With the highly-anticipated arrival of Windows 10, touchscreen PCs are only going to get more ubiquitous. Problem is, reaching out a feet or so (depending on how far you like to keep your eyes away from the display) just to tap or swipe on the screen doesn’t feel like the most intuitive thing when you’re working on a computer at your desk. And while you can always use a mouse, some tasks are, admittedly, going to be better accomplished with touch. The DuoPad offers a more viable alternative.
Described as a “next generation trackpad,” you can use it to navigate a PC’s UI, as well as click on buttons the way you would with the trackpad on your current laptop. Unlike them, though, it comes with a touchscreen mode that simulates putting your fingers on the screen, so you can interact with onscreen items as if you were touching them, without bothering to stretch out your arm at an uncomfortable distance.
Designed for use with computers running Windows 8 or newer, DuoPad can identify when apps support touch controls, automatically switching between its two modes, depending on what software is running (you can, of course, also manually define where to use touch and traditional mouse controls). Rather than have you follow a cursor in touchscreen mode, it superimposes a hand onscreen, making touchscreen functions feel intuitive, despite using a trackpad to accomplish them. Finally, you can play Angry Birds on a PC with the same ease as you do on a smartphone. Oh yeah, you can customize the superimposed hand, changing its opacity, color, size, and more, so you should be able to tailor it to best fit your individual needs.
The DuoPad is currently running a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo. Pledges to reserve a unit starts at $69.