Using mobile phones to interact with tabletop computers

Tabletop computers can be used by several people at the same time, and many are likely to be carrying mobile phones. We examine different ways of performing interactions in this multi-device ecology. We conducted a study into the use of a phone as a controller for a dial manipulation task, comparing three different forms of interaction: direct touch, using the phone as a general-purpose tangible controller on a tabletop computer and manipulating the dial directly on the phone's screen. We also examined user performance for these interactions both with and without tactile feedback from the phone. We found interacting on the phone itself fastest overall, with tactile feedback improving performance. We also show a range of concerns that users have about using their phone as a controller. The results suggest that using a phone and table together can sometimes be better than using the table alone.