Synaptics Upgrades Touchscreen Interface

PC touch provider Synaptics has announced beta availability of its Synaptics Gesture Suite 9.4, which contains TouchPad-based interfaces for PCs. The addition of Scrybe gesture technology is for users who have notebooks with Synaptics TouchPads.

Scrybe enables users to personalize touch gestures to link task-oriented workflows for a wide variety of applications. TouchPad users can use Scrybe to perform finger movements that create fluid gesture shortcuts intended to boost productivity.

"For example," Synaptics said in a statement, "selecting a word or phrase by double-tapping and then tracing the '?' symbol can automatically launch the browser and perform an immediate directed search for the selected word or phrase. This advanced gesture feature provides faster results and eliminates typographical errors."

Synaptics noted that the technology can have a multitude of applications ranging from presentations and digital media features to control and command applications for playing and pausing through music and photo lists. Without lifting a hand from the TouchPad, users can rotate, tag, and enhance images and perform Windows system functions.

The company said it believes its Scrybe technology will eventually simplify and streamline TouchPad control. Scrybe's control panel can be launched with a single click. Two-finger twist rotate enables media control gestures for stop, play, rewind, fast-forward, next previous and job dial advanced. The new release also provides an API for software application developers.

The company is hoping to capitalize on the growing demand for touchscreens with multi-touch capabilities. A DisplaySearch report estimates this market will grow from $800 million in 2008 to over $4 billion in 2015.

In July the company introduced touchscreen technology for mobile devices.