Shift - Let Your Fingers Do the Talking

[Darius Wey]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://blogs.msdn.com/jasonlan/archive/2007/05/16/shift-pen-stylus-based-device-navigation-and-finger-navigation.aspx' target='_blank'>http://blogs.msdn.com/jasonlan/arch...navigation.aspx</a><br /><br /></div><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20070517-shift.jpg" /><br /><br />Admit it. The manner in which we use our fingers to target screen objects is less than adequate. <a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/jasonlan/archive/2007/05/16/shift-pen-stylus-based-device-navigation-and-finger-navigation.aspx">Shift</a>, which was developed by Microsoft Research and the University of Toronto, aims to solve most of the problems one commonly faces, although it's still questionable as to whether it will ever see the light of day. Check out the video and let us know if you'd like to see something of a similar nature incorporated in future Pocket PCs.<br /><br /><b>Update:</b> Our <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=391">Sultan of Swag</a> said, "let there be a poll". And there was a poll.

[Brad Adrian]

I'd LOVE to see this kind of application. I use Pocket Plus and have GOBS of icons on my Today screen that are pretty difficult to to select with my bare fingers.

I would hope that this would be made available as an add-in and that we won't have to wait until it's incorporated into the WM OS. Maybe we should start a quicky poll to let MS know what we think?

[Darius Wey]

Maybe we should start a quicky poll to let MS know what we think?

Good idea. I'll get one going right now.

[Rod3]

Just wish the dad gummed video wouldn't cut out and start over after it starts on the map part. I'm using a Mac, with Flip4Mac, which shows Windows media files, and that might be part of the problem, but it might not. Anybody else have trouble with the video? I love this concept; hope it is available as an upgrade.

[Darius Wey]

Just wish the dad gummed video wouldn't cut out and start over after it starts on the map part. I'm using a Mac, with Flip4Mac, which shows Windows media files, and that might be part of the problem, but it might not. Anybody else have trouble with the video? I love this concept; hope it is available as an upgrade.

Right-click the video link and select "Save Link As...", and then download the video to your hard disk. With Flip4Mac, you'll be able to watch the video in its entirety in QuickTime.

[Frankie1]

The technology is definately cool and practical (rare combination) but I find it a bit odd that they did not use any real examples.
They only used the orange squares. And I know what your'e thinking "that is a real example" not realy. They had the perfect oportunity to demo the app on the map that they used as an example of applicaiton with small targets, but yet they used it on the "controlled" map with orange target. "Who point at orange squares?" I think the flaw may lie in the recognition of targets or overlapping targets. Let's say tha there are 5 targets in the space that your finger will occupie on the screen, one of which you want, and you put your finger down on the screen and "boom" it picks the one that your finger comes in direct contact with first, with out giving you the option of rolling the cursor to the right target.
Also, I'm sure they had to disable the point and hold feature acting as the right click for touch screen device, I see no immediate way of getting around that besided disabling it, then how do we "righ click/clik and hold"? Good question if I might say so myself.
Input Please!
Peace out!

[Frankie1]

The technology is definately cool and practical (rare combination) but I find it a bit odd that they did not use any real examples.
They only used the orange squares. And I know what your'e thinking "that is a real example" not realy. They had the perfect oportunity to demo the app on the map that they used as an example of applicaiton with small targets, but yet they used it on the "controlled" map with orange target. "Who point at orange squares?" I think the flaw may lie in the recognition of targets or overlapping targets. Let's say tha there are 5 targets in the space that your finger will occupie on the screen, one of which you want, and you put your finger down on the screen and "boom" it picks the one that your finger comes in direct contact with first, with out giving you the option of rolling the cursor to the right target.
Also, I'm sure they had to disable the point and hold feature acting as the right click for touch screen device, I see no immediate way of getting around that besided disabling it, then how do we "righ click/clik and hold"? Good question if I might say so myself.
Input Please!
Peace out!

Nice analitical skills dude! :mrgreen:

[cscullion]

This is a very clever solution to a real problem. It is obviously a research project, but I think they should continue to refine this idea. I'm sure there are clever solutions to the problems outlined above.

[sixftunda]

This is nice. Especially since the i760 coming out has the stylus sticking in the right side and not the top. Im a lefty :)

[k1darkknight]

Voted yes, but...

One issue I can see with this, is that many PPC apps don't necessarily have predefined "target areas", but (as I understand it) the touchscreen sends the center of the touched x/y coordinates to the app, rather than comparing them with various 'touchpoints' within said app. For example (again, as I understand it), in Pocket Excel, if you use the stylus to tap the screen in the left half of a cell, the touchscreen sensor sends the x/y coords of the exact spot the stylus touched, leaving it to Excel to determine the appropriate action. Then, if you touch the right half of the same cell, the sensor sends DIFFERENT x/y coords (for the different point), but with the same results. granted, Excel would treat those different touches appropriately, but the OS and the sensor would have no idea how large the "target" was, thus wouldn't know how long to wait, before popping up the offset area.
Maybe the solution would be simply to have a predetermined (user-adjustable) delay, but have the delay be the same, regardless or the "target area". Or maybe just use a set delay for apps that aren't "Shift-aware" or somesuch.

[TOCA]

Why is this reminding me of something I've read in the Iphone adds?

[Frankie1]

Voted yes, but...

One issue I can see with this, is that many PPC apps don't necessarily have predefined "target areas", but (as I understand it) the touchscreen sends the center of the touched x/y coordinates to the app, rather than comparing them with various 'touchpoints' ....


Good point. That may be reason why they won't go live with this. I'm not sure why they would release this video with no intention of going live with it. Well with the many possible complications pointed out with this application I could see why there not going live with it, and they probably just released the video so that it brings them some sort of gratification for the resourced that they've invested in this experiment.