JAOO 2007: Bob Martin and Chad Fowler - Debating Static versus Dynamic Typing

MSR Cambridge is a hotbed of innovation. TabletPC, Machine Learning, Vision, F#, Generics, Software Transactional Memory to name only a few off the top of my head (yeah, I probably missed some bigger ones. It's OK. You get the point...).
You've heard of the latest brainchild: MultiTouch (you've seen the YouTube video, I'd imagine...). But, you haven't met all the characters involved with this intriguing invention (no, it's not really related to Microsoft Surface and other highly sophisticated multi-touch
technologies) and you've certainly not heard about what they're currently working on or seen where they experiment and build this stuff.
Well, now you will. Meet the scientists behind MultiTouch; Shahram Izadi, Alex Butler, and Steve Hodges. Tune in and learn about the Who, What, How and Why behind MSR's innovative MultiTouch. It's pretty amazing and, surprisingly, not incredibly complicated
technology. Find out all about it right here on Channel 9.
Enjoy!
Loved that... going back soon, once they've advanced a bit, I presume?
Thanks for another great vid;)
Lloyd_Humph wrote:Loved that... going back soon, once they've advanced a bit, I presume?
Thanks for another great vid
Bas wrote:Hey, the error message is gone! I don't know what you did, but thanks!
hard working hassall wrote:So how does the iPhone do all its multi-touch stuff then?
Oggelito wrote:I wonder if the customers are ready for this technique.
And please someone tell mr butler to cut his nails
Apple's tech is cool but may be considered 'old school' when compared to this approach.
They're attempting to show the benefits of using IR over the traditional capacitive touch panels.
As noted in the video, using a smartphone, TV remote or any IR pointer to control the UI is very cool.
A likely product from this is a "low-cost" Multi-touch TV Remote.
anon wrote:
Shame we didnt get to see the effect of using the TV remote on the screen.
PocketXP wrote: Apple's tech is cool but may be considered 'old school' when compared to this approach.
They're attempting to show the benefits of using IR over the traditional capacitive touch panels.
As noted in the video, using a smartphone, TV remote or any IR pointer to control the UI is very cool.
A likely product from this is a "low-cost" Multi-touch TV Remote.
Oggelito wrote:I wonder if the customers are ready for this technique.
And please someone tell mr butler to cut his nails
So MS’ Surface Computing uses a rear projection/sensing system which has high sensing resolution but is bulky and expensive. MS’ MultiTouch uses tiny, rear-mounted infrared transceivers, offering a more compact (and cheaper?) setup than Surface but with lower resolution.
I wonder what the pros and cons of these technologies are compared to the iPhone’s use of capacitive sensing technology?
I can see that Microsoft’s methods would allow the use of a stylus or gloved finger, whereas the iPhone will not. And Microsoft’s methods (presumably) work with a hard glass surface, so you don’t have the fragility or limited lifespan of a resistive touch screen’s soft plastic (polyster) surface.
But I don’t think that support for non-conductive input devices (gloved finger/stylus) alone necessarily justify the cost and complexity of these over the iPhone’s technology, so I’m curious if there are other advantages to these.