paper

Talking paper: Print media goes digital

As the electronic age continues to consign printed media to the wastepaper basket of history, scientists in Sweden have come up with a novel way of combining for the analog and digital worlds. Talking paper is the brainchild of researchers at Mid Sweden University that makes use of conductive inks and printed speakers to turn billboards--and potentially product packaging--into standalone audio sources.

The technology relies on a layer of digital paper embedded with microelectronic components, which respond to touch to play a prerecorded message. The most obvious application for the technology is in the commercial billboard and posters, but the … Read more

Real ID update: Only four hours left to tell Homeland Security what you think

If you don't like the idea of a national ID card, you have only four hours left to let Homeland Security know your thoughts.

That's because the deadline to file comments on the Real ID Act is 5pm ET on Tuesday. Probably the best place to do that is a Web site created by an ad hoc alliance called the Privacy Coalition (they oppose the idea, but if you're a big Real ID fan you can use their site to send adoring comments too).

Alternatively, Homeland Security has finally seen fit to give us an email address … Read more

Super Paper Mario is here!

For any Nintendo fan, there are a small number of franchises which make any of their consoles a must have. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was a wildly successful launch title which brought much joy to many of the Wii's initial buyers. The new Metroid title is still in the works, but fortunately for Wii owners Super Paper Mario has recently been released to slake the thirst for Nintendo's most recognizable character. Don't be the last one on your block to own this must have title!

Copy machine is your personal Kinko's

A lot of innovation in scanning technology has been in the 3D department, but Germany's Zeutschel has stuck to the basics with ink on paper. And at least in one regard, it's paid off.

If the "Omniscan 12000 BookCopy" isn't the top of the line where copying machines are concerned, it's got to be close, scanning at a rate of a page per second. Unlike traditional face-down copiers, this one works with an overhead camera so you don't have to worry about the paper's position on the glass. And if you do … Read more

'Laser Scissors' light their own path

The only question we have about this item is why it's carried on sites with names like Stupidiotic and Fashionfunky--both of which imply something pejorative or embarrassing.

We, by contrast, freely admit that we love the idea of these "Laser Scissors," which Gearfuse says ensures a straight cut every time. The scissors project a laser from Point A to Point B, obviating the need for rulers and faint pencil lines.

Lest there be any doubt about the value of such an invention, just ask any parent who has volunteered to help out in their kids' preschool … Read more

Wii Preview: Super Paper Mario, Mario Party 8, and Mario Woods. Tiger! Er, Tiger Woods.

Nintendo threw a little shindig last night, and I went to sample the company's upcoming wares. The games Nintendo showed off included Super Paper Mario, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07, and Mario Party 8. Frankly, all three games look darn good.

I spent the most time on Super Paper Mario, sequel to the excellent GameCube RPG Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, and it's even weirder than its predecessor. Unlike the straight role-playing in previous Paper Mario games, Super Paper Mario is a puzzle-filled platform game with some loose RPG elements. The titular 2D plumber gets the power to … Read more

But can it read your doctor's writing?

Despite all the tablet computers in the world, few people would choose to write longhand using a screen and a stylus when paper is an option, as fellow Craver Leslie Katz observes. Taiwan-based Genius knows this well, which is why it has developed the G-Note 7100, a digital tablet that MobileWhack says will let you store your chicken scratches on the computer through a USB connection.

That's hardly unique--it's really the point of having such products, after all--but the Genius model does have some other convenient features. One is that it can use any letter-sized notepad, unlike some … Read more

Expandable mobile display is on a roll

Telecom Italia and Philips Electronics spinoff Polymer Vision have announced plans to develop what they say is the first mobile device with a rollable display. Yes, the gadget clearly rolls, but we'll have to wait 'til launch later this year to see if it rocks.

While smaller than a typical mobile phone, the new device, dubbed the Cellular-book, has a display that extends up to 5 inches and can be folded and stored away when not in use. It features 16 gray levels combined with a high-contrast and high-reflectivity display to enable comfortable paperlike reading of newspapers and books, … Read more

Printer reuses paper 500 times

We do it, and we know you do too. We all make paper printouts even when we don't really need to. Finally, there's something that can help relieve the ensuing pangs of guilt: a printer that reuses paper up to 500 times.

The Toshiba B-SX8R uses thermal technology and reusable paper in a process that ZDNet UK explains this way: "The special glossy paper is inserted in a hopper and printed on as usual. Once used, the paper can be put in the same hopper and passed through the machine, and the ink will be erased."… Read more