Stephen Spielberg’s Minority Report was a decent movie, but the technological advancements it anticipated were amazing as well as achievable in most cases. One such advancement we’re starting to see more of today is the use of hand motions to control the apps on a computer, which is pretty much what HP just did with their Envy 17.
HP took the wraps off a raft of new Windows notebooks, tablets, and convertibles today, including the first computer to feature an embedded Leap Motion controller, which lets you manipulate interface elements with the wave of your hand. HP also announced new convertibles bearing its Pavilion and Spectre brands, and a new Bay Trail-powered tablet under the Omnibook brand.
The Leap Motion controller is embedded in the wrist rest on the right side of the computer, whose full name is the Envy 17 Leap Motion Special Edition. The controller was very responsive during a demo earlier this week, as Kevin Wentzel, HP’s Technical Marketing Manager for Consumer PCs, waved and twisted his hands over the sensor.