TEC Japan has created the Tobidasu Menu, a touchscreen embedded into restaurant tables that allows patrons to browse a digital menu by touch and view food in 3D.

The menu also packs a few other neat tricks. For example, place a hamburger bun on the screen and when you lift it up there will be a juicy 3D hamburger sitting there (picture of this after the jump).

Tobidasu Menu is a clever idea, and comes at a time when touchscreens are popping up all over the place. TEC has not said if or when the system would be available in restaurants, but we wouldn’t mind ordering our food via touchscreen sometime soon. If it’s anything like a real menu, though, the real food won’t look anywhere near as good as its virtual counterpart. Read more »

Microsoft recently showed off their LucidTouch concept technology that lets you control a mobile device via touchscreens on the front and back.

Although currently just a concept (the proof-of-concept device shown has a clunky camera sticking out from the back to monitor the user’s fingers), Microsoft hopes to eventually implement the technology in a small portable gadget. Read more »

The Livre, designed by Nedzad Mujcinovic, a student at at Monash University, is vying with Amazon’s Kindle to become the next-generation e-book reader.

The design won a Dyson Student Award in 2007. Perhaps the most important feature that makes this gadget stand out is it’s simple, easy-to-use gesture input scheme. Instead of pressing buttons, you simply slide your finger from corner to corner to turn pages, somewhat like a real book. Sliding two fingers skips by 10 pages, and three fingers goes 50 pages ahead.

The touch surface overlays an e-paper (or e-ink) surface, which is standard for these sorts of e-book readers. What does set it apart is the leather stitched cover, making the device resemble a real book.

Livre seem set to bridge our gap between traditional books and their digital counterparts. A device like this could help us transition to e-books with ease due to its intuitive nature. We hope to see a real-life version of Livre in stores soon, so Nedzad better work on making this a reality. Another pic after the jump. Read more »

Nokia has recently announced their Morph concept, a gadget which should (in about 100 years) replace everything you carry in your pocket today.

Featured in The Museum of Modern Art “Design and The Elastic Mind” exhibition, the Morph aims to be the only gadget you’ll ever need due to its adaptable nature. Made of flexible and transparent materials, Nokia imagines this gadget taking on just about any shape and size.

For example, it can start in the shape of a cell phone, but then unfold into a screen to view movies and other media on. This larger screen would incorporate input devices such as keyboards and touch pads as well to allow for communication. It could then be folded up into a bracelet that you wear on your wrist. As Nokia says, the Morph would “allow us to communicate and interact in unprecedented ways.”

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Japanese telecom giant Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. (NTT) is getting ready to launch a system called RedTacton that will eliminate the need for keys and ID cards and let people open doors by touch.

Data traveling through the user’s clothing, handbag, or shoes from a small card in their pocket will let her open a door by touching the knob or standing on a particular spot. The system uses the surface of the human body as a means of transmission.

An NTT engineer says that future applications could include a walk-through ticket gate, a cabinet that only opens to authorized people, and even a TV remote that automatically knows a user’s favorite channels and shows.

Car alarm systems could also get more secure using RedTacton. Instead of unlocking when you are near the car as they do now, they will only unlock when you touch the door.

This technology seems to be a glimpse into the future. At first it will be limited in use and fairly expensive, but as it becomes more widespread we could see the extinction of the key and ID card as we know them today. Imagine walking up to your house, reaching for a doorknob which automatically unlocks the door, and walking right in. No more fumbling around for keys. That’s a future we’d like to live in.

A recent Apple patent application depicts mockups of an OS X “Gesture Control Panel” with options for a Standard Trackpad, Basic Multitouch, and Advanced Multitouch. Although the trackpad and basic multitouch options have already made their way to Apple’s laptops, the advanced multitouch features are very intriguing. Read more »

As the company puts it, the XPERIA X1 “redefines premiumness,” and from the looks of the phone we wouldn’t say anything less.

The X1 has all of the features that the iPhone is missing, and then some. This one really does seem to be poised to become the phone of all phones.

The XPERIA X1 has a 3 inch VGA touchscreen sporting a resolution of 800×480. A fully functional QWERTY keyboard slides out from the side for all of your messaging, emailing, and web browsing needs. Of course to do that you need a fast connection as well, so, unlike the iPhone, the X1 supports 3G HSDPA for data transfer speeds up to 3.6Mbits.

The phone has an ‘always on’ internet connection, the ability to send and receive files while in a call, streaming video support, and a video call feature.

For more details, check out the product page here.

No word on price or availability yet, but we can’t wait until the X1 makes its way Stateside. Well done, Sony. Another picture after the jump. Read more »

Samsung has introduced a new member of their Ultra Edition family, the Soul. The phone will have a 7.2Mpbs HSDPA connection, a 5 megapixel camera, and a 2.2″ full-color display.

The most innovative feature of this phone, though, is a touchpad display that sits just under the main screen. This display will morph the user interface by showing appropriate icons depending on which application is being used. As an example, music controls will appear while listening to music and editing functions will show up while writing a text message.

The Soul will also feature a microSD card for music with support for just about any format imaginable. Samsung claims 15 hours of music listening time, which is a pretty hefty figure.

Although not as stylish as an iPhone, it looks like this handset will get the job done with its beefed up specs and the innovative touchpad display. Looks to us like this might be a keeper. Another picture after the jump. Read more »