Re: navigating the net
In the Kopin/ACCESS press release, they said "BrowserScope™ will combine Kopin's miniature CyberDisplay product with ACCESS' NetFront software..."
More information about NetFront is here, at ACCESS' products page:
access-us-inc.com
NetFront 2.5 Major Features (user input):
- Hardware/software keyboard, mouse, touch-panel, remote controller support
- Bookmark support
They also have a stripped-down version called Compact NetFront, which uses a subset of HTML. This is optimized for cellular phones with hardware constraints, e.g. screen size of 1/4VGA or smaller. CyberDisplay can remove that particular constraint, but it may turn out that system bandwidth favors the lower screen resolution as more practical until such time as bandwidth catches up. I believe that Dr. Fan has addressed this point. In that case, Compact NetFront might be more appropriate.
Compact NetFront Key Features (user input):
- Bookmark and URL entry
- Button operation for focus navigation, data selection and entry
- Direct key assignment to specify anchors with number keys ("accesskey" in HTML 4.0)
NTT DoCoMo i-mode phones use Compact NetFront:
access-us-inc.com
If you set up your bookmarks in a well-organized tree form, the microbrowser could bring up hierarchical "pick lists"; you could then select the number or perhaps the first letter of the bookmark sub-group title. I wonder if it can be set up so that for any web page you visit, a list of all the links can be brought up as a numbered list? That would be useful.
My guess is that they'll concentrate on user input from the keypad, since that's compatible with both versions of NetFront and is the method to which phone users are accustomed. Designing it so that you can easily work the keypad while viewing is a challenge. How about a detachable, remote keypad that you could operate with one hand while holding the eyepiece to the opposite eye? Nah, too complicated... beats me. <g>
WT |
