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From Apple’s new iPad to the revolutionary Nintendo DSi, it’s hard to find a single piece of portable technology that’s not sporting a flashy new intuitive touchscreen. While the latest wave of tech may have ruled the tactile keyboard irrelevant, a growing number of technology purists believe that the touch-powered screen isn’t the perfect input and control interface. 
Design studio dsLabs has put together what seems like the ultimate in bizarre touchscreen accessories: a portable knob for touchscreen device users. Strangely enough, it’s a welcome addition to many touch-powered devices, enabling users to control them similarly to a manual stereo control system or analogue rotating dial.
The device is useful for more than just turning dials, users claim. dsLabs believe that the prototype control knob can be used as a portable stylus, giving phone users a greater degree of control for mobile phone applications and portable gaming.
While it’s unlikely that touchscreen accessories will catch on with the general public, serious touchscreen gamers and dedicated phone users might consider the investment. If greater control, a scratch-less display, and unique input are important to you, adding a control knob into the mix could lead to some interesting results.
Beverage company PepsiCo Ltd. recently announced an innovative new strategy to fight pollution and encourage recycling. The multinational company will begin deploying intelligent recycling kiosks across the United States throughout 2010, aiming to encourage customers to recycle their cans and plastic bottles after use.
Kiosks have already boosted returns in other industries, increasing profits for video rental retailers and building new markets for food and beverage retailers. Pepsi’s new recycling kiosks aim to target the other end of the market – providing services for people to return cans rather than purchase them. 
Just 34 percent of non-alcoholic cans are recycled in the United States, a figure that’s often attributed to the large amount of soft drinks consumed while out and about. By placing recycling kiosks in public areas and well-trafficked places, PepsiCo intend to reduce their carbon footprint and encourage users to take a sustainable approach to their consumption.
The kiosks will use a reward system to encourage frequent recycling. Users can swipe their Pepsi card against the machines to earn points, which can be spent on complimentary Pepsi products and promotional items. Up to 3,000 recycling kiosks will be deployed in 2010, with more to follow in the coming years.
When Melbourne’s Rising Sun Hotel installed a touch screen betting machine in their pub, the last thing they expected was a raid from the police. After less than six months of use, the prototype gaming machine was taken by regulators from the Gambling Regulation Commission and put through a series of rigorous tests to ensure its legitimacy. 
Touch screen kiosks are a frequent sight in airports and ticketing offices, but until now haven’t appeared in pubs and entertainment venues. Melbourne’s betting offices have been experimenting with the kiosks for the last year, using prototype machines in preparation for a full-scale launch across the city.
The gaming systems are designed to provide access to a universal betting account, giving gamers access to their bets no matter which venue they happen to be at. Melbourne company Tabcorp, the current owner of the city’s betting contract, is believed to be concerned about the technology’s disruption to their business.
While the kiosk was eventually returned to the Rising Sun Hotel, its owners and manufacturers believe they were treated poorly throughout the affair. Lost revenues are estimated at approximately $4 million Australian dollars, a figure which could prompt a lawsuit against Melbourne’s city government.
A decade ago, touch screens were a cool addition to sci-fi films and a dream for geeks across the world. Who could have imagined that just seven years later – with the release of the iPhone in 2007 – they’d become a commonplace feature in just about every
piece of technology released since?
From touchscreen kiosks to touch-driven mobile phones, we’ve scanned the entire commercial world for the most desirable, interesting, and pure cool touchscreen accessories on the market. If you’re after a slick new car, a cool new mobile phone, or
an interesting new gaming device, read on and choose from our ten coolest touchscreen gadgets.
1.
Apple iPad
Apple’s iPad is the ultra-popular touchscreen device of the moment – a content reader, web browsing tool, and portable computer all at once. Designed to offer an alternative for netbook and laptop users, the remarkable tool has truly taken off, selling out its entire shipment in less than a week’s worth of pre-orders. 
Despite early criticism from the technology press, the iPad appears to be sticking. From 90-year-old grandmothers to young children, the device’s demographic is much wider than that of traditional PCs, making this flashy piece of technology a must-have for people all around the world.
2. Nintendo DSi
When released in 2004, the DS quickly became Nintendo’s hottest gaming console. The ultra-portable touchscreen device drew praise from the hardcore gaming press and the casual gaming crowd, giving it lasting appeal that its competitors just couldn’t match. With over 125 million units shipped, is appears Nintendo have conquered touchscreen gaming – blocking out competitors and inspiring their users at the same time.
The DSi – and DSi XL, a larger version of the device – are the latest on offer from Nintendo. Both include a range of features aiming to increase their appeal, including a high resolution camera, web browser, and remote chat interface.
3. Sony Dash
The Sony Dash may not be an iPad-killer, but it is
a very cool device on its own. Designed to offer touchscreen technology around the house, the Dash requires a wall socket to function and a relatively static location in order to perform best. Perfect for the kitchen counter, coffee table, or bedside desk, Dash users can quickly configure home video, movie rentals, or web browsing using the device’s touchscreen interface.
4.
The Tesla Model S Dashboard
It’s difficult to top American carmaker Tesla when it comes to innovation. The well-known Silicon Valley company has designed and built the world’s first electric sports car – the Tesla Roadster – and more recently the Model S sedan. Designed as a piece of technology first and a luxury sedan second, the car boasts a range of impressive features.
At the center of the Model S’s dashboard is its full-featured touchscreen options menu. Designed to simplify operation of the radio, vehicle controls, and heating options, the screen can adapt to different input menus or display modes with a quick press of the driver’s fingers.
5.
Attigo TT Touchscreen Turntables
Who said turntables were strictly analog? Dundee University graduate designed the Attigo TT – a full-featured touchscreen turntable system – as a final year project for his product design degree. The device attracted attention in the DJ world, and eventually moved into limited production for a small number of very lucky DJs.
Users can mix music by scratching simulated records, by manipulating sound waves, or by creating preset buttons on the device’s adaptable displays. While the Attigo TT currently operates alongside a standard mixer, it seems inevitable that DJ technology will turn entirely touch-based – competitors appear to be working on multi-channel touchscreen mixers and control units at the moment.
While the world’s public transport systems vary in a lot of ways – particularly arrival and departure times – one technological addition is a common sight in global train stations, airports, and subway systems: touch-screen kiosks. Commonly used as ticketing machines or account credit systems, the touch screen units are almost impossible to miss in public transport systems.
London’s Underground system uses kiosks for ticketing, alongside several others throughout the UK. Experts believe that incorporating the system into ticketing has increased efficiency and dependence on public transport significantly, prompting many commuters to leave their cars at home and enjoy relatively crowd-free train stations. 
Outside the UK, a large number of public and private transportation companies are embracing touch screens for efficiency and speed. Used to change currencies and purchase tickets at stations, the machines can result in considerable savings in operating costs. Compared to the cost of employing ticketing staff, the amount of capital required to maintain a touch screen kiosk is relatively small.
With large infrastructure projects underway throughout Asia, it appears that touch screen kiosks will grow even more popular. Feedback from system users is largely positive, with most noting the clear decrease in the amount of time required to purchase train and bus tickets.
Newspaper and magazine kiosks – in the sense of street corner stalls – have been around for over a century. But as tangible, printed consumer press moves ever closer to a thing of the past, let’s take a look at the all-new beast waiting to step in.
Touch-screen tablet computers are now one of the must-have gadgets of the new decade. Spearheaded by the Apple iPad, tablets can display and deliver emails, web browsing, music, videos, photos,
This demo was given at SXSW and shows one way in which we might purchase our favorite publications in the future.
It’s a given that over-the-air downloads would work just as well, but this could be a solution for those who choose Wi-Fi-only tablet computers or ebook readers.
As more hospitality companies implement some form of IT-based self-service, many are seeking to reduce costs, increase customer satisfaction, and possibly reach new customer segments. A new hospitality study from Cornell’s Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) points out that when self-service functions correctly, it does enhance guest satisfaction and improves hotels’ financial results. 
The study, “Integrating Self-Service Kiosks in a Customer Service System,” is published by Tsz-Wai Lui and Gabriele Piccoli who compiled statistics from two hotel chains totalling 163 hotels to determine the ratio of automated check-ins and the ratio of failed check-ins, using lobby self-service kiosks. They matched those data with aggregate financial performance from Smith Travel Research.
The hospitality study found that installing self-service kiosks did improve the hotels’ financial results, but the improvement showed a time lag. Therefore, they caution hoteliers not to expect instant returns from adding self-service kiosks.
However, when something went wrong with the self-service check-in, the hotels in question saw a reduction in guests’ willingness to pay and willingness to return. For this reason, Lui and Piccoli urge careful rollout of self-service technology, along with substantial staff support for guests who are using computers to check-in.
Blockbuster, once the world’s largest chain of home video stores, plans to close upwards of 500 locations across the United States. A necessity due to lowered profits and pressure from net-based video rental services, the once-successful company plans to lower their operating size and focus on high quality store placements and retail outlets. 
Alongside their decision, American DVD rental kiosk company NCR plans to capitalize on the wide open rental spaces. Their ‘Blockbuster Express’ DVD kiosk chain – a highly profitable business which licenses Blockbuster’s name directly – plans to operate in areas left without a Blockbuster rental outlet.
The DVD kiosk chain claims that business would resume as normal if Blockbuster were to go bankrupt. Citing their licensed brand name, the kiosk chain noted that their business is operated independently from Blockbuster, sharing only their marketing materials in order to receive greater levels of customer interest.
Los Angeles rental chain Movie Gallery
filed for Chapter-11 bankruptcy earlier this year. With a range of independent and franchised rental outlets struggling to remain profitable, the expansion of kiosk-based rental services could be good for studios, and
of course, for consumers.
Hollywood’s major revenue generator – the DVD retail market – is under attack from a range of DVD rental kiosks, primarily the Redbox line of rental kiosks across North America. With film revenues dwindling and long-term rental rates, particularly from retail outlets, falling quite dramatically, Hollywood have begun an all-out offensive against the kiosk-based businesses. 
Online rental company Netflix recently signed a 28-day delay contract with Hollywood’s largest studios, ensuring that films have a fair run on DVD before being brought online as a streaming product. With Redbox and other kiosk-based rental services facing the same delay, it appears that Hollywood’s cartel-style release strategies could result in lost earnings for kiosk companies.
However, Redbox is keen to fight back. With growing revenues and a potentially revolutionary business model, the ever-growing kiosk DVD rental company plans to offer a video streaming service to complement their kiosk-based rental outlets. Available as a paid monthly service, Redbox believe that the online service could potentially beat out rival Netflix and DVD rental outlets such as Blockbuster.
Whether the strategy will succeed or not is unknown. However, with Redbox’s recent success disrupting Hollywood’s retail strategy, it appears that almost anything is possible in the exciting kiosk industry.
Excuse us for name-dropping but it’s always nice to get a bit of national TV exposure, and it doesn’t come much better than a slot on BBC’s Working Lunch! 
The popular business, consumer and personal finance show that airs every lunchtime decided to feature our very own kiosks, focussing on how they are being used to help people get online. There are currently40 kiosks in Lisburn, N.Ireland, in public places such as colleges and supermarkets with plans to roll-out another 100 kiosks.
People can use the kiosks to book their MOT, re-new and apply for their passport, claim for benefits, pay for online services and tickets and much more. In one particular example, an Australian girl was able to use the kiosk to search for a local job.
The kiosks were particularly popular with teenagers who wanted to check their email accounts, social networks and sports results.
Basel Davidson – Head of Digital Inclusion Unit, Ireland, said: “The kiosks are providing access to Government Information via the IM Direct website that makes all public information available in one place, so you don’t have to remember all the different website addresses.”
Protouch manufactured all kiosks, which are supplied by KDS.
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