One of the most interesting technologies in development at the moment is probably touch feedback. You know, when you would be playing a ping pong game with your friend via wireless link and actually feel the game, not only imagine it. Well, Immersion has recently unveiled what it calls an innovation of touch feedback technology for laptops and portable devices. It enables multi-modal user experiences, meaning that sight, sound and touch will all be interconnected.

But since the best person to tell you about it is usually the one in charge, let us hear Clent Richardson, chief executive officer of Immersion, out. “The sense of touch is fundamental to the future of user experience in digital devices, and our demonstration is another milestone in that evolution. […] Simply put, without haptics, touchscreen devices simply will not realize their full potential. From mobile phones to gaming devices, and now with much-anticipated laptops and other portables moving quickly to touchscreens, our haptic technology provides richer, more engaging and fulfilling experiences.”

Haptic-based technology is especially important since Windows 7 is known to be a system that offers a lot of touch-based interactivity should you have a monitor that allows it. I am looking forward to seeing more of this technology in the future. Just think about it: actually feeling the window as you move it to the side of the screen. Or a message that “pops up” hitting your palm and letting you know someone is talking to you.

If I were to paraphrase a certain character from a movie called “Forrest Gump,” I could say “Technology is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get!” You might be getting a wonderful operating system with icons that actually feel alive or... yet another disappointment. Another good thing about technology: the chocolates never end.


We are just a few, but there are many of you, Softpedia users, out there. That's why we thought it would be a good idea to create an email address for you to help us a little in finding gadgets we missed. Interesting links are bound to be posted with recognition going mainly to those who submit. The address is .