Control Surfaces: The End of the Keyboard as we Know It

In a recently published report titled “Handset Input Interface Methods and Technologies: 2007 – 2011”, wireless research and consulting firm, ARCchart, examines the state of input interface technologies on mobile phones and provides a view of how input technologies and methods will evolve over the coming years.

The research firm estimates that keypads are found on about 94% of handset models worldwide, while 96% of models have some form of 5-way navigation interface. Mini-keyboards are found on just 6% of phone models. ARCchart see emerging technologies like haptics and fingerprint sensors gradually playing an interfacing role on the mobile phone. However, 'control surfaces' will make the biggest impact in the next five years, and will increasingly substitute physical interfaces like buttons and scroll-wheels.

A ‘control surface’ is any surface that allows the presence, or position, of a finger or pointing device (e.g. stylus) to be detected. Touch-screens based on resistive technology and widely deployed on PDA phones are currently the most common type of control surface. However, ARCchart expects control surfaces, based on capacitance detection technology, to be increasingly applied to other parts of the handset, not just the screen. These surfaces will substitute physical interfaces like buttons and scroll-wheels, reducing the number of mechanical components required for assembly and allowing handset designers to produce more stylish and innovative form factors.

Matt Lewis, ARCchart’s Research Director, comments: “Eventually, control surfaces will give rise to soft interfaces, where buttons, keypads, keyboards and various navigation elements are rendered graphically on a touch-sensitive screen to provide interfaces which can change dynamically depending on context and the application.” ARCchart estimates that 38% of all handset models will have some type of control surface interface by 2011.

Associated Link: Table of Contents: Handset Input Interface Methods and Technologies: 2007 – 2011

Advice on Designing Mobile Sites and Apps
Source: Poynter Online, 18 March 2010
 
Series of useful tips from a recent panel discussion.

Website Usability and Conversion
Source: UsabilityBlog, 17 March 2010
 
Useful presentation on the relationship between website usability and conversion.

Tips for Usability Testing with Children
Source: Econsultancy, 16 March 2010
 
Not even chocolate will help you here.

The Hygiene Factor of Usability
Source: inspireUX, 15 March 2010
 
Is it true that usability can no longer take us 'beyond lack of dissatisfaction'?

The Business Benefits of building Accessible websites
Source: Econsultancy, 13 March 2010
 
There’s a good business case for making your website more accessible to the UK’s disabled community.

Internet access is 'a fundamental right'
Source: BBC, 12 March 2010
 
Almost four in five people around the world believe that access to the internet is a fundamental right, a poll for the BBC World Service suggests.

The Net generation, Unplugged
Source: The Economist, 11 March 2010
 
Is it really helpful to talk about a new generation of "digital natives" who have grown up with the internet?

Rewriting the Human-Computer interaction Handbook
Source: CIOL, 10 March 2010
 
Indrani Medhi of Microsoft Research India has developed text-free user interfaces (UIs) to allow any illiterate or semi-literate person on first contact with a computer, to proceed with minimal or no assistance.

Lip reading Mobile promises End to noisy phone calls
Source: BBC, 9 March 2010
 
A prototype device shown off at CeBIT could allow people to conduct silent phone conversations.

Games User Researchers band together
Source: UN, 8 March 2010
 
The number of UX professionals in gaming has reached critical mass.