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Tag: Touch Technology

  • Intel “Core VPro” Processors Powering the Next Wave of Ultrabooks

    Intel “Core VPro” Processors Powering the Next Wave of Ultrabooks

    Good news for Intel, they are providing all the processors for the next wave of Ultrabook computers. The latest version of their Core processor (Generation 3) offers the most advanced 22nm 3-D tri-gate transistors, making the new Ultrabook devices more responsive with the best enhanced security. Intel has signed agreements with several leading touch panel manufacturers in order to meet expected demand for the touch-enabled Ultrabooks.

    Here are the highlights from Intel regarding the new Ultrabook:

    * The next wave of Ultrabook devices powered by 3rd generation Intel Core processors is more responsive and offers enhanced security in a choice of designs.

    * Intel announced agreements with Cando, HannsTouch, TPK and Wintek to ensure capacity of touch technology for the expected growth of touch-enabled Ultrabook convertible designs.

    * New Ultrabook systems offer enhanced security with Intel Anti-Theft technology built in and free, limited-time service subscriptions out of the box from Absolute Software, McAfee, Norton and Intel in select global markets.

    * Bringing the best of Intel technology to mobile devices with three Intel-based smartphones now available from Lava International, Lenovo and Orange; 20 tablet design wins based on the Intel Atom SoC, codenamed “Clover Trail,” designed for Microsoft Windows 8.

    Intel Corporation’s Senior Vice President Tom Kilroy introduced the new Ultrabooks at a keynote address in Taipei and here are a few things he had to say:

    “Our life experiences are defined by our senses — by what we see, hear and touch,”

    “These human senses are also at the foundation of Intel’s vision for the Ultrabook to deliver a no-compromise, must-have computing experience.”

    “Today, thanks to the work of the industry at-large, we are one step closer to meeting that vision with the arrival of the next wave of 3rd generation Intel Core processor-powered devices. The innovation must continue as we move to touch-based Ultrabook convertible designs, and in the future aim to give them and other devices senses, making our interaction with them natural and intuitive.”

    “Thank you to our partners here in Taiwan and the computing industry at-large for the unprecedented innovation to bring the Ultrabook to life in such a short time,”

    There was no mention of exactly when these new Ultrabooks will available in the United States, but I would bet we’ll be seeing them before the holidays. For more information about Intel’s new Core VPro processors follow this link.

  • Microsoft’s Vision for Future Computer Use

    Microsoft’s Vision for Future Computer Use

    As Microsoft prepares for the upcoming Windows 8 launch, they are also provided us a glimpse of what the future of computer use — this includes software and hardware — with a nifty video that not only gives us a forward thinking look at what lies ahead in the world of computer use, it also gives you an idea concerning Microsoft’s strategy going forward.

    After watching the video, one thing’s for sure, if Microsoft’s vision comes to pass, there’s going to be an awful lot of touch technology coming down the pipe. In fact, if you fast forward to the three minute mark, you’ll see the user’s entire desk has been designed around touchscreen technology, only in this vision, it’s so much more robust. Even the keyboard the actor is using has a touchscreen function that allows him to move the incoming communication to his primary monitor.

    The fact is, Microsoft’s vision for future computer use looks a lot like what Steven Spielberg showed us in Minority Report. Via touch, users would be able to control which content is displayed and how user’s interact with it. Take a look at Microsoft’s creation because regardless of your feelings on touch technology, the future envisioned by the company looks rather impressive:


    According to a post at Official Microsoft blog, authored by Kurt DelBene, Microsoft feels most of the technology on display in the video already exists:

    All of the ideas in the video are based on real technology. Some of the capabilities, such as speech recognition, real time collaboration and data visualization already exist today. Others are not yet available in specific products, but represent active research and development happening at Microsoft and other companies.

    As indicated, whether or not you are a fan of touch technology, you should check out Microsoft’s vision of the future. As a person who isn’t the biggest adopter of touch technology, I must say I’m happy the keyboard exists in Microsoft’s future, and the way it’s integrated with touch is pretty damn cool.

    H/t to the WinRumors blog for pointing this out.

  • Windows 8: All About The Touch

    Yes, operating system completists, Microsoft is ramping up for the next generation of their operating system, lovingly known as Windows 8. After the success of Windows 7 — that is, it wasn’t Vista — it’s almost safe to say the ire that usually followed a Microsoft operating system has largely died down. In fact, people are almost positive when it comes to a Windows update, something I never thought I would write… With a straight face, at least.

    But here we are. After a leak or two of the Windows 8 environment — leaks that also got decent buzz — we now have Microsoft itself revealing aspects of the upcoming OS, and if the preview is anything to go by, the word of the day for Microsoft developers is touch. Touch technology, to be precise, because, thanks undoubtedly to the explosion of tablet computers, Windows 8 will feature an extensive level of touch for computer input.

    Naturally, there’s a video of the technology in action, and, if you’re a fan of touch computing, your excitement level will probably increase exponentially:


    According to a post over at the Microsoft news center, Julie Larson-Green, Corporate Vice President, Windows Experience, indicates the new touch technology will offer the following:

  • Fast launching of apps from a tile-based Start screen, which replaces the Windows Start menu with a customizable, scalable full-screen view of apps.
  • Live tiles with notifications, showing always up-to-date information from your apps.
  • Fluid, natural switching between running apps.
  • Convenient ability to snap and resize an app to the side of the screen, so you can really multitask using the capabilities of Windows.
  • Web-connected and Web-powered apps built using HTML5 and JavaScript that have access to the full power of the PC.
  • Fully touch-optimized browsing, with all the power of hardware-accelerated Internet Explorer 10.

    • Something that stood out to this writer was the use of the word/phrase “apps,” as opposed to “programs” when describing various software packages for the Windows 8 environment. Apparently, adopting terminology used primarily to describe mobile computing programs is being done to offer a level of familiarity between the two methods of personal computing. By using the phrase “apps,” mobile users now identify with the concept of “home” computing.

    It’s pretty humorous such a forced adoption is required to stimulate interest.

    Anyway, for those of you who couldn’t care less about touch computing — guilty — Larson-Green indicates the standard input for home computing, a keyboard and a mouse, will work just as well as touch.

    Although the new user interface is designed and optimized for touch, it works equally well with a mouse and keyboard. Our approach means no compromises — you get to use whatever kind of device you prefer, with peripherals you choose, to run the apps you love. This is sure to inspire a new generation of hardware and software development, improving the experience for PC users around the world.

    The “multiple approaches to getting an individual task done” strategy has been embedded in the Windows environment since at least Windows 98. In regards to the Windows OS, there’s normally more than one way to accomplish a task, like saving, for instance. Ctrl-S or File > Save via the menu are both commands that instruct the program to save whatever document/file is being used.

    Touch technology simply introduces another method with which to accomplish Windows tasks.

    What say you? Are you interested in touch technology for the home computing market or is just another bell/whistle you’ll ignore, favoring the tried and true methods that work for when you’re using your computer? Let us know in the comments.