Harry Potter magic for e-paper?

German electronics maker Siemens has unveiled paper-thin TV screens that could be used as newspapers or magazines.

The screens were unveiled at the at the Plastics Electronics trade fair in Frankfurt this week, according to The Guardian.

A spokesman for the company told the paper that the screens, which would likely start as ads in high-end magazines, could resemble the magic moving pictures seen in the "Harry Potter" films and books.

"The images are in color, 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 like those found on the Internet," the spokesman said.

The paper reported that one square meter of the material costs around 30 pounds ($52), and scientists working on the screens said they should be available by 2007. Siemens has competition in the e-paper chase; others working on flexible display technology include Dutch electronics giant Philips.

Blog community response:

"I don't think paper is going away completely any time soon but the medium needs something to kick it in the pants and excite and interest younger audiences in particular. That demographic has moved beyond paper for the most part and to the net. I can see it in our own house where our kids rarely will read paper anything, instead heading for the nearest machine."
--Things that...make you go hmm

"Now thatÂ’s a technology I'd buy into, and it sounds like it could be used for something similar to my idea of a digital reader."
--Project Nothing

"So how long until I can get e-wallpaper now? The article says that we will first see them in expensive magazines 'high - impact adverts'. Yummy."
--Life as an Artificial Lifeform