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Multitouch hack for T-Mobile G1: Video Demo

26 January 2009 by Chris Davies


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+15 [19 votes]


While the hardware of the T-Mobile G1 can support multitouch, and the users certainly could deal with it, neither HTC nor Google themselves gave the smartphone the ability to recognize more than one simultaneous touch.  Now that’s all changed, thanks to coder Luke Hutchison, who has put together a multitouch hack for the G1.  As you can see in the video demo, the hack adds pinch & spread zooming to the G1’s browser, together with maps support, replacing the usual zoom controls.

g1_android_multitouch_hack

Right now this is more a proof-of-concept than anything else, though it’s usable, and needs OpenGL acceleration support and kinetic scrolling (where the page continues scrolling after you “flick” it) before it will go as smoothly as multitouch on the Apple iPhone is.  Installation is not for the faint-hearted, either, requiring a reflash of the G1’s hardware and the potential risk of bricking your smartphone.

If you’re brave, the full instructions are here.  The hacked apps – Browser and MapViewer – also include accelerometer-linked screen rotation, so you can use them in landscape mode without needing to flick out the keyboard.  There’s also a photo browser with multitouch support.

YouTube Preview Image

[Thanks Simon!]

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  1. Instead of increasing another thread, I guess you can continue the main topic yesterday thats been going on for whole almost 2 days :-).


    http://androidcommunity.com/forums/f...-g1-wow-11573/
  2. Pure awesomeness
  3. This should be standard on the andriod OS or upgraded in cupcake?
  4. Quote:
    Originally Posted by gpo1 View Post
    This should be standard on the andriod OS or upgraded in cupcake?
    AFAIK, neither. the gestures interfere with Apple Patents and is avoided by Google/T-Mobile.
  5. Quote:
    Originally Posted by gpo1 View Post
    This should be standard on the andriod OS or upgraded in cupcake?
    Well I'm sure anyone with a non rooted phone can say that it is confirmed that there is no multi touch.

    And it has also not been confirmed that there will be multi touch in cupcake.

    So who knows?
  6. Finally rooted my phone and flashed the JF1.41. Only took about 1 hr. Longest part was reformatting my 8gb sd card. I suggest using the 1gb sd card that came with your phone for hacking/flashing and then put your normal sd card back in once you are done.
  7. so you have a backed up image saved on your 1gb ?
  8. what's that list of recent apps app he has that resides in the notification bar? is that on market?
  9. yes its called launchpad I think
  10. This mod made me root my phone. Its wonderful and i cant believe we didnt have it from the start. Apple owns lots of patents but they do not have a patent that would prevent this from working on a non rooted phone.

    thanks engadget
    http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/28/a...epth-analysis/
  11. They definitely don't have an enforcable patent on the pinching and multitouch though apple claims since they were the first on a mobile device they have innovated. Plus they are trying to reach beyond and copyright the word multitouch and all gestures are their domain

    But this video from 2005 shows a developer at a ted conference demo pinching panning flicking etc long before apple

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcKqyn-gUbY"]YouTube - Multi-touch interface (from Adobe TED)[/ame]
  12. The pinching and stuff starts arounf 2:40 in the video if I remember correctly.

    One thing to note though is that although google is the right size to take on apple and squash their claims you have to remember that there is a google board member on the apple board so... guaranteed they intentionally made a deal up front
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