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A GUI For Books

NASA's Goddard Flight Center has just issued a contract to use Touch User Interface technology from a company called Somatic Digital. Their "TouchBooks" let printed material connect to digital devices via sensors in the covers. (C'mon, don't tell me you've never pressed on a URL on a printed page and expected something to happen.) This page on the vendor's site has videos of a 7-year-old using a TouchBook. Works with XP and OS X.

7 of 115 comments (clear)

  1. Ok... by Apocalypse111 · · Score: 4, Funny

    (C'mon, don't tell me you've never pressed on a URL on a printed page and expected something to happen.)

    Ok, I won't tell you that I've never done it.

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    There is no mod option "-1: Disagree" for a reason. "Overrated" is not an acceptable substitute. Post something instead.
  2. What about Grandma? by amigabill · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This page on the vendor's site has videos of a 7-year-old using a TouchBook.

    OK, but little kids pick up on things pretty well. Like grandma asking little Timmy to open her child-proof medecine bottle for her.

    Show me a video of my grandma using this thing and I'll be impressed.

  3. I'm surprised I haven't... by daenris · · Score: 5, Funny

    tried clicking a link in a book...

    one time in college after several days of no sleep and too much coding, I tried to click on a post-it note that was stuck to the top corner of my monitor.

    And another time at work -- again after too little sleep -- I ctrl-c'd something on one computer, then walked into another room and tried to paste it onto that computer. Twice. Then I actually stopped to think about what I was doing.

    1. Re:I'm surprised I haven't... by Traa · · Score: 4, Funny
      Mendo: lmao there's a wicked lookign spider on my monitor and if i move the mouse around he chases after it
      spitfire: haha mendo
      spitfire: take a screen shot
      spitfire: wait
      spitfire: that made no sense
      from bash.org
  4. Well... by $RANDOMLUSER · · Score: 5, Funny

    C'mon, don't tell me you've never pressed on a URL on a printed page and expected something to happen.

    No, but I do lick my fingertips before I click the "Next" button.

    --
    No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
  5. Not exactly, but: by manastungare · · Score: 4, Funny

    Recently, I did glance up at the top-right corner of a book to see what time it was. And was disappointed to see a page number instead.

  6. Doesn't work on white boards either by Cesa · · Score: 5, Funny

    (C'mon, don't tell me you've never pressed on a URL on a printed page and expected something to happen.)

    Back in high school my chemistry teacher once started wiping the white board before everyone had finished taking notes. A girl in class said "No, wait", the teacher stopped halfway through and said "Oh, sorry". Then he drew an undo button (like the one in, for example, MS Word) on the board and pushed it with his hand and said "Well it didn't work, maybe you could just copy someone elses notes".