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Xerox Reveals Transient Documents

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the bum-papers dept.

Heartless Gamer writes "Xerox has lifted the veil from some of its research and development work in the field of printing. They demoed the very intriguing 'transient documents.' These offer the prospect of reusable paper in the sense that the content is automatically erased after a period of time, ready for fresh printing. Inspired by the fact that many print outs have a life-span of a few hours (think of the emails you may print out just to read, or the content you proof read on the train journey back home), the specially prepared paper will preserve its content for up to 16 hours."

7 of 246 comments (clear)

  1. Coming soon... by themushroom · · Score: 5, Funny

    The next use of this paper will be for printing those Microsoft Genuine Advantage certificates with your Windows registration code on them. Made expecially for those rare folk who do know where their documentation is.

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    Laughter is the Spackle of the Soul.
  2. Your message, should you choose to accept it by Kesch · · Score: 5, Funny

    This memo is set to self-destruct in 16 hours.

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    If this signature is witty enough, maybe somebody will like me.
  3. Transients don't need documents by TheSexican · · Score: 5, Funny

    What kind of documents do hobos need, aside from IOUs, and you might want those to last a while...

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    Hey, guys. Big gulps, huh? Cool. All right! Well, see ya later.
  4. This sounds like... by Jsutton1027w · · Score: 5, Insightful

    A really good way to play a practical joke on someone...

    - Term papers
    - Contracts
    - I could go on forever :)

  5. I'm worried by raptor_87 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This seems like it can (and therefore will) be used to add "DRM" to paper.

  6. Finally, contracts ... by tomhudson · · Score: 5, Funny

    Finally, contracts that aren't worth the paper they're written on.

    1. Get signatures on contract
    2. Let the rest of the text fade
    3. Print contract again, with new terms
    4. Permanent photocopy of new contract
    5. PROFIT

  7. Re:PAPERLESS OFFICE by zero_offset · · Score: 5, Informative

    Speaking as part-owner of one 450 acre tree farm, and part-owner of another 778 acre tree farm, I can assure you that most paper does actually come from tree farms. The best and most obvious reason is that it's simply a lot easier to harvest wood from tree farms. Undergrowth is controlled, quality and yields are known, roads are available... the good reasons go on and on. In fact, in order to make paper, you only need trees that are about two years old. Three to five is better, but two works just fine. It's very, very easy to indefinitely sustain the production of paper.

    Generally tree farming is most profitable when you can do it nearly year-round, so it is done more often in the southeast. Slash pine occurs naturally. About the only thing that is displaced by most tree farms in this area is a bit of uninteresting (and certainly not endagered) undergrowth of various types. So no "local trees" are destroyed for "special trees".

    Finally, a great deal of effort goes into the care and maintenance of even small tree farms like mine. To some degree this is even regulated by various state and federal forestry groups.

    Your entire post is speculation, and isn't even remotely close to accurate.

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