The touch-screen grows up before our eyes

Remember when you thought your first Palm Pilot was the coolest device ever? Touch-screens have evolved light-years since then.

The Active Desk



Bill Buxton demonstrates "The Active Desk," a touch-screen device developed in 1992 at the University of Toronto. Buxton explains: "It used rear projection, and had a high-resolution stylus for input. What is easy to miss in the photo is the fact that I am working with two remote collaborators. Each has a presence by way of a small camera/monitor/speaker/microphone [you can see one in the photo]. The idea was that all three of us had a shared view of the design that I am shown working on. Fundamental to the idea, contrary to most desktop video, is that there should be a differentiation between person space and task space. Stated more simply, your face should not appear on the same surface as my work."

1 of 9
VIEW ALL THUMBNAILS

Most Popular

LCD vs plasma vs LED TVs buying guide
Tethering tutorial: How to use your iPhone as a modem
Untethered jailbreak for iOS 5.1.1 available for download
Connecting your new iPad 2 to the Internet
Capacitive vs resistive touchscreens

Resources

Trend Micro Zone
Trend Micro SafeSync is an easy to use and good value cloud based backup service.
Broadband test
The GGG broadband speed test.
Notebooks Product Finder
Find the product you're looking for with our Notebooks search tool.