Google Buys BumpTop: 3-D Multitouch Tablet Interface on the Way?

Is there a tablet in Google's future with a three-dimensional, multitouch user interface? It's increasingly likely, given that the search giant has just acquired BumpTop, a startup whose unique software creates a 3-D environment where users can toss files and folders around as though they were playing cards, stack them in related piles and "hang" them on the virtual walls. If Google is working on an iPad-style tablet, as many believe that it is, a BumpTop-style interface would be dramatic departure from the typical 2-D app/icon approach, and could provide a significant alternative to the look and feel of Apple's iPad.

A post on the BumpTop website on Sunday confirmed the acquisition, and said the company's existing software (which was available for both Windows and Mac computers) "will no longer be available for sale [and] no updates to the products are planned." Despite this, however, sources say the purchase of the company isn't just another case of Google "acqu-hiring" some talented developers (something it has been doing a lot of recently).

Instead, they say Google is looking at the company's 3-D, multitouch interface — or elements of it — as a potential addition to a tablet device. Mark McQueen at Wellington Financial also seems to see the potential for this, saying in his blog post:

Given the arm wrestling going on between Apple and Google over who will have the sweetest user experience, Bumptop's cool desktop and underlying technology are a natural piece of Google’s user interface puzzle as they prepare to take on the current kings of all consumer electronics. The ones down the street in Cupertino.

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