Moving pages

Siemens Corp. announced at a European trade fair this week that it is only two years away from marketing paper-thin TV screens that could be stitched into high end magazines. Probably only affordable at first for high impact ads in upscale publications, the materials now cost about C$70 a square metre, but that is bound to come down. It would allow moving pictures and flash animations on the page.

Siemens spokesman Norbert Aschenbrenner is quoted in a story in today's Guardian newspaper saying that the new screens can do everything a regular TV screen or computer monitor can do, but cost a fraction of the price. "The technology makes it possible to put moving images directly onto paper ... at a cost that would make it economical to use on everything from magazines to cigarette packets ... where the moving images would give more detailed instructions than any photo could ever do," he said.

"The images are in colour, and can broadcast anything that can be shown on a regular flat screen monitor or TV, although with a slightly lower quality." These could be short film clips or flash animations.

The company believes there will also be a market for using them for simple computer games which could be given away free in magazines.