Miss, could you reboot my table?
Melissa Worden notes tabletop surfing is becoming a reality. Tully's Coffee in San Francisco is installing tables with touch screen PCs to allow patrons free access to the hometown newspaper's Web site, SFGate.com, as they nurse their java.
The tabletop PCs are made by TableTouch. The company calls it their "News Table." And it has a tease on the Web site: "Please check back September, 25th after 3pm PST to see what's in store for the future".
Worden does note that it could put a damper on table talk if all you can get is one pre-defined Web site. And while the Tully's pilot involves the San Francisco Chronicle, I can imagine some ingenious marketing types limiting the display to a high-flak restaurant Web site or "special" advertising site.. (sigh)
The TableTouch systems run Windows XP boxes The tables are 30 inches tall with a 30-inch round tabletop and weigh 40 pounds. The viewing area of the screen is roughly 12 x 9 inches.
Melissa Worden notes tabletop surfing is becoming a reality. Tully's Coffee in San Francisco is installing tables with touch screen PCs to allow patrons free access to the hometown newspaper's Web site, SFGate.com, as they nurse their java.
The tabletop PCs are made by TableTouch. The company calls it their "News Table." And it has a tease on the Web site: "Please check back September, 25th after 3pm PST to see what's in store for the future".
Worden does note that it could put a damper on table talk if all you can get is one pre-defined Web site. And while the Tully's pilot involves the San Francisco Chronicle, I can imagine some ingenious marketing types limiting the display to a high-flak restaurant Web site or "special" advertising site.. (sigh)
The TableTouch systems run Windows XP boxes The tables are 30 inches tall with a 30-inch round tabletop and weigh 40 pounds. The viewing area of the screen is roughly 12 x 9 inches.
; "Cal Malamud")
; "Gutenberg Press")
; "New York Times")
; "Jerry Douglas")
; "Dan Tyminski")
; "IMGA0409.JPG")
; "Cathy Clarke Birthday")
; "ICONN"){kind=logo}
; "Janet Coats")
; "Kodak Brownie")
Pretty interesting. The company I work for(ELO) has been doing this for years already, only in gaming and not surfing. We actually pioneered the first touchscreen in 1971 when the company was headquartered in Oak Ridge, TN. There are other companies out there making similar tables, TouchTable is one, though they focus mainly on office conferencing. I'd be interested to know who TableTouch is using for their touchscreens and which technology they are utilizing. They don't mention either in their specs, only that it is a touchscreen.
Good questions. I wish I had the answers. Maybe some more info will come out. I had forgotten about Elographics.