Visiting Microsoft's Media Centre posse in Redmond, I just caught a glimpse of the Windows 7 Media Centre interface with integrated touch control (no third-party software) on an HP TouchSmart. All I can say is, I've always loved the MCE user experience—it really is a highlight of Microsoft design—but adding smooth touch interaction makes it even better. The only thing missing here is multitouch, but I'm told that's coming. Check out the vid. [Windows 7]

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We're not the only ones obsessed with CNN's over-the-top magic wall, which they use in equal measure to cover elections, entertain babies and just fill time — fake TV news has been milking it for all it's worth. Now The Daily Show is on the case, and they've sent John Oliver to talk to Jeff Han, the man behind CNN's recent multitouch renaissance. What he finds aren't easy answers to his questions, but an unexpected mix of new technology, furtive military operations and terrifying, omnipresent newsreaders. This is bigger than CNN's secret baseball — so much bigger. [The Daily Show — Thanks, Rafael]

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HP's Touchsmart tx2 is awesome because its the first consumer-oriented convertible notebook to feature a multitouch technology built into the display. The 12.1-inch screen uses a capacitive touchpanel that can track two points simultaneously, operates with fingers or a stylus, and comes with the Mediasmart 2.0 interface customised for the notebook. While Dell's oft-mentioned Latitude XT came out last year with the multitouch power to simultaneously track all five fingers, the feature was kept dormant until the middle of 2008 and lacks any really mainstream software to take advantage of the tech.

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Some resourceful folks at the #android IRC channel and RyeBrye, after realizing that the G1's Synaptics touch screen might be able to handle multiple inputs, say they were able to re-enable some commented-out code in the phone's touchscreen driver and log some multitouch gestures. The lack of multitouch in the first Android phone was a minor disappointment, albeit an understandable one — encroaching on Apple's software patent territory probably wasn't on the top of Google's to-do list. But this wouldn't be the first time HTC has released a phone with hidden multitouch, and it is without a doubt the most intriguing.

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Macrumors forum member michaelb, in a fit of jealousy over his ladyfriend's new unibody MacBook, decided to try to trick his last-gen MacBook Air into recognising four-finger gestures. He installed the updated 10.5.5 system from the new MacBook onto his Air, and then through some tricky manipulation of the kernel extension, managed to get the flashy four-finger gestures working. This is like the invention of sliced bread times infinity.

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Andy Wilson, from Microsoft Research, has created a pretty impressive new way to interact with your computer, using very basic equipment and some very smart software coding. He's managed to use a standard webcam ("like $US30," he says) and custom software to get the cam to recognise the shapes and movement of only his hands. It's a bit like the Wiimote hack, but already working with programs like Google Earth.

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Those of you who watch CNN have probably noticed the neat multitouch screen the anchors have been playing with since the beginning of the election season. Now that all the votes are coming in and we're literally counting down to the big reveal, the news network has given a shout out to the man behind the Magic Wall--Jeff Han of Perceptive Pixel.

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Microsoft announced the SecondLight table a few days ago, offering plenty of explanations as to how this modified, quasi-X-ray Surface table works and how one might use it, but little in the way of visual aides. The dual-projection system, by which the table identifies where it is being touched and projects a second, alternative image didn't sound like the kind of thing that would look, well, seamless. As it turns out, it does. Say what you will about the SecondLight's incredibly complicated design, but you can't deny that, in motion, the hidden overlay concept is pretty impressive. [PCPro via Slashdot]

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Our in-depth preview of Windows 7 mentioned a few major features that didn't quite make it into the copy we tested, but the wily crew at Chilean site FayerWayer have caught a more advanced build on (sickeningly shaky) video. Most notably, the long hands-on shows off the new dock-esque taskbar, with decent task grouping, contextual program options and a slick new glassy look. Touch navigation is demonstrated in IE and Word, among others, but support is kind of patchy — IE has smooth inertial scrolling, while Word and and the image viewer just have embarrassingly choppy, albeit multitouch, gesture support.

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When Microsoft announced its Surface multitouch computer, we knew it'd be a toy for well-funded, respectable news outlets long before Joe the Plumbers, since it was going to cost $US10,000. Turns out, it actually costs more like $US13,500. That's with a 10 percent discount! Microsoft is still expecting good ol' economies of scale to kick in to help fulfil its dream of fancy coffee tables in every home, but uh, you might want to hang on to that iPhone or something if you want the multitouch future anytime soon. [Cnet via ZD Net]

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