‘Magic bookmark’ revealed as key to augmented reality books

Scientists have revealed their latest work on hardware that can supply the kind of background information, familiar with ebooks, for paper volumes

We've had ebooks, audiobooks, and of course good old-fashioned printed books - but could there soon be another way to read? So-called augmented reality books" - dubbed a-books" by their creators - are a step closer to mass-market production after a six-year project by researchers at the University of Surrey.

While ebook readers are used to being able to access background information and extra features, a-books would allow users to swipe their fingers across a line in a physical, printed book and have related content flash up on their phones, laptops or smart TVs.