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2005-10-15 Science & Technology

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Posted by .com 2005-10-15 06:43|| || Front Page|| [2 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 the format and delivery means could be improved

Now that the ink doesn't rub off, I don't think this is true. The papers' problems are primarily related to faster news cycles and delivery alternatives, the declining attention span due to TV and the concommitant dumbing down as well as leftism of the content. I still read the WSJ ODT and prefer it because I can easily read it where ever I am. Ever try to take a laptop into the commode?

Posted by Whoth Ebbomong9535 2005-10-15 08:36|| 2005-10-15 08:36|| Front Page Top

#2 ground transportation = horse and buggy
ground transprotation = automobile

Would you be riding in your buggy if it were able to go faster with four horses than two?
How about a little gas heater for those cold winter Sunday morning trips to the church?
Blah, blah, blah.

The technology is killing an old way of life. Horse breeders are going to decrease, buggy and whip manufacturing is going to drop, etc. However, over a hundred years later there are still some breeders and manufactures of the old way of life. However the auto brought us suburbia and a new life style. Either you evolve and adapt or face history. As each new generation is adapting to newer consumer electronics the desire for paper touching and old formats will decrease. Can't say I have any pangs of regret to see dead tree media dying. When the advertisers figure out how to work around the apron strings they've been locked to for a hundred years, the death will come rather quickly.

Posted by Shereting Omager3789 2005-10-15 09:18|| 2005-10-15 09:18|| Front Page Top

#3 At a keynote speech for my companies, SAP, convention about 5 years ago we had one of the top dudes from the MIT Media Lab discussing new technology. One of the things he talked about were reusable books. Basically this was a bunch of "paper" bound just like a regular book today. There was a plug in the spine that let you download the content, un-plug, and then walk away with a "new" book.

One of his main points about reading is that one of the main issues consumers have with PCs is the light source. Humans seem to work/see better if they're looking at something via an indirect light source as opposed to the object being the source.

The tech described had all the pros of a normal book plus the ability to be reloaded off any connection. Pretty cool stuff.

The REALLY cool stuff was the idea of using the human body as the "wiring" for personal devices. The scenario was a generator built into the heel of your shoe generating the power which was then fed do devices that were being worn. The description of closing a deal with a handshake (each persons ring being the device) led to a number of ribald comments during the breaks. ;^)

Posted by AlanC">AlanC 2005-10-15 10:19|| 2005-10-15 10:19|| Front Page Top

#4 I was looking at getting one of the development kits for one of the electronic paper thingies (as shown here but they were charging a couple thousand dollars for a screen plus a hundred-dollar-or-so single-board computer.

There are e-book readers out there today, but their business models coupled with low production runs keep what should be a $ 30.00 unit somewhere in the $ 150.00 range. (IMHO).

All the e-ink thing does is improve slightly the display contrast and power consumption at the expense of the screen's refresh rate.

It doesn't give them much more in technical capability they couldn't have today, if they knew what they wanted to do with it. (Which they don't).

Posted by Phil Fraering 2005-10-15 13:38|| 2005-10-15 13:38|| Front Page Top

#5 This stuff is decades away. I suspect, like it or not, the sales ads and cents off coupons will make getting the local paper indispensible, or at least cost effective, for the rest of our lives. Unless you'd like to get spam from all the advertisers. Newspapers are just too convenient and cost effective for readers and advertisers.

Posted by Whoth Ebbomong9535 2005-10-15 13:53|| 2005-10-15 13:53|| Front Page Top

#6 "And the Sunday paper," writes Takoma Park's Abigail Grotke, "who would want to read all of that online? Not me. I need it in hand with the cup of coffee on a relaxing Sunday morning."

I do look forward to my Sunday morning with a cup of coffee, laptop, Mark Steyn, David Warren, and Rantburg.

Posted by john">john 2005-10-15 21:07|| 2005-10-15 21:07|| Front Page Top

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