Fox News is setting a trend in news room by ditching the desk in favour of large touchscreens. Beginning on Tuesday, the Fox staff was seen going over Facebook and Twitter news as they monitor breaking new, not on laptops, tablets or smartphones, but using 55-inch Microsoft touchscreens.

Source: Lilliputing.com

Here is the video.

News anchor Shepard Smith said the gigantic computers are called BATS or big are touchscreens. The shift from desks to BATS is part of the transition that the studio has been undergoing beginning Sept 13.

Source: Premiermicrosoft.com

Fox did not disclose the exact model or specs of the BATS, but news Web site Mashable said it is likely Microsoft's Perspective Pixel touchscreens that runs on Windows 8 and have a price tag of $8,000.

Besides being multipurpose in functionality, the BATs enhance the visual element of the station's news broadcast.

Expect other broadcast news organisations to follow Fox's example and fight each other not on the ratings game but on who has the largest touchscreen computer on the background.