Microsoft Research scientists, in cooperation with University of Maryland researchers, have designed two interfaces to support easier use of PDAs and cellphones. Although existing stylus-based gesture systems do not preclude the use of the thumb, no systems have been specifically designed to be operated using the thumb, according to the researchers.
Microsoft’s New Smart Phone Interface: Your Thumb
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Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
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Good. I’ve never liked the idea of having to rely on something so easy-to-lose/break/whatever. I wonder how dirty the touch screens are going to get.
The claim that Microsoft is the first to use thumbs for input is not right.
Do you remember the TDA Eugenia ? ( http://www.jackito-pda.com/index.php )
Last time I checked, most people was pushing those buttons with numbers on their mobile phones… by using their thumbs too!
Well, how about Neonode, a cellphone, built using Microsoft CE as OS. Guess what, you navigate using your thumb.
http://www.neonode.com
i don’t my thumb to be blue or frozen
I’d like to see this interface in action. I have a blackberry sitting next to me and use my thumb for the interaction a lot, granted its not on screen but the little wheel and clicky thing. Hope the same thing doesn’t happen to people’s thumbs that happened to my girlfriend’s thumb, she got a big ol blister on it from playing Ms. Pacman on the Xbox.
“no systems have been specifically designed to be operated using the thumb, according to the researchers”
Really? What about the iPod?
Microsoft always claim they are doing something first. like the cell phone thumb thing. and they thing that WinFS is the first database filesystem. Linux has been doing it for a while and BeOS was BUILT! on it in 1990. They really don’t know how to make up their own products, they just copy and buy theirs. it’s sad.
Ever since I’ve been a PDA user, I have used my thumbs to accomplish things (except write), and if I am not mistaken, many accessories have been produced to make your thumb a stylus
I currently have an HTC blue angel, I never dial the phone with my stylus, nor do I pull out the keyboard to dial- I just use my thumb to dial like I would a normal phone. The touchscreen is fine
because they lack imagination worst than i ever saw.
btw, NES anyone?
No where does MS or the article claim this is a first.
Poor trolling, try again.
Quote from the excerpt at the top of this page:
“no systems have been specifically designed to be operated using the thumb, according to the researchers.”
To me this sound like claiming “hey, we were the first to do it!”