Windows Phone Thoughts: Microsoft's New Smart Phone Interface: Your Thumb

"Microsoft Research scientists, in cooperation with University of Maryland researchers, have designed two interfaces to support easier use of PDAs and cellphones. The interfaces allow users to operate the devices using a thumb on one hand. The interfaces target screens from 2 to 5 inches, measured diagonally, with resolutions ranging from 176 x 220 to 800 x 600 pixels. The researchers detailed the two different interface approaches in a technical paper delivered at this week's Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems in Portland, Ore."

I've seen some research in zoomable user interfaces, and I think the potential for this is huge. One of the main problems with a PDA, a mini-Tablet PC, or a Smartphone is that the physical screen is small, and as a result a lot of scrolling is required to view content. Zoomable interfaces are an alternative to scrolling: imagine being able to pan around a webpage, or between different programs, without having to repeatedly hit extra buttons or use a stylus. I really, really hope MSR's work is productizable and goes into some of their future product platforms, because I think we're still in the early period of handheld user interfaces.