Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Comparing touchscreens - Capacitive V Resistive

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There are two main types of touchscreens used in mobile phones

They are: Capacitive and Resistive.

Capacitive (wikipedia)
Capacitive screens detect a single point of contact between two layers when they are pressed together.

Resistive (wikipedia)
Resistive screens detect electric fields (such as the one in a human body) coming into contact with the electircal current passing through the screen.



Why might you be interested?
  • Resistive screens work best when used with a stylus.
  • Capacitive screens work with a finger.
  • Capacitive screens don't have to have contact made to detect input.
  • Capacitive screens are commonly acknolwedged to be easier to use and more intuitive.
  • Windows Mobile only officially supports resistive screens. While there have been examples of Windows Mobile running on a device with a capacitive screen, such devices are not available and are unlikely to be so in the foreseeable future.

Finger frustration, not finger fun!

What's new in Windows Mobile 6.5?

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The short answer is not a lot.

Last week there were several announcements relating to Windows Mobile.

One of those announcements was the release of a new version of the operating system, version 6.5.

It really only brings two new features of any note.

1. An improved interface for touch screen devices.
2. An improved version of the IEMobile browser, which adds support for gestures.

It's not that big an announcement for a number of reasons:
  • It was totally expected.
  • It won't be on any devices that you can actually buy until then end of this year.
  • It feels like some minor changes to keep it in the running until they can get the next version (7) out.
  • It doesn't make me excited about it or particularly want to own a device that runs the OS. (Though I probably will in time.)
  • There are better third party UIs available.
  • Upgrades for existing devices are unlikely to be available.


Here's hoping for more from Windows Mobile 7 - Expect that announcement in February 2010.

SMS Déjà Vu - Interested?

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Do you find yourself sending the same messages to the same people regularly?
Do you have a mobile phone that uses the Windows Mobile operating system?
Are you interested in some new software to make sending those messages simpler?


SMS Déjà Vu might be just what you need then.
It makes it possible to send a predefined message to a person in just two clicks - subject to a mapped hardware button to launch it.. (That's faster than anyone can type!)

At the moment the app is usable but far from perfect.
I'll happily send you a copy if you give me feedback/suggestions while I make changes to get it in a state where it can be widely distributed.

Drop me an email (matt [at] mrlacey [dot] co [dot] uk) if you're interested.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009