To your love, happiness, and success…

"To your love, happiness, and success". Those were the first words I read when I opened my book “Introduction to Information Science”, which I have to study for my new course Media Use in Organizations. What kind of intro is that for a pretty scientific book? So, then I started thinking ; What do I love, makes me happy and is a successful technical device which I probably cannot live without? Well, I guess you already know what I am going to say now, and yes you are right! It’s my mobile phone. (I can’t name anyone who actually can live without a mobile phone)

Last year I got a message from my provider that I could go to the store and pick a new mobile phone. I went to search online for the latest trends and hypes and found that a touch screen and 3G (this provides your mobile phone with faster internet and more advanced opportunities) were the upcoming trends. Mobile phones were not longer operated by simple keys that you had to press but a screen you can touch (the screen can “feel” that you touch the screen).By that time I had one with simple keys that I had to push to get an output on the screen, so a touch screen seemed very cool to me. I made my choice and picked the HTC Touch HD, it was described as “Make it mine, stay close en discover the unexpected”. And it was going to be the largest competitor of the Iphone. As you can see at the picture it only has a big 4.2 inch screen you can touch. The only keys are the on/off and sound button.

Now, a year later, I’m still very happy and enthusiastic about my HTC Touch HD. I love the features and the use of a touch screen, I think it’s a great succes! But the touch technique keeps developing its self and is becoming more and more sophisticated. Scientist from Microsoft and The University of Carnegie Mellon are developing a whole new dimension of “touch”, the Skinput ; human skin can be used a touch screen. People can use their hands and arms as a keypad for their mobile phones. A bracelet with a small projector projects several keys at the palm of the hand. A chip placed in the bracelet can determine which key is touched at the skin by the user.






The device uses the sounds that arises from the tapping on the skin. Different acoustic signals arise under the influence of bones, skin and muscles. The system uses Bluetooth-signals to send the input from the touch screen to a telephone, MP3-player or a computer. The technique is still experimental but Skinput can recognize keys at 5 different places at the body with a punctuality of 95%.


So maybe next time when I get the message that I can pick a new phone, I will choose to have keypad on my skin! Would it be loved and successful? Would it make you happy? Let me know.