PaperPhone: Flexible phone technology.
May 7, 2011 7:45 AM   Subscribe

Researchers from Queen's University have been making strides (link to academic paper) in the use of flexible E-ink screens to create wearable phone displays that respond to bend gestures and adapt the software depending on what surface the device is on.
posted by dflemingecon (7 comments total)

This post was deleted for the following reason: Poster's Request -- frimble



 
Oh god, band stickers in bathrooms are going to become so much more annoying.
posted by The Whelk at 7:49 AM on May 7, 2011 [1 favorite]


This future-tech is less amazing than the revelation that there is activity at Queen's that has absolutely nothing to do with the study and useage of drugs and/or alcohol. Things have certainly changed since my day.

/ ArtSci '96, yo!
posted by The Card Cheat at 8:01 AM on May 7, 2011 [1 favorite]


The concept is really cool but the whole bending business doesn't seem like much of an improvement over buttons or touchscreens.
posted by TheKM at 3:29 PM on May 7, 2011 [2 favorites]


I'm sure that industrial designers will be able tocome up with some innovative form factors and uses for this technology. It isn't just about function, the form factor creates new possibilities.
posted by humanfont at 6:04 PM on May 7, 2011


The concept is really cool but the whole bending business doesn't seem like much of an improvement over buttons or touchscreens.

This is mindblowingly backwards.

First of all, touchscreens are stupid and I hate them. They only work with GUIs, which are largely terrible. The rate of data transfer via a mouse pointer or single finger is miniscule. Basically, a GUI is a TV and the mouse a remote channel changer. There's no real "interactive computation" going on there--the computer is just showing you stuff and you are clicking "next....next....next" etc. You aren't inputting any real amount of data.

Second, flexible displays not an improvement? How about now I can carry around a decent sized display? The iPad has many flaws but from a usability standpoint the biggest one is: HowTF do you carry it around? It's like a $1000 legal pad made of glass. I'm sure not too excited about bringing that anywhere even if I could spare the hands to carry it around. If I could roll/fold it up and put it in my pocket, though, that'd rule.

Furthermore, with a roll/fold-up display, you could stick like a keyboard on there or something (via the finally-useful touchscreen). NOW we are talking about mobile computing.
posted by DU at 4:40 AM on May 9, 2011


Or do you mean the "bending as input"? If we are going to be limited to stupid one-bit-at-a-time GUIs, at least allow me a second bit/s of bending at the same time. Double the data rate!
posted by DU at 4:43 AM on May 9, 2011


saw that the other day and all i could think was that this bending input looked absurd. i'd rather have a button.
posted by mary8nne at 4:49 AM on May 9, 2011


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