CNETAnalysis: Touchscreen use may be growing in the PC world, but touch-less is the way of the future. PointGrab, a firm that utilizes devices’ internal 2D cameras to control products like TVs, PCs and tablets with hand movements, announced Tuesday that it teamed up with Acer to incorporate its Windows 8 solution software in the manufacturer’s new All-in-Ones (AIO). PCs like the Aspire 5600U and AZS600 are part the new Acer AIO clique, and all run Windows 8. The move marks the first time PointGrab’s tech can be found on U.S. shores and, according to PointGrab, the further confluence of touch-less interface usage by OEM’s. Watch the hands PointGrab’s technology relies on a natural user interface (NUI) that utilizes hand movements sans touch. Its system can track hands individually or together with gestures incorporated from the company’s library or ones that are custom designed based on user need. The company’s Windows 8 solution builds on the software it produced for Windows 7 , creating an even more intuitive, touch-less experience that lets users navigate through features, control multimedia and manipulate apps without ever touching the product. Acer joins the ranks of Intel and Fujitsu in taking on PointGrab’s solutions, with the latter unveiling its partnership Monday. “Introducing PointGrab’s hand gesture control software on Acer devices signifies the beginning of a strategic partnership between our companies designed to directly benefit Acer customers across the globe,” said Haim Perski, PointGrab’s CEO. For Acer, the match makes perfect sense. “Acer’s long-term mission is to break the barriers between people and technology,” said David Liu, associate vice president of stationary computing products at Acer. “PointGrab’s latest solution helps us to continue realizing that mission by making hand gestures easy and intuit! ive – ultimately to become second nature for our customers.”
