multitouch

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multitouch

Commanding a computer or electronic device via a touch screen or touchpad by using more than one finger. For example, Apple's Multi-Touch technology in the iPhone and iPod touch lets the user...

Dictionary

Definition: multitouch

Commanding a computer or electronic device via a touch screen or touchpad by using more than one finger. For example, Apple's Multi-Touch technology in the iPhone and iPod touch lets the user zoom in on a photo by placing thumb and forefinger over the image and sliding them apart. Sliding the fingers back together in a pinching motion makes the image smaller.

A multitouch display may also be pressure sensitive, as well as sensitive to gestures, which are predefined motions that are commands to perform an action such as rotate the object on the z-axis.

Sensing Deflected Light
Microsoft's Surface computer uses multitouch in a table top display that can be used by more than one person at a time. Perceptive Pixel's technology (www.perceptivepixel.com) makes wall-mounted multitouch displays such as CNN's "Magic Wall" election map that enables journalists to track candidates state by state.

Both the Surface computer and Perceptive Pixel systems project images onto acrylic screens along with near-infrared or infrared light from one or more LED light sources. When fingers touch the screen, the light is deflected, and sensors pick up the changes. See touch scroll, touch screen, Magic Mouse and gesture recognition.


multitouch

An Electronic Light Table
Microsoft's Surface computer uses multitouch to let people manipulate objects more like the real world. In this light table example, photos are moved around as if they were printed on paper, but can also be resized. (Image courtesy of Microsoft Corporation.)





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  • Multitouch gestures coming to Ubuntu 10.10

    Multitouch gestures are coming to Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat," or so says Canonical's Mark Shuttleworth.

    Blog posts | August 17, 2010 9:54am PDT

  • Google releases Donut code, without multitouch

    Google has released the latest version of code for the 'Donut' branch of its Android mobile operating system, but it's without multitouch capability.

    News items | July 27, 2009 11:33am PDT

  • Touch in Windows 7: Just for show?

    Support for multitouch input is one of the most tangible ways that Windows 7 differs from its predecessors. But will many people actually get their hands on the technology?

    News items | July 2, 2009 5:46am PDT

  • Microsoft seeks the right touch for Surface

    While much of the attention on multitouch surrounds what devices the interface will next find its way onto, Microsoft is also looking at how to improve the gestures themselves.

    News items | April 6, 2009 7:43am PDT

  • Report: Apple nixed Android's multitouch

    According to a report, Apple allegedly asked Google not to use multi-touch technology in its Android phone and Google agreed - in order to maintain its relationship.

    News items | February 11, 2009 6:59am PST

  • Gallery: Intel's newest Classmates

    At CES, Intel launched a new model of its Classmate PC that transforms into a tablet. Classmates are Intel netbooks that are designed to introduce computers to primary school children.

  • Update that wishlist - I just tried a MacBook Air

    I took a group of students to Cambridge yesterday for a field trip. I turned them loose in Harvard Square for a while, we wandered around MIT, and took in the Museum of Science. The most...

    Blog posts | June 10, 2008 2:10am PDT

  • Photos: Lucid Touch and the see-through screen

    Developed with Mitsubishi Electronics, Microsoft demonstrated Lucid Touch which is a touch screen on the back of a transparent screen.

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