Pretty sweet, although I'd prefer seeing it as an optional user agent feature than a web page feature. When reading long articles, I regularly use the text selection highlight to back-reference as I continue reading, or to mark my spot while I skim back. Obviously this breaks with a concept like Fokus.

A Fokus Chrome extension exists: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/flkkpmjbbpijiedjdg...

I am just amazed by the creativity of the author. All his projects look interesting.

Nice, but I really like this one: http://lab.hakim.se/meny/

He sh/could license it to Microsoft Metro division

I tried Meny in my phone, using both: Dolphin and Chrome. I had problems with both. In Dolphin, sliding from the left edge makes the Bookmarks menu appear, and with Chrome that gesture makes it switch to the previous tab.

That's a problem with those browsers. They shouldn't hijack a gesture as common as "swipe".

Works fine in Opera Mobile.

The idea is nice. I'm one of those few geeks who actually does select text as I read it, but the implementation makes changing highlighted paragraphs non-intuitive. Re-selecting something to move doesn't seem right. This thing has been created on my screen and I want to move it... maybe arrow keys, maybe clicking to where I want it to go.... click-dragging some other piece of text on the screen is just a very non-intuitive means of motion control.

Neat idea, but its a bit harsh. Maybe instead of a black overlay, fade the text and images not selected to a lower opacity? Probably would be very intensive to act on all those individual elements though.

No need to do it on individual elements. If instead of the black overlay you use an semi-transparent overlay with the same color as the background behind the text/images, you will get the same effect as if you would reduce alpha on all of the text/images individually.

As someone who compulsively text-selectors when I read, this is neat.

Neat? I thought it sucks for me for the same reason… Once I started text selecting as I usually do, it went black, then back, then black… annoying.

I agree with you, it'd drive me crazy for a long article. It would be really useful as a bookmarklet for presentations or something though.

Also check out his other project: http://rvl.io Nice. (if it could go full screen it'd be even better)

I believe it can ! http://lab.hakim.se/reveal-js/#/

I get

    Uncaught TypeError: Object #<Object> has no method 'getRangeAt'

on Chrome on Linux.

I'd merge some ideas here:

  - Different trigger
    Double click is too proactive, maybe a timed click
    2s + mousedown => focus.(or on drag)

  - Smooth transition between selections
    If on a focused state, don't fade in the page to fade it out entirely, or slower and darker.

Great thing though, similar to the minimalist/darkroom trend

Nice idea but it doesn't work with selections that are changed using the keyboard (in Chrome on OSX). That is, if I make a selection using the mouse and then use the keyboard to alter it using Shift+Down, the focused area does not get updated and the browser continues to select text in the blacked-out area.

That's been fixed now, thanks for the heads up.

Very cool. I love all the experiments on the site. Really creative stuff.

This seems like it would be good for watching videos at night (if the wrapping div can be selected). Many are embedded on white pages and this would help a lot.

Very cool! It would be even cooler if there was some way to turn the page with highlighted text into a named anchor link.

Cool, but selecting text is awkward (especially on a MBP) and I only do it to copy/paste.

Maybe hover is a better trigger?

Single finger click and drag on the pad thing to select?

if you have a newer mbp, with the oversized trackpad, you can select text with less frustration using three fingers

This is cool. Would love to see it as a bookmarklet.

I love meny too, but fokus is not working at all on iOS - then again I have no idea of the js model on iPad.

Overall I think these just point to firefox os and chrome os as becoming the whole experience for most devices most ofbthe time.

I mean I am on paper an IT professional at the cutting edge. Most of my domestic surfing is on iOS devices in e kitchen. It is only frustrating 1/10 times