For anyone who has ever worked in a busy office, fear of the ‘keyboard flu’ is a very real thing. And now, as touch-screens become more prominent in every day life, a new phenomenon is arising which, for lack of a better description, we can term (imaginatively) the ‘touch-screen flu’.
Of course, where there is a problem, there is a solution, and Microsoft is working on a novel technique to alleviate this situation a little, having been awarded a patent. The technology involves the use of a light film which is placed over the touch-screen display in question, which is then disinfected by a UV light when human input is detected.
Though the technology is there, how it will be integrated into phones is something that is yet to be revealed. But for those among you who balk at the notion of legions of fingertips leaving a sweaty rainbow oil slick across their pristine screens, this may offer some comfort.
Do the health implications of touch-screens concern you? Let us know in the comments below.
Further reading: Microsoft, Windows Phone
