Audio News - The Readius

It won't be long until you're reading from your Readius!Telecom Italia and Philips subsidiary, Polymer Vision, (www.polymervision.com) launched the Readius at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona this week (3gsmworldcongress.com). It’s the World’s first electronic reader with a rollable, 5inch screen that folds down to the size of a mobile phone.

The gadget uses Polymer Vision’s innovative rollable display technology which enables mobile devices to incorporate a display larger than the handset itself and offers readability via e-ink, similar to printed paper in shades of grey.

Linked to a mobile service provider, (like PDA) the device will permit instant access to personalised data, e-mail, news and information feeds wherever and whenever. It houses 4GB of on-board memory, which is very reasonable storage space. It also features USB and Wi-Fi connectivity, meaning you can download data on to it quickly and easily. Telecom Italia say it will also be able to download ebooks, audiobooks and music.

Featuring single-handed navigation and control via touch sensitive LED screen, as well as intuitively simple software, users will enjoy a new unique experience in managing, accessing relevant and personalised content. It’s claimed that the displays power consumption is extremely low and that the device will deliver up to 10 days usage time between battery charges. (That’s the time it takes to read a book for some!)

We’ll have to wait a bit though - Telecom Italia will bring it to market exclusively in Italy this year. Cross your fingers for a UK mobile phone manufacturer to team up with Polymer Vision soon.