A MAJOR TECHNOLOGICAL BREAKTHROUGH
Announcing the new
Built-in Orderly Organized Knowledge Device called B.O.O.K.
As announced in 1080 News Apr 2000
The "BOOK" is a revolutionary breakthrough in
technology: No wires, no electric circuits, no batteries, nothing to be connected or
switched on.
It's so easy to use even a child can operate it. Just lift its cover!
Compact and portable, it can be used anywhere - even sitting in an armchair by the
fire - yet it is powerful enough to hold as much information as a CD-ROM disc.
Here's how it works ...
Each BOOK is constructed of sequentially numbered sheets of paper
(recyclable), each capable of holding thousands of bits of information.
These pages are locked together with a custom-fit device called a binder which keeps the
sheets in their correct sequence. Opaque Paper Technology (OPT) allows manufacturers to
use both sides of the sheet, doubling the information density and cutting costs in half.
Experts are divided on the prospects for further increases in information density; for now
BOOKs with more information simply use more pages. This makes them thicker and harder to
carry, and has drawn some criticism from the mobile computing crowd. Each sheet is scanned
optically, registering information directly into your brain. A flick of the finger takes
you to the next sheet.
The BOOK may be taken up at any time and used by merely opening it. The BOOK never crashes
and never needs rebooting, though like other display devices it can become unusable if
dropped overboard. The "browse" feature allows you to move instantly to any
sheet, and move forward or backward as you wish. Many come with an "index"
feature, which pinpoints the exact location of any selected information for instant
retrieval.
An optional "BOOKmark" accessory allows you to open the BOOK to the exact place
you left it in a previous session - even if the BOOK has been closed.
BOOKmarks fit universal design standards; thus, a single BOOKmark can be used in BOOKs by
various manufacturers. Conversely, numerous bookmarks can be used in a single BOOK if the
user wants to store numerous views at once.
The number is limited only by the number of pages in the BOOK.
The medium is ideal for long term archive use; several field trials have proven that the
medium will still be readable in several centuries, and because of its simple user
interface it will be compatible with future reading devices.
You can also make personal notes next to BOOK text entries with an optional programming
tool, the Portable Erasable Nib Cryptic Intercommunication Language Stylus (Pencils).
Portable, durable, and affordable, the BOOK is being hailed as the entertainment wave of
the future. The BOOK's appeal seems so certain that thousands of content creators have
committed to the platform.
Look for a flood of new titles soon!
John L Raybould
(From Ben Blaney, a nephew who works in the IT field)
Such is the speed of modern communications, within a
short while of publication on this site, this article was on the website of the Kimberley
Club, South Africa District 9320, which our GSE Team visited in March 2000.
Webmaster Barry Downs has an impressive web site worth checking at www.bdb.co.za/rotary/
And see the September 2000
sequel concerning International interest in marketing the BOOK!
Read
about it here!
This page was created by
Electronic 1080 News is maintained and edited by John L Raybould
Rotary Club of Watton and
District
To send comments and suggestions:
15 September 2000
