Touchscreen technology has been either working or frustrating. The first devices to have the word ``touchscreen” attached to their names were available in the mid 1970s, and the technology didn’t take off until Apple’s iPod Touch showed in 2007 how effective it can be.
This useful technology is yet to be more widely available in our daily life. So the case of Korea, where I get to use many different kinds of locally developed touchscreens on a daily basis, can show global technology-enthusiasts how they can be integrated into our lifestyle.
In a high-tech city like Seoul, people enjoy the convenience of accessing information without peripherals such as a mouse and keyboard. In busy public environments, touchscreens are easier to use and less intimidating than other input devices especially for novice users.
On my way to work in central Seoul, I regularly pass by the newly deployed Digital View terminals that enable users to make phone calls, zoom in and out of satellite view maps, browse the platform, and more. Some of Seoul’s busiest subway stations have more than 15 of these touchscreen terminals each.
Passengers can also purchase tickets or store their bags in lockers ― each controlled via dedicated touchscreen interfaces.
Entering the office I unlock the door via the fingerprint scanner, removing the hassle to reach for my employee ID or a key.
In the COEX exhibition center and shopping mall, which are near to where I work, the arcades are equipped with touchscreen store locators and pathfinders although freely roaming info-robots on wheels are much more fun to use when choosing my destination with the a tap of a fingertip.
Being outdoors in the cold you may hesitate to take off your gloves to use a touchscreen device. However, necessity is the mother of invention ― Korean stores started selling gloves that use conductive threads to mimic the properties of a human hand. With such gloves you won’t struggle to answer a call or miss that picture opportunity in the cold anymore.
My touchscreen journey continues after work on the famous Gangnam street where pedestrians can enjoy over 20 WiFi media polls featuring interactive public transportation maps, games, street maps, store directories and nearby promotions.
An increasing number of upscale restaurants and bars provide their menus on tablet computers, and almost every restaurant’s cashier desk has a digital signature touchpad for customers to sign their receipt.
Returning home for prime-time TV programs has become even more exciting for techies. With the availability of smart television sets, their touchscreen remote controls every icon and menu on the screen directly instead of navigating by pressing buttons limited to four directions only.
Continuing at home, the new refrigerators with WiFi-enabled touchscreens on the door panels come in handy. Korean company Samsung Electronics was the first to release such a fridge on the market. They are loaded with applications related to the kitchen including timers, memo pads and photo albums as well as weather forecasts and social networking tools.
With technology evolving quickly in Korea, it would not come as a surprise to see touchscreens everywhere in our homes, in public and at offices used for many purposes.
The iPhone 4 already boasts `Retina Display’ developed by Korean company LG. The screen’s successor, such as NOVA, is already in the works, making the future not so untouchable.