The latest HP in Touch Q&A is with Sam Hui. As the senior OEM product line manager, he’s working on mobile solutions, emerging platforms, hybrid applications and touch experiences. In this particular case, Sam is one of the people behind Roxio’s PhotoShow Touch software.
A little about PhotoShow Touch:
Roxio’s PhotoShow Touch is a multi-touch enabled PC storytelling application that allows users to start with their own photos and create an amazing PhotoShow out of their memories.
PhotoShow Touch was designed to be fully scalable across both the TouchSmart All-in-one machines which provide a large touch-enabled surface area in which to create and enjoy PhotoShows to the portable TouchSmart TX series for on-the-go touch/tablet environment. In addition, Roxio PhotoShow Touch takes full advantage of both the optical touch system on the AIO and the capacitive screen on the TX tablet PC laptops.
1. When / where was the first time you used a touchscreen? What was the application? (For example, a bank ATM?)
I first used a touchscreen back in the 1980s. It was a monochrome HP150 touchscreen PC with a very simple touch screen and custom text-based applications.
2. When did you start working with touch technology?
I started actively working with touchscreen technologies in 2006, with the advent of touch screen Windows mobile smartphones.
3. What is your dream application with touch technology?
An application related to personal digital media consolidation, browsing, searching, creativity and enjoyment.
4. What do you think will be the “Killer App” for touch screens?
For Roxio, it would be revolutionizing how consumers interact with personal digital media such as photos, videos and music, as well as how they access and consume premium Hollywood entertainment.
5. What role do you think that slate devices will play in the future of touch? What would that slate need to have?
The slate is a very interesting device since it would combine essentially a computational platform with a large portable screen. The slate would be ideal for vertical applications as well as information consolidation. A challenge for the slate device to overcome is how to efficiently facilitate data entry. One way to overcome this challenge might be to incorporate voice or environment recognition capabilities.
6. What are some of the design challenges people need to rethink after using mice for so long? Are there any?
Rather than viewing it as a design challenge, we’d recommend developers approach touch as an opportunity to explore a major paradigm shift; one that promotes a more natural human interaction with technology. Adapting to such a major shift means rethinking much of what we have considered to date. Something as basic a UX elements evolving around pointers and moving a point needs to be completely rethought.
7. How do you feel touchscreen technology is letting you do something unique with your app?
Touchscreen technology provides a compelling and fun way of telling visual stories especially in shared family environments where all-in-one touch systems can become a focal point of family gatherings. Touchscreen or the natural user interface metaphor is particularly appropriate when dealing, as we do, with personal media as it brings back a tactile element to the experience of interacting with content such as photos.
8. From what you’ve learned with this experience in touch technology, what would you like to see in your next application?
We got a pretty good start with bringing touch interaction to an existing application concept. More focus on gestural manipulation, use of layered interaction and wider support for various screen sizes and devices would be what I would like to see.
9. How long did it take you to create your touch app? How easy was it to get done?
Initial prototyping was done in approximately a month, but refining the application took a lot longer. It was a relatively straightforward process given the support we received from partners including Microsoft.
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