Mudpad: Fluid Haptics for Multitouch Surfaces

Motivation

This project centers around the idea to use a smart liquid for actuation on a multitouch device.

Since the introduction of the iPhone touchscreens became very common and most people probably have used one by now. While using a touchscreen is often described as enjoyable due to direct interaction techniques, users also complain about the lack of tactile feedback. There are some approaches to alleviate this flaw on mobile phones by using auditory or vibrotactile feedback utilizing the phone vibrate function. Even though this is an improvement, for a multitouch device you would also want multi-point, i.e., localized fedback.

With MudPad, we introduce a device which is able to give localized active haptic feedback while being also capable of multitouch input.

http://hci.rwth-aachen.de/mudpad

Pantech Pursuit (AT&T)

a review of Pantech Pursuit, available from AT&T - from cnet.com:

>>Pantech Pursuit (AT&T)

The Pursuit has a resistive display, so you do need to apply a bit more pressure in order for your touch to register. Still, we found it surprisingly responsive--it takes less than a second for the screen to react. You can also go through a touch calibration wizard to improve your accuracy, and the Pursuit offers haptic vibration feedback as well.

The Pantech Pursuit has a cute playful design.

Marvell backs ambitious $100 OLPC tablet

from cnet.com:

>>Marvell backs ambitious $100 OLPC tablet

Vague details and product renderings of the XO-3 tablet first surfaced last December. More-concrete specs are now taking shape, including an ambitiously low power rating of 1 watt per hour (compared with the 5 watts per hour required by the OLPC laptop). Other promised features include a multilingual, multitouch-screen keyboard with haptic feedback, Wi-Fi, high-quality video (1080p full-HD encode and decode), integrated video and still cameras, high-performance 3D graphics, Flash 10 Internet, and two-way teleconferencing.

Samsung Galaxy Tab revealed

images leaked by Samsung South Africa - from engadget.com:

>>If only there were more tablets in the world, you know? Samsung has heard the call, and truth be told they might have a nice crack at creating something desirable. The 7-inch Galaxy Tab (previously referred to as the S-Pad), runs Android with Samsung's TouchWiz UI on top (similar to the Galaxy S sitting next to it).

Smartphone Shipments Likely to Double

From the WSJ:

>>SAN FRANCISCO -- Global smartphone shipments will likely more than double in the next four years, signaling dramatic potential growth for market leaders such as Apple Inc.'s iPhone, according to data expected to be released by market tracker iSuppli Corp. early next week.

Immersion's shareholders' meeting

from the IV MB, by PVTOMA:

>>Shareholder Meeting Update

The new TS 5000 technology is very crisp and is clearly distinguishable solution to the TS 2000 and other actuator based solutions. TS 5000 uses piezo technology. Repeated that client feedback is strong and should have a product out this year. I liked the device but will not go on about how good it is as the market will determine that.

There was a Samsung camera with a touch screen. Asked if there was a press release on this device and was told “no”. Unfortunately Samsung needs to approve any press release regarding their products and when asked for approval, they consistently decline. Big corporation and I assume they probably don’t want to spread it to the competition. However IMMR has been posting it to their website on certain occasions and that does not cross the grey line. http://www.immersion.com/partners/haptics-in-use/consumer-electronics.html Not every product is here but some of the more meaningful ones. Clearly Samsung is pushing haptics through all product lines. A mobile music device from Samsung was also displayed as was a PND that was a Best Buy branded device.

The biggest news personally for me was about the “immersion killers” and “new competition” to our haptics that I have read about in the press. I specifically asked about new competition and was told that there was none really to speak of, outside of not using haptics. I further inquired about a past article that described a different type of haptics. Vic explained that the mechanical delivery method, being either actuator based devices, the piezo devices or the thin film devices, that I read about are just one piece of the solution. For the one example I gave Vic he said that IMMR was working with that company and the press reported that it was new competition to us. Not true. Basically the press does not understand the eco system and that company brands that solution under their name. Immersion encourages all sorts of different mechanical solutions to deliver the haptics effect. It helps our technology grow, creates competition and could help produce better effects at lower costs. The mechanical piece is only one part of the solution. Immersion holds the keys (knowledge, experience and most importantly the IP) to the other two parts that create the entire solution. The net of it is that someone may create a better mechanical delivery device but that would only be to the benefit of IMMR.

Microsoft:
IMMR works with them to create designs for them and we do get paid for this work! The more MSFT uses haptics the better for market acceptance– was their view.

That’s about it. It did not appear that anyone from Ramius was there.
There were 18 million shares voted for the accounting firm and 7 million approving the new director.

Saitama Medical University International Medical Center Delivers Radiosurgery to Moving Lung Tumors

SUNNYVALE, Calif., June 3 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --

             Saitama Medical University International Medical Center
                Delivers Radiosurgery to Moving Lung Tumors

   Accuray Incorporated (Nasdaq: ARAY), a global leader in the field of
radiosurgery, announced today that Saitama Medical University International
Medical Center in Japan has become the first hospital in Japan to deliver a
CyberKnife radiosurgery treatment using the Synchrony Respiratory Tracking
System. Their first treatment using the Synchrony System was delivered over a
three day period from April 26-28, 2010 to a female patient with metastatic
lung cancer. Saitama Medical University International Medical Center is one of
the leading facilities for new advances in medical care in Japan.

   The Synchrony System, which is a component of the CyberKnife
Robotic Radiosurgery System, monitors and tracks a patient's respiratory
motion in real time throughout the CyberKnife treatment, allowing doctors to
treat to treat complex moving tumors with sub-millimeter targeting accuracy.
The Synchrony System tracks tumor motion, which is especially important for
tumors that move with respiration in areas of the body such as the lung, and
dynamically directs the delivery of highly accurate radiation beams to the
moving tumor. The Synchrony System constantly updates its correlation model,
automatically correcting for any changes in respiration or tumor movement.
This allows the patient to breathe comfortably during treatment and allows
the clinician to reduce radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissues and
critical structures.

   The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) granted
Shonin approval of the CyberKnife System for use in the treatment of
extracranial tumors, including tumors that move with respiration in June,
2008, This regulatory approval dramatically expanded the types of patients
that can be treated with radiosurgery to include those with cancers of the
spine, lung, liver, pancreas and prostate. In April 2010 fiducial markers
that are compatible with the CyberKnife System were approved for use,
enabling this recent lung treatment with the Synchrony System.

   Presently there are 21 CyberKnife Systems installed throughout
Japan. Worldwide use of the CyberKnife System to treat lung cancer grew 25
percent year over year in calendar year 2009 and presently more than 12,000
lung cancer patients have been treated.

TradeTech Japan 2010

Equinix is an associate partner and exhibitor for 4th annual trading conference in Japan.

http://www.wbresearch.com/tradetechjapan/

TradeTech Japan 2010

Brigantine Advisors Updates Coverage Rating and 'Best Idea' for Enterprise Infrastructure Stocks

"Within our services coverage, our five Buy rated stocks are: Equinix (Nasdaq: EQIX), Terremark (Nasdaq: TMRK), Akamai (Nasdaq: AKAM), Internap (Nasdaq: INAP), and Rackspace (NYSE: RAX). Of those, we would look to Equinix as our best large-cap idea, with Internap as our best small cap idea."

from StreetInsider.com

Avectra Expands Operations with Member Management Data Hosting Services in Canada

In addition to the new Canadian hosting facility, the company’s other hosting facilities are operated by Equinix and are based in the Washington, D.C., area with a redundant data center operated in a third geographic area.

"Inside the Electronic Trading Debate: Separating Fact from Fiction”

Equinix is proud to sponsor the webinar "Inside the Electronic Trading Debate: Separating Fact from Fiction” featuring Irene Aldridge, author of “High Frequency Trading” and frequent subject matter expert in the media. Scheduled for June 16, the webinar will address the key issues around electronic trading and examine the reality versus the hype. Sign up to register at the link below. The webinar will be recorded and archived for later viewing.

Inside the Electronic Trading Debate

ALF-X opens a New Era for Tele-Robotic Surgery

ALF-X opens a New Era for Tele-Robotic Surgery

Laparoscopic or 'keyhole' surgery is about to become safer and more efficient thanks to ALFX,
a new surgical tele-robotics system with innovative tactile sensing capabilities. The system,
to be presented today for the first time at the 17th Annual Congress of the International Society
for Gynaecological Endoscopy in Bari (Italy), represents a breakthrough in tele-robotic
surgery. It was developed by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the
pharmaceutical company SOFAR S.p.A..
ALF-X, which stands for “Advanced Laparoscopy through Force refleCTion”, employs a range of
unprecedented features covering tactile sensing capabilities, versatility, safety and ease of use for
laparoscopic surgical procedures. It provides surgeons with better 'tactile sensing', the perception of
forces exerted on patient tissues by robotic surgical instruments. This will help avoid breaking sutures
(surgical stitching) and reduce any damage caused by the incision of trocars, tools used in keyhole
operations, thus improving the quality of interventions.
In any type of laparoscopic intervention, ALF-X allows for the quick insertion and replacement of
surgical instruments independently from the patient’s positioning on the operation table. It is also
possible to simultaneously use up to five of its robotic arms, operated by one or two surgeons.
Designed to minimise workloads and reduce intervention time, ALF-X is highly versatile and is the first
system to address the demand for tactile sense in a cost-effective manner. Easily retractable to allow
surgeons full access to the patient, ALF-X should not alter overall surgical procedures. It is aimed at
experienced laparoscopy surgeons, offering an intuitive command interface that can be located
outside the operation room.
The ALF-X tele-robotic surgical system is the result of fruitful research and development collaboration
between the Italian pharmaceutical company SOFAR S.p.A. and the Joint Research Centre, the
European Commission's in-house research body. Thanks to its expertise in advanced robotics in the
field of nuclear safeguards, the JRC was able to innovate and patent the system design, while SOFAR
S.p.A. provided the engineering development and surgical expertise. The JRC develops many cutting
edge technologies as by-products of its work programme and is keen to licence them for external use
whenever possible.
The 17th Annual Congress of the International Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy entitled
“Women’s Health from Diagnosis to Treatment”, begins today and ends on June 7th (2008).
�� For further information please refer to:
• JRC Internal and External Communication; Tel: +39 033278 9743; Fax: +39 0332 785409;
Email: berta.duane@ec.europa.eu
• http://www.jrc.ec.europa.eu
• JRC Technology Portfolio: http://www.jrc.ec.europa.eu/technology-portfolio

Shumway Capital Partners

from marketfolly.com:

>>We also wanted to point out that their Equinix (EQIX) position listed above is only their equity stake. Shumway also holds various notes and their aggregate exposure to EQIX actually makes it one of their largest positions (slightly smaller than the size of their CSCO stake). And if you hadn't already noticed, many stocks in their portfolio are those on Goldman Sachs' VIP list of stocks most important to hedge funds. Maybe that helps explain their poor performance in the month of May.

Read more: http://www.marketfolly.com/2010/06/hedge-fund-shumway-capital-partners.html#ixzz0pj4iR700