The iPhone made capacitive multitouch, gesture-based technology mainstream. These days, we never think twice about tapping, swiping, pinching, twisting, or otherwise manipulating the digital content on our devices. But only on our digital devices. Imagine a future where capacitive multitouch wasn’t limited to screens but could be implemented on all sorts of everyday objects, from doorknobs to tables to liquids, to the human body itself. Well, Disney Research isn’t just imagining it, they’re engineering it today with something they call Touché. Here’s how they describe it:

Touché proposes a novel Swept Frequency Capacitive Sensing technique that can not only detect a touch event, but also recognize complex configurations of the human hands and body. Such contextual information significantly enhances touch interaction in a broad range of applications, from conventional touchscreens to unique contexts and materials. For example, in our explorations we add touch and gesture sensitivity to the human body and liquids. We demonstrate the rich capabilities of Touché with five example setups from different application domains and conduct experimental studies that show gesture classification accuracies of 99% are achievable with our technology.

While I’m not sure turning a kid’s cereal bowl into a game show is the best approach, I can easily imagine controlling bathtub or hot tub by hand gestures. Likewise, a home security system that not only required a code, but that it also be held in a certain way to open. A coffee machine that could be started with the swipe of a table. And like they show in the video, a phone that never has to leave our pockets because we can tap right on our own hands or arms (and talk via Siri).

It will be interesting to see not only when, but where capacitive multitouch gestures turn up next. Entertainment is typically the industry that can afford to mass produce technology first (just look at the Xbox Kinect). Microsoft has long said the future will have screens everywhere. Capacitive multitouch gestures on common objects means the future may also not need screens almost anywhere as well.

Where would you next like to see technology like Disney’s Touché imagineered into your life?

When Apple announced their free iCloud service at WWDC 2011, users of the previous, paid, MobileMe service were given a temporary boost in storage. The extra storage was previously set to expire in June of 2012. According to a recent change in Apple’s MobileMe to iCloud transition FAQ, however, that’s now been extended until September.

MobileMe members with 20GB of purchased storage receive a complimentary iCloud storage upgrade of 20GB, and accounts with additional purchased storage (40GB to 60GB) receive a complimentary upgrade of 50GB after moving to iCloud. These free upgrades are good through September 30th, 2012. After that date, you can continue the upgrade at the regular price or let it expire and use the free 5GB plan.

The extra storage is meant as a way to encourage MobileMe users to transition to iCloud faster — as is the recent offer of a free OS X Snow Leopard upgrade for OS X Leopard users.

While Photo Stream and iTunes in the Cloud don’t count towards the iCloud storage limits, mail, Documents in the Cloud, and backups do. If you’re currently enjoying the extra storage Apple provides MobileMe users, you have several extra months to enjoy it. After that, you’ll have to decide if you want to keep paying for it or not.

There are several ways to cut down on the amount of storage you’re using — especially turning off Camera Roll backup. Check out the iCloud links below for more.

• How to manually manage what gets backed up to iCloud
• How to buy more iCloud storage
• How to downgrade your iCloud storage

Source: Apple via Macotakara

Pad & Quill are purveyors of fine, Minnesotan, handcrafted iPhone and iPad cases, namely the Little Black Book, Contega, and Octavo. Last summer we took look at them for the iPhone 4, iPad 2, and MacBook Air, and last month we looked at the updated Contega for the new iPad. But that wasn’t all P&Q had up their sleeves for 2012. Not content with their existing Baltic Birch and Spanish leather concoctions, they went back to the bindery and returned with something richer and even higher end — the Little Luxury Book for iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S and the Octavo Luxury for the new iPad.

The same great Pad & Quill designs in new, luxury leather models

The Little Luxury Book comes with all the usual, fantastic Little Black Book fit, finish, and features, only wrapped in thick, buttery mahogany brown or onyx black leather. If the original Little Black Book didn’t look enough like a premium wallet to you, the Little Luxury Book certainly will (especially when you slip some money and/or credit and debit cards into the pocket).

The Octavo Luxury case likewise brings with it everything you know and love about the original Octovo, only now swathed in genuine leather the color of French roast. If the regular Octavo harkened back to an academic’s moleskin, this one presents as an executive’s journal or ledger.

As always, the hand-craftsmanship is spectacular from stitch to emboss.

The good

• Everything that was good about the Little Black Book and original Octavo cases
• High end, hand crafted, genuine leather

The bad

• Book-style design won’t be for everyone
• Premium line will be for fewer still

Conclusion

The Pad & Quill Octavo Luxury case for iPad and Little Luxury Book for iPhone take high end, high quality accessories to the next level. If you’re a fan of traditional, book-binding style iPad and iPhone cases, and you want the best, most premium finish possible, then you want these cases. But if that’s what you want, you probably knew it already, right?

$119.99 – Octavo Luxury Case for iPad – Buy now

59.99 – Little Luxury Book for iPhone – Buy now