Consumers have gotten used to pinching and swiping. Soon phone makers may be adding bending, folding and squeezing to their repertoire.

We are already pretty intimate with our smartphones, poking and swiping their screens almost without second thought. Now a Japanese phone maker is making the case we go a step further, literally squeezing and pinching them to do our bidding.

In a bid to battle the "showrooming" phenomenon that is hurting big-box retailers, Toys "R" Us Inc. said Monday it will start selling its own proprietary tablet designed for children.