11/04, 1:35pm
Courier gestures, UI explained
A new leak of internal documentation has provided a deeper explanation of the Microsoft Courier. The dual-screen tablet prototype has a fundamentally simple interface with two-finger multi-touch gestures: besides usual navigation, it would let users tap-and-hold to clip a photo or other object and a two-finger swipe left or right to move that object to the opposite page. The pen also has two buttons and an "eraser" to both switch between drawing styles as well as to remove recent changes.
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11/02, 9:15am
Moto Milestone due for Europe Nov. 9
Motorola today confirmed an international version of the Droid that should also be the first Android phone with multi-touch. The Milestone uses a virtually identical design with an 854x480 touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera, GPS and Wi-Fi but switches to GSM, EDGE and HSPA for basic calls, 2G and 3G respectively. It currently doesn't support US 3G bands but should be available through at least O2 Germany (PDF) for the equivalent of $596 without a contract but with a discount.
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10/27, 7:25pm
Downloads available for Leopard and Snow Leopard
Apple on Tuesday released software updates that add Magic Mouse support to both Leopard and Snow Leopard operating systems. The downloads allow users to take advantage of the new Multi-Touch functionality featured in the new mouse. The top surface integrates sensors that detect gestures for controls such as scroll, swipe, click and double-click.
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10/27, 10:05am
Dell intros first multi-touch rugged tablet
After only a brief tease, Dell today formally unveiled the Latitude XT2 XFR. It's characterized as the first rugged convertible tablet to use capacitive multi-touch and is seen as ideal for use outdoors or at work where natural gestures, such as pinching to zoom into a map or flicking to scroll through a page, are more preferable to a pen. It nonetheless still works with a stylus and has a more outdoor-ready display that's more readily viewable in broad daylight.
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10/23, 12:40pm
Dell SX2210T brings multi-touch, webcam
After a leak and Japanese details earlier this week, Dell on Friday brought its SX2210T display to the US. It represents Dell's first dedicated multi-touch display and supports one- or two-finger input in operating systems that recognize them, particularly Windows 7. Regardless of platform, the 21.5-inch LCD is relatively high quality for a TN-based panel with an 83 percent color gamut and a 50,000:1 contrast ratio.
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10/21, 2:10pm
HP L2105tm made for fingers, stylus
HP at mid-day updated its Compaq displays with one of its first mainstream multi-touch displays. The 21.5-inch L2105tm has a built-in optical sensor that recognizes two-point touch input in operating systems that support it but can still accept input from an included stylus for artwork or other more precise apps. To help, the display is specifically designed for touch and has a fixed-height panel that won't shift around in mid-use.
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10/21, 10:40am
Fujitsu shows off new Windows 7 notebooks
Earlier this week, Fujitsu added more notebooks to its line preloaded with Windows 7. The line centers on the 12.1-inch LifeBook T4310 and T4410 tablets with multi-touch capability, the 15.6-inch LifeBook A1220 mainstream notebook, and the 10.1-inch M2011. The T4310 and T4410 are meant for use by students and mobile professionals, respectively, each with 12.1-inch multi-touch screens with a 1366x768 resolution, 2.2GHz Core 2 Duo processors and 2GB of RAM.
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10/21, 8:30am
Dell Streak MID will support multi-touch
Dell's rumored media tablet has been confirmed today by a leak from Vietnamese source Tinhte. To be called the Streak, the device will be almost exclusively controlled by a 5-inch, 800x480 capacitive touchscreen and should not only use Android 2.0 but support multi-touch gestures, including pinch to zoom. It should have 3G onboard and will even support calls, though the size means this will be a secondary role.
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10/15, 1:15pm
Google's front-lawn Android gets newest dessert
Google staffers have posted a video on YouTube (available below) that shows the delivery of a giant éclair to the company's California headquarters' front lawn, indicating the latest Android 2.0 update will be going live soon. The oversized éclair now sits beside other blown-up desserts, including a cupcake and donut that represent earlier updates to the open-source operating system, namely Android 1.5 and 1.6, respectively.
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10/14, 6:15pm
Acer Aspire Z5610 desktop with multitouch screen
Acer today prepped for the upcoming release of the Aspire Z5610, its first all-in-one desktop with multi-touch input support. The system draws on Windows 7 for its extra touch features and has a relatively large 23-inch, 1080p display to work with. Processing power is basic and comes from a dual-core 2.6GHz Pentium, but the system brings both 4GB of RAM and relatively fast graphics from an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570.
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10/14, 10:25am
Acer intros Windows 7 touchscreen Aspire, more
Acer on Wednesday announced it will soon launch a number of new Windows 7 powered PCs, including its first multi-touch notebook, the 15.6-inch Aspire AS5738PG notebook. At the same time, Acer updated its Timeline series of Aspire notebooks with dual-core CULV processors and the new Microsoft OS.
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10/14, 10:15am
Toshiba bows M505 Touch, U505 Touch
Toshiba this morning refreshed its notebook line for Windows 7 but centered its attention on its first two touchscreen models. The Satellite M505 Touch and U505 Touch both have multi-touch displays both to use Windows 7's more touch-aware interface as well as Toshiba's own custom touch apps. A bulletin board app provides a space for calendars, notes and photos, and a ReelTime app provides a visual file search that uses a thumbnail timeline to find content by when it was created or changed.
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10/13, 12:00am
HP launches TouchSmart 300 and 600
HP early today is making an aggressive push into touchscreen PCs with two key updates to its TouchSmart home all-in-ones. The TouchSmart 300 and 600 add true multi-touch input and have significantly expanded use for the technology: they can not only use pinch-to-zoom, flicks and other gestures in the general operating system thanks to Windows 7 but in several new touch apps for the systems' custom front end. They can now navigate Hulu or Netflix streaming video, stream Pandora or Rhapsody music, or update and follow Twitter feeds all primarily using touch.
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10/13, 12:00am
HP TouchSmart tx2 and 9100 made for Win 7
HP in gearing up for Windows 7 added two newer touchscreen PCs to its mix. The TouchSmart tx2 convertible tablet now makes better use of its multi-touch display both in the OS as well as in the new apps specific to HP's TouchSmart front end; users can watch Hulu or Netflix from the touch interface as well as update Twitter or stream Pandora and Rhapsody music. Unlike most such screens, the tx2's input isn't solely finger-oriented and will work with a stylus as well.
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10/13, 12:00am
HP LD4200tm brings touch and wide view
HP's large-scale introductions on Tuesday brought about one of the largest multi-touch displays available. The LD4200tm produces a 42-inch, 1080p picture but uses a combination of infrared and imaging sensors to recognize two-point gestures such as pinching to zoom. Opting for this approach is less costly than a capacitive touchscreen as it only needs to detect when light is broken rather than wire up the entire display.
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10/07, 8:05pm
Sony launches VAIO X netbook
Sony's unveilings tonight were highlighted by the VAIO X. The 11-inch netbook crossover is billed as the lightest ever notebook and uses a carbon fiber shell to reach a weight of just 1.6 pounds. As it's based on a smaller and cooler running Intel Atom chip, the system can also afford to be extremely thin and measures 0.55 inches thick across its whole length.
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10/07, 7:40pm
Sony VAIO L brings touchscreen, Blu-ray
Sony at an event tonight launched a trio of new systems, starting with its first touchscreen PC. The VAIO L supports Windows 7's own multi-touch elements for scrolling and zooming through content without needing special software. Like Gateway and HP, Sony has its own custom touch portal, here called Media Gallery, that lets users rely on touch to edit photos and videos.
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10/07, 2:35pm
Ultraportable VAIO X to carry high price
Sony's VAIO X will ultimately be a larger but lighter version of the VAIO P if a pair of leaks (one, two) prove accurate. Although undecided on the choice of processor when it first teased the system, Sony is reported by Engadged as using a 2GHz Atom processor to help achieve its 1.5-pound claimed weight and slim profile in spite of the 11-inch frame. It would also have a solid-state drive of an unknown capacity.
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10/07, 10:30am
Windows 7 convertible tablet from Acer due?
A recent leak reveals Acer may soon release a version of its Timeline 1810T notebook that has a double-hinged and rotating screen as well as a multi-touch screen. To be called the Timeline 1820T, the upcoming notebook would depend on Windows 7 for touch features and is expected to use an 11.6-inch, 1366x768 display. The same Intel CULV 1.4GHz Core 2 Solo CPU and 2GB of RAM should also be carried over from the original Timeline.
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10/07, 8:25am
Gateway One ZX series debuts
Gateway today preempted its rivals with one of the first fully multi-touch all-in-one desktop lines. The One ZX series' staple feature lets them both take advantage of the pinch-to-zoom, scrolling and other features inherent to Windows 7 as well as a custom touchscreen front end for music, notes, photos and content sharing.
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10/06, 12:10pm
HTC HD2 launches with Win Mobile 6.5
HTC on Tuesday used the kick-off for Windows Mobile 6.5 to launch its widely publicized new flagship smartphone. The HD2 is the first Windows Mobile phone ever to have a capacitive, multi-touch screen and can respond much more quickly and accurately to finger input than the resistive screens most Microsoft-based phones are forced to use. It additionally supports pinching, flicks and other gestures in many apps, making it the first Windows Mobile phone to support iPhone-like commands.
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10/05, 6:35pm
Sony VAIO X may be ready in November
Sony's VAIO X ultralight could be ready next month and have a second notebook follow along if a rumor tonight proves true. The 1.5-pound notebook would ship in November, according to CrunchGear, and would be a direct replacement for the VAIO TT. A strategy of the sort implies it will use a low-voltage Core 2 Duo, which would support Sony's claims of extra-long battery life.
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10/01, 7:35pm
Tech utilizes positions and movement of full hand
Amid the growing rumors surrounding an Apple tablet, a patent has surfaced that involves hand gestures on a touchscreen much larger than the iPhone display. The technology, labeled as "Contact Tracking and Identification Module for Touch Sensing," appears to be an extension of the current Multi-Touch system, but integrates elements from two hands instead of several fingers.
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09/29, 2:10pm
Courier touch notebook
Microsoft's Courier dual-screen tablet uses a full desktop OS underneath, a leak from the project maintains. Just as the company's Surface multi-touch tables use Vista underneath, the new project is seen by Mary Jo Foley as using Microsoft's latest OS and having access to its deeper features. It isn't believed to be just a cosmetic change, however, and would intentionally break compatibility with regular Windows 7 apps; Courier-native third-party apps are a possibility.
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09/29, 7:30am
Ten Apple tablet details
Apple's heavily rumored media tablet has received added details today through a leak from a historically accurate source. The device is now thought to have a 10.7-inch screen -- up from the 9.7 most often suggested -- and to have versions both with a 3G modem as well as without. Resolution would logically increase, but it's now said the display may reach near 720p (1280x720) and would be large enough for comfortably reading books and magazines as well as larger websites and videos.
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09/29, 12:05am
djay 3 improves multi-touch trackpad scratching
algoriddim on Tuesday introduced a new version of its digital turntable software for Mac and iTunes, djay 3. The app adds support for Multi-Touch gestures, enabling users to control a variety of parameters including effects, track scratching, or crossfade between the two virtual tables. Version 3 offers a redesigned user interface, automatic tempo and beat detection, and an auto-cut scratching function that syncs with the song's beat and rhythm. MIDI support has been added, along with support for MIDI Learn controller mapping.
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09/24, 8:25am
Wacom Bamboo Touch, more launch
Wacom on Thursday morning put out multiple tablets that signal a gradual break away from the company's pen-only approach. The Bamboo Touch, Bamboo Pen & Touch, Bamboo Fun and Bamboo Craft all have a multi-touch surface used for navigation, ranging from basic moves like a basic tap select or mouse-like input to two-finger pinching for zoom and twisting to rotate images. Users don't have to toggle modes when a stylus comes into play, Wacom adds.
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09/22, 8:15pm
Microsoft Courier tablet
Microsoft this evening preempted its arch-rival Apple in the tablet game with the Courier, its own self-developed tablet. The rough example discussed at the Gizmodo Gallery event is shaped like a book and has two 7-inch multi-touch displays that fold up when the system isn't in use. It would also support a stylus for handwriting and include a 3-megapixel camera on the back. While not yet certain for final production, Microsoft also suggests that the Courier might use inductive charging to power the device without having to plug it in.
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09/22, 12:30pm
Intel Tangent Bay concept
Ahead of its Developer Forum, Intel has demonstrated a new notebook concept it hopes might be more widespread. Nicknamed Tangent Bay, the prototype embeds three OLED multi-touch screens in the main body and makes theses a central part of the interface. They can be used to play media without taking up space on the main display but can also interact with each other: a video queued in one can be played on the other. Content can also be dragged to and from the sub-displays as well as the main LCD.
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09/18, 2:55pm
HTC Leo capacitive touch evident
A new demo on Friday supported notions that the HTC Leo will have the first-ever capacitive touchscreen and multi-touch input on a Windows Mobile device. The leak from ai.rs proves this by showing the phone responding to gestures that would either require active pressure on a normal Windows Mobile phone or wouldn't have worked at all, such as quickly flicking through HTC's TouchFLO interface or pinching to zoom into and out of photos.
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09/15, 8:30am
Lenovo ThinkPads get multi-touch displays
Lenovo today became the latest PC vendor to enter the multi-touch game with updates to both the ThinkPad T400s and the X200 Tablet. Both now recognize at least two fingers and, besides being better-suited to Windows 7, have a new companion app known as SimpleTap that provides quick finger-driven shortcuts to simple but important tasks like changing the volume, toggling Wi-Fi or putting the system to sleep.
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09/11, 6:00pm
Atmel maXTouch controller has multi touch support
Atmel is hoping to move forward the technology behind touchscreens its new maXTouch series of capacitive touchscreen controllers. The new developments are unique in supporting an unlimited number of separate and simultaneous touch inputs along with a particularly fast screen refresh rate of 250Hz. The maXTouch controllers will allow the creation of touchscreens that are larger than 10 inches with zoom, rotate, handwriting and shape recognition functionality. Atmel also claims the maXTouch devices will have the lowest power needs in their class.
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09/08, 6:00pm
Palm Eos may launch at Fashion Week
Palm's heavily rumored Eos smartphone could be made official as early as this week, according to a supposed contact near to the company. The unnamed tipster claims the Centro replacement's appearance will be tied to Fashion Week in New York City but doesn't provide much else to TechCrunch other than the implication that the Eos will release before the end of the year. Such a view contradicts rumors that the handset had been pushed to 2010.
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09/04, 8:20am
Touch HD2 gets Android, speed-up
HTC could be signaling a greater shift away from Windows Mobile in favor of Android if a rumor from Friday is accurate. Where the original Touch HD was a Windows Mobile 6.1 device, the Register understands from an unnamed source that the Touch HD2 will drop Microsoft's OS for Google's Android instead. Most details aren't known, but the new model would also be a rough challenger to the iPhone 3GS with a much faster 628MHz Qualcomm chip versus the 528MHz chip used in virtually every HTC phone used to date; Apple's phone uses a 600MHz Samsung part that may not compare directly.
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08/20, 7:55am
Palm Nixed Apple Job Deal
Apple's practice of striking agreements to avoid poaching other companies' workers almost extended to Palm as well, according to a leak of conversations between the two. Just as the US Justice Department has been investigating possible anti-competitive behavior between Apple and Google as well as other technology firms, Bloomberg has reportedly found that since departed Palm chief Ed Colligan rejected a proposal from Apple's Steve Jobs in 2007 that would have prevented either company from hiring each other's employees.
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08/19, 10:55am
Win Mobile Dual Strategy
Microsoft's plans to offer two versions of Windows Mobile at once are part of a strategy deliberately targeted at different competitors, Taiwan phone makers claimed this morning. Windows Mobile 7 is already known to be aimed at iPhones with an emphasis on high-end devices and multi-touch. The just launching Windows Mobile 6.5, however, is now being targeted at Android and will reportedly get both a revamped touchscreen interface as well as a lower price to lure phone designers that would otherwise pick an often free or low-cost Android license instead.
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08/14, 2:10pm
Dell mini3i specs leaked
Full, albeit unofficial specs of Dell's mini3i smartphone have been leaked, answering nearly all questions about its first handset. The Android-powered phone will reportedly be more advanced than most Android phones with a 3.5-inch, 640x360 display as well as one of the first implementations of multi-touch on the Google platform. If so, the launch might come before the formal release of Android 2.0, which is rumored to get official multi-touch support.
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08/13, 4:25am
Zune HD Launch Set
Microsoft early this morning set the final launch for the Zune HD. True to leaks, the company's first touchscreen player will ship on September 15th and will come in a 16GB black version for $220 and a 32GB platinum-colored version for $290. Pre-orders start later today through Amazon (16GB, 32GB) as well as Best Buy, Walmart and Microsoft's own company store. Best Buy stores in major US cities will also have in-store previews on the 22nd and 23rd.
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08/10, 4:05pm
Zune HD at FCC
The FCC has likely spoiled Microsoft's launch plans by posting test info for the player's wireless behavior. While the NVIDIA Tegra processor, Wi-Fi and Windows CE foundations are all public information, the filing specifically shows models with 16GB and 32GB of storage and confirms at least one rumor regarding Microsoft's strategy for the touchscreen media player. The company has previously acknowledged the Zune HD would replace flash players but has never specified how much storage they would have.
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07/29, 4:10pm
DealNN: MacBooks, flash dr
Deals from DealNN today include a variety of items from MacBooks to digital cameras. Most notable is a price drop on the 13.3-inch unibody MacBook from MacMall.com, it is now priced at $924.99 after mail-in-rebate. The unibody MacBook features a 2.0GHz processor, 2GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive as well as a glass multi-touch trackpad, built-in iSight webcam and microphone.
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07/27, 2:35pm
Google outs Donut update
Google has recently released the code for its Donut update for its Android operating system to software developers. Much like the earlier Cupcake, Donut will be part of the next-generation Android operating system rather than the whole system itself. Notably, the new release not only adds support for CDMA phone networks but also brings multi-touch support, a universal search function, text-to-speech, automated back-ups and a redesign for the camera application, among other changes, to the existing T-Mobile G1 and HTC Magic Android handsets.
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07/20, 7:40am
Gateway LT2000 Netbook
Gateway this morning extended its LT series to include its first Intel-based netbook. The LT2000 opts for familiar specifications with a 10-inch display, 1.6GHz Atom, 1GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive, most of which help bring down the price significantly from the faster, larger LT3100. It does inherit the more expensive system's multi-touch trackpad to scroll using circular motions or to swipe through documents using two fingers.
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07/15, 4:50pm
ASUS Eee PC T91 at Amazon
As promised, the 8.9-inch ASUS Eee PC T91 is now available for purchase via Amazon. The long-awaited netbook tablet is the standard, lowest spec version of at least three available configurations, and includes Intel's 1.33GHz Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM and a 16GB solid state drive, 16GB SD card and 20GB of online storage free of charge for a limited time.
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07/15, 9:30am
Gates on Natal and Windows
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates today hinted that his company's Project Natal technology for the Xbox 360 should also come to Windows. The future add-on, which detects full body movement and real-world objects, is now expected to reach the desktop both for work purposes, like collaboration, but also media tasks in the home. Gates wasn't specific in details with CNET but teased that the prospects are "very exciting."
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07/09, 10:30pm
Microsoft Silverlight 3
Microsoft tonight launched the public version of Silverlight 3, its animation and video plugin for the web. The rival to Flash is the company's first to use hardware graphics acceleration both for 3D and for offloading the work of decoding video from the main processor. Regardless of graphics power, the update is also the first to promise a near-seamless HD video experience: a "smooth streaming" technique that automatically lowers the bitrate to start playback immediately and quickly brings it back up to provide the maximum quality the connection allows.
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07/09, 3:40pm
ASUS reveals T101 specs
ASUS UK has confirmed final specs of the Eee PC T101H netbook tablet, first introduced at this year's CES show, according to a recent ASUSTablet report. The T101H is a larger version of the recently released T91, with a 10.1-inch screen instead of an 8.9-inch display and a corresponding increase in keyboard size as well. That screen will be LED-backlit and support multi-touch inputs, with ASUS promising it will be compatible with native touch support found in Windows 7.
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05/27, 12:20pm
Multitouch, iPhone patents
Apple has won four new patents from the US Patent and Trademark Office, covering a range of technologies. Among these are ones for riser card housing in the Mac Pro, and a Mac OS-related concept called Computer system with graphical user interface including drawer-like windows. Important however is one for a touchpad surface, covering the multi-touch trackpad in the MacBook Air, and in a minor fashion the iPhone touchscreen.
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05/14, 3:35pm
Nokia Multi-Touch Q3 Rumor
Nokia's recently rumored entry into multi-touch phones may come relatively quickly if a slip through Taiwan circuit designers is accurate. They reportedly tell DigiTimes that Nokia has finally settled on Synaptics to provide the circuitry driving at least one phone's touchscreen and "does not rule out" the possibility of the phone supporting multi-touch input, a first for Nokia's handsets. The product would be launched in the summer, though whether it ships at that time or is simply announced isn't apparent.
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05/12, 1:55pm
MS iPhone Killer Specs
Specifications have surfaced today that may represent Microsoft's expectations for its "Pink" Zune phone platform. Known as Windows Mobile 7 Chassis 1, the design obtained by Microsoft observer Mary Jo Foley appears to set a baseline level of hardware that would outperform iPhones. A system would use either an NVIDIA Tegra, Qualcomm 8000-series, or Texas Instruments 3430 processor at its heart, at least 256MB of memory, and an 800x480 or larger screen.
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04/16, 12:00pm
Verizon Hub app store
The Internet-connected Verizon Hub home phone may soon get its own applications store, according to a Wednesday report. The phone, launched in the US on February 1st, already gets updates through the Internet for weather and traffic information, and users can watch videos via Verizon's V CAST service, but is now set to open to third-party software that would enable new tasks using the Internet, GPS or both. One new use for it would be to give users the ability to access Internet radio stations, for example.
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