This is it!

Finally!
 

I have to admit, I am not handy. It could have been better, but I think I am satisfied with what I made. 

The space inside the table is a little more than the thickness of the monitor. In addition, the monitor is thick in the center is thin on the side, especially for the 2 top edges. So I put in some wood blocks for support.

Play Store!

I initially cut out 2 holes for inputs and buttons but I realized I need a 3rd hole in the middle or the monitor cannot be pushed out! I also put in some cardboard for buffer. But it is proven to be not enough as the screen still ended up about 2mm below the table surface. Some day I will have to fix this. Also, the edges are still a little too rough. Something to consider in the future.

Due to cooling concerns, I decided to hang the android stick outside. Luckily, there is a platform under the table to keep the power supplies and hide the extension cord while not in use.

Some final thoughts, capacitive screen is definitely the way to go. While I am limited to use fingers or capacitive stylus, there is a lot less false positives. The biggest disappointment of this project is the screen's viewing angle. While it works fine as a monitor, the viewing angle becomes an issue when viewed from above. It becomes difficult to view when I am seating from the sofa.

But overall, I cannot complain for a coffee table running full Android 4.4 for less than $220! And I am 100% sure that I can just as easily change it into a Windows 8 tablet.

In summary, here are the final process (skipping all the investigations I made):

1. Get Android Stick
2. Test and pick the best custom firmwares (it should have screen rotation support, ideally with working Wi-Fi and BT)
3. Determine how to build kernel and test with my own custom kernel. Make sure Wi-Fi works!
4. Get Touch capable monitor (with HDMI)
5. Add USB Touchscreen support to custom kernel and test
6. Get Ikea LACK table (black color is the best)
7. Measure and cut out the table top for screen
8. Cut 3 holes in the bottle for wires and access
9. Put together and enjoy!

Detailed steps can be found in my blog posts below.