multi

Haptic technology allows users to "feel" buttons on a touch-screen device by providing localized feedback when users' fingers touch button or control areas. A patent application filed in late March showed Apple's version of haptic technology, a process that would use piezoelectric actuators under the display to provide feedback.

A new patent application, uncovered by Patently Apple, shows that Apple is taking its haptic inquiry a step further. Apple's new displays for touch-screen devices would be flexible, allowing for a layer of the screen to actually raise itself when a button or control area is available … Read more

Steve Jobs is famous for borrowing a phrase that may or may not have originated with Pablo Picasso: "Good artists copy, great artists steal." He said in "Triumph of the Nerds" that Apple "has always been shameless about stealing great ideas."

Yet in recent years, Jobs was outraged over Android's similarities to iOS. He branded HTC thieves and said he was "willing to go to thermonuclear war" against Google over what he called "grand theft Android." Now, CEO Tim Cook seems to have picked up Jobs' outraged-victim torch, saying … Read more

For many Mac users, the Finder provides plenty of functionality. But if you're looking for more powerful control over your files and desktop, Path Finder can be an attractive alternative. This standalone file browser complements and improves on the Finder, with scores of useful integrated features.

The program lets you quickly access favorites; view the contents of almost any file in a preview drawer; and move files more easily using the Shelf and Drop Stack. Other features include the capability to compress and decompress files; mount disk images; view invisible files, securely delete files, and work from the command … Read more

Spartan Lite Multi Clipboard is an enhanced clipboard for Windows. It saves the 25 most recently copied clips in a simple, spreadsheet-style grid and also stores many permanent clips, including text, images, Web and e-mail addresses, and anything else you can copy and paste from the clipboard.

It does more than just paste stuff, though. You can configure it to perform a wide range of functions such as sending e-mail, running programs, filling forms, bookmarking Web sites, and dialing telephone numbers. Spartan Lite is a fully functional freeware version of Spartan, with no adware or nag screens. The freeware only … Read more

If you're a fan of Dyson's bagless vacuums but always wished that the company made a canister model that was powered by its Ball technology, that day has arrived: Dyson has introduced the DC39 Multi-floor and DC39 Animal canister vacs.

Dyson vacuums have never been cheap, and the new models, due out in mid-March, cost $449.99 and $499.99, respectively. Aside from its color and higher price, what distinguishes the Animal from the Multi-floor is the inclusion of an accessory that's specially designed for picking up pet hair. Both models are being marketed as "smooth … Read more

Flixlab is a free app for iPhone that lets you quickly make movies and share them with your Facebook friends without a lot of hassle. A recent feature update includes a cooperative movie-making mode: you'll now be able to take pictures and videos of an event with your friend and then quickly share and combine the content from both of your iPhones into one video.

Flixlab takes all the busywork out of making good-looking movies by adding all the effects, transitions, and music automatically before you share them with your Facebook friends. Simply follow the app's step-by-step process … Read more

Creating collages with your images is easier than ever on your iPhone, and--with the right app--you can make great looking projects in minutes and share them immediately.

Are you old enough to remember making collages with a glue stick and poster board? These days anyone can create a collage (without all the mess) using digital photos and any photo layout program on a desktop computer. But some recent apps for iPhone make it even easier with intuitive touch-screen controls and other extras that put the old glue-stick-and-photo method to shame.… Read more

The Army of today is making plans for the helicopter of tomorrow -- fast, tough, and even semi-autonomous.

And with the Pentagon's target date of 2030 to begin fielding a fleet of these next-generation vertical-lift aircraft, one can only hope that the Army won't be overly beholden to designs based on the futuristic blueprints of today.

The term "vertical lift" is key here: the aircraft that eventually goes into the service would use rotors for lift, in helicopter fashion, but might also include wings in the manner of the tilt-rotor V-22 Osprey or in an even … Read more

MultiTouch, a Finland-based company known for its interactive display systems, has launched the MultiTaction Cell 55". The display is supposedly the "world's largest integrated multiuser LCD multitouch display," which means (way) more than one person can use it at a time.

These full-HD displays can be wall-mounted or embedded in custom furniture. As they are stackable and have a super-thin bezel, you can mount as many as 24 displays together--edge to edge--to form one large touch screen.

Powered by an Intel Core-i processor and Nvidia GPU, the MultiTaction Cell 55" panel also consists of 32 camera modules that are able to detect different users' hands via infrared (IR) technology. This is a vast improvement over the company's previous iteration, the MultiTaction Cell 46", which had only two IR cameras.

In Singapore--the only Asian stop on MultiTouch's global product demo tour--MultiTouch CEO Petri Martikainen demonstrated the intelligent multitouch display's features. We noted that it's generally responsive and renders graphics smoothly, due to its 200fps response. … Read more