IT WAS ONE OF THE TOP STORIES TO EMERGE FROM THE RECENT CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW IN LAS VEGAS -- AND IT WAS DEVELOPED AT THE HUMAN MEDIA LAB AT QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY

.A THIN, FLEXIBLE TABLET THAT COULD BECOME THE E-DEVICE OF THE FUTURE.

TONIGHT, WE TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE " PAPER TAB".

A PAPERLESS SOCIETY? THINK AGAIN.

TURNS OUT THE CENTURIES OLD WAY OF COMMUNICATING IS EXPECTED TO PLAY A BIG IN ROLE THE DIGITAL AGE.

 ROEL VERTAGAAL

"YOUR TABLET SCREEN IS GOING TO GET SO THIN IT WILL BECOME FLEXIBLE."

 SO THIN THAT ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS BEND A CORNER TO SEND AN EMAIL. SEEM FARFETCHED? NOT REALLY.

 "WE ARE PUTTING TOGETHER A SYSTEM THAT EVERYONE WILL HAVE IN THEIR HOME MAYBE 10 YEARS FROM NOW."

 THROUGH FEDERAL AND PROVINCIAL FUNDING, VERTEGAAL AND HIS TEAM OF QUEEN'S RESEARCHERS HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THE PAPER-TAB SINCE 2004.

 IT'S MADE OF PLASTIC DISPLAY WITH FILM SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU'D FIND ON A KINDLE. IT HAS A TOUCHSCREEN, E-INK SCREEN ".

 BUT UNLIKE THE KINDLE OR TABLET WHICH RUN MULTIPLE APPS ON ONE DISPLAY, THE PAPER TAB RUNS ONE APP PER PAGE.

 "THE IDEA IS THAT YOU CAN HAVE MANY OF THESE SO EACH DISPLAY IS NOW A WINDOW AND THAT MAKES IT EASY TO PUT STUFF TOGETHER.

YOU TAP FOR A PHOTO, AND BEND IT BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS FOR EXAMPLE."

 VERTEGAAL SAYS IT MAY NOT BE A FASTER WAY TO USE COMPUTERS, BUT IT IS USER FRIENDLY.

 " IT'S NO LONGER A COMPUTER DEVICE, IT BECOMES A PIECE OF PAPER...."

 YOU WON'T FIND THE PAPERTAB AT A COMPUTER STORE JUST YET.

THE TECHNOLOGY COSTS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, AND RESEARCHERS STILL NEED TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MAKE IT WIRELESS AND TO MAKE THE CHIPS FLEXIBLE.

BUT THIS PROTOTYPE IS CREATING QUITE A BUZZ AMONG TECH ENTHUSIASTS.

 " I WAS REALLY HAPPY TO SEE PEOPLE WANT THIS. IT IS AN IMPORTANT INDICATOR AS TO WHETHER SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN."

 RIGHT NOW THE LAB IS WORKING WITH INTEL, A COMPUTER COMPONENTS FIRM.

BUT SAMSUNG AND NOKIA ARE ALSO INTERESTED IN THIS TECHNOLOGY.

 " IT MUST BE ABLE TO FOLD UP IN YOUR POCKET--THAT 'S WHAT WILL DRIVE THE MARKET"

 PROVIDED THE INVESTMENT IS MADE, THE PAPER TAB COULD JUST BE THE E-SCREEN OF THE FUTURE.

ASIDE FROM ITS PORTABILITY AND FLEXIBILITY... ANOTHER BENEFIT TO THIS DEVICE ... NO PAPER CUTS!

JB CKWS NEWSWATCH, KINGSTON