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'Hovering' touchscreen tech senses you from distance BARCELONA, Spain -- One of the more jaw-dropping tech demos on show at this year's Mobile World Congress, new touch-screen technology from chipmaker STMicroelectronics lets you control your smartphone or tablet without actually touching the display. Using it, you can swipe, drag, and prod at your touch-screen device, replacing the fear of fingerprints with the feeling of controlling a spaceship's navigation system. There's nothing special about the touch screen itself, but rather with the controller chip that manages the panel. Rather than monitoring contact with the screen, the chip observes the electrical field that the tablet's touch screen is giving off. If your finger makes its way into that electrical field, the circuit is closed and your "touch" is registered. I was able to control the touch screen from as far away as nearly 2 inches. Related stories: Google said to release touch-screen laptop this year Windows 8 ultrabooks, hybrids to see uptick this year Keyboard bubbles up from touch screen on demand[Read more] Read More ...
