Jeff Han and the Multi-Touch display get a lot of coverage and for good reason. The technology is a revolutionary way to interface with computers and strikes a particular chord with visually-oriented folks. The latest video is of a larger version of the screen and features more of a glimpse into accessing the context menu than I remember seeing in earlier demos released on the web.
Two things really catch my attention watching this… first is the ease at which the operator is able to zoom into the document that is in focus. It isn’t the first time we have seen this aspect of the interface featured, but the manipulation of viewpoint on the 3D object as well as the zoom capability on the browser window reveals the power that a human gesture can have on a virtual/digital object. The operator is no longer relegated to peering through the portal of the Window, but is instead given more direct control of the perspective. I simply can’t imagine having to lean forward in my chair to get a better look at my document using the Multi-Touch interface. After spending hours building in SL I dream of having the ability to ALT + click over my Windows to change perspective.
The second part of this demo I find amazing is that there are points where there are two operators working simultaneously with both hands in what appears to be a single program. My tiny mind can barely begin to image the sorts of collaborative projects that could be conceived with this tool.