I foresee a future where every mobile technology——smart phones, PDAs, cameras and UMPCs——comes equipped with touch screen. I am not prophesying without a reason. Yesterday, Sharp demonstrated a new technology, which transforms the screen into a multiple touch-point screen and a scanner. We already have products in the market that combines sensing function with an LCD screen. Sharp simplifies the process by putting in an optical sensor into each pixel to create the transformation.

The technology demonstrated by Sharp is simple and when it is up for consumption, it is slated to become the fundamental building block in the next generation interface. The new technology also enhances performance; you get a better quality image and also range of new application, like the fingerprint authentication.

Sharp also gave a glimpse of what all its latest technology is capable of doing: map-resizing and re-orientation with a multiple (fingertip) touch point interface; scanning a business card by placing it face-down on the screen; a multi-touch interface for accessing music.

The volume production, for this product, is schedule to start in Q2 of 2008. When this product is up in the market, I believe the novelty factor of touch-screen will fade. We are going to see too many people carrying mobile devices featuring that.

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