Sharp's Tiny LCD Doubles As Scanner

morpheus83 writes "It's all of 3.5-inches but this LCD screen from Sharp features an integrated optical scanner that could be used to scan business cards, but also be used as a method for multi-touch input. The prototype was seen at the Ceatec exhibition. Possible uses include the ability to recognize fingers or other objects and as biometric lock on your phone. And since each pixel has a scanner it may as well be a multi-touch screen."

Re:Oblig

[PingPongBoy]

In Soviet Russia, LCDs watch YOU!!


Might be anywhere, in the coming times.

Someone has a cellphone without a camera, but is it really? Business's may be well advised to ban personal electronics, but who can do business without a cell phone and still rub shoulders with people with valuable secrets?

Re:Don't bother RTFA

[inviolet]

Is this really all that useful? How many of you scan business cards? I never do.

This particular implementation of the idea, may not be all that useful. However, it's the first step towards a computer monitor that can 'see'. At that point, we'll be able to have real videoconferencing, rather than what we have now, where eye contact is impossible. You can't make eye contact if you have to look offscreen at a camera.

Eye contact is a very big deal -- its significance is woven deeply into our brain hardware. When the other party is forever looking away from you (i.e. they are watching their screen instead of their camera), it makes everything they say seem untrustworthy.

Re:Don't bother RTFA

[MobileTatsu-NJG]

Is this really all that useful? How many of you scan business cards? I never do. If I need to email somebody who's given me a business card, I type in the email address, and then it's in my address book...probably takes less time than scanning and OCR'ing the thing...on the occasion that I need their phone number too, I type it into my phone and hit 'store'. I can't imagine wanting to scan every business card that I get...

The article says the card can be scanned in one second. That's significantly faster than the methods you mentioned. Also, from personal experience, I'd rather that data stayed with the card than filling up my address book with numbers from people I won't remember a week later.

Killer? Nah. Useful? Well, if they keep their promises, sure.