Technology Blog

The future of touchscreen interfaces is: you? A project between a Carnegie Mellon researcher and a couple of creative thinkers over at Microsoft Research have created Skinput, a Bluetooth-enabled device that allows you to use your own skin as a peripheral input device for devices like cell phones, MP3 players or gaming consoles. The device works via an armband, which contains a small projector that beams whatever relevant interface you need onto your hand or forearm. Then you simply press the appropriate part of your skin just like you were tapping the screen of an iPhone. An acoustic sensor in the armband can tell where you are tapping because of the different bond densities, tissues, and other differentiating factors inherent in your body's geography. Bluetooth then transmits the corresponding signal to the appropriate device; if you've just dialed a phone number, it sends the info to your phone and dials the call. While it seems pretty dazzling and all, we can't help but question the benefits. For one, d