The Synaptics SmartBar is a small device which gives some trackpad functionality to your computer's space bar. (Synaptics press release: Synaptics Brings New Functionality to PCs with SmartBar Technology)
This is the kind of ingenious engineering we usually expect from Apple but Synaptics beat them to the jump on this one. We strongly suspect it's because Apple is concentrating too much on wearable toys and other miscellaneous wizardry than it does on core tools such as desktop computers. That's not such a surprise when Apple makes bank on the toys relative to profits from desktops but it's unfortunate for advancement of the more powerful desktop tools.
There's not much to describe of the SmartBar because likely on hearing of it you start thinking immediately of handy things it can do: scroll up and down with the SmartBar? Yep, does that. Zoom the screen in or out? Yep, does that. The functions are obvious ... after some whizkid wizard thinks up the device.
This is the kind of ingenious engineering we usually expect from Apple but Synaptics beat them to the jump on this one. We strongly suspect it's because Apple is concentrating too much on wearable toys and other miscellaneous wizardry than it does on core tools such as desktop computers. That's not such a surprise when Apple makes bank on the toys relative to profits from desktops but it's unfortunate for advancement of the more powerful desktop tools.
There's not much to describe of the SmartBar because likely on hearing of it you start thinking immediately of handy things it can do: scroll up and down with the SmartBar? Yep, does that. Zoom the screen in or out? Yep, does that. The functions are obvious ... after some whizkid wizard thinks up the device.
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