Totally changing how you may read info on your mobile device

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://www.humanfactors.com/downloads/flashreader.asp">http://www.humanfactors.com/downloads/flashreader.asp</a><br /><br />This is an interesting concept. You probably wouldn't want to read an ebook like this, but for short articles, news clips, weather and similar items, it would work well. Click on the link above to go to Human Factors' web site for a working demo and free source code.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/hansberry/2002/20020719-flashreader.jpg" /><br /><br />Instead of a screen of information you occasionally thumb through, this flashes one word on the screen at a time at a user configurable speed using a technique called Rapid Serial Visual Presentation, or RSVP. This would be useful on a watch with a built in WiFi connection that could pull down stock quotes and news blurbs. Even the relatively small screen of a smartphone could benefit from this application. Source: Allen Smith

[Jimmy Dodd]

I've experienced this type of display before in the military. It is about as useful as a stock ticker (and about as annoying). They do enable you to squeeze more text into a confined area by utilizing the fourth dimension of time, but you lose most of the context of what you are reading.

One of the arguments for this type of display has always been that you only read one word at a time anyway. Of course, this isn't exactly true. Along with the word you are reading you see upcoming words, punctuation, etc. You can also jump back and forth with amazing speed and re-read words if you need to or scan ahead for context. That is something that takes a manual effort in this kind of system. My eyes move much faster than my hand operating a scroll button. Coupled with the fact that your brain recognizes some words much faster than others ("a" and "I" are gimmees) and you get a very odd reading experience. Like the article says, it works but you wouldn't want to read like this for long.

I'm hoping that text recognition will improve in the next five years and we'll all be listening to our devices by then (over wireless earpieces, of course) instead of reading them. ;-)

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Bwana Jim

[topps]

but you lose most of the context of what you are reading.


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Bwana Jim

I agree...it depends on what kind of text you are reading...this may be ok for a novel or something where skimming is fine but for information that requires a deeper level of comprehension, our eyes track at varying speeds as our brains process concepts or reread stuff that we didn't catch the first time.

Couldn't find the code either to see if we could play with this stuff on our PPCs.

[scottmag]

This could be an option for adding more PDA functionality to other types of devices. For example, the mobile phone with its small screen is not ideal for reading large chunks of information. Adding this functionalilty could make a phone a suitable PDA for some people. Phones already have contacts and calendars. This could add some level of content storage as well. Think of all those iMode users in Japan who utilize their phones during a long train commute. Having something to read in the morning (like, say, Slate magazine's Today's Papers) would be better than playing another round of snake. Or paying access fees to read WAP sites.

The ideal device for this would be the iPod. Its scroll wheel is the perfect control for this application. It's analog form would allow for very quick changes in display speed and, more importantly, rapid backward scrolling.

Scott

[dcharles18]

Isn't there another company that released a program like this specifically for PPC a few months ago?