Could Android provide a "cursor" function which could be called by any app such as Dolphin? The app would then display a "Show cursor" button to toggle between the normal tablet mode and this "cursor" mode in which a cursor would be displayed over the underlying page with shape etc. defined by the app. In a Google Maps page displayed by the browser for example, the cursor could initially be a simple arrow as when accessed by a PC browser.
In this mode, if the screen is touched "close enough" (TBD by the app settings) to the displayed cursor, the cursor would then follow the finger (in the same relative position) without any movement of the underlying page until the finger is lifted. I say "close enough" and "in the same relative position" because for accuracy you often need to see exactly where the cursor is over the page without your finger being in the way. With the finger outside the active area round the cursor the app could most likely continue to react as in the normal mode.
Once the cursor is in the desired position, you would touch and hold your finger "close enough" to the cursor without moving it until the cursor is highlighted in some way. Whatever embedded object is beneath the cursor would then be selected, after which when the finger moves this embedded object would follow the cursor (in the same relative position...) without any movement of the web page, whch seems currently not to be possible. In a Google Maps web page for example, if the cursor was just over no particular part of the map, the cursor "highlight" would be the change from arrow to grasping hand and the map would then follow when your finger without the page itself moving.
When the cursor was over a route already displayed in Google Maps, it would change to the finger pointing to the black circle on the displayed route. You could then drag and drop the black circle over to a different road when it followed your finger and thus modify the route.
I have no real idea how difficult implementing this would be, but the basics would seem to be there when moving objects around the home page, for example. This TF101 is my first tablet: what do you people think?
Such a function would seem to open the door even for Photoshop-like apps...
In this mode, if the screen is touched "close enough" (TBD by the app settings) to the displayed cursor, the cursor would then follow the finger (in the same relative position) without any movement of the underlying page until the finger is lifted. I say "close enough" and "in the same relative position" because for accuracy you often need to see exactly where the cursor is over the page without your finger being in the way. With the finger outside the active area round the cursor the app could most likely continue to react as in the normal mode.
Once the cursor is in the desired position, you would touch and hold your finger "close enough" to the cursor without moving it until the cursor is highlighted in some way. Whatever embedded object is beneath the cursor would then be selected, after which when the finger moves this embedded object would follow the cursor (in the same relative position...) without any movement of the web page, whch seems currently not to be possible. In a Google Maps web page for example, if the cursor was just over no particular part of the map, the cursor "highlight" would be the change from arrow to grasping hand and the map would then follow when your finger without the page itself moving.
When the cursor was over a route already displayed in Google Maps, it would change to the finger pointing to the black circle on the displayed route. You could then drag and drop the black circle over to a different road when it followed your finger and thus modify the route.
I have no real idea how difficult implementing this would be, but the basics would seem to be there when moving objects around the home page, for example. This TF101 is my first tablet: what do you people think?
Such a function would seem to open the door even for Photoshop-like apps...
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