Multi-touch table-top displays project content through glass and respond to touch – imagine a table-sized smartphone screen.

But Li-Wei Chan from the National Taiwan University in Taipei wanted to make these types of screens more appealing for multiple users. The idea is that several people could look at the same images, and get more information about the areas that interest them, using moveable objects. “I came up with the idea of using a lamp as the interface to provide source of high-resolution projection when one day I saw the famous lamp in Pixar movies.”

Users viewing an image such as a map projected onto a table-top display can zoom in on specific areas – seeing street names for example – simply by positioning the “lamp” device over them.

“We combine an infrared projector and a standard colour projector to simultaneously project visible content and invisible markers on the table surface,” says Chan. The “lamp” is fitted with infrared cameras and can use the hidden markers to compute its position in three dimensions. It then uses this information to control the projection of high-res images onto the correct place on the table-top.

Window on 3D

The team have also created a tablet computer which lets viewers see a two-dimensional scene in 3D. If you hold the computer over the area of the map you are interested in, a 3D view of that area will appear on the screen.

The “lamp” also comes in a handheld flashlight design, which Chan thinks could be used with high-res scans of paintings in museums, for example, so that people could zoom in to see more detail of things that have caught their eye.

Using the tablet computer to show up areas of a 3D map would allow several users, each with their own tablet, to examine and discuss the map at once, says Chan. This could be useful for the military, when examining a map of unfamiliar territory and discussing strategy, for example.

I am at the headquarters of Oblong Industries, developers of the G-Speak gestural computingMovie Camera interface, and I’m about to trial its system for controlling computers through hand gestures.

I find myself surrounded by a cage of metal scaffolding, which houses the system’s 16 near-infrared motion detectors, as John Underkoffler, Oblong’s chief scientist, boots up the system. I’m amidst three large screens, and above me three projectors beam images onto them. A fourth overhead projector, pointing onto a white table, serves as a fourth screen. Underkoffler insists that the G-Speak is targeting hardcore number-crunchers, not gamers, but the rig looks like it would be more at home in a rock club than an office.

Underkoffler hands me a pair of black gloves with tiny reflective balls attached to the back of every digit except the pinky. The gloves help a camera follow my hands but add to the feeling that I’m about to start a performance. Yet again, Underkoffler stresses this is serious computing, before adding that: “The goal is to get rid of the gloves entirely, and we’re not far from that.”

First up was a basic training program. A grid of white letters hovers against a blue background on the screen in front of me. It feels playful when I’m told to form a “gun” by extending my index finger and pointing my thumb upwards. But this hand position forms the basic shape for interacting with all on-screen objects, allowing me to move a star-shaped cursor around the display. I “shoot” the gun by depressing my extended thumb and in so doing grab a letter and move it with a gesture to the table in front of me.

So far, so Minority Report. Having mastered the basics of point and shoot, I move on to a 3D application. Here I go from shooting to flying. On the bank of screens, a universe of regularly spaced boxes extends in all directions. To navigate, I start with the gun hand and bend my middle finger so it’s at 90 degrees to my index finger. This action creates three axes on screen. Pushing up, in the direction of my thumb, moves my position up; moving my hand sideways, or forward and backward, has a similar effect. Twisting my hand rotates space.

After a bit of flailing, I gain control. I learn to target a particular box and head slowly towards it in a smooth spiral. Then suddenly the flight jerks to a halt, my gestures no longer in control. Underkoffler points out that I have let my extended fingers curve just a bit. The system tracks my fingers to within one-tenth of a millimetre in all directions – it feels surprisingly sensitive to my hand, which is used to the imprecision of a mouse. I straighten my fingers and I’m off again.

We move on through applications for video editing, photo analysis, even air-traffic control. By the end, I am really starting to appreciate that G-Speak is meant for real work: the interface allows me to sort vast amounts of on-screen information with far greater ease than I could with a mouse. Vast sweeps of my hands create rapid movements, but the system is sensitive enough to allow precise movements to be picked up too.

Will gestural computing become a mainstream technology? Perhaps, but this set-up is hardly going to fit into the standard office-worker’s cubicle. Oblong promises desktop versions will soon be ready to demonstrate, though. Mastering it would take practice, but probably no more than touch-typing, and it’s a lot more fun than that.

Make one for yourself: instructables.com/id/DIY-3D-Controller/

Sony says that the Ray Modeler will have applications in digital signage, video games and futuristic telecommunication.

Here’s the launch video from Sony:

Called the Airborne Ultrasound Tactile Display, the hologram projector uses an ultrasound phenomenon called acoustic radiation pressure to create a pressure sensation on a user’s hands, which are tracked with two Nintendo Wiimotes. As the researchers explain, the method doesn’t use any direct contact and so doesn’t dilute the quality of the hologram.

In this demonstration of the touchable hologram, ultrasound is radiated from above and the user feels as if a rain drop hits his palm. Credit: Hiroyuki Shinoda.

Researchers from the University of Tokyo have developed 3D holograms that can be touched with bare hands. Generally, holograms can’t be felt because they’re made only of light. But the new technology adds tactile feedback to holograms hovering in 3D space.

Called the Airborne Ultrasound Tactile Display, the hologram projector uses an ultrasound phenomenon called acoustic radiation pressure to create a pressure sensation on a user’s hands, which are tracked with two Nintendo Wiimotes. As the researchers explain, the method doesn’t use any direct contact and so doesn’t dilute the quality of the hologram. The researchers, led by Hiroyuki Shinoda, currently have the technology.

“A retroreflective marker is attached on the tip of user’s middle finger,” the researchers explain on their website. “IR LEDs illuminate the marker and two Wiimotes sense the 3D position of the finger. Owing to this hand-tracking system, the users can handle the floating virtual image with their hands.”

In the video, the researchers demonstrate how a user can dribble a virtual bouncing ball, feel virtual raindrops bouncing off their hand, and feel a small virtual creature crawling on their palm. The researchers hope that the technology will have applications in video games, 3D CADs, and other uses.

In the case of Augmented Reality, the augmentation is conventionally in real-time and in semantic context with environmental elements, such as sports scores on TV during a match. With the help of advanced AR technology (e.g. adding computer vision and object recognition) the information about the surrounding real world of the user becomes interactive and digitally usable. Artificial information about the environment and the objects in it can be stored and retrieved as an information layer on top of the real world view. The term augmented reality is believed to have been coined in 1990 by Thomas Caudell, an employee of Boeing at the time.

Augmented reality research explores the application of computer-generated imagery in live-video streams as a way to expand the real-world. Advanced research includes use of head-mounted displays and virtual retinal displays for visualization purposes, and construction of controlled environments containing any number of sensors and actuators.

1. Subliminal Suggestion

Research shows that objects and images you see around you can prime you for certain behaviors. For example, a study on children showed that after being shown a Santa Claus cap, they were more likely to share candy with others. The cap embodied the concept of sharing and giving in their minds, and exposure to it primed them for regarding sharing more positively. The same study also exposed kids to a “Toys ‘R’ Us” logo, which had the opposite effect of the Santa Claus cap, making them less likely to share their candy.

When choosing images for your website, think carefully about the message you’re trying to send. Pick images that are meaningful and that embody that message or feeling. Don’t put graphics on your website for their own sake — if they’re not doing a job, they don’t have to be there. Clichéd and overused imagery and stock photos are also dangerous because it may not send the right message in the given context, so select images that get the effect you’re after.

2. Prevent Choice Paralysis

There is a phenomenon in marketing known as “choice paralysis.” Choice paralysis happens when the user is given too many options. Choice is great, but when your customers are presented with too many options, they may be confused about where to go. Nobody wants buyer’s remorse (where a person chooses an item and decides later it’s not right for them), so many people spend more time than they should on the selection process: they become paralyzed.

In fact, according to Barry Schwatz, when customers have too many options to consider, they end up avoiding a specific service or the task in general (Paradox of Choice) – and this is exactly what we as designers need to carefully consider in our designs.

To remedy choice paralysis, make it easier for people to find the right product or service for them. Tell them what each option is great for, and then suggest the one they should choose. You can even use visuals to highlight the most popular product and steer potential customers towards it. If the product is not right for them, they’ll pick another, but if they’re confused, a “default” choice helps prevent choice paralysis.

3. Show The Product

When you visit a physical store, perhaps a grocery, you can look at, examine and sometimes even taste the products on sale. You make your purchasing decision based on the information you gather there. Are the tomatoes ripe enough? Are those strawberries red enough? What about the look and smell of that freshly baked bread?

When you sell services or Web apps online, you should do exactly the same thing: show the product. It’s surprising how many websites that sell software don’t actually show screenshots of their applications. Sure, these are intangible goods, digital goods that you can’t touch or smell, but they’re still goods you can see.

People make judgments based on what products look like. Why? Because appearance is an indicator, rightly or wrongly, of a product’s usability. This is known as the aesthetic-usability effect.

If people see a complicated and cluttered interface or, in some cases, even just an unattractive interface, they may assume it is not very usable or is hard to learn. On the other hand, if people see an attractive and simple-looking interface, they may start figuring out how it works right then and will want to give it a try. Get people to imagine using your software, and you’ll get closer to closing the sale.

4. Let People Try It

Once you start using a product, you become involved in it. Once you start entering data into it, you begin to make it your own. Every second a user spends trying out features is a second of their time invested in learning and using your product.

When that user is then presented with the question of whether to purchase or subscribe to the product or service, they will more likely say “yes” because they are already involved and have invested time in it. Of course, if the product is bad, then it may turn people off, but then your priority should really be to improve the product until it reaches a level people are happy with.

In recent years, we’ve seen the emergence of the “freemium” business model. A freemium service allows people to use a portion of it free of charge, but requires a purchase to use all of its features. It gives people a taste of the full product but doesn’t limit them to a trial period. This lets them use the product for free without monetary commitment and then upgrade if they like it.

It’s a great model for many online Software-as-a-Service businesses because once somebody begins using your product, they get sucked in. They start to rely on it, and when they rely on it to do business or manage their life, they will very likely need the premium features down the line and will be happy to upgrade because they already know your service well.

Stories are very important in sales because they get potential customers to imagine what it would be like to use your product. Letting people actually try your product for free goes even further. They don’t have to imagine because they can begin using it right away at no cost. Letting people try out your product, whether through a demo, a trial period or a freemium model, is an excellent way to win customers. Now, this isn’t really a “design” element but is important to mention here because of its potential to drive conversions.

5. AIDA

AIDA is a well-known strategy in sales and stands for: Attention, Interest, Desire and Action. It is relatively simple and describes the sequence of events you should aim for to get a sale. So, first of all, you must capture the attention of your potential customer. Once you have it, you should win their interest by explaining how your product or service can help them.

Then, once they’re interested, generate a desire in them for your product. For example, a story about how this product has helped someone like your visitor can help them imagine what this product would do for them, and especially what benefits it would bring. Indeed, the benefit part is key here because benefits, not features, sell products.

Finally, you need to get people to act. This means purchasing the product or signing up for the service. If people want your product, all they may need is a button to check out. If they are interested but not yet sure, you could use a few methods to motivate them further; for example, creating a sense of urgency with a limited-time offer or limited supply.

Now, the AIDA approach applies more to copy — the actual marketing text on the website — than design, so what we need to do on the design side is reinforce that copy, make it stand out and ensure visitors read it. This means making sure the first thing a new visitor sees really grabs their attention. The flow of the page should then direct their focus to the items that achieve the other two goals: interest and desire. Finally, at the end of this flow, we need to convert. So, provide calls to action: “Order now,” “Sign up here.”

It’s important to understand that the design alone won’t sell: you need strong copy in place to do most of that work. The design is there to reinforce and support the copy, rather than the other way around.

This means you shouldn’t design a nice website first and then fill up the space with words. Instead, think about the message you want to send out, write the copy and then construct a design that delivers that. If a delivery truck breaks down, then the package does not arrive, but if there was no package in the first place, then the delivery wouldn’t matter at all.

6. Guide attention

To benefit from something like AIDA, you have to lead your visitors through your content. You can do this by aligning items in a manner that will flow, and using images that guide the eyes. For example, if you want to focus attention somewhere, use a big arrow. Our eyes will notice the arrow and will naturally want to see where it points to.

Structure your content in a way that will flow towards something. Having a bunch of scattered feature descriptions may confuse and make your visitors lost, unless of course if all of the points end in calls to action. If you want to ensure your visitors don’t miss anything, align everything in a linear structure so that the user scans along it. Make sure to end it with the ultimate call to action: that signup or download link.

7. Always Provide Next Actions

ABC: Always Be Closing. If you’re designing a website to sell something, whether a software application or Web service, you should always be thinking about how you’re closing the deal on each page. This doesn’t mean filling every page with big “Buy now” buttons; it means when the customer is ready to buy, they shouldn’t have to look around for the check-out link.

Always provide next-action links to keep the flow going and to ensure you don’t lose the attention of potential customers. Next-action links can direct the visitor to a page with more information about the product or to the actual page where they can make the purchase or sign up. These links could read something like: “Ready to order? Click here,” “Learn more,” “Take the tour” or “Shop now.”

Don’t leave a dead end on any page: always suggest to your visitors where they should go next.

8. The Gutenberg rule

The Gutenberg diagram (or the Gutenberg rule) is a concept that maps out something called reading gravity. Reading gravity describes a habit of reading in the western world: left to right, top to bottom. The Gutenberg diagram splits up a page into four quadrants: the “Primary Optical Area” in top left, the “Strong Fallow Area” in top right, the “Weak Fallow Area” in the bottom left and a “Terminal Area” in bottom right.

The Gutenberg diagram

It suggests that the bottom left area of the page will get least attention as our eyes scan the page from top left to bottom right and that our glance would end up in the lower right portion of the page. How can we utilize this concept? Buttons and calls to action could be placed in bottom right instead of bottom left, as this is the place where the visitor’s glance is likely to alight.

Note that the Gutenberg diagram is more likely to work on pages which have more a balanced distribution of content. If parts of your page have strong highlights through high contrast and bold typography, then those areas would likely attract more attention and so will direct the way a user scans the page.

Apple on Tuesday began selling a Magic Trackpad, a new wireless device that connects via Bluetooth to any Mac computer and allows users to manipulate what’s on their screens through gestures.

Like track pads on laptops, the battery-powered gadget can be used instead of a mouse or in conjunction with one. The pad’s entire surface is a button that clicks, so that people can use it in place of a mouse.

“Swiping through pages online feels just like flipping through pages in a book or magazine. And inertial scrolling makes moving up and down a page more natural than ever,” says Apple on its Magic Trackpad web page.

Some details about the device had already leaked, and its official launch had been expected since it was mentioned at Apple’s developers’ conference in early June.

The Magic Trackpad is made from glass-covered aluminum and is the same angle and height as a Mac desktop keyboard, which it’s designed to sit next to. It comes as a standalone accessory and costs $69.

Apple says the device supports a set of gestures that include two-finger scrolling, pinching to zoom, rotating with your fingertips, three-finger swiping, or switching between applications with four fingers.

“Go from typing to gesturing in one motion, or do both at the same time,” Apple says in its product description.

Apple began selling the Magic Trackpad in its stores and on its website Tuesday morning along with an updated line of iMac and Mac Pro computers. Its online store was down for a period of time beforehand, causing the usual fevered web speculation about what the closely watched company might introduce.

Magic Trackpad quickly became a trending topic on Google and Twitter, although not everyone was impressed.