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Lo-Tek Book Reading (In Bed) Stand
Sometimes, you can get what you want with less zippy forms of technology. Consider the 'book reading stand' which allows hands-free reading even when lying flat on your back.
(Book reading stand in use)
Here's the original formulation of the problem. I am (was) ten years old and I'm lying there reading a large heavy volume. I can't hold it over my head for long (and what if I want a snack?) and if I doze off I'll injure myself with it.
Enter the 'book reading stand' available only in Japan.
(Book reading stand details)
Here's the Google (Beta) translation:
The ultimate weapon in order to read the book with the bed and the futon is this “book-reading stand”...As for the problematical point of book-reading in this case there is two. It is problem of attitude and problem of the illumination. As for the young person the [u] crush in attitude, under the face expanding the book, the case which is read probably is majority group, but when is age is repeated, this attitude gradually becomes difficult... Because with age the distance to which the focus meets gradually becomes long to that, unless the body can be bent more, it stops being able to go... Whether saying, when it tries probably to read with transverse and the looking up, first, the illumination to become difficult to hit, not to support the book with the both hands, because the [te] stops becoming, you become tired very.
Those where these problems are solved entirely are this book-reading stand. This device firmly supports the book and, it applies also the illumination securely from the front.
I particularly like the reference to this device as "the ultimate weapon." Midnight readers rejoice!
Heinlein enthusiasts may recall that he also wrestled with this problem and thought up the reading machine in Stranger in a Strange Land.
Find out more (if you read Japanese) here.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 8/29/2006)
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