"The Future of 'Print'?"

"Is SI’s Dazzling Tablet Mag The Future of ‘Print’?" So asks MinOnline in describing the concept for the next-generation Sports Illustrated magazine.

The video above is vaporware at this point, but represents real possibilities around the corner as multiple companies prepare to launch so-called digital tablets next year. Apple is among them, but others such as Wonderfactory and Plastic Logic CrunchPad are also thick in the game.

As a consumer and content creator, I love the concept: Rich, detailed and interactive content -- whether news or advertising -- that can be updated on the fly and on the go. They're not repurposing the magazine, they're reinventing it. And unlike a lot of the shiny objects we see online today, products like these are true game changers, no matter if they're niches initially because the tablets are expensive, the content scarce or whatever.

But as a business person and someone who has a good idea what it takes to create a slick product like this, I cringe that there was only one reference to advertising in the S.I. prototype. Creating such rich content week in, week out -- or daily, if you ditch the print-driven weekly production cycle -- will cost tons of money, which means the advertising has to be there from the get-go and not an afterthought. Subscription costs alone likely will not pay for the content production.

And I also wonder whether we're starting to see long-term segmentation in platforms, with print, desktops, gaming consoles and mobile devices all cornering their portion of the media landscape. Print is a killer app, and will be for years to come for a sizable audience that likes the predictability, the simplicity. Desktops and gaming consoles are wonderful social vehicles. But for many people, a digital tablet might be too much, too complex, too intense. There's a reason the Kindle is popular: It does a few things very well without the whiz and bang; it's an escape from the chaos in our lives, not an amplifier.

These are exciting times we live in, but for those people in the traditional news business, these are the challenges -- and opportunities -- that really make one pause. My head is spinning, both in a good and bad way. Anymore, that seems to be how life is.

Update on Friday, December 4, 2009 at 9:18 AM by Logan Molen

Got an email from a smart guy at Gannett's Detroit newspapers -- which is doing some great work now, and planning into the future -- who asked about my Plastic Logic reference. The reference to Plastic Logic -- which is in the e-reader business -- was total brain fade on my part (cranked the post out too quickly). I meant CrunchPad, and have made the fix in the original post. 

Update on Wednesday, December 23, 2009 at 11:03 AM by Logan Molen

Fast Company reviews two new tablet PCs due to be unveiled at the Consumer Electronic Show next month (sadly, I can't attend this year -- there's a room set aside for e-readers, tablet PCs and the like). 

Thumbs up on one, thumbs down on another, as well as an update on the weird Crunchpad debacle. Worth a quick read. 

Surprise me

See where this leads you.

Update on Monday, November 16, 2009 at 9:00 AM by Logan Molen

So, it seems more than a few people were confused by the odd image seen above, or maybe just didn't care. More than 35 unique visitors to my site saw the image -- called a QR code -- over the last few days but only one, Justinian Hatfield, took the next step: Take a snapshot of the image with his smartphone and fire up a "QR reader" app, which then translated the image to the url of a secret page I had set up. Justinian earns some local brew for his efforts.

This little treasure hunt is an example of how QR codes can be used to offer new dimensions to marketing, advertising and communication. Because they're so simple to create and unique to any web page you want to promote, QR codes offer lots of potential. In mobile-mad Japan and Europe, QR codes are big and getting bigger, with QR codes embedded on packaging, and printed advertisements and news pages.

At The Californian, we'll begin experimenting with QR codes in some of our print advertisements in the coming weeks. Keep an eye out for them. And if you're an advertiser and want to experiment with this tool, let us know.

Two new ventures stretch traditional book publishing

I learned about two different innovative approaches to book publishing the last few days that I thought were worth celebrating.

Crowdsourcing “The Wire”

"The Wire: Re-Up" includes half of its content from Guardian readersThe first relates to one of my favorite TV shows, “The Wire” (see previous post). “The Wire” has taken Great Britain by storm, oddly enough initially as a DVD box set, then later as the series was broadcast, several years after it debuted in the States.

The series is so popular and critically acclaimed that British publications like The Word and The Guardian have given it extensive coverage. The Guardian in fact has a dedicated “Wire” blog that helps readers navigate each episode as it airs.

And it’s the blog that is the source of a new book called “The Wire: Re-up” that The Guardian is publishing. The book will not only feature blog posts, but reader comments: “About half of the content is the words written by you readers,” The Guardian’s Steve Busfield announced today.

“The Wire” is so nuanced and full of layers that you want -- and need -- a crowd to help source the storylines. Kudos to The Guardian for recognizing that. I was unaware of the Guardian “Wire” blog but I’ll be ordering the book and can’t wait to read what my fellow fans have to teach me.

Riding the Wave

I’m a dedicated listener of “This Week in Google,” a tech-geek podcast on all things related to the cloud, and specifically Google.

As you might expect, the much-ballyhooed Google Wave has been a hot topic on the show, so much so it’s become a running joke. The Wave is more like a Ripple at this point, although I know its power will be upon us soon enough.

And that’s why core TWIG contributor Gina Trapani has co-authored a new “book” called “The Complete Guide to Google Wave.” I use the term “book” loosely because the guide is currently a wiki (using the MediaWiki software that’s at the foundation of Wikepedia). Trapani and co-author Adam Pash are inviting the crowd to share in the creation of the guide using traditional wiki editing tools.

Wiki software allows the crowd to help create Trapani's Google Wave guideBut that’s just the start of the fun. The guide will be available both as a PDF (free of digital-rights management) and as well as a softcover print book, “with new editions to follow throughout 2010.” Those print versions will be updated with Twitter, email and web updates, all of which will be free. And the crowd will contribute throughout.

As Trapani said on this week’s TWIG, tech books are outdated as soon as they’re published so technical guides need to be fluid as software or products develop.

Trapani has a great reputation already as a founder of Lifehacker and her personal blog, Smarterware. But she smartly sees Wave as a way to position herself as an expert on a software tool that many believe will be the foundation of content creation for years to come. And she seems to grasp that to position herself as a Wave expert, she must first serve as a guide who inspires others into the possibilities. Trapani is refreshingly upfront about some of Wave’s shortcomings, expressing frustration and confusion with some features.  That builds trust with me, that the “book” she produces will be honest, and not just a love letter to Google.

As with most things Google, the beta product is just the beginning of a long journey to parts unknown.