What is Digg?106 Comments
- PunkHop, on 10/11/2007, -2/+65The video was SO not what I expected. Don't say the words 'Minority Report' unless the interface is REALLY that badass.
This was a guy opening windows and dragging them around... scrolling, and drawing a little paint thingie. Totally unimpressive.
Come on! We want the super badass gloves, stuff flying around, scrubbable full motion video... and precognitions! - trogdoor, on 10/11/2007, -3/+39The article is much more compelling than the video, it's more about implementation than feature richness and thus the demo is not very impressive and in fact downright embarrassing when compared with software like Microsoft's Surface. But the point of this is *not* to compete with Microsoft surface, that is up to the applications, not the window manager.
- allywilson, on 10/11/2007, -4/+25I disagree, I find this incredibly impressive. Microsoft's approach was to introduce an entirely new product as well as interface (that table). This is extending the current interface, as well as providing a cheaper route to get to it. Buy a touchscreen monitor. Download the software.
- xenoploid, on 10/11/2007, -2/+17Buried as inaccurate. Not the Minority Report interface, and not impressive. Surface is more impressive; and that's not saying much since Surface is likely to be pretty useless in the end.
- loconet, on 10/11/2007, -1/+12ideas from Microsoft? lol, educate yourself before talking about a subject you obviously have no idea about
Microsoft is nothing else but a marketing firm. They haven't invented anything substantial in years.
The base technology and research is actually called Tangible User Interface developed through MIT projects in 1990s* (Hiroshi Ishii). Jeff han however took it to a whole new level adding direct applications and plain cool usability. Very cool stuff from him.
Check out other earlier applications from videos I saw a few years ago:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=vm_FzLya8y4
Han's presentation http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/65
(I want this) http://youtube.com/watch?v=iaKehq6qsdY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5T_Srfjqbg - This one is pretty cool. Sony's Data Tiles (another joint MIT project).
*http://tangible.media.mit.edu/projects/Bricks/
Point is, the technology has been around for a while in many shapes and forms. Microsoft is spinning this as their invention, throw a nice shiny wrapper around it, come up with a trendy name, and dump a truck load of cash in marketing. MS stopped being a software company a long time ago. Nobody is copying anything from MS. - jsd8cc, on 10/11/2007, -1/+12Better video IMO, and official site: http://www.perceptivepixel.com/
- phmfthacim, on 10/11/2007, -0/+10sometimes I can't even get X to respond when I'm using a mouse!
- n3rrd, on 10/11/2007, -0/+9Aren't most touch screens based on regular touch interfaces? One input at a time?
- avoidance, on 10/11/2007, -5/+14While it's is important to have an open-source alternative, Jeff Han's technology puts this and Surface to shame.
http://www.thelastminuteblog.com/2007/03/19/new-jeff-han-video-multi-touch-ui/ - virtualinvasion, on 10/11/2007, -0/+7What I've been wondering with all of these things are ergonomics. Would it be more comfortable to move your entire arm across the table for an 8 hour day? Maybe that's why Microsoft Surface is marketing towards restaurants etc...
- sExl, on 10/11/2007, -0/+7The music playing is Antony Raijekov - Lightin - http://www.ctgmusic.com/song.php?id=4691 - freely downloadable it seems. I found it pretty awesome.
You could also have watched the video 'til lthe end, it's clearly credited. - TheSolomon, on 10/11/2007, -1/+8Yeah, the video was rather lame. I mean, the guy couldn't even get it to respond a few times. (Had to drag several times to get it to move, had to press multiple times before the button click would register.) This is far from impressive.
I'm not saying it should work right 100% of the time, but when you shoot video of something, I would hope you'd at least capture it *working right* rather than capturing you making multiple attempts to get it to respond. The video should be a demonstration of it working flawlessly, not a showcase of flakiness. - icexe, on 10/11/2007, -0/+6Has anyone thought how physically tiring it would be to use a computer interface like the one in Minority Report day in and day out? It looked like the computer equivalent of stocking shelves at the supermarket.
- Noctem, on 10/11/2007, -0/+6Uhm, boo hoo?
- sworoc, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5I dugg you down, then hesitated, then realized that you might've forgotten to put the /sarcasm tag on it. I hope you weren't serious!
- biff198, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5I hope the Minority Report UI never comes to be. The first time I saw that movie, once I saw him "using" the computer, I couldn't take any more of the movie seriously. He just looked so utterly retarded the way he was controlling it. Now my friends and I have a joke for things that make you look stupid: "You look like Tom Cruise using a computer..."
- schestowitz, on 10/11/2007, -3/+8This isn't a new project. Here's an app that would be fantastic for demos of mpx: http://www.youtube.com/v/GkrM4ymkiDo
- rochester, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5And if I don't want to sit in a dark room and constantly throw shadows on the work surface????
- Noctem, on 10/11/2007, -7/+12Puts Surface to shame, eh? Ever used all three, personally, for a side-by-side comparison? Didn't think so. Don't bash Microsoft's technology just because it's Microsoft and it's 'cool' to bash them. Wait until you've tried them all to make your decision.
- inactive, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4Wow! Now just imagine one of those setups combined with the power of a mouse!
- AndrewDB, on 01/10/2008, -7/+11The next generation of MS Painting has arrived folks!
- RAiNsTorm, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4Ahh... gee yeah... I have no clue. Actually read the website and look beyond such as the screenshots link and you will see 18 simultaneous mice. I've worked on multiple OSS projects and am very familiar with this one.
Your concept of Surface is wrong. It uses cameras for input info and they have a finite (and low) number of trackable sources. This solution is groundbreaking in that there is technically no real limit and it would be possible to have as many as one input per pixel all simultaneously. Using two fingers at the same time is not 18 simultaneous inputs or more. 1-4 inputs are easy, this is another level. - joaob, on 10/11/2007, -2/+6You would be right if Microsoft had actually introduced the "interface (that table)".
- specialK16, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4Think about your neck. I saw a computer table that had the monitor below the actual top of the table, which was transparent. How awful would it be to look down for 8 hours a day.
- folta, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4i'd rather have a big ass table.
- sequethin, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4haters can hate all they want - I think this is awesome
- RAiNsTorm, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3No it is not. Surface uses cameras that have a finite limit to the number of sources they can track at once, and it is a low limit. This solution is limitless and can accept input from multiple inputs that can all even be unique, big difference. Surface can track fingers (touch), mouse/keyboard.
People just don't get it because it is above what they are used to. This isn't about trying to use 5 inputs at once by one person, or even two... it is about allowing devices to be created that control multiple points at once truly simultaneously and apps to work with the framework to allow it to all come together. Much more than a simple driver. - rizla420, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3Wow, thanks for sharing that video. That was ridiculous. I dont think he's right regarding 3D manipulation though. I think if you created an input devices that you put on the tips of your pointer fingers and your thumbs coupled with gyroscopes you could accomplish some really neat 3D manipulation. To take it a step further if you were to put tips on every finger, you could type in thin air. Anyhow, very cool.
- Murdats, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3poorly, most touchscreens arent multitouch
- loconet, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4wow, digg's comment system sucks balls. Where did all the formatting go.
- mscman, on 10/11/2007, -4/+7Exactly. I personally don't like Windows or Microsoft as a corporation, but that doesn't stop me from admiring the work they've done on Surface. It truly is an innovative technology; and I hope to see it put to good use in POS situations.
- RAiNsTorm, on 10/11/2007, -4/+7Digg users like to think they are so intellectual, but the truth is this *is* something noteworthy. If all you saw was a map, paint program and a web browser you are retarded. The point is that it enables *multiple* inputs *simultaneously* (that means at the same time).
Surface can't do this, no other OS input allows this. While you can have multiple input devices, only one is used at a time. This allows multiple inputs at once. From the site, up to 18 mice at once. That means a device could be made that has never even been dreamed up before. There are tons of applications for this technology and it is important.
Bah, it's never worth even trying on Digg... I'll be dugg down because I hurt someone's feelings and the moronic talk will continue about how poor the map moved, etc. FFS. - Rojahon, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3woot! finally. Now I can take my pixel art to a whole new level!
- uselessexpert, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2OLD....
Some schools here in South Florida have Smartboards that work just the same, except is a projector emitting the image...
Check it out... http://smarttech.com/ - Ramble, on 10/11/2007, -2/+4What is that music played?
- thechao, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2Okay... first, MPX dates back into early 2006; while in theory this post-dates both Jeff Han & Surface, I don't remember any talk of these guys until about 6 mos. ago or more recently. MPX is a separate project to bring multipointer/keyboard pairs to X/Linux. Multitouch is a side-effect of being able to have multiple pointers. He actually makes an excellent point: most MT/Fiducial systems are a client-side (application-level) hack, and not fundamental to the WM itself.
- mscman, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3I disagree with your statement about Surface. Yes, to home users, Surface wouldn't serve much of a purpose. Unless you're the unfriendly type who likes to charge your guests for their drinks when they come over, it would be stupid to implement it (using the current technology) in your home. However, for stores and restaurants, I think it's a great idea and has a lot of potential. Rather than risking airwave overload by using RFID tags, MS has finally come up with something that can identify objects placed on top of it.
- Radovan, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2All I need now is a hoverboard...
- Sheff, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3What is that music from?
- gavintlgold, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2Lol, I can hear the announcer in my head now
- xerox1101, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2That's actually exactly what MPX is and what this demo was showing. Take a look at their page...
- gavintlgold, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2And now we can make Americans even MORE lazy ;)
- kdehead, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2this is a much more impressive video - a demonstration by Jeff Hann from last year
http://youtube.com/watch?v=PLhMVNdplJc - gavintlgold, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2It's still being developed. I'm sure it will develop quickly (like most open source projects).
- cawpin, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2They did. It isn't a touch screen. It is similar to the "water on the floor" thing that was on Digg last year but the cameras are IN the table.
- garths, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2I've been working on multi-point interaction systems for about the last 10 years. The author is right that most research systems have been "hacked" together as a layer on top of the OS. This has been a necessity because every common operating system makes the very limiting assumption that there is only one input device. For example, if your mouse is clicked over a menu, with the menu showing, the OS will get very freaked out and probably not know what to do if it suddenly gets an event indicating a click in a completely different window.
With the advent of the iPhone and Surface, I am hoping that the OS makers will rethink their fundamentally limited (I won't say flawed) approach to managing input. - trollick, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2I can already do the same. And I don't even have to touch the screen.
- nuggetz, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1I think that was running off of an old Atari. At least cache google maps before you demo that POS>
- chaos7, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1i like the song also
- RAiNsTorm, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1And that is the point, this will allow developers to create your "Sick stick" and the application interface to allow it to do what they want. The touch part is simply a single demonstration because as of right now we don't have much more than touch, mice, keyboards, etc. The framework has to be built first before new devices and apps can be.
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