Are the keypads becoming really digital as opposed to physical (made of atoms)? May be yes! …looking at devices like the Nintendo DS Lite, FOMA D800iDS, and event the future Apple phone.
I can see the advantages of hardware keypad in terms of tactile interaction (at response and input level), mastering phones’ functions while walking etc…
At the same time a “digital” keypad is a blank canvas for any GUI designer.
Here my latest experiment:
1. Load the SWF file on your mobile
2. Run the file in the player and wait for loading
3. Hold the handset firmly closing your fist as much as possible
4. Tell your brain to shake your hand vigorously for 5-6 secs
5. Open your fist and watch promptly the screen (if nothing happens repeat from point 3 putting some more effort)
- This is our Flash Lite brain speech recognition UI and worked 9 times out of 10 during test.
Disclaimer: We are not responsible for any damage to your mobile phone nor injuries to people you may hit if your phone happens to slip off your hands.
G.tec has developed a biosensitive device capable to capture the mental activity and translate this into signals/commands to computers and pocket PCs.
Brain-Computer Interface research is starting to show off some practical applications.
NTT DoCoMo R&D center is researching mime-speech recognition. This technology detects the speaker’s mouth-muscle movements and can interpret them into words even if the speaker has not uttered a sound. This technology will enable people to communicate in public spaces such as libraries and train carriages without annoying others around them.
This is very digital.