Tablets may never have a large enough screen to please some users. That’s especially the case when using a tablet to view a widescreen movie that begs to be seen on the largest screen possible.
Touchjet Wave is a new device that adds touch screen control and Android apps to any TV that has a screen from 20 to 80 inches large. The device clips onto the TV and gets connected via the TV’s HDMI port. An HDMI cable is included, along with a stylus. Touchjet Wave uses infrared technology to track finger movements and taps across the TV screen.
The data is then delivered to the Touchjet Wave’s light processing unit that translates those infrared inputs into gestures and taps. Applications include game playing, navigating streaming services and whiteboarding. The device will ship in March at about $167, but it can be bought now via its Indiegogo campaign at the reduced price of $119. Its makers set an Indiegogo campaign goal of raising $100,000 by Sept. 11.
The device is from the same makers as last year’s Touchjet Pond, a handheld projector that turns any surface into an 80-inch touchscreen. There is likely a large audience for Touchjet Wave, although that audience will likely not be most people who have attached a large-screen TV to their wall. The initial version won’t have a video camera, so some consumers might want to wait for a version that does. Also, although Touchjet Wave can be controlled via an Android or iOS mobile device companion app, iOS apps will apparently not work on the TV itself. It’s not clear if there are plans to change that.