Check this out:
Apple trackpads can sense in three axes
A blog from the Queens University Human Media Lab reports that the PowerBook/iBook trackpad can sense not only x and y data, but z-axis as well, being sensitive to pressure gradients. Nice potential for human interface work. Link (Thanks, Connor!) [Boing Boing Blog]
I wonder if this is all ALbooks, or just the most recent ones. I want to check this out using FingaMIDI, as soon as a Panther compatible version is released… From the information available on the FingaMIDI site, it looks like this pressure sensitivity should be present in all 12-inchers:
FingaMIDI is a replacement driver for the ADB trackpad found in the Apple G4 Ti PowerBook and probably the Snow iBook, G4 iBook and aluminium PowerBooks. It allows the inbuilt trackpad to be used as a three-axis MIDI controller, sending x, y and z (pressure) data as parameter change messages. The trackpad button sends middle-C note on and note off messages.
Cool!
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