For most, AT&T is simply seen as the company that delivers phone and internet and TV service to the masses. But they also have a full-fledged R&D program, which spans multiple countries. Today they offered a glimpse into the fruits of those AT&T labs, with innovations ranging from clever to "OMG I WANT THIS NOW." Here…

What if your phone wasn't a stagnant box with optional vibration, but a mechanism that responded to your touch like a living being? Well, designer Fabian Hemmert has created such a phone—albeit in early prototype form.

For every five products that claim some kind of haptic feedback support, maybe one actually puts it to good use—like the URC MX-5000 touchscreen remote, which uses the technology to guide your fingers while they guide your TV.

MacRumors found three interesting patents that point to various new interaction techniques. The most interesting is the fingerprint ID directly on the screen so that the iPhone can see which finger you're using and accept gestures appropriately.

Haptic technology has the possibility to make touchscreens so much better, improving accuracy and adding a whole new range of sensory feedback. Immersion, primary developers of haptic technology, presented both a refined onscreen keyboard and an incredibly cheesy "Immersive Messaging" protocol at this year's All Things D …

A couple of researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, apparently tired of this whole touchscreen vs. button debate, have decided to just do away with the distinction entirely.

End of Titanic. Rose floating on debris, Jack in the water. You want to cry but can't. Philips' new concept jacket gives you a little hug (out of sympathy? pity?) and there go the waterworks.

One look at the Novint Falcon controller can get anyone excited about the potential of haptic interfaces. OObject has put together a list of 12 such devices, offering a glimpse into our interactive future. [OObject]

We LOVED the Novint Falcon and pistol grip attachment in September, but non-PC, console-owning chaps were left out in the cold. If Novint is successful, that could all change by year end. Update.