World's First Multi-Touch Mouse by Apple

     On October 24, 2009 Apple released a new mouse to accompany the new updates to the iMac. The new mouse is called the Magic Mouse because that is exactly what it is. The Magic Mouse is the world's first multi-touch mouse. The reason the Magic Mouse is so special also because the incorporation of multi-touch technology hasn't been thought of yet meaning this product could spark a whole revolution of multi-touch mice like the iPhone did; however, I highly doubt it.
 

    The Magic Mouse is the world's first multi-touch mouse ever. The new mouse is simply the combination of the traditional mouse and multi-touch technology. Apple took their old Mighty Mouse and made it much sleeker and removed the rubber scrolling ball before overlaying a touch sensitive layer over the entire top of it. Ironically this hybrid changes the whole idea of multi-touch technology. Multi-touch is thought, by most people, to be a new way to interact with a computer using multiple inputs at the same time to manipulate the virtual elements of a computer program. The Magic Mouse; however, still uses the simple low-tech, single point of interaction mouse, but it uses the multi-touch technology instead to control the computer's functions.
 

    This new idea on ways to used multi-touch technology can lead to a whole different way for people to interact with computers. Maybe instead of computers using mice, they all have multi-touch sensitive screens. Or instead keyboards and mice could be projected onto any nearby flat surface. These two ideas could all be used together to great a sleek interface where you are sitting at your desk with a large piece of flat smooth glass. Projected on top of the glass could be your interface that was entirely multi-touch sensitive. This whole thing could be entirely wire-free; power could be wireless, and so could the data transfer. You might have a any type of file (music, picture, document, video) on this computer and have it wirelessly sync with your handheld device in an instant all with a simple tap and drag motion with your finger. Multi-touch will undoubtably be part of our future most likely in the way we interact with our computers.

Apple released the world's first multi-touch mouse

Outline

• World's first multi-touch mouse
• How this will affect our future
• What will come next?

Notes

• What just happened???
• On October 24, 2009
• Apple released world's first multi-touch mouse
• A whole new use for multi-touch technology
• What is it?
• The Magic Mouse is the world's first multi-touch mouse
• It is a hybrid between the old fashioned mouse and multi-touch technology
• The funny thing is:  multi-touch is look at as an alternative way to interact with a computer
• multi-touch is most often used to allow people to interact with multiple points simultaneously 
• this multi-touch just gives you a new way to control the computer
• not so much interact with it
• it is the same with the all the MacBooks
• A traditional mouse with a multi-touch sensitive layer overlayed on the entire top
• How will this affect our future
• The Magic Mouse is a new take on the uses for multi-touch technology
• Very original
• Inspiring
• It is possible that in a couple years from now we will only be using multi-touch mice
• What else could be next?
• Maybe it wont be multi-touch mice
• instead all computers could have a multi-touch sensitive screen
• it could be keyboards projected on a flat surface that will respond to a touch
• possibly we will have a large piece of clear glass that had a interface that had multiple windows open that could be moved around by your finger with a swipe or any such gesture. the entire display could be a projection that will be entirely multi-touch. this interface wouldn't have any wires because instead wireless power might be powerful enough do take their place, instead. any documents or files (pictures, video, music) could be wirelessly synced to any handheld device in seconds all with a drag and drop.

The History of Multi-Touch Technology

Multi-touch technology is just recently appearing in more and more of the every-day products we use. However, multi-touch technology isn't all that new. In fact, it has been around since 1982, roughly three decades ago. Starting with things as simple as the everyday keyboard. This technology is being used more and more, but few people know why and how it works; or just simply, what multi-touch technology is.


Multi-touch technology is able to sense multiple inputs from more than one finger (or hand) at a time. This can be either physical interaction or graphical. The keyboard is a very simple form of physical multi-touch, when the user is typing a capital letter they must hold the "shift" key and the letter at the same time. Multi-touch can also be graphical too, a famous use of graphical multi-touch interaction is the iPhone. The iPhone, however, uses only one of three basic was a computer detects a touch.


Multi-touch technologies can detect a persons finger on a screen by one of three basic methods; pressure applied to the screen, differences in an electrical current, or by sensing fluctuations in electricity. Pressure can be used to find the location of a touch with two metallic layers separated by spacers located above the screen. Where a finger (or any other instrument) applies pressure the layers will touch and the coordinates of the touch are then calculated by a processor. Touches can also be located using the decreases in current. A capacitive layer on top of the screen looses some of the electricity flowing through it when it is touched by a finger. This decrease is sensed by circuits in the corners of the screen and used to locate the coordinates of the touch. The third method of finding the location of a touch is by using electric current. A touch on the screen where reflectors are also located disturb an electrical current reflected across the screen of the device. Either of these three methods can be used to find the location of a touch, or touches, on a screen.


Why is it only now that multi-touch technology is being used if it has been around for so long? Multi-touch technology has always been envisioned as the futuristic way to interact with computers, so it all it needed was some body to be the first penguin to jump into the water. Learning about how multi-touch technologies started slow then suddenly bloomed makes me wonder what might be the next big thing to bloom? It also reminds me of the increasing efficiency and usage of wireless power. No more power cords!?! I want to explore the newest, most imaginative and creative uses for multi-touch technology in my next post. Maybe I will have to come up with some of my own creative new uses for multi-touch technology.

The History of Multi-Touch Technology

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/iphone.htm

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/question716.htm

• What is multi-touch?
• multi-touch can be both physical and graphical
• For example a keyboard uses physical multi-touch while typing a capital letter
• multi-touch technology senses input from more than one finger at a time
• multi-touch dates back to 1982
• How it works
• multi-touch technology can sense input by three basic methods
• pressure sensitive
• differences in an electrical field
• surface acoustic wave
• pressure sensitive
• two metallic layers separated by spacers located above the screen touch where a finger (or any other instrument) applies pressure
• the coordinates of the touch are calculated by a processor which then sends the information to a program
• electrical disturbances
• a capacitive layer is placed on the display
• a finger touches the screen the some of the electricity is transmitted to the user causing a decrease in the current
• the decrease is sensed by circuits in the corners of the screen
• the processor translates this raw data into a touch
• disturbances in light 
• reflectors placed on the screen reflect electrical current
• a touch disturbs this current with is located by the processor
• Why now?
• multi-touch technology has been thought of as a futuristic way to interact with computers for decades
• somebody had to be first!

Your iPhone Is Now Your Car Keys

Apple's iPhone is famous for its multi-touch screen. It was one of the first of its kind; the mother of a whole generation of cell phones with touch screens. One of the greatest features of the iPhone are the applications that it can run. Anybody can develop an iPhone application that can be sold for a small price or free with a Apple computer and the free iPhone SDK. Viper, a leader in security and remote start technology, has come up with a remote start system that is controlled by an iPhone.


With the SmartStart system one can control their car with the iPhone. An iPhone running Viper's SmartStart application can be used to lock and unlock, sound the alarm, and even remotely start a car. This means that you can control your car from anywhere in the world as long as you have a wireless signal. Being able to control your car with your iPhone means that it's one less thing for you to carry around with you.


Viper SmartStart is a great example of how multi-touch technology is growing. As one of the most poplar applications of multi-touch technology, the iPhone will continue to present the world with new and amazing technology. This has made me wonder about how multi-touch began and how it will change how we will use multi-touch in interaction with other technology in the future. To see Microsoft's version of this future check out this link.

Your iPhone Is Now Your Car Keys

http://gizmodo.com/5380504/your-iphone-is-now-your-car-keys?autoplay=true

Notes:
• Viper
    o leader in security and remote start technology
• iPhone
    o Apple
    o Multi-touch interface
    o Yearly updated
    o Thousands of downloadable applications (apps)
• What You Need
    o Apple iPhone
    o Viper SmartStart application
    o Viper remote start hardware
    o Viper SmartStart module
    o Cellular Service and Signal
• How it Works
    o A signal is sent to the car from the iPhone Smart Start application
    o This signal is received by the car’s Smart Start module over a cellular signal
• How is it different form any other remote starter?
     o It is located on your iPhone which already has everything else you need, so it is one less thing to carry
     o Because is over a cellular signal, your car can be started, opened, locked, set the alarm off anywhere your iPhone and car have a signal
• How is this multi-touch?
     o The iPhone is entirely a multi-touch interface besides two physical buttons
     o The iPhone is advertised with the saying something like ‘on the app store, there is an app for everything’

Confirmation Essay

             I have found that multi-touch technologies will present me with enough up-to-date information that it will keep my interest for the 5 to 6 months. It may also influence my future career, too. I want to be a naval architect and multi-touch technology might become the most popular and efficient way to interact with the design programs in the future. Currently, multi-touch is being used while designing and manipulating pictures in programs like Photoshop. 

              I have come up with multiple updated websites that are solely focused on multi-touch technologies and their applications to portable electronics and computers. I am also constantly finding more and more sources of related information. This information will be constantly flowing, so it will be easy to find the most current information.

There is also a lot of different places for me to retrieve informaiton. I already have a list of sources that is constantly growing. Getting diverse views and ideas about my topic should be relitivley easy.  However, getting nice pictures that are in the public domain wont be as easy. 

This topic will be continuing to be used in different ways and for different things. Over time the technology wont change but its applications will, but his is usually the case with most technology today. The changing uses for this technology will be plenty of stuff to write and report about.

This topic will challeng me to think in new ways, too. I will attempt to predict how multi-touch technology possibly could be used in new way for what reasons. This is the main thing that most of the profesionals are also trying to figure out. I think that this would be a fun thing to do and it will, most deffinately, keep my interest for the next five to six months.