Connected devices such as smartphones and tablets have contributed to an explosion in digital media consumption. As these devices gain adoption, print newspapers around the world are seen suffering from declining readership and revenue. To combat this the Tokyo Shimbun along with Dentsu Tokyo came up with a new way to connect with readers. An Augmented Reality Reader app was created that brought to life the newspaper by overlaying educational versions of the articles for kids.
You place two iPhones and an iPad around a Microsoft Surface table. With a single gesture, a photo slides off one device, travels across the tabletop, and drops into another device. The transfer is instant, and the UI makes it feel like content is physically moving between screens.
Amnesia Razorfish is back in the news with the launch of Amnesia Connect. It is software that enables instant, seamless sharing and transfer of content, including photos, music, and embedded apps, between multiple handheld devices using a Microsoft Surface table and a single gesture.
In the moment, the Surface table connects devices over WiFi and shares in real time. The table tracks each object’s position, so the visual effect stays locked to the device placement. Content appears to move in and out of the iPad and iPhone exactly where they sit on the table.
The software works with Apple iOS devices, and it is being developed to work with Android, Windows Phone, and BlackBerry smartphones. The concept scales anywhere multiple devices need to share quickly without cables, menus, or friction.
As smartphones become omnipresent, this kind of interaction opens a different design space for brand experiences. It makes sharing visible, social, and fast. Instead of asking people to “send” something, you let them move it, together, in plain sight.
Gesture sharing is when users move content between devices through physical gestures, like swiping an item from one screen to another, rather than using menus, Bluetooth pairing, or file dialogs.
The table tracks where devices sit and aligns the interface to that physical layout. It also supports real-time connectivity so content can transfer while the visuals stay spatially consistent.
The key is removing steps. No selecting recipients, no attaching files, no waiting screens. The motion itself becomes the transfer, and the UI reinforces that mental model.
Anywhere shared exploration matters. Retail demonstrations, event installations, collaborative product discovery, and multi-screen storytelling all benefit when “sharing” becomes a visible group interaction.
