Is the tri-fold concept really coming? It seemed so. The idea started way back in 2006 when Fujitsu’s R&D envisioned it but doesn’t seem practical back then, but fast forward 5 years later and we’re seeing the tri-fold concept being brought back again this year.

“Life with Future Computing Award” saw the return of the tri-fold concept this year. The Flexbook, designed by Hao-Chun Huang, features a foldable 21:9 touchscreen and similarly flexible keyboard that allow its users to switch from laptop to tablet to book-like e-reader. It’s also been designed to sport a number of interchangeable sleeves in a Benetton-esque array of colors and patterns.

Back five years ago things might be impractical with the technology, but with compact ARM processors that don’t need dedicated cooling, and with chips getting smaller than ever, and even LCD screens that can be folded, the Flexbook seemed to be possible yet again.

SOURCE via DesignBoom