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65 Comments
- MidnightRIder77, on 07/19/2009, -0/+71Whack-a-mole iPhone would kick so much ass.
- eyebits, on 07/19/2009, -0/+58This will lead to a new category of iPhone repairs... "Damn, the air compressor has died on my iPhone."
- peccadillop, on 07/19/2009, -1/+53I can already think of a "Pop the bubble wrap" app :P
- infectaphibian, on 07/19/2009, -0/+40when you buy a Porsche.
- 3rdDay, on 07/19/2009, -2/+39The first thing I thought when I read that was what a boon for the blind this will be. Tech heads often forget what progress modern technology can make for the disabled. The profits made in the consumer sector overwhelm everything else.
- ScaryUK, on 07/19/2009, -2/+28A nice idea, the think that puts me off touch screens is the lack of tactile controls that I can feel and change while the device is in my pocket
- Coletrickle, on 07/19/2009, -0/+21The problem with a touchscreen is you cannot rest your fingers on it without pressing them. A big advantage that a real button has. This might solve that problem.
- Zantive, on 07/19/2009, -1/+2082.7% of statistics are made up on the spot.
- petikeke, on 07/19/2009, -1/+18Can't wait, when I look at porn, the boobies can actually pop out and I can feel em!
- jgubbe, on 07/19/2009, -3/+18When will it pop out a real woman?
- Canadian0207, on 07/19/2009, -5/+19for everything that shows up on popularmechanics.com, only 1% actually makes it to the market
- crazytucker, on 07/19/2009, -0/+11Good thought, active braille would be a huge success.
- SummerofGeorge, on 07/19/2009, -11/+20what the *****?
I've heard some stupid ***** in the past but this simply takes the cake - spriggig, on 07/19/2009, -6/+15No. This isn't going anywhere.
- Spaztiq, on 07/19/2009, -0/+8Meh... This is really only good in static button layout situations. I love the idea of tactile feedback for touchscreens, but they need some form of matrix that can be activated electrically to any shape at any point on the screen. The idea of using latex and compressed air is really silly, especially in portable devices. I'm sure they are working on something more flexible than this somewhere, at least I hope so. Don't they have plastics that have shape memory which is activated electrically already?
- ACiDGRiM, on 07/19/2009, -0/+8iFondle
- ahhell, on 07/19/2009, -1/+8I've already started downloading pics of Scarlett in anticipation of this feature.
- AdamWest2122, on 07/19/2009, -1/+752.1% of the time.
- HitmanJustin, on 07/19/2009, -0/+6Its a good idea, only one thing wrong with it, the buttons are set and when they're pre-set thats it, thats the way they're always going to be. you cant say change it to 12 squares for a keypad, then two circles and upper shoulder type buttons for games, then one big circle for google earth. Once they can dynamically change the shape and size and nu,ber of pop up buttons then the tech would be awesome
- okitasan, on 07/19/2009, -0/+4I had thought about this some time ago... The coolest thing for touch screens would be a morphable surface, so that a keyboard could appear, or other buttons.
- dailyhaste, on 07/19/2009, -0/+4That is pretty awesome, but what's after this? holograms?! can't wait :)
- Radan, on 07/19/2009, -0/+4I have no bloody idea what I'm currently looking at, but judging from the general theme of that site, I fear that I may jeopardise my remaining faith in humanity if I actually did.
- the8thbit, on 07/19/2009, -0/+452.1 percent of 82.7? That's only 43.0867 percent!
- itsbob, on 07/19/2009, -0/+3Yes! Some original thinking, its about time.
- homercles337, on 07/19/2009, -0/+3There is already active Braille with pretty small machines--i am close friends with more than one blind person. Also this tech does not have the resolution to produce Braille.
- motns, on 07/20/2009, -0/+3It's funny, because a few months ago I was just saying how useful it would be to have temporarily appearing buttons on touch screens... I vaguely recall reading an article (years back) about tiny plastic/silicone lenses that can change their shape when electric current is applied. Kind of like piezzo-electric, but seemed much more precise. They were going to use it to implement auto-focusing in camera phones. That sounds like an ideal candidate for a touch screen button for me...
- makotech222, on 07/19/2009, -0/+3This looks like a great idea! i havent switched my cell phone to touchscreen quite yet but im looking to. My laptop is touchscreen though, and its pretty good, sometimes doesnt recognize the right positions though.
- chrysalis, on 07/19/2009, -1/+4I second this. Yet another cowbell that we'll have to disable in order to avoid ruining the battery.
- DrKnowitall, on 07/20/2009, -0/+3And due to the capacitive technology used in the iPhone you cannot use a gloved hand or stylus. Also like everyone said, it forces you to look at the keyboard making you slower and produces more spelling errors. Imagine if you had to use a touchscreen game controller. Tactile feedback is very important.
- greevar, on 07/20/2009, -1/+4Why not just use an array of pins that can be actuated? I'm sure they can make pins as small as pixels. They could use fiber optics to make it a display.
- zabean, on 07/19/2009, -1/+4that is awesome.
- NeoTechni, on 07/19/2009, -1/+4"With a touchscreen, you activate the area you want while applying zero pressure"
Lack of tactile feedback is not a good thing - the8thbit, on 07/19/2009, -0/+2I had the idea of flying cars and commercial jet packs.
***** thieves. - mareksoon, on 07/19/2009, -2/+4Sadly, while watching the video, this came to mind: http://www.mikoselect.com/vacbed/_MG_3687tilt_sml. ...
- or3n, on 07/19/2009, -1/+3Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like these buttons aren't actually 'pressable' .. they just stick out and are only touch-sensitive, right?
- DrKnowitall, on 07/20/2009, -0/+2Uh, capacitive would defeat the purpose. As soon as you touched the button it would already activate. Defeats the purpose of tactile feedback, moron.
- b1kerguy, on 07/19/2009, -1/+3its about freakin time, if this gets into the right hands, they could make it brail size, and then blind people could use touch screens, computers, have a techno-eased life like the rest of us
- the8thbit, on 07/19/2009, -1/+3Needing to apply zero pressure reduces your typing speed because you have to take twice as much action. With a tactile keyboard you simply have to press down on a key, and it 'pushes back', where as with a touch display you must push down and then lift up digit you're typing with.
This is true for EVERYONE. If you popped out of your mom with a touch display keyboard in your hands, and used it your entire life your typing speed would still be somewhat slower than a person with the same genetic traits as you who had the same experience with a tactile keyboard. - chriscalifornia, on 07/19/2009, -0/+2iGrope
- Nelagster, on 07/19/2009, -1/+3arggg i had this idea!
- misstingting, on 07/20/2009, -0/+2Woot! go CMU HCI.
- b1kerguy, on 07/20/2009, -0/+1comment withdrawn with apologies
- NeoTechni, on 07/19/2009, -0/+1See first comment
- NeoTechni, on 07/19/2009, -0/+1And when they detect you touching them, they can go back in, thus being pressable
- cesarandreu, on 07/19/2009, -1/+2I'm sure we can already imagine tons of possibilities, but I doubt we'll be seeing anything like this in real-world applications in the near future.
- universeman, on 07/20/2009, -0/+1Profits made in the consumer sector also make possible the investments in technology for the disabled...without one there cannot be the other. Disabled people should be cheering the consumer technology industry on.
- chiefbandit2200, on 07/20/2009, -0/+1Yeah, it seems like a device using this type of setup might as well just use real buttons...
- vaguilera, on 07/19/2009, -1/+2yes please
- DrKnowitall, on 07/20/2009, -0/+1Yes they are "pressable." Watch the video. It can even determine how hard you press.
- aywwts4, on 07/29/2009, -0/+1The number one reason this isn't going anywhere, especially in the kinds of applications they were showing, like public ATM style terminals...
Vandalism
In order to be flexible you need to be weak, certainly weaker than solid glass. Dont ask me why, but if an asshat can take his keys to something and ruin it, he will. Just look at your local walmart's DS and PSP demo screens.
When I first started IT a school had bought 600 monitors with built in speakers, within a year every speakers plate was ripped off, and the speakers were punched through, for no reason at all, now they don't have sound, it only inconveniences them. Within a week every expensive touchscreen membrane will be popped with a pencil, and leaking air, unable to inflate In a month the whole membrane will be uniformly torn to shreds and removed. Again, for no reason other than the stupidity of humanity. -
Show 51 - 66 of 66 discussions
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