Google has snapped up BumpTop, the makers of 3D multitouch desktop software for Mac OS X and Windows 7. Could Google be planning to use BumpTop for a Chrome OS or Android tablet? That would make for a really exciting iPad rival…
BumpTop creates a 3D desktop where you can use multitouch gestures to fling around files and folders, stack them and hang them from walls. That could be turned into a seriously radical user interface for the rumoured Google Chrome OS tablets.
HTC and Google are rumoured to be beavering away at Google Chrome OS and Google Android tablets and we’ve previously seen a Google Chrome OS tablet concept video concept. But we still haven’t heard any official word on when a Google tablet might emerge.
We know Flash is coming to Android phone and Google has confirmed that Chrome will have it built in. Flash support will be one big difference between a Google tablet and the iPad but bringing adding a 3D interface with BumpTop would put clear water between them.
However, Apple filed a 3D multitouch tablet patent back in September 2008 so it’s possible that Cupertino could be working on a future iPad with similar smarts.
Google hasn’t made any public pronouncements about its acquisition of BumpTop but we’d be surprised if we didn’t see that 3D multitouch interface being put to good use. Take a look at the video above and let us know: would a Google 3D multitouch tablet
Due TBC | £TBC | Google (via GigaOm)
