Lux: multi-touch for OS X
Lux is an experimental framework that brings full screen multi-touch to OS X. As you can see in the video above it allows a quasi-iPhone like experience in OS X. The project is scheduled to go live in June. Over at Gizmodo they have an interview with the developer, Christian Moore, who talks about the project and how it was built.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
5-17-2008 @ 11:25AM
goobi said...
Super cool! (Although ultimately not so useful in real life). I can't believe these couple of guys beat Apple to doing such a cool interface. I guess its just a preview of what's going to become of computers...
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5-17-2008 @ 11:29AM
Alex said...
Surface running on OS X? Cool
This would have practical use for businesses/stores, or at least be fun
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5-17-2008 @ 11:50AM
Vlad Gorshkov said...
Hello, MAC OS11
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5-17-2008 @ 12:03PM
RobCon said...
Anyone know the name of the music?
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5-17-2008 @ 12:22PM
Zimmie said...
As I mentioned below your comment, I'm sure that at least part of it is Celestial Annihilation by UNKLE. The biggest giveaways are the pad at 1:14, the bass line at 2:01, and the horn at 3:44. The only mix I've been able to find not on the vinyl doesn't have the record scratches, vocal samples and so forth, though, so I'd have to guess it's a mashup someone did.
5-17-2008 @ 12:15PM
Blaktornado said...
That's awesome.
While people won't see the use, who says it needs one? It looks sweet! Awesome!
I can't wait for Apple to implement this and make all our non-touchscreen Macs redundant! :P
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5-17-2008 @ 12:17PM
Zimmie said...
Hmm. I know part of the music is Celestial Annihilation by UNKLE, but it sounds like some of it is mixed in after the fact. Maybe it's just a version I hadn't heard yet.
Very cool demo, though I wish they had shown some more of what would be possible. Yes, lots of zooming and twisting of flat images. Lots of others have shown the same thing. I suppose they just wanted to get something out to demonstrate multiple points of contact quickly, so they used some of the bog-standard stuff and only a few more interesting things.
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5-17-2008 @ 12:24PM
Hawkman said...
One day, your computer will be a big-ass table. :)
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5-17-2008 @ 12:24PM
inferno10 said...
This implementation is similar in concept to Microsoft's surface table. I hope it doesn't get shut down...
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5-17-2008 @ 12:33PM
Josh said...
Is there really any other way to do a large, multi-touch surface at the moment? This is really the only way until projectors get good enough to do 3D multi-touch (i.e. in Paycheck and Iron Man)
5-18-2008 @ 10:29AM
YoJIMbo said...
Do you think MS thought of that all by themselves? Multi-touch interfaces have been under development for over 20 years in the BSD/*nix community. MS just made it look "pretty" and gave it a bland name.
5-17-2008 @ 12:39PM
DanH said...
ooh, they made a nice pick on the UNKLE track for the music, thats called "Celestial Annihilation"
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5-17-2008 @ 1:13PM
ZeroCorpse said...
Wait; Now they want me to get even CLOSER to my screen? I'm already seeing a degradation in my vision from being at a recommended distance from it! Now, they want me to get less than arm's length away from a big heat and light-emitting LCD screen so I can use TWO hands to make things happen in OS X programs instead of ONE hand on a mouse.
The mouse is already causing me to reach a bit, but now I'll be expected to have my arms in the air, flailing around, ALL THE TIME just to do simple things.
This is not a step forward. It's a step back. Multi-touch makes sense on a portable device because it eliminates the need for input hardware like keyboards or cursor-controllers. But on my home system, it's a bother and a lot more work than just pointing and clicking, or using the keyboard shortcuts.
And that's not even considering the fact that I'm not keen on smudging up my screen by laying fingers on it.
Do Not Want -- At least, not in this form.
Cool as a proof of concept, but useless as a home OS interface. Make it 3D and project from a table as a hologram (ala Iron Man) and it might make sense.
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5-17-2008 @ 2:25PM
Josh said...
This has no practical consumer use but it has great potential for business and informative use. Could you imagine going into a rest stop along I-75 or somewhere and using Google Maps on something like this? I also think it has potential for use as a table in restaurants. I, personally, would love to not have to deal with a waiter at a restaurant. Being able to order what I want, when I want would be nice. Also cheaper for me. Would make sense for the business, too. No need for menus and no need to reprint menus when they want to change prices. Would also cut down on employees needed.
5-17-2008 @ 2:41PM
Barney LaHaye said...
I agree, using your hands on a large vertical screen will not work. Your arms will get tired really fast.
What would make sense is to use the technology with a large (8" x 10") horizontal track pad and on the screen you see CGI virtual hands, you could still do it sitting on the couch looking at a wall screen 10 feet away.
I do belive the technology has a future.
We have 2 hands with 10 digets, let use them.
The mouse is just the evolution of the cursor for a word processor. It is time to move on.
5-17-2008 @ 3:54PM
Mabedan said...
this thing sucks!!! it's just a show off thing... it reminds me the era effect in vista...
no ease of use, no functionality, almost nothing
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5-17-2008 @ 5:37PM
Duscrom said...
Jeez, Microsoft is so unoriginal. This just came out and they already stole it from Apple.
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5-18-2008 @ 1:23PM
yezmu said...
What the hell are you talking about? :/
5-17-2008 @ 7:17PM
geochick said...
How can you say that this has no practical consumer use when we are currently using iPhones with multi-touch technology. Actually, I was playing around with a HP computer that has a touchscreen a few months back and its was very consumer practical. I wouldn't mind touching my big 22" screen to get around and launch programs now so as far as something like this just being just practical for business not a chance. That's like saying the iPhone is just practical for businesses. We are already used to multi-touch folks its just a matter of time until we start seeing more of this in our everyday computers.
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5-17-2008 @ 11:05PM
Dominick Leone said...
Graphical User Interface, GUI, is old news. Yet, sales of traditional key board & mouse interface type computers is still outstrips any other: sales of tablet PCs, touch screen systems, etc just don't match those of traditional computers.
The Newton failed in the market place, yet PC makers created some interest in palm computers and even tablet PCs. Why don't we like Tablets? Are we that addicted to the key board and mouse? The answer might lie in the lack of advance of other interfaces, not in the interest itself. Voice recognition has come a long way in 10 years, but it still lacks any reliability. Touch screen is great for navigating GUI, but entering text with an on-screen keyboard is as useful as a smoke alarm to Helen Keller. Now if you advanced both of these technologies and linked them together, you would have an interface tool worth BILLIONS.
Until then, we will be stuck with the good 'ol key board and the mouse.
Dominick Leone
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