Experts advise bypassing touchless tech for now

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Touchless technology -- devices you control by making simple hand gestures -- is becoming more common, but how well do some of these gadgets work?

I teamed up with Consumer Reports to find out.

We tested the HP ENVY Leap Motion SE 17-j160nr, and while the technology is promising, it doesn't come without drawbacks.

The PC features a game that lets you tilt your hands over the Leap Motion sensor to move sea creatures. Another game lets you shoot at bottles with a flick of your fingers.

Incidentally, if you want to use gesture-control with programs you already have, there are apps that let you use Leap Motion to scroll through pages or click buttons.

However, Consumer Reports' Rich Fisco said there are problems.

"We found the controls can get frustrating," Fisco said.

For starters, you have to master different gestures for each program, so there's a lot to learn.

Another issue: You can't let your hand stray too far from the Leap Motion sensor, or it won't work.

Also, shoulders and wrists can get achy.

According to Fisco, gesture control may be the "wave" of the future but for now, it's easier just to tap and type.

If you're looking for a new laptop, Consumer Reports has named a number of best buys. Three to consider:

• Acer's Aspire S7 Ultrabook with an 11-inch screen


• HP's Split x2 has a detachable screen that becomes a Windows tablet


• Acer's Aspire S7 Ultrabook with an 11-inch screen

This report is based on an article on ConsumerReports.org.