If you’ve tried using a laser pointer, you know it’s very hard to hold it still. Some guys at the University of Konstanz have found a way to make it easier to point with a device like the Wii-mote.
They assume that most clicks are a combination of a fast move to get close to the target, and then a slow move to accurately position the cursor. During the fast move they use absolute position, but they switch to relative position as soon as the cursor slows down. I think this sounds like a great idea. My only fear is that it will feel a bit sticky. But then, I think I would prefer a slight stickyness to the jittery feeling you get with absolute pointing.
Looks like pressure sensitive physical keyboards are ready for mass production.
I like it how different technologies cross fertilize. The pressure sensitive sloppy type algorithms were made for touch screens, and now they can migrate back to physical keyboards, if you just make the characters pressure sensitive.
The response on our latest demo has been massive and it is clear that augmented reality is a really hot topic. Telephony Online picked up on the story, below an excerpt of what Kevin Fitchard has to say about it:
“If you’re scratching your head, you should probably check out this video demo from The Astonishing Tribe, a developer of mobile device user interfaces that always seems to have some space-age project in the works. Lately TAT has been exploring augmented ID technology for mobile – the creation of 3-D, virtual information objects that are quite literally associated with your person. In the case of this demo, a user has a choice of what information pods can be seen and who can see them. For instance, the Facebook pod may be only visible to friends on Facebook, while a business card might be available to all. The user can turn them on and off as he or she sees fit, literally creating a different augmented ID – or virtual persona – each time they walk outside.”
Published by VisionMobile, the 100 million club is the watchlist of software companies whose products have been embedded on more than 100 million mobile handsets.
“Despite the apparent opportunity in the one-billion-a-year handset market, very few software companies have managed to overcome the commercial and technical challenges inherent in the mobile industry.”
Updated semi-annually, the 100 million club celebrates software businesses who have succeeded in establishing a significant share in the mobile handset market.
For an analysis of the research behind the 100 million club and its impact, see www.100millionclub.com. VisionMobile homepage
