is why NUI Group is around... to try and make open hardware development easy and available to the masses. So crimsonalucard please... join our community and build your own MT table... maybe you can help make it faster.

    Whats wrong with artists?
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