Dealing with Flash in a Multi-Touch world?

[Dorje]

I've been kicking this idea around for a while now in my head. I know iOS currently doesn't run Flash (and may possibly never), however even if it did there is a considerable amount of Flash content(games) that wouldn't work right anyways.

Most of these require a mouse pointer position, left and right clicks. A multi-touch environment like iOS doesn't do this very well... actually at all. The tap is the click and no good way to create a right click.

My though is to "fake-a-mouse" if iOS can handle it. First a user places their middle finger down and maintains contact. This becomes the pointer position. Taps to the left of that point with the index finger register as left clicks, taps to the right with the ring fighter register as right clicks.

I'm not a developer and a fairly weak Applescript coder so I have no idea how one would actually implement this in actual code. To any iOS developers, is this even remotely possible? Could this be useful in programs like everyAir that getting better at streaming content from your computer to your iOS device?

 

[jwt873]

The iPad can use a mouse.. Which could avoid the need for setting up a complicated touch environment.. For some reason the feature is locked out and you have to do a jailbreak in order to use it. See the YouTube video below:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wklrVOFMKA"]YouTube - Use Apple iPad with Magic Mouse [Jailbreak][/ame]

 

[Dorje]

Good video. Makes it faily cleared there is a real OS under the hood.

However I come that things from odd angles as both an educator and a geographer. Being able to hook up a bluetooth mouse won't fly so well. Not at very young elementary ages. Plus it even if it worked it would likely take some hard argument to get funds approved for that kind of "redundant" componet. The nice part about the iPad (and laptops before) is the all-in-on nature. I guess the simplest would be to put software buttons on screen some place to click with one hand while the other does mouse move dragging. I've seen apps that already distinguish between a tap and a sustained drag. Would work with it on a flat table surface.

For much of this my target user in mind are kids ages 5 to 7 maybe 8.

 

[Tinman]

The iPad can use a mouse.. Which could avoid the need for setting up a complicated touch environment.. For some reason the feature is locked out and you have to do a jailbreak in order to use it.

Locked out? That is not what is happening. The jailbreak app that lets you use a mouse adds a completely new bluetooth stack, as well as another app that creates the mouse pointer and overlay.

So while jailbreaking can let you use a mouse it is not merely unlocking a feature already present.



Michael

 

[DrHouse]

Isn't it a bit strange that we've been dreaming of multitouch screen on laptops for years and now that we have reached that goal on tablets, some people want to have a mouse on a touch screen? What will it be next? Monochrome screens?

VicoPad addict!