As awful as paper is to use, it still has some things going for
it: it's thin, it's light, and it can be folded into complex
structures that predict the future. Instead of trying to cram
paper books into digital e-readers, we should instead force our
digital content to behave more like paper, and this prototype
foldable touchscreen is exactly how it should happen. Until
someone actually makes double-sided, foldable touchscreens,
we're stuck with demos that rely on overhead projectors and
infrared tracking systems. But don't let that take any of the
magic away for you: we have the technology, right now, we just
have to use it. Researcher Juergen Steimle (who's now with the
Fluid Interfaces group at the MIT Media Lab) developed this
prototype of an interactively folding touchscreen display,
featuring spring-loaded reversible hinges that let the user
interact with the content by bending the pages. But more
importantly, the foldable form-factor also means that you can
have one device that will transform into what