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Posts Tagged ‘Flexible Technology’

In order to take a bite out of the Apple iPad, the multi-tasking gadget soon to hit the hands of fans, Amazon acquired Touchco, or so it is suspected. Touchco is a start-up company based in New York that specializes in touch screen technology.

With no commercially released products, Touchco is a new company that began their project at the Media Research Lab at New York University. Touchco has a small staff of six, and they have created flexible technology and multi-touch technology that will allow the touches of several users on a device simultaneously.

Although a mute subject with Amazon and Touchco reps., it is said that Amazon will move Touchco staff members to Cupertino, CA. This is where the Kindle hardware division is housed. Now, what is so great about Touchco technology? It is called interpolating force-sensitive resistance. Only costing about $10 per square foot, it can be put into transparent displays. Currently, iPad and iPhone capacitive touch screens that are used are more expensive, and unlike the Touchco technology, it doesn’t detect an unlimited amount of simultaneous touch points.

The technology can tell the difference between a finger-touch and the pressure of a pen. It does this by utilizing resistors that are sensitive to different levels of pressure. Touchco’s technology works with full-color LCD like the iPad and up and coming Hewlett-Packard’s tablet PCs.

E-Ink may be close to dying out because with the entry of the Touchco technology, Amazon can offer the world a full-color touch screen Kindle. This isn’t intended to put down the e-ink technology. It is great for reading long books, but can lag while viewing reference works, multimedia and other sources of entertainment.

Amazon can’t stay stagnant. They can lower the price of the Kindle to fight against the iPad, or come up with a new gadget that tops the iPad. The acquisition leads to an assumption that Amazon is going to fight. Also we may see the end of the cumbersome keyboard, and shiny new virtual one.

Amazon recognizes the importance of competing with Apple. They are creating apps that are like current iPhone and eventual iPad apps. If Amazon wants to stay on top of the market with Kindle, a new and updated version is needed. Many owners may be in the process of retiring their e-reader, opting instead, for the more modern iPad from Apple.

Just an interesting addition, if you go to Touchco’s website or YouTube page, you will find no information. In fact, on their website they left a message that reads, “Thank you for your interest in Touchco. As of January 2010, the company is no longer doing business.”