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In the world of creativity, if you're not starting a fire, then what's the point? So, we've created a portal to celebrate the most revolutionary and thought-provoking ideas we're seeing in the world today. Some are ideas we've recognized from others and we're tipping our hats to, and others are ones we thought of (go figure). Either way you cut it, you won't find a dull moment here, and hopefully we've inspired you to start your own fire.
It is not often a member of the Social Generation takes a hard, self-aware look at the culture, or lack thereof, that is building around smart devices. While we at Canopy are all about social media and smart devices, it’s important to realize these advances are meant to accentuate our lives, not overtake them. Take a look at your social use and ask yourself, how much is too much?
What Sparks Our Fire: It is only by realizing our faults that we improve our lives.
By their very nature, touch phone screens are flat, glossy surfaces that transfer visual and audio signals to your brain. This is what they’re meant to do, and for the most part they do it well. But can they be improved upon? The minds at the company behind Mickey Mouse and the multiplane camera are working to do just that.
Haptic interface is the transmission of touch information from a screen to a user’s hand. Disney is working on a flat touchscreen technology that will allow the user to feel the shape and texture of objects displayed on the screen. Officially known as “tactile rendering of 3D features”, the process is complicated, but essentially boils down to the premise that small electronic pulses can trick fingers into perceiving different textures and bumps of objects shown on the flat screen.
This, in and of itself, is not new information, but the implied applications of this technology are staggering when one considers how common touchscreens have become in today. “Touch interaction has become the standard for smartphones, tablets and even desktop computers, so designing algorithms that can convert the visual content into believable tactile sensations has immense potential for enriching the user experience,” according to Interaction Group director, Ivan Poupyrev.
Disney also believes that textured screens hold great potential for disabled users. Their demonstration video shows real-time impressions, where a camera attached to the screen captures an image and the user is able to feel it. This holds potential for creating accessible technology for blind individuals to help raise awareness of their surroundings in a physical way. This technology, while not yet available, leads one to consider the staggering implications of this technology.
What Sparks Our Fire: Adding haptic interaction to visual and audio takes us one step closer to a full, immersive user experience.
What industries do you think will adopt this new technology first?
Do you remember your first cell phone? It was probably way back in high school, it didn’t have many more features beyond a keypad, and you fondly referred to it as a “rock”. Before smartphones became the norm, cell phones came in all sorts of shapes and sizes, from small unobtrusive flip-phones to the more unique variants. However, with the advent of touchscreens, the minimalist black rectangle became the norm for every new phone, and while some iterations have attempted to stand out with different case colors, the shape of the phone has taken a backseat to the internal components, the faster processor, the better camera, etc.
However, Samsung might have just changed the game. The South Korean mobile giant has slowly been gaining on Apple in the high-end smartphone market, and their new offering might just put them over the top. On October 10th, the Galaxy Round, the world’s first curved-screen smartphone will become available in Korea. The device has a slightly rounded 5.7-inch, 1080p Super AMOLED screen, curved to fit comfortably in your hand.
This in and of itself is not the game changer, but rather a stepping stone to the next generation of flexible screen mobile devices. Samsung has released a concept video showing the possibilities for flexible screen devices, including combination smartphone/tablets with folding screens, and something that can only be described as a roll-out tablet. Check it out below:
What Sparks Our Fire: The application of revolutionary technologies to the devices we use every day.
Do you think Samsung’s use of this technology will make them the top contender in the smartphone game?
